What response rates are needed to make reliable inferences from student evaluations of teaching?

This paper addresses the determination of statistically desirable response rates in students’ surveys, with emphasis on assessing the effect of underlying variability in the student evaluation of teaching (SET). We discuss factors affecting the determination of adequate response rates and highlight challenges caused by non-response and lack of randomization. Estimates of underlying variability were obtained for a period of 4?years, from online evaluations at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Simulations were used to examine the effect of underlying variability on desirable response rates. The UBC response rates were compared to those reported in the literature. Results indicate that small differences in underlying variability may not impact desired rates. We present acceptable response rates for a range of variability scenarios, class sizes, confidence level, and margin of error. The stability of estimates observed at UBC, over a 4-year period, indicates that valid model-based inferences of SET could be made.     

An Investigation into the Parameters Affecting Preparation of Polybutyl Cyanoacrylate Nanoparticles by Emulsion Polymerization

Emulsion polymerization was used to synthesize poly butyl cyanoacrylate nanoparticles in presence of steric stabilizer dextran 70. Nanoparticles were characterized by particle size analysis, scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Polymerization factors affecting particle size and distribution such as dextran 70, polysorbate 80 (PS 80) and H⁺ concentration, polymerization time and temperature, and sonication were studied. Distinct concentrations of stabilizer were needed to produce proper nanoparticles. In this case, the appropriate value was 2 % of total volume. At pH 4 significant decrease in production efficiency demonstrated the substantial effect of H⁺ concentration on nanoparticles. Furthermore significant increases in particle size and distribution was observed at 50 °C compared to room temperature. 0.001 % (v/v) PS 80 represented notable influence on size and distribution. In addition, shaped nanoparticles were obtained by altering polymerization time from 5.5 h to 18 h. Finally, nanoparticle features were influenced by different factors. Appropriate manipulating of such factors can lead to obtaining desirable nanoparticles.     

Effects of Nanoliposomal and Pegylated Nanoliposomal Artemisinin in Treatment of Breast Cancer

This study is aimed to investigate the nanoliposomal artemisinin preparation, and its implementation on breast cancer cells. Side effects have been one of the common challenges of drug usage, as well as cancer treatment. In order to reduce such effects, nanotechnology has been a great help. Nanoliposomes are provided through reverse phase evaporation. In this method, certain proportions of phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol and artemisinin were mixed together. Besides, the obtained formulation was pegylated by using polyethylene glycol 2000 in order to increase its stability and solubility. The mean diameter of non-pegylated and pegylated liposomal artemisinin was determined by Zeta sizer system. The percent of drug released from liposome was performed by dialysis. The encapsulation efficiency of both formulations was estimated by spectrophotometry method. As a result, encapsulation and drug release of nanoliposomal formulation were more than the pegylation of the same formulation. In addition, this study indicated that cytotoxicity effect of pegylated nanoliposomal artemisinin was more, in comparison with nanoliposomal artemisinin.     

Drug Delivery of Hydroxyurea to Breast Cancer Using Liposomes

It is clear that cancer is one of the most mortal diseases in the world and the most prevalent among women is breast cancer. As hydroxyurea (HU)—a drug which is used in chemotherapy—has many adverse effects in long-term despite of its therapeutic properties, we made use of nano drug delivery technology in order to reduce adverse effects and increase therapeutic index. Thus, liposomation is a novel way in drug delivery systems. In this study a mixture of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol was mixed and HU was added to the resultant mixture. The mean diameter of the nanoliposomal HU measured with the Zeta Sizer device (equal to 402.5 nm) and its encapsulation efficiency was 70.8 %. Besides, using dialysis, the pattern of drug release from nanoliposomes has been studied and the results showed that the drug release of nanoliposomal drug within 28 h was equal to 25.85 %. This study showed that the cytotoxicity effect of nanoliposomal drug is more than that of the standard drug.     

Improvement of Desferrioxamine B Production of Streptomyces pilosus ATCC 19797 With Use of Protease Inhibitor and Minerals Related to Its Activity

The relationship between protease and Desferal production was assayed. Experiments were performed using a cultivation of Streptomyces pilosus ATCC 19797 in soybean broth medium containing 2% soybean flour and 2% mannitol. The metabolism of the trihydroxamic acid sidrophore desferrioxamine B and protease production by a S. pilosus in nine continues days after culture were investigated as well as the effect of protease inhibitors was examined. It is found that the Desferal formation decreased with increased protease production. Also the effect of protease inhibitors and minerals in determined day of protease production in the culture medium by S. pilosus has been investigated.     

Silent escalation: salaries of senior university administrators in Ontario, 1996–2006

The real compensation of senior university administrators in Ontario has increased by over 43% in the last decade. The escalation is especially pronounced for presidents and provosts: their pay has risen by 63% in real terms between 1996 and 2006. These trends have been evident in universities of all types, for both genders and for professional as well as non-professional faculties. Besides documenting this hitherto unnoticed phenomenon, we explore the determinants of this escalation. Increased university size, and the consequent complication of administrators’ duties undoubtedly plays some role in the increase, though it likely does not explain all of it. Increased competition in the market for senior administrators may be contributing to the escalation, as may heightened rent-seeking behaviour.     

In Vitro Evaluation of the Efficacy of Liposomal and Pegylated Liposomal Hydroxyurea

Breast cancer is one of the most frequent cancer types within women population. Hydroxyurea (HU) is a chemotherapy compound for treatment of patients with cancer diagnosis, including breast cancer associated with several adverse effects. In this study, we applied nanotechnology to decreased drug side effects along with improvement of therapeutic index. Liposomation is widely used in modern pharmacological developments in order to enhance the effects of the drugs. To achieve this, in this study a mixture of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol was made up and HU was added to the resultant mixture, was then pegylated using Polyethylene Glycol 2000 to increase resistance, applicability and solubility. The mean diameters of nanoliposomal and pegylated nanoliposomal HU were measured by Zeta sizer device and obtained about 402.5 and 338.2 nm. The efficiency of non-pegylated and pegylated liposomal HU was 70.8 and 64.2, respectively. Releasing HU in both formulations was estimated about 25.8 and 21.7 %. Also, this study investigated the cytotoxicity effect of nanoliposomal and pegylated nanoliposomal HU using MTT assay. Results of this investigation showed that the cytotoxic properties of pegylated HU was 3.6 % more than those non-pegylated form, while was 38.93 % more than ordinary from of HU. This study showed that the stability, releasing pattern and cytotoxicity of the pegylated nanoliposomal HU is better than that of nanoliposomal HU.     

Women and freedom

Abstract

The essay analyses the history of geopolitical conceptualizations of Asia a century ago, found in the texts of Japanese Okakura Tenshin, Indian Rabindranath Tagore, and Chinese Sun Yatsen. They are not only classics in formulating new meanings for Asia, but they are also relevant nowadays in the light of contemporary attempts to advance Asian cooperation. During both periods, a crucial aspect of the discussion was conceptual: what to include and what to exclude from Asia, and on what grounds. In their own time all three authors appeared as innovative ideologists, who rhetorically redescribed the concept of Asia. That was necessary, because the whole geopolitical construction named Asia had thus far been dominated by European civilizational discourse, where Asia was seen as an aggregate of everything geographic, racial, and cultural that did not fit within Europe. It was a residual category, not containing anything that would make Asia into a common entity, except its essentialized non‐Europeanness. Culture, in the sense of the existence of a high civilization different from the dominating European one, became the central concept on which the three authors began to build a new understanding of Asian commonality. Because they were early pioneers, they often had to proceed metaphorically, using imaginative leaps of thought to fill the empty places necessarily appearing in such a new endeavour. Occasionally they also run into conceptual problems, which are as interesting as their usually quoted slogans. The problems were caused by the fact that they were Western educated and had to base their thinking on Western concepts, while at the same time attempting to proceed with classical Buddhist and Confucian ideals. It is exactly these conceptual difficulties that are relevant nowadays, when there is again a need to create Asian commonalities, while Asian relations with the rest of the world make these common aspects relative and contextual.     

Attenuation of oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus globulus</Emphasis>

In traditional medicine, Eucalyptus globulus (eucalyptus) was used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Hyperglycemia in diabetes has been associated with increased formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative damage to tissue compounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of eucalyptus in the diet (20 g/Kg) and drinking water (2.5 g/L) on lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and antioxidant power in plasma and liver homogenate, as well as glycated-Hb (HbA_1C) of blood in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats for a period of 4 weeks. Diabetes induced in rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/Kg). At the end of the treatment period, the level of plasma glucose, plasma and liver malondialdehyde (MDA, the main product of lipid peroxidation), protein carbonyl (PC, one of the protein oxidation products) and HbA_1C increased and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) decreased in diabetic rats compared to normal rats. Eucalyptus administration for 4 weeks caused a significant decrease in the plasma glucose levels, plasma and liver MDA, PC and HbA_1C, also a concomitant increase in the levels of FRAP in diabetic treated rats. In conclusion, the present study showed that eucalyptus posses antioxidant activities. Eucalyptus probably restores antioxidant power, due to the improved hyperglycemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.