Spinal cord injury usually results in permanent paralysis because of lack of regrowth of damaged neurons. Here we demonstrate that adult mice lacking EphA4 (Ϫ/Ϫ), a molecule essential for correct guidance of spinal cord axons during development, exhibit axonal regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord hemisection. Anterograde and retrograde tracing showed that axons from multiple pathways, including corticospinal and rubrospinal tracts, crossed the lesion site. EphA4Ϫ/Ϫ mice recovered stride length, the ability to walk on and climb a grid, and the ability to grasp with the affected hindpaw within 1-3 months of injury. EphA4 expression was upregulated on astrocytes at the lesion site in wild-type mice, whereas astrocytic gliosis and the glial scar were greatly reduced in lesioned EphA4Ϫ/Ϫ spinal cords. EphA4Ϫ/Ϫ astrocytes failed to respond to the inflammatory cytokines, interferon-␥ or leukemia inhibitory factor, in vitro. Neurons grown on wild-type astrocytes extended shorter neurites than on EphA4Ϫ/Ϫ astrocytes, but longer neurites when the astrocyte EphA4 was blocked by monomeric EphrinA5-Fc. Thus, EphA4 regulates two important features of spinal cord injury, axonal inhibition, and astrocytic gliosis.

The epaulette shark, Hemiscyllium ocellatum, is a tropical reef shark that can live in an environment with cyclic periods of low oxygen concentration, suggesting that it has a well-developed capacity for anaerobic metabolism. Most investigations of hypoxia-tolerant teleosts and reptiles have focused on species that inhabit cold environments. This study was carried out on a tropical reef shark in order to determine whether similar strategies for hypoxia survival are used at higher environmental temperatures. We studied the effects of a single exposure to mild hypoxia and cyclic exposure to extreme hypoxia on blood-lactate concentration and key indicators of neurological function. The basal blood-lactate concentration for the epaulette shark was determined as 0.37 mM and showed a graded increase during hypoxia. After a single exposure to mild hypoxia (20% of normoxia for 4 h), the mean blood-lactate level rose to 3.07 mM (P < 0.01). After cyclic exposure to extreme hypoxia (eight repetitions of a 120-min exposure at 5% of normoxia), there was a rise in mean blood-lactate concentration to 5.43 mM (P < 0.0001). During both hypoxic regimens, there were no observed changes in key indicators of neurological function. We conclude that the epaulette shark is tolerant to both mild hypoxia and to cyclic exposure to extreme hypoxia.

Indigenous higher education governance is a fundamental element of diversity, equality and inclusivity at universities with significant indigenous student populations or stakeholder communities. Management approaches to establish inclusive governance mechanisms are complex and little guidance exists to support university managers to establish indigenous advisory councils. We document the creation of a university indigenous advisory council incorporating 11 indigenous nationalities. We assess the outcomes of that establishment process with the analytical lenses of participation and inclusion; accountability and rule of law; non-discrimination and equality; transparency; and mutual trust and respect. This study provides higher education policy researchers and university managers and with a clear roadmap to establish robust indigenous university governance. In doing so, we aim to empower indigenous leaders to create positive impact in higher education, contributing to high quality education and research for indigenous students and communities.Universities are multiplex enterprises having diverse teaching, research and service missions. Universities must address the needs of students, faculty and professional staff as internal clients, as well as responding to the needs of many external government, industry and community stakeholders (Gayle, Tewarie and White 2011). A great challenge for university governance in this context of diverse accountabilities is the implementation of governance mechanisms that equitably represent and inclusively draw expertise from many diverse stakeholders across differing spheres of effect.

BackgroundDue to increasing pressure on natural resources, subsistence agriculture communities in Uganda and Sub-Saharan Africa are experiencing increasingly restricted access to diminishing natural resources that are a critical requirement of their livelihoods. Previously, common-pool resources like forests and grasslands have been either gazetted for conservation or leased for agriculture, the latter in particular for large-scale sugarcane production. Satisfying the increasing consumer demand for grassland or forestry products like wild mushrooms as food or medicine, requires innovative ethno-biological and industry development strategies to improve production capacity, while easing the pressure on diminishing natural resources and averting ecosystems degradation.MethodsThis case study addresses traditional knowledge systems for artisanal mycoculture to identify cultivation practices that enhance sustainable utilization of natural resources. Multi-scalar stakeholder engagement across government and community sectors identified artisanal mushroom producers across five districts in Uganda. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews characterized artisanal production methods and identified locally used substrates for cultivation of different mushroom species.ResultsArtisanal practices were characterized for the cultivation of six wild saprophytic mushroom species including Volvariella speciosa (akasukusuku), two Termitomyces sp. (obunegyere and another locally unnamed species), Agaricus sp. (ensyabire) and Agrocybe sp. (emponzira), and one exotic Pleurotus sp. (oyster) that are used as food or medicine. The substrates used for each species differed according to the mushroom’s mode of decomposition, those being the following: tertiary decomposers such as those growing under rotting tree stumps or logs from forestry activity like the Agrocybe sp. known as emponzira which grows in forests, thickets, or near homesteads where big logs of hardwood have been left to rot. Also pieces of firewood are chipped off whenever need arises thus providing fuel; secondary decomposers growing on naturally composted grass associated with termites like the Termitomyces sp. known as obunegyere growing in protected sites in gardens, composted cattle manure for Agaricus sp. known as ensyabire in the kraal area where cattle manure is plenty, composted maize cobs for a locally unnamed Agaricus sp. on heaped cobs placed near homesteads; and primary decomposers growing on waste sorghum from brewing the traditional alcoholic drink, muramba for Pleurotus sp. (oyster), and banana and spear grass residue from banana juice processing like the Volvariella speciosa known as akasukusuku because it is associated with the banana plantation locally known in the Luganda language as olusuku and is usually heaped under ficus trees. Management practices also varied based on mode of decomposition and other ecological requirements such as the following: zero tillage and minimal disturbance in areas where obunegyere grow, heaping banana and spear grass residu...