ZOO Dvůr Kr alov e, Dvůr Kr alov e nad Labem, Czech RepublicWith only three living individuals left on this planet, the northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) could be considered doomed for extinction. It might still be possible, however, to rescue the (sub)species by combining novel stem cell and assisted reproductive technologies. To discuss the various practical options available to us, we convened a multidisciplinary meeting under the name "Conservation by Cellular Technologies." The outcome of this meeting and the proposed road map that, if successfully implemented, would ultimately lead to a self-sustaining population of an extremely endangered species are outlined here. The ideas discussed here, while centered on the northern white rhinoceros, are equally applicable, after proper adjustments, to other mammals on the brink of extinction. Through implementation of these ideas we hope to establish the Conflicts of interest: None.Oliver A. Ryder and Thomas B. Hildebrandt are of equal seniority.Co-authors, other than first and the two senior authors, are listed by alphabetical order.

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While many students in a foreign language classroom are successful at learning the prescribed curriculum, they may never move beyond the grammar and vocabulary to experience transformative learning. On the other hand, students who do not achieve proficiency may experience a perspective transformation as a result of studying a foreign language. This study examines the experiences of three adult women who completed two semesters of a college level Spanish course. Data were collected through the Learning Activities Survey and interviews. Results showed participants experienced perspective transformation in three areas: 1) identified with Hispanic cultures, 2) increased awareness of diversity, and 3) became aware of ethnocentricity. Three types of classroom activities appeared to make significant contributions to perspective transformation: 1) meeting native speakers, 2) collaborative learning, and 3) viewing and analysing films. IntroductionA typical course description for second-semester, college Spanish might include statements about students demonstrating mastery of the present and past verb tenses, the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) and cultural concepts. These foundational concepts are reiterated in the syllabus and in the course assessments. However, despite the undeniable importance of learning the content, this knowledge is only the beginning of learning for many adult students. There are other kinds of learning that take place in a foreign language class when students are confronted with a language and culture different from their own. Studying a foreign language can be a transformative experience.Few college students who study foreign language go on to attain linguistic proficiency (Malone, Rifkin, Christian, & Johnson, 2005). A survey of foreign language enrolments in the United States (Furman, Goldberg, & Lusin, 2007) revealed that while 8.6% of postsecondary enrolments were in foreign language courses, only 1.4% of those enrolments were in advanced courses. The large majority of the students studying foreign language in American post-secondary institutions are not majors studying advanced content courses, but rather students taking elementary and intermediate language courses to fulfil degree requirements or for other reasons.As part of the general education requirement for college and university students in the United States, elementary Spanish courses tend to value certain types of learning experiences over others. In order to make good grades in a Spanish class, students must demonstrate factual knowledge, such as the vocabulary and grammar. While many students are successful at learning the facts, not all of those students move beyond the grammar and vocabulary to experience deeper, transformative learning. There are also students who never achieve proficiency in foreign language yet experience a meaningful perspective transformation as a result of studying foreign language.Through this study, we will tell the stories of three adult students who experienced transformati...

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