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Background and Hypothesis: The Ca+2/calmodulin (CaM)-mediated protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) is a multi-functional kinase with effects on cell proliferation, differentiation and metabolism. The role of CaMKK2 in bone has been explored with its ablation favoring osteoblasts to osteoclasts and bone mass accrual as observed in Camkk2-/- mice, or following its inhibition by STO-609. One outstanding question is whether the anabolic effects of CaMKK2 are bone-cell intrinsic. While analyzing mice harboring bone-cell specific deletion of CaMKK2, we observed a high bone mass phenotype when the kinase is deleted from osteocytes, the most abundant cells within the bone. We therefore hypothesized that the loss of CaMKK2 enhances osteocyte differentiation. Experimental Design or Project Methods: We used two osteocyte cell lines MLO-Y4 and MLO-A5, both generated from mice expressing the immortalizing T-antigen, to test our hypothesis. The MLO-A5 line has post-osteoblast/pre-osteocyte characteristics while the MLO-Y4 line has mature osteocyte characteristics. CaMKK2 expression was silenced in MLO-A5 cells using Lentiviruses encoding CaMKK2 short hairpin (sh) RNA constructs. STO-609 was employed to inhibit CaMKK2 in the MLO-Y4 line as it proved resistant to transfection. Immunoblotting was used to verify CaMKK2 silencing/inhibition. Comparisons on cell morphologies were observed using immunofluorescence. As osteocytes are defined by dendritic morphology, the number of dendritic processes were analyzed. Additionally, the differences in the expression of the osteocyte markers SOST, E11 and DMP1 were examined by qRT-PCR. Results: To be finalized. Conclusion and Potential Impact: Overall, our studies will provide more information towards understanding the role of CaMKK2 in bone biology and aid its development as a therapeutic target in the treatment of osteoporosis.

The UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) documents for religious education indicate two distinct areas for study that may be characterised as teaching about the main faith traditions and tackling puzzling problems. This paper presents a detailed analysis of whole‐class interactive teaching and learning in one session in each of four classrooms. The analysis will present two sessions with younger pupils and two with older pupils. The sessions analysed will reflect the QCA distinctions. The mode of analysis employed focuses at the level of utterance on categories of utterance derived from studies of classroom talk in relation to learning intentions. In discussion we will describe the topography of the lessons and address two key issues, the distinctive features to these religious education sessions and the distinctions between types of lesson.

The authors spent a week working in teacher education institutions in Latvia in which they addressed the issue of ‘Philosophy and Pedagogy for Democratic Citizenship’. The experience was a challenging one, in which some of their main professional commitments were called into question. This paper examines in particular how their commitments to reflective teaching, equality issues and world studies were tested 1. An earlier version of this paper, entitled Towards a philosophy and pedagogy for democratic citizenship in the New Europe: lessons from Latvia’, was presented at the conference of the Association of Teacher Educators in Europe’, in Lisboa. Portugal, September 1993. We would like to thank members of that group, particularly Bereket Yebio, for their support and advice.