Supporting the development of quantitative skills in first year chemistry

To address the deficiencies in student quantitative skills, an extensive project was implemented during 2012 in a large enrolment first year chemistry subject. An initial exercise involved an extensive survey of all students to determine the diversity of the student cohort. Students also completed a diagnostic test which was developed to facilitate self-diagnosis of concepts that were particularly challenging. A collection of tutorial materials were prepared to assist students in developing their quantitative skills. These materials included a support booklet entitled “Maths for Chemistry – Essential Skills for First Year Chemistry” which was disseminated to all students. The aim of the booklet was to assist students who did not satisfy the level of assumed knowledge, but also to act a refresher for all students. Online self-test quizzes were generated for each topic, allowing students to focus on particular concepts that were hindering their understanding of chemistry. This project was one of numerous initiatives implemented by the School of Chemistry and Forensic Science with the overall result a significant improvement in the pass rate of the subject, and based on focus groups conducted at the end of Autumn 2012, a more enriched learning experience for students

Facilitating transition for both learners and teachers in the first-year chemistry laboratory

An induction session for demonstrators was devised and run in 2012 to explain changes to the laboratory program in a first-year chemistry subject and encourage demonstrators toward practices that would make the laboratory an effective learning experience for students. The induction session was an opportunity to explore matters relating to expectations: particularly the expectations that the students could have of the demonstrators and the expectations that the demonstrators could reasonably have of the students. The purpose of the induction session was to help demonstrators focus on enhancing the learning opportunities for students in the laboratory, as the practical sessions were the only small-group teaching opportunity in the week. Running this activity, and paying the demonstrators to attend, was a way of honouring the contribution that casual teachers make to our program and reinforces their status as ‘academics-in-training’. The induction session has been run again in 2013, with modifications based on feedback from the 2012 session

Supporting transition into first-year chemistry through a communication exercise

Internationalisation and widening participation policies have resulted in an increasingly diverse student population. One result of this is that universities are implementing transition pedagogy policies as they recognise that all students need to be acculturated into academic conventions at tertiary level. This paper reports on a project which is part of the university’s initiative to embed first year (FY) transition pedagogies into the FY curriculum. For many undergraduate science students the challenge of commencing their university studies is exacerbated by the requirement to take FY subjects that they do not have a strong background in or that they may perceive as difficult and irrelevant. The first semester first-year Chemistry subject (65111 Chemistry 1) is one of these. The aim of the project was to design a student-centred communication exercise to enable them to discover for themselves that chemistry is relevant and interesting and to try and foster a sense of belonging. To further support students’ transition the exercise is based around a low-stakes formative assessment item in the first four weeks of semester. The presentation will describe the team’s approach to the project, the challenges and outcomes and will discuss student feedback

A forensic investigation on the persistence of organic gunshot residues

Gunshot residues (GSR) are a potential form of forensic traces in firearm-related events. In most forensic laboratories, GSR analyses focus on the detection and characterisation of the inorganic components (IGSR), which are mainly particles containing mixtures of lead, barium and antimony originating from the primer. The increasing prevalence of heavy metal-free ammunition challenges the current protocols used for IGSR analysis. To provide complementary information to IGSR particles, the current study concentrated on the organic components (OGSR) arising from the combustion of the propellant. The study focused on four compounds well-known as being part of OGSR: ethylcentralite (EC), methylcentralite (MC), diphenylamine (DPA), N-nitrosodiphenylamine (N-nDPA). This study assessed the retention of these OGSR traces on a shooter’s hands. The overall project aim was to provide appropriate information regarding OGSR persistence, which can be suitable to be integrated into the interpretation framework of OGSR as recommended by the recent ENFSI Guideline for Evaluative Reporting in Forensic Science. The persistence was studied through several intervals ranging from immediately after discharge to four hours and two ammunition calibres were chosen: .40 S&W calibre, used by the NSW Police Force; and .357 Magnum, which is frequently encountered in Australian casework. This study successfully detected the compounds of interest up to four hours after discharge. The trends displayed a large decrease in the amount detected during the first hour. A large variability was also observed due to numerous factors involved in the production, deposition and collection of OGSR

‘Inspiring science’ – supporting secondary school science teachers

An established trend in Australian schools is that teachers in subjects such as chemistry and physics have not majored in that discipline at university, leaving many of them relatively under prepared to teach in those subjects at the secondary school level. Indeed, Professor Ian Chubb, Australia’s Chief Scientist, urged university science academics to become more involved in professional development activities for science teachers in his keynote address to the 2013 Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education (ACSME). One such initiative that will offer support in this space is the “Inspiring Science” project, led by the University of Technology, Sydney. The objectives of the project include the development of partnerships between UTS academic staff in Science and Education with science teachers in low socioeconomic status (SES) schools, with a view to sharing knowledge and skills regarding new developments in science and scientific experimentation and in pedagogical approaches that will inspire and support students’ academic attainment in the sciences. This is being realised through the delivery of a five day on-campus workshop. The formation of an advisory group involving school principals, head teachers of science and industry representatives (ACARA, BOSTES) has been a significant element of the project design. Together with UTS science academics and the advisory group, considerable progress has been made to date. The workshop program will include sessions on topics such as active learning, assessment, feedback, use of ICT and how to deal with difficult pedagogical content knowledge. The workshop will also be complemented by an extensive laboratory program. The first workshop will be delivered in October 2014, with a further session scheduled for January 2015. This presentation will outline the development phase of the project

Developing a research integrated learning culture in undergraduate teaching and learning

Post-graduate research students are key contributors to the research output of a university. Universities striving to grow their research and enhance their research profile face the challenge of attracting more students into Honours programs and beyond. There is also growing recognition that all students benefit from exposure to the culture and practices of research. We describe the activities we undertook to understand the current student experience and perceptions of chemistry and physics at University of Technology Sydney. Based on the data collected, we developed strategies to attract and retain prospective research students in these disciplines. Strategies were developed and implemented that introduced all first year students into the research culture at UTS .We also describe activities targeting second and third year students that were developed to provide opportunities to engage in meaningful research activities These activities included, as examples, first year research taste experiences, introduction of Wikipedia projects and building a research culture and community

Confirmation of Sentinel Lymph Node Identity by Analysis of Fine-Needle Biopsy Samples Using Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry

Background: The sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy technique is a reliable means of determining the tumor-harboring status of regional lymph nodes in melanoma patients. When technetium 99 m-labeled antimony trisulfide colloid (99 mTc-Sb2S3) particles are used to perform preoperative lymphoscintigraphy for SLN identification, they are retained in the SLN but are absent or present in only tiny amounts in non-SLNs. The present study investigated the potential for a novel means of assessing the accuracy of surgical identification of SLNs. This involved the use of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to analyze antimony concentrations in fine-needle biopsy (FNB) samples from surgically procured lymph nodes. Methods: A total of 47 FNB samples from surgically excised lymph nodes (32 SLNs and 15 non-SLNs) were collected. The SLNs were localized by preoperative lymphoscintigraphy that used 99 mTc-Sb2S3, blue dye, and gamma probe techniques. The concentrations of antimony were measured in the FNB samples by ICP-MS. Results: The mean and median antimony concentrations (in parts per billion) were .898 and .451 in the SLNs, and .015 and .068 in the non-SLNs, the differences being highly statistically significant (P < .00005). Conclusions: Our results show that ICP-MS analysis of antimony concentrations in FNB specimens from lymph nodes can accurately confirm the identity of SLNs. Used in conjunction with techniques such as proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy for the nonsurgical evaluation of SLNs, ICP-MS analysis of antimony concentrations in FNB samples could potentially serve as a minimally invasive alternative to surgery and histopathologic evaluation to objectively classify a given node as sentinel or nonsentinel and determine its tumor-harboring status. © 2007 The Author(s)

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in COVID-19.

Host-mediated lung inflammation is present1, and drives mortality2, in the critical illness caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Host genetic variants associated with critical illness may identify mechanistic targets for therapeutic development3. Here we report the results of the GenOMICC (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care) genome-wide association study in 2,244 critically ill patients with COVID-19 from 208 UK intensive care units. We have identified and replicated the following new genome-wide significant associations: on chromosome 12q24.13 (rs10735079, P = 1.65 × 10-8) in a gene cluster that encodes antiviral restriction enzyme activators (OAS1, OAS2 and OAS3); on chromosome 19p13.2 (rs74956615, P = 2.3 × 10-8) near the gene that encodes tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2); on chromosome 19p13.3 (rs2109069, P = 3.98 ×  10-12) within the gene that encodes dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9); and on chromosome 21q22.1 (rs2236757, P = 4.99 × 10-8) in the interferon receptor gene IFNAR2. We identified potential targets for repurposing of licensed medications: using Mendelian randomization, we found evidence that low expression of IFNAR2, or high expression of TYK2, are associated with life-threatening disease; and transcriptome-wide association in lung tissue revealed that high expression of the monocyte-macrophage chemotactic receptor CCR2 is associated with severe COVID-19. Our results identify robust genetic signals relating to key host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage in COVID-19. Both mechanisms may be amenable to targeted treatment with existing drugs. However, large-scale randomized clinical trials will be essential before any change to clinical practice

Convalescent plasma in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised controlled, open-label, platform trial

SummaryBackground Azithromycin has been proposed as a treatment for COVID-19 on the basis of its immunomodulatoryactions. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of azithromycin in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19.Methods In this randomised, controlled, open-label, adaptive platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19Therapy [RECOVERY]), several possible treatments were compared with usual care in patients admitted to hospitalwith COVID-19 in the UK. The trial is underway at 176 hospitals in the UK. Eligible and consenting patients wererandomly allocated to either usual standard of care alone or usual standard of care plus azithromycin 500 mg once perday by mouth or intravenously for 10 days or until discharge (or allocation to one of the other RECOVERY treatmentgroups). Patients were assigned via web-based simple (unstratified) randomisation with allocation concealment andwere twice as likely to be randomly assigned to usual care than to any of the active treatment groups. Participants andlocal study staff were not masked to the allocated treatment, but all others involved in the trial were masked to theoutcome data during the trial. The primary outcome was 28-day all-cause mortality, assessed in the intention-to-treatpopulation. The trial is registered with ISRCTN, 50189673, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04381936.Findings Between April 7 and Nov 27, 2020, of 16 442 patients enrolled in the RECOVERY trial, 9433 (57%) wereeligible and 7763 were included in the assessment of azithromycin. The mean age of these study participants was65·3 years (SD 15·7) and approximately a third were women (2944 [38%] of 7763). 2582 patients were randomlyallocated to receive azithromycin and 5181 patients were randomly allocated to usual care alone. Overall,561 (22%) patients allocated to azithromycin and 1162 (22%) patients allocated to usual care died within 28 days(rate ratio 0·97, 95% CI 0·87–1·07; p=0·50). No significant difference was seen in duration of hospital stay (median10 days [IQR 5 to >28] vs 11 days [5 to >28]) or the proportion of patients discharged from hospital alive within 28 days(rate ratio 1·04, 95% CI 0·98–1·10; p=0·19). Among those not on invasive mechanical ventilation at baseline, nosignificant difference was seen in the proportion meeting the composite endpoint of invasive mechanical ventilationor death (risk ratio 0·95, 95% CI 0·87–1·03; p=0·24).Interpretation In patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, azithromycin did not improve survival or otherprespecified clinical outcomes. Azithromycin use in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 should be restrictedto patients in whom there is a clear antimicrobial indication

Effectiveness of a national quality improvement programme to improve survival after emergency abdominal surgery (EPOCH): a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial

Background: Emergency abdominal surgery is associated with poor patient outcomes. We studied the effectiveness of a national quality improvement (QI) programme to implement a care pathway to improve survival for these patients. Methods: We did a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial of patients aged 40 years or older undergoing emergency open major abdominal surgery. Eligible UK National Health Service (NHS) hospitals (those that had an emergency general surgical service, a substantial volume of emergency abdominal surgery cases, and contributed data to the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit) were organised into 15 geographical clusters and commenced the QI programme in a random order, based on a computer-generated random sequence, over an 85-week period with one geographical cluster commencing the intervention every 5 weeks from the second to the 16th time period. Patients were masked to the study group, but it was not possible to mask hospital staff or investigators. The primary outcome measure was mortality within 90 days of surgery. Analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This study is registered with the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN80682973. Findings: Treatment took place between March 3, 2014, and Oct 19, 2015. 22 754 patients were assessed for elegibility. Of 15 873 eligible patients from 93 NHS hospitals, primary outcome data were analysed for 8482 patients in the usual care group and 7374 in the QI group. Eight patients in the usual care group and nine patients in the QI group were not included in the analysis because of missing primary outcome data. The primary outcome of 90-day mortality occurred in 1210 (16%) patients in the QI group compared with 1393 (16%) patients in the usual care group (HR 1·11, 0·96–1·28). Interpretation: No survival benefit was observed from this QI programme to implement a care pathway for patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery. Future QI programmes should ensure that teams have both the time and resources needed to improve patient care. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research Programme