Genomic regions associated with common root rot resistance in the barley variety Delta

Common root rot (CRR) caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana is a serious disease constraint in the dry temperate cereal growing regions of the world. Currently little is known about the genetic control of resistance to CRR in cereals. In this study based on a Delta/Lindwall barley population we have undertaken a bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and whole genome mapping approach utilising Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) to identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with CRR expression. One QTL each was identified on chromosomes 4HL and 5HL explaining 12 and 11% of the phenotypic variance, respectively

Students as co-creators of teaching approaches, course design and curricula: implications for academic developers

Within higher education, students’ voices are frequently overlooked in the design of teaching approaches, courses and curricula. In this paper we outline the theoretical background to arguments for including students as partners in pedagogical planning processes. We present examples where students have worked collaboratively in design processes along with the beneficial outcomes of these examples. Finally we focus on some of the implications and opportunities for academic developers of proposing collaborative approaches to pedagogical planning

Synthesis and antibacterial profiles of targeted triclosan derivatives

There is an ongoing urgent need for new targeted antibacterial com pounds with novel mechanisms of action for the treatment of infections caused by bacteria that are resistant to currently available materials. Since the expression of glycosidase enzymes within bacteria is unequally distributed, glycoside derivatives of antibacterial agents offer potential as targeted prodrugs for bacterial infections. Herein we report the synthesis and characterisation of four α-D-glycopyranosides and three β-D-glycopyranosides of the broad antibacterial agent triclosan, in generally good synthetic yields, and with excellent purities. Each glycoside was analysed to determine its ability to inhibit the growth of a wide range of Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms, including many of clinical significance. All of the triclosan glycosides that were synthesized demonstrated antibacterial activity against many of the organisms that were examined. For example, β-galactoside (3a) and α-arabinoside (3c) had MIC values of 0.5 μg/ ml for several strains of S. aureus and S. haemolyticus. The triclosan glycosides were also generally found to be more water soluble and much more selective than the underivatized triclosan, making them ideal both for the targeted inhibition of bacterial growth and as agents for the selective recovery of bacteria from mixed cultures. In the latter case, two Bacillus strains could be identified from various strains of Bacillus and Staphylococcus after inoculation onto Nutri ent Agar No. 2 with 0.25 μg/ ml tri closan-α-D-glucopyranoside (3e). This glucoside may, therefore, be of use for the isolation and identification of the foodpoisoing organism Bacillus cereus

Engaging and empowering first-year students through curriculum design: perspectives from the literature

There is an increasing value being placed on engaging and empowering first-year students and first-year curriculum design is a key driver and opportunity to ensure early enculturation into successful learning at university. This paper summarises the literature on first-year curriculum design linked to student engagement and empowerment. We present conceptualisations of ‘curriculum’ and examples from first-year curriculum design. We also note the limited literature where students have been involved in designing first-year curricula. The results of the literature review suggest that key characteristics of engaging first-year curricula include active learning, timely feedback, relevance and challenge. The literature also points to the importance of identifying students' abilities on entry to university as well as being clear about desired graduate attributes and developmental goals. Acknowledging realities and constraints, we present a framework for the first-year curriculum design process based on the literature

Band energy control of molybdenum oxide by surface hydration

EPSRC (Grants EP/M009580/1, EP/J017361/1, EP/I01330X/1, and EP/I028641/1), the Royal Society, and the European Research Council. The work benefited from the University of Bath's High Performance Computing Facility, and access to the HECToR supercomputer through membership of the UKs HPC Materials Chemistry Consortium, which is funded by EPSRC (Grant No. EP/F067496) and the UltraFOx grant

Experiences of learning through collaborative evaluation from a masters programme in professional education

This paper presents findings from a collaborative evaluation project within a masters programme in professional education. The project aimed to increase knowledge of research methodologies and methods through authentic learning where participants worked in partnership with the tutor to evaluate the module which they were studying. The project processes, areas of the course evaluated and the data collection methods are outlined. The findings focus on key themes from evaluating the effectiveness of using a collaborative evaluation approach, including: enhanced student engagement; creativity of the collaborative evaluation approach; equality between the tutor and students; and enhanced research skills. Discussion focuses on the outcomes and effectiveness of the project and tutor reflections on adopting a collaborative approach. This paper highlights lessons from the project relevant to those interested in staff-student partnership approaches and those facilitating postgraduate learning and teaching programmes and educational research courses

Towards an ecology of participation: Process philosophy and co-creation of higher education curricula

This article brings together the authors' previous work on co-created curricula (Bovill et al., 2011; Bovill, 2013a; Bovill, 2014) and on partnership and ethics (Taylor and Robinson, 2014; Taylor, 2015), to develop the concept of co-created curricula as an ecology of participation. In doing so, it deploys Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy to formulate a new way of considering co-creation in the curriculum and co-creation of the curriculum in higher education. Two empirical examples are used to illuminate what such an approach offers. From this, we outline three dimensions of an ecology of participation: a process of becoming which recasts subjectivity; acting well in relation which enacts concern; and an orientation to harmony in which difference in equality is valued. The contribution of the article is twofold: first, the concept of an ecology of participation takes forward current thinking on higher education curricula and partnership ethics; second, its use of process philosophy provides a new lens to consider co-creation in the curriculum and co-creation of the curriculum

Towards a Theoretical Framework for Understanding the Development of Media Related Needs

The question of why people select and prefer particular media activities has led to the development of a number of ‘needs’ approaches to media use. Whilst some frameworks have been developed within the context of media use (e.g. uses and gratifications), others (e.g. Tamborini et al, 2011) look to combine general theories of basic human needs, such as Self-Determination Theory (Deci &Ryan, 1985) with hedonic gratifications. Drawing on these approaches, a framework is proposed that maps findings from children’s and adolescents’ media use to four basic human needs: competence, autonomy, relatedness and hedonic needs. The current paper argues that a basic needs approach is useful for understanding how media-related needs emerge and are expressed through development

Stellar archeology: a cosmological view of dwarf galaxies

The origin of dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) is investigated in a global cosmological context by simultaneously following the evolution of the Milky Way Galaxy and its dwarf satellites. This approach enable to study the formation of dSphs in their proper birth environment and to reconstruct their own merging histories. The proposed picture simultaneously accounts for several dSph and Milky Way properties, including the Metallicity Distribution Functions of metal-poor stars. The observed features are interpreted in terms of physical processes acting at high redshifts.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures; "Dwarf Galaxies: Keys to Galaxy Formation and Evolution" JENAM 2010 Symposium S

How can we confidently judge the extent to which student voice in higher education has been genuinely amplified? A proposal for a new evaluation framework

This article aims to contribute to the development of frameworks for evaluating student voice projects in higher education by offering a critically evaluative account of two student voice projects. Although both projects had been underpinned by the principles of participatory (inclusive) research, one appeared to be more successful than the other in engaging students in a productive or meaningful way. In order to confirm and explain these perceived differences, this paper draws on both student voice and participatory research literature to identify two potentially useful evaluation criteria: reach and fitness for purpose. These criteria are applied to three project factors: aims and assumptions, processes and outcomes to produce an amplitude framework for evaluating student voice in higher education. It is argued that this framework has the potential to enable a rich account of the relative successes and failures of student voice initiatives in higher education