“A brain to pick, an ear to listen and a push in the right direction” (John C. Crosby)

This paper provides the context and background to a ‘Student Peer Mentoring’ scheme that was co-created with students and piloted within the Business Faculty in University of Greenwich. We reflect on sharing this experience at the annual SHIFT1 conference on Teaching, Learning and Assessment and the lessons learned that will support the further development of this scheme. Key themes that arose were around the value of mentoring to support first year students and the benefit for mentors in terms of their own self confidence and development as evidenced by their contribution to SHIFT. Lessons learnt were the need to provide more guidance to mentees in preparation for mentoring and providing supervision support to mentors to allow them to reflect on issues that arise out of mentoring. Our complex approach to evaluation was challenged given the small numbers of numbers of mentors and mentees. We concluded that qualitative evidence gives enough support for the success of this scheme. It is planned to provide mentor training to all students on a voluntary basis leading to enhanced peer relationships and support

Supporting students with resits to build self-efficacy

This project explores the experiences of second-year students on Business School programmes regarding the support available to them in relation to resits in year one. The project involves students as partners in their learning, with data collected via interviews and student discussion forums. Findings are that students who are preparing for resit exams like to use question practice in the resit period to provide mastery experiences which build self-efficacy. We find that students may undervalue feedback on an original submission as a source of guidance towards a resit coursework. The fieldwork was completed before the 2020 campus closure necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, based on our findings, we suggest recommendations for practice which can be applied for both on-campus and online delivery of our programmes

Platelet‐Oriented Inhibition in New TIA and Minor Ischemic Stroke ( POINT ) Trial: Rationale and design

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/99014/1/ijs12129.pd

Forefoot pathology in rheumatoid arthritis identified with ultrasound may not localise to areas of highest pressure: cohort observations at baseline and twelve months

BackgroundPlantar pressures are commonly used as clinical measures, especially to determine optimum foot orthotic design. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) high plantar foot pressures have been linked to metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint radiological erosion scores. However, the sensitivity of foot pressure measurement to soft tissue pathology within the foot is unknown. The aim of this study was to observe plantar foot pressures and forefoot soft tissue pathology in patients who have RA.Methods A total of 114 patients with established RA (1987 ACR criteria) and 50 healthy volunteers were assessed at baseline. All RA participants returned for reassessment at twelve months. Interface foot-shoe plantar pressures were recorded using an F-Scan® system. The presence of forefoot soft tissue pathology was assessed using a DIASUS musculoskeletal ultrasound (US) system. Chi-square analyses and independent t-tests were used to determine statistical differences between baseline and twelve months. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to determine interrelationships between soft tissue pathology and foot pressures.ResultsAt baseline, RA patients had a significantly higher peak foot pressures compared to healthy participants and peak pressures were located in the medial aspect of the forefoot in both groups. In contrast, RA participants had US detectable soft tissue pathology in the lateral aspect of the forefoot. Analysis of person specific data suggests that there are considerable variations over time with more than half the RA cohort having unstable presence of US detectable forefoot soft tissue pathology. Findings also indicated that, over time, changes in US detectable soft tissue pathology are out of phase with changes in foot-shoe interface pressures both temporally and spatially.Conclusions We found that US detectable forefoot soft tissue pathology may be unrelated to peak forefoot pressures and suggest that patients with RA may biomechanically adapt to soft tissue forefoot pathology. In addition, we have observed that, in patients with RA, interface foot-shoe pressures and the presence of US detectable forefoot pathology may vary substantially over time. This has implications for clinical strategies that aim to offload peak plantar pressures

Desiccation tolerance is switched on and off in the resurrection fern, Morhia caffrorum

International audienceResurrection plants are unique in that the vegetative tissues have the ability to dry to 5% relative water content (RWC) and recover full metabolism in existing tissues on rehydration. The mechanisms whereby this is achieved varies among the orders. In bryophytes, where drying and rehydration is rapid, tissues suffer damage during drying but is repaired upon rehydration. In the angiosperms, extensive protection is laid down during protracted drying and little by way of repair is required. The pteridophytes include several resurrection species, but it is not known whether survival is by protection, repair or a combination of both. The present study was undertaken to determine the mechanism of tolerance in the resurrection fern Morhia caffrorum. Plants were collected from Table Mountain in summer (the dry season) and maintained in a glass house before and during experimentation. Morphological (frond folding), anatomical and ultrastructural (SEM and TEM), physiological (relative water content [RWC] and electrolyte leakage) and biochemical (quantification of sugars, LEAs and antioxidants) were assessed during drying and rehydration of plants. Plants dried in summer were desiccation tolerant. Fronds dried to 5% RWC had minimal electrolyte leakage and recovered full turgor on rehydration. They curled inwards and chlorophyll shading occurred facilitated by a dense layer of adaxial scales. Sucrose levels increased and a number of heat stable LEA-like proteins were produced de novo during drying. These declined during rehydration to levels present in pre-dried fronds. The enzymic antioxidants, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase, remained active during the desiccation and rehydration. Subcellular organisation was retained without evidence of damage. During the winter months, when rain is prevalent (albeit that they did not experience the rain), the plants lost the ability to recover from desiccation stress. Fronds did not curl during drying and full rehydration did not occur. Sucrose levels did not increase and no new heat stable proteins appeared upon dehydration. Antioxidant enzymes became denatured and lost activity upon dehydration. During winter, the plants produces spores which became desiccation tolerant and have all the same characteristics of desiccation tolerant “summer” fronds. Upon germination of these spores, an event which occurs in spring and early summer, the new ferns were once again desiccation tolerant. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a species in which desiccation tolerance is seasonal

Identification d’arabinoxylanes d’Eragrotis nindensis par ESI-ESn et GC-MS

International audienc

Identification d’arabinoxylanes d’Eragrotis nindensis par ESI-ESn et GC-MS

International audienc