A mixed research synthesis of literature on teaching qualitative research methods

This article surveys the literature from 1999 to 2013 on teaching qualitative research methods. One hundred thirteen articles fitted the inclusion criteria; 79 of these were by academics in the United States and Canada. Only 39 of the 113 were based on empirical research: from these, seven descriptive themes were distilled, of which the dominant ones are experiential learning and practice-based materials and workshops. The literature portrayed teaching qualitative research as providing experiential and practice-based learning opportunities for students that revealed its desirable pedagogical features. It further reported that when students engaged in learning experiences, they underwent paradigm shifts about qualitative research as well as personal transformations. Our study confirmed that there is a lack of a research-based approach to teaching qualitative methods and we recommend that more be done to contribute to its pedagogical culture particularly concerning methods used to evaluate instruction, innovative instructional methods, and approaches to assessment.https://journals.sagepub.com/home/sgopm2020Psycholog

The state of the art of teaching research methods in the social sciences : towards a pedagogical culture

No formal pedagogical culture for research methods in the social sciences seems to exist and, as part of the authors' endeavour to establish such a culture, this article reviews current literature about teaching research methods and identifies the gaps in the research. Articles in academic journals spanning a 10-year period were collected by searching academic catalogues and compiling a database of 195 articles published in 61 journals. These articles were reviewed and are discussed according to seven themes. Three specific gaps in research are identified that indicate some new agendas for research on teaching research methods in the social sciences. The implications for developing a pedagogical culture for research methods from the current literature reviewed are discussed

Loss of the neuroprotective factor Sphingosine 1-phosphate early in Alzheimer\u27s disease pathogenesis

Background The greatest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) is the ϵ4 allele of Apolipoprotein E (ApoE). ApoE regulates secretion of the potent neuroprotective signaling lipid Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P). S1P is derived by phosphorylation of sphingosine, catalysed by sphingosine kinases 1 and 2 (SphK1 and 2), and SphK1 positively regulates glutamate secretion and synaptic strength in hippocampal neurons. S1P and its receptor family have been subject to intense pharmacological interest in recent years, following approval of the immunomodulatory drug Fingolimod, an S1P mimetic, for relapsing multiple sclerosis. Results We quantified S1P levels in six brain regions that are differentially affected by AD pathology, in a cohort of 34 post-mortem brains, divided into four groups based on Braak neurofibrillary tangle staging. S1P declined with increasing Braak stage, and this was most pronounced in brain regions most heavily affected by AD pathology. The S1P/sphingosine ratio was 66% and 64% lower in Braak stage III/IV hippocampus (p = 0.010) and inferior temporal cortex (p = 0.014), respectively, compared to controls. In accordance with this change, both SphK1 and SphK2 activity declined with increasing Braak pathology in the hippocampus (p = 0.032 and 0.047, respectively). S1P/sphingosine ratio was 2.5-fold higher in hippocampus of ApoE2 carriers compared to ApoE4 carriers, and multivariate regression showed a significant association between APOE genotype and hippocampal S1P/sphingosine (p = 0.0495), suggesting a new link between APOE genotype and pre-disposition to AD. Conclusions This study demonstrates loss of S1P and sphingosine kinase activity early in AD pathogenesis, and prior to AD diagnosis. Our findings establish a rationale for further exploring S1P receptor pharmacology in the context of AD therapy

Multicenter clinical evaluation of Etest meropenem-vaborbactam (bioMérieux) for susceptibility testing of Enterobacterales (Enterobacteriaceae) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Meropenem-vaborbactam (MEV) is a novel carbapenem-beta-lactamase inhibitor combination antibiotic approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of complicated urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis, in adults. In this study, we evaluated the performance of Etest MEV (bioMérieux, Marcy l\u27Etoile, France) compared to that of broth microdilution for 62

Core Fermentation (CoFe) granules focus coordinated glycolytic mRNA localization and translation to fuel glucose fermentation

Glycolysis is a fundamental metabolic pathway for glucose catabolism across biology, and glycolytic enzymes are among the most abundant proteins in cells. Their expression at such levels provides a particular challenge. Here we demonstrate that the glycolytic mRNAs are localized to granules in yeast and human cells. Detailed live cell and smFISH studies in yeast show that the mRNAs are actively translated in granules, and this translation appears critical for the localization. Furthermore, this arrangement is likely to facilitate the higher level organization and control of the glycolytic pathway. Indeed, the degree of fermentation required by cells is intrinsically connected to the extent of mRNA localization to granules. On this basis, we term these granules, core fermentation (CoFe) granules; they appear to represent translation factories, allowing high-level coordinated enzyme synthesis for a critical metabolic pathway.Fil: Morales Polanco, Fabian. University of Manchester; Reino UnidoFil: Bates, Christian. University of Manchester; Reino UnidoFil: Lui, Jennifer. University of Manchester; Reino UnidoFil: Casson, Joseph. University of Manchester; Reino UnidoFil: Solari, Clara Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Pizzinga, Mariavittoria. University of Manchester; Reino UnidoFil: Forte, Gabriela. University of Manchester; Reino UnidoFil: Griffin, Claire. University of Manchester; Reino UnidoFil: Garner, Kirsten E. L.. University of Manchester; Reino UnidoFil: Burt, Harriet E.. University of Manchester; Reino UnidoFil: Dixon, Hannah L.. University of Manchester; Reino UnidoFil: Hubbard, Simon. University of Manchester; Reino UnidoFil: Portela, Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Ashe, Mark P.. University of Manchester; Reino Unid

Response to comment on 'Amphibian fungal panzootic causes catastrophic and ongoing loss of biodiversity'

Lambert et al. question our retrospective and holistic epidemiological assessment of the role of chytridiomycosis in amphibian declines. Their alternative assessment is narrow and provides an incomplete evaluation of evidence. Adopting this approach limits understanding of infectious disease impacts and hampers conservation efforts. We reaffirm that our study provides unambiguous evidence that chytridiomycosis has affected at least 501 amphibian species

A conserved population of MHC II-restricted, innate-like, commensal-reactive T cells in the gut of humans and mice

Interactions with commensal microbes shape host immunity on multiple levels and play a pivotal role in human health and disease. Tissue-dwelling, antigen-specific T cells are poised to respond to local insults, making their phenotype important in the relationship between host and microbes. Here we show that MHC-II restricted, commensal-reactive T cells in the colon of both humans and mice acquire transcriptional and functional characteristics associated with innate-like T cells. This cell population is abundant and conserved in the human and murine colon and endowed with polyfunctional effector properties spanning classic Th1- and Th17-cytokines, cytotoxic molecules, and regulators of epithelial homeostasis. T cells with this phenotype are increased in ulcerative colitis patients, and their presence aggravates pathology in dextran sodium sulphate-treated mice, pointing towards a pathogenic role in colitis. Our findings add to the expanding spectrum of innate-like immune cells positioned at the frontline of intestinal immune surveillance, capable of acting as sentinels of microbes and the local cytokine milieu

How to analyse longitudinal data from multiple sources in qualitative health research : the pen portrait analytic technique

BACKGROUND: Longitudinal qualitative research is starting to be used in applied health research, having been popular in social research for several decades. There is potential for a large volume of complex data to be captured, over a span of months or years across several different methods. How to analyse this volume of data - with its inherent complexity - represents a problem for health researchers. There is a previous dearth of methodological literature which describes an appropriate analytic process which can be readily employed. METHODS: We document a worked example of the Pen Portrait analytic process, using the qualitative dataset for which the process was originally developed. RESULTS: Pen Portraits are recommended as a way in which longitudinal health research data can be concentrated into a focused account. The four stages of undertaking a pen portrait are: 1) understand and define what to focus on 2) design a basic structure 3) populate the content 4) interpretation. Instructive commentary and guidance is given throughout with consistent reference to the original study for which Pen Portraits were devised. The Pen Portrait analytic process was developed by the authors, borne out of a need to effectively integrate multiple qualitative methods collected over time. Pen Portraits are intended to be adaptable and flexible, in order to meet the differing analytic needs of qualitative longitudinal health studies. CONCLUSIONS: The Pen Portrait analytic process provides a useful framework to enable researchers to conduct a robust analysis of multiple sources of qualitative data collected over time

The transcription factor NR4A1 is essential for the development of a novel macrophage subset in the thymus

Tissue macrophages function to maintain homeostasis and regulate immune responses. While tissue macrophages derive from one of a small number of progenitor programs, the transcriptional requirements for site-specific macrophage subset development are more complex. We have identified a new tissue macrophage subset in the thymus and have discovered that its development is dependent on transcription factor NR4A1. Functionally, we find that NR4A1-dependent macrophages are critically important for clearance of apoptotic thymocytes. These macrophages are largely reduced or absent in mice lacking NR4A1, and Nr4a1-deficient mice have impaired thymocyte engulfment and clearance. Thus, NR4A1 functions as a master transcription factor for the development of this novel thymus-specific macrophage subset