Enhancing the student experience through the creation and use of authentic and accessible conflict scenarios

Authentic conflict scenarios are an essential basis for learning activities and assessment tasks in the conflict management and resolution field. Authentic scenarios allow students to apply theories and skills to realistic situations, enhancing their learning experiences and workforce readiness. However, finding suitable conflict scenarios for use in teaching and learning is challenging due to a) Confidentiality: limiting the types of conflicts that can be used; b) Evolving resources: conflicts already in the public eye are often complex and continue to evolve which requires a great deal of effort by educators to update content, restricts the diversity of resources available, and makes it difficult to impartially present all aspects of a conflict in an engaging way; and c) Lack of engaging resources: fictitious scenarios are often presented in written text only, failing to provide interactive and engaging resources. In 2016, the James Cook University (JCU) Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) Program, with the support of a Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) grant, created an authentic and digitally accessible conflict scenario designed to address these challenges and deliver improved learning experiences for postgraduate conflict management and resolution students and educators. This article discusses the value of authentic scenarios to improve postgraduate student experiences and career outcomes in the dispute resolution field, the approach taken by the JCU CMR Program to develop the scenario and presents findings from preliminary feedback from students' and educators' experience using the conflict scenario in postgraduate course work

Interleukin (IL)–12 and IL-23 Are Key Cytokines for Immunity against Salmonella in Humans

Patients with inherited deficiency of the interleukin (IL)–12/IL-23–interferon (IFN)–g axis show increased susceptibility to invasive disease caused by the intramacrophage pathogens salmonellae and mycobacteria. We analyzed data on 154 patients with such deficiency. Significantly more patients with IL-12/IL-23–component deficiency had a history of salmonella disease than did those with IFN-g–component deficiency. Salmonella disease was typically severe, extraintestinal, and caused by nontyphoidal serovars. These findings strongly suggest that IL-12/IL-23 is a key cytokine for immunity against salmonella in humans and that IL-12/IL-23 mediates this protective effect partly through IFN-g–independent pathways. Investigation of the IL-12/IL-23–IFN-g axis should be considered in patients with invasive salmonella disease

Impact of Regional Systems of Care on Disparities in Care Among Female and Black Patients Presenting With ST‐Segment–Elevation Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND: The American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline STEMI (ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction) Systems Accelerator program, conducted in 16 regions across the United States to improve key care processes, resulted in more patients being treated within national guideline goals (time from first medical contact to device: <90 minutes for direct presenters to hospitals capable of performing percutaneous coronary intervention; <120 minutes for transfers). We examined whether the effort reduced reperfusion disparities in the proportions of female versus male and black versus white patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: In total, 23 809 patients (29.3% female, 82.3% white, and 10.7% black) presented with acute STEMI between July 2012 and March 2014. Change in the proportion of patients treated within guideline goals was compared between sex and race subgroups for patients presenting directly to hospitals capable of performing percutaneous coronary intervention (n=18 267) and patients requiring transfer (n=5542). The intervention was associated with an increase in the proportion of men treated within guideline goals that presented directly (58.7-62.1%, P=0.01) or were transferred (43.3-50.7%, P<0.01). An increase was also seen among white patients who presented directly (57.7-59.9%, P=0.02) or were transferred (43.9-48.8%, P<0.01). There was no change in the proportion of female or black patients treated within guideline goals, including both those presenting directly and transferred. CONCLUSION: The STEMI Systems Accelerator project was associated with an increase in the proportion of patients meeting guideline reperfusion targets for male and white patients but not for female or black patients. Efforts to organize systems of STEMI care should implement additional processes targeting barriers to timely reperfusion among female and black patients

Hetero-trans-β-glucanase, an enzyme unique to Equisetum plants, functionalises cellulose

Cell walls are metabolically active components of plant cells. They contain diverse enzymes, including transglycanases (endotransglycosylases), enzymes that ‘cut and paste’ certain structural polysaccharide molecules and thus potentially remodel the wall during growth and development. Known transglycanase activities modify several cell‐wall polysaccharides (xyloglucan, mannans, mixed‐linkage β‐glucan and xylans); however, no transglycanases were known to act on cellulose, the principal polysaccharide of biomass. We now report the discovery and characterization of hetero‐trans‐β‐glucanase (HTG), a transglycanase that targets cellulose, in horsetails (Equisetum spp., an early‐diverging genus of monilophytes). HTG is also remarkable in predominantly catalysing hetero‐transglycosylation: its preferred donor substrates (cellulose or mixed‐linkage β‐glucan) differ qualitatively from its acceptor substrate (xyloglucan). HTG thus generates stable cellulose–xyloglucan and mixed‐linkage β‐glucan–xyloglucan covalent bonds, and may therefore strengthen ageing Equisetum tissues by inter‐linking different structural polysaccharides of the cell wall. 3D modelling suggests that only three key amino acid substitutions (Trp → Pro, Gly → Ser and Arg → Leu) are responsible for the evolution of HTG's unique specificity from the better‐known xyloglucan‐acting homo‐transglycanases (xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases; XTH). Among land plants, HTG appears to be confined to Equisetum, but its target polysaccharides are widespread, potentially offering opportunities for enhancing crop mechanical properties, such as wind resistance. In addition, by linking cellulose to xyloglucan fragments previously tagged with compounds such as dyes or indicators, HTG may be useful biotechnologically for manufacturing stably functionalized celluloses, thereby potentially offering a commercially valuable ‘green’ technology for industrially manipulating biomass

Treatment outcome definitions in nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease: an NTM-NET consensus statement

Nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary diseases (NTM-PD) are increasingly recognised as opportunistic infections of humans. These chronic pulmonary infections have two main presentations. The first is a fibro-cavitary disease, that occurs in patients with pre-existing pulmonary diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, previous tuberculosis or other structural lung disease. The second presentation is a nodular- bronchiectatic disease of primarily the lingula and middle lobe that tends to affect a middle- aged and elderly female population [1]. Treatment of NTM-PD requires long-term administration of complex multidrug therapies that are species-specific. Currently recommended regimens are supported by a very limited evidence base [2, 3]. The increasing incidence of NTM-PD has sparked increased interest in performing prospective randomised clinical trials [4]. One of the drawbacks of the existing case series and clinical trials is that they have applied different outcome measures [5]. This hampers meta-analyses, which are important in these still understudied infectious diseases. To enhance the quality and interpretability of the results of future trials and retrospective cohort studies, we aimed to formulate clear and broadly acceptable outcome definitions for NTM-PD treatment

Meeting reports: Research on Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS): Approach, Challenges, and Strategies

Understanding the complexity of human–nature interactions is central to the quest for both human well-being and global sustainability. To build an understanding of these interactions, scientists, planners, resource managers, policymakers, and communities increasingly are collaborating across wide-ranging disciplines and knowledge domains. Scientists and others are generating new integrated knowledge on top of their requisite specialized knowledge to understand complex systems in order to solve pressing environmental and social problems (e.g., Carpenter et al. 2009). One approach to this sort of integration, bringing together detailed knowledge of various disciplines (e.g., social, economic, biological, and geophysical), has become known as the study of Coupled Human and Natural Systems, or CHANS (Liu et al. 2007a, b). In 2007 a formal standing program in Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems was created by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Recently, the program supported the launch of an International Network of Research on Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS-Net.org). A major kick-off event of the network was a symposium on Complexity in Human–Nature Interactions across Landscapes, which brought together leading CHANS scientists at the 2009 meeting of the U.S. Regional Association of the International Association for Landscape Ecology in Snowbird, Utah. The symposium highlighted original and innovative research emphasizing reciprocal interactions between human and natural systems at multiple spatial, temporal, and organizational scales. The presentations can be found at ‹http://chans- net.org/Symposium_2009.aspx›. The symposium was accompanied by a workshop on Challenges and Opportunities in CHANS Research. This article provides an overview of the CHANS approach, outlines the primary challenges facing the CHANS research community, and discusses potential strategies to meet these challenges, based upon the presentations and discussions among participants at the Snowbird meeting

Valacyclovir in the treatment of acute retinal necrosis

Background: To report the outcome of oral valacyclovir as the sole antiviral therapy for patients with acute retinal necrosis (ARN). Methods: This study reports a retrospective, interventional case series of nine consecutive patients with ten eyes with newly diagnosed ARN treated with oral valacyclovir as the sole antiviral agent. Eight patients received oral valacyclovir 2 g tid (Valtrex, GlaxoSmithKline) and one patient with impaired renal function received oral 1 g tid. The main outcome measures were response to treatment, time to initial response to treatment, time to complete resolution of retinitis, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at final follow-up, retinal detachment and development of recurrent or second eye disease. Results: Retinitis resolved in ten of ten (100%) affected eyes. The median time to initial detectable response was seven days and the median time to complete resolution was 21 days. A final BCVA of 20/40 or better was achieved in 6/10 (60%) of eyes. 3/10 eyes (30%) developed a retinal detachment. No patients developed either disease reactivation or second eye involvement over the course of the study (mean follow up 31 weeks, range 7 to 104 weeks). Conclusions: Treatment with oral valacyclovir as the sole antiviral therapy resulted in complete resolution of retinitis. Final BCVA and retinal detachment rate were comparable with previously reported outcomes for intravenous acyclovi

Genome-wide association study identifies 30 loci associated with bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a highly heritable psychiatric disorder. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) including 20,352 cases and 31,358 controls of European descent, with follow-up analysis of 822 variants with P &lt; 1 × 10-4 in an additional 9,412 cases and 137,760 controls. Eight of the 19 variants that were genome-wide significant (P &lt; 5 × 10-8) in the discovery GWAS were not genome-wide significant in the combined analysis, consistent with small effect sizes and limited power but also with genetic heterogeneity. In the combined analysis, 30 loci were genome-wide significant, including 20 newly identified loci. The significant loci contain genes encoding ion channels, neurotransmitter transporters and synaptic components. Pathway analysis revealed nine significantly enriched gene sets, including regulation of insulin secretion and endocannabinoid signaling. Bipolar I disorder is strongly genetically correlated with schizophrenia, driven by psychosis, whereas bipolar II disorder is more strongly correlated with major depressive disorder. These findings address key clinical questions and provide potential biological mechanisms for bipolar disorder

What is the cost of a healthy diet? Using diet data from the UK Women's Cohort Study

Background A healthy diet is important to promote health and well-being while preventing chronic disease. However, the monetary cost of consuming such a diet can be a perceived barrier. This study will investigate the cost of consuming a range of dietary patterns.Methods A cross-sectional analysis, where cost of diet was assigned to dietary intakes recorded using a Food Frequency Questionnaire. A mean daily diet cost was calculated for seven data-driven dietary patterns. These dietary patterns were given a healthiness score according to how well they comply with the UK Department of Health's Eatwell Plate guidelines. This study involved �+35 000 women recruited in the 1990s into the UK Women's Cohort Study.Results A significant positive association was observed between diet cost and healthiness of the diet (p for trend >0.001). The healthiest dietary pattern was double the price of the least healthy, -�6.63/day and -�3.29/day, respectively. Dietary diversity, described by the patterns, was also shown to be associated with increased cost. Those with higher education and a professional or managerial occupation were more likely to consume a healthier diet.Conclusions A healthy diet is more expensive to the consumer than a less healthy one. In order to promote health through diet and reduce potential inequalities in health, it seems sensible that healthier food choices should be made more accessible to al