Getting connected: establishing direct communication between learning developers and PhD Students with teaching responsibilities

Many PhD researchers have the opportunity to take up teaching responsibilities during their doctoral studies to enhance their employability and interest in academia. Aside from their formal teaching training, little is known about the types of resources and support from professional services that PhD students (PhDs) use to fulfil their teaching responsibilities. On the other hand, learning development is a relatively new profession within higher education. As such, there are varied perceptions on the necessity for PhDs with teaching responsibilities to engage with learning development support. This opinion piece shares the experience of a STEM UK PhD student with teaching responsibilities and a learning development practitioner when establishing support for modules taught by PhDs. Through a dialogue, the authors explore the challenges faced in the interaction between learning developers (LDs) and PhDs, in two different UK universities, and recommend how to further develop the relationship. Through this dialogue possible solutions like increasing the visibility of available LD support for PhDs with teaching responsibilities within higher education institutions (HEIs) and including LD support in PhDs teaching training were identified

Emerging from the third space chrysalis: Experiences in a non-hierarchical, collaborative research community of practice

This article discusses the creation of a research-focused virtual community of practice (vCoP) for geographically-dispersed third space professionals, motivated by desires for enhanced professional collaboration, visibility and identity. The authors used collaborative autoethnography (CAE) to evaluate their personal reflections as vCoP participants. Data were gathered in two collaborative writing activities and analysed using thematic analysis (TA). The TA identified two connected themes, which capture the vCoP members’ aspirations to transcend their current roles and be research-active through connecting with like-minded professionals. Collaborative writing activities, including authoring this paper, cultivated elements of academic identity such as independence and purpose. A non-hierarchical and supportive vCoP environment allowed the members to work beyond time and institutional constraints to foster the evolution of the community and an emerging sense of professional identity beyond that typically associated with third space roles. The paper offers a model of collaboration that could help groups in similar situations

Gold catalysts supported on ceria doped by rare earth metals for water gas shift reaction: Influence of the preparation method

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Gold catalysts based on ceria, doped by various RE metals (La, Sm, Gd, Yb, Y) were studied. The influence of the preparation methods on structure, properties and catalytic activity in the WGS reaction was investigated. The catalysts' supports were prepared using two different methods: co-precipitation (CP) and mechanochemical activation (MA). The catalysts were tested in a wide temperature interval without and after reactivation. All samples were characterized using a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy (RS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and TPR. It was found that the catalytic activity of MA catalysts is higher than CP ones. The gold catalysts based on ceria doped by Yb and Sm exhibited the highest activity. After reactivation in air the MA samples almost kept the WGS activity same, while the CP catalysts increased it. The catalysts of a single- and double-phase structure are formed as a result of CP and MA preparation, respectively. There are no big differences in the gold particles size (2-3 nm) depending on dopants and on the preparation techniques. The RS spectra analysis indicates that most probably the oxygen vacancies are adjacent to Me(3+) dopant and the ceria structure seems to be better ordered than in the case of alumina as a dopant. There is no distinct correlation between reducibility and WGS activity. The XPS analysis disclose positively charged gold particles in addition to metallic gold within a surface region of fresh samples and only metallic gold on the samples after catalytic processing. There is no simple correlation between the concentration of Ce(3+) in the samples and their WGS activity. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Gold catalysts supported on ceria doped by rare earth metals for water gas shift reaction: Influence of the preparation method

Gold catalysts based on ceria, doped by various RE metals (La, Sm, Gd, Yb, Y) were studied. The influence of the preparation methods on structure, properties and catalytic activity in the WGS reaction was investigated. The catalysts' supports were prepared using two different methods: co-precipitation (CP) and mechanochemical activation (MA). The catalysts were tested in a wide temperature interval without and after reactivation. All samples were characterized using a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy (RS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and TPR. It was found that the catalytic activity of MA catalysts is higher than CP ones. The gold catalysts based on ceria doped by Yb and Sm exhibited the highest activity. After reactivation in air the MA samples almost kept the WGS activity same, while the CP catalysts increased it. The catalysts of a single- and double-phase structure are formed as a result of CP and MA preparation, respectively. There are no big differences in the gold particles size (2-3 nm) depending on dopants and on the preparation techniques. The RS spectra analysis indicates that most probably the oxygen vacancies are adjacent to Me3+ dopant and the ceria structure seems to be better ordered than in the case of alumina as a dopant. There is no distinct correlation between reducibility and WGS activity. The XPS analysis disclose positively charged gold particles in addition to metallic gold within a surface region of fresh samples and only metallic gold on the samples after catalytic processing. There is no simple correlation between the concentration of Ce3+ in the samples and their WGS activity. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Does Pelletizing Catalysts Influence the Efficiency Number of Activity Measurements? Spectrochemical Engineering Considerations for an Accurate Operando Study

International audienc

Aggregation-prone proteins modulate huntingtin inclusion body formation in yeast.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) protein. The expression of mutant HTT in the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae recapitulates many of the cellular phenotypes observed in mammalian HD models. Mutant HTT aggregation and toxicity in yeast is influenced by the presence of the Rnq1p and Sup35p prions, as well as other glutamine/asparagine-rich aggregation-prone proteins. Here we investigated the ability of a subset of these proteins to modulate mutant HTT aggregation and to substitute for the prion form of Rnq1p. We find that overexpression of either the putative prion Ybr016wp or the Sup35p prion restores aggregation of mutant HTT in yeast cells lacking the Rnq1p prion. These results indicate that an interchangeable suite of aggregation-prone proteins regulates mutant HTT aggregation dynamics in yeast, which may have implications for mutant HTT aggregation in human cells

Aggregation-prone proteins modulate huntingtin inclusion body formation in yeast.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) protein. The expression of mutant HTT in the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae recapitulates many of the cellular phenotypes observed in mammalian HD models. Mutant HTT aggregation and toxicity in yeast is influenced by the presence of the Rnq1p and Sup35p prions, as well as other glutamine/asparagine-rich aggregation-prone proteins. Here we investigated the ability of a subset of these proteins to modulate mutant HTT aggregation and to substitute for the prion form of Rnq1p. We find that overexpression of either the putative prion Ybr016wp or the Sup35p prion restores aggregation of mutant HTT in yeast cells lacking the Rnq1p prion. These results indicate that an interchangeable suite of aggregation-prone proteins regulates mutant HTT aggregation dynamics in yeast, which may have implications for mutant HTT aggregation in human cells

NO reduction by CO over gold catalysts based on ceria supports prepared by mechanochemical activation modified by Me3+ (Me=Al or lanthanides): Effect of water in the feed gas

Cataloged from PDF version of article.The reduction of NO by CO was studied over gold catalysts supported on ceria modified by Me3+ ions (Me = Al, La, Sm, Gd and Yb). The ceria supports were prepared by mechanochemical activation. The samples were characterized using XRD, TPR, XPS and Raman spectroscopy. According to the XPS data the concentration of the oxidized gold species was higher than that of metallic gold in the fresh samples modified by lanthanides. On the fresh samples modified by Al only a small part of metallic gold existed in oxidized state. After the catalytic test, only metallic gold was found on the lanthanide-containing catalysts while on the M-modified catalyst a small amount of oxidized Au species in addition to metallic Au was detected. No substantial differences in the average particle sizes of gold, the lattice parameters and the average size of ceria particles were observed. The nature of the modifier and the applied method of ceria supports preparation and gold deposition determined most likely the differences observed in the Raman and TPR data, as well as the catalytic activity results. The catalytic tests were performed under two different conditions: (i) in the presence of H-2 in the gas feed and (ii) adding also water to the gas feed. The lowest activity was observed over the Al-containing catalyst under dry feed, which correlates with the TPR results. The addition of water to the feed led to a significant improvement of the NO and CO conversions over all of the samples studied. At 200 degrees C, Yb-containing gold catalyst exhibited the highest NO and CO conversions. Very promising results for the selectivity toward N-2 were achieved using the lanthanides as dopants. In contrast to the gold supported on Al-doped ceria, no NH3 formation was observed within the whole temperature interval up to 400 degrees C over gold catalysts supported on ceria modified by La, Sm, Gd or Yb. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

NO reduction by CO over gold catalysts based on ceria supports, prepared by mechanochemical activation, modified by Me3+ (Me = Al or lanthanides): Effect of water in the feed gas

The reduction of NO by CO was studied over gold catalysts supported on ceria modified by Me3+ ions (Me = Al, La, Sm, Gd and Yb). The ceria supports were prepared by mechanochemical activation. The samples were characterized using XRD, TPR, XPS and Raman spectroscopy. According to the XPS data the concentration of the oxidized gold species was higher than that of metallic gold in the fresh samples modified by lanthanides. On the fresh samples modified by Al only a small part of metallic gold existed in oxidized state. After the catalytic test, only metallic gold was found on the lanthanide-containing catalysts while on the Al-modified catalyst a small amount of oxidized Au species in addition to metallic Au was detected. No substantial differences in the average particle sizes of gold, the lattice parameters and the average size of ceria particles were observed. The nature of the modifier and the applied method of ceria supports preparation and gold deposition determined most likely the differences observed in the Raman and TPR data, as well as the catalytic activity results. The catalytic tests were performed under two different conditions: (i) in the presence of H2 in the gas feed and (ii) adding also water to the gas feed. The lowest activity was observed over the Al-containing catalyst under dry feed, which correlates with the TPR results. The addition of water to the feed led to a significant improvement of the NO and CO conversions over all of the samples studied. At 200 °C, Yb-containing gold catalyst exhibited the highest NO and CO conversions. Very promising results for the selectivity toward N2 were achieved using the lanthanides as dopants. In contrast to the gold supported on Al-doped ceria, no NH3 formation was observed within the whole temperature interval up to 400 °C over gold catalysts supported on ceria modified by La, Sm, Gd or Yb. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved