Transforming students through peer assessment and authentic practice

This briefing document reports on a seminar where participants were provided with the opportunity to consider how they can provide authentic assessment and involve students as peers and mentors in the assessment process within their own discipline areas. The session explored the potential benefits of these approaches and also addressed the fears and possible drawbacks of such approaches, creating the opportunity to explore these in more detail and discuss solutions and approaches to avoid. The workshop was built around three different experiences of assessment practice in the higher education sector. It used a combination of speed geeking and a world cafe to allow participants to move around the room and listen to a short presentation on each experience and contribute to a related question in a conversational manner. The first experience was based on the use of students to provide feedback to their peers on formative work. The second experience used students from one subject area to help ‘mentor’ students in a different subject area. The final experience used a conference with external delegates to provide an authentic assessment experience for students

Bringing technical authoring skills to life for students through an employer audience

It is crucial that students in the computing area are equipped with strong research and technical authoring skills and expertise. These are transferable lifelong skills which are sometimes difficult to develop and can be viewed as ‘dull’ by the students. This study explores a more authentic and lively approach to delivering and assessing a module on technical authoring to undergraduate computing students. Students were asked to produce work for presentation at a conference aimed at external participants mainly from local industry and business. This challenged the students in terms of their technical authoring skills and brought a professionalism and realism to the module. There were other less obvious benefits from this approach. Students gained in confidence through the work they presented but also through being ‘delegates’ at the conference and engaging in the question and answer sessions. Student feedback on the module was positive and constructive and their assessment work was of a high standard

The cytochrome P450 family in the parasitic nematode <i>Haemonchus contortus</i>

&lt;i&gt;Haemonchus contortus&lt;/i&gt;, a highly pathogenic and economically important parasitic nematode of sheep, is particularly adept at developing resistance to the anthelmintic drugs used in its treatment and control. The basis of anthelmintic resistance is poorly understood for many commonly used drugs with most research being focused on mechanisms involving drug targets or drug efflux. Altered or increased drug metabolism is a possible mechanism that has yet to receive much attention despite the clear role of xenobiotic metabolism in pesticide resistance in insects. The cytochrome P450s (CYPs) are a large family of drug-metabolising enzymes present in almost all living organisms, but for many years thought to be absent from parasitic nematodes. In this paper, we describe the CYP sequences encoded in the &lt;i&gt;H. Contortus&lt;/i&gt; genome and compare their expression in different parasite life-stages, sexes and tissues. We developed a novel real-time PCR approach based on partially assembled CYP sequences “tags” and confirmed findings in the subsequent draft genome with RNA-seq. Constitutive expression was highest in larval stages for the majority of CYPs, although higher expression was detected in the adult male or female for a small subset of genes. Many CYPs were expressed in the worm intestine. A number of &lt;i&gt;H. Contortus&lt;/i&gt; genes share high identity with &lt;i&gt;Caenorhabditis elegans&lt;/i&gt; CYPs and the similarity in their expression profiles supports their classification as putative orthologues. Notably, &lt;i&gt;H. Contortus&lt;/i&gt; appears to lack the dramatic CYP subfamily expansions seen in &lt;i&gt;C. elegans&lt;/i&gt; and other species, which are typical of CYPs with exogenous roles. However, a small group of &lt;i&gt;H. Contortus&lt;/i&gt; genes cluster with the &lt;i&gt;C. elegans&lt;/i&gt; CYP34 and CYP35 subfamilies and may represent candidate xenobiotic metabolising genes in the parasite

Unlocking the potential of anti-CD33 therapy in adult and childhood acute myeloid leukaemia

Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) develops when there is a block in differentiation and uncontrolled proliferation of myeloid precursors, resulting in bone marrow failure. AML is a heterogeneous disease clinically, morphologically, and genetically, and biological differences between adult and childhood AML have been identified. AML comprises 15-20% of all children less than fifteen years diagnosed with acute leukaemia. Relapse occurs in up to 40% of children with AML and is the commonest cause of death.1,2 Relapse arises from leukaemic stem cells (LSCs) that persist after conventional chemotherapy. The treatment of AML is challenging and new strategies to target LSCs are required. The cell surface marker CD33 has been identified as a therapeutic target, and novel anti-CD33 immunotherapies are promising new agents in the treatment of AML. This review will summarise recent developments emphasising the genetic differences in adult and childhood AML, while highlighting the rationale for CD33 as a target for therapy, in all age groups

Towards a deeper understanding of the social perceptions of selected youth populations within Southern Africa surrounding conservation and rhinoceros poaching.

Master of Science in Environmental Science.The issue of rhinoceros poaching in Southern Africa is a complex and dynamic wicked problem (Henk & Koen, 2014). Statistics show that despite numerous interventions, the number of rhinoceros poached continues to grow. According to the WESSA website, poaching has increased from 333 rhinoceros in 2010 to 1215 in 2014 (Anon., 2014). This suggests that these interventions have not been successful, especially in the short term. A concern is that a number of these interventions have been aimed at the education of children that are attending school, without fully understanding the perceptions that these youths have towards conservation in general and rhinoceros poaching in particular. An in depth study into the social perceptions that youth of Southern Africa have towards this issue is needed to develop a more holistic understanding of this aspect of the overall wicked problem of rhinoceros poaching. The basis for this study lies in the drawings and messages written on children’s art that were collected as part of an existing project run by Project Rhino KZN and the Kingsley Holgate Foundation. The analysis of this “Rhino Art” was supported and supplemented by the answers to surveys that were conducted as an extension of the same project. The aim of this research is to explore whether Theory U is beneficial in leading to a deeper systemic understanding of the perceptions that selected youth populations within Southern Africa have towards rhinoceros poaching. The objectives of the research are to: 1. Identify key themes in the youth perceptions that emerge about rhinoceros poaching from the analysis of the art, art messaging collected and surveys conducted. 2. Seek patterns that emerge based on the geographic location of where the art was collected from within selected populations within Southern Africa. 3. Employ the lenses of Theory U to better understand how selected leaders, who have developed into a network of co-thinkers are transforming their perceptions on rhinoceros poaching based on the key outcomes that emerge from the art, art messages and also surveys. Throughout this study, Scharmer’s Theory U was used as a guide to deepen understanding of the perceptions that emerged from the analysis of the “Rhino Art”. Within the broader framework of Theory U, a content analysis approach using an iterative process and grounded theory was used to identify patterns and trends in the art and the messaging. The art was rated on a scale of 1 – 6 ranging from poor to excellent. A total of 22 elements that appeared in the art where recorded and analysed using the above approach. A further 52 key themes emerged from the art messaging that were then broken down into 10 sub categories and three main categories, namely; Economic, Conservation and Cultural. A content analysis process was also used to analyse the responses to surveys that were conducted at two consecutive “Youth Rhino Summits” held in September 2014 and July 2015 as an extension of the “Rhino Art” Project. This provided a deeper insight into the beliefs held by the children attending school. Open ended questions about specific conservation issues surrounding rhinoceros poaching were asked. The outcomes of these surveys were used in conjunction with the “Rhino Art” Messaging to provide a more well- rounded view of the perceptions that the youth hold. Throughout this process, key learnings were shared with members of the “Rhino Art” team who are actively involved in rhinoceros conservation. Their reflective responses and experiences regarding the children’s perceptions were gauged using Theory U to guide and inform learning. The observation and recording of the “Rhino Art” team’s responses was conducted in order to gauge how selected leaders transformed their perceptions on rhinoceros poaching through the study of children’s art. The evolution and growth of the “Rhino art” project itself was also documented to illustrate the various cycles of reflection and action that have taken place within the team. The use of Theory U was shown to be beneficial in how the analysis of the art lead to a deeper understanding of social perceptions that youth in selected populations of Southern Africa have towards rhinoceros poaching. The children’s art and art messaging revealed patterns and key themes including views on economy, conservation and culture. Many of these themes were linked to geographic locations. The difference in quality and themes that emerged between the art collected from urban areas versus rural was significant. As seen through the lense of Theory U, these observations brought out new insights in leaders that worked with the art. These insights have shaped the way the “Rhino Art” project has evolved and grown. The understanding of how conservationists have transformed their perceptions towards the youth in terms of rhinoceros poaching could, through further studies, lead to the development of more appropriate interventions aimed at school going children

A quantification of the physiological demands of the army emergency responder in the Australian Army

The Australian Defence Force is reviewing the physical demands of all employment categories in the Australian Army to establish valid and legally defensible assessments. The current assessments, performed in physical training attire, are not specific to job demands. Moreover, the fitness standards decrease based on age and are lower for females, and as job requirements are constant, these assessments are counterintuitive. With regard to the Army Emergency Responder employment category, tasks of physical demand in the present study were selected through consultation with subject-matter experts. Participants consisted of 10 qualified Army Emergency Responder soldiers and three noncareer firefighters under instruction. Real-life firefighting scenarios were witnessed by researchers and helped form task simulations allowing measurement of heart rate and oxygen consumption. Peak oxygen consumption ranged from 21.8 ± 3.8 to 40.0 ± 3.4 mL kg−1 min−1 during cutting activities and a search and rescue task, respectively, representing values similar to or higher than the current entry standards. Manual handling tasks were also assessed, with the heaviest measured being two soldiers lifting a 37.7-kg Utility Trunk to 150 cm. The findings provide a quantitative assessment of the physiological demands of Army Emergency Responders, and highlight the need for change in current fitness assessments

Genotypic characterisation of monepantel resistance in historical and newly derived field strains of Teladorsagia circumcincta

Recent reports of monepantel (MPTL) resistance in UK field isolates of Teladorsagia circumcincta has highlighted the need for a better understanding of the mechanism of MPTL-resistance in order to preserve its anthelmintic efficacy in this economically important species. Nine discrete populations of T. circumcincta were genotypically characterised; three MPTL-susceptible isolates, three experimentally selected MPTL-resistant strains and three field derived populations. Full-length Tci-mptl-1 gene sequences were generated and comparisons between the MPTL-susceptible isolates, MPTL-resistant strains and one field isolate, showed that different putative MPTL-resistance conferring mutations were present in different resistant isolates. Truncated forms of the Tci-mptl-1 gene were also observed. The genetic variability of individual larvae, within and between populations, was examined using microsatellite analyses at 10 ‘neutral’ loci (presumed to be unaffected by MPTL). Results confirmed that there was little background genetic variation between the populations, global FST &lt;0.038. Polymorphisms present in exons 7 and 8 of Tci-mptl-1 enabled genotyping of individual larvae. A reduction in the number of genotypes was observed in all MPTL-resistant strains compared to the MPTL-susceptible strains that they were derived from, suggesting there was purifying selection at Tci-mptl-1 as a result of MPTL-treatment. The potential link between benzimidazole (BZ)-resistance and MPTL-resistance was examined by screening individual larvae for the presence of three SNPs associated with BZ-resistance in the β-tubulin isotype-1 gene. The majority of larvae were BZ-susceptible homozygotes at positions 167 and 198. Increased heterozygosity at position 200 was observed in the MPTL-resistant strains compared to their respective MPTL-susceptible population. There was no decrease in the occurrence of BZ-resistant genotypes in larvae from each population. These differences, in light of the purifying selection at this locus in all MPTL-resistant isolates, suggests that Tci-mptl-1 confers MPTL-resistance in T. circumcincta, as in Haemonchus contortus, but that different mutations in Tci-mptl-1 can confer resistance in different populations

Hidden in plain sight - Multiple resistant species within a strongyle community

Ovine parasitic gastroenteritis is a complex disease routinely treated using anthelmintics. Although many different strongyle species may contribute to parasitic gastroenteritis, not all are equally pathogenic: in temperate regions, the primary pathogen is Teladorsagia circumcincta. In this study we investigated benzimidazole and ivermectin resistance on a commercial sheep farm in southeast Scotland. We assessed the impact of species diversity on the diagnosis of resistance using the faecal egg count reduction test and in vitro bioassays, and correlated the results with the frequency of benzimidazole resistance-associated genotypes measured in the T. circumcincta population by pyrosequencing of the β-tubulin isotype-1 gene. Faecal egg count reduction test results showed efficacies of 65% for albendazole and 77% for ivermectin, indicating moderate resistance levels on the farm. However, PCR speciation of the same populations pre- and post-treatment revealed that removal of susceptible species had masked the presence of a highly resistant population of T. circumcincta. Less than 25% of individuals in the pre-treatment populations were T. circumcincta, the remainder consisting of Cooperia curticei, Chabertia ovina, Oesophagostomum venulosum and Trichostrongylus spp. In contrast, post-treatment with albendazole or ivermectin, the majority (88% and 100% respectively) of the populations consisted of T. circumcincta. The egg hatch test for benzimidazole resistance and the larval development test for ivermectin resistance were carried out using eggs obtained from the same populations and the results were broadly consistent with the faecal egg count reduction test. Thirty individual T. circumcincta from each sampling time point were assessed for benzimidazole resistance by pyrosequencing, revealing a high frequency and diversity of resistance-associated mutations, including within the population sampled post-ivermectin treatment. These results highlight the potential diversity of parasite species present on UK farms, and their importance in the diagnosis of anthelmintic resistance. On this particular farm, we demonstrate the presence of a highly dual-resistant population of T. circumcincta, which was strongly selected by treatment with either benzimidazoles or ivermectin, while other potentially less pathogenic species were removed

Increased expression of a microRNA correlates with anthelmintic resistance in parasitic nematodes

Resistance to anthelmintic drugs is a major problem in the global fight against parasitic nematodes infecting humans and animals. While previous studies have identified mutations in drug target genes in resistant parasites, changes in the expression levels of both targets and transporters have also been reported. The mechanisms underlying these changes in gene expression are unresolved. Here, we take a novel approach to this problem by investigating the role of small regulatory RNAs in drug resistant strains of the important parasite Haemonchus contortus. microRNAs (miRNAs) are small (22 nt) non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by binding predominantly to the 3′ UTR of mRNAs. Changes in miRNA expression have been implicated in drug resistance in a variety of tumor cells. In this study, we focused on two geographically distinct ivermectin resistant strains of H. contortus and two lines generated by multiple rounds of backcrossing between susceptible and resistant parents, with ivermectin selection. All four resistant strains showed significantly increased expression of a single miRNA, hco-miR-9551, compared to the susceptible strain. This same miRNA is also upregulated in a multi-drug-resistant strain of the related nematode Teladorsagia circumcincta. hco-miR-9551 is enriched in female worms, is likely to be located on the X chromosome and is restricted to clade V parasitic nematodes. Genes containing predicted binding sites for hco-miR-9551 were identified computationally and refined based on differential expression in a transcriptomic dataset prepared from the same drug resistant and susceptible strains. This analysis identified three putative target mRNAs, one of which, a CHAC domain containing protein, is located in a region of the H. contortus genome introgressed from the resistant parent. hco-miR-9551 was shown to interact with the 3′ UTR of this gene by dual luciferase assay. This study is the first to suggest a role for miRNAs and the genes they regulate in drug resistant parasitic nematodes. miR-9551 also has potential as a biomarker of resistance in different nematode species