Constructive alignment and the research skills development framework: using theory to practically align graduate attributes, learning experiences, and assessment tasks in undergraduate midwifery

Midwifery educators have to provide students with stimulating curricula that teach academic and vocational content, as well as transferable skills. The Research Skills Development (RSD) framework provides a conceptual model that allows educators to explicitly scaffold the development of their students’ research skills. This paper aims to demonstrate the effective use of the RSD framework and constructive alignment theory to redesign a second-year Midwifery assessment task.The assessment task was changed into a scenario-based question to better reflect the unit learning objectives and expected graduate attributes. Students were provided with extra time in class to explore the assessment task in a peer environment. Following the return of their assessments, students were asked to complete a questionnaire to evaluate the effectiveness of the assessment redesign. We show that using a constructively aligned scenario-based assessment task in a second year unit more successfully articulated the expected graduate attributes of midwives. Qualitative and quantitative feedback suggested that students and staff appreciated a more clinically- relevant assessment task. This paper demonstrates that the use of the RSD framework to constructively aligngraduate attributes, learning experiences, and assessment tasks allows for the transformation of undergraduate assessment into a learning experience relevant to clinical practice

Protein kinase C promotes restoration of calcium homeostasis to platelet activating factor-stimulated human neutrophils by inhibition of phospholipase C

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The role of protein kinase C (PKC) in regulating the activity of phospholipase C (PLC) in neutrophils activated with the chemoattractant, platelet-activating factor (PAF, 20 and 200 nM), was probed in the current study using the selective PKC inhibitors, GF10903X (0.5 - 1 μM) and staurosporine (400 nM).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Alterations in cytosolic Ca²⁺, Ca²⁺influx, inositol triphosphate (IP₃), and leukotriene B₄production were measured using spectrofluorimetric, radiometric and competitive binding radioreceptor and immunoassay procedures, respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Activation of the cells with PAF was accompanied by an abrupt increase in cytosolic Ca²⁺followed by a gradual decline towards basal levels. Pretreatment of neutrophils with the PKC inhibitors significantly increased IP₃production with associated enhanced Ca²⁺release from storage vesicles, prolongation of the peak cytosolic Ca²⁺transients, delayed clearance and exaggerated reuptake of the cation, and markedly increased synthesis of LTB₄. The alterations in Ca²⁺fluxes observed with the PKC inhibitors were significantly attenuated by U73122, a PLC inhibitor, as well as by cyclic AMP-mediated upregulation of the Ca²⁺-resequestering endomembrane ATPase.</p> <p>Taken together, these observations are compatible with a mechanism whereby PKC negatively modulates the activity of PLC, with consequent suppression of IP₃production and down-regulation of Ca²⁺mediated pro-inflammatory responses of PAF-activated neutrophils.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although generally considered to initiate and/or amplify intracellular signalling cascades which activate and sustain the pro-inflammatory activities of neutrophils and other cell types, the findings of the current study have identified a potentially important physiological, anti-inflammatory function for PKC, at least in neutrophils.</p

Barbiturate ingestion in three adult captive tigers (Panthera tigris) and concomitant fatal botulism of one

Zoo animals, including tigers, have been reported to suffer from barbiturate intoxication, with pentabarbitone being most commonly recorded. Clinical signs range from mild ataxia to general anaesthesia with recovery over hours to days with several factors affecting hepatic barbiturate metabolism and tissue partitioning. Botulism is an often fatal intoxication in man, animals, birds and certain fish. The occurrence in carnivores is uncommon to rare, with only 2 reports found of botulism in felids. This report relates to 3 adult captive cohabiting tigers that simultaneously developed signs of abdominal discomfort, progressive ataxia, recumbency and comatose sleep resembling stage 2 anaesthesia, alternating with periods of distracted wakefulness and ataxic movements. These signs occurred 4 days after being fed the carcass of a horse that had ostensibly died of colic and not been euthanased. The male tiger that was the dominant animal in the feeding hierarchy was worst affected and had to be given intravenous fluids. The female that was lowest in hierarchy was unaffected. After 48-72 hours of treatment at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital the females could eat and made an uneventful recovery. The male tiger showed partial recovery but died during the night a few hours after drinking water on his return to the owner. Necropsy revealed severe oesophageal dilation and impaction with decaying grass; some of this material and water were present in the pharynx and trachea, and had been aspirated causing acute widespread bronchopneumonia. Colon content tested negative for common pesticides but, together with liver, tested positive for barbiturate. Serum taken on the day of admission had tested negative for barbiturate and the residual serum from the 3 animals later tested negative for botulinum toxin. Colon and oesophageal content from the male at necropsy were positive for Clostridium botulinum toxin type C by the mouse bioassay neutralisation test, confirming that this male had had concomitant barbiturate toxicity and botulism, and had succumbed to aspiration bronchopneumonia secondary to pharyngeal, laryngeal and oesophageal paralysis and oesophageal impaction.http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_savet.htmlmn201

Protective actions of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (p110α) in a setting of cardiomyopathy

Heart failure affects approximately 1-3% of Western society. There is currently no cure and treatments largely delay disease progression. Consequently, there is great interest in identifying strategies that can improve cardiac function and reverse some of the negative consequences associated with heart failure. This thesis investigates the cardioprotective properties of a gene activated in the athlete’s heart [phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), p110α] in a setting of heart failure. Two double-transgenic mouse models were generated to assess the role of PI3K in a setting of cardiac stress (dilated cardiomyopathy, DCM). Mice either expressing a constitutively active mutant of PI3K (p110α) (caPI3K) or a dominant negative mutant of PI3K (p110α) (dnPI3K) were crossed with a transgenic mouse model of DCM [due to over-expression of mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 (Mst1)]. Increasing PI3K activity in the DCM model (caPI3K-Mst1) improved lifespan and cardiac function, whereas decreasing PI3K activity in the DCM model (dnPI3K-Mst1) had an adverse effect. The cardioprotective properties of PI3K (p110α) were mediated, at least in part, by the kinase Akt. Using the dnPI3K-Mst1 model, I was able to show that reduced PI3K (p110α) activity increases the heart’s susceptibility to atrial fibrillation (AF, the most common arrhythmia in cardiology departments worldwide). dnPI3K-Mst1 mice displayed overt atrial remodelling, varying degrees of conduction blockade and developed spontaneous AF. To assess a possible link between PI3K activity and AF in humans, PI3K (p110α) activity was measured in atrial appendages of patients with AF (acute or chronic) and compared to patients without AF. PI3K (p110α) activity was lower in patients with AF compared to patients in sinus rhythm. These results suggest that reduced PI3K (p110α) makes the heart more susceptible to the development of AF. Thus, strategies or agents that can activate PI3K (p110α) specifically in the heart may represent a useful therapeutic approach for AF. An unanticipated but novel finding was the observation that female dnPI3K-Mst1 mice showed faster disease progression than males. Prior to menopause, females are normally protected against cardiovascular disease compared with males. In contrast, in settings of aging, diabetes or hypertension [associated with depressed or defective PI3K (p110α) activity] females are more prone to cardiac disease than males. Taken together with my results, this suggests that there may be an interaction between PI3K (p110α) and estrogen, and that this interaction is essential for the cardioprotection seen in pre-menopausal women. Data obtained from dnPI3K-Mst1 mice suggests that PI3K (p110α) plays an important role in mediating cardioprotection in females. Unexpectedly, ovariectomy had a beneficial effect on the cardiac phenotype of Mst1 mice, but no significant effect in caPI3K-Mst1 or dnPI3K-Mst1 mice. The mechanisms responsible for these phenotypes will require further investigation. In summary, this thesis presents compelling evidence to support investigation into therapeutics that activate components of the PI3K (p110α) signalling pathway in a setting of cardiac stress

Fostering AI literacy: A teaching practice reflection

This paper provides the reflections of an educator regarding the pedagogical use of generative artificial intelligence and the need for students to develop artificial intelligence literacy. It starts by providing an overview of generative artificial intelligence and the controversy that surrounds the technology in the contemporary higher education context. This is followed by an argument highlighting that the controversy in the field ignores the pedagogical applications of generative artificial intelligence. Finally, this paper demonstrates an example of how generative artificial intelligence has been used as part of a teaching strategy to help research students develop their artificial intelligence literacy. The paper argues that explicit modelling by educators can help students develop an understanding of generative artificial intelligence as a tool to improve their learning.</p

Protective actions of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (p110α) in a setting of cardiomyopathy

Heart failure affects approximately 1-3% of Western society. There is currently no cure and treatments largely delay disease progression. Consequently, there is great interest in identifying strategies that can improve cardiac function and reverse some of the negative consequences associated with heart failure. This thesis investigates the cardioprotective properties of a gene activated in the athlete’s heart [phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), p110α] in a setting of heart failure. Two double-transgenic mouse models were generated to assess the role of PI3K in a setting of cardiac stress (dilated cardiomyopathy, DCM). Mice either expressing a constitutively active mutant of PI3K (p110α) (caPI3K) or a dominant negative mutant of PI3K (p110α) (dnPI3K) were crossed with a transgenic mouse model of DCM [due to over-expression of mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 (Mst1)]. Increasing PI3K activity in the DCM model (caPI3K-Mst1) improved lifespan and cardiac function, whereas decreasing PI3K activity in the DCM model (dnPI3K-Mst1) had an adverse effect. The cardioprotective properties of PI3K (p110α) were mediated, at least in part, by the kinase Akt. Using the dnPI3K-Mst1 model, I was able to show that reduced PI3K (p110α) activity increases the heart’s susceptibility to atrial fibrillation (AF, the most common arrhythmia in cardiology departments worldwide). dnPI3K-Mst1 mice displayed overt atrial remodelling, varying degrees of conduction blockade and developed spontaneous AF. To assess a possible link between PI3K activity and AF in humans, PI3K (p110α) activity was measured in atrial appendages of patients with AF (acute or chronic) and compared to patients without AF. PI3K (p110α) activity was lower in patients with AF compared to patients in sinus rhythm. These results suggest that reduced PI3K (p110α) makes the heart more susceptible to the development of AF. Thus, strategies or agents that can activate PI3K (p110α) specifically in the heart may represent a useful therapeutic approach for AF. An unanticipated but novel finding was the observation that female dnPI3K-Mst1 mice showed faster disease progression than males. Prior to menopause, females are normally protected against cardiovascular disease compared with males. In contrast, in settings of aging, diabetes or hypertension [associated with depressed or defective PI3K (p110α) activity] females are more prone to cardiac disease than males. Taken together with my results, this suggests that there may be an interaction between PI3K (p110α) and estrogen, and that this interaction is essential for the cardioprotection seen in pre-menopausal women. Data obtained from dnPI3K-Mst1 mice suggests that PI3K (p110α) plays an important role in mediating cardioprotection in females. Unexpectedly, ovariectomy had a beneficial effect on the cardiac phenotype of Mst1 mice, but no significant effect in caPI3K-Mst1 or dnPI3K-Mst1 mice. The mechanisms responsible for these phenotypes will require further investigation. In summary, this thesis presents compelling evidence to support investigation into therapeutics that activate components of the PI3K (p110α) signalling pathway in a setting of cardiac stress

Reflection for learning: teaching reflective practice at the beginning of university study

Reflective practice is a key skill in many professions and is considered an essential attribute of healthcare practitioners. Healthcare students are often expected to develop reflection skills through their assignments, and this is frequently expected to occur with little explicit instruction, practice or guidance about how to reflect. Currently, there is limited guidance in the literature on how teachers can help students develop these reflective skills effectively. In this study, we describe a process for embedding reflective skills into a transition program for new healthcare students about to enter university. By allowing students to explore reflection through a method of self-discovery supported by peer discussion, we found that students were likely to recognise and value reflection as a learning tool (a concept we term “reflection for learning”). Additionally, these students were more likely to continue to practice reflection in their studies than students who had not participated in the training. In summary, this paper demonstrates that students are able to make meaningful deductions about reflective practice and their own learning through use of a basic framework in which to self-reflect, from the very start of their tertiary studies

Building perceived self-efficacy through transferrable skills: The T2U program.

New university students not only need to learn a wide range of skills, but also have to gain the belief that they can succeed (perceived self-efficacy). In this presentation we describe the evaluation of a transition program designed to teach transferable skills at the beginning of university study, and show that this program improved students’ perceived self-efficacy during university transition through authentic mastery experiences and social persuasion. We also show that the improved perceived self-efficacy of program participants persisted until at least the end of their first semester of study