Uptake of Optional Activities Leads to Improved Performance in a Biomedical Sciences Class

Students value optional (non-assessed) learning activities as they can use them to achieve their intended grade. Such additional activities can also be useful to cater for different levels of background knowledge and therefore to equalise the students’ opportunity to succeed. This study examines the implementation of two optional activities, one online and one paper-based. The activities complemented the lectures and practical (laboratory) classes and were designed to give students additional practice with the key concepts. It was predominantly the most ambitious students who engaged with the activities. Those students who engaged with the activities achieved a higher mark relative to their mark in a comparable prerequisite class. The students strongly preferred the paper activities, and although they would like both online and paper options to be available, they would not be willing to pay a small fee for the online activity

Species determination of Malaysian Bactrocera pests using PCR-RFLP analyses (Diptera Tephritidae)

Identification of Bactrocera carambolae Drew and Hancock, B. papayae Drew and Hancock, B. tau Walker, B. latifrons Hendel, B. cucurbitae Coquillett, B. umbrosa Fabricius and B. caudata Fabricius would pose a problem if only a body part or an immature stage were available. Analysis of polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene using primers COIR, COIF, UEA7 and UEA10 and restriction enzymes (MseI, RsaI and Alu1) was carried out. The banding profiles in the electrophoresis gel were analysed. The COI gene in six Bactrocera spp. was successfully amplified by COIR and COIF, as well as UEA7 and UEA10, while B. caudata was amplified successfully only by UEA primers. Using COI amplified PCR products and restriction enzymes, distinct banding profiles for B. tau, B. latifrons, B. cucurbitae and B. umbrosa were observed, but not for B. carambolae and B. papayae. However, using UEA7, UEA10 and RsaI, B. caudata could be identified, while B. carambolae and B. papayae might possibly be separated from one another. It was also shown that adult body parts or immature life stages of B. carambolae, B. papayae, B. latifrons and B. cucurbitae produced the same banding profiles as the adults. PCR-RFLP analyses are able to identify positively five Bactrocera species, while B. papayae and B. carambolae might possibly be separated from one another, even if immature life stages or adult body parts are used

Perceptions of an assessment literacy module to improve academic judgement – a pilot study

Expectation differences between assessors and students regarding assignment marking often results in student dissatisfaction accompanied by student complaints, indicating that despite following assignment task briefs and marking criteria, students’ desired grades were not achieved. The Assessment Literacy Module (ALM) is an online grading tool designed to promote student development of evaluative judgement. The ALM allows evaluation of sample assignments – with students being the assessor – guided by assignment marking standards that convey how assessment criteria relate to the assignment outcome; a process that often highlights discrepancies in student academic judgement. Our pilot study surveyed staff (N = 13) and students (N = 105) to gauge perceptions of the impact of the ALM on the student learning experience. Students from eight subjects in Bioscience, Science and Biomedicine, across all three undergraduate levels, indicated that they now have a better understanding of their assessment criteria (85.7%), that they found the ALM helpful in preparing their assignments (87.6%), and that they are more confident with their assessment quality (78.1%). Staff indicated that they perceived students were able to use the feedback comments on the sample assignments to better understand assignment rubrics (69.2%), and that students who used the ALM had better comprehension of assessment expectations (84.6%)

Identification and Characterization of RcMADS1, an AGL24 Ortholog from the Holoparasitic Plant Rafflesia cantleyi Solms-Laubach (Rafflesiaceae)

10.1371/journal.pone.0067243PLoS ONE86-POLN

Cell growth, cell-cycle progress, and antibody production in hybridoma cells cultivated under mild hypothermic conditions

The effect of mild hypothermic (32 degrees C) conditions on cell growth, cell-cycle progress, and antibody production of hybridoma C2E7 cells was investigated in the present study. The growth of hybridoma cells was slower during the mild hypothermic condition compared to that at 37 degrees C; this led to about 10% decrease in maximum viable cell density and volumetric antibody productivity. However, under mild hypothermic growth conditions, the culture viability was substantially improved and the specific antibody productivity was enhanced compared to that at 37 degrees C. The average specific productivity for the entire batch culture at 32 degrees C is about 5% higher than that at 37 degrees C. Cell-cycle analysis data showed that there was no growth arrestment during the mild hypothermic growth of hybridoma cells. The G1-phase cells were increased, while the S-phase cells were decreased gradually as the culture time progressed. Further analysis showed that the specific antibody productivity of hybridoma cells was correlated to the fraction of S-phase cells

Ectopic expression of <i>RcMADS1</i> in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> causes conversion of carpels into inflorescence-like structures.

<p>The stronger phenotypic lines are shown (A) Comparison of <i>35S::RcMADS1</i> (right) with WT (left). (B) Close-up of one inflorescence stem of <i>35S::RcMADS1</i> (right) and WT (left). (C). A wild-type <i>Arabidopsis</i> flower. (D) A <i>35S::RcMADS1</i> flower showing conversion of sepals and petals into leaf-like structures bearing conspicuous trichomes. (E) A <i>35S::RcMADS1</i> flower showing the conversion of carpel into an inflorescence-like structure. (F) A <i>35S::RcMADS1</i> flower with a secondary inflorescence developing from the axil of a sepal (red arrowhead). (G) <i>35S::RcMADS1</i> flowers displaying the three different severities of phenotypes. Weak: flower from EL4 similar to wild-type (left), Medium: flower from EL2 exhibiting conversion of sepals and petals into leaf-like structures while the carpel develops into a silique (middle), Strong: flower from EL8 exhibiting conversion of sepals and petals into leaf-like structures and the carpel is converted into inflorescence-like structure with secondary inflorescences (right). (H) Expression levels of <i>RcMADS1</i> in the three different transgenic lines exhibiting weak, medium and strong phenotypes. Expression levels were normalized against the expression of <i>TUB2</i>. Error bars indicate s.d. (I) Flowers of <i>35S::AGL24</i> (right), <i>35S::RcMADS1</i> (middle) and <i>35S::SVP</i> (left). Scale bars A, B = 1cm, C, D, E, F = 1 mm, G and I = 2 mm.</p

Complementation analysis of <b><i>svp-41</i></b><b> mutant and rescue of </b><b><i>FRI</i></b><b> phenotype by </b><b><i>RcMADS1</i></b><b> expression.</b>

<p>(A) <i>RcMADS1</i> failed to rescue <i>svp-41</i>. WT (left), <i>svp-41</i> mutant (middle) and <i>svp-41+RcMADS1</i> (right). (B) The flowering time of plants in (A) represented by rosette leaf numbers at bolting (mean ± s.d.). (C) Rescuing of <i>FRI</i> phenotype. WT (left), <i>FRI</i> containing Col line (middle) and <i>FRI</i> containing Col line <i>+RcMADS1</i> (right). (D) The flowering time of plants in (C) represented by rosette leaf numbers (mean ± s.d.). Asterisks indicate that means are significantly different (P≤0.05) according to Student’s <i>t</i>-Test. Scale bars = 1cm.</p

Phylogenetic tree of selected MADS-box genes from StMADS11 clade.

<p>(A) The tree was constructed based on the deduced amino acid sequences using the Phylogeny.fr with one click mode. (B) Phylogenetic tree of RcMADS1 with only AGL24, SVP and StMADS11. In both the trees RcMADS1 is nested closer to AGL24 than to SVP. AGL24 and SVP from <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>; BnAGL24 from <i>Brassica napus</i>; BjSVP from <i>Brassica juncea</i>; INCOMPOSITA from <i>Antirrhinum majus</i>; IbMADS3 and IbMADS4 from <i>Ipomoea batatas</i>; JOINTLESS from <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i>; MPF2 from <i>Physalis pubescens</i>; MPP3 from <i>Physalis peruviana</i>; OsMADS22, OsMADS47, OsMADS55 from <i>Oryza sativa</i>; PtMADS1 from <i>Populus tomentosa</i>; RcMADS1 from <i>Rafflesia cantleyi</i>; StMADS16 and StMADS11 from <i>Solanum tuberosum</i>; TaVRT2 from <i>Triticum aestivum</i>; ZmMADS22 and ZmMADS26 from <i>Zea mays</i>. The numbers next to the nodes are bootstrap percentages. The scale bars denote a divergence of 0.2 amino acid substitutions per site.</p

Ectopic expression of <i>RcMADS1</i> causes early flowering in <i>Arabidopsis</i>.

<p>(A) Representative plants from independent transgenic lines showing different flowering times (plant1 WT, plant2 EL4, plant3 EL2 and plant4 EL8). (B) The flowering time of plants in (A) indicated by rosette leaf numbers at bolting. Data are mean ± s.d. from 20 plants of each line. (C) Flowering time comparison of EL8 with WT, <i>35S::AGL24</i> and <i>35S::SVP.</i> Data are mean ± s.d. from 20 plants of each genotype. Asterisks indicate significantly different means (P≤0.05) according to Student’s <i>t</i>-Test. Scale bar = 1cm.</p

Complementation analysis of <i>agl24-1</i> mutant by <i>RcMADS1</i> expression driven by two different promoters.

<p>(A) Functional complementation of <i>agl24-1</i> by <i>35S::RcMADS1</i>. WT (left), <i>agl24-1</i> mutant (middle) and <i>agl24-1+35S::RcMADS1</i> (right). (B) The flowering time of plants in (A) represented by rosette leaf numbers at bolting (mean ± s.d.). (C) Functional complementation of <i>agl24-1</i> by <i>AGL24::RcMADS1</i>. WT (left), <i>agl24-1</i> mutant (middle) and <i>agl24-1+ AGL24::RcMADS1</i> (right). (D) The flowering time of plants in (C) represented by rosette leaf numbers at bolting (mean ± s.d.). Asterisks indicate that means are significantly different (P≤0.05) according to Student’s <i>t</i>-Test. Scale bars = 1cm.</p