From the web to writing: the role of collaboration in providing first year university students with the skills to succeed

In contemporary university environments not only have student populations become more diverse, but also institutions have embraced technological advances to create new facets to the teaching and learning process. The challenges offered by virtual learning as well as the impact of email and e-learning remain largely under-researched both broadly and in relation to first year transition. First year students are now expected to not only acquire the implicit academic discourse in a timely fashion but also master the computing skills so central to contemporary university delivery. Skills central to effective and efficient academic research and writing are often perceived in an atomized and disparate way. The information skills program outlined in this paper seeks to forge connections between the processes involved in locating information and producing essays. Utilising the requisite knowledge of staff from two areas, the objective is to highlight to students how skills required to obtain information in an often virtual environment can further inform assignment preparation. In this way the role of information literacy is negotiated as intrinsic to the essay writing process as opposed to something that is seen as external. The program has been developed in consultation with academic staff to ensure that relevant research topics are demonstrated. The paper will highlight facets of the workshop and explain the reasoning behind its construction and ongoing enhancement, as well as provide justification of the need for such programs within university environments in the light of increasing diverse student populations

Training University Students About Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Outreach to School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists

Training preprofessional students about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is crucial, particularly since students with ASD are represented on the caseloads of approximately 90% of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs). When this training can occur within the context of an outreach program, the results of such programming can be mutually beneficial for the individuals served as well as the students. Through the present program, six graduate students and four undergraduate students created materials for 15 SLPs working in the schools in a significantly underserved region of the United States. Students created nearly 800 materials for the SLPs to use in therapy with children with ASD. These included visual schedules and picture/icon cards and social stories. Students completed a survey and wrote a reflection paper about what they learned. Survey data from all participants indicated that the program met the needs of the SLPs and furthered students’ skills in creating materials and understanding more about the demands of working as an SLP in the schools. Implications for undergraduate and graduate training including increasing student knowledge and confidence as well as gaining student perspectives on the experience and collaboration are discussed. Future directions for extensions of this training program are proposed

Training Students Through a Community Outreach Program to Support Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This outreach program involved training eight graduate and 19 undergraduate students to create evidence-based communication supports for families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within the context of a two-course sequence on ASD. During the training program, ten families in rural Appalachia benefited from our services. Student and family satisfaction data with the outreach program was highly positive. Undergraduate and graduate university students participating in the program met or partially met 97% of their goals set at the beginning of each semester. Undergraduate students’ self-ratings of their own knowledge about material covered in the course were significantly higher than their confidence in applying their knowledge about the materials. Thematic analyses of students’ comments about their experiences revealed that the hands-on experience and opportunities to create materials and collaborate with each other were among the aspects of the program they liked most. The value of outreach programs to foster training of undergraduate and graduate students through community connections will be discussed

Platform-directed allostery and quaternary structure dynamics of SAMHD1 catalysis

SAMHD1 regulates cellular nucleotide homeostasis, controlling dNTP levels by catalysing their hydrolysis into 2’-deoxynucleosides and triphosphate. In differentiated CD4+ macrophage and resting T-cells SAMHD1 activity results in the inhibition of HIV-1 infection through a dNTP blockade. In cancer, SAMHD1 desensitizes cells to nucleoside-analogue chemotherapies. Here we employ time-resolved cryogenic-EM imaging and single-particle analysis to visualise assembly, allostery and catalysis by this multi-subunit enzyme. Our observations reveal how dynamic conformational changes in the SAMHD1 quaternary structure drive the catalytic cycle. We capture five states at high-resolution in a live catalytic reaction, revealing how allosteric activators support assembly of a stable SAMHD1 tetrameric core and how catalysis is driven by the opening and closing of active sites through pairwise coupling of active sites and order-disorder transitions in regulatory domains. This direct visualisation of enzyme catalysis dynamics within an allostery-stabilised platform sets a precedent for mechanistic studies into the regulation of multi-subunit enzymes

Graduate Student Reflections on Mentorship in a Training and Outreach Program for Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Undergraduate (n = 19) and graduate students (n = 8) participated in a two semester training program focused on learning about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and how to create individualized communication supports for families of children with ASD. The focus of this paper is on the graduate students’ training and mentoring experiences. Graduate students’ philosophies of mentoring undergraduate students and their final reflections of the experience were analyzed for themes and subthemes. Mentoring philosophies yielded four major themes: role of the mentor, mentoring goals, the mentor-mentee relationship, and learning. Graduate student reflections on their skills gained, what they learned about themselves, their leadership, and the challenges they faced were also categorized into themes. Analyses revealed undergraduate student ratings and qualitative comments regarding graduate student support. Implications and future directions for the development of hands-on training programs allowing graduate students in Communication Sciences and Disorders to assume mentorship roles will be discussed

Using pyrene to probe the effects of poloxamer stabilisers on internal lipid microenvironments in solid lipid nanoparticles

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) have proved to be effective nanocarriers with many advantages over other non-lipid-based systems. The development of new SLN formulations is often hindered through poor drug loading capacity and time-consuming optimisation of lipid/stabiliser combinations. One challenge in the development of new SLN formulations is understanding the complex interactions between amphiphilic stabilisers and hydrophobic lipids; the nature of these interactions can significantly impact SLN properties, including the internal polarity within the nanoparticle core. Herein, we report the use of pyrene to probe the internal lipid microenvironment inside SLNs. We investigate the effect of using different poloxamer stabilisers on the internal polarity of SLNs formed using the common solid lipid, Compritol 888 ATO. We show that the polarity of the internal lipid environment is modified by the length of the poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) block of the poloxamer stabiliser, with longer PPO blocks producing SLNs with less polar lipid cores. Blending of stabilisers could also be used to tune the polarity of the core lipid environment, which may allow for adjusting the polarity of the lipid to assist the loading of different therapeutics

A major genetic locus in <i>Trypanosoma brucei</i> is a determinant of host pathology

The progression and variation of pathology during infections can be due to components from both host or pathogen, and/or the interaction between them. The influence of host genetic variation on disease pathology during infections with trypanosomes has been well studied in recent years, but the role of parasite genetic variation has not been extensively studied. We have shown that there is parasite strain-specific variation in the level of splenomegaly and hepatomegaly in infected mice and used a forward genetic approach to identify the parasite loci that determine this variation. This approach allowed us to dissect and identify the parasite loci that determine the complex phenotypes induced by infection. Using the available trypanosome genetic map, a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) was identified on T. brucei chromosome 3 (LOD = 7.2) that accounted for approximately two thirds of the variance observed in each of two correlated phenotypes, splenomegaly and hepatomegaly, in the infected mice (named &lt;i&gt;TbOrg1&lt;/i&gt;). In addition, a second locus was identified that contributed to splenomegaly, hepatomegaly and reticulocytosis (&lt;i&gt;TbOrg2&lt;/i&gt;). This is the first use of quantitative trait locus mapping in a diploid protozoan and shows that there are trypanosome genes that directly contribute to the progression of pathology during infections and, therefore, that parasite genetic variation can be a critical factor in disease outcome. The identification of parasite loci is a first step towards identifying the genes that are responsible for these important traits and shows the power of genetic analysis as a tool for dissecting complex quantitative phenotypic traits

SNP discovery using next generation transcriptomic sequencing in Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus)

The introduction of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) has revolutionised population genetics, providing studies of non-model species with unprecedented genomic coverage, allowing evolutionary biologists to address questions previously far beyond the reach of available resources. Furthermore, the simple mutation model of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) permits cost-effective high-throughput genotyping in thousands of individuals simultaneously. Genomic resources are scarce for the Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), a small pelagic species that sustains high revenue fisheries. This paper details the development of 578 SNPs using a combined NGS and high-throughput genotyping approach. Eight individuals covering the species distribution in the eastern Atlantic were bar-coded and multiplexed into a single cDNA library and sequenced using the 454 GS FLX platform. SNP discovery was performed by de novo sequence clustering and contig assembly, followed by the mapping of reads against consensus contig sequences. Selection of candidate SNPs for genotyping was conducted using an in silico approach. SNP validation and genotyping were performed simultaneously using an Illumina 1,536 GoldenGate assay. Although the conversion rate of candidate SNPs in the genotyping assay cannot be predicted in advance, this approach has the potential to maximise cost and time efficiencies by avoiding expensive and time-consuming laboratory stages of SNP validation. Additionally, the in silico approach leads to lower ascertainment bias in the resulting SNP panel as marker selection is based only on the ability to design primers and the predicted presence of intron-exon boundaries. Consequently SNPs with a wider spectrum of minor allele frequencies (MAFs) will be genotyped in the final panel. The genomic resources presented here represent a valuable multi-purpose resource for developing informative marker panels for population discrimination, microarray development and for population genomic studies in the wild

Poor CD4+ T Cell Immunogenicity Limits Humoral Immunity to P. falciparum Transmission-Blocking Candidate Pfs25 in Humans.

Plasmodium falciparum transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs) targeting the Pfs25 antigen have shown promise in mice but the same efficacy has never been achieved in humans. We have previously published pre-clinical data related to a TBV candidate Pfs25-IMX313 encoded in viral vectors which was very promising and hence progressed to human clinical trials. The results from the clinical trial of this vaccine were very modest. Here we unravel why, contrary to mice, this vaccine has failed to induce robust antibody (Ab) titres in humans to elicit transmission-blocking activity. We examined Pfs25-specific B cell and T follicular helper (Tfh) cell responses in mice and humans after vaccination with Pfs25-IMX313 encoded by replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus serotype 63 (ChAd63) and the attenuated orthopoxvirus modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) delivered in the heterologous prime-boost regimen via intramuscular route. We found that after vaccination, the Pfs25-IMX313 was immunologically suboptimal in humans compared to mice in terms of serum Ab production and antigen-specific B, CD4+ and Tfh cell responses. We identified that the key determinant for the poor anti-Pfs25 Ab formation in humans was the lack of CD4+ T cell recognition of Pfs25-IMX313 derived peptide epitopes. This is supported by correlations established between the ratio of proliferated antigen-specific CD4+/Tfh-like T cells, CXCL13 sera levels, and the corresponding numbers of circulating Pfs25-specific memory B cells, that consequently reflected on antigen-specific IgG sera levels. These correlations can inform the design of next-generation Pfs25-based vaccines for robust and durable blocking of malaria transmission

Pollen as atmospheric cloud condensation nuclei

Anemophilous (wind‐dispersed) pollen grains are emitted in large quantities by vegetation in the midlatitudes for reproduction. Pollen grains are coarse particles (5–150 µm) that can rupture when wet to form submicron subpollen particles (SPP) that may have a climatic role. Laboratory CCN experiments of six fresh pollen samples show that SPP activate as CCN at a range of sizes, requiring supersaturations from 0.81 (± 0.07)% for 50 nm particles, 0.26 (± 0.03)% for 100 nm particles, and 0.12 (± 0.00)% for 200 nm particles. Compositional analyses indicate that SPP contain carbohydrates and proteins. The SPP contribution to global CCN is uncertain but could be important depending on pollen concentrations outside the surface layer and the number of SPP generated from a single pollen grain. The production of hygroscopic SPP from pollen represents a novel, biologically driven cloud formation pathway that may influence cloud optical properties and lifetimes, thereby influencing climate.Key PointsPollen grains can rupture when wet to form submicron subpollen particles (SPP)Laboratory experiments show that SPP are hygroscopic and can act as CCNPollen grains may contribute to CCN in northern midlatitudesPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111953/1/grl52890.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111953/2/grl52890-sup-0001-Supplementary.pd