Adventures in Student Interaction: Planned and Unplanned Audience Engagement

We like noisy classrooms, but it can be a challenge to get students to make that noise. Classrooms can be face-to-face sessions or in the virtual space and while the challenges are different in different environments, we have found that blending the virtual and face-to-face classroom often leads to collaborative student learning communities. In this session we share some of the tips and tricks that we have used to engage students in forming collaborative learning communities. While some of the tricks are in face-to-face teaching, we also use online technology and assessments to foster student collaboration along with problem-based learning. We have used planned and spontaneous activities to allow for flexible learning to engage with student audiences and we discuss here the value of both. We will invite some of our students to share their experiences of engagement in the face-to-face and virtual classroom. For much of this session delegates will engage in planning their own noisy classrooms and will share practice about how we foster group working and the technology that we use regularly. Technology included Slack forums, audience interaction software, Twitter and Moodle

Adventures in Student Interaction: Planned and Unplanned Audience Engagement

We like noisy classrooms, but it can be a challenge to get students to make that noise. Classrooms can be face-to-face sessions or in the virtual space and while the challenges are different in different environments, we have found that blending the virtual and face-to-face classroom often leads to collaborative student learning communities. In this session we share some of the tips and tricks that we have used to engage students in forming collaborative learning communities. While some of the tricks are in face-to-face teaching, we also use online technology and assessments to foster student collaboration along with problem-based learning. We have used planned and spontaneous activities to allow for flexible learning to engage with student audiences and we discuss here the value of both. We will invite some of our students to share their experiences of engagement in the face-to-face and virtual classroom. For much of this session delegates will engage in planning their own noisy classrooms and will share practice about how we foster group working and the technology that we use regularly. Technology included Slack forums, audience interaction software, Twitter and Moodle

A Practical Introduction to Blended Learning

Blended learning has tremendous potential to re-shape teaching and learning methods in HE, and develop and engage active learners of the future. However, to busy academics who have little experience of blended learning and too many other duties to attend to, the idea of blended learning can seem overwhelming in knowing where to begin. The purpose of this workshop is to give time and space to teachers who would like to move away from traditional, didactic teaching methods to think about what blended learning techniques might be applicable to their situation with the help of others who are moving along the same path. The method utilised with be a flipped-classroom approach to give participants first-hand experience of blended and active learning. This workshop will consist of 3 components: 1. Pre-Workshop Self-Guided Activities We will create and facilitate a Moodle space comprising: blended learning tasks and flipped classroom course blocks; testimonials from staff on their use and integration of blended resources, e.g., using mini-lectures and Moodle workshops in flipped teaching, and providing feedback via Zoom. 2. Flipped Conference Workshop Session Facilitators will present an overview of the topic, and a summary of some ideas from the Moodle space, and identify key themes and blended learning goals for the workshop (10 minutes). Groups will self-organise according to the key themes (40 minutes). Participants will be invited to share their ideas on implementing blended techniques via an “Ideas & Roadblocks” format and communicate any difficulties they are currently trying to resolve. Groups will work with a staff-student pair of facilitators with designated expertise to identify potential solutions and sources of support in the development of participants’ intended blended learning goals. A summary outcome of each small group discussion will be posted on Moodle and presented at the end of the session (10 minutes). 3. Post-workshop Resource Repository After the workshop attendees will be encouraged to contribute to a repository of blended learning resources to ensure ongoing accessibility and development. Intended Learning Outcomes By taking part in this workshop participants will; • Obtain knowledge about some methods and techniques of blended and active learning that have been implemented at U of G • Explore how these examples may be applied to novel situations • Understand barriers and facilitators to the staff implementation of and the student experience of blended learnin

Parent-of-origin-specific allelic associations among 106 genomic loci for age at menarche.

Age at menarche is a marker of timing of puberty in females. It varies widely between individuals, is a heritable trait and is associated with risks for obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and all-cause mortality. Studies of rare human disorders of puberty and animal models point to a complex hypothalamic-pituitary-hormonal regulation, but the mechanisms that determine pubertal timing and underlie its links to disease risk remain unclear. Here, using genome-wide and custom-genotyping arrays in up to 182,416 women of European descent from 57 studies, we found robust evidence (P < 5 × 10(-8)) for 123 signals at 106 genomic loci associated with age at menarche. Many loci were associated with other pubertal traits in both sexes, and there was substantial overlap with genes implicated in body mass index and various diseases, including rare disorders of puberty. Menarche signals were enriched in imprinted regions, with three loci (DLK1-WDR25, MKRN3-MAGEL2 and KCNK9) demonstrating parent-of-origin-specific associations concordant with known parental expression patterns. Pathway analyses implicated nuclear hormone receptors, particularly retinoic acid and γ-aminobutyric acid-B2 receptor signalling, among novel mechanisms that regulate pubertal timing in humans. Our findings suggest a genetic architecture involving at least hundreds of common variants in the coordinated timing of the pubertal transition

Multiple Loci Are Associated with Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Irish Wolfhounds

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a highly prevalent and often lethal disease in Irish wolfhounds. Complex segregation analysis indicated different loci involved in pathogenesis. Linear fixed and mixed models were used for the genome-wide association study. Using 106 DCM cases and 84 controls we identified one SNP significantly associated with DCM on CFA37 and five SNPs suggestively associated with DCM on CFA1, 10, 15, 21 and 17. On CFA37 MOGAT1 and ACSL3 two enzymes of the lipid metabolism were located near the identified SNP

Reduced Food Intake and Body Weight in Mice Deficient for the G Protein-Coupled Receptor GPR82

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) are involved in the regulation of numerous physiological functions. Therefore, GPCR variants may have conferred important selective advantages during periods of human evolution. Indeed, several genomic loci with signatures of recent selection in humans contain GPCR genes among them the X-chromosomally located gene for GPR82. This gene encodes a so-called orphan GPCR with unknown function. To address the functional relevance of GPR82 gene-deficient mice were characterized. GPR82-deficient mice were viable, reproduced normally, and showed no gross anatomical abnormalities. However, GPR82-deficient mice have a reduced body weight and body fat content associated with a lower food intake. Moreover, GPR82-deficient mice showed decreased serum triacylglyceride levels, increased insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, most pronounced under Western diet. Because there were no differences in respiratory and metabolic rates between wild-type and GPR82-deficient mice our data suggest that GPR82 function influences food intake and, therefore, energy and body weight balance. GPR82 may represent a thrifty gene most probably representing an advantage during human expansion into new environments

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Implementation of a Comprehensive, Integrated Virtual Learning Environment for the BVMS Programme

No abstract available