Assessing and Improving Student Sustainability Knowledge in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology

Overview of a research study being conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) to assess and improve student sustainability knowledge

QUALITY CONTROL FROM A SUBSET OF HUMAN SURGICAL TISSUE SPECIMENS FROM THE IU SIMON CANCER CENTER TISSUE PROCUREMENT AND DISTRIBUTION CORE COLLECTED IN 2009-2010: AN H&E AND RIN VALUE ASSESSMENT

poster abstractQuality control (QC) of human tissue specimens for research is critical for the development of new bio-markers and their ability to determine clinical trial outcomes. In this study, we evaluated sixty-nine samples for both RNA and histology quality control measures from the IU Simon Cancer Center Tissue Bank. The IU Simon Cancer Center Tissue Bank is a centralized tissue procurement resource established to collect high quality tissue for basic clinical and translational research, collecting approximately 550 clinical cases per year using an informed consent and HIPAA signed document. All tissues are collected and processed in liquid nitrogen within 30 minutes of removal. The tissue samples are sliced and diced into 100 to 150 mg sample size. Each sample is placed into individual 2ml cryovials. Two representative samples are placed in 10% neutral buffered formalin. Two investigators QC the slides by microscopy to evaluate the following: percent of tumor, percent of necrosis, percent of fibrosis/inflammation, and percent of normal adjacent tissue. RNA was extracted using the Purescript RNA isolation kit (Gentra). Fifty-four of sixty-nine cases passed both histology and RNA (RIN value) QC. Of the fifteen cases that did not pass our QC criteria, thirteen cases did not pass the histology QC due to lack of tumor content (below 50%) in the sample, while the remaining two cases failed the RNA QC. Seventy-eight percent of samples passed our QC measures. The results were consistent with the existing literature on tissue quality control in human surgical tissue specimens

MyCourseMap: an interactive visual map to increase curriculum transparency for university students and staff

MyCourseMap is an interactive curriculum map created to increase curriculum transparency for both students and staff. It provides access to the entire curriculum at a glance, displays alignment of unit learning outcomes, assessments, course learning outcomes, and graduate attributes and links video from employers, graduates and students to help students reflect on the curriculum and its relevance. A prototype developed for the Bachelor of Pharmacy course at Curtin University as a proof-of-concept was tested and evaluated in 2014 and 2015. This evaluation utilised a mixed-methods approach using a blend of quantitative and qualitative data through online survey and structured focus group discussions. From the evaluation, the perceived benefits of the MyCourseMap include students’ increased understanding of their degree structure and its relevance to their chosen profession. From a staff perspective, the MyCourseMap helps with review and development of curriculum and professional accreditation. Barriers and challenges have led to prototype refinements

COVID-19 in Multiple Sclerosis: Clinically reported outcomes from the UK Multiple Sclerosis Register

BackgroundIn March 2020, the United Kingdom Multiple Sclerosis Register (UKMSR) established an electronic case return form, designed collaboratively by MS neurologists, to record data about COVID-19 infections in people with MS (pwMS).ObjectivesExamine how hospital admission and mortality are affected by disability, age and disease modifying treatments (DMTs) in people with Multiple Sclerosis with COVID-19.MethodsAnonymised data were submitted by clinical teams. Regression models were tested for predictors of hospitalisation and mortality outcomes. Separate analyzes compared the first and second ‘waves’ of the pandemic.ResultsUnivariable analysis found hospitalisation and mortality were associated with increasing age, male gender, comorbidities, severe disability, and progressive MS; severe disability showed the highest magnitude of association. Being on a DMT was associated with a small, lower risk. Multivariable analysis found only age and male gender were significant. Post hoc analysis demonstrated that factors were significant for hospitalisation but not mortality. In the second wave, hospitalisation and mortality were lower. Separate models of the first and second wave using age and gender found they had a more important role in the second wave.ConclusionsFeatures associated with poor outcome in COVID-19 are similar to other populations and being on a DMT was not found to be associated with adverse outcomes, consistent with smaller studies. Once in hospital, no factors were predictive of mortality. Reassuringly, mortality appears lower in the second wave

Complete representation of a tapeworm genome reveals chromosomes capped by centromeres, necessitating a dual role in segregation and protection

Background: Chromosome-level assemblies are indispensable for accurate gene prediction, synteny assessment, and understanding higher-order genome architecture. Reference and draft genomes of key helminth species have been published, but little is yet known about the biology of their chromosomes. Here, we present the complete genome of the tapeworm Hymenolepis microstoma, providing a reference quality, end-to-end assembly that represents the first fully assembled genome of a spiralian/lophotrochozoan, revealing new insights into chromosome evolution. Results: Long-read sequencing and optical mapping data were added to previous short-read data enabling complete re-assembly into six chromosomes, consistent with karyology. Small genome size (169 Mb) and lack of haploid variation (1 SNP/3.2 Mb) contributed to exceptionally high contiguity with only 85 gaps remaining in regions of low complexity sequence. Resolution of repeat regions reveals novel gene expansions, micro-exon genes, and spliced leader trans-splicing, and illuminates the landscape of transposable elements, explaining observed length differences in sister chromatids. Syntenic comparison with other parasitic flatworms shows conserved ancestral linkage groups indicating that the H. microstoma karyotype evolved through fusion events. Strikingly, the assembly reveals that the chromosomes terminate in centromeric arrays, indicating that these motifs play a role not only in segregation, but also in protecting the linear integrity and full lengths of chromosomes. Conclusions: Despite strong conservation of canonical telomeres, our results show that they can be substituted by more complex, species-specific sequences, as represented by centromeres. The assembly provides a robust platform for investigations that require complete genome representation

A patient safety toolkit for family practices

Objectives: Major gaps remain in our understanding of primary care patient safety. We describe a toolkit for measuring patient safety in family practices. Methods: Six tools were used in 46 practices. These tools were: NHS Education for Scotland Trigger Tool, NHS Education for Scotland Medicines Reconciliation Tool, Primary Care Safequest, Prescribing Safety Indicators, PREOS-PC, and Concise Safe Systems Checklist. Results: PC-Safequest showed that most practices had a well-developed safety climate. However, the Trigger Tool revealed that a quarter of events identified were associated with moderate or substantial harm, with a third originating in primary care and avoidable. Although medicines reconciliation was undertaken within 2 days in >70% of cases, necessary discussions with a patient/carer did not always occur. The prescribing safety indicators identified 1,435 instances of potentially hazardous prescribing or lack of recommended monitoring (from 92,649 patients). The Concise Safe Systems Checklist found that 25% of staff thought their practice provided inadequate follow-up for vulnerable patients discharged from hospital and inadequate monitoring of non-collection of prescriptions. Most patients had a positive perception of the safety of their practice although 45% identified at least one safety problem in the past year. Conclusions: Patient safety is complex and multidimensional. The Patient Safety Toolkit is easy to use and hosted on a single platform with a collection of tools generating practical and actionable information. It enables family practices to identify safety deficits that they can review and change procedures to improve their patient safety across a key sets of patient safety issues

A Rapid Electronic Cognitive Assessment Measure for Multiple Sclerosis: Validation of Cognitive Reaction, an Electronic Version of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test

Background: incorporating cognitive testing into routine clinical practice is a challenge in multiple sclerosis (MS), given the wide spectrum of both cognitive and physical impairments people can have and the time that testing requires. Shortened paper and verbal assessments predominate but still are not used routinely. Computer-based tests are becoming more widespread; however, changes in how a paper test is implemented can impact what exactly is being assessed in an individual. The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) is one validated test that forms part of the cognitive batteries used in MS and has some computer-based versions. We developed a tablet-based SDMT variant that has the potential to be ultimately deployed to patients' own devices.Objective: this paper aims to develop, validate, and deploy a computer-based SDMT variant, the Cognition Reaction (CoRe) test, that can reliably replicate the characteristics of the paper-based SDMT.Methods: we carried out analysis using Pearson and intraclass correlations, as well as a Bland-Altman comparison, to examine consistency between the SDMT and CoRe tests and for test-retest reliability. The SDMT and CoRe tests were evaluated for sensitivity to disability levels and age. A novel metric in CoRe was found: question answering velocity could be calculated. This was evaluated in relation to disability levels and age for people with MS and compared with a group of healthy control volunteers.Results: SDMT and CoRe test scores were highly correlated and consistent with 1-month retest values. Lower scores were seen in patients with higher age and some effect was seen with increasing disability. There was no learning effect evident. Question answering velocity demonstrated a small increase in speed over the 90-second duration of the test in people with MS and healthy controls.Conclusions: this study validates a computer-based alternative to the SDMT that can be used in clinics and beyond. It enables accurate recording of elements of cognition relevant in MS but offers additional metrics that may offer further value to clinicians and people with MS

HDAC Regulates Transcription at the Outset of Axolotl Tail Regeneration

Tissue regeneration is associated with complex changes in gene expression and post-translational modifications of proteins, including transcription factors and histones that comprise chromatin. We tested 172 compounds designed to target epigenetic mechanisms in an axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) embryo tail regeneration assay. A relatively large number of compounds (N = 55) inhibited tail regeneration, including 18 histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi). In particular, romidepsin, an FDA-approved anticancer drug, potently inhibited tail regeneration when embryos were treated continuously for 7 days. Additional experiments revealed that romidepsin acted within a very narrow, post-injury window. Romidepsin treatment for only 1-minute post amputation inhibited regeneration through the first 7 days, however after this time, regeneration commenced with variable outgrowth of tailfin tissue and abnormal patterning. Microarray analysis showed that romidepsin altered early, transcriptional responses at 3 and 6-hour post-amputation, especially targeting genes that are implicated in tumor cell death, as well as genes that function in the regulation of transcription, cell differentiation, cell proliferation, pattern specification, and tissue morphogenesis. Our results show that HDAC activity is required at the time of tail amputation to regulate the initial transcriptional response to injury and regeneration

Building a patient safety toolkit for use in general practice

Despite 340 000 000 primary care consultations annually in the UK, most of the literature on patient safety has focused on hospital-based services. To improve safety in primary care settings, we must know what methods, tools and indicators are available to measure and monitor patient safety. In collaboration with patient safety experts at the University of Dundee, we were able to identify a number of existing tools, and many of these were adopted for use in the Patient Safety Toolkit