Charlotte Brack

The cerebral expression of plasma protein genes in different species.

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contains the same proteins as blood plasma, but with a different pattern of concentrations. Protein concentrations in CSF are much lower than those in blood. CSF proteins are derived from blood or synthesized within the brain. The choroid plexus is an important source of CSF proteins. Transthyretin is the protein most abundantly synthesized and secreted by choroid plexus. It determines the distribution of thyroxine in the cerebral compartment. Synthesis of transthyretin first evolved in the brain, then later it became a plasma protein synthesized in the liver. Other proteins secreted by choroid plexus are serum retinol-binding protein, transferrin, caeruloplasmin, insulin-like growth factors, insulin-like growth factor binding proteins, cystatin C, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, alpha 2-macroglobulin, prothrombin, beta 2-microglobulin and prostaglandin D synthetase. Species differences in expression of the genes for these proteins are outlined, and their developmental pattern, regulation and roles in the cerebral extracellular compartment are discussed.

Regulation of apolipoprotein gene expression and plasma high-density lipoprotein composition in experimental nephrosis

Hepatic and intestinal RNA levels were measured in rats made nephrotic by injection of puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN). The following increases in hepatic RNA levels, relative to controls, were measured: poly A+ (1.2), ribosomal (1.2), mRNA levels for transferrin (1.8), albumin (3.8) apolipoprotein (apo)E (2.3), apoB (2.5), apoA-II (1.9) and apoA-I (6.1). Increases of 1.5- to 2.2-fold in hepatic mRNA levels for albumin, apoA-II, apoB and apoE were measured in pre-nephrotic animals killed before the onset of proteinuria. Intestinal RNA levels in pre-nephrotic and nephrotic animals were not significantly different from control values. Transcription of the hepatic apoA-I gene increased 1.8-fold in nephrotic animals compared to controls. Immunological detection of apolipoproteins in high-density lipoproteins (HDL) separated by gradient gel electrophoresis indicated an increase in apoA-I and a decrease in apoA-IV and apoE containing HDL particles in nephrosis. To simulate the effects of increased apoA-I gene expression, human apoA-I was added to rat plasma in vivo and in vitro. ApoE was displaced from HDL by increased concentration of apoA-I. The results indicate that relatively small changes in apoA-I levels in the serum lead to significant changes in the apolipoprotein composition of HDL.

Developing the Scholarship of Teaching: What Is the Role of E-Teaching and Learning?

Discourse about the scholarship of teaching and learning appears to represent some views about higher education more than others. For example, disciplinary perspectives have been acknowledged, and ideas from critical theory and phenomenography have been presented, with the role of reflection receiving considerable attention. While approaches to e-teaching have been examined as examples of scholarship, there has been limited exploration of whether e-learning discourse has potential to extend the concept of scholarship. In this paper we ask: Can ideas about e-learning add to current understandings about the nature of the scholarship of teaching and learning? If so, what additional perspectives might they add? We begin by reviewing some conceptual and contextual dimensions of the scholarship of teaching and learning, before exploring the role that understandings from e-teaching and e-learning might play in developing the concept of scholarship. We use an academic professional development programme from our institution as an illustration.

Using action research to improve student engagement in a peer-assisted learning programme

The benefits of students learning together in peer-assisted learning (PAL) programmes have been widely reported. Implementing and evaluating PAL programmes provide specific challenges for academic staff. This paper explains how action research was used to design, trial and refine a same-year PAL programme to enhance student engagement. The PAL programme was successfully integrated into a multidisciplinary radiologic biology unit of study in 2010, following improvement over two trials in 2008 and 2009. The paper demonstrates the value of action research for designing the PAL programme to increase student engagement and for bringing research and practice together by using this experience to contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning. Key factors influencing the success of the programme were: group size; the provision of structured and unstructured student support; peer assessment; the introduction of case-based learning; and the use of interactive tutorials. Achieving the appropriate balance of these factors increased students’ engagement in their learning.

Health and disability: Interprofessional education of healthcare students

Disability affects most people at some time in their life. In 2003, one-fifth of the Australian population reported an impairment or activity limitation and 3.9% (677,700) reported the need for ongoing assistance with self-care, mobility or communication (AIHW, 2006). As the population ages, more Australians will be affected by disability. People with disabilities and their carers, therefore, make up a significant proportion of any healthcare provider’s practice population. The focus of the project presented in this report is people with developmental disabilities: those arising from differences in neurological functioning caused by atypical brain development or injury to the brain before birth or during childhood, resulting in lifelong functional difficulties. Developmental disabilities include, for example, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy and autism, and are associated with significant health inequalities when compared to the general community (Scheepers, et al., 2005). These inequalities relate to many health conditions remaining unrecognised and/or receiving suboptimal treatment (Durvasula & Beange, 2001). Major obstacles to adequate healthcare include inherent communication difficulties and professionals’ limited knowledge of, and negative attitudes towards, this group (Lennox et al., 2000). This report describes a project for undergraduate students aimed at improving their knowledge of and attitudes to people with developmental disabilities and at demonstrating how interprofessional collaborative care could address the health inequalities experienced by this group.

Student conceptions of peer-assisted learning

This article reports on a programme in which peer-assisted learning (PAL) was combined with case-based learning (CBL) in a second-year radiologic biology unit of study. Our aim is to explore evidence of whether PAL supported the development of qualitative conceptions of learning. The programme involved students in small PAL groups preparing and offering a tutorial based on a case study for the class (large PAL group). The small PAL group assessed the learning of the large PAL group, while the large group gave feedback to the small group. Small groups attended a debriefing session following the tutorial. A six-category framework related to conceptions of learning was developed to guide qualitative analysis of data derived from a student questionnaire, the debriefing sessions and a final focus group. Data analysis indicated some evidence of quantitative conceptions of learning (particularly early in the programme), and showed that PAL played a role in developing students’ qualitative conceptions of learning, particularly through the social and affective processes involved and opportunities for developing metacognitive knowledge. The programme contributed to ‘deep’ processing as students learnt from and with each other. Concurrently, students’ feelings of responsibility to their peers increased their responsibility for their own learning. The PAL approach that was used provides a basis for further exploration of the role of peers in developing students’ conceptions of learning.

Colonization of rat molar teeth by mutans streptococci with different salivary agglutination characteristics

The oral implantation of salivary agglutination-positive and -negative mutans streptococci was studied using streptomycin resistant (StrR) organisms. StrR Streptococcus mutans strains Ingbritt and NCTC 10449 are agglutinated by rat saliva and the StrR strains Streptococcus sobrinus 6715-13 and Strep. mutans GS5 are not. Four groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were inoculated orally with each organism (one per group) and fed a sucrose diet. A further two groups of animals were similarly inoculated with either the agglutination-positive Strep. mutans Ingbritt or the agglutination-negative Strep. sobrinus 6715-13 and fed a glucose diet. StrR streptococci were recovered from smooth-surface dental plaque of all animals on the sucrose diet with no significant difference in the recovery of agglutination-positive Strep. mutans strains Ingbritt and NCTC 10449 and agglutination-negative Strep. mutans GS5. However, the recovery of agglutination-negative Strep. sobrinus 6715-13 from smooth-surface plaque of animals on either the sucrose or the glucose diets was significantly lower than that of the other strains. Agglutination-positive Strep. mutans Ingbritt colonized smooth enamel surfaces of animals on the sucrose and the glucose diets in numbers that were not significantly different. However, the colonization of such surfaces by agglutination-negative Strep. sobrinus 6715-13 was significantly enhanced by the sucrose diet. Agglutination-positive and -negative StrR mutans streptococci were recovered from fissure plaque of all inoculated sucrose-fed animals in numbers that were not significantly different. Successful colonization of smooth enamel surfaces by the StrR streptococci resulted in increased smooth-surface caries.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

E-Teaching and e-Learning in engineering course design

This paper examines the inputs of two different processes and the linkage between those processes. The processes examined in this paper are e-Teaching and e-Learning. Many conferences and journals are devoted to publishing on e-learning while in most cases they address the issues of e-teaching, which is a different process.

New concept and implementation of inter-continental flexible training of terotechnology and life cycle costs

In pursuit of better applications of industrial technology, today Engineers are becoming increasingly aware of the need for continuous education. Universities around the world are keen to cater for this need. A new initiative at Monash University Gippsland campus is currently taking place in this field. The aim of the initiative is to enable the concurrent offering of terotechnology and life cycle costs to practicing engineers in both Australia and USA. This paper discusses the experience gained from the methodology of combining theory and practice via both written and electronic medium. Also, the paper discusses the strategy that was carried out by the development team. In addition, the benefits of video interviews and Web-supported discussion forums are also addressed in this paper.