Ryan Naylor

Inhibition of γ-secretase causes increased secretion of amyloid precursor protein C-terminal fragments in association with exosomes

Alzheimers disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and is associated with the deposition of the 39‐ to 43‐amino acid β‐amyloid peptide (Aβ) in the brain. C‐terminal fragments (CTFs) of amyloid precursor protein (APP) can accumulate in endosomally derived multivesicular bodies (MVBs). These intracellular structures contain intraluminal vesicles that are released from the cell as exosomes when the MVB fuses with the plasma membrane. Here we have investigated the role of exosomes in the processing of APP and show that these vesicles contain APP‐ CTFs, as well as Aβ. In addition, inhibition of γ‐secre‐ tase results in a significant increase in the amount of α‐ and β‐secretase cleavage, further increasing the amount of APP‐CTFs contained within these exosomes. We identify several key members of the secretase family of proteases (BACE, PS1, PS2, and ADAM10) to be localized in exosomes, suggesting they may be a previously unidentified site of APP cleavage. These results provide further evidence for a novel pathway in which APP fragments are released from cells and have implications for the analysis of APP processing and diagnostics for Alzheimers disease.—Sharples, R. A., Vella, L. J., Nisbet, R. M., Naylor, R., Perez, K., Barnham, K. J., Masters, C. L., Hill, A. F. Inhibition of γ‐secretase causes increased secretion of amyloid precursor protein C‐terminal fragments in association with exosomes. FASEB J. 22, 1469–1478 (2008)

How does student peer review influence perceptions, engagement and academic outcomes? A case study

Involving students in peer review has many pedagogical benefits, but few studies have explicitly investigated relationships between the content of peer reviews, student perceptions and assessment outcomes. We conducted a case study of peer review within a third-year undergraduate subject at a research-intensive Australian university, in which we examined: (1) students’ perceptions of the peer review process before and after peer review, (2) content of the peer reviews and what kinds of feedback were adopted and (3) the effect of participation in peer review on performance (grades) in the assessment task. Students overwhelmingly perceived peer review to be beneficial, and the opportunity to participate in peer review resulted in a significant improvement in the quality of work submitted for assessment. Students who benefited most from peer review were those of below-median performance, and the magnitude of benefit was related to the degree to which students engaged with the peer review process. Our study confirms that participation in peer review can lead to important improvements in performance and learning outcomes.

Neurotoxicity in Alzheimer’s disease: is covalently crosslinked Aβ responsible?

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia in the elderly, and is characterised by extracellular amyloid plaques composed of the β-amyloid peptide (Aβ). However, disease progression has been shown to correlate more closely with the level of soluble Aβ oligomers. Recent evidence suggests that these oligomers are covalently crosslinked, possibly due to the interaction of Aβ with redox-active metal ions. These findings offer new avenues for the treatment and prevention of disease, by modulating metal binding or preventing the formation of neurotoxic Aβ oligomers.

From Equity to Excellence: Reforming Australia’s National Framework to Create New Forms of Success

This chapter asserts the need to renovate and improve the equity framework advanced in A Fair Chance for All in order to support and shape the future of Australian higher education. Failing to renovate this national framework after 25 years renders it exposed to being further swamped and sidelined by other institutional and national initiatives, with many such initiatives residing outside the Framework in an undefined fashion. In this chapter we affirm the continued need for a national equity framework, but suggest that it must be expanded to fit contemporary contexts and do more to ameliorate educational disadvantage in Australia. We advance the need to create a more sophisticated perspective on student success that shifts focus from access to outcomes. A shift in policy emphasis should also move beyond preoccupation with the prospects of a small number of tightly defined groups. We discuss rationales and options for moving un-anxiously from a focus on groups to a focus on individuals. The success of any such change rests on the availability of robust and accessible evidence. The concluding section of this chapter looks at current prospects and opportunities for development.

Examining the experiences of first-year students with low tertiary admission scores in Australian universities

ABSTRACT The previous two decades have seen much improvement in the first-year experience of students attending university. Yet for a significant proportion of students, coping with university study remains challenging. This is particularly the case for those students entering university with low tertiary admission scores. Although the higher education sector is now alert to the challenges facing these students and aware of the need for augmented support, our research shows that students entering Australian education with low tertiary admission ranks (ATAR) continue to be less prepared, less able to cope with study, less academically engaged than their peers, and are at greater risk of attrition. We argue that supporting low ATAR students’ transition into university means rethinking the role of preparatory programmes as well as supporting these students to develop personal objectives, new student identities, and feel a stronger sense of ‘belonging’ to their university community.

Leading Online Education for Student Success

Online education has grown exponentially over the last few decades, churning through a swarm of acronyms, ambiguities and potentialities. Substantial energy has been invested in producing technology, building academic capability, and understanding learners and markets. Though it feels pervasive, online education is comparatively new in the scheme of higher education, and key education and business models remain in formation. To spur advance, this paper argues that as online education matures increasing energy must shift from supplier-centric concerns about provision to instead ensuring learner value and success. We argue that online education presents new opportunities not just for the mechanics of higher education, but for improving each student’s experience and outcomes. Central to such advance is a clear picture of student success, cogent perspectives for understanding students, effective strategies for analysing and interpreting huge volumes of data, and more evidence-based academic leadership. The paper investigates each of these areas, provoking an agenda to guide further student and institutional achievement.

Systemic Equity Challenges: An Overview of the Role of Australian Universities in Student Equity and Social Inclusion

This chapter examines the challenges Australia has faced in creating greater social inclusion in higher education, tracing some of the policy interventions over the last quarter of a century in particular. The analysis examines not only the role of universities and other higher education providers but also the roles of schools and vocational educational and training. This chapter points to the need for more systemic thinking and policy to recognise the interrelationships and interresponsibilities between the education sectors and identifies the emergence of learning analytics as a new data tool for understanding and responding to individual educational disadvantage.

Leading Online Education from Participation to Success

Paula Kelly - PhD Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne. E-mail: kelly.p@unimelb.edu.au Hamish Coates - Professor - Head of the Chair of Higher Education at the Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE), University of Melbourne. E-mail: hamishc@unimelb.edu.au Ryan Naylor - PhD Senior Lecturer at Victoria University. E-mail: rnaylor@unimelb.edu.au Address: Elisabeth Murdoch Building (Building 134), Spencer Road, The University of Melbourne, VIC3010, AustraliaOnline education has grown exponentially over the last few decades, churning through a swarm of acronyms, ambiguities and potentialities. Substantial energy has been invested in producing technology, building academic capability, and understanding learners and markets. Though it feels pervasive, online education is comparatively new in the scheme of higher education, and key education and business models remain in formation. To spur advancement, this paper argues that as online education matures increasing energy must shift from admissions and provision to ensuring each learners success. We argue that online education presents new opportunities not just for the mechanics of higher education, but for improving each students experience and outcomes. Central to such advancement is a clear picture of study success, cogent perspectives for understanding students, effective strategies for analysing and interpreting huge volumes of data, and more evidence-based academic leadership. The paper investigates each of these areas, provoking what institutions could seek to achieve. higher education, online education, quality of education, students experience, evidence-based academic leadership.

Framing international approaches to university–industry collaboration

ABSTRACT Growing interest in university–industry collaboration (UIC) calls for a need to develop frameworks and compare overseas models to better understand how successful UIC occurs. This article provides a framework for analyzing UIC across three dimensions: environmental, technical, and managerial. It further breaks down these dimensions to suggest key attributes that can inform us about how dimensions can develop and improve. Subsequently, we use the framework outlined to analyze seven countries’ UIC policies and frameworks and present key findings. The findings of this research include the importance of building and training a workforce ready to engage across sectors and of creating clear intellectual property policies, and the need for dedicated programs and national policies that support UIC growth.

Identifying attrition risk based on the first year experience

ABSTRACT Using data collected from a recent national survey of Australian first-year students, this paper defines and validates four scales – belonging, feeling supported, intellectual engagement and workload stress – to measure the student experience of university. These scales provide insights into the university experience for both groups and individual students, to assist institutions in supporting and managing successful outcomes for their students. These data highlight the particular importance of a sense of belonging and mitigating workload stress to addressing attrition risk. Many traditional equity groups were found to only differ significantly from ‘traditional’ students on the stress scale. However, these groups potentially contain enormous individual variation, and even the average experiences of these groups reveal that complexity in the engagement, motivation and sense of belonging of students from equity backgrounds. Importantly, the scales presented in this paper can easily be used by practitioners, researchers and institutions to identify risk of attrition at an individual level based on attitudinal factors rather than background or behavioural factors. This may inform university strategy and practice to enhance the student experience and increase retention across the sector.