Open distance and e-Learning: Students\u27 experiences of online portfolios for assessment

Experiences of students regarding assessment through online submitted portfolios for a health sciences education module were explored. The findings provide information on how effective student support strategies could be used in an ODeL context

Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial, Quality Control by the Transcription Factors P53 and ATF4

Well-appreciated for its role in locomotion and posture, the metabolic profile of muscle has extended implications for mobility, along with the onset of disease. It is well-documented that endurance exercise promotes enhanced aerobic capacity, while prolonged disuse results in a diminished respiratory function, accompanied by fiber atrophy and weakness. A unique, and natural, feature of aging is the progressive loss of muscle mass, which develops from molecular changes within muscle that include diminished aerobic capacity and muscle strength. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms that promote muscle health or contribute to muscle decline are of considerable importance to identify therapeutic strategies that can preserve muscle function. Mitochondria are the culpable organelles in the maintenance of skeletal muscle metabolic health, and are therefore important regulators of a variety of factors contributing to muscle dysfunction, such as oxidative stress and antioxidants, apoptosis, inflammation, and Ca2+ handling, in addition to their role as the energy hubs of the cell. Mitochondrial quality control (MQC) involves multiple processes that coordinately regulate organellar biogenesis, turnover, and proteostasis (mitochondrial unfolded protein response) to maintain an optimal mitochondrial pool. While recent research has elucidated the importance of this synchronized control, science has yet characterized a single regulator of broad MQC pathways. The transcription factors p53 and ATF4 are two candidates that, in muscle, respond to various stressors, and are positioned at the nexus of these processes. Therefore, we explored the necessity of p53 and ATF4 in mediating mitochondrial adaptations. p53 muscle-specific knockout mice (mKO) had dysregulated signaling for MQC following 1-day of denervation- induced disuse, with further decrements in organelle function and MQC regulation after 7 days, especially with respect to the autophagy-lysosome system. Additionally, through ATF4 overexpression (OE) and knockdown (KD) in C2C12 myotubes, we found ATF4 to be an import mediator of MQC pathways, contributing to an enhanced mitochondrial network with augmented function, following C2C12 myotube differentiation, as well as acute and chronic contractile activity. Our data identify both p53 and ATF4 as two transcriptional regulators that each exhibit multifaceted control of mitochondrial health in muscle during both the pro- and mal-adaptive stimuli of exercise and disuse

Professional development support: What the supported newly qualified professional nurses have to say?

Session presented on Saturday, July 23, 2016 and Sunday, July 24, 2016: Background: Newly qualified professional nurses, like other health professionals in South Africa, have an obligation to serve the remunerated community service in designated public health institutions for one year before obtaining final registration with the South African Nursing Council (SANC). The objectives of community service, amongst others, are (1) to service public health institutions, especially in the rural areas with human resources and (2) to give the newly qualified health professionals an opportunity to enhance their clinical skills. They have to be guided and supported by those that they find in practice, in case of nurses, those will be the experienced professional nurses. There is no formal induction and professional development support guidelines at national level, a few provinces have developed provincial guidelines and their implementation is still a challenge. The Human Resource (HR) department and staff development departments are tasked with the responsibility of inducting the newly qualified professional nurses in some health institutions, while in some provinces operational nurse managers have to provide the support and guidance or delegate the task to the experienced professional nurses in the unit. In some instances the newly qualified professional nurses receive no induction, orientation or any form of professional development support. They are expected to get off to a flying start. Design and methodology: the presentation is part of a main study conducted by the researcher in 2014 -2015. The design of the main study is a mixed methods design of concurrent triangulation approach. In this part of the study, the newly qualified professional nurses participated in a survey, responding to a self-administered questionnaire. Section C of the questionnaire consisted of three open ended questions where the respondents were asked to air their views in writing. Sampling: The population were the newly qualified professional nurses in South Africa, who completed community service between June 2014 and June 2015. The sampling used for the survey was a systematic probability sampling. The researcher used the RaoSoft Survey Tools computer program to calculate the sample size. A total of three hundred and fifty (350) newly qualified professional nurses were invited to participate in the survey. Data analysis: One hundred and twelve (112) questionnaires had responses to section C. The written views from the questionnaire were analysed for content qualitatively and the data yielded eighteen (18) codes, four (4) subthemes and two (2) themes. The chosen theme is: Induction and professional development support experienced by the newly qualified professional nurses during community service. The subtheme for the presentation is: Positive aspects experienced by the newly qualified professional nurses in relation to induction and professional development support. Findings: despite the challenges in induction and professional development support during community service, there were newly qualified professional nurses who were supported and reported positively on that support. Positive aspects include: appreciation of the warm welcome received; induction and orientation; feeling at ease; feelings of independence, growth and development; boosted confidence and enhancement of clinical competence; respect for the newly qualified professional nurse as a person; happy to have a choice of allocation areas; attendance of in-service training and short courses relevant to place of allocation; informal mentorship and leadership development activities. Conclusion: Well supported newly qualified professional nurses take less time to be integrated into practice than unsupported newly qualified professional nurses. They feel as part of the experienced nursing personnel and they are easy to work with, as they have enhanced clinical competence and the confidence to practice as professionals. They feel at ease as they are guided through-out their transition from student to professional. they also reported having a positive attitude towards their work

Endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response, aging and exercise: an update

9 p.The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a dynamic and multifunctional organelle responsible for protein biosynthesis, folding, assembly and modifications. Loss of protein folding regulation, which leads to unfolded or misfolded proteins accumulation inside the ER lumen, drives ER stress (ERS) and unfolded protein response (UPR) activation. During aging, there is a decline in the ability of the cell to handle protein folding, accumulation and aggregation, and the function of UPR is compromised. There is a progressive failure of the chaperoning systems and a decline in many of its components, so that the UPR activation cannot rescue the ERS. Physical activity has been proposed as a powerful tool against aged-related diseases, which are linked to ERS. Interventional studies have demonstrated that regular exercise is able to decrease oxidative stress and inflammation and reverse mitochondrial and ER dysfunctions. Exercise-induced metabolic stress could activate the UPR since muscle contraction is directly involved in its activation, mediating exercise-induced adaptation responses. In fact, regular moderate-intensity exercise-induced ERS acts as a protective mechanism against current and future stressors. However, biological responses vary according to exercise intensity and therefore induce different degrees of ERS and UPR activation. This article reviews the effects of aging and exercise on ERS and UPR, also analyzing possible changes induced by different types of exercise in elderly subjects.S

The Chronology and Function of UPR Activation in Skeletal Muscle Adaptations to Chronic Contractile Activity

During exercise-induced mitochondrial biogenesis, a rapid increase in the transcription and translation of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins, under the influence of PGC-1, require integration with mitochondria-derived proteins. This has the potential to perturb cellular proteostasis and thus induce an unfolded protein response from the mitochondria (UPRmt) and/or endoplasmic reticulum (UPRER). The role of the UPR in skeletal muscle, particularly with respect to exercise is not well established. We used a chronic contractile activity model over 7 days to examine the chronology of mitochondrial biogenesis, autophagy, UPRER, and UPRmt activation, and used a drug (TUDCA) to block the ER stress-induced UPR to test its role in adaptations to CCA. Our data reveal that the UPRs are involved in acute and chronic muscle adaptations, independent of CHOP signaling, to augment protein quality control. However the specific mechanism by which the UPR influences these adaptations is an important avenue of future work

2015 Nigerian Presidential Election: A New Reality

After the end of 33 years of military rule, Nigeria returned to democracy in 1998. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has won every election in the new republic, but many of these elections have been everything but free and fair. The 2007 presidential election was wrought with corruption and violence. There was vast improvement in 2011, an election often referred to as Nigeria’s best ever, despite 800 deaths in election violence. The 2010 appointment of Attiheru Jega as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was seen as the catalyst for 2011’s improvement. The 2015 election will bring new challenges like the terror organization Boko Haram and a newly formed opposition party capable of challenging the PDP. This paper examines INEC strategies and potential threats for the 2015 election through personal interviews with several stakeholders in Nigerian society. These unique perspectives are invaluable to better understanding an election that could destabilize the nation and possibly the region. Stakeholders interviewed include journalists and politicians who are deeply engaged in Nigerian civil society, INEC directors who clearly delineate detailed steps of commission plans, and INEC chairman Attiheru Jega.\u3c /p\u3

The Influence of Thermal Barrier Coating Surface Roughness on Spark Ignition Engine Performance and Emissions

The effects on heat transfer of piston crown surface finish and use of a metal based thermal barrier coating (TBC) on the piston crown were studied in an SI engine. Measured engine parameters such as power, fuel consumption, emissions and cylinder pressure were used to identify the effects of the coating and its surface finish. Two piston coatings were tested: a baseline copper coating and a metal TBC. Reducing surface roughness of both coatings increased in-cylinder temperature and pressure as a result of reduced heat transfer through the piston crown. These increases resulted in small improvements in both power and fuel consumption, while also having measurable effect on emissions. Oxides of nitrogen emissions were increased while total hydrocarbon emissions were decreased. Improvements attributed to the TBC were found to be small, but statistically significant. At an equivalent surface finish, the TBC performed better than the baseline copper finish.MAS

Best to Bend While it is a Twig – About Gender Reproduction in Libraries

This Master's Thesis studies the attitude that library employees have regarding a sex and gender-neutral treatment of their clients. The analysis is based upon replies to a questionnaire which was submitted though channels directed at library employees, like BIBLIST and BiblFeed. The respondent’s replies contained a number of welldeveloped comments making the resultant analysis both quantitative and qualitative in nature. In performing the analysis a theoretical framework combining Hirdman’s gender system with symbolic interactionism has been used together with literature about gender roles. The questionnaire showed that gender neutrality is a complex concept that can be interpreted in many different ways and is therefore easily misunderstood. It is obvious that sex is an important category when respondents are dealing with their clients, but also that sex and gender are problematic concepts which respondents find difficult to know exactly how to relate to. A lot of the respondents see a need to address gender issues, but a lot of them also state that gender is a biological concept and therefore impossible or unnecessary to have to relate to. In general, in the replies to the questionnaire availability tops the list over important questions to be addressed in the library while sex and gender have very low priority. My belief is that gender norms are possible to change and that sex and gender issues should be prioritized by virtue of being recognised as an availability issue. It is everybody’s individual fundamental values that together form society’s common fundamental values. If we all put on our gender glasses and are prepared to alter how we treat one another we can, eventually, make sex and gender less important categories and begin to see our clients as individuals

The Influence of Thermal Barrier Coating Surface Roughness on Spark Ignition Engine Performance and Emissions

The effects on heat transfer of piston crown surface finish and use of a metal based thermal barrier coating (TBC) on the piston crown were studied in an SI engine. Measured engine parameters such as power, fuel consumption, emissions and cylinder pressure were used to identify the effects of the coating and its surface finish. Two piston coatings were tested: a baseline copper coating and a metal TBC. Reducing surface roughness of both coatings increased in-cylinder temperature and pressure as a result of reduced heat transfer through the piston crown. These increases resulted in small improvements in both power and fuel consumption, while also having measurable effect on emissions. Oxides of nitrogen emissions were increased while total hydrocarbon emissions were decreased. Improvements attributed to the TBC were found to be small, but statistically significant. At an equivalent surface finish, the TBC performed better than the baseline copper finish.MAS