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This classroom-based project included the development of clear and concise instructions, an analytic rubric as well as practice and testing materials to assess students’ speaking abilities. The speaking tasks consisted of three parts: reading aloud, describing a picture, and giving an opinion. As an extension of an ongoing departmental project originally focusing on second-year pharmacy students, the researchers have incorporated eleven first-year student groups from all departments. Six of the groups were offered the module face-to-face, while the other five received instruction, practice tasks, and feedback online. The aim of the current project was to improve confidence and production of logical arguments by implementing a formative speaking assessment module that provides students with opportunities for advancement through succinct instruction, insight into strengths and weaknesses, self-evaluation and instructor feedback. Research questions included: 1) To what extent did the use of the assessment tool improve first-year students’ comprehensibility in English? 2) To what extent did classroom instruction help improve student confidence? This study took a mixed-method approach where data from student grades and surveys were collected and analysed. To obtain a baseline of students’ speaking abilities prior to any formal instruction and gain insight into the assessment process, one class was chosen by each instructor and asked to record themselves describing a picture. A comparison of the baseline assessment and finals resulted in improvement following the introduction of rubrics and explicit instruction. The remaining two aspects also showed a distinct rise both in grades and comprehensibility between midterms and finals. Survey results showed that across departments, students’ confidence in their abilities to express themselves in English increased over the semester. Future research will focus on redesigning and evaluating the speaking assessment rubrics both for first and second years.

Key points We demonstrate that an unmodified viromic next-generation sequencing methodology effectively detects bacterial pathogen ribosomal RNA in cerebrospinal fluid samples. Sensitivity and specificity displayed pathogen dependent variation. Our finding in principle offers avenues for simultaneous detection of neuropathogenic viruses and bacteria.

One of the key goals of any academic program is to ensure that skills taught in the classroom apply to post-graduate employment. Failure to do so can impact an academic department's recruitment and retention efforts, strain relations with alumni and damage the institution's reputation. Using interviews conducted during a faculty externship at a high-performing municipal government, this paper identifies soft skills employers expect students to have when entering the public-sector workforce, and offers suggestions for how to best prepare students for public-sector employment in light of these findings.

Go on, show you're not a chicken by playing chicken! they insisted. He wasn't so sure; it seemed stupid to run in front of cars on a busy road to [...]

IntroductionFungal diseases are a rising health problem globally, in humans, nonhuman animals, and plants. Emerging fungal diseases have been associated with mass mortality events. A recent example of fungal disease pathogenicity is sea turtle egg fusariosis (STEF). The pathogenicity of STEF has been linked to fungi within the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC). This complex is composed of over 45 phylogenetically identifiable species commonly found in the environment. Species within the FSSC lineage have been isolated from the nests of multiple sea turtle species and are linked to decreased hatching success in all 7 of the extant sea turtle species. Fungi within this lineage are also known to cause cutaneous and subcutaneous infections. These fungi are not only a threat to sea turtles but also to other animals, including humans, that use coastal waters and beaches inhabited by Fusarium spp. The presence of Fusarium spp., in the context of sea turtle health, has not been investigated on southeastern Florida beaches which are fundamentally important for at least three sea turtle species that nest there in large numbers.MethodsWe performed a retrospective assessment of necropsy reports from dead captive leatherback neonates from 2010 to 2022 to assess the most common microscopic diagnoses and the presence of skin lesions associated with mycotic dermatitis. Additionally, live captive leatherbacks and dead-in-nest samples from the 2022 hatching season were used to assess the presence and effect of mycotic dermatitis in Juno Beach and Boca Raton, Florida, USA. This was accomplished by observing gross lesions, fungal cultures, and blood values.ResultsThe retrospective analysis of dead captive neonates revealed that the diagnosis of mycotic dermatitis on histopathology has significantly increased since 2010. The assessment of gross skin lesions associated with mycotic dermatitis in dead and live captive leatherback neonates also revealed a similar increase. Investigations in live captive leatherbacks revealed fungal cultures positive for Fusarium spp. and significant differences in blood values at emergence between healthy turtles and those that later developed mycotic dermatitis.DiscussionPositive dead-in-nest culture results suggest that Fusarium spp. are likely present in leatherback sea turtle nests in Boca Raton and Juno Beach, Florida, USA. Additionally, the occurrence of mycotic dermatitis in dead and live captive leatherback neonates suggests that the presence of Fusarium spp. in the nest likely affects leatherback neonates even after emergence.

Introduction The top research priority for cavernoma, identified by a James Lind Alliance Priority setting partnership was ‘Does treatment (with neurosurgery or stereotactic radiosurgery) or no treatment improve outcome for people diagnosed with a cavernoma?’ This pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to determine the feasibility of answering this question in a main phase RCT.Methods and analysis We will perform a pilot phase, parallel group, pragmatic RCT involving approximately 60 children or adults with mental capacity, resident in the UK or Ireland, with an unresected symptomatic brain cavernoma. Participants will be randomised by web-based randomisation 1:1 to treatment with medical management and with surgery (neurosurgery or stereotactic radiosurgery) versus medical management alone, stratified by prerandomisation preference for type of surgery. In addition to 13 feasibility outcomes, the primary clinical outcome is symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage or new persistent/progressive focal neurological deficit measured at 6 monthly intervals. An integrated QuinteT Recruitment Intervention (QRI) evaluates screening logs, audio recordings of recruitment discussions, and interviews with recruiters and patients/parents/carers to identify and address barriers to participation. A Patient Advisory Group has codesigned the study and will oversee its progress.Ethics and dissemination This study was approved by the Yorkshire and The Humber—Leeds East Research Ethics Committee (21/YH/0046). We will submit manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals, describing the findings of the QRI and the Cavernomas: A Randomised Evaluation (CARE) pilot trial. We will present at national specialty meetings. We will disseminate a plain English summary of the findings of the CARE pilot trial to participants and public audiences with input from, and acknowledgement of, the Patient Advisory Group.Trial registration number ISRCTN41647111.

A service-learning pilot project involving occupational therapy (OT) students and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is described. The purpose of this pilot project, developed using Transformative Learning Theory, was to determine if service-learning could be a viable approach to provide in-depth learning in areas only superficially covered in a typical OT curriculum. The objectives of this experience were focused on developing the knowledge and skills needed to address a noted gap in OT practice, post-secondary transition services for individuals with IDD. Using a peer-mentor approach, OT students were matched with young adults with IDD for a fieldwork Level I experience that continued for nine months. Weekly experiences for the mentees were planned by their mentors who also participated in advocacy on campus to facilitate an environment fostering social inclusiveness. Students engaged in 12 online threaded discussions and participated in a focus group interview one month after the program ended. Data were analyzed to examine the effectiveness of the peer mentor approach in expanding students’ knowledge and perception of their role in transition services. Data revealed increased knowledge of the diverse challenges and strengths of individuals with IDD, increased knowledge of the goals and activities provided by post-secondary transition services, and an understanding of how OT services could contribute to such services. These benefits are exactly those needed to contribute to transition services, demonstrating that, at least for this content area, service-learning is a viable approach to addressing noted gaps in practice.

IntroductionDespite the excellent long-term prognosis after treatment for testicular cancer (TCa), therapy-related side effects can be persistent and severe. The aim of this study was to determine the nature and prevalence of post-treatment symptoms and their impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in TCa patients 12 to 24 months after treatment.Materials and methodsCross-sectional, single-center study. All patients who were aged 18 and over, had completed TCa treatment 12–24 months previously and had no evidence of disease recurrence were considered eligible. Participants were stratified into four groups: 1) orchidectomy only; 2) orchidectomy and single dose adjuvant carboplatin; 3) multi-agent induction chemotherapy (CBOP-BEP, BEPx3 or x4, or Epx4 regimens); and 4) post-chemo retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (PC-RPLND). Eligible patients were asked to complete the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire and the EORTC QLQ-TC26 questionnaire. We performed a thematic analysis of free-text commentary to evaluate the sensitivity of PROMs used across the treatment groups. Descriptive results were reported. For categorical variables, numbers and percentages were used, and for continuous variables median and IQR values were used.ResultsThe EQ-5D-5L questionnaire showed that patients treated with orchidectomy only and orchidectomy and adjuvant carboplatin experienced only minor physical medium- to long-term side-effects. In contrast, more intensive treatment regimens, such as multi-agent chemotherapy or PC-RPLND, were associated with a higher burden of medium- to long-term side-effects. Similar results were obtained with the EORTC QLQ-TC26 questionnaire.ConclusionsThis study reports the medium- to long-term HRQoL and side effects of TCa treatments, using both EQ-5D-5L and EORTC QLQ-TC26 questionnaires, and identifies possibly “unasked” questions from a patient perspective in relation to supportive care needs following TCa treatment. This information will help clinicians to better understand the consequences of treatment and in turn provide better patient counseling before treatment.

Industry-academic (I-A) engagement models refer to the collaboration between academic institutions and industry partners to co-create and develop educational programmes that are relevant and responsive to industry needs. This study consists of research conducted as part of a 5 month Convene fellowship. It examines aspects such as industry demand, training, competency, knowledge, research projects, and modes of delivery for a proposed Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip, 60 ETS) and Master of Science (MSc, 90 ECTS) in Brewing and Distilling (B&D). This study used an I-A model to capture and collate sector specific feedback and priorities. This was achieved through 40 industry surveys and 28 stakeholder interviews, conducted between February and June 2022. Notably, this engagement model was found to effectively inform curriculum development, clarify industry skill-set expectations, and elucidate sector demands, challenges, knowledge gaps, and opportunities.

The immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection determines tuberculosis disease outcomes, yet we have an incomplete understanding of what immune factors contribute to a protective immune response. Neutrophilic inflammation has been associated with poor disease prognosis in humans and in animal models during M. tuberculosis infection and, therefore, must be tightly regulated. ATG5 is an essential autophagy protein that is required in innate immune cells to control neutrophil-dominated inflammation and promote survival during M. tuberculosis infection; however, the mechanistic basis for how ATG5 regulates neutrophil recruitment is unknown. To interrogate what innate immune cells require ATG5 to control neutrophil recruitment during M. tuberculosis infection, we used different mouse strains that conditionally delete Atg5 in specific cell types. We found that ATG5 is required in CD11c+ cells (lung macrophages and dendritic cells) to control the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines during M. tuberculosis infection, which would otherwise promote neutrophil recruitment. This role for ATG5 is autophagy dependent, but independent of mitophagy, LC3-associated phagocytosis, and inflammasome activation, which are the most well-characterized ways that autophagy proteins regulate inflammation. In addition to the increased proinflammatory cytokine production from macrophages during M. tuberculosis infection, loss of ATG5 in innate immune cells also results in an early induction of TH17 responses. Despite prior published in vitro cell culture experiments supporting a role for autophagy in controlling M. tuberculosis replication in macrophages, the effects of autophagy on inflammatory responses occur without changes in M. tuberculosis burden in macrophages. These findings reveal new roles for autophagy proteins in lung resident macrophages and dendritic cells that are required to suppress inflammatory responses that are associated with poor control of M. tuberculosis infection.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents a major public health problem as the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States. Of an estimated 140,000 newly diagnosed CRC cases in 2018, roughly one-third of these patients will have a primary tumor located in the distal large bowel or rectum. The current standard-of-care approach includes curative-intent surgery, often after preoperative (neoadjuvant) radiotherapy (RT), to increase rates of tumor down-staging, clinical and pathologic response, as well as improving surgical resection quality. However, despite advancements in surgical techniques, as well as sharpened precision of dosimetry offered by contemporary RT delivery platforms, the oncology community continues to face challenges related to disease relapse. Ongoing investigations are aimed at testing novel radiosensitizing agents and treatments that might exploit the systemic antitumor effects of RT using immunotherapies. If successful, these treatments may usher in a new curative paradigm for rectal cancers, such that surgical interventions may be avoided. Importantly, this disease offers an opportunity to correlate matched paired biopsies, radiographic response, and molecular mechanisms of treatment sensitivity and resistance with clinical outcomes. Herein, the authors highlight the available evidence from preclinical models and early-phase studies, with an emphasis on promising developmental therapeutics undergoing prospective validation in larger scale clinical trials. This review by the National Cancer Institute's Radiation Research Program Colorectal Cancer Working Group provides an updated, comprehensive examination of the continuously evolving state of the science regarding radiosensitizer drug development in the curative treatment of CRC.