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Summary: Auxin plays a pivotal role in plant development by activating AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs (ARFs). Under low auxin levels, ARF activity is inhibited by interacting with Aux/IAAs. Aux/IAAs are degraded when the cellular auxin concentration increases, causing the release of ARF inhibition. Here, we show that levels of the ARF5/MONOPTEROS (MP) protein are regulated in a cell-type-specific and isoform-dependent manner. We find that the stability of MP isoforms is differentially controlled depending on the auxin level. The canonical MP isoform is degraded by the proteasome in root tissues with low auxin levels. While auxin sharpens the MP localization domain in roots, it does not do so in ovules or embryos. Our research highlights a mechanism for providing spatial control of auxin signaling capacity. Together with recent advances in understanding the tissue-specific expression and post-transcriptional modification of auxin signaling components, these results provide insights into understanding how auxin can elicit so many distinct responses.

This mini-keynote encouraged attendees to consider their stance towards LD scholarship, including current enablers and barriers to engagement. Like many other third space professionals, learning developers’ participation in scholarship is somewhat constrained, due to the lack of contractual requirements to engage in such endeavours. Despite this, we view the development of LD’s pedagogical and theoretical knowledge base as a vehicle which will allow LD to disseminate its values and principles, beyond the confines of learning developers’ individual practice. Thus, this mini-keynote drew on key principles from the LD Scholarship Manifesto recently published (Bishopp-Martin and Johnson, 2023), a manifesto which has captured the voices of the LD community. The following questions acted as provocations for participants to consider what encourages or prevents them from joining the call to expand this growing field’s knowledge base: • As learning developers, we are committed to student education and disseminating best practice beyond our field. How can scholarship support this commitment? • Engagement with scholarship is endemic to the ALDinHE values, which have come to help us identify as a professional group. Thus, do you believe that practising according to those values, including an on-going commitment to our professional development is essential? If so, what may be holding you back? • If Learning developers sit alongside students and other HE colleagues invested in academic literacies development, arguably our praxis can only be truly enacted if we are ourselves immersed in such development. To what extent is LD scholarship rooted in Academic Literacies? If not, what else underpins it and why?

This article discusses the creation of a research-focused virtual community of practice (vCoP) for geographically-dispersed third space professionals, motivated by desires for enhanced professional collaboration, visibility and identity. The authors used collaborative autoethnography (CAE) to evaluate their personal reflections as vCoP participants. Data were gathered in two collaborative writing activities and analysed using thematic analysis (TA). The TA identified two connected themes, which capture the vCoP members' aspirations to transcend their current roles and be research-active through connecting with like-minded professionals. Collaborative writing activities, including authoring this paper, cultivated elements of academic identity such as independence and purpose. A non-hierarchical and supportive vCoP environment allowed the members to work beyond time and institutional constraints to foster the evolution of the community and an emerging sense of professional identity beyond that typically associated with third space roles. The paper offers a model of collaboration that could help groups in similar situations. [The page range (135-158) cited on the .pdf is incorrect. The correct page range is p135-156.]

Summary: Auxin regulates plant growth and development through the transcription factors of the AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF) gene family. ARF7 is one of five activators that bind DNA and elicit downstream transcriptional responses. In roots, ARF7 regulates growth, gravitropism and redundantly with ARF19, lateral root organogenesis. In this study we analyzed ARF7 cis-regulation, using different non-coding sequences of the ARF7 locus to drive GFP. We show that constructs containing the first intron led to increased signal in the root tip. Although bioinformatics analyses predicted several transcription factor binding sites in the first intron, we were unable to significantly alter expression of GFP in the root by mutating these. We instead observed the intronic sequences needed to be present within the transcribed sequences to drive expression in the root meristem. These data support a mechanism by which intron-mediated enhancement regulates the tissue specific expression of ARF7 in the root meristem.

This article is a reflection on what reflexive documentary scholars call the 'moral dimension' (Nash, 2012: 318) of a participatory film-making project with refugee young people who wanted to make a film to support other new young arrivals in the process of making home in Scotland. In the first part, we highlight some of the challenges of collaborating with refugee young people, in light of the often dehumanizing representations of refugees in mainstream media and the danger of the triple conflation of authenticity--voice--pain in academic narratives about refugees. In the second part, we show how honouring young people's desire to convey the hopeful aspects of making home emerged as a key pedagogical strategy to affirm their expert position and encourage their participation in the project. Revisiting key moments of learning and interaction, we demonstrate how young people's process of 'finding a voice' in moment-by-moment film-making practice was not a linear, developmental process towards 'pure' individual empowerment and singular artistic expression. Their participation in shaping their visual (self-)representation in the final film was embedded in the dialogical process and pragmatic requirements of a collaborative film production, in which voice, autonomy and teacher authority were negotiated on a moment-by-moment basis. We conclude that it is vital for a reflexive practice and research not to gloss over the moral dilemmas in the name of progressive ideals, for example, when representations are co-created by project film-makers/educators, but to embrace these deliberations as part of the 'fascinating collaborative matrix' (Chambers, 2019: 29) of participatory film-making.

Auxin is a well-studied plant hormone, the spatial distribution of which remains incompletely understood. Here, we investigate the effects of cell growth and divisions on the dynamics of auxin patterning, using a combination of mathematical modelling and experimental observations. In contrast to most prior work, models are not designed or tuned with the aim to produce a specific auxin pattern. Instead, we use well-established techniques from dynamical systems theory to uncover and classify ranges of auxin patterns as exhaustively as possible as parameters are varied. Previous work using these techniques has shown how a multitude of stable auxin patterns may coexist, each attainable from a specific ensemble of initial conditions. When a key parameter spans a range of values, these steady patterns form a geometric curve with successive folds, often nicknamed a snaking diagram. As we introduce growth and cell division into a one-dimensional model of auxin distribution, we observe new behaviour which can be explained in terms of this diagram. Cell growth changes the shape of the snaking diagram, and this corresponds in turn to deformations in the patterns of auxin distribution. As divisions occur this can lead to abrupt creation or annihilation of auxin peaks. We term this phenomenon 'snake-jumping'. Under rhythmic cell divisions, we show how this can lead to stable oscillations of auxin. We also show that this requires a high level of synchronisation between cell divisions. Using 18 hour time-lapse imaging of the auxin reporter DII:Venus in roots of Arabidopsis thaliana, we show auxin fluctuates greatly, both in terms of amplitude and periodicity, consistent with the snake-jumping events observed with non-synchronised cell divisions. Periodic signals downstream of the auxin signalling pathway have previously been recorded in plant roots. The present work shows that auxin alone is unlikely to play the role of a pacemaker in this context.

Learning Development is still a relatively young field (Syska and Buckley, 2022), and despite a growing body of research, it remains strongly practice-oriented. This means that experience, in this case of individual Learning Developers, takes an even more central place than it does in more established fields, and sharing this experience through mentoring takes on a central role. This is why the mentoring working group has developed a Learning Development focused ALDinHE Mentoring Scheme, together with a Certified Mentor recognition that helps experienced mentors be recognised for their contribution to growing and sharing LD knowledge. This mini keynote briefly introduced the Mentoring Scheme and the CeM recognition before exploring the role mentoring can play in the professional development of Learning Developers with the audience. The questions we asked were: What benefits would you expect for mentees? What benefits would you expect for mentors? What kind of experience can be best shared through mentoring?

ALDinHE is launching its new mentoring scheme and mentorship recognition to acknowledge, promote and recognise the importance of mentoring for LD as a field that does not offer an official route into the profession. This Professional Development session introduced the mentoring scheme, explaining how to get involved, what support mentors and mentees can receive from ALDinHE and what benefits both sides can get from mentoring or being mentored. If you’re new to LD or keen to develop more experience in a specific area with the help of a mentor, the mentoring scheme will offer you a brilliant framework to broaden your expertise. If you’re an experienced Learning Developer or have specific expertise you could share, find out how you could become recognised as a Certified Mentor (CeM) in LD by ALDinHE.

This session explored the journey to integrating academic and information literacy skills into CCCU’s BA in primary education. The session began by presenting a rationale for the project and the principles underpinning it, in particular, by referring to the Academic Literacies approach. The presentation subsequently introduced the staged approach taken to fully integrate learning development work into the curriculum, including concrete examples of what that integration looked like for a range of modules. The presenter also introduced staff and student feedback from the ongoing project, and a range of future steps which will be taken to continue the process of integration. A key aspect of the session included reference to: (a) how this process has allowed students to navigate academic expectations at different points in the course; (b) staff’s perceptions on the value of the collaboration needed to realise this project.

Purpose of Review: As injectable cabotegravir for pre-exposure prophylaxis (CAB PrEP) is introduced in sub-Saharan Africa, it is important to understand how behavioral drivers may influence women’s decisions around whether or not to use it. Recent Findings: Facilitating factors include prior familiarity with injections and the perceived efficacy of CAB PrEP, while barriers include a fear or dislike of needles and negative attitudes held by community members and influencers. Further research is needed to fully understand behavioral factors affecting African women’s CAB PrEP use. Summary: HIV prevention policymakers, practitioners, advocates, and clients are optimistic about CAB PrEP, predicting that this long-acting method will be popular among women in sub-Saharan Africa. However, women may also face barriers to use. Knowledge of behavioral facilitators and barriers can enhance the adaptation or development of HIV prevention communication and demand generation strategies that support informed decision-making in a multi-method market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundCOVID-19 data have been generated across the United Kingdom as a by-product of clinical care and public health provision, as well as numerous bespoke and repurposed research endeavors. Analysis of these data has underpinned the United Kingdom’s response to the pandemic, and informed public health policies and clinical guidelines. However, these data are held by different organizations, and this fragmented landscape has presented challenges for public health agencies and researchers as they struggle to find relevant data to access and interrogate the data they need to inform the pandemic response at pace. ObjectiveWe aimed to transform UK COVID-19 diagnostic data sets to be findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR). MethodsA federated infrastructure model (COVID - Curated and Open Analysis and Research Platform [CO-CONNECT]) was rapidly built to enable the automated and reproducible mapping of health data partners’ pseudonymized data to the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model without the need for any data to leave the data controllers’ secure environments, and to support federated cohort discovery queries and meta-analysis. ResultsA total of 56 data sets from 19 organizations are being connected to the federated network. The data include research cohorts and COVID-19 data collected through routine health care provision linked to longitudinal health care records and demographics. The infrastructure is live, supporting aggregate-level querying of data across the United Kingdom. ConclusionsCO-CONNECT was developed by a multidisciplinary team. It enables rapid COVID-19 data discovery and instantaneous meta-analysis across data sources, and it is researching streamlined data extraction for use in a Trusted Research Environment for research and public health analysis. CO-CONNECT has the potential to make UK health data more interconnected and better able to answer national-level research questions while maintaining patient confidentiality and local governance procedures.

This workshop discussed how collaborative reflection and writing provides us, as a group of Learning Developers, with insights into our role and sense of identity. The wider potential for using collaborative writing to develop topics of mutual interest was also explored. Our reflections on the collaborative writing process arose from our first-hand experience of collaborative writing (Bickle et al., 2021). Therefore, we aimed to introduce participants to the tools we used for our writing and encourage them to experience the tools themselves to stimulate a discussion on the potential and challenges of collaborative writing for LD research and practice. We hoped to increase participants’ understanding of collaborative writing through practice and reflection and provide ideas on how others can initiate a collaborative writing community. The introduction briefly outlined the insights we gained from our study, focussing particularly on the way collaborative writing served as a tool to examine and broaden our identities as Learning Developers. It also introduced the methodologies for creating (collaborative writing) and analysing (collaborative autoethnography) data. Next, participants were invited to try out collaborative writing activities and reflect on their potential use as part of their own practice. We used a Google document (Figure 1) to collect their spontaneous responses to short writing prompts related to the challenges and potential of collaborative writing. Finally, at the end of the session, participants left with tips and techniques on how to develop a collaborative writing group of their own.

Summary: Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is an important global cereal crop and a model in genetic studies. Despite advances in characterising barley genomic resources, few mutant studies have identified genes controlling root architecture and anatomy, which plays a critical role in capturing soil resources.Our phenotypic screening of a TILLING mutant collection identified line TM5992 exhibiting a short‐root phenotype compared with wild‐type (WT) Morex background. Outcrossing TM5992 with barley variety Proctor and subsequent SNP array‐based bulk segregant analysis, fine mapped the mutation to a cM scale. Exome sequencing pinpointed a mutation in the candidate gene HvPIN1a, further confirming this by analysing independent mutant alleles.Detailed analysis of root growth and anatomy in Hvpin1a mutant alleles exhibited a slower growth rate, shorter apical meristem and striking vascular patterning defects compared to WT. Expression and mutant analyses of PIN1 members in the closely related cereal brachypodium (Brachypodium distachyon) revealed that BdPIN1a and BdPIN1b were redundantly expressed in root vascular tissues but only Bdpin1a mutant allele displayed root vascular defects similar to Hvpin1a.We conclude that barley PIN1 genes have sub‐functionalised in cereals, compared to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), where PIN1a sequences control root vascular patterning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The unpredictable, and sometimes dangerous, nature of the occupation exposes officers to both acute and chronic stress over law enforcement officers’ (LEO) tenure. The purpose of this study is two-fold: 1) Describe multi-level characteristics that define high-stress calls for service for LEO; and 2) Characterize factors that impact cumulative stress over the course of a LEO’s shift. Methods Qualitative data were collected from 28 LEOs at three law enforcement agencies in the Dallas-Fort Worth areas from April 2019 to February 2020. Focus group data were iteratively coded by four coders using inductive and deductive thematic identification. Results Five multi-level factors influenced officer stress: 1) officer characteristics (e.g. military experience; gender); 2) civilian behavior (e.g. resistance, displaying a weapon); 3) supervisor factors (micromanagement); 4) environmental factors (e.g. time of year); and, 5) situational factors (e.g. audience present; complexity of calls). Four themes that characterized cumulative stress: 1) cyclical risk; 2) accelerators; 3) decelerators; and 4) experience of an adverse event. Conclusions LEOs become susceptible to adverse events (e.g. injury, excessive use of force) after repeated exposure to high-stress calls for service. Ongoing exposures to stress continue to occur throughout the shift. Our long-term goal is to interrupt this repetitive, cumulative process by restricting the number of consecutive high-risk, high-intensity calls an officer is permitted to respond to.

Quantification of anatomical and compositional features underpins both fundamental and applied studies of plant structure and function. Relatively few non-invasive techniques are available for aquatic plants. Traditional methods such as sectioning are low-throughput and provide 2-dimensional information. X-ray Computed Microtomography (μCT) offers a non-destructive method of three dimensional (3D) imaging in planta, but has not been widely used for aquatic species, due to the difficulties in sample preparation and handling. We present a novel sample handling protocol for aquatic plant material developed for μCT imaging, using duckweed plants and turions as exemplars, and compare the method against existing approaches. This technique allows for previously unseen 3D volume analysis of gaseous filled spaces, cell material, and sub-cellular features. The described embedding method, utilizing petrolatum gel for sample mounting, was shown to preserve sample quality during scanning, and to display sufficiently different X-ray attenuation to the plant material to be easily differentiated by image analysis pipelines. We present this technique as an improved method for anatomical structural analysis that provides novel cellular and developmental information.

Plant root hairs elongate in response to low soil phosphate. Here Bhosale et al. show that root hair elongation requires auxin synthesis mediated by TAA1, auxin transport by AUX1 in the lateral root cap and epidermis, and signaling via the auxin-inducible ARF19, RSL2 and RSL4 transcription factors.