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The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical reflection on the use of experiential learning in the form of the reflective journal and its ability to contribute to student learning. Three questionnaires were administered over the semester to track the responses of the students undertaking an undergraduate capstone unit in the Human Resource discipline. The questionnaires were designed to elicit feedback regarding the use of the workshop approach to teaching and to promote the use of reflective practices to enhance the learning process. The findings are that students were unfamiliar with the use of reflective journals and had difficulty adjusting to a learning environment that differed from the traditional structured approach which they had come to accept and expect. The use of the workshop designed to provide a student-centered learning environment was initially resisted by the students and debriefing sessions were required to reinforce the value of the reflective journal as part of the learning process.

This is a longitudinal study to investigate whether there is a correlation between the methods for completion of homework and the incentive levels with academic achievement. The method adopted in this study is the t-test statistical analysis to assess the relationship between the use of compulsory homework on achievement and the influence of intervening and moderating variables. The findings are as follows -- Cohort 1 which completed homework in the traditional pen and paper style (with a mean of 13.278) performed better than the Cohort 2 which completed homework online They also performed better than Cohort 2 which completed homework online (with a mean of 11.851). Cohort 3 that had no incentive and subsequently no compulsion to do the homework (with a mean of 11.851) performed better than Cohort 2 which completed homework online (with a mean of 9.658).

Abstract Thrombocytopenic patients have an increased risk of bleeding when undergoing invasive procedures. In a multicentre, phase II, blinded, randomised, controlled feasibility trial, critically ill patients with platelet count 100 × 109/L or less were randomised 1:1 to intravenous desmopressin (0.3 µg/kg) or placebo before an invasive procedure. Forty‐three participants (18.8% of those eligible) were recruited, with 41 eligible for analysis. Post‐procedure bleeding occurred in one of 22 (4.5%) in the placebo arm and zero of 19 in the desmopressin arm. Despite liberal inclusion criteria, there were significant feasibility challenges recruiting patients in the critical care setting prior to invasive procedures.

Abstract Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) remains a significant area of research since it’s discovery 50 years ago. The surface-based technique has been used in a wide variety of fields, most prominently in chemical detection, cellular imaging and medical diagnostics, offering high sensitivity and specificity when probing and quantifying a chosen analyte or monitoring nanoparticle uptake and accumulation. However, despite its promise, SERS is mostly confined to academic laboratories and is not recognised as a gold standard analytical technique. This is due to the variations that are observed in SERS measurements, mainly caused by poorly characterised SERS substrates, lack of universal calibration methods and uncorrelated results. To convince the wider scientific community that SERS should be a routinely used analytical technique, the field is now focusing on methods that will increase the reproducibility of the SERS signals and how to validate the results with more well-established techniques. This review explores the difficulties experienced by SERS users, the methods adopted to reduce variation and suggestions of best practices and strategies that should be adopted if one is to achieve absolute quantification. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Objective Hospital‐acquired infections are a common complication for patients with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), contributing to morbidity and mortality. As infection‐mediated immune responses can predispose towards epilepsy, we hypothesized that post‐injury hospital‐acquired infections increase the risk of post‐traumatic epilepsy (PTE). Methods A retrospective cohort study of adults with moderate to severe TBI was conducted using data from the Victorian State Trauma Registry in Australia. Infections were identified from the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision–Australian Modification (ICD‐10‐AM) codes, and diagnosis of PTE was determined by the Glasgow Outcome Scale – Extended questionnaire regarding epileptic fits at 24 months follow‐up. Results Of all TBI patients (n = 15 152), 24% had evidence of having had any type of infection, with the most common being pneumonia, urinary tract, and respiratory infections. Of those who responded to the PTE question at 24 months (n = 1361), 11% had developed PTE. Univariable analysis found that the incidence of PTE was higher in patients who had any type of infection compared to patients without an infection (p

Abstract Oculopharyngodistal myopathy (OPDM) is an inherited myopathy manifesting with ptosis, dysphagia and distal weakness. Pathologically it is characterised by rimmed vacuoles and intranuclear inclusions on muscle biopsy. In recent years CGG • CCG repeat expansion in four different genes were identified in OPDM individuals in Asian populations. None of these have been found in affected individuals of non-Asian ancestry. In this study we describe the identification of CCG expansions in ABCD3, ranging from 118 to 694 repeats, in 35 affected individuals across eight unrelated OPDM families of European ancestry. ABCD3 transcript appears upregulated in fibroblasts and skeletal muscle from OPDM individuals, suggesting a potential role of over-expression of CCG repeat containing ABCD3 transcript in progressive skeletal muscle degeneration. The study provides further evidence of the role of non-coding repeat expansions in unsolved neuromuscular diseases and strengthens the association between the CGG • CCG repeat motif and a specific pattern of muscle weakness.

Abstract Introduction Transfeminine people in South Africa have a high HIV risk due to structural, behavioural, and psychosocial factors. Transfeminine people and feminine identifying men who have sex with men (MSM) are often conflated or grouped with transgender or MSM categories in HIV service programming, although they don’t necessarily identify as either. We aimed to investigate gender expression among feminine identifying people who were assigned male at birth. We examined how local conceptualizations of sexuality and gender intersect with the key population label of ‘transgender’ imported into local HIV programming. Methods A qualitative cohort nested within the HPTN 071 (PopART) trial included longitudinal, in-depth interviews with eight transfeminine people (four who disclosed as living with HIV). Data were collected approximately every six weeks between January 2016 and October 2017. We used a combination of thematic analysis and case study descriptions to explore gender identification among participants. Results Of the eight participants, only one accepted ‘transgender’ as a label, and even she used varying terms at different times to describe her identity. For participants, a feminine identity included dressing in normatively feminine clothes; using feminine terms, pronouns and names; and adopting stereotypically feminine mannerisms. Participants would switch between typically feminine and masculine norms in response to contextual cues and audience. For example, some participants accepted identification as masculine gay men amongst their family members. Among peers, they expressed their identity through typically more effeminate gender characteristics, for example self-identifying as “femgay”. With partners they often also took on a feminine identity role, for example identifying as women in sexual and romantic relationships (meaning they viewed and expressed themselves as the feminine partner in the relationship). Conclusions Our findings are amongst the first exploratory and descriptive data of transfeminine people in South Africa. We show how transfeminine people navigate fluid gender identities that could pose a challenge for accessing and utilizing HIV services that are currently set up for transgender individuals or MSM. More work needs to be done to understand and respond to the diverse and shifting ways people experience their gender identities in this high HIV burden context.

Abstract The PI3K, AKT, and mTOR (PAM) pathway is frequently dysregulated in breast cancer (BC) to accommodate high catabolic and anabolic activities driving tumor growth. Current therapeutic options for patients with hormone receptor (HR) + / HER2- advanced BC (ABC) include PAM inhibitors that selectively inhibit only one PAM pathway node, which can lead to drug resistance as cells rapidly adapt to maintain viability. We hypothesized that gedatolisib, which potently inhibits all Class I PI3K isoforms, as well as mTORC1 and mTORC2, may be more effective in BC cells than single-node PAM inhibitors by limiting adaptive resistances. By using multiple functional assays, a panel of BC cell lines was evaluated for their sensitivity to four different PAM inhibitors: gedatolisib (pan-PI3K/mTOR inhibitor), alpelisib (PI3Kα inhibitor), capivasertib (AKT inhibitor), and everolimus (mTORC1 inhibitor). Gedatolisib exhibited more potent and efficacious anti-proliferative and cytotoxic effects regardless of the PAM pathway mutational status of the cell lines compared to the single-node PAM inhibitors. The higher efficacy of gedatolisib was confirmed in three-dimensional culture and in BC PDX models. Mechanistically, gedatolisib decreased cell survival, DNA replication, cell migration and invasion, protein synthesis, glucose consumption, lactate production, and oxygen consumption more effectively than the other PAM inhibitors tested. These results indicate that inhibition of multiple PAM pathway nodes by a pan-PI3K/mTOR inhibitor like gedatolisib may be more effective at inducing anti-tumor activity than single-node PAM inhibitors. A global Phase 3 study is currently evaluating gedatolisib plus fulvestrant with and without palbociclib in patients with HR+/HER2− ABC.

Abstract Background Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) experience cutaneous symptoms, some due to immunosuppressive medications, which can affect their quality of life (QOL). Previous studies noted a higher impact on QOL of younger female recipients. Objectives We sought to examine current trends in dermatology QOL in Irish RTRs. Methods Dermatology life quality index (DLQI) and dermatology conditions, past and present, were analysed in a cohort of RTRs in a single centre in the West of Ireland. Medical records were cross referenced. Results Sixty‐six RTRs participated, 70% male with a mean age 55 years ± SD13.6. Most participants (80%) described the presence of a skin condition. Despite this, many (71%) reported ‘no effect’ on their quality of life. Skin cancer, experienced by 26%, was associated with a small but significant effect on QOL. Biopsy proven actinic keratoses, on the other hand, was not. Cutaneous infections (bacterial and fungal) of the lower limb had the largest effect on QOL. Although not significant, male RTRs were more likely to report skin issues when asked and less likely to have seen dermatology for them. Unlike previous studies age or gender did not significant effect on QOL. Conclusions The findings of our study demonstrate a shift in trends of cutaneous complications of RTRs and highlights a need to consider foot care in this patient population. We illustrate a difference in health seeking behaviour of RTRs of different genders and a need for a focussed proactive skin cancer surveillance programme that targets not only early detection but also prevention in male organ recipients.

The use of a Practice set (case simulation) as an assessment task in management accounting is aimed at providing students with a practical experience in the application of a form of simulated real-world events. The pedagogical justification for the use of a case simulation is inherent in the concept referred to as "learn-by-doing" effectively this implies that students are more likely to gain a deeper understanding of the knowledge and skills involved by having to complete a specific task.