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Complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic position of Nurudea zhengii Ren (Insecta, Hemiptera, Aphididae)
Get PDFNurudea zhengii Ren was identified by aphid morphological characteristics as well as the gall shape and host plant species, and placed in the tribe Fordini (Hemiptera, Aphididae, Eriosomatinae). Here, its whole genome was firstly sequenced by a genome-skimming method and its mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) was assembled to examine its genetic variation and phylogenetic position. The complete mitogenome of Nurudea zhengii is 15,392 bp in length, and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs and one D-loop region. The gene order follows the mitogenomes of the other Rhus gall aphids, and similarly has an AT bias with the content of 83.9%. The majority strand is A-skewed and C-skewed, and shows opposite skewness for G-skewed in the minority strands. The ratios of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution rates of protein-coding genes are lower than one except for ATP8, which indicated that ATP8 was undergoing positive selection. Phylogenetic analysis among the Rhus gall aphids based on 13 protein-coding genes and two rRNA genes showed that N. zhengii was sister to N. shiraii, and then clustered with N. yanoniella as a group with high support value. The two species, N. shiraii and N. yanoniella, share the same host plant Rhus chinensis, while the host of N. zhengii is R. hypoleuca. However, the phylogenetic relationship indicated that the taxa sharing the same host plant were not absolutely clustered as the closest taxa at least at species level
Multi-omics analysis of peach-like aroma formation in fruits of wild strawberry (Fragaria nilgerrensis)
Get PDFThe unique fruity aroma of strawberries enhances their appeal to consumers. Fragaria nilgerrensis, a wild strawberry distributed in Southwest China and known for its distinctive peach-like aroma, represents a valuable resource for improving the fragrance of cultivated strawberries. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the peach-like aroma biosynthesis remains largely unexplored. In this study, we integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic data across four developmental stages of F. nilgerrensis fruits to construct a detailed profile of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the associated gene expression alterations during fruit maturation. Our findings reveal that γ-decalactone, δ-decalactone, and γ-undecalactone are the primary compounds responsible for the pronounced peach-like aroma, with their levels showing a significant correlation with the activity of the FngFAD2 enzyme. The silencing of the FngFAD2 gene through tobacco rattle viral (TRV) induction resulted in notable reductions in both the peach-like aroma and lactone content in the fruit. In addition, integrating dual luciferase assays, yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and subcellular localization experiments, we also identified three transcription factors (FngDOF1.2, FngWRKY3, and FngWRI1) that enhance FngFAD2 expression. These findings elucidate the molecular regulatory network involved in the complex developmental process of peach-like flavor in strawberry fruits. Additionally, our research also provides a foundation for the utilization of the wild strawberry as well as improving the flavor and quality of cultivated strawberries
AI and personalised grading criteria
No full textThe chapters discuss the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming higher education assessment, grading, and feedback processes, enabling personalized interventions, data analysis, and deeper insights into student performance. The chapter discusses the significance of real-time learning in higher education, focusing on virtual teaching platforms and AI-powered assessment methodologies. It evaluates AI-based assessments, machine learning algorithms, and natural language processing techniques
Reflecting on the identity of the teaching profession: time for some higher status?
No full textI was an English teacher in secondary schools for the first 10 years of my career, moving next to become the PGCE course leader for English at a large university in Southern England. Over the years I added being MA course leader for an English programme and becoming a head of several education departments. I gradually developed as a researcher, initially very much about the subject of English and its teachers, a theme that continues to fascinate me. I developed a complementary theme about what we mean when we talk about good teaching and especially ‘expert teachers’, this remains a contested idea and term, not least in the teaching profession itself. It is an international phenomenon with many countries developing schemes to identify their best teachers and to keep them working in the classroom and not moving out into management or similar roles. My research has investigated this global development and I have been involved in advising on a number of national and international developments. I have published a considerable number of articles and books about both my themes and in a personal chapter like this one I mention a number of publications because they are part of my identity and my reflections on teaching
Gamification and digital fiction
Get PDFThe commonplace view that reading a book is a silent and solitary pastime, with the occasional listening audience, such as child having a bedtime story read to them, has been challenged during the 20th century as more interactive modes of reading have come to the fore. Rather than being the recipient of a morally improving and didactic story, child readers have come to be viewed as participants, their imaginations stirred and complicit with the storyteller, dictating the mode of telling and even the direction of the story. It is true that books with fold-outs, pockets, moveable characters, pop-ups, a range of textures and sounds, and games and puzzles have long been made for the children’s market. But the revolution in publishing technologies of the past thirty years as a result of digital convergence has made us even more aware of the prevalence of participatory practices in reading. To the haptic features of older interactive books, digital technologies have added balance and directionality, location, voice recording and recognition, and smart elements from mathematics to algorithms to game mechanics. But has not been a straightforward transition: material and digital forms of gamification in children’s fiction have evolved together as authors, publishers, and developers have capitalised on the affordances of technology. In this chapter we look at the shift from material to digital interaction in children’s books, and the history of branching narratives and development of interactive fiction (IF)
Through the looking glass: professional identity during a pandemic
Get PDFWhen compared with other professions (such as law and medicine), educators do not have a strong sense of professional identity. It could be argued that as a sector, education has been compliant to the demands of others and as a result exploring what it means to be a professional educator has not been high on the agenda for most teachers or leaders in further and higher education. This research takes an autoethnographic approach by placing participants at the centre of the analysis. Using reflections as a form of personal inquiry, participants explored their professional identity from a specific standpoint and within a particular context. This involved cultural analysis and interpretation not only of identity but of the ways in which environmental factors contribute to it. The reflections provided an opportunity to explore the topic with an experienced eye as well as offering a space for reflexivity. By taking a ‘through the looking glass’ approach, participants embraced the notion of ‘uncertain certainty’ (Bolton, 2001). Initial findings suggest that in the move to the virtual classroom both teachers and leaders have experienced a range of novel challenges. Whilst teachers have had to learn new skills and look at their roles in a different way, leaders have been forced to reconsider policy as well as the infrastructure required to support teaching activity. The last two years have shown a sector which is both fragile and resilient and a world where the impossible has become possible and where previous ‘truths’ are no longer definitive
Microplastics in human urine: characterisation using μFTIR and sampling challenges using healthy donors and endometriosis participants
Get PDFMicroplastics (MPs) are found in all environments, within the human food chain, and have been recently detected in several human tissues. The objective herein was to undertake an analysis of MP contamination in human urine samples, from healthy individuals and participants with endometriosis, with respect to their presence, levels, and the characteristics of any particles identified. A total of 38 human urine samples and 15 procedural blanks were analysed. MPs were characterised using μFTIR spectroscopy (size limitation of 5 μm) and SEM-EDX. In total, 123 MP particles consisting of 22 MP polymer types were identified within 17/29 of the healthy donor (10 mL) urine samples, compared with 232 MP particles of differing 16 MP polymer types in 12/19 urine samples from participants with endometriosis. Healthy donors presented an unadjusted average of 2589 ± 2931 MP/L and participants with endometriosis presented 4724 ± 9710 MP/L. Polyethylene (PE)(27%), polystyrene (PS)(16%), resin and polypropylene (PP)(both 12%) polymer types were most abundant in healthy donor samples, compared with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (59%), and PE (16%) in samples from endometriosis participants. The MP levels within healthy and endometriosis participant samples were not significantly different. However, the predominant polymer types varied, and the MPs from the metal catheter-derived endometriosis participant samples and healthy donors were significantly smaller than those observed in the procedural blanks. The procedural blank samples comprised 62 MP particles of 10 MP polymer types, mainly PP (27%), PE (21%), and PS (15%) with a mean ± SD of 17 ± 18, highlighting the unavoidable contamination inherent in measurement of MPs from donors. This is the first evidence of MP contamination in human urine with polymer characterisation and accounting for procedural blanks. These results support the phenomenon of transport of MPs within humans, specifically to the bladder, and their characterisation of types, shapes and size ranges identified therein
Coachees’ experiences of integrating a self-selected soundtrack into a one-off coaching session
Get PDFArtistic media use in coaching has received growing interest in recent years with increased research and encouraging results. Music benefits wellbeing, aids new perspectives, and enhances embodiment, however, research on the use of music in coaching is limited. This study thematically analysed participants’ reflective texts (N=12) relating to their experience of a one-off coaching session that integrated a self-selected piece of music as a soundtrack related to the session topic. Results support previous literature on the subject, while also providing new findings that the soundtrack primed thinking for the session and was a motivational reminder of the session
The Regulate your Sitting Time (RESIT) intervention for reducing sitting time in individuals with type 2 diabetes: findings from a randomised-controlled feasibility trial
Get PDFBackground: Reducing and breaking up sitting is recommended for optimal management of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Yet, there is limited evidence of interventions targeting these outcomes in individuals with this condition. The primary aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of delivering and evaluating a tailored online intervention to reduce and break up sitting in adults with T2DM. Methods: A mixed-methods two-arm randomised controlled feasibility trial was conducted in ambulatory adults with T2DM who were randomised 1:1 to the REgulate your SItting Time (RESIT) intervention or usual care control group. The intervention included online education, self-monitoring and prompt tools (wearable devices, smartphone apps, computer apps) and health coaching. Feasibility outcomes were recruitment, attrition, data completion rates and intervention acceptability. Measurements of device-assessed sitting (intended primary outcome for definitive trial), standing and stepping, and physical function, psychosocial health and wellbeing were taken at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted at six-months (post intervention) to explore acceptability, feasibility and experiences of the trial and intervention using the Framework Method. Results: Seventy participants aged 55 ± 11 years were recruited. Recruitment rate (proportion of eligible participants enrolled into the study) was 67% and participant retention rate at 6 months was 93% (n = 5 withdrawals). Data completion rates for daily sitting were 100% at baseline and ranged from 83 to 91% at 3 months and 6 months. Descriptive analysis demonstrated potential for the intervention to reduce device-measured sitting, which was 30.9 ± 87.2 and 22.2 ± 82.5 min/day lower in the intervention group at 3 and 6 months, respectively, compared with baseline. In the control group, sitting was 4.4 ± 99.5 and 23.7 ± 85.2 min/day lower at 3 and 6 months, respectively. Qualitative analysis identified three themes: reasons for participating in the trial, acceptability of study procedures, and the delivery and experience of taking part in the RESIT intervention. Overall, the measurement visits and intervention were acceptable to participants. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of the RESIT intervention and evaluation methods, supporting a future definitive trial. If RESIT is found to be clinically effective, this could lead to changes in diabetes healthcare with a focus on reducing sitting. Trial registration: The trial was registered with ISRCTN (number ISRCTN14832389).</p
Perceptions and experiences of UK-based mothers of autistic daughters in relation to the potential affordances and constraints of an autism diagnosis
Get PDFWhilst there is a growing body of research about autistic girls, much less is known about the experience of mothering an autistic girl, and the potential impact of the diagnosis. This study qualitatively explored the diagnostic journey of 12 mothers in the UK to identify the meanings attributed to their daughter's diagnosis. A thematic analysis was applied with themes examined through the lens of the CMM LUUUUTT model to further explore the stories lived and told by the mothers. Eighteen themes linked to perceived affordances, perceived constraints/constraints of perception, experienced affordances and experienced constraints. Participants highlighted the impact of autism myths and stereotypes which influenced identification, referral, diagnosis and ongoing support for the girls. Myths and stereotypes told about autism also played a significant role in the mothers lived experience of the diagnosis. An affordance of diagnosis was a new understanding about their daughters' needs, which led to new parenting styles, letting go of blame and resisting perceived societal ‘oughtisms’ about how parenting should be. Whilst the diagnosis was seen as relationally transformative, challenges were described in accessing emotional or educational support for their daughter's post-assessment
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