Authentic Pathology Specimen Reception: A Valuable Resource for Developing Biomedical Science Student Competencies and Employability.

Background/Introduction: The pathology specimen reception is fundamental to the services provided by Biomedical Science laboratories worldwide. To ensure patient safety and that samples are of adequate quality to send for analysis, prospective Biomedical Scientists should have a robust knowledge of the processes involved and the acceptance criteria of the pathology specimen reception. This knowledge has been highlighted by employers as a current gap in Biomedical Science graduates and therefore needs to be addressed within higher education settings. To do this, this study aimed to 1) design a practical session to simulate the key processes of the pathology specimen reception and 2) to understand Biomedical Science students' opinions on these activities and the development of transferable skills required for post-graduate employment. Methods: The practical session was designed based on industrial requirements and academic knowledge of student skill sets to ensure suitability. Qualitative information regarding participant demographics and career interests was acquired through open-answer or multiple-choice questions. Quantitative student feedback was acquired via questionnaires utilising a 5-point Likert scale (n = 77). Results: The scenario-based practical session provided students with a positive learning experience with 98.7% of participants enjoying the session, with 87.0% stating they learned a lot by completing the session. It was also identified that participants preferred this style of learning to that of conventional higher education teaching modalities with 97.4% stating they would prefer simulated employment focussed scenarios embedded into the curriculum more often. The majority of participants also thought this session was helpful for the development of their key transferrable skills including teamworking, communication, and confidence. When stratified based on demographic data, there was minimal difference between cohorts and in the majority of cases, those participants from non-traditional university entry backgrounds had a more positive experience and better transferable skill development following the completion of this style of learning experience. Conclusion: This study highlights simulation-based learning as a tool to develop core Biomedical Science knowledge, build student graduate capital, and ensure the preparedness of students for post-graduation employment.

Why is the electroanalytical performance of carbon paste electrodes involving an ionic liquid binder higher than paraffinic binders? A simulation investigation.

Recently, carbon paste electrodes (CPE) fabricated using an ionic liquid (IL) binder have shown enhanced electroanalytical performance over conventional paraffinic binders. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of graphite mixed with ionic liquid and with paraffin binder can unravel the potential atomistic factors responsible for such enhancement. Based on an experimentally optimized binder/graphite mass ratio, which has been reported to be crucial for such a performance, comprehensive simulations (at 323 K) are performed with the ensembles involving an ionic liquid binder (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [C4mim]PF6) and a paraffin binder (n-C20H42) mixed with graphite comprising large-size hexagonal-shaped double graphene plates. Structural analysis indicates both binders form only a monolayer on the graphite surface, covering the surface locally by IL but all-encompassing by paraffin. With charged and uncharged graphite, the IL monolayer tends to cover mainly the graphite center without approaching the edge planes. On the contrary, a monolayer of the paraffin binder covers uniformly the center, near the center, and the edge planes. Cations and anions of the IL form well-defined two dimensional pentagonal matrixes with characteristic high adsorption energy, almost 2.4 times higher than paraffin adsorption. The cation and anion coordination ability of the IL is responsible for such a local distribution. The simulation of these phenomena under experimental conditions unravels strong two-dimensional coordination properties inherent to the ionic liquid when distributed over the graphite surface. This direct MD simulation comparison of the IL properties with an organic liquid counterpart, made for the first time, can be used to explain the high electroanalytical performance (electron transfer) of CPEs involving an IL binder over paraffin binders.

Aspergillus fumigatus proteases, Asp f 5 and Asp f 13, are essential for airway inflammation and remodelling in a murine inhalation model.

BACKGROUND: In susceptible individuals, exposure to Aspergillus fumigatus can lead to the development of atopic lung diseases such as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS). Protease allergens including Asp f 5 and Asp f 13 from Aspergillus fumigatus are thought to be important for initiation and progression of allergic asthma. OBJECTIVE: To assess the importance of secreted protease allergens Asp f 5 (matrix metalloprotease) and Asp f 13 (serine protease) in Aspergillus fumigatus-induced inflammation, airway hyperactivity, atopy and airway wall remodelling in a murine model following chronic exposure to secreted allergens. METHODS: BALB/c mice were repeatedly intranasally dosed over the course of 5 weeks with culture filtrate from wild-type (WT), Asp f 5 null (∆5) or Asp f 13 null (∆13) strains of Aspergillus fumigatus. Airway hyper-reactivity was measured by non-invasive whole-body plethysmography, Th2 response and airway inflammation by ELISA and cell counts, whilst airway remodelling was assessed by histological analysis. RESULTS: Parent WT and ∆5 culture filtrates showed high protease activity, whilst protease activity in ∆13 culture filtrate was low. Chronic intranasal exposure to the three different filtrates led to comparable airway hyper-reactivity and Th2 response. However, protease allergen deleted strains, in particular ∆13 culture filtrate, induced significantly less airway inflammation and remodelling compared to WT culture filtrate. CONCLUSION: Aspergillus fumigatus-secreted allergen proteases, Asp f 5 and Asp f 13, are important for recruitment of inflammatory cells and remodelling of the airways in this murine model. However, deletion of a single allergen protease fails to alleviate airway hyper-reactivity and allergic immune response. Targeting protease activity of Aspergillus fumigatus in conditions such as SAFS or ABPA may have beneficial effects in preventing key aspects of airway pathology.