Enhancing teaching effectiveness in biochemistry labs: Author reflections and improvement strategies.

This article details the outcome of a joint reflective approach undertaken by the authors to identify common difficulties experienced by 2nd-year undergraduate Biochemistry students in laboratory classes. Difficulties experienced in laboratories can affect the development of hand skills, an understanding of how to correctly operate laboratory equipment and the linkage between didactic content and their experimental demonstration. These difficulties covered were identified based on their common appearance across multiple cohorts and are grouped into five broad areas.

Design and implementation of a program wide pharmaceutical compounding curriculum using the scaffold learning approach.

Background And Purpose: We evaluated the design and implementation of a program wide pharmaceutical compounding curriculum covering five modules over four years using the scaffold learning approach in a pharmacy degree program.

Educational Activity And Setting: A programmatic approach was taken in the development of compounding expertise, which required moving away from a compartmentalized course design to a multi-course approach spanning all four years of the pharmacy program.

Findings: Since the intervention began in 2014, course failure rates, which were around 34% (2012-2014), have significantly decreased to 1.

Prostaglandin D2 is a novel repressor of IFNγ induced indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase via the DP1 receptor and cAMP pathway.

Expression of elevated levels of Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is well established as a mechanism of cancer induced immunosuppression. Pharmacological inhibition of IDO activity is thus a promising alternative in the treatment of cancer. Previously we demonstrated that cyclooxygenase derived metabolites of arachidonic acid inhibited the interferon-gamma mediated induction of IDO in both THP-1 cells and human monocytes.

Arachidonic acid and its COX1/2 metabolites inhibit interferon-γ mediated induction of indoleamine-2,3 dioxygenase in THP-1 cells and human monocytes.

Using human acute monocytic leukaemic THP-1 cells and human primary monocytes, this study examined the ability of arachidonic acid (AA) to modulate the activity of the IFNγ signalling cascade and its downstream effector indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). We established that AA inhibited IDO enzyme activity with an IC(50) of 20 μM in THP-1 cells and 12 μM in monocytes, and this was due to reduced expression of INDO1 mRNA and reduced level of IDO protein. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that AA interfered with the transcriptional function of the IFNγ signalling pathway by reducing phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT1) on tyrosine 701.

Analysis of carboxyl tail function in the skeletal muscle Cl- channel hClC-1.

Human ClC-1 (skeletal muscle Cl- channel) has a long cytoplasmic C-tail (carboxyl tail), containing two CBS (cystathionine beta-synthase) domains, which is very important for channel function. We have now investigated its significance further, using deletion and alanine-scanning mutagenesis, split channels, GST (glutathione transferase)-pull-down and whole-cell patch-clamping. In tagged split-channel experiments, we have demonstrated strong binding between an N-terminal membrane-resident fragment (terminating mid-C-tail at Ser(720) and containing CBS1) and its complement (containing CBS2).

Functional complementation of truncated human skeletal-muscle chloride channel (hClC-1) using carboxyl tail fragments.

Crystal structures of bacterial CLC (voltage-gated chloride channel family) proteins suggest the arrangement of permeation pores and possible gates in the transmembrane region of eukaryotic CLC channels. For the extensive cytoplasmic tails of eukaryotic CLC family members, however, there are no equivalent structural predictions. Truncations of cytoplasmic tails in different places or point mutations result in loss of function or altered gating of several members of the CLC family, suggesting functional importance.

Characterization of three myotonia-associated mutations of the CLCN1 chloride channel gene via heterologous expression.

Two novel mutations of the human CLCN1 chloride channel gene, c.592C>G (p.L198V) and c.