Beyond the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network: An Instrumental Case Study of Life Sciences Skills Development for Biomedical Science Graduates in Scotland.

Biomedical sciences graduates are employed in a variety of different settings and form a significant part of the Life Sciences sector workforce in Scotland. Their degrees should equip them with the skills and knowledge to not only enter the workplace, but be adaptable in an environment that will inevitably change over the course of their careers. Industry and student feedback continue to identify perceived skills gaps, necessitating regular government-backed upskilling initiatives together with industry concerns about graduate readiness.

Immediate effect of a spinal mobilisation intervention on muscle stiffness, tone and elasticity in subjects with lower back pain - A randomized cross-over trial.

Background: Despite the lack of objective evidence, spinal manual therapies have been common practice for many years, particularly for treatment of lower back pain (LBP). This exploratory study measured and analysed the effect of a spinal mobilisation intervention on muscle tissue quality in LBP sufferers.

Methods: 40 people with LBP participated in a within-subject repeated measures cross-over study with intervention and control conditions.

Lego Serious Play: Building engagement with cell biology.

A Lego Serious Play (LSP) - based exercise was developed to support student engagement with learning consolidation at the end of a first-year undergraduate cell biology course. The exercise was offered in addition to a regular revision session in preparation for the summative exam. Students were studying four-year BSc (Hons) degrees in: Animal Biology, Environmental Biology, Marine and Freshwater Biology, Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Microbiology & Biotechnology in Scotland, UK.

Weaker control of the electrical properties of cerebellar granule cells by tonically active GABAA receptors in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down's syndrome.

Background: Down's syndrome (DS) is caused by triplication of all or part of human chromosome 21 and is characterized by a decrease in the overall size of the brain. One of the brain regions most affected is the cerebellum, in which the number of granule cells (GCs) is markedly decreased. GCs process sensory information entering the cerebellum via mossy fibres and pass it on to Purkinje cells and inhibitory interneurons.

Increased excitability and altered action potential waveform in cerebellar granule neurons of the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome.

Down syndrome (DS) is characterized by intellectual disability and impaired motor control. Lack of coordinated movement, poor balance, and unclear speech imply dysfunction of the cerebellum, which is known to be reduced in volume in DS. The principal cause of the smaller cerebellum is a diminished number of granule cells (GCs).