Browsing by Author "Evans, M. D."
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Item Metadata only 17-beta oestradiol attenuates nucleotide excision repair.(Wiley, 2003-01-10) Evans, M. D.; Butler, J.; Nicoll, K.; Cooke, M. S.; Lunec, J.Item Metadata only 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine: Redox regulation of repair in vivo.(2002-10-01) Lunec, J.; Holloway, K. A.; Cooke, M. S.; Faux, S.; Griffiths, H. R.; Evans, M. D.Item Metadata only 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’deoxyguanosine: re-use, reduce, recycle.(2007-08-16) Cooke, M. S.; Evans, M. D.Item Metadata only Aberrant processing of oxidative DNA damage in systemic lupus erythematosus.(2000) Evans, M. D.; Cooke, M. S.; Akil, M.; Samanta, Ash; Lunec, J.Item Open Access Addressing student retention and engagement using new technology.(Advance HE, 2019-02-06) Pena-Fernandez, A.; Evans, M. D.; Pena-Fernandez, M. A.A range of strategies to improve retention and progression of Biomedical Science students at De Montfort University (DMU) implemented in 2016/17 included: an intensive induction week with social/networking events involving academics; an increment in the number of lectures and tutorials on STEM topics; the creation of regular drop-in sessions for each module. These strategies might have translated into a trend in the reduction of the percentage of students that failed in year 1, due to academic circumstances, from 19% in 2014/15 to 9.6% in 2016/17. More actions being developed include creation of a complete website covering fundamental biology and chemistry.Item Metadata only The analysis of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation in apoptotic thymocytes by dynamic sieving capillary electrophoresis.(Elsevier, 1995) Evans, M. D.; Wolfe, J. T.; Perrett, D.; Lunec, J.; Herbert, K. E.Item Embargo Analysis of the introduction of a reflective pedagogic approach to teach large groups of students enrolled in human health degrees(IATED, 2018) Pena-Fernandez, A.; Pena, M. A.; Young, Christopher N. J.; Evans, M. D.; Randles, M.Item Open Access Analysis of the teaching status of Toxicology at a UK University.(Revista de Toxicologia, 2017-06-30) Pena-Fernandez, A.; Lobo-Bedmar, M. C.; Haris, P. I. (Parvez I.); Evans, M. D.The European Societies of Toxicology (EUROTOX) has recently published a statement paper to highlight that toxicology training and expertise is being eroded in the European Union. Toxicology as a subject appears to have been integrated into other bioscience disciplines and is mainly offered as part of a taught postgraduate degree in toxicology which dominates the course provision in Europe. Our analysis of the undergraduate courses offered in UK Universities did not reveal a single course that contained the word “toxicology” in the title of the course. Thereafter, we reviewed the teaching of toxicology in bioscience undergraduate courses offered at De Montfort University (DMU). The courses reviewed were: Biomedical Science, Health and Wellbeing in Society, Speech and Language Therapy, Medical Science, Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science, Forensic Science and the MPharm degree in Pharmacy. None of these courses dedicate a complete module to the study of toxicology although they teach some aspects of toxicology following the subject-specific threshold standards described by the UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. With the aim of introducing some specialised teaching in toxicology at DMU, a pilot teaching experience was implemented in the Medical Science degree in 2016/17. This involved teaching second year students basic concepts of the toxicology focusing on human health risks associated with exposure to metals such as lead. The students (n=41) completed a research-led workshop (3 hours) to identify the risks and also developed appropriate responses to protect the public. A questionnaire-based survey revealed that the vast majority (85%) of the students would like to receive more toxicology training in their course. Although our results are preliminary, the findings are promising and the approach developed could be adopted in other courses to increase the teaching of toxicology for future health care workers.Item Metadata only Analysis of urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’-deoxyguanosine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(Springer, 2010) Evans, M. D.; Singh, R.; Mistry, V.; Farmer, P. B.; Cooke, M. S.Item Metadata only Analysis of urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-purine-2’-deoxyribonucleosides by LC-MS/MS and improved ELISA.(2008) Evans, M. D.; Singh, R.; Mistry, V.; Sandhu, K.; Farmer, P. B.; Cooke, M. S.Item Metadata only Analysis of urinary pseudouridine by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography.(1997) Evans, M. D.; Perrett, D.; Lunec, J.; Herbert, K. E.Item Metadata only Antiserum detection of reactive carbonyl species-modified DNA in human colonocytes.(2008) Mistry, N.; Bevan, R. J.; Cooke, M. S.; Evans, M. D.; Halligan, E. P.; Lowes, D. A.; Nichol, K.; Lunec, J.Item Open Access Applicability of monthly CDC case studies to improve reflection in biomedical science students.(ASM Microbe 2017, 2017-06-02) Pena-Fernandez, A.; del Aguila, C.; Fenoy, S.; Magnet, A.; Izquierdo, F.; Evans, M. D.; Lobo-Bedmar, M. C.; Pena, M. A.Background Academics from De Montfort University (DMU, UK) in collaboration with other EU universities, virologists and first responders are developing training for health science students to deal with biological incidents. Initially the training is being tested with final year students enrolled on the BSc Biomedical Science (Hons) and in the BMedSci Medical Science (Hons) degree programmes in 2016/17 at DMU. To improve the limited clinical skills of these students, a series of parasitology case studies have been introduced, where students will need to reflect on their knowledge and search for information from different sources to propose possible diagnoses. Reflection is an essential learning tool for developing aspects such autonomous working, critical and analytical thinking and integration of theory with practice (Quintanilla et al., 2016). Methods A series of teaching sessions (theoretical and practical) has been created related to emergency preparedness and response (Peña-Fernández et al., 2016). Students are provided with different scenarios to develop an intervention programme to protect human health in the aftermath of a biological incident involving different biological agents including emerging parasites. During the theoretical component of the training students are provided with different slides collected from the Laboratory Identification of Parasitic Diseases of Public Health Concern (DPDx) (CDC, 2016). Students, by peer group interaction, provide a possible “diagnosis” for each clinical case based on the clinical features presented and microscopic slides provided. Critical thinking is encouraged. Results Although our results are preliminary and we need to evaluate the students’ feedback, the introduction of clinical case-studies has shown to facilitate the acquisition of some clinical skills, particularly in the biomedical science cohort. This is informed by the high level of students’ interaction during these sessions and the formulation of appropriate questions. Students have also shown some gradual improvement in the resolution of clinical case studies throughout the course. Conclusions Despite the fact that student feedback will not be collected until the end of the course, students have display strong engagement and interest in these workshops through interim module level feedback. A priori, these case-studies have been shown to be effective in facilitating the acquisition of different transversal competences including critical thinking, clinical skills, communication and team work.Item Open Access Applicability of the DMU e-Parasitology for teaching cell and parasite culture(2019-07-08) Pena-Fernandez, A.; Hurtado, C.; Evans, M. D.; Izquierdo, F.; Acosta, L.; Llorens, S.De Montfort University (DMU, UK) and the Spanish University of San Pablo CEU (USP-CEU) and Miguel Hernández de Elche, are developing a complete on-line package for teaching and learning medical parasitology, named DMU e-Parasitology (http://parasitology.dmu.ac.uk). This novel package includes a virtual laboratory and microscope with a complete library of digitised 2D slides of parasites in clinical samples. Recently, we have been successful in using super-resolution 3D microscopy (3D Cell Explorer; Nanolive, Lausanne, Switzerland), to incorporate 3D microscopic photographs (multiple-viewpoint-holographic images, 96 z-stacks) of fixed cultures, on slides, of important human parasites provided by the Cell Culture Laboratory (USP-CEU). We have also created two e-learning units that show all the practices and procedures of work in a cell and parasite culture unit in conjunction with detailed information and videos of parasitologists working in real conditions with amoebas and Leishmania infantum cultures. These novel resources were tested using a blended approach with final year Biomedical Science and Medical Science students at DMU that voluntarily enrolled to receive practical training in cell/parasite culture provided by an USP-CEU academic through an Erasmus+ mobility grant. Briefly, 2-hour training sessions were delivered, in which students working in pairs were trained how to culture adherent human cancer cells lines, including counting viable vs. dead cells. Twenty-two students attended these sessions; 9 (8 BMS, 1 BMedSci) provided comprehensive feedback. Prior to attending the laboratory session, participants were asked to view the DMU e-Parasitology cell and parasite culture units. 88.9% reported that the e-learning units (22.2% agreed, 66.7% strongly agreed) and the virtual microscopic slides (55.6% agreed, 33.3% strongly agreed) facilitated their learning. Only one student (11%) indicated that the units were difficult to understand. Most students (55.6% agreed, 33.3% strongly agreed) indicated that they learnt basic skills to perform cell/parasite culture. Some students demanded more time to perform the practical, or to deliver it in the first term when they have just started the course. Although preliminary, our results indicate that the methods and resources here detailed could help with the teaching/learning of these important practical topics to any future health scientist.Item Metadata only Aqueous cigarette tar extracts damage human alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor.(1991) Evans, M. D.; Church, D. F.; Pryor, W. A.Item Metadata only Associations between functional polymorphisms in antioxidant defense genes and urinary oxidative stress biomarkers in healthy, premenopausal women.(2012) Al-Alem, U.; Gann, P. H.; Dahl, J.; van Breemen, R. B.; Mistry, V.; Lam, P. M. W.; Evans, M. D.; Van Horn, L.; Wright, M. E.Item Metadata only Biologically relevant oxidants and terminology, classification and nomenclature of oxidatively generated damage to nucleobases and 2-deoxyribose in nucleic acids.(2012) Cadet, J.; Loft, S.; Olinski, R.; Evans, M. D.; Bialkowski, K.; Wagner, J. R.; Dedon, P. C.; Moller, P.; Greenburg, M. M.; Cooke, M. S.Item Open Access Biomarkers of nucleic acid oxidation – a summary state-of-the-art(Elsevier, 2021-01-28) Chao, Mu-Rong; Evans, M. D.; Hu, Chiung-Wen; Ji, Yunhee; Moller, Peter; Rossner, Pavel; Cooke, Marcus S.Oxidatively generated damage to DNA has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of diseases. Increasingly, interest is also focusing upon the effects of damage to the other nucleic acids, RNA and the (2’-deoxy-)ribonucleotide pools, and evidence is growing that these too may have an important role in disease. LC-MS/MS has the ability to provide absolute quantification of specific biomarkers, such as 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’-deoxyGuo (8-oxodG), in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, and 8-oxoGuo in RNA. However, significant quantities of tissue are needed, limiting its use in human biomonitoring studies. In contrast, the comet assay requires much less material, and as little as 5 µL of blood may be used, offering a minimally invasive means of assessing oxidative stress in vivo, but this is restricted to nuclear DNA damage only. Urine is an ideal matrix in which to non-invasively study nucleic acid-derived biomarkers of oxidative stress, and considerable progress has been made towards robustly validating these measurements, not least through the efforts of the European Standards Committee on Urinary (DNA) Lesion Analysis. For urine, LC-MS/MS is considered the gold standard approach, and although there have been improvements to the ELISA methodology, this is largely limited to 8-oxodG. Emerging DNA adductomics approaches, which either comprehensively assess the totality of adducts in DNA, or map DNA damage across the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, offer the potential to considerably advance our understanding of the mechanistic role of oxidatively damaged nucleic acids in disease.Item Embargo Blended learning for teaching cell culture as part of DMU e-Parasitology.(Alcalá de Henares: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Alcalá, 2019-09-01) Pena-Fernandez, A.; Evans, M. D.; Hurtado, C.; Acosta, L.; Izquierdo, F.; Magnet, A.; Pena, M. A.; Singh, N.; Fenoy, S.; Bornay, F. J.; del Aguila, C.Emerging and re-emerging human parasites have become a global health threat due to different factors including globalisation, climate and vector ecology changes that have highlighted the necessity of teaching human parasitology to appropriately train future health care professionals. However, a significant erosion in the teaching of parasitology in conjunction with a reduction of the number of parasitology departments across European universities has been reported. To maintain and strengthen the teaching of this discipline, De Montfort University (DMU, UK) is leading an innovative international project for the development of a complete on-line package for teaching and learning parasitology named DMU e-Parasitology. This package will be publicly available on the DMU website here http://parasitology.dmu.ac.uk/ when completed early in 2019 and have different modules including a Virtual Laboratory. This paper focuses on the first e-learning unit created for the Virtual Laboratory section, named Human Cell Culture, and the validation undertaken to use it as a model unit to build this section. Cell culture is fundamental in parasitology for supporting different areas such as culture of obligate intracellular parasites or testing future drugs against these pathogens. The evaluation of the unit with undergraduate Biomedical Science students in 2017/18 at De Montfort University (UK) indicate that the unit seemed successful in facilitating students to acquire essential basic skills for working with cells in a cell culture room. Finally, we also provide a description of the short-blended learning experience implemented to validate the unit, intervention that could be easily adopted to enhance the teaching of cell culture in human health science programmes.Item Open Access Building a DMU e-Biology resource for health sciences’ students.(IATED, 2017-11-18) Pena-Fernandez, A.; Sgamma, Tiziana; Young, Christopher N. J.; Randles, Michael J.; del Aguila, C.; Hurtado, C.; Evans, M. D.; Potiwat, N.; Izquierdo, F.; Pena, M. A.; Coope, J.; Armstrong, M.; Bhambra, Avninder S.The BSc Biomedical Science (BMS) programme at De Montfort University (DMU, Leicester, UK) is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS). Students enrolled within this programme acquire highly sought after skills related with human health sciences to work in: pathology departments in hospitals; research institutions; biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries; and the education sector to name a few. The degree recruits a large number of students with currently around 600 students enrolled on this programme at DMU. Despite pre-entry requirements of knowledge of subjects related to human biology, biology or chemistry, we have noted that first year students require basic support in STEM subjects (biology, chemistry and mathematics) in modules such as “Basic Microbiology”, “Basic Anatomy and Physiology” and “Chemistry for the Biosciences”. This support is especially necessary for students that come from non-traditional routes such as Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) routes. Moreover, usually topics related with microbiology and human diseases are challenging for students, often causing stress impacting their overall performance and experience. A group of BMS academics at DMU in conjunction with universities in the European Union (EU; e.g. University of San Pablo CEU, Spain) have started to design, create and develop a series of e-learning resources or units in human biology and BMS for undergraduate students that study health sciences degrees in the EU. These units are being uploaded onto the DMU web server (http://parasitology.dmu.ac.uk/) and will be only accessible for students from participating universities during the first phase of this project (2017/18 course) in which comprehensive feedback will be collected. This web server space has three sections or modules (theoretical section, virtual laboratory and microscope) in which the new e-learning resources will be preliminary accommodated. These units will be interactive and easy to follow, and will cover basic human biology (e.g. cells, cell structure), human anatomy and physiology, histology and basic microbiology, which will be embedded in a theoretical module named DMU e-Biology within the above URL link. They will include formative assessments and case studies throughout each unit. In addition, a series of practical units are being developed which describe routine practical elements in any biomedical laboratory such as laboratory materials, pipetting, molecular techniques (e.g. PCR), cell culture (e.g. use of biological safety cabinet) and histological techniques (e.g. use of microtome, staining techniques). The development of this teaching and learning resource will cover a gap in the traditional teaching and learning methods that are currently used and provided in the participating universities. The DMU e-Biology will aid to our undergraduate students to gain knowledge in human biology and microbiology by promoting self-learning. We consider that the DMU e-Biology will help overcome spatiotemporal, equipment and resource barriers. Additionally, it may help student retention as currently about a 10% of our first year students fail to continue BMS at DMU. Finally, the creation of the DMU e-Biology will also provide support to the DMU Student Retention and Attainment Strategy 2016-2020 through the DMU Student Learning Hub, which is currently under development.