Teacher professional conversations – the oz- Teachers story

The oz-Teachers listserv, an email list for teachers, ran continuously for 20 years, from 1995 to 2015. It provided the technical infrastructure for professional communication with the majority of its members being Australian teachers based in classrooms across the country. An analysis of the list archives provides us with interesting insights as to how teachers learn from and within communities of their peers and how such communities offer social and educational affordances to allow teachers to generate and enhance their own learning. This paper begins with a brief review of the response to the announcement of the list’s closure. It then moves to a report of the types of communication which emerged from the list over time with comparisons drawn from extant research, namely, an early analysis of email lists and a more contemporary study of teacher communication through microblogging. We identified 14 categories with eight of these being paired, namely, as asking/seeking and responding/giving. The key finding of this analysis was that the list, and its professional discussions, were sustained through reciprocity and collective intelligence, that is, sharing of information and resources and that this was evident through the life of the listserv.

Cynodon dactylon, Green Couch, Turfgrass, Bermuda Grass 'Hatfield'

Low-growing plant with dark green foliage selected in 1983 from a population of green couch plants found in Gympie, Qld. Breeder: Graham Hatfield, Gympie, Qld. Application No. 2002/304. Australian PBR Certificate Number 2565, Granted 20 August 2004.

Low birth weight in MZ twins discordant for birth weight is associated with shorter telomere length and lower IQ, but not anxiety/depression in later life

Shorter telomere length (TL) has found to be associated with lower birth weight and with lower cognitive ability and psychiatric disorders. However, the direction of causation of these associations and the extent to which they are genetically or environmentally mediated are unclear. Within-pair comparisons of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins can throw light on these questions. We investigated correlations of within pair differences in telomere length, IQ, and anxiety/depression in an initial sample from Brisbane (242 MZ pairs, 245 DZ same sex (DZSS) pairs) and in replication samples from Amsterdam (514 MZ pairs, 233 DZSS pairs) and Melbourne (19 pairs selected for extreme high or low birth weight difference). Intra-pair differences of birth weight and telomere length were significantly correlated in MZ twins, but not in DZSS twins. Greater intra-pair differences of telomere length were observed in the 10% of MZ twins with the greatest difference in birth weight compared to the bottom 90% in both samples and also in the Melbourne sample. Intra-pair differences of telomere length and IQ, but not of TL and anxiety/depression, were correlated in MZ twins, and to a smaller extent in DZSS twins. Our findings suggest that the same prenatal effects that reduce birth weight also influence telomere length in MZ twins. The association between telomere length and IQ is partly driven by the same prenatal effects that decrease birth weight.

Wedding portrait of Adolf Wolff and Eva Nathan with guests; Berlin, Germany.

Back row against wall, left to right: Josef Molling, Margaret Molling nee Benjamin, Werner Wolff, Miss Hermann (called "Ferna", Peter Molling's governess), " Selma" (partially hidden, Anna Marianne/Berthold Nathan's cook), "Lisbeth" (Anna Marianne/Berthold's maid), Ilse Joachim, Ernst Joachim, Annemarie Nathan (3rd wife of Julius Nathan), Julius Nathan (brother of Berthold Nathan), Ernst Kallmes (son of Ceilchen nee Wolff, Helene's sister). Very tall against the wall: Max Benjamin (son of Helene). Third row, left to right: Mathilde Kaufmann nee Benjamin, Adolf Molling, Paul Nathan (son of Anna Marianne/Berthold), Marianne Rasmussen (daughter of Waldemar), Hildegard Weinberger (friend of bride), Herta Albrecht (friend of bride), Dr. Franz Gruenberg (friend of groom), Leonie Wolff nee Simon (wife of Werner Wolff), Lina Molling nee Marx (wife of Richard), Waldemar Benjamin-Rasmussen (son of Helene/David), Luzi's Husband, Minka Bernard nee Nathan (sister of Berthold Nathan), Richard Molling (brother of Claerchen), Albert Wolff (brothter of Moritz Wolff). Second row, seated, left to right: Helene Benjamin nee Wolff, Berthold Nathan, Anna Marianne Nathan nee Benjamin, bride Eva Wolff nee Nathan, groom Adolf Wolff, Claerchen Wolff nee Molling, Moritz Wolff, standing Luzi Rasmussen nee Gruen (wife of Waldemar). Front row, children on floor, left to right: Peter Molling, Elizabeth Benjamin-Rasmussen mar. Engel, Louis Peter Wolff, Helmut Benjamin Rasmussen (became Henry)

Studio portrait of Friedel and Johanna Fuld; Worms Portraits Children

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Studio portrait of the grandfather of Friedel and Johanna Fuld; Worms Portraits Men

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Studio portrait of the grandmother of Friedel and Johanna Fuld; Worms Portraits Women

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Loci affecting gamma-glutamyl transferase in adults and adolescents show age x SNP interaction and cardiometabolic disease associations

Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity is a marker of liver disease which is also prospectively associated with the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancers. We have discovered novel loci affecting GGT in a genome-wide association study (rs1497406 in an intergenic region of chromosome 1, P = 3.9 x 10(-8); rs944002 in C14orf73 on chromosome 14, P = 4.7 x 10(-13); rs340005 in RORA on chromosome 15, P = 2.4 x 10(-8)), and a highly significant heterogeneity between adult and adolescent results at the GGT1 locus on chromosome 22 (maximum P(HET) = 5.6 x 10(-12) at rs6519520). Pathway analysis of significant and suggestive single-nucleotide polymorphism associations showed significant overlap between genes affecting GGT and those affecting common metabolic and inflammatory diseases, and identified the hepatic nuclear factor (HNF) family as controllers of a network of genes affecting GGT. Our results reinforce the disease associations of GGT and demonstrate that control by the GGT1 locus varies with age.

Educational attainment: A genome wide association study in 9538 Australians

BACKGROUND Correlations between Educational Attainment (EA) and measures of cognitive performance are as high as 0.8. This makes EA an attractive alternative phenotype for studies wishing to map genes affecting cognition due to the ease of collecting EA data compared to other cognitive phenotypes such as IQ. METHODOLOGY In an Australian family sample of 9538 individuals we performed a genome-wide association scan (GWAS) using the imputed genotypes of approximately 2.4 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) for a 6-point scale measure of EA. Top hits were checked for replication in an independent sample of 968 individuals. A gene-based test of association was then applied to the GWAS results. Additionally we performed prediction analyses using the GWAS results from our discovery sample to assess the percentage of EA and full scale IQ variance explained by the predicted scores. RESULTS The best SNP fell short of having a genome-wide significant p-value (p = 9.77x10(-7)). In our independent replication sample six SNPs among the top 50 hits pruned for linkage disequilibrium (r(2)<0.8) had a p-value<0.05 but only one of these SNPs survived correction for multiple testing--rs7106258 (p = 9.7*10(-4)) located in an intergenic region of chromosome 11q14.1. The gene based test results were non-significant and our prediction analyses show that the predicted scores explained little variance in EA in our replication sample. CONCLUSION While we have identified a polymorphism chromosome 11q14.1 associated with EA, further replication is warranted. Overall, the absence of genome-wide significant p-values in our large discovery sample confirmed the high polygenic architecture of EA. Only the assembly of large samples or meta-analytic efforts will be able to assess the implication of common DNA polymorphisms in the etiology of EA.

Association between ORMDL3, IL1RL1 and a deletion on chromosome 17q21 with asthma risk in Australia

Genome-wide association studies followed by replication provide a powerful approach to map genetic risk factors for asthma. We sought to search for new variants associated with asthma and attempt to replicate the association with four loci reported previously (ORMDL3, PDE4D, DENND1B and IL1RL1). Genome-wide association analyses of individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rare copy number variants (CNVs) and overall CNV burden were carried out in 986 asthma cases and 1846 asthma-free controls from Australia. The most-associated locus in the SNP analysis was ORMDL3 (rs6503525, P = 4.8 x 10(-)(7)). Five other loci were associated with P < 10(-)(5), most notably the chemokine CXC motif ligand 14 (CXCL14) gene (rs31263, P = 7.8 x 10(-)(6)). We found no evidence for association with the specific risk variants reported recently for PDE4D, DENND1B and ILR1L1. However, a variant in IL1RL1 that is in low linkage disequilibrium with that reported previously was associated with asthma risk after accounting for all variants tested (rs10197862, gene wide P = 0.01). This association replicated convincingly in an independent cohort (P = 2.4 x 10(-)(4)). A 300-kb deletion on chromosome 17q21 was associated with asthma risk, but this did not reach experiment-wide significance. Asthma cases and controls had comparable CNV rates, length and number of genes affected by deletions or duplications. In conclusion, we confirm the association between asthma risk and variants in ORMDL3 and identify a novel risk variant in IL1RL1. Follow-up of the 17q21 deletion in larger cohorts is warranted.

Quantitative Trait Loci for CD4:CD8 Lymphocyte Ratio Are Associated with Risk of Type 1 Diabetes and HIV-1 Immune Control

Abnormal expansion or depletion of particular lymphocyte subsets is associated with clinical manifestations such as HIV progression to AIDS and autoimmune disease. We sought to identify genetic predictors of lymphocyte levels and reasoned that these may play a role in immune-related diseases. We tested 2.3 million variants for association with five lymphocyte subsets, measured in 2538 individuals from the general population, including CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells, and the derived measure CD4:CD8 ratio. We identified two regions of strong association. The first was located in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), with multiple SNPs strongly associated with CD4:CD8 ratio (rs2524054, p = 2.1 × 10−28). The second region was centered within a cluster of genes from the Schlafen family and was associated with NK cell levels (rs1838149, p = 6.1 × 10−14). The MHC association with CD4:CD8 replicated convincingly (p = 1.4 × 10−9) in an independent panel of 988 individuals. Conditional analyses indicate that there are two major independent quantitative trait loci (QTL) in the MHC region that regulate CD4:CD8 ratio: one is located in the class I cluster and influences CD8 levels, whereas the second is located in the class II cluster and regulates CD4 levels. Jointly, both QTL explained 8% of the variance in CD4:CD8 ratio. The class I variants are also strongly associated with durable host control of HIV, and class II variants are associated with type-1 diabetes, suggesting that genetic variation at the MHC may predispose one to immune-related diseases partly through disregulation of T cell homeostasis.

Complex carbohydrates: 1. Conformational studies on some oligosaccharides related to N-glycosyl proteins which interact with concanavalin A

Empirical potential energy calculations have been carried out to determine the preferred conformations of some oligosaccharides having the trimannosidic core structure (Man3GlcNAc2) and which interact with concanavalin A. In the minimum energy conformations for the trimannosidic core the mannose residue on the Man α(1–6) arm comes close to one of the N-acetylglucosamine residues of the core. The addition of N-acetylglucosamine residues to the terminal mannose residues does not alter the preferred conformation of the trimannosidic core although it alters the relative preference of some of the higher energy conformations. The minimum energy conformation broadly agrees with available X-ray data. The presence of a bisecting N-acetylglucosamine residue on the middle mannose does not push the trimannosidic core to any new conformation but it does alter the relative preference for a particular conformation.

Complex carbohydrates: 2. The modes of binding of complex carbohydrates to concanavalin A - a computer modelling approach

The probable modes of binding of some complex carbohydrates, which have the trimannosidic core structure (Man3GlcNAc2), to concanavalin A (Con A) have been determined using a computer modelling technique. These studies show that Con a can bind to the terminal mannose residues of the trimannosidic core structure and to the internal mannosyl as well as to the terminal N-acetylglucosamine residues of the N-acetylglucosamine substituted trimannosidic core structure. The oligosaccharide with terminal mannose residues can bind in its minimum energy conformers, whereas the oligosaccharide with internal mannosyl and terminal N-acetylglucosamine residues can bind only in higher energy conformers. In addition the former oligosaccharide forms more hydrogen bonds with Con A than the latter. These results suggest that, for these oligosaccharides, the terminal mannose residue has a much higher probability of reaching the binding site than either the internal mannosyl or the terminal N-acetylglucosamine residues. The substitution of a bisecting N-acetylglucosamine residue on these oligosaccharides, affects significantly the accessibility of the residues which bind to Con A and thereby reduces their binding affinity. It thus seems that the binding affinity of an oligosaccharide to Con A depends not only on the number of sugar residues which possess free 3-, 4- and 6-hydroxyl groups but also on the accessibility of these sugar residues to Con A. This study also reveals that the sugar binding site of Con A is small and that the interactions between Con A and carbohydrates are extended slightly beyond the single sugar residue that is placed in the binding site.

Effect of Packaging Materials and Storage on Major Volatile Compounds in Three Australian Native Herbs

Lemon myrtle, anise myrtle, and Tasmanian pepper leaf are commercial Australian native herbs with a high volatile or essential oil content. Packaging of the herbs in high- or low-density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE) has proven to be ineffective in preventing a significant loss of volatile components on storage. This study investigates and compares the effectiveness of alternate high-barrier property packaging materials, namely, polyvinylidene chloride coated polyethylene terephthalate/casted polypropylene (PVDC coated PET/CPP) and polyethylene terephthalate/polyethylene terephthalate/aluminum foil/linear low-density polyethylene (PET/PET/Foil/LLDPE), in prevention of volatile compound loss from the three native herbs stored at ambient temperature for 6 months. Concentrations of major volatiles were monitored using gas chromatography?mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. After 6 months of storage, the greatest loss of volatiles from lemon myrtle was observed in traditional LDPE packaging (87% loss) followed by storage in PVDC coated PET/CPP (58% loss) and PET/PET/Foil/LLDPE (loss of 23%). The volatile loss from anise myrtle and Tasmanian pepper leaf stored in PVDC coated PET/CPP and PET/PET/Foil/LLDPE packaging was <30%. This study clearly indicates the importance of selecting the correct packaging material to retain the quality of herbs with high volatile content.