Christ Church University Research Articles

There Is a Lot More to Transplantation Surgery Than the Surgery Itself: The "Other" Sir Peter John Morris, AC, FRS.

There Is a Lot More to Transplantation Surgery Than the Surgery Itself: The "Other" Sir Peter John Morris, AC, FRS.

Colyn Crane-Robinson (20 October 1935–5 March 2023)

Colyn Crane-Robinson, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Portsmouth, was born on 20 October 1935 and died on 5 March 2023. His death marks the end of a career as a world-leading researcher in the field of chromatin structure and epigenetics.Colyn was born in the Sale area of Greater Manchester to Robin and Marion. After evacuation at the start of World War 2, he returned to Manchester in 1947 and joined Ackworth Secondary School in south-west Yorkshire. At school, he enjoyed cricket, becoming a noted bowler, obtaining the nickname ‘colyncranecricketball’, and later the captain of the first team. He cited his teacher at the time, Mr Harris, as giving him a lasting passion for classical music and secondly, and more critical to his future career, chemistry.In 1954, Colyn joined Christ Church College, Oxford, where his love for research was fostered. After obtaining a first-class degree, he began his DPhil in the laboratory of H.W. Thompson, a renowned infra-red spectroscopist, working on vibrational–rotational spectra studies of gas-phase molecules. This time was noted by having to construct one’s own gas line, meaning a glass-blowing course had to be undertaken, something Colyn managed but, by his own admission, his creations contained many strange shapes and bubbles!After his PhD, Colyn took the unusual step of using a newly arranged treaty between the Royal Society and the USSR, to commence a post-doctoral position in Leningrad at the Soviet Academy of Sciences. Here he became fluent in Russian and studied physico-chemical aspects of polymer synthesis. His time was cut short after he met and proposed to a young woman. Marriages to westerners being unfavourable, he was asked to leave the USSR abruptly. He did successfully get her out of the USSR and they went on to have a family together. Upon his return to the UK, Colyn obtained a job at the polymer firm Courtaulds, but when research there was closed abruptly he looked elsewhere for employment, which brought him to the University of Portsmouth.Colyn arrived in Portsmouth to work in the newly established biophysics laboratory founded by Morton Bradbury. Together they worked on high-resolution NMR studies to investigate conformational changes in biopolymers, producing a series of high-impact Nature publications and leading to an interest in chromatin. Their research moved into detailed studies on the structure of individual histones and then progressed into proposed models of the subunit structure of a eukaryotic chromosome. The group ultimately focused on investigations of histone modifications and their interactions with DNA within the nucleosome, in particular acetylation of the N-terminal tail of histone H4 and its consequential DNA interactions.In 1988, the discovery of the link between histone H4 acetylation and transcriptionally active chromatin was cemented after the group successfully raised an anti-histone acetyl-specific antibody, alongside their development of the ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) assay. These tools were used to show a strong enrichment in active gene sequences versus inactive in antibody-bound fractions, compared to the input material. In Colyn’s own words, he was “the principal midwife at the birth of ChIPs, using antibodies to modified histones”. The publication from this research became highly cited and remains as a critical statement of this fundamental epigenetic control mechanism.I joined Colyn’s research laboratory as a Wellcome Research Fellow in 1995. During my time in his laboratory, the work focused on the role of histone H3 K4 methylation in the control of gene expression, work conducted in collaboration with the Kouzarides laboratory at Cambridge. Indeed, Colyn had collaborative projects across the globe; two of the most prolific and long-standing were with Peter Privalov (Johns Hopkins University, USA) and Doncho Staynov (Imperial College London, UK). The first collaboration was on the principles of the thermodynamics of proteins–DNA interactions; the second focused on interactions of the linker histones with the nucleosome structure.Colyn became a Professor of Biochemistry, taking emeritus status in 2000. His enthusiasm was infectious, and he particularly enjoyed enthusing our younger researchers (PhD, MRes and undergraduates) with his joy for all things scientific. His willingness to communicate his knowledge was continued right to the end; the image shown is from a group research talk given by Colyn only a few months before his passing.

Daniel W. McManigal. A Baptism of Judgment in the Fire of the Holy Spirit: John’s Eschatological Proclamation in Matthew 3

Daniel W. McManigal. <i>A Baptism of Judgment in the Fire of the Holy Spirit: John’s Eschatological Proclamation in Matthew 3</i>

What's cooking?

William Buckland [1784 – 1856], the first Reader in Geology at the University of Oxford, was notorious for his catholic tastes in the culinary department, as well as the ambition he shared with his eldest son, Frank [1826 – 1880], to eat his way through the animal kingdom. Guests at Buckland’s table in Christ Church College, […]

Hepatoprotective Effect of Leaves of Morinda tinctoria Roxb. Against Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Rats

Aim: To study the hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity of 50% aqueous-alcoholic leaves extract of Morinda tinctoria (Rubiaceae) against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.&#x0D; Study Design: All experiments involving animals complies with the ethical standards of animal handling and approved by institutional animal ethical and welfare committee of the Institute of Pharmacy, PSIT (1273/AC/09/ CPCSEA) and plant were collected from Ranan Nagar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India and was authenticated by Dr. Navin K. Ambasht, Head and Associate Professor, Botany Department, Christ Church College, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at Institute of Pharmacy, PSIT, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, during 2018-21.&#x0D; Methodology: The hepatoprotective potential of Morinda tinctoria leaves extract (MTLE) 150 and 300 mg/kg body weight was studied on Methionine and Choline deficient diet, High Fat Diet, Cholesterol and Cholate diet, and Streptozotocin + HFD induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. At the end of the treatment blood sample was collected from direct cardiac puncture and analysed for various parameter like alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein, triglycerides, total cholesterol, free fatty acid and malondialdehyde.&#x0D; Results: The phytochemical investigation of extract showed presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, amino acid, saponin, tannins, phenols, carbohydrate and for the first time the present study showed that Morinda tinctoria leaves extract reduced level of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, free fatty acid, malondialdehyde and enhance the level of Superoxide dismutase, High Density Lipoprotein and it also returned hepatic damage towards normal which further supports hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity of M. tinctoria. leaves extracts.&#x0D; Conclusions: M. tinctoria leaves extract showed maximum curation in the dose 300 mg/kg body weight against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Corona XXXIX – WTF?

Corona XXXIX – WTF?

Gordon Anthony Wells Sharrard

Gordon Anthony Wells Sharrard was from a medical family and spent his preclinical years at Christchurch College, Oxford. His clinical years were at University College London, where he met his...

Frederic Salkeld Plumpton

Born in Sunderland, Frederic Salkeld Plumpton (“Eric”) was educated at Sedbergh School, where his passion for outdoor activities was born. He won an exhibition to Christchurch College, Oxford, and completed...

Michael Sweet-Escott

Michael Sweet-Escott, the eldest of the three sons of Will and Olive, was born in Lyme Regis, Dorset. He was educated at Westminster School, where he was a scholar, specialising...

Australian Women Writers Abroad

Australian Women Writers Abroad

Nathaniel Hodges (1629-1688): Plague doctor.

Nathaniel Hodges was the son of Thomas Hodges (1605-1672), an influential Anglican preacher and reformer with strong connections in the political life of Carolingian London. Educated at Westminster School, Trinity College Cambridge and Christ Church College, Oxford, Nathaniel established himself as a physician in Walbrook Ward in the City of London. Prominent as one of a handful of medical men who remained in London during the time of the Great Plague of 1665, he wrote the definitive work on the outbreak. His daily precautions against contracting the disease included fortifying himself with Théodore de Mayerne's antipestilential electuary and the liberal consumption of Sack. Hodges' approach to the treatment of plague victims was empathetic and based on the traditional Galenic method rather than Paracelsianism although he was pragmatic in the rejection of formulae and simples which he judged from experience to be ineffective. Besieged by financial problems in later life, his practice began to fail in the 1680s and he eventually died in a debtor's prison.

Bruce Thomas Boehrer Animal Characters: Nonhuman Beings in Early Modern LiteratureAnimal Characters: Nonhuman Beings in Early Modern Literature. Bruce Thomas Boehrer. Philadelphia: Pennsylvania University Press, 2010. Pp. 238.

<i>Bruce Thomas Boehrer</i> Animal Characters: Nonhuman Beings in Early Modern Literature<i>Animal Characters: Nonhuman Beings in Early Modern Literature</i>. Bruce Thomas Boehrer. Philadelphia: Pennsylvania University Press, 2010. Pp. 238.

The poetry of general practice

Only to a GP working in the NHS does Kafka make perfect sense. Last week I received a convoluted e-mail from the local clinical commissioning group (CCG) inviting me to a ‘Medicology’ workshop. Medicology? I read on, anxious to enlighten myself, but quickly drowned in a sea of meaningless management-speak. That night I dreamt there was a war between the ‘pathfinders’ and the ‘champions’. They wiped each other out. We started again. It was lovely. A few days later, on 10 November 2012, and I was in Christ Church College, Oxford with 20 fellow battle-weary NHS GPs for the inaugural The Poetry of General Practice seminar. The setting was ideal. A beautiful room, next to the ‘Harry Potter’ dining hall and …

Establishing an Australian and New Zealand Registry for Patients with Familial Hypercholesterolaemia

I. Hamilton-Craig1,∗, G. Watts 2, E. Hammond3, D. Sullivan4, P. George5, P. Clifton6, S. Nicholls 7, F. van Bockxmeer8, W. Bishop9, R. O’Brien10, D. Bell 2 1 Griffith University School of Medicine, Gold Coast, Australia 2 University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia 3 Office of Population Health Genomics, Government of WA, Australia 4 University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia 5 Christchurch University, Christchurch, New Zealand 6 Baker International Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia 7 SA Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, Australia 8 PathWest, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia 9 University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia 10 Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

A research note: A regional response to national concerns in teacher education

How can tertiary education in regions respond innovatively and collaboratively to issues regarding teacher supply and quality, especially in regions of teacher shortages? This research report focuses on one response. The Rotorua regional primary teaching flexible learning option was established by the Christchurch College of Education (CCE) in late 1996 and based at Waiarik Institute of Technology (Waiariki). It is an example of how one region in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) responded to two identified national concerns; first, a teacher shortage and second, the provision of a preservice teacher education programme that prepares teachers with particular skills to teach Māori children, who make up a substantial proportion of students in that region. This report is of a stocktake of the programme after 10 years of operation.

Wittgenstein's Holism

DialecticaVolume 44, Issue 1-2 p. 165-173 Wittgenstein's Holism David Pears, David Pears Christ Church College, Oxford OX1 1DP, England.Search for more papers by this author David Pears, David Pears Christ Church College, Oxford OX1 1DP, England.Search for more papers by this author First published: June 1990 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-8361.1990.tb01657.xCitations: 1AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume44, Issue1-2June 1990Pages 165-173 RelatedInformation

Merger, Mana, Scholarship and Power: Four Perspectives of Issues Impacting on Quality in Teacher Education in the Merger of College of Education with University

The merger of the Christchurch College of Education with the University of Canterbury on January 1, 2007 was the pivotal point of major change for academic staff in the College, and focused a number of areas of contested values. This article is a collection of four narratives of that change, each examining a particular issue. Each of the narratives tells the story of a particular struggle to preserve an aspect of the overall quality of teacher education, and also foreshadows an ongoing philosophical and political engagement in the years that will follow the merger. The weaving of the four narratives seeks to capture a sense of the multiplicity of professional concerns that are experienced by professional educators and that are contested in the process of merger. This article comes from the perspective of academic staff from the former College of Education and in its use of personal voices reflects the lived experience of wrestling with change and sometimes perceived threat. However it has implications for other merged colleges of education, and for teacher education as a whole.

The development of a national bicultural and interprofessional programme in clinical teaching and supervision in New Zealand

Throughout the world, particularly in colonized countries, the health status of indigenous people and the unequal representation of indigenous people within the health workforce is of concern. In 2002, as part of a national health workforce development strategy, a qualification was developed to provide Maori (Indigenous New Zealander) health professionals with the skills and confidence to teach and supervise students on clinical placements in Maori health environments. This project required close collaboration between two education providers, one a Maori private education provider and the other a traditional government-funded tertiary institution; and for both organizations to work cooperatively with Maori communities and Maori health providers. The Christchurch College of Education (CCE) and Mauri Ora Associates are jointly involved in the administration, design and delivery of the programme, recruitment of guest lecturers, and ongoing curriculum updates. The content for the programme is mainstream, international and interprofessional but the pedagogy is Maori, with Maori customs, values and traditions upheld and practised. A national Maori health workforce development organization contracts independently with both organizations and provides an oversight and quality monitoring role. Together, the three organizations work with other Maori health professional groups and Maori elders to deliver the qualification. This paper describes how this course was designed, how it is delivered within a Maori paradigm, and how the outcomes are achieved. It also describes the cooperation between Maori and Pakeha (white New Zealanders) across health, community and educational organizations that was required to sustain this programme over five years and identifies some themes that may be applied in a global context. In sharing our experiences, we hope to inspire others to consider ways they can meet the needs of indigenous learners within their mainstream programmes.

Boss of Our Story

When we talk to people about a ‘Treaty’ education course we get a variety of reactions. Some eyes get glazed, some burn with evangelical fervour, some shoot daggers, and some close while their owners go to sleep.When we took on the role of joint co-ordinators of the bicultural project at Christchurch College of Education in New Zealand at the end of last year, one of the tasks we faced was the development of programmes within the College. These courses would provide staff and students with the basic knowledge they need about the Treaty and its relevance to teaching and prepare them to apply this knowledge to their own practice.This paper describes the processes we are engaged in to develop Treaty education programmes and the programme that is evolving. It also describes some of the conceptual incongruities that we are finding associated with Treaty education, and it places these against a wider framework of theorisations of learning, of decolonisation, of participatory and reflective practice, and of Maori approaches to education. It describes an alternative approach that draws upon the arts as springboards for investigation and learning.

The Russian Oil Economy by Jennifer I. Considine William A. Kerr (review)

788 SEER, 8i, 4, 2003 monopoly. More immediatelydesirablewould be the removal of gas pipelines from the clutches of Gazprom. Committed timetables are also needed to lift energy prices to economically defensible levels perhaps over ten years for households (with compensating increases in money incomes), sooner for industrialcustomers. The absence of honest and reliablemarketsfor the factorsof production labour, capital, land, industrial plant and buildings - is another critical weakness. Here, too, progress can only be gradual, more especially as the problemlong antedatesthe Communistera.The keybuyersand in some cases also sellers on these markets are risk-takingentrepreneurs, which in tsarist Russia meant almost exclusivelyforeignersand members of national minorities .Russia'seconomic modernityhashad othermainsprings,namelytechnological accomplishmentregardlessof commercialodds (aproduct, one feels,not only of Communist ideology but previously of the strugglewith climate and expanse) and political dictatorship filtered through Gaddy-and-Ickes-style relational capital and misuse of authority. For an historical overview see Thomas C. Owen, RussianCorporate Capitalism fromPetertheGreat toPerestroika (New York, I995), and for contemporary nineteenth-century portraits, the plays of Ostrovskiisuch as Dokhodnoe Myesto(A LucrativePosition)or Puchina (The Abyss).Today'spolicymakerscould usefullystartby consideringRussia's need for a bankingsystem.At presentthe State SavingsBank(Sberbank) is both the only remotely trustworthyfinancialinstitutionin the country and the only nationwide one. A large part of household savings (not to mention corporate cash reserves)is held as stated earlier in dollar bills. The Government should remove restrictions on non-Russian bank ownership, and consider persuading leading western banks to establish the beginnings of an ordinary branchnetworkinRussia. Some othertransitioneconomies (Hungary,Latvia) have benefitedgreatlyfrom such a policy. This review has given probably more prominence than is warranted to omissions and imperfections in Gaddy and Ickes's work. Let there be no misunderstanding. They have written a penetrating and thought-provoking book which no serious student of Russia's post-Communist economy can affordto neglect. Christ Church College, Oxford PETER OPPENHEIMER Considine, Jennifer I. and Kerr, William A. 7heRussianOilEconomy. Edward Elgar,Cheltenham, and Northampton, MA, 2002. xiii + 360 pp. Tables. Notes. Appendices. Bibliography.Index. $69.95. JENNIFER I. CONSIDINE and WilliamA. Kerrwisely base much of thisbook on the simple truth that oil and gas are not ordinary marketable commodities with a fairlyshort lead-time between demand and supply.Discovery, drilling and delivery are lengthy processes and require much riskcapital, up-to-theminute technology, skilled labour and good luck. This goes a long way to explain the episodic track-recordof Russia's oil and gas industry. The late nineteenth-, early twentieth-centurydevelopment around Baku was checked by the destruction of war and revolution and barely recovered its impetus during the brief years of the 'new economic policy'. Stalin's adoption of the REVIEWS 789 'command economy' both before and afterthe Second WorldWarresultedin remarkablyrapid increases in production and valuable exportable surpluses but left his successors an industry too low in investment and out-of-date in technology to meet rising demand at home and, above all, abroad. Consequently Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Gorbachev and El'tsinwere one after the otherfaced with tryingto catch up on lost time. New Siberianfindingshelped; but productivityremained low. The authors have a second theme that, particularly since Stalin, the management of the oil and gas industryhas been fatallyflawed. In the tsarist period there was an imperfect market. But instead of using prices to decide what to do Stalin abolished the market altogether and relied on total planning which wasrealisticallyimpossible andrigidcommand which killed individual initiative. Even Gorbachev retained centralisttraces. All of which is true. But the authorsalso appear to hold that the only context within which an energy industry can operate successfullyis a fully fledged market. However, thereisan alternativeview thatwhatisreallynecessaryisaregulated marketof the kindthatinstitutionssuch asthe EuropeanBankforReconstruction and Development is trying to strengthenin PresidentPutin's Russia. Of course,with the book completed in February2002, the coveragegiven to Putin is necessarily sketchy. But there have been potentially interesting developments . Putin'spressureon Gazprom, Lukoiland Jukos,for example, seems to be aimed less at gaining control than at pressing them to act like responsible companies in a regulated market. There is evidence that some of the oil 'oligarchs'have come to the conclusion that they can make more profitfrom closely imitating their Western counterpartsthan from local asset stripping. And for their part, Western companies have regained an...