Queen Mary University Of London Research Articles

Promoting equity in education for sustainable development through community-based learning and teaching

Our presentation reported on the vital role of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) (UNESCO, 2023) in fostering learners equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for a sustainable future. Despite the emphasis on inclusive and equitable human development through ESD, achieving equitable learning outcomes for all students remains a persistent challenge in the context of UK higher education. Our project explored the benefits and challenges of enabling all students to engage with ESD. We made recommendations for learning developers to effectively support students developing understanding and competencies for sustainability. We explored this through considering the challenges and gaps in inclusive pedagogies, professional development opportunities, curricula integration, and external partnerships. The objective of the project was to address this issue by investigating how equity concerns in ESD can be effectively tackled through the integration of community-based learning and teaching (CBLT) approaches into university curricula (Salam, et al., 2019). Also referred to as service learning, the growing effort in implementing these approaches involves students engaging in organised activities benefiting local communities, enhancing academic knowledge, and fostering civic responsibility. This has important implications for learning developers and the support students need to engage effectively in what may be an unfamiliar form of learning and development. Collaborating with a student researcher, the project employed a multi-faceted methodology, including a literature review, mapping exercise using sustainable development goals (SDGs) and qualitative examination of module descriptions at University College London (UCL) and Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), both based in East London. In the presentation, we shared our existing practices combining ESD and community-based learning that included: Our mapping of the integration of ESD and community-based learning in our university curricula. Gaps and challenges in achieving equitable learning outcomes using a qualitative analysis of curriculum design and implementation. Our initial recommendations for the learning developer community in supporting students to engage with ESD, and gain vital knowledge, skills and competencies for a sustainable future. We also provided a short evaluation of our work as a research collaboration of learning development approaches involving students, academic developers and educators from two universities.

Co-Creation through scholarship. The Queen Mary Academy learner interns' programme

Since 2021, the Queen Mary Academy (QMA) at Queen Mary University of London has been running its Learner Interns Programme (LIP). The aim of the LIP is to support educators to undertake student-voice scholarship projects in collaboration with our diverse learner population by annually hiring interns to work on projects. In 2023-24, over 140 applications were received. The poster will discuss how learning and development, for both staff and students, occurs via instigation of such research projects, valuing learner expertise and agency. Student engagement is an element of the Queen Mary Academic Careers Framework which supports academic career paths, and engagement with the LIP has the potential for educators to develop evidence for this. Examples showed how educators deepen their approach to reflection and identified opportunities to leverage research avenues with students as active partners, contributing to their scholarly profiles. As a complimentary point, examples of how interns develop critical thinking and communication skills within academic contexts were shared, covering how interns’ exposure to research helps prepare them for professional roles. The origin and evolution of the LIP was outlined, alongside approaches to intern recruitment, onboarding, co-responsibility training, and community building, that subsequently provide opportunities for the professional development of support colleagues who are involved. Delegates took away ideas around valuing students as partners within structured internships, with direct quotes from educators and support colleagues describing the impact this initiative has had on their professional development. This approach was displayed as an effective example of educational learning development, underpinned by student involvement, for which others may wish to copy its approach or explore potential future collaborations with Queen Mary.

Use of Learner Engagement Analytics to empower medical educators to make data-informed decisions

Learner Engagement Analytics (LEA) has enabled Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to identify learners who are not engaging with their studies and provide targeted support and help (Naeem and Bosman, 2023). It has also allowed educators to make data-informed decisions to inform their curriculum design and classroom practice (Cogliano et al., 2022). The LEA data is captured from a wide range of sources related to teaching and learning which offer meaningful insights into a learner’s learning habits (Eady et al., 2021). Previous research suggests that providing learning analytics to educators in Higher Education Institutions can improve learning outcomes for students (Aslan et al., 2019). At Queen Mary University of London, a multidisciplinary team was formed of medical educators, LEA experts, learning technologists, and learning innovation professionals to investigate how LEA can inform curriculum redesign in the early phase of the medical curriculum. Through a series of scholarship meetings on LEA using data dashboards from the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), the team analysed learners’ engagement with the virtual pre-sessional resources. The VLE interactive resources were designed to allow medical learners to develop clinical interpretation skills during practical sessions, as recommended by the General Medical Council (GMC, 2018). However, medical educators lacked the metrics to evaluate learners’ interaction with these virtual resources. Therefore, it was inevitable to train educators on how to use LEA to optimise students’ learning. The team assessed the learners' engagement on the VLE, quantified engagement scores, and evaluated the results against key outcomes, including the learners' performance. The LEA data offered further insights into virtual engagement across multiple modules in the medical curriculum. Effectively, the outcome of this work empowered medical educators to make informed decisions regarding the future use of VLE resources in curriculum design and develop virtual resources to increase students’ engagement and enhance their learning.

The Semiotics of Solidarity: Reinterpreting Artefacts of Latin American Resistance in Contemporary Leeds

This paper examines reinterpretations of solidarity with Latin America through a student-led project at the University of Leeds. The project, ‘Thinking Inside the Box: 1973’ (hereafter, TITB), was a collaboration between the University of London – specifically, King’s College London, Queen Mary University of London, and the London School of Economics – and the Universities of Leeds and Liverpool in 2023. The broader framework of TITB seeks to generate liberatory and transformative learning by approaching the educative process with students as co-creators and co-curators of knowledge. The approach draws from decolonial theory by seeking to challenge the hierarchical practices of mainstream education in which the teacher imposes knowledge on the student. In dialogue with Freirian concepts of collective interpretation and ‘conscientisation’ (Freire, 1968), scholars and students involved in the project used archives to run a series of events and public engagements. It connects students to each other and to a range of archival materials, broadly themed around 20th century Latin America, to inspire them in designing, developing and delivering an output of significant impact by engaging with local communities; in this case, the Chilean diaspora of the dictatorship. The project promotes the co-curation of knowledge, teaching and learning, and supports students to practice autonomy in their journeys of content and skills acquisition (Grimaldi, Carvalho and Natale, 2022; Grimaldi and Rofe, 2023).

Understanding lived experiences and perceptions of resilience in black and South Asian Muslim children living in East London: a qualitative study protocol

IntroductionIt is important to promote resilience in preadolescence; however, there is limited research on children’s understandings and experiences of resilience. Quantitative approaches may not capture dynamic and context-specific aspects of...

Assessment of wear characteristics, longevity and stiffness of Essix-type retainers

ObjectiveTo compare four commercially available Essix-type retainers in terms of longevity, wear characteristics, stiffness and their range of rigidity.Materials and methodsAn in vitro study was conducted at Queen Mary University of London. Four groups of thermoplastic materials were included: Duran (PETG), Essix C + (Polypropylene), Vivera and Zendura (Polyurethane). A working typodont was fabricated to evaluate surface wear characteristics using a wear machine with a customized jig. Retainers were measured for tensile test, and water absorption was measured at five different time points up to 6 months after initial immersion in two different physical states and two different solutions. Hydrolytic degradation was also evaluated using FTIR spectroscopy.ResultsEssix C + was the most flexible retainer with Vivera the stiffest material. Zendura and Essix C + had the most surface wear (413 μm ± 80 and 652 μm ± 12, respectively) with absorption rates of up to 15 wt% in artificial saliva occurring with Zendura. Only Essix C + displayed signs of degradation following water absorption.ConclusionsAll materials had characteristic levels of flexibility and were susceptible to water absorption. Duran 1.5 mm performed similarly to Vivera in relation to stiffness and wear properties. While Zendura and Vivera have similar chemical structures, they exhibited differences concerning wear resistance and water absorption. Further clinical research evaluating the clinical relevance of these laboratory findings is required.Clinical relevanceCharacteristic patterns of wear and rigidity of four commercially available Essix-type retainers were observed. This information should help in the tailoring of retainer material on a case-by-case basis considering treatment-related factors and patient characteristics including parafunctional habits.

Data Centre Refurbishment with the aim of Energy Saving and Achieving Carbon Net Zero

Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) as part of the refurbishment of one of its’s data centres will install water to water heat pumps to use the heat produced by the computing servers to provide heat for the university via a district heating system. This will reduce the use of high carbon intensity natural gas heating boilers, replacing them with electricity which has a lower carbon intensity due to the contribution from wind, solar, hydroelectric, nuclear and biomass sources of power sources. The QMUL GridPP cluster today provides 15PB of storage and over 20K jobs slots mainly devoted to the ATLAS experiment. The data centre that houses the QMUL GridPP cluster, was originally commissioned in 2004. By 2020 it was in significant need of refurbishment. The original design had a maximum power capacity of 200KW, no hot/cold aisle containment, down flow air conditioning units using refrigerant cooling and no raised floor or ceiling plenum. The main requirements of the refurbishment are: To significantly improve the energy efficiency and reduce the carbon usage of the University; Improve the availability and reliability of the power and cooling; Increase the capacity of the facility to provide for future expansion; Provide a long term home for the GridPP cluster to support the computing needs of the LHC and other new large science experiments (SKA/LSST) into the next decade. After taking into account the future requirements and likely funding allocation, floor space in the data centre and the space available to house the cooling equipment the following design was chosen: A total power capacity of 390KW with redundant feeds to each rack; 39 racks with an average of 10KW of power per rack (flexible up to 20KW); An enclosed hot aisle design with in row cooling units using water cooling; water to water heat pumps connected to the universities district heating system An overview of the project, it’s status and expected benefits in power and carbon saving are presented.

Interview with Journal of Cell Science Editor Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke

ABSTRACT Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke is a Professor of the Tumour Microenvironment at Barts Cancer Institute (BCI) at Queen Mary University of London, UK. She completed her PhD with Professor Fiona Watt at The Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF), UK, before moving to The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, for a postdoc in Professor Richard Hynes’s lab. She then joined Cancer Research UK in 1999 as a tenure-track fellow under the mentorship of Professor Ian Hart and has since become Deputy Director of BCI and a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization and The Academy of Medical Science. She currently leads the Centre for Tumour Microenvironment at BCI, where her research focuses on understanding the roles of cell adhesion and angiocrine signalling in cancer and responses to therapy. Kairbaan (who is also known as Kebs) joined Journal of Cell Science as an Editor in August 2023, and brings to the journal her extensive expertise in cancer cell biology, angiogenesis and signalling within the tumour microenvironment. We spoke with Kebs over Zoom to learn about her impressive career, her perspectives on scientific publishing and her philosophy of leadership in academia.

Students as partners: enhancing employability skills through running transition book clubs

One of the challenges that many students face when they start university is finding a sense of belonging in a new and unfamiliar environment. Feeling connected and supported can have a positive impact on students’ academic success and well-being. That is why the Get Ahead Transition project at Queen Mary University of London launched a book club initiative to help students build a sense of belonging before attending university.
 The book club was based on the book The Psychology of Effective Studying by Paul Penn, which offers practical and evidence-based strategies for students to overcome procrastination, improve academic reading and note-taking skills, and produce high-quality assignments. The book also features short YouTube videos that summarize some of the key concepts. The book club was led by current students who facilitated the discussions and shared their personal experiences of studying at university.
 The book club was a great success as nearly all the participants had read the chapters and came prepared with questions and insights. The discussions were so engaging that the leaders suggested extending the sessions by an extra 30 minutes to allow time for Q&A. The participants also appreciated the opportunity to learn from their peers and get a glimpse of what university life is like.
 The book club leaders also benefited beyond expectation from the experience as they enhanced their leadership, communication, and technical skills. They received feedback and guidance from the project team on how to highlight these skills to future employers. The book club leaders also qualified for two university awards for their contribution to the project.

DNA Linked Mixed-Dimensional Heterostructures: The Designing, Nanoscale Control and Device Applications of Tmdc-Quantum Dot Nanohybrids

DNA Linked Mixed-Dimensional Heterostructures: the Designing, Nanoscale Control and Device Applications of TMDC-Quantum Dot Nanohybrids Kai Chen,a Teymour Talha-Dean,b Tingting Zheng, a Stoichko Dimitrov, a Jan Mol b and Matteo Palma a aDepartment of chemistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom bDepartment of Physics, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United KingdomThe construction of mixed-dimensional heterostructures is a promising approach for the development of biosensing and optoelectronic systems and devices. The accurate nanoscale control of the heterostructures interface is a key challenge, for instance to tune the distance between the individual components and their stoichiometry, that in turn affect their electronic coupling. In this regard, DNA can be a powerful structural and functional linker for nano-hybrids assembly, due to its tunability down to sub-nanometer control.Our current interest is focused on the fabrication of TMDC-based nanohybrids using double stranded (ds) DNA as both a linker and templating moiety. In particular, we recently employed three different approaches to functionalize the surface of MoS2 nanoflakes and assembled 0D (quantum dots)/2D (MoS2 flakes) hybrids using DNA as a connection moiety (see figure).[1] DNA allowed us to control the distance between QDs and MoS2 with sub-nanoscale accuracy, allowing the fine tuning of the electronic coupling between the two nanostructures.We will further discuss the construction of mixed-dimensional nanohybrids i) via the use different DNA nanotechnology strategies, and ii) for the fabrication of responsive optoelectronic devices. [1] T. Talha-Deam, K. Chen, G. Mastroianni, F. Gesuele, J. Mol and M. Pamla. “Nanoscale Control of DNA-Linked MoS2-Quantum Dot Heterostructures”. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 2022, DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00285

Rationale for Cotargeting Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer.

Article Tools UNDERSTANDING THE PATHWAY Article Tools OPTIONS & TOOLS Export Citation Track Citation Add To Favorites Rights & Permissions COMPANION ARTICLES Randomized Phase II Trial of Ficlatuzumab With or Without Cetuximab in Pan-Refractory, Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer. March 28, 2023 ARTICLE CITATION DOI: 10.1200/JCO.23.00460 Journal of Clinical Oncology - published online before print June 15, 2023 PMID: 37319388 Rationale for Cotargeting Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer Stéphanie Kermorgant, PhD1xStéphanie KermorgantSearch for articles by this author Show More 1Spatial Signalling Group, Barts Cancer Institute–a CR-UK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, London, United Kingdom https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.23.00460 First Page Full Text PDF Figures and Tables © 2023 by American Society of Clinical OncologySUPPORTSupported by Rosetrees Trust (M314 and M346), Barts Charity (MGU0511, G-001868, G-002205), and the MRC (MR/R009732/1).AUTHOR'S DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTERESTRationale for Cotargeting Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck CancerThe following represents disclosure information provided by the author of this manuscript. All relationships are considered compensated unless otherwise noted. Relationships are self-held unless noted. I = Immediate Family Member, Inst = My Institution. Relationships may not relate to the subject matter of this manuscript. For more information about ASCO's conflict of interest policy, please refer to www.asco.org/rwc or ascopubs.org/jco/authors/author-center.Open Payments is a public database containing information reported by companies about payments made to US-licensed physicians (Open Payments).No potential conflicts of interest were reported. Companion Randomized Phase II Trial of Ficlatuzumab With or Without Cetuximab in Pan-Refractory, Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer

Correction to: EVA1A (Eva-1 Homolog A) Promotes Endothelial Apoptosis and Inflammatory Activation Under Disturbed Flow Via Regulation of Autophagy.

HomeArteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular BiologyVol. 43, No. 6Correction to: EVA1A (Eva-1 Homolog A) Promotes Endothelial Apoptosis and Inflammatory Activation Under Disturbed Flow Via Regulation of Autophagy Free AccessCorrectionPDF/EPUBAboutView PDFView EPUBSections ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload citationsTrack citationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InMendeleyReddit Jump toFree AccessCorrectionPDF/EPUBCorrection to: EVA1A (Eva-1 Homolog A) Promotes Endothelial Apoptosis and Inflammatory Activation Under Disturbed Flow Via Regulation of Autophagy Originally published24 May 2023https://doi.org/10.1161/ATV.0000000000000163Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2023;43:e230This article corrects the followingEVA1A (Eva-1 Homolog A) Promotes Endothelial Apoptosis and Inflammatory Activation Under Disturbed Flow Via Regulation of AutophagyIn the article by Canham et al, “EVA1A (Eva-1 Homolog A) Promotes Endothelial Apoptosis and Inflammatory Activation Under Disturbed Flow Via Regulation of Autophagy,” which published in the April 2023 issue of the journal (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2023;43:547–561. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.122.318110), a correction was needed.An additional affiliation was added for Paul C. Evans: William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom.This correction has been made to the current online version of the article, which is available at www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/ATVBAHA.122.318110. Previous Back to top Next FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsRelated articlesEVA1A (Eva-1 Homolog A) Promotes Endothelial Apoptosis and Inflammatory Activation Under Disturbed Flow Via Regulation of AutophagyLindsay Canham, et al. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2023;43:547-561 June 2023Vol 43, Issue 6 Advertisement Article InformationMetrics © 2023 American Heart Association, Inc.https://doi.org/10.1161/ATV.0000000000000163 Originally publishedMay 24, 2023 PDF download Advertisement

When Stanley Aronowitz Went to Business School

Abstract The authors reflect on Stanley Aronowitz's influence in the 2000s on the then emerging fields of critical accounting and critical management studies, recalling his visits to Leicester University, and the subsequent visit the authors organized together where Stanley was hosted for extended periods at Queen Mary University of London and St. Andrews University. Stanley's influence is still felt in UK institutions practicing a critical approach.

Introduction: Solitudes Past and Present

Critical QuarterlyEarly View Introduction Introduction: Solitudes Past and Present James Morland, Corresponding Author James Morland [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0003-0082-5275 University of Sussex, Brighton, UKCorresponding author: James Morland, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorAkshi Singh, Akshi Singh University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UKSearch for more papers by this authorCharlie Williams, Charlie Williams orcid.org/0000-0001-6110-0070 Queen Mary University of London, London, UKSearch for more papers by this author James Morland, Corresponding Author James Morland [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0003-0082-5275 University of Sussex, Brighton, UKCorresponding author: James Morland, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorAkshi Singh, Akshi Singh University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UKSearch for more papers by this authorCharlie Williams, Charlie Williams orcid.org/0000-0001-6110-0070 Queen Mary University of London, London, UKSearch for more papers by this author First published: 15 May 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/criq.12719Read the full textAboutPDF 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 No abstract is available for this article. Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue RelatedInformation

Tânia Gastão Saliés and Augusto Soares da Silva interview Dr. Andreas Musolff

Professor Andreas Musolff is a distinguished Research Professor of Intercultural Communication at the University of East Anglia, UK. He is considered one of the first scholars to research language and communication within a cognitive linguistics, sociocultural/ discursive framework. In this effort, Musolff has promoted the synergy between Critical Discourse Analysis and Conceptual Metaphor Theory, advocating for the cultural roots of metaphors and for social cognition. He has previously taught at the Universities of Dűsseldorf and London and was a Visiting Fellow at the Truman Institute, Hebrew University in Jerusalem and at the Queen Mary University of London. Musolff is a man of far-ranging intellectual interests who has demonstrated a remarkable talent for applying the concepts of Cognitive Linguistics to other fields of knowledge, including: Political Science, Intercultural Communication, Philosophy, Historical Semantics, Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics, Linguistics Anthropology, Pragmatics and Applied Linguistics. His most recent research explores competition metaphors in the context of COVID-19 (2022), metaphor use in political discourse cross-culturally (2021), language and racism (2019), and proverbs (2020) in everyday communication. Professor Musolff has been as kind as to accept our invitation for this interview. His words will surely inspire our critical reflection and research agenda.

Notes on Contributors

Notes on Contributors

Assault on salt Intake

Assault on salt Intake

First person – Ateequllah Hayat

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Ateequllah Hayat is first author on ‘ Low HER2 expression in normal breast epithelium enables dedifferentiation and malignant transformation via chromatin opening’, published in DMM. Ateequllah conducted the research described in this article while a PhD student in Gabriella Ficz's lab at Queen Mary University of London, London, UK, and is now a lecturer in drug development at St George's, University of London, London, UK, investigating transcriptomic/epigenomic changes in cancer resistance.

A review of fine-grained sketch image retrieval based on deep learning.

Sketch image retrieval is an important branch of the image retrieval field, mainly relying on sketch images as queries for content search. The acquisition process of sketch images is relatively simple and in some scenarios, such as when it is impossible to obtain photos of real objects, it demonstrates its unique practical application value, attracting the attention of many researchers. Furthermore, traditional generalized sketch image retrieval has its limitations when it comes to practical applications; merely retrieving images from the same category may not adequately identify the specific target that the user desires. Consequently, fine-grained sketch image retrieval merits further exploration and study. This approach offers the potential for more precise and targeted image retrieval, making it a valuable area of investigation compared to traditional sketch image retrieval. Therefore, we comprehensively review the fine-grained sketch image retrieval technology based on deep learning and its applications and conduct an in-depth analysis and summary of research literature in recent years. We also provide a detailed introduction to three fine-grained sketch image retrieval datasets: Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) ShoeV2, ChairV2 and PKU Sketch Re-ID, and list common evaluation metrics in the sketch image retrieval field, while showcasing the best performance achieved for these datasets. Finally, we discuss the existing challenges, unresolved issues and potential research directions in this field, aiming to provide guidance and inspiration for future research.

Empowering Peer Leaders: Designing Dynamic PLTL Training in the United Kingdom

In the academic year 2021-2022, Queen Mary University of London (UK) launched its successful pilot of Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) within undergraduate chemistry and economics courses. This year (2022-2023), the program expanded, with PLTL also introducing courses within biological sciences and business studies. Over 900 students are now enrolled in our PLTL program facilitated by approximately 80 Peer Leaders. Building on this success and inspired by colleagues from the University of Rochester on Peer Leader training materials, we sought to develop our own bespoke training materials for QMUL Peer Leaders. Working with our Peer Leaders, content was co-created to develop a feedback-orientated program for future cohorts. The current cohort of Peer Leaders was surveyed to identify gaps in the previous training program and suggest ideas to be prioritized. The enhanced training program emerged as an immersive online ‘course page’ comprising of written documents, videos, and interactive activities. This material will be consolidated and reinforced through an in-person training day to be held in late September during “Welcome Week” culminating in a final online assessment. This paper explores the intricacies of the decision-making process involved in crafting the training materials and serves as a template for other UK Universities adopting PLTL.