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1. Mucosally added enterotoxin Escherichia coli STa increased the electrogenic Cl-secretion measured as the short-circuit current (I.) across isolated muscle-stripped and muscleunstripped rat mid-ilea incubated in vitro. 2. Pretreatment with serosal L-NAME (Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester) or tetrodotoxin (TTX) significantly reduced the maximum I8 and the duration of action of STa in the unstripped but not stripped ilea. D-NAME (serosal), indomethacin or 5-hydroxytryptamine-desensitization was ineffective on STa-induced 4,, in either stripped or unstripped ilea.3. Serosal capsaicin reduced the maximum I,, of STa and its duration of action in unstripped ilea.4. L-Arginine induced a significantly larger increase in the I,, across unstripped ilea than across stripped ilea; this could be significantly reduced by serosal L-NAME or ITX, although these were ineffective in stripped ilea. 5. Pretreatment of anaesthetized rats with I.P. L-NAME suppressed the fluid secretion induced by luminal STa in ilea in vivo but had no effect on that induced by luminal carbachol. 6. Mucosal STa increased electrogenic Cl-secretion across intact rat ileum in vitro by activating a capsaicin-sensitive, nitric oxide-dependent myenteric plexus-mediated secretory reflex. The suppression by L-NAME of STa-induced ileal fluid secretion in vivo probably involves the inhibition of this reflex.

The term open education has recently been used to refer to topics such as Open Educational Resources (OERs) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Historically its roots lie in civil approaches to education and open universities, but this research is rarely referenced or acknowledged in current interpretations. In this article the antecedents of the modern open educational movement are examined, as the basis for connecting the various strands of research. Using a citation analysis method the key references are extracted and their relationships mapped. This work reveals eight distinct sub-topics within the broad open education area, with relatively little overlap. The implications for this are discussed and methods of improving inter-topic research are proposed.

Large numbers of different bacterial species are resident in the lumen of the distal gastrointestinal tract. The normal intestinal host-microbial interactions are not well understood, but the relationship is generally believed to be either mutually beneficial or beneficial to one without disadvantage to the other. Animal model and clinical studies suggest that IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) may develop in a susceptible individual when the normal host-bacterial relationship is dysregulated. In addition to rodent models, this article reviews studies that have investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms of interactions between intestinal mucosal cells and the resident luminal bacteria in healthy individuals and patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Mechanisms by which the intestinal mucosa is able to avoid pro-inflammatory responses to commensal bacteria (and their products) but able to respond appropriately to luminal pathogens is currently an area of active investigation. Such studies are beginning to provide important clues regarding possible alterations in the mucosa that lead to the development of pro-inflammatory responses to resident bacteria in patients with IBD. Approaches to alter the intestinal microflora for therapeutic purposes and their potential mechanisms of action are also discussed.

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New students face the challenge of making a smooth transition between school and university, and with regards to academic practice, there are often gaps between student expectations and university requirements. This study supports the use of the plagiarism detection service Turnitin to give students instant feedback on essays to help improve academic literacy.A student cohort (n = 76) submitted draft essays to Turnitin and received instruction on how to interpret the 'originality report' themselves for feedback. The impact of this self-service approach was analysed by comparing the writing quality and incidence of plagiarism in draft and final essays, and comparing the results to a previous cohort (n = 80) who had not used Turnitin formatively. Student and staff perceptions were explored by interview and questionnaire.Using Turnitin formatively was viewed positively by staff and students, and although the incidence of plagiarism did not reduce because of a worsening of referencing and citation skills, the approach encouraged students to develop their writing.To conclude, students were positive of their experience of using Turnitin. Further work is required to understand how to use the self-service approach more effectively to improve referencing and citation, and narrow the gap between student expectations and university standards.