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Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) consider social, political, and economic factors that contribute to health disparities in patients and populations. The most common health-related SDOH exposures are food and housing insecurity, financial instability, transportation needs, low levels of education, and psychosocial stress. These domains describe risks that can impact health outcomes more than health care. Epidemiologic and translational research demonstrates that SDOH factors represent exposures that predict harm and impact the health of individuals. International and national guidelines urge health professionals to address SDOH in clinical practice and public health. The further implementation of these recommendations into basic and translational research, however, is lagging. Herein, we consider a precision health framework to describe how SDOH contributes to the exposome and exacerbates physiologic pathways that lead to chronic disease. SDOH factors are associated with various forms of stressors that impact physiological processes through epigenetic, inflammatory, and redox regulation. Many SDOH exposures may add to or potentiate the pathologic effects of additional environmental exposures. This overview aims to inform basic life science and translational researchers about SDOH exposures that can confound associations between classic biomedical determinants of disease and health outcomes. To advance the study of toxicology through either qualitative or quantitative assessment of exposures to chemical and biological substances, a more complete environmental evaluation should include SDOH exposures. We discuss common approaches to measure SDOH factors at individual and population levels and review the associations between SDOH risk factors and physiologic mechanisms that influence chronic disease. We provide clinical and policy-based motivation to encourage researchers to consider the impact of SDOH exposures on study results and data interpretation. With valid measures of SDOH factors incorporated into study design and analyses, future toxicological research may contribute to an evidence base that can better inform prevention and treatment options, to improve equitable clinical care and population health. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Osteoclasts are the primary target for osteoporosis drug development. Recent animal studies revealed the crucial roles of osteoblasts in regulating osteoclastogenesis and the longer lifespans of osteoclasts than previously thought with fission and recycling. However, existing culture platforms are limited to replicating these newly identified cellular processes. We report a demineralized bone paper (DBP)-based osteoblast culture and osteoclast assay platform that replicates osteoclast fusion, fission, resorption, and apoptosis with high fidelity and analytical power. An osteoid-inspired DBP supports rapid and structural mineral deposition by osteoblasts. Coculture osteoblasts and bone marrow monocytes under biochemical stimulation recapitulate osteoclast differentiation and function. The DBP-based bone model allows longitudinal quantitative fluorescent monitoring of osteoclast responses to bisphosphonate drug, substantiating significantly reducing their number and lifespan. Finally, we demonstrate the feasibility of humanizing the bone model. The DBP-based osteo assay platforms are expected to advance bone remodeling-targeting drug development with improved prediction of clinical outcomes. Here, authors report demineralized bone paper-based in vitro osteogenic culture and assay platforms that replicate essential bone tissue complexity, osteoclast processes, and drug responses with high fidelity and predictive power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A structural/cross-sectional micro-analytic perspective prevails in the Socio-constructivist research of peer knowledge construction. This paper proposes an alternative micro-sequential approach that focuses on the transitions between events during the activity. From this micro-sequential perspective, the study aimed to (a) explore the socio-cognitive interaction of symmetrical dyads of sixth and seventh graders solving a table comprehension task; (b) compare this interaction between symmetrical dyads of basic and advanced levels of competence. Participants were 148 sixth and seventh graders (74 dyads) from public schools in Rosario and nearby areas (Argentina). The dyads were symmetrical because their integrants had similar specific levels of competence (comprehension of a frequencies table) but differed in basic and advanced compositions. The interaction was coded using a system of mutually exclusive and exhaustive categories. An analysis of transition probabilities was performed among all codes, to identify activated/inhibited and inter-subjective/intra-subjective sequences. Transitions between statements aimed at solving the task formed the core of interactivity, as they comprise the codes that play a greater role in the elaboration of the task (shared by both symmetrical conditions). However, only the basic symmetry dyads showed an activating effect of the social feedback units. Transitions between cognitive questions and statements were also registered. Opinion questions were the most activated (inter-subjective) compared to demonstration and evaluation questions. Although these transitions were inter-subjective, they also differed according to the condition of symmetry. The work allows drawing conclusions about the relevance of a micro-sequential approach to interaction, since these results could not have been constructed from a classical structural perspective.

Many research institutions and funders have recently stated their commitment to actively support and promote 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) in various aspects of health research including Patient and Public Involvement (PPI). However, translating this commitment into specific research projects presents significant challenges that existing approaches, practical guidelines and initiatives have not adequately addressed. In this paper, we explore how the lack of clear justifications for the EDI commitment in existing guidelines inadvertently complicates the work of those involved with PPI and we stress the need for conceptual clarity for any EDI effort to yield meaningful results. Our focus centres on the first principle of the EDI discourse, 'equality', particularly in the form of 'equality of opportunity' as outlined in current guidance provided by the National Institute of Health Research in the United Kingdom. We examine challenges related to justifying and implementing a general, unspecified commitment to equality of opportunity and explain that this reflects a lack of consensus regarding the moral value of PPI in research -- a profound problem that remains unaddressed. We then discuss how the presence of several opposing moral perspectives on PPI, makes determining the most appropriate way of addressing barriers to involvement complex and controversial, raising ethical implications for the work of health researchers, PPI specialists and coordinators. Finally we make suggestions on how future research can enrich the concept of 'equality of opportunity' in PPI and improve practice. While our primary focus is on the NIHR, a strong advocate of PPI in research, this analysis will point to normative and ethical considerations that may be relevant to other research institutions and funding organisations aiming to promote equality of opportunity in their public and patient involvement strategies.

Not only leaf cutting (imitation of damage by leaf-cutting ants, I Crematogaster i ) but also experimental fire induced more extrafloral nectaries and nectar production in new leaves, implying an adaptive response following rapid regrowth that produces tender leaves prone to be attacked by herbivores. B Marina Neves Delgado, Helena Castanheira de Morais, and Davi Rodrigo Rossatto, 37(4): 268-277 b Title: The role of leaf cutting and fire on extrafloral nectaries and nectar production in I Stryphnodendron adstringens i (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae) plants https://doi.org/10.1111/1442-1984.12373 The authors aimed to clarify the effect of leaf damage on extrafloral nectaries and nectar production (Figures 1 and 2). (b) and (c) Crematogaster ants visiting the extrafloral nectary (EFN) at the base of the petiole. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, we propose and study several inverse problems of identifying/determining unknown coefficients for a class of coupled PDE systems by measuring the average flux data on part of the underlying boundary. In these coupled systems, we mainly consider the non-negative solutions of the coupled equations, which are consistent with realistic settings in biology and ecology. There are several salient features of our inverse problem study: the drastic reduction of the measurement/observation data due to averaging effects, the nonlinear coupling of multiple equations, and the non-negative constraints on the solutions, which pose significant challenges to the inverse problems. We develop a new and effective scheme to tackle the inverse problems and achieve unique identifiability results by properly controlling the injection of different source terms to obtain multiple sets of mean flux data. The approach relies on certain monotonicity properties which are related to the intrinsic structures of the coupled PDE system. We also connect our study to biological applications of practical interest., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In this paper, we describe a dynamic-model as a strategy to teach DNA transcription and translation in an active way. This activity aims to provide learning beyond memorisation through the simulation of molecular processes, stimulating the elaboration of questions and hypotheses by students. The dynamic consists of four steps, starting with different problem situations which provide a context and encouragement to start the activity. The next steps connect these problems with DNA transcription and translation, requiring the active participation of students to simulate these processes through a construction of a model based on an iron board and representations of cellular structures, enzymes and genetic sequences fixed in magnets. An implementation experience of this dynamic, applied to 21 undergraduate veterinary students at a public university in the city of Curitiba, Paraná State, Brazil, is also described. Data from pre and post-questionnaires suggest knowledge about DNA transcription and translation was improved and some previous mistakes were clarified. Among the positive aspects that were cited by the students, the words visualisation and playful were more frequent, which reflect the didactic aspects of the dynamic. Some points of attention are discussed throughout the paper, as well as educational implications associated with the material and its potential to promote active learning.

This study is a follow-up to the analysis of an inquiry-based learning activity applied to students in a public university in Brazil. We advocate that an effective education in immunology must incorporate elements that are essential to research in the area, such as generating and analysing data. These elements would empower students to apply science reasoning to face professional challenges. Our protocol included two of these elements: experimentation and abstraction. The utmost aim was to examine the production of argument by groups engaged in three different activities: 1) performing experiments and analysing the data generated; 2) reading papers on the subject (activation of complement) prior to the activities in (1), and 3) reading papers on the subject and analysing data generated by others. Our analysis reveals that guided scientific paper presentation was more influential than performing an experiment in terms of production of complex arguments. Additionally, we found that some groups merely described the data rather than relating the obtained data to the original question that led to the experiments. The findings described herein show the importance of engaging students in procedures that actually generate knowledge and thus incorporate scientific reasoning and discourse in higher immunology education.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) project refers to experiments conducted to address problems, make improvements, or discover new things in those fields that can be tested using the scientific method. This paper describes a long-term STEM project in which pre-service science teachers (PSSTs) have a chance to discover new application fields of microalgae and use them for bio-efficacy. One of the PSSTs' projects is described in detail. This STEM project-based activity lasted for 8 weeks. In the results, a product developed by PSSTs is a cling film which has an antioxidant effect owing to microalgae and sodium alginate. Besides, this environmentally friendly product is equivalent to plastic foils used nowadays. The production processes of this cling film will be presented in detail. According to these processes, some implications for improving the product and facilitating the process will be presented at the end of the paper.

As the content knowledge of English language learners and immigrant students is assessed in their less proficient language, the validity and fairness of assessments related to those students have been widely discussed. However, such assessment issues have not received much attention in rapidly expanding bilingual education programmes, where students learn content subjects through a second/foreign/additional language (L2) and are often assessed in that language. This paper addresses this research gap by examining the mediating effect of language of testing on students' performance in content subject assessments. 387 question items in the Biology papers of a public examination in Hong Kong were analysed according to their cognitive and linguistic demands. The performance of 480 students (half taking the test in their first language and half in their L2) on the questions with different demands was then analysed with MANOVA and multiple regression. The results show that linguistic demands, especially productive linguistic demands (e.g. writing sentences and texts), had a more significant effect on the performance of students taking the test in their L2. These results underscore the role played by language in the academic achievement of bilingual education students, which in turn illuminate valid assessment design and pedagogy in these programmes.

Biology teachers hope to teach their students more than, say, the steps of aerobic respiration. They want to help students see the living world around them in new and deeper ways. Unfortunately, the living world students encounter every day--in schoolyards and forest preserves, pets and potted plants, soil fungus and sourdough bread--is too rarely brought into productive contact with the core concepts of the biology curriculum. It might be otherwise, however, if biology teachers learned to teach using natural history, field biology, and live organism study. The marginalization of natural history and fieldwork within disciplinary biology--the courses that serve as content studies for preservice teachers--has been documented. In this paper, I review evidence that biology teacher education has undergone a quiet, parallel evolution. This paper presents two suggestive case studies that explore how biology teacher education coursework and science methods textbooks have diverted attention away from direct encounters with living things and toward abstract, molecular models of life devoid of pedagogically helpful context. I suggest some reasons for this change, and finally, I argue that a renewed attention by biology teacher educators (and, of course, biology teachers) to local field study, natural history, and even investigations using model organisms may aid school biology in unlocking the transformative potential of biology education.

In 2021, one of this paper's authors conducted research to obtain a master's degree, while the other two worked as supervisors. The thesis aimed to explore the visions of pre-service biology teachers and teacher educators regarding sex education and gender diversities, recognising the relationship between those subjects and their possible tensions. In the thesis production cycle, there was an attempt to decolonise sex education in pre-service teacher education, a process of decolonising the context of academic supervision happened too. This paper illustrates the research process' particularities, especially how queering ["enfletando"] the supervision process incorporated decolonial cracks through "fleta" reflexivity.

Curriculum initiatives that provide the societal context of engineering practice can contribute to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) within the profession, as well as within the communities served by engineers. JEDI curriculum can foster diversity and inclusion by acknowledging and addressing social justice issues, providing a safe and inclusive space for students' voices to be heard, and advancing a productive dialogue within their institution of higher learning. Furthermore, such curriculum initiatives can empower students with the theoretical frameworks, analytical tools, and knowledge base to recognize and address ethical challenges and opportunities related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in their field. This Teaching Tips paper offers a description of a pilot program to incorporate JEDI material within a core bioengineering course modeled on evidence-based curriculum programs to embed ethics within technical courses. The author and collaborators sought to achieve two aims with the JEDI-focused material: (1) for students to learn how justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion intersect with bioengineering practice through an interdisciplinary lens of history, philosophy, sociology and anthropology which provide strong scholarly frameworks and theoretical foundations and (2) for students to participate in and foster an inclusive environment within their own educational institution through effectively communicating about these topics with each other. At the conclusion of the semester, a student survey indicated an overwhelmingly positive reception of the material. This paper will discuss the interdisciplinary curriculum development initiative, how the learning objectives were addressed by the specific lesson plans, and challenges to be addressed to create a sustainable educational model for the program.

The economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic since 2019 forced both public and private schools in Lebanon to close for an extended period of time. Many topics were suspended from the curriculum due to decreasing the number of learning days. The predominant causes of learning loss are lengthy gaps or cutouts in students' education. This study aims to investigate the impact of school closure on students' learning, specifically the learning loss in biology at the secondary level during the period between 2019-2022. This is a mixed research: qualitative data was collected through document analysis to compare the topics covered in biology and the official exams for grade 12-Life Science section during the last two academic years with those covered and implemented before the dual crisis; and quantitative data through teachers' questionnaire implemented to address the biology learning loss. The results revealed a huge learning loss in biology, more than 50 % of the biology program was not covered in grades 10, 11-S and 12-LS, and a decline in the quality of the official exams. Similar results were obtained in a parallel study addressing Lebanese secondary students' learning loss in mathematics. [This research was presented at ICSES conference held in Antalya between 10 and 13 November, 2022.]

Understanding genetics, an important topic in the study of biology, is critical for scientific literacy in agriculture, health, and forensic investigations. However, it has been observed that teachers find genetics difficult to teach and pupils do not perform well in it. Teachers can use expository teaching or active learning methods, but the secondary school curriculum in Malawi advocates the latter. The aim of this study was to find out how genetics is taught and how teachers justify their choice of method. This study used a multi-case design involving six teachers and observed their Mendelian genetics lessons and asked them to justify their choice of teaching method. The findings show that teachers mostly use expository methods utilizing lecture and question and answer teaching techniques. Contextual factors such as large classes, limited teaching time, and lack of resources were cited as reasons for their choice of expository techniques. In addition, they said that the topic was abstract and learners could not construct their own understanding. Furthermore, they indicated that they did not know what activities to arrange for the learners. The paper discusses the difficulties experienced in implementing active learning methods in teaching genetics and recommends possible avenues for teacher education and further research in Malawi.

In this paper, we describe the transition of all five course-sections of General Biology Laboratory I from "cookbook" surveys of taxonomic domains and kingdoms to course-based undergraduate research experiences that champion inquiry-based learning in "real world" environments. We achieved this by scaling-up lessons from a research-focused pilot section refined over three years to blend instruction with collaboration with community partners seamlessly. In terms of outcomes, students share data analyses directly with community partners, present posters at research conferences, publish research findings, and use project findings to successfully compete for placement in advanced summer research programs. This course structure benefits the students, the community partners, and the instructor. The community partners, in turn, are provided with free scientific consultations that advance data-driven strategies and empower adaptive management of localized environmental issues. The instructor benefits from the opportunity to contribute their unique disciplinary expertise toward the collaborative design and shared success of a modular course.

Governance and regulation of the use of live animals in research and teaching is examined in Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan and India. A comparison of the systems in different countries will enable the determination of best practice and fit-forpurpose regulation. The most comprehensive government regulation of animal welfare in institutions covers a broad range of animals and institutions are required to have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, whose membership is specified in guidelines or regulations. The work of the Committees is rigorously overseen by government and facilities that use live animals are audited externally. All countries examined have legislation governing the use of live animals in research, although only Australia and Malaysia have a fully equivalent mandated oversight of teaching. Teaching that uses live animals is partly covered in the Philippines, Japan, Singapore and Thailand This paper thus aims to review the regulation of animal use in different Asian jurisdictions in order to determine best practices that are appropriate to those settings. The most comprehensive oversight is provided in Australia and Malaysia that essentially use the same regulatory framework.

Nearly one in five pupils in OECD nations do not possess the fundamental knowledge and abilities necessary to get by in today's communities (OECD, 2019), which is a sign of exclusion. There is an unfairness in that students from low socioeconomic origins are twice as likely to be low performers, suggesting that social or personal factors prevent them from fulfilling their educational potential. This study intends to investigate the achievement of the 21st Century Biology Skills Test (21CBST) and to compare it to students' level of socio-economic status. The result (TIMSS) (2015) revealed that Indonesian students failed to achieve minimum standards in Science and Mathematics, with 33.3% achievement in science and 35% in mathematics for content domain and 33,3% in the cognitive domain. Comprising 37 multiple choice items, the 21st Century Biology Skills Test (21C-BST) includes representatives from five domains which are; i) Digital Age Literacy, ii) Inventive Thinking, iii) Effective Communication, iv) High Productivity, and v) Religion, Health and Civic. The respondents comprised 210 form students who took biology subject in school. The study revealed that students from high socio-economic status scored higher than their counterparts from low socioeconomic status. This paper concludes with some practical suggestions for improving students' 21st-century skills, particularly within the context of biology teaching and learning.

For plant identification in school biology, many digital and analogue identification methods have been developed to make this demanding and little motivating process more student-orientated. In this experimental field study, we examine two empirically developed tools: the digital identification app "ID-Logics' and the paper-based key, generated by the online platform 'Eikes Baumschule'. In line with Self-Determination Theory (SDT), an evaluation study with 251 students was conducted to investigate the effect of both tools on students' intrinsic motivation. The results of the study were unexpected, as the different media regarding the SDT did not present themselves as projected: While both tools influence students' intrinsic motivation positively, each displays specific effects regarding enjoyment, perceived competence, and perceived autonomy. Taking these effects into account, each tool under investigation offers different advantages and disadvantages for plant identification in the field. The resulting opportunities and challenges, for plant identification, of both tools are discussed critically against the background of SDT, and future directions for research on intrinsic motivation in the context of species identification are mapped. Furthermore, this study shed light on the process of species identification and thus indicates recommendations for practical use in biology lessons.

The use of drawing as an assessment tool to reveal students' conceptions in biology specifically on human organs and organ systems is not new, however, there is a deficit in the literature that attempted to explore and reflect on its usefulness and relevance specifically, in eliciting students' preconceptions related thereto. Making use of a convergent mixed methods design, this paper presents the first phase of a sequential study on the development and implementation of a teaching sequence on human organ systems, that is the use of drawing in aggregating preconceptions on human organs and organ systems from among 138 pre-service teachers. The drawings underwent content and thematic analysis informed by the level of the biological quality of drawings. Results showed that a great majority of the participants possess limited and inconsistent conceptions that needed to be addressed systematically. Taking into consideration the purpose of eliciting and nature of students' preconceptions, as well as the inherent strengths and limitations of drawing as a tool for assessment, a reflection on the relevance of drawing as a tool in eliciting students' preconceptions is provided.

Addressing the challenges facing society and the world will require an understanding of the biases and limitations of science. To combat these challenges, here, we advocate for the incorporation of ideologically aware (IA) material into postsecondary biology curricula. IA materials communicate to students how biases, assumptions, and stereotypes inform approaches to and outcomes of science. By engaging with IA materials, student awareness of the impact of science on social problems is expected to increase. In this paper, we situate this IA approach with two other pedagogical approaches that incorporate societally relevant content: culturally relevant pedagogy and socioscientific issues. We then call for research to test ways of supporting instructor implementation of IA material, to evaluate the impact of IA topics on student academic and sociopsychological outcomes, and to explore how to implement IA material in different cultural and social settings. Throughout, we focus on IA topics in the context of postsecondary biology classrooms but encourage the incorporation of IA materials across scientific disciplines and educational settings. Our hope is that greater inclusion of IA materials will create more transparent, scientifically accurate, and inclusive classrooms.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the current situation of education for sustainable development, climate change education and environmental education in a nationwide context. Methodologically, this study calls for more research to go beyond case studies and take a similar approach to examine university curricula and facilitate cross-country comparisons. Design/methodology/approach: This paper examines the status of climate and sustainability curricula in Taiwan's higher education system. Using the course catalog for the 2020-2021 academic year, the authors constructed a unique data set that includes 1,827 courses at 29 major universities in Taiwan. In each institution, the authors search for course titles that include "climate," "sustainable/sustainability" and "environment/environmental" as keywords and code the courses according to their disciplines. Findings: The finding highlights the variations across institutional types and subject matters. Public universities have an average of 4.94 related courses per 1,000 students, whereas private universities have only 3.13. In general, the relevant courses are more concentrated in the STEM and bioscience fields. The curricula, however, are seriously constrained by the disciplinary structure and foster few transdisciplinary perspectives. Originality/value: The authors seek to go beyond case studies and offer one of the most comprehensive curricula samples at the national level. Taiwan adds an important data point, as the current literature focuses heavily on the USA and Europe.

Purpose: This paper presents two educational gamified virtual labs and investigates different methods of including gamified elements in virtual labs used for teaching. The purpose of this study is to investigate if immersive gamified virtual labs can be used as effective pedagogical tools by properly incorporating them into higher education curricula to assist low-risk active learning and student engagement. Design/methodology/approach: This research design comprises two gamified virtual labs including nine essential experiments of biology and chemistry integrated into the higher education curriculum of the Foundation of Science at an international University. Students filled in a survey after participating in the lab to shed light on appropriate ways of using gamification approaches in virtual labs. Findings: From the predominant findings of the study, gamified virtual labs increase student involvement thereby enhancing knowledge development with active learning and may be a potentially suitable pedagogical tool for low-risk interactive learning. Research limitations/implications: Limitations of the study include findings based on gamified virtual labs but not comparing the gamified virtual labs to simple virtual simulations to further investigate the pedagogical approach and understand the student perceptions in a simple virtual simulation and a gamified virtual lab. Practical implications: The findings of this study will provide evidence that gamified virtual labs integrated into higher education curricula as supplementary tools for laboratory experimentation improve the educational delivery process. Originality/value: This research highlights an appropriate way of integrating 3D virtual labs into practical curricula while discussing the benefits.

Providing hands-on practical education without access to laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic has required creativity and innovation. In this paper, co-authored by academic staff and students, we describe an at-home mobile phone-based 'spectrophotometer' experiment used in an introductory undergraduate biology course. Using colour picker apps, a smartphone can be used to quantify concentration, which was used to compare the strengths of different brands of tea. The protocol is designed to be low-cost and safe to perform outside of a laboratory. Students used the methods to learn important biochemical methods such as preparing dilutions, constructing calibration curves, normalising data and testing a hypothesis. We reflect on the experience of developing and using the protocol from a staff and student perspective, which highlights the advantages of this approach in terms of student independence and inclusivity. We also suggest alternative experiments that could be performed using the protocol. We encourage biology educators to think creatively about the possibilities for using mobile phones or at-home experiments in their teaching. Our experience suggests that at-home experiments like this protocol will have value even after the pandemic is over, particularly in terms of inclusivity.

Learning Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in an online medium can be difficult and tedious. Lengthy facts with technical terms, complex images, and explanations are among the reasons that make STEM subjects less desirable among the current generation and degrade the students' learning experience. Students can be assisted with learning applications that are not only mobile but also integrated with features that are enjoyable to trigger students' interest in STEM. Game elements and augmented reality (AR) are two technologies that are capable of improving students' learning experience. However, there are limited guidelines for designing mobile learning applications that are based on game elements and AR. Moreover, the existing guidelines mostly focus on usability but not the overall learning experience. Therefore, this paper aims to design a model of a mobile learning application that integrates AR and game elements to improve the student learning experience. The model consists of three elements; content, pedagogy/technology, and interaction that was initially verified by the subject matter experts. A mobile application prototype called m-BioP was developed based on the model and tested heuristically. A complete version of m-BioP was evaluated in an experimental study with 30 respondents using the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). Respondents were biology students aged between 16 and 23 years that were recruited by purposive sampling. The results were positive on almost all features of m-BioP with values higher than 0.8 on the pragmatic and hedonic scale, thus approving the developed model. Based on the evaluation, the only aspect that requires improvement is the design of the videos. The model can be used by academicians and learning content creators as a guideline to design and develop mobile learning applications that are able to provide STEM students with a better learning experience.

Tumor Biology, owned by the International Society of Oncology and BioMarkers and currently published by IOS Press, lost its Clarivate impact factor of 3.650 in 2017. It has been plagued by over 100 retractions due to paper mills (including a batch of 15 papers published between 2014 and 2016 that were retracted at the end of 2021), faked peer reviews, and forged research. According to PubMed, the number of papers published by Tumor Biology has been reduced to a mere trickle, dropping from 707 in 2017 to 66 in 2018. It is unclear how Tumor Biology will be able to recover from such disastrous reputational damage and whether there is even merit in continuing its publication. Other journals for cancer and oncology research would do well to observe this case closely and learn from its mistakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent calls to reform undergraduate biology education, including Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education, have led biology departments to examine their curriculum to determine the extent to which it aligns with Vision and Change content and competency recommendations. The recently released BioSkills Guide translates the broad Vision and Change core competencies into more specific program-level learning outcomes (LOs). A curriculum map may be used to evaluate a curriculum by examining where content and skills are taught. This map can then be used to determine how well the curriculum that is actually taught aligns with the planned curriculum (a set of LOs). The Western Washington University Biology Department used a new curriculum mapping tool, the BioSkills Curriculum Survey, to examine the extent to which Vision and Change core competencies and BioSkills LOs were taught in our courses. Instructors completed the survey for every course they taught in the last two years, enabling us to gather data on competency and LO coverage and assessment across our curriculum. We answered questions about where in the curriculum competencies and LOs were taught, how different instructors teaching the same course taught LOs, the extent to which different LOs were assessed, and how teaching LOs differed in different degree tracks and different course levels. For a subset of courses, students also completed a modified survey to determine how students' perceptions of skills coverage matched instructor's perceptions. One main finding was that we taught Science and Society LOs less than others and, when taught, we did not often assess them. We also found that students' perceptions of competency teaching did not align well with instructors' perceptions. The data were used to make informed decisions about ongoing curriculum revisions. This paper illustrates the questions that can be answered using this mapping tool for competencies and we offer recommendations about how a department can take a data-driven approach to curriculum reform.

Collaborative learning increases student achievement of learning outcomes in a wide range of disciplines, including the natural sciences, and is a hallmark of authentic assessment. To help students collaborate more effectively, I have used Google Docs, a free, online word-processing program accessible using almost any internet-connected device. Assessments that include real-world application problems are composed in Google Docs and shared with students via links. Google Docs has proven to be more efficient than pencil-and-paper assessment, encourages greater collaboration within student groups than is possible with tools embedded in a learning management system, and provides opportunities to give students just-in-time instruction and examine student metacognition, all of which are foundational for authentic assessment. Post-assessment grading is rapid, and corrected documents with instructor feedback can be easily shared with students. Students have adapted readily to the platform and have learned on their own how to use the software beyond my original conception. I describe how I have used Google Docs successfully in a molecular biology course, offer considerations for grading and distributing corrections, and report on students' perceptions of the assessments themselves.

Racial bias in research impacts a study's relevancy, validity and reliability, though presently this aspect is not addressed in critical appraisal tools, and consequently appraisers may not take racial bias into account when assessing a paper's quality. Drawing on critical race theory (CRT) tenets that racism is ubiquitous and race a social construct, this paper discusses concerns regarding racism in research which have been broadly divided into two categories for critical appraisers to consider: the underrepresentation of minoritised ethnic groups in health studies, especially where minoritised populations see higher rates of disease occurrence and; the utilisation of racial/ethnicity data to interpret disparities in outcomes, including speculation of biological race, the misinterpretation of genetic ancestry as race, and the lack of investigation into social determinants of health, including systemic, institutional and interpersonal forms of racism. The injustices exposed in this paper impact the health of minoritised ethnic groups and are therefore a Black Lives Matter issue. They risk resurrecting dangerous theories regarding biological inferiority among minoritised ethnic populations, as well as hindering study findings. The application of CRT frameworks in health science research quality appraisal is discussed in relation to the above themes--using largely UK-based contexts with supporting examples from the US--followed by recommendations for critically appraising for antiracism. Further information to support critically appraising for antiracism can be found via https://www.criticallyappraisingantiracism.org/.

Purpose: The present paper aims to examine the concept of "plant blindness" in the context of current sustainability debates. "Plant blindness" was the term introduced in 1999 by the botanists and educators James H Wandersee and Elisabeth E Schussler to describe what they saw as a pervasive insensitivity to the green environment and a general neglect of plants on the part of biology education. Design/methodology/approach: The fundamental importance of plants for life on Earth and the socio-educational challenges of redacted awareness of this importance are considered. Also, the diverse physiological, psychological, philosophical, cultural and geopolitical origins and consequences of indifference to plants in relation to aspects of sustainability agendas are examined with special reference to education. Findings: An examination of the outcomes of a range of research and practical initiatives reveals how multidisciplinary approaches to education and public engagement have the potential to address the challenge of "plant blindness". The need for these opportunities to be reflected in curriculums is not widely appreciated, and the socio-economic forces of resistance to confronting plant neglect continue to be formidable. Originality/value: Plant blindness is a relatively new field of research, and the full breadth of its implications are only gradually becoming apparent. If the present paper contributes to positioning plants as an essential element in sustainability education and practice, it will have met its objective.

Recently, the new global policy framework for implementing education for sustainable development (ESD) -- "ESD for 2030" -- was launched officially. Drawing on Foucauldian theory, this paper explores biopolitical elements in "ESD for 2030." The paper contributes to previous research on ESD policy by employing a biopolitical perspective, and by highlighting problematic aspects of the framework's will to include and to adapt to different contexts. The analysis brings attention to the framework's notions of life and to how different human populations are separated. Furthermore, the analysis of the framework demonstrates how notions of transformative pedagogy, community, and the individual, assume the functions of biopolitical techniques. The findings point to a biopolitical differentiation where rich and poor populations are assumed to need different educational interventions, adapted to their socio-economic contexts, in the global educational policy quest for sustainable development. Ultimately, we consider the potential of Foucauldian ethics as an affirmative alternative to the current mode of biopolitical differentiation in global ESD policy.

This paper introduces a course design for a post-Calculus undergraduate course on mathematical modeling for the life sciences. The course includes differential equations, discrete, and cellular automata approaches (among others) to modeling questions in the life sciences, as well as a variety of biological topics. The course focuses on model set-up and revision for these different scenarios and approaches as well as contemporary science approaches. Changes in student ranking of biology and math as well as student feedback are included. This paper may be of interest to any faculty member designing or revising a similar course or inserting modules on these topics into any related course.

Analogies are bridges between prior knowledge and new knowledge to make meaning of the new one. Analogies are particularly effective in teaching science concepts that are not very apparent in the students' everyday lives due to their abstract nature. For this reason, it is essential to adapt analogies to teach new concepts effectively in science education. Analogy-related studies published between 2009 and 2020 were examined in this manuscript to determine the use of analogies as a teaching technique in science education (Physics, Chemistry, Biology). To reach the studies about "Analogy," ERIC, EBSCO, Springer LINK, Taylor & Francis, Wiley Online Library Full Collection, Science Direct, ProQuest Dissertations, Theses Global, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases were searched. Then, Turkish databases, including ULAKBIM and YÖK (National Thesis Center), were also searched. A total of 80 research papers published between 2009 and 2020 that met the study's criteria were examined. Within the scope of the study, the subject areas, purpose, sample, results, and suggestions of compiled analogy studies were focused on. Based on the analysis, it was determined that most of the analogy research was conducted in the field of chemistry, the most employed methodology was qualitative research, and the most common purpose of these studies was to see the effects on academic achievement. When the studies were conducted to examine academic achievement, it was seen that the use of analogy applications as a teaching technique in science teaching has positive results on student achievement.

Textbooks can have a fundamental and positive effect on both learning and teaching. As such, in order to understand how students structure concepts in their minds, it is necessary to analyze the structure in which those concepts presented in textbooks are described. This study examined a network of concepts used in the domain of biotechnology in the Iranian 12th grade biology textbook and investigated the alignment of science concepts used in its sub-domains. The findings of this study suggest that too many concepts, as well as unconnected ones, were used in biotechnology domain, which led to a complicated conceptual network. Therefore, this paper recommends that the number of biology concepts described in the later text books in the biotechnology domain at Iranian high schools should be reduced in order to facilitate a better formation of connections between concepts and their descriptions.

The paper is about a study that investigated how the integration of assessment for learning enhances learning achievement among secondary school biology students in Tanzania. A quasi-experimental design involving pre-test and post-test of non-equivalent control and experimental groups was used to ascertain how the integration of assessment for learning into teaching and learning processes enhances students' learning achievement. Two boarding secondary schools located in the suburbs of Dar Es Salaam were selected. Students in the two schools had maintained equivalent performances in national examinations in previous years. The results showed that the students taught using teaching and learning processes integrating assessment for learning outperformed those taught using conventional approaches. The integration of assessment for learning is likely to have contributed to the higher learning achievement in the experimental group. The study contributes to our understanding of how teachers in resource-constrained classrooms can integrate assessment for learning techniques into their day-to-day lessons, thereby harnessing the power of assessment to enhance learning and raise standards.

The nature of science describes what science is, how it works, and its interactions with society under the perspectives of philosophy, history, sociology, and psychology of science. Understanding it is an essential aspect of scientific literacy. Given the critical role that school textbooks hold, considering what is taught and how it is taught in schools, we find the presence of the nature of science in school science textbooks to be significant. In this research paper, all Greek biology textbooks of lower secondary education are analysed to evaluate whether principal elements of the nature of science can be found in them. The whole array of educational resources available (textbooks, workbooks, lab guides, teachers' books) was analysed as well as the corresponding official biology curricula. Content analysis was the method of choice, and the 'meaning unit' was the unit of analysis. We found that most of the nature of science references in the material that students were taught in 2021/22 was implicit and not especially designed by the curriculum. Some nature of science aspects were more commonly found (e.g., evidence is vital in science) than others (e.g., science has limits). The most opportunities for the nature of science to be introduced were found in history of science vignettes, laboratory activities, and some optional inquiry activities. However, without a structured design from the curriculum, it is the teachers' responsibility to design and facilitate nature of science instruction (or not). We conclude that lacking explicit references, the nature of science falls into the hidden curriculum and becomes falsely depicted, enforcing a positivist image of science.

This paper analyses the opportunities for presenting knowledge that are created when assessment allows senior high school biology students to draw on linguistic and visual resources when constructing meaning in response to short-answer examination-style questions requiring a sequential explanation. Students within one senior high school biology class were given the opportunity to respond to an examination-style question through both written and visual representations. Analysis of the student responses for high and middle-achieving students, from a systemic functional linguistics perspective, indicates that high-achieving students use a broader range of grammatical forms more often than middle-achieving students to present key understandings of classification and composition within both written and visual representations. Including opportunities within assessment for students to express knowledge through written and visual representations allows for students to elaborate within their short-answer responses and to construct the broader range of representations that is valued within the discipline, but explicit guidance is required to support all students to make use of the complex grammatical patterns within written and visual representation. For senior high school biology students to be successful in the final stages of schooling, explicitness about the complex grammars of visual and written representations is required within curriculum and pedagogy.