Search

There is a contemporary trend in many major research institutions to de‐emphasize the importance of natural history education in favor of theoretical, laboratory, or simulation‐based research programs. This may take the form of removing biodiversity and field courses from the curriculum and the sometimes subtle maligning of natural history research as a "lesser" branch of science. Additional threats include massive funding cuts to natural history museums and the maintenance of their collections, the extirpation of taxonomists across disciplines, and a critical under‐appreciation of the role that natural history data (and other forms of observational data, including Indigenous knowledge) play in the scientific process. In this paper, we demonstrate that natural history knowledge is integral to any competitive science program through a comprehensive review of the ways in which they continue to shape modern theory and the public perception of science. We do so by reviewing how natural history research has guided the disciplines of ecology, evolution, and conservation and how natural history data are crucial for effective education programs and public policy. We underscore these insights with contemporary case studies, including: how understanding the dynamics of evolutionary radiation relies on natural history data; methods for extracting novel data from museum specimens; insights provided by multi‐decade natural history programs; and how natural history is the most logical venue for creating an informed and scientifically literate society. We conclude with recommendations aimed at students, university faculty, and administrators for integrating and supporting natural history in their mandates. Fundamentally, we are all interested in understanding the natural world, but we can often fall into the habit of abstracting our research away from its natural contexts and complexities. Doing so risks losing sight of entire vistas of new questions and insights in favor of an over‐emphasis on simulated or overly controlled studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Neurology residency programmes, which were first established at the beginning of the 20th century, have become mandatory all over Europe in the last 40–50 years. The first European Training Requirements in Neurology (ETRN) were published in 2005 and first updated in 2016. This paper reports the most recent revisions of the ETRN. Methods: Members of the EAN board performed an in depth revision of the ETNR 2016‐version, which was reviewed by members of the European Board and Section of Neurology of the UEMS, the Education and Scientific Panels, the Resident and Research Fellow Section and the Board of the EAN, as well as the presidents of the 47 European National Societies. Results: The new (2022) ETRN suggest a 5‐year training subdivided in three phases: a first phase (2 years) of general neurology training, a second phase (2 years) of training in neurophysiology/neurological subspecialties and a third phase (1 year) to expand clinical training (e.g., in other neurodisciplines) or for research (path for clinical neuroscientist). The necessary theoretical and clinical competences as well as learning objectives in diagnostic tests have been updated, are newly organized in four levels and include 19 neurological subspecialties. Finally, the new ETRN require, in addition to a programme director, a team of clinician‐educators who regularly review the resident's progress. The 2022 update of the ETRN reflects emerging requirements for the practice of neurology and contributes to the international standardization of training necessary for the increasing needs of residents and specialists across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic prompted a transition to remote delivery of courses that lack immersive hands‐on research experiences for undergraduate science students, resulting in a scientific research skills gap. In this report, we present an option for an inclusive and authentic, hands‐on research experience that all students can perform off‐campus. Biology students in a semester‐long (13 weeks) sophomore plant physiology course participated in an at‐home laboratory designed to study the impacts of nitrogen addition on growth rates and root nodulation by wild nitrogen‐fixing Rhizobia in Pisum sativum (Pea) plants. This undergraduate research experience, piloted in the fall semester of 2020 in a class with 90 students, was created to help participants learn and practice scientific research skills during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Specifically, the learning outcomes associated with this at‐home research experience were: (1) generate a testable hypothesis, (2) design an experiment to test the hypothesis, (3) explain the importance of biological replication, (4) perform meaningful statistical analyses using R, and (5) compose a research paper to effectively communicate findings to a general biology audience. Students were provided with an at‐home laboratory kit containing the required materials and reagents, which were chosen to be accessible and affordable in case students were unable to access our laboratory kit. Students were guided through all aspects of research, including hypothesis generation, data collection, and data analysis, with video tutorials and live virtual sessions. This at‐home laboratory provided students an opportunity to practice hands‐on research with the flexibility to collect and analyze their own data in a remote setting during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This, or similar laboratories, could also be used as part of distance learning biology courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the third in a five-part series on the clinical and translational science educational pipeline, and it focuses on strategies for enhancing graduate research education to improve skills for interdisciplinary team science. Although some of the most cutting edge science takes place at the borders between disciplines, it is widely perceived that advancements in clinical and translational science are hindered by the "siloed" efforts of researchers who are comfortable working in their separate domains, and reluctant to stray from their own discipline when conducting research. Without appropriate preparation for career success as members and leaders of interdisciplinary teams, talented scientists may choose to remain siloed or to leave careers in clinical and translational science all together, weakening the pipeline and depleting the future biomedical research workforce. To address this threat, it is critical to begin at what is perhaps the most formative moment for academics: graduate training. This paper focuses on designs for graduate education, and contrasts the methods and outcomes from traditional educational approaches with those skills perceived as essential for the workforce of the future, including the capacity for research collaboration that crosses disciplinary boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking an entirely different modelling approach to Cameron et al. ([1]), Lapeyrolerie and Boettiger ([11]) consider uncertainty estimation with deep learning methods in the context of forecasting abrupt changes in ecosystem dynamics (i.e. critical transitions). Synthesizing forecasts to inform decision-making and advance ecological theory Deep neural network models have become a popular method in the last decade for making point forecasts of ecological time series because they preclude making errant prior assumptions about the data by automatically learning temporal dependencies (Makridakis et al., [14]). Since the inception of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1988, there has been growing scientific consensus that humans have modified the Earth's environment and that human decisions have the potential to mitigate or exacerbate the effects of future global change (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, [10]). [Extracted from the article]

Research suggests that there are immediate benefits from knowledge breadth for creativity - even scientists just at the beginning of their academic journey should benefit from developing expertise in additional domains (Mannucci & Yong, [8]). In this commentary, Sonne-Hansen and colleagues argue that research leaders and organizations should encourage more "theory-guessing" by budding young scientists, rather than incentivizing safe mainstream research. In the late 1960s, Thomas Brock, a microbiologist from Cleveland, and his undergraduate student Hudson Freeze conducted research in Yellowstone National Park. From a sample of pink bacteria collected from Mushroom Spring, Brock and his student isolated a prokaryotic organism thriving at 70°C, which they named I Thermus aquaticus - i after the Greek word for "hot" and the Latin for "water.". [Extracted from the article]

Engaging school students in wildlife research through citizen science projects can be a win–win for scientists and educators. Not only does it provide a way for scientists to gather new data, but it can also contribute to science education and help younger generations become more environmentally aware. However, wildlife research can be challenging in the best of circumstances, and there are few guidelines available to help scientists create successful citizen science projects for school students. This paper explores the opportunities and challenges faced when developing school‐based citizen science projects in wildlife research by synthesising two sources of information. First, we conducted a small, school‐based citizen science project that investigated the effects of supplementary feeding on urban birds as a case study. Second, we reviewed the literature to develop a database of school‐based citizen science projects that address questions in wildlife ecology and conservation. Based on these activities, we present five lessons for scientists considering a school‐based citizen science project. Overall, we found that school‐based citizen science projects must be carefully designed to ensure reliable data are collected, students remain engaged, and the project is achievable under the logistical constraints presented by conducting wildlife research in a school environment. Ultimately, we conclude that school‐based citizen science projects can be a powerful way of collecting wildlife data while also contributing to the education and development of environmentally aware students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Burn and scald injuries are the fourth most common type of trauma. Pediatric burns account for a high proportion of the total number of burn patients and impose a high burden on public health. Understanding the epidemiology of pediatric burns can help improve science education and reduce the incidence of burn injuries. Methods: This study is a single‐center retrospective study. One thousand five hundred and twenty‐seven pediatric burn patients admitted to our burn center from January 2016 to December 2020 were included. Demographic and epidemiological data of included patients were extracted and analyzed. The correlations of categorical data were tested by the Chi‐square tests, and differences of continuous data were tested by the Kruskal–Wallis tests. A p‐value of less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The results showed that children under 3 years of age were most susceptible to burn and scald injuries. Burn injuries were most likely to occur in the season of winter and at the place of home. 56.6% of included patients did receive first aid measures, while 1.8% received gold‐standard first aid. Clinical variables related to the severity of injuries were statistically different between patients with and without cooling measures in first aid. Linear regression models showed that emergency treatment of burns in children and adolescents was associated with outcome indicators, including number of operations, total operation duration per total burn surface area (TBSA), cost per TBSA, and length of stay per TBSA. Conclusions: This study summarized the epidemiology and outcomes of pediatric burn patients admitted to a burn center in northern China. Adopting cooling measures in first aid can reduce the severity of injuries and reduce the burden on the medical system. Education on burn prevention and first aid measures to caregivers of children, especially preschool children, should be strengthened. Key points: Understanding the epidemiology of pediatric burns can help improve science education and reduce the incidence of burn injuries.This study aimed to analyze epidemiological and clinical variables of pediatric burn patients in a burn center in northern China.Children under 3 years of age were most susceptible to burn and scald injuries.Burn injuries in pediatric patients were most likely to occur in the season of winter and at the place of home.Adopting cooling measures in first aid can reduce the severity of burn injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In theory, STEM (interdisciplinary science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is cross‐disciplinary and situated in real‐world problem‐solving contexts. In practice, STEM disciplines are often implemented separately using contrived contexts. This paper examines theoretical and empirical aspects of Montessori middle school science in the United States, and its alignment with the conceptual framework of integrated STEM. We selected Montessori adolescent environments because the Montessori philosophy involves interdisciplinary application contextualized in purposeful work and learning. Our research sought to investigate how Montessori middle schools have designed their science programs, and to situate these findings within the current landscape of STEM education and reform‐based science. Based on the results of our survey of 96 U.S. Montessori middle schools, we argue Montessori offers an integrated educational approach that meaningfully situates academic disciplines to mirror local and global challenges, well supported by theory and literature on STEM and situated learning theories. We assert that integrated STEM happens organically in many Montessori middle schools, and takes place through authentic work in communities of practice. Our research communicates the value of looking outside traditional school settings to examine alternative formal education spaces, like Montessori classrooms where integrated STEM happens organically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Davor Jurkovic is an internationally recognized expert in gynecological and early-pregnancy ultrasound, as well as in the surgical outpatient management of early-pregnancy complications. In Zagreb, Davor was one of the first to publish on the use of color Doppler in gynecology. [Extracted from the article]

Ecology lags among STEM disciplines in terms of recruiting and retaining undergraduate students from marginalized groups. A keystone element of many ecologists' training is an emphasis on field experiences at the undergraduate level, such as field research courses (FRCs), which involve undergraduates in research. FRCs and similar field experiences common in ecology (e.g., field technician position, thesis research) have been shown to increase feelings of self‐efficacy and belonging in students who engage with them, including students in marginalized groups. However, the design and implementation of many FRCs and other field experiences create barriers that prevent or limit successful engagement with marginalized students. Here, we present an established FRC model designed to decrease barriers to participation and propose strategies for assessing the success of such FRCs. We decreased many of these barriers by developing a sophomore‐level, one‐weekend, required FRC held at an ADA‐compliant research learning center in a national park at little‐to‐no cost to students. We review instruments useful for assessing the diverse positive outcomes of field experiences and present preliminary analysis for our course model, showing this course increases students' research self‐efficacy and sense of belonging. We believe that this course is a positive example of how intentionality in course design can generate a more equitable experience for students of ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides concise summaries of various scientific studies on a wide range of topics, including genetic diseases, biosensor systems, drug development, therapeutic targets, defense responses in plants, and more. The studies offer valuable insights into their respective fields and were conducted in different countries. For example, one study explores the potential use of microRNAs as a treatment for intracellular infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, while another study analyzes pathogenic transthyretin variants associated with genetic amyloidosis. Additionally, the document highlights innovative educational approaches, such as an undergraduate course that integrates UN Sustainable Development Goals and critical thinking, as well as an online biochemistry course for medical students using case studies. [Extracted from the article]

This document provides a schedule of plenary lectures covering a range of topics in biology and biochemistry, offering valuable insights for researchers in these fields. It also discusses various topics related to biochemistry and genetics, providing insights into potential applications in medicine and biotechnology. The text explores research on cellular organelles, the role of RNA molecules in the brain, and the development of biosensors for environmental monitoring. The study on the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on obesity and neurodegeneration using zebrafish as a model found that BPA induced obesity in the zebrafish and affected their brain function, suggesting a possible link between BPA exposure, obesity, and neurodegenerative diseases. [Extracted from the article]

It has been well documented that for many students science is difficult to learn. Thus, as a food chemistry teacher, it has been my mission to continually search for and implement better ways to help my students learn chemistry. One strategy for improved learning, based on Johnstone's Triangle, that has been shown to be exceedingly effective, is to intentionally and explicitly provide students with opportunities to see and experience chemistry at the macroscopic level (things they can observe), so that they can make a more meaningful and lasting connection to the molecular level (things they cannot directly observe). Thus, the focus of this article is to share with you six demonstrations and one assignment that help make chemistry visible to students, providing them with a macromolecular manifestation of a molecular level property or event. Featured demonstrations are grouped into two categories: The Properties of Water Demonstrations (Water's #1 Superpower: Hydrogen Bonding) and The Phase Transitions of Water Demonstrations (Water's #2 Superpower: Shapeshifting). The assignment is modeled after the popular Unwrapped TV series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical linear models have become a familiar method for accounting for a hierarchical data structure in studies of science and mathematics achievement. This paper illustrates the use of cross-classified random effects models (CCREMs), which are likely less familiar. The defining characteristic of CCREMs is a hierarchical data structure defined by multiple random factors at higher levels. We illustrate CCREMs using data for approximately 10,000 students from more than 250 high schools who attended one of 27 four-year postsecondary institutions. The appropriate use of CCREMs helps to ensure unbiased estimates of effects and credible inferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the use of machine‐learning (ML) models for pharmacokinetic (PK) modeling has grown significantly. Although most of the current approaches use ML techniques as black boxes, there are only a few that have proposed interpretable architectures which integrate mechanistic knowledge. In this work, we use as the test case a one‐compartment PK model using a scientific machine learning (SciML) framework and consider learning an unknown absorption using neural networks, while simultaneously estimating other parameters of drug distribution and elimination. We generate simulated data with different sampling strategies to show that our model can accurately predict concentrations in extrapolation tasks, including new dosing regimens with different sparsity levels, and produce reliable forecasts even for new patients. By using a scenario of fitting PK data with complex absorption, we demonstrate that including known physiological structure into an SciML model allows us to obtain highly accurate predictions while preserving the interpretability of classical compartmental models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory science, a complex field which draws on science, law, and policy, is a growing discipline in medical-related applications. Competencies help define both a discipline and the criteria to measure high-quality learning experiences. This paper identifies competencies for regulatory science, how they were developed, and broader recommendations to enhance education and training in this burgeoning field, including a multifaceted training approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perhaps they will start you on a path to deliberately broaden your communications bandwidth. For a multitude of reasons, water-related problems are already core considerations of climate change. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Troilite (FeS) is the most common sulfide mineral which presented in meteorites of different types. Troilite is an important mineral for the investigation of shock metamorphism in meteorites. Its spectral properties are sensitive to the space weathering of planetary bodies, as well as to the shock or thermal history of the matter [1]. In the present work we discuss of a troilite macro- and microstructure characterization by the means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Х-ray spectroscopy. Materials and Methods: Small samples of ordinary chondrites Chelyabinsk (LL5, S4, W0), Northwest Africa 869 (L4-6, S3, W1), Tsarev (L5), Ravar (H4, S1, W3), Kharabali (H5, S2, W1) and Marsa Alam 009 (H6, S3, W3) were powdered at the agate mortar. Then troilite grains were isolated from the powders using a method of magnetic separation. Polished sections of meteorites were studied by scanning electron microscopy using ΣIGMA VP (Carl Zeiss) with EDS X-max 80 (Oxford Instruments). The phase composition of the meteorite samples and structural parameters of troilite were investigated using diffractometer Bruker D8 Advance (Bruker) with the monochromatic Сo Kα radiation. Their chemical composition was determined by the WDXRF spectrometer Supermini 200 (Rigaku). Results and discussion: From the data on the phase composition of the before mentioned ordinary chondrites, it was noted that troilite was presented in all the samples. The parameters of the unit cell for FeS phase were determined as following: Chelyabinsk - «a» = 5.954 (2) Å, «c» = 11.517 (1) Å, V = 353.638 (1) ų; NWA 869 - «a» = 5.995 (3) Å, «c» = 11.448 (1) Å, V = 356.382 (5) ų; Tsarev - «a» = 5.953 (2) Å, «c» = 11.500 (6) Å, V = 352.96 (3) ų; Ravar - «a» = 5.958 (3) Å, «c» = 11.515 (1) Å, V = 354.03 (4) ų; Kharabali - «a» = 5.964 (5) Å, «c» = 11.498 (1) Å, V = 354.24 (7) ų; Marsa Alam 009 - «a» = 5.960 (3) Å, «c» = 11.604 (2) Å, V = 357.06 (7) ų. The difference between cell parameters obtained and parameters of stoichiometric troilite FeS («a» = 5.961 (3) Å, «c» = 11.519 (2) Å, V = 354.47 ų (Powder Diffraction File ICDD)) is due to a deficiency of the iron cations in the troilite crystal lattice. Therefore, it confirms that the troilite of the ordinary chondrites has non-stoichiometric composition Fe1-xS. The paper [2] presented experimental data for the compound Fe1-xS in a range of degrees of non-stoichiometry 0.004≤x≤0.143. The functional dependence of the interplanar distance (d) of the main troilite peak (114) as a function of x turned out to be almost linear for small values of x. Using that dependence, we determined the degree of non-stoichiometry x for the troilite from samples: Chelyabinsk - x = 0.087; NWA 869 - x = 0.099; Tsarev - x = 0.086; Ravar - x = 0.084; Kharabali - x = 0.086; Marsa Alam 009 - x = 0.052. These results correlate well with the previously obtained data on the chemical composition of troilite. Parameters of the fine structure of troilite such as microstrains ε = Δd/d and coherent length (crystallites size) D were calculated from the X-Ray spectra using Williamson-Hall method. It was noted, that the values of microdeformations of troilite from chondrites correlate well with the degree of the impact load which meteorites experienced during their cosmic evolution. It was confirmed by the data for all the meteorites involved in the current study. Moreover, this tendency allows this method to be applied to the samples with an unknown degree of shock metamorphism. For example, as far as there are no data on the shock stage of Tsarev L5 at the Meteoritical Bulletin, it was noteworthy to estimate it. Furthermore, by this method we determined the degree of shock metamorphism for the troilite from Tsarev ordinary chondrite between S3 and S4. This estimation corresponds to the degree of metamorphism from [3], established previously by optical microscopy method. Acnowledgements: This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, project № FEUZ-2020-0059. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching laboratory practical sessions are major components of undergraduate bioscience curricula, but research into staff perceptions and intentions across institutions in this context is lacking. This study describes a mixed‐methods study using questionnaires and follow‐up interviews to explore staff perceptions of their goals for UK bioscience teaching labs, the extent to which they incorporate student inquiry and challenges encountered with these sessions. The findings show that staff aim for strong lecture connections, applying taught theory to actively develop students' technical and data handling skills. They value teaching labs as opportunities for authentic contact through hands‐on learning with scientific equipment and human connection with staff and other students. Student inquiry (e.g. experimental design decisions) was present in individual elements of teaching labs but not deeply embedded. Staff participants saw teaching labs as first steps to scientific inquiry, often intending to adopt more inquiry activities, but were concerned about time investment and student readiness, especially for early‐year students. Staff who used more inquiry showed stronger goal focus on scientific reasoning, research experience and collaboration. Staff enjoy teaching labs and consider them meaningful learning experiences. Time and budget limitations were more constraining than sense of agency, but overriding challenges were student lab anxieties, and finding ways to increase their confidence and preparation for these sessions. These findings collate staff perceptions of teaching labs across UK institutions and could facilitate reflection, discussion and further research on the goals and impact of these prevalent but resource‐intensive sessions on training the next generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translational science education and training (E&T) aims to prepare the translational workforce to accelerate progress along the translational pipeline toward solutions that improve human health. In 2020–2021, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Education Branch conducted a scoping review of the E&T literature with this focus. The review used the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. PubMed, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), and Embase were searched, and forward citations conducted. Screening of titles, abstracts, and full text identified 44 included articles. Data extraction facilitated analysis of E&T content, audiences, modalities, evaluations, and recommendations. The NCATS Translational Science Principles were used to identity described or recommended E&T content. Twenty‐nine articles described a translational science E&T opportunity or its evaluation, and another 15 articles offered recommendations for translational science E&T. The most prevalent NCATS Translational Science Principles were boundary‐crossing partnerships (77%) and cross‐disciplinary team science (75%). Among publications describing E&T opportunities, the most reported modalities were experiential learning (64%) and courses (61%) and the most reported participants were graduate students (68%) and postdoctoral fellows (54%). About half of these articles (n = 15) reported an evaluation, covering a range of proximal to distal outcomes. Recommendations emphasized the value of translational science E&T across training and career stages and the use of varied modalities to reach diverse audiences. This review highlights strengths and opportunities for growth in translational science E&T. Enhancements to content, expansion of participants and modalities, and rigorous evaluations will contribute to building a highly qualified, diverse translational science workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P-01.1-08 Melanoma therapies compromise signaling processes in the vascular endothelium S. Bromberger 1, M.R. Larsen 2, K. Schossleitner 1 1 Skin & Endothelium Research Division (SERD), Department of Dermatology, Medical Univers... Melanoma and other malignancies often bear mutations in the MAPK pathway - most commonly BRAF SP V600E sp , which contributes to uncontrolled proliferation and survival of tumor cells. The disruption of communication between tumor cells and TAMs could be the base of an efficient anti-cancer strategy to prevent tumor progression. Adamecz 1, P. Bicskei 1, H. Árva 1, N. Igaz 1, É. Veres 2, A. Rónavári 3, A. Gácse... 1 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary, 2... Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) - as a result of re-programming driven by tumor and other stromal cells - can create and maintain an immunosuppressive environment and promote tumor malignancy. In tumour cells, ER stress is caused by their high degree of translation and metabolism as well as the tumour microenvironment. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on the 142nd annual general meeting of the SCI (Society of Chemical Industry), highlighting the achievements, growth, and future plans of the society. Topics discussed include the financial update, membership growth, recognition of exceptional contributions, and the establishment of new groups to enhance collaboration between science and business.

The article discusses the field of polymer science in South Africa and its impact on various aspects of everyday life, such as packaging, health, agriculture, and electronics. It highlights the balance between fundamental research and applied science in the field, as well as the involvement of commercial companies. The article also provides a summary of 16 open access research articles from the South African polymer science community, covering topics such as polymer analysis, biomedical polymers, polymer engineering, and sustainability. It emphasizes the importance of addressing the negative effects of polymers on the environment and the use of biobased and biodegradable materials. The article concludes by expressing hope for future growth in synthetic polymer chemistry and continued research in polymer science in South Africa. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: adaptation; environment; plant diversity; plant science questions; societal importance; species interactions EN adaptation environment plant diversity plant science questions societal importance species interactions 464 469 6 03/21/23 20230415 NES 230415 Introduction In 2011, we published 100 important questions for plant science research pertaining to (A) society, (B) environment and adaptation, (C) species interactions, (D) understanding and utilising plant cells, and (E) diversity (Grierson I et al i ., [33]). Despite relevance to urgent challenges including climate change prediction, adaptation, mitigation, food security and human health, plant science has received far less funding than fields such as health research (e.g. £50 M for plant science vs £4.8 B for health research in the UK in 2018). One hundred important questions for plant science - reflecting on a decade of plant research Plant science has made important contributions to improving models of climate change and its consequences (Ikeda I et al i ., [40]; Rötter I et al i ., [76]; Merganicová I et al i ., [60]; Kawamiya I et al i ., [48]) (A6, D22). [Extracted from the article]

Field biology courses—which expose students to concepts through outdoor experimentation and observation—are a staple in undergraduate natural science education. Participation in field courses has been associated with increased academic success, retention, and strengthening of science identity. However, for some students, learning outdoors can pose barriers to comfort, enjoyment, and success and may contribute to alienation and attrition. To better understand the kinds of challenges encountered by students and how those experiences might vary by student demographics and prior experience, we analyzed journal reflections from undergraduates in an introductory field biology course using a mixed‐methods approach. We used open coding to characterize the challenges that students described and found that students identified challenges related to four categories: (1) scientific challenges, concerning concepts, field methods, and data; (2) logistic challenges, relating to factors such as the timing of the course and equipment; (3) conditions challenges, regarding difficulties with organisms, the environment, and inclement weather; and (4) additional challenges, encompassing a broad array of student difficulties. Using multilevel binomial modeling, we examined the effect of course factors (e.g., field lab topic and section) and student factors (e.g., demographics and prior outdoor experience) on the occurrence of each type of challenge within journal reflections. Field lab topic was the only effect likely to increase the presence of all four types of challenges for students. In addition, students with the most prior outdoors experience were less likely to report a logistic challenge compared with their peers in the course who had less outdoors experience. Based on our findings, we offer recommendations for how instructors can support students through challenges they face in introductory field biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the outcomes of a program designed to engage primary school students with both Indigenous knowledge and biodiversity conservation, through the lens of "Totemic" species. The program provided resources for genuine engagement with Traditional Owners, and for the coordinating teachers to dedicate time to curriculum development and delivery. The material was embedded within a cross‐school core curriculum topic (biology), presenting both Indigenous and Western knowledge in parallel. Students' understanding of ecology and conservation increased significantly post‐program, as did their cultural awareness and appreciation of traditional knowledge. Care for the totemic species was also shown to increase and enthusiasm for this approach to teaching science was expressed by students. The co‐benefits of this program include creating habitat for threatened species, improvements in the health and wellbeing of students through engagement with biodiversity and the potential for ecosystem services such as cooling of the school grounds. Effective ways of embedding cultural awareness and Indigenous knowledge into the Australian curriculum are urgently needed and it is our hope that this program provides evidence of effective ways of embedding these knowledges moving forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, The Physiological Society and Guild HE partnered with Emsi (data analysts) to produce the report "Sport and exercise science education - impact on the UK economy" (The Physiological Society, Emsi & GuildHE, [8]). Obesity cost the UK National Health Service (NHS) £6.1 billion in 2014-2015. Worldwide, the healthcare costs of diabetes were at least $727 billion in 2017, 12% of the total healthcare spend on adults; and we have to add to these costs those of the other conditions (such as cancer) with which obesity is associated (Figure). [Extracted from the article]

Science interest is decreasing in the United States, and Americans of all ages have growing mistrust toward science and scientists, potentially sourcing these negative perceptions from their youth and today's popular culture. Understanding the nature of how K‐12 students perceive scientists and science careers is vital to understanding how their perceptions of science and scientists turn toward negative or harmful stereotypes of scientists and science, causing them to eschew science and science careers. This study used the circumscription and compromise (C&C) theory of career development to discern when (grade level), why (gender), and how (perceptions) students eliminate (circumscribe) science careers within distinct stages of development, thus compromising on what they perceive to be an acceptable future career. Using the Draw‐a‐Scientist Test, 576 students from two private, K‐12 schools in Texas and North Carolina were sampled to model how (using prescribed C&C stages) and why (via thematic coding) this circumscription occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responding to the social and environmental challenges of the Anthropocene requires that we integrate science across multiple perspectives, approaches, and disciplines in equitable and culturally responsive ways. While critical zone (CZ) science has made large strides in bridging natural, social, and education science disciplines, the field has been slower to address the lack of diversity, especially in terms of "race" and ethnicity. This means that CZ science and education do not fully reflect all communities they must serve, and representation and access to careers in the field therefore remain limited to mostly white individuals. Despite best intentions, predominantly white science and education teams frequently consider values such as diversity, equity, or inclusion in later stages of work instead of centering these values as the foundation from the outset. Here, we reflect on how our CZ Collaborative Network Project has both struggled with, and is learning to, authentically center and uphold our values in our own work. Our goal is to normalize the concept that culturally responsive CZ science and education requires intentional trust and relationship building, flexibility, and continued learning. To support our evolving work, we have relied on team science practices, and we offer insights into the strategies and tools that help us with our aspiration to center and integrate our values of diversity, equity, and community into team processes. Key Points: To address low "racial" and ethnic diversity in critical zone science, we must center diversity, equity, and community at the outset of workThis work requires intentional and continuous learning and flexibility, as well as a willingness to step out of one's comfort zoneTeam science practices and tools can help put these values in practice and offer support when (not if) we fall short [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraordinarily high species richness makes global biodiversity hotspots the top priorities for conservation planning and management, and natural laboratories for biological studies. Given the current era of rapid biodiversity loss, there is an urgent need to understand the mechanisms driving the biodiversity dynamics in biodiversity hotspots because these results could guide make conservation actions to protect species under threat from rapid environmental changes and extensive human impacts. Without considering the effects of climate change, the potential distribution area for each species increases on average by 72.5% (SD = 8%) in the scenario of potential regeneration, while climate change decreases the area of the potential occurrence of 252 species, which may suffer a mean reduction of 74.4% (SD = 9.3%) in their current potential distribution areas. [Extracted from the article]

Active learning increases student performance in STEM disciplines. Open educational resources (OERs) offered by the Ecological Society of America and other entities offer free, accessible, and peer‐reviewed active learning exercises in ecology and other fields. Here, we propose a new method, which we call peer‐reviewed embedded pedagogy (PREP), to improve the creation, implementation, and quality of OERs. Under PREP, a research laboratory publishes an OER before, instead of after, the research that it is predicated upon goes to press and then embeds a link to the OER in the scientific manuscript. We describe four ways that PREP might incentivize the creation and use of OERs by research scientists and three ways that it could improve the quality of OERs for students. Together, these benefits address eight AAAS benchmarks in science education and offer a win–win situation for both students and the scientists who instruct them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes multi-year records of solar flux and climate data from two solar power sites in Vermont. We show the inter-annual differences of temperature, wind, panel solar flux, electrical power production, and cloud cover. Power production has a linear relation to a dimensionless measure of the transmission of sunlight through the cloud field. The difference between panel and air temperatures reaches 24°C with high solar flux and low wind speed. High panel temperatures that occur in summer with low wind speeds and clear skies can reduce power production by as much as 13%. The intercomparison of two sites 63 km apart shows that while temperature is highly correlated on daily ( R2=0.98) and hourly ( R2=0.94) timescales, the correlation of panel solar flux drops markedly from daily ( R2=0.86) to hourly ( R2=0.63) timescales. Minimum temperatures change little with cloud cover, but the diurnal temperature range shows a nearly linear increase with falling cloud cover to 16°C under nearly clear skies, similar to results from the Canadian Prairies. The availability of these new solar and climate datasets allows local student groups, a Rutland High School team here, to explore the coupled relationships between climate, clouds, and renewable power production. As our society makes major changes in our energy infrastructure in response to climate change, it is important that we accelerate the technical education of high school students using real-world data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: The practice of writing science blogs benefits both the scientist and society alike by providing professional development opportunities and delivering information in a format that is accessible to large and diverse audiences. By designing a project that introduced upper‐level undergraduate students to science blog writing with a focus on plant biology, we piqued students' interest in science writing and the content of a popular plant science blog website. If adopted more widely, this work could broaden the scope of science education and promote the development of effective science communication skills for the next generation of scientists. Summary: Successful scientists must communicate their research to broad audiences, including distilling key scientific concepts for the general public. Students pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields benefit from developing public communication skills early in their careers, but opportunities are limited in traditional biology curricula.We created the "Plant Science Blogging Project" for a Plant Biology undergraduate course at the University of Pittsburgh in Fall 2018 and 2019. Students wrote blog posts merging personal connections with plants with plant biology concepts for the popular science blogs Plant Love Stories and EvoBites. By weaving biology into their narratives, students learned how to share botanical knowledge with the general public.The project had positive impacts on student learning and public engagement. In post‐assignment surveys, the majority of students reported that they enjoyed the assignment, felt it improved their understanding of plant biology, and piqued their interest in reading and writing science blogs in the future. Approximately one‐third of the student‐authored blogs were published, including two that rose to the top 10 most‐read posts on Plant Love Stories. Some dominant themes in student blogs, including medicine and culture, differed from common story themes published on the web, indicating the potential for students to diversify science blog content.Overall, the Plant Science Blogging Project allows undergraduate students to engage with plant biology topics in a new way, sharpen their scientific communication skills in accordance with today's world of mass information sharing, and contribute to the spread of scientific knowledge for public benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universal differential equations are a concept in scientific machine learning that leverages the potential of the universal approximator theorem and the physical knowledge of a given system. Creating this level of hybridization within a stiff partial differential equation system is a challenge. On the other hand, adsorption phenomenological models have sink/source terms that describe the adsorption equilibrium through a well‐known simplified model (e.g., Langmuir; Sips; and Brunauer, Emmet, Teller [BET]). These suitable mechanistic assumptions are identified through experiments, providing the parameters of the sink/source model. However, these mechanistic assumptions are a simplification of the system phenomenology. Therefore, the resulting model is limited by its premises. In this scenario, the universal ordinary differential equations (UODE) is presented as an approach that conciliates the potential of artificial neural networks to learn given phenomena without conceptual simplifications. On the other hand, keeping into consideration the system physics. This work proposes a UODE system to solve the multicomponent separation by adsorption in a fixed bed column. Experimental data is used to identify the hybrid model. The required amount of data used in the model identification demonstrates that hybrid models can use a few data points to precisely describe the system. Furthermore, the obtained model can describe competitive adsorption with higher precision than the Langmuir model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key points: Undergraduate science education should include education in scholarly practices like peer review.Authentic experiences in peer review increase science literacy and science identity.Peer review of preprints provides a means for undergraduates to be involved in peer review that is independent of journal gatekeeping processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on intensive work within a large, urban, low-performing middle school in the southwest to address and transform teacher beliefs regarding the role of culture within their science pedagogy. Given the recent, rapid growth of numbers of students from Hispanic/ Latino(a) backgrounds in the United States, it is critical that a paradigm shift takes place within schools and existing beliefs of science teachers to address the needs of a much changed classroom. This study details the journey of middle-school teachers who were provided support and experiences targeted at addressing their existing beliefs regarding the role of culture and the growth and change that were achieved through a science education reform effort. Implications for further research will be discussed, including the need for attention to beliefs regarding culture are shared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging school‐age children in activities involving 'real‐world' science and interacting with scientific researchers can promote an interest in appreciating and understanding the natural world and the scientific method. Here, we describe a project involving five female early‐career and PhD researchers who facilitated a citizen science project with school‐age children. Under the guidance of the researchers, across five schools, children created artificial flowers and installed them on school ovals. Over repeated 10‐min observations, students recorded how colour (yellow vs. blue) and configuration (isolated, clumped adjacent, clumped mixed colour and clumped single colour) influenced how many and what taxa of insects visited. Here, we reflect on what we were able to achieve including creating a simple, fun, cost‐effective project; anecdotal student interest in insects, and positive female STEM role models. We also acknowledge constraints and shortcomings, including set curricula resulting in suboptimal season for pollinator studies; confounding of results due to children's observations; and being unable to verify the data. We offer recommendations for more robust projects in future, which include collecting specimens to verify results, and measuring learning outcomes. If these recommendations are met, researcher–student projects can engage children in conducting scientific experiments with applications for home and school garden management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the association between studying science in higher secondary school and labor market earnings in India. Studying science in high school is associated with 22% greater earnings than studying business or humanities. Earnings for science students are further enhanced with some fluency in English. Science education is also associated with more years of education, completing a professional degree, returns to entrepreneurship and working in public sector positions. Primary survey of high school students shows no discernible differences in behavioral characteristics of science students compared to others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consideration of the work of natural scientists by theologians extends the innate interdisciplinarity of theological study. Here, I focus on interdisciplinarity as it bears upon undergraduate and postgraduate education and supervision. Much research in theology and science today asks how some more specific area of science bears upon some specific aspect of theology, in contrast to earlier attention to methodology, and how theology‐as‐such might relate to science‐as‐such. This paradigm, described as "Science‐Engaged Theology," is showing itself in teaching, with both benefits (capturing the imagination of students) and challenges (the work of learning about the details of scientific research). Criticisms raised about Science‐Engaged Theology in research also suggest goals for education. These include encouraging students to ask whether science does bear upon their theological topic, after all, and the suggestion that a move beyond methodology should not leave the theologian uncritical of the theological freight associated with the assumptions and paradigms that shape natural science, either explicitly or implicitly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a series of impressive works, Alister McGrath has made a major contribution to contemporary natural theology. The natural theology he has in mind is not the "established" variety, which seeks to provide rational support for religious beliefs from nonreligious premises. Rather, it is an explicitly Christian natural theology that involves "seeing" the world through the lens of Christian revelation. Nevertheless, McGrath seems to hold that a sufficiently capacious understanding of natural theology can encompass both the established version and the broader vision that constitutes his own project. This article suggests that there is a significant tension between these two conceptions of natural theology. It argues that the supposedly "established" version of natural theology was never really established within the Christian tradition to any significant degree, but was instead belatedly projected onto it for various reasons. The historical tradition comports with McGrath's project, but not with his generous comprehension of the established conception within a genuinely Christian natural theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alister McGrath here responds to eight articles engaging aspects of his writing and intellectual interests, especially in the field of science and religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluations of William Paley's Natural Theology (1802) routinely refer to its philosophical and theological shortcomings, especially its vulnerability to Charles Darwin's scientific naturalism. Nevertheless, Paley still repays a visit as a subject who transcends common stereotypes, four of which invite correction: that Paley wrote in culpable neglect of David Hume; that he pretended to give a deductive demonstration of God's existence; that by making his Natural Theology a stand‐alone book, his apologetic framework was neglectful of revelation and therefore inconsequential for Christian theology; and that, preoccupied with the minutiae of anatomical specificity, he was blind to laws connecting natural phenomena. Nuances in Paley's thinking, particularly his allowance for the extension of scientific naturalism, help to explain the sympathetic recognition he still enjoyed among scientific figures until the end of the nineteenth century. For Thomas Huxley, he had even created a metaphysical space that allowed for a science of evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Alister McGrath has argued across a lifetime of work, we need to approach the binaries that have been handed down to us—personal/academic, emotional/intellectual, secular/religious—with a healthy skepticism toward the integrity of their boundaries, attending instead to the contact zones between them. This article connects McGrath's body of work to what I call "cogency theory," an approach that rejects the thinking/feeling binary itself. It begins with a survey of how McGrath understands rationality—not only as multiple, but as defined, in meaningful ways, by feeling. This is illustrated by reexamining McGrath's controversy with Richard Dawkins, analyzing their debate in terms of how the argument itself comes to feel. This new paradigm allows us to supersede petty antagonisms built into contemporary culture—like the presumed science–religion conflict—and refocus on overarching concerns like the climate crisis. The article concludes with a question about the extent to which beliefs and "worldviews" define how we—either as groups or individuals—can make or unmake ecological disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alister McGrath has undoubtedly made an impressive contribution to educate people in science and religion, but what are the secrets of his success? In this article, drawn from studies of his publications and a personal interview, I highlight the priority he gives to clarity, his second‐personal pedagogy, his non‐partisan trustworthiness, his encouragement of diversity, and his gentle, spell‐breaking humor. For all his achievements in clearing intellectual space for revelation, McGrath has, however, tended to focus much more on science in relation to natural theology than revelation. Due to this focus, I tend to classify him as a John Bunyan rather than a Dante Alighieri. Hence, McGrath, who has achieved so much in educating people in science and religion, has also left plenty of opportunities for future generations to expand on his research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes the design and implementation of a science outreach program (elementary; 2nd–5th) and its associated student outcomes. Key features of the program include: (a) phenomenon‐based, NGSS‐aligned curriculum designed by science education experts and influenced by educational, sociocultural, and cognitive science theories, (b) active engagement by elementary students in experimentation and exploration of a common phenomenon (2 per year, called modules) across multiple sessions (6–8 per module), (c) professional development (PD) provided to scientists (mentors) and teachers to supply classrooms with multiple (5–7) adult more knowledgeable others (AMKOs), and (d) close classroom interaction between elementary students and mentors, allowing for students to participate in evidence‐based sense‐making through whole‐class and small‐group discussions. We examined the effects of program participation on students' epistemological understanding of science (EUS) and attitudes toward science, as well as surveyed teachers to determine how they felt the program affected students' attitudes and EUS. Student measures indicated they developed a deeper understanding of the process of scientific knowledge generation and were more likely to report liking science more than less. Similarly, teachers' self‐reports corroborated these results, as well as showed teachers thought the structure of the program effectively integrated mathematics and language arts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global systems rapidly change, our collective ability to predict future ecological dynamics will become increasingly important for successful natural resource management. By merging stakeholder objectives with system uncertainty, and by adapting actions to changing systems and knowledge, adaptive resource management (ARM) provides a rigorous platform for making sound decisions in a changing world. Critically, however, applications of ARM could be improved by employing benchmarks (i.e., points of reference) for determining when learning is occurring through the cycle of monitoring, modeling, and decision‐making steps in ARM. Many applications of ARM use multiple model‐based hypotheses to identify and reduce systematic uncertainty over time, but generally lack benchmarks for gauging discovery of scientific evidence and learning. This creates the danger of thinking that directional changes in model weights or rankings are indicative of evidence for hypotheses, when possibly all competing models are inadequate. There is thus a somewhat obvious, but yet to be filled niche for including benchmarks for learning in ARM. We contend that carefully designed "ecological null models," which are structured to produce an expected ecological pattern in the absence of a hypothesized mechanism, can serve as suitable benchmarks. Using a classic case study of mallard harvest management that is often used to demonstrate the successes of ARM for learning about ecological mechanisms, we show that simple ecological null models, such as population persistence (Nt+1 = Nt), provide more robust near‐term forecasts of population abundance than the currently used mechanistic models. More broadly, ecological null models can be used as benchmarks for learning in ARM that trigger the need for discarding model parameterizations and developing new ones when prevailing models underperform the ecological null model. Identifying mechanistic models that surpass these benchmarks will improve learning through ARM and help decision‐makers keep pace with a rapidly changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B Method/Summary of work b : We developed an NBA pipeline that (1) generates patient-specific disease networks by integrating and mapping multifaceted datasets (that include differentially expressed genes from patient's transcriptomic data, the deregulated transcription factors, disease-specific genes from GWAS studies and drug targets of interest) on to the large-scale protein-protein interaction network, (2) identifies key molecules and pathways in the patient-specific disease network and (3) scores each identified potential drug target based on the network connectivity score (that reflects signal propagation) and expression level. J Neurosci; 30: 573 - 582. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3295-09.2010 Oral Communications, Tuesday 7th September Oral Communications - Cardiovascular & Respiratory B OC001 b B The effects of allopurinol treatment in early period of monocrotaline-induced rat pulmonary hypertension model b Gokcen Telli SP 1 sp , Inci Kazkayasi SP 1 sp , E. Inci Ergonul SP 2 sp and Serdar Uma SP 1 sp SP 1 sp I Department of Pharmacology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Pharmacy; i SP 2 sp I Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health i B Introduction/Background & aims b : Along with the greater understanding of the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension (PH), one of the new treatment approaches is to evaluate the effectiveness of drugs used in diseases with pathologies similar to that of PH [1]. This study investigates the effect of this drug on cell death and proliferative signalling pathways in AML cells in vitro. [Extracted from the article]

Undergraduate field experiences (UFEs) are a prominent element of science education across many disciplines; however, empirical data regarding the outcomes are often limited. UFEs are unique in that they typically take place in a field setting, are often interdisciplinary, and include diverse students. UFEs range from courses, to field trips, to residential research experiences, and thereby have the potential to yield a plethora of outcomes for undergraduate participants. The UFE community has expressed interest in better understanding how to assess the outcomes of UFEs. In response, we developed a guide for practitioners to use when assessing their UFE that promotes an evidence‐based, systematic, iterative approach. This essay guides practitioners through the steps of: identifying intended UFE outcomes, considering contextual factors, determining an assessment approach, and using the information gained to inform next steps. We provide a table of common learning outcomes with aligned assessment tools, and vignettes to illustrate using the assessment guide. We aim to support comprehensive, informed assessment of UFEs, thus leading to more inclusive and reflective UFE design, and ultimately improved student outcomes. We urge practitioners to move toward evidence‐based advocacy for continued support of UFEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]