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The paper industry faces two critical challenges: the scarcity of raw materials and the environmental impact of chemical waste pollution. Addressing the first challenge involves harnessing alternative, sustainable raw materials, while the second challenge can be mitigated through the adoption of bio-bleaching processes, which significantly reduce chemical consumption while enhancing paper brightness and quality. This study proposes a solution to both challenges by using non-woody Calotropis procera (Ankara) and a xylanase-producing microbial consortium for sustainable handmade paper production, a combination not extensively explored in prior research. To evaluate this approach, the process was divided into three stages. In stage I, Ankara fibre was pulped through open hot digestion. In stage II, the pulp was subjected to bio-bleaching in two experimental setups: Set I (without sucrose) and Set II (with sucrose) for 5 days. In stage III, chemical bleaching was used to improve the final brightness of the treated pulps. A novel comparison was made between the bio-bleaching efficiency of an individual isolate g5 (BI) and a bacterial consortium (BC). This research highlighted that bio-bleaching with the consortium effectively removed lignin (140±60 mg/l) and colour (1830±50 PCU), especially in the presence of sucrose, compared to using a single xylanase isolate. Pulp residue/filtrate collected at each stage was estimated based on parameters such as colour and lignin content. After stage III (chemical bleaching), the release of colour and lignin in pulp filtrate was higher in BI compared to BC, indicating the consortium's effectiveness during bio-bleaching, which leaves fewer degradable lignin structures for the chemical bleaching stage. Papers crafted from consortium-treated pulp also exhibited higher brightness than those treated with the isolate. This study reveals the synergistic effect of microbial consortia, leading to more efficient lignin degradation and enhanced bio-bleaching capabilities, supporting the development of greener industrial processes. Ultimately, this study demonstrates a unique and eco-friendly approach to papermaking, combining C. procera and enzymatic bio-bleaching to reduce dependency on hazardous chemicals and support sustainable industry practices.

Abstract Background Lignocellulosic biomasses produced from agriculture and forest-based industries are the cheapest or negative-cost biomass with a great potential for biotransformation to value-added bioproducts. Paper mill sludge, an important lignocellulosic biomass creates an environmental threat, which requires financial input for disposal. Thus, this study was aimed to isolate a novel bacterial strain capable of degrading cellulosic biomass including paper mill sludge to produce reducing sugar and other value-added bioproducts. Results A novel bacterial strain Arthrobacter woluwensis TDS9 isolated from the soil was screened for its cellulolytic activity using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as the sole carbon source. The incubation period, temperature, pH, carbon, and nitrogen sources are the most important factors ruling the CMCase and sugar productions of the strain A. woluwensis TDS9, and an alkaline pH (pH 8.0) led to enhanced sugar production up to 1100.09 μg/mL after 72 h of incubation at 25°C in a medium containing 1.5% CMC and 1.25% beef extract. The optimal conditions for maximum CMCase activity were defined, and the potassium ion boosted the CMCase activity up to 1.06 U/mL when the enzymatic reaction was performed for 30 min at 50°C and pH 8 using CMC as a substrate. Moreover, the strain A. woluwensis TDS9 produced 433.33 μg/mL reducing sugar from 1% pretreated paper mill sludge. Significant alterations in the structural arrangement of cellulosic fiber of paper mill sludge observed under microscope after each step of chemical treatment process helped for loosening the cellulose fibers and increased the saccharification for enzymatic hydrolysis. Endoglucanase IV (33 KDa) and beta-glucosidase II (53 KDa) were identified in crude enzyme based on the zymogram analysis and substrate specificity. Conclusions The research has for the first time proved that this A. woluwensis TDS9 strain can efficiently convert cellulose. Therefore, the strain TDS9 could be a potential candidate for cellulase production in an industrial biotransformation process of paper mill sludge to produce reducing sugar. This sugar stream can be further used as a substrate to produce biofuels and other organic acids using another microorganism, which represents a greener alternative to add value to the paper production helping paper mill industries.

The dialogue between population genetics and evolutionary biology, which historically followed separate paths, has now developed into a complex and interdisciplinary field of study [...]

From the beginning of the paper-making process, the pulp and paper industry has utilized a large amount of water and generated a vast amount of highly polluted wastewater. The paper industry faces global pressure to reduce water use and lower environmental pollution. However, traditional physicochemical methods of wastewater treatment need high energy input, and their ecological impact is questionable. Due to the zero discharged policy, the industries urgently require novel eco-friendly, sustainable, and efficient treatment techniques. Microbial technology is the most recommended option to treat wastewater and support sustainable growth. The present article describes the overview of traditional and novel methods, including membrane bioreactor (MBR) and moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) technology's with their current state and their limits for treating pulp and paper wastewater. It is expected to integrate the novel methods with advanced hybrid technology to fulfill wastewater treatment criteria and prospects. Furthermore, coupling MBR and MBBR technology make energy and water recovery possible, and recycling wastewater will be economically and environmentally feasible.

Immunogenicity has imposed a challenge to efficacy and safety evaluation of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-based gene therapies. Mild to severe adverse events observed in clinical development have been implicated with host immune responses against AAV gene therapies, resulting in comprehensive evaluation of immunogenicity during nonclinical and clinical studies mandated by health authorities. Immunogenicity of AAV gene therapies is complex due to the number of risk factors associated with product components and pre-existing immunity in human subjects. Different clinical mitigation strategies have been employed to alleviate treatment-induced or -boosted immunogenicity in order to achieve desired efficacy, reduce toxicity, or treat more patients who are seropositive to AAV vectors. In this review, the immunogenicity risk assessment, manifestation of immunogenicity and its impact in nonclinical and clinical studies, and various clinical mitigation strategies are summarized. Last, we present bioanalytical strategies, methodologies, and assay validation applied to appropriately monitor immunogenicity in AAV gene therapy-treated subjects.

The first section of this paper sets the record straight regarding many of Debouwere's (2024, "Review of Education," 12, e3445) specific criticisms. The second section discusses the magnitude of the SES-achievement relationship, specifically Debouwere's (2024) contention that the correlation is strong around 0.5 or 0.6 compared to observed correlations mostly between 0.2 and 0.3. The third section deals with five issues that Debouwere (2024) raises in his paper: (1) the stability of SES vis-à-vis cognitive ability; (2) the accuracy of children's reports of parents' socioeconomic characteristics; (3) whether teachers discriminate by students' SES; (4) the importance of cognitive ability for educational differentiation (i.e., tracking and streaming); and (5) SES effects on student achievement, controlling for prior achievement. The fourth section discusses the role of genetics in student achievement. Meta-analyses and other studies indicate that about 50%-70% of the variance in student achievement is attributable to genetics (i.e., the heritability). The high heritability of student achievement accounts for its high stability, its strong correlations with cognitive ability and the weak effects of SES, net of prior achievement or cognitive ability.

Science should provide students an accurate and contemporary education on genetic influence, particularly how it impacts trait variability and developmental norms. Stories involving familial, racial, and sexual differences routinely appear in the popular media and sales of over-the-counter genetic tests are mounting. Unfortunately, research suggests genetic curricula in secondary education and university courses have little impact on genetic literacy; instead they appear to amplify genetic essentialism. This position paper reports on genetic essentialism, the impact of three components of science education (teachers, students, curriculum), and critiques existing genetic lessons in two prevalent scientific disciplines, biology and psychology. Two entrenched 19th century genetic paradigms (e.g., Mendelian inheritance and behavioral genetics) are specifically examined. The paper closes with specific recommendations for improving students' genetic literacy including important contemporary genetic science (e.g., epigenetics) and instructional approaches (e.g., learning progression, refutational teaching).

Polistes hebraeus (Smith) is a common paper wasp species of subfamily Polistinae. The clinical potential allergic reaction after stings and valuable venom components of P. hebraeus make it a medical importance species. Here, the mitochondrial genome of P. hebraeus was analyzed. The mitogenome was 19,262 bp in length including 22 transfer RNAs (tRNA) and 2 ribosomal RNAs (rRNA). The protein coding gene (PCGs) number and order are consistent with existing records of Polistidae. The nucleotide composition is AT: 84.5% and CG: 15.5% which are largely similar with other complete Polistidae mitogenome (15.27 ∼ 19.16%). The available mitogenome resources of Polistidae species and P. hebraeus were used to construct the phylogenetic tree. It showed that the genus Polistes could clearly seperated from Parapolybia, and the relationship in Polistes was consistent with previous studies. This mitogenome resource can contribute to further phylogenetic and taxonomic study on paper wasp.

Abstract For researchers, writing a paper is an essential task, and it is crucial for them to have an environment to facilitate the paper writing process. In addition, writing in English is more difficult for many non-native English speakers. The Database Center for Life Science (DBCLS) provides researchers in the life sciences with several text-mining related services, such as Allie and inMeXes, which were developed to facilitate paper writing. Allie is an abbreviation database that shows researchers expanded forms and several relevant data, such as the papers that contain the abbreviations and their corresponding expanded forms. Since a large amount of abbreviations are coined, remembering their meanings is difficult, even in one’s research field. Therefore, Allie helps one lookup abbreviations. inMeXes is an incremental search service for English phrases appearing in PubMed. Researchers can learn English phrases used in life science papers, such as the use of prepositions or widely used phrases that contain a specific word. Allie and inMeXes are updated monthly and yearly, respectively, to provide the latest information.

Social interactions have large effects on individual physiology and fitness. In the immediate sense, social stimuli are often highly salient and engaging. Over longer time scales, competitive interactions often lead to distinct social ranks and differences in physiology and behavior. Understanding how initial responses lead to longer-term effects of social interactions requires examining the changes in responses over time. Here we examined the effects of social interactions on transcriptomic signatures at two times, at the end of a 45-minute interaction and 4 hours later, in female Polistes fuscatus paper wasp foundresses. Female P. fuscatus have variable facial patterns that are used for visual individual recognition, so we separately examined the transcriptional dynamics in the optic lobe and the non-visual brain. Results demonstrate much stronger transcriptional responses to social interactions in the non-visual brain compared to the optic lobe. Differentially regulated genes in response to social interactions are enriched for memory-related transcripts. Comparisons between winners and losers of the encounters revealed similar overall transcriptional profiles at the end of an interaction, which significantly diverged over the course of 4 hours, with losers showing changes in expression levels of genes associated with aggression and reproduction in paper wasps. On nests, subordinate foundresses are less aggressive, do more foraging and lay fewer eggs compared to dominant foundresses and we find losers shift expression of many genes in the non-visual brain, including vitellogenin, related to aggression, worker behavior, and reproduction within hours of losing an encounter. These results highlight the early neurogenomic changes that likely contribute to behavioral and physiological effects of social status changes in a social insect.

Theodosius Dobzhansky famously wrote in 1973 that “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution” [...]

Competency in mathematics is needed to respond to the vast employment opportunities available in the STEM sectors. These employment opportunities all require basic foundational mathematics skills, yet there is a shortfall of mathematics abilities due, in-part, to mathematics anxiety. Mathematics anxiety can surface as fear and avoidance of mathematics and has been linked to low mathematics performance and ability (Ashcraft, 2002; Luttenberger et al., 2018). This thought paper (Snell, n.d.), paper begins with a synthesis of research on mathematics anxiety including the known causal factors: cognitive/affective, social, and genetic as well as the recently proposed causal factor, missed opportunity (Brewster & Miller, 2020). Missed opportunity refers to cases where an individual who is capable academically to comprehend mathematics but has missed the opportunity to learn basic foundational skills in mathematics. Missing the opportunity to learn foundational concepts in mathematics places great stress, which can result in feelings of anxiety. Next, a synthesis of interventions for mathematics anxiety such as mindfulness exercises (Brunyé et al., 2013) and expressive writing (Brewster & Miller, 2022; Park et al., 2014) are discussed, which led to the realization that interventions are more complex than previously reported given that other factors can affect interventions such as duration of writing, quality of instruction, or additional stressors causing anxiety, including test anxiety. Knowing the causal factors influencing an individual's mathematics anxiety may prove beneficial to designing more focused and influential interventions.

When students think of evolution, they might imagine T. rex, or perhaps an abiotic scene of sizzling electrical storms and harsh reducing atmospheres, an Earth that looks like a lunar landscape. Natural selection automatically elicits responses that include "survival of the fittest," and "descent with modification," and with these historical biological catch phrases, one conjures up images of large animals battling it out on the Mesozoic plane. Rarely do teachers or students apply these same ideas to cancer and the evolution of somatic cells, which have accrued mutations and epigenetic imprinting and relentlessly survive and proliferate. Our questions in this paper include the following: Can cancer become an important teaching model for students to explore fundamental hypotheses about evolutionary process? Can the multi-step somatic cancer model encourage visualizations that enable students to revisit and reenter previous primary concepts in general biology such as the cell, mitosis, chromosomes, genetic diversity, ecological diversity, immune function, and of course evolution, continually integrating their biology knowledge into process and pattern knowledge? Can the somatic cancer model expose similar patterns and protagonists, linking Darwinian observations of the natural world to our body? And, can the cancer clone model excite critical thinking and student hypotheses about what cancer is as a biological process? Does this visually simple model assist students in recognizing patterns, connecting their biological curriculum dots into a more coherent learning experience? These biological dynamics and intercepting aptitudes of cells are amplified through the cancer model and can help shape the way biology students begin to appreciate the interrelatedness of all biological systems while they continue to explore pivotal points of biological fuzziness, such as the microbiome, limitations of models, and the complex coordination of genomic networks required for the function of even a single cell and the realization of phenotypes. In this paper we use clonal evolution of cancer as a model experience for students to recreate how a single, non-germline cell appears to shadow the classic pattern of natural selection in body cells that have gone awry. With authentic STEAM activities students can easily crossover and revisit previous biological topics and the ubiquitous nature of natural selection as seen in the example of somatic cells that result in a metastasizing tumor, giving students insight into natural selection's accommodating and tractable patterns throughout the planet.

Background: The most impactful research on pediatric type 1 diabetes (T1D) remains unknown. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the characteristics and impact of the 100 most-cited articles on pediatric T1D. Materials and Methods: Using a predefined bibliometric strategy, the Scopus database was searched for high-cited papers (HCPs) published from 2001 to 2020. Articles were evaluated for data on the publication year, countries, authors, journals, topics, and types. Social network analysis was performed to visualize the interaction among countries, organizations, and authors using VOSviewer software. Results: The top 100 HCPs received 390 to 4634 citations, averaging 773.5 citations per paper (CPP). The funded HCPs (n = 50) had a higher impact (CPP 791.5). The majority of HCPs (n = 83) were collaborative. Classifying by research type, 65 studies were clinical (n = 65), risk factors (n = 27), epidemiology (n = 26), pathophysiology (n = 16), treatment outcome (n = 13), genetics (n = 12), complications (n = 3), quality of life (n = 2), and prognosis (n = 1). The number of authors involved was 1,101, affiliated with 545 organizations in 27 countries; the USA (n = 64) and the UK (n = 24) were the most productive countries, whereas Australia and the UK were the most impactful. D.M. Nathan and J.M. Lawrence were the most prolific authors, while P. Raskin and J.M. Lachin were the most impactful. Conclusions: High-income countries such as the USA, UK, and Australia contribute significantly to high-impact pediatric T1D research. Funding and collaboration improve the impact of citations in publications. Less researched areas such as treatment outcomes, genetics, complications, quality of life, and prognosis should be the focus of future research on pediatric T1D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in case studies and surveys by researchers of second language acquisition (SLA) and cognitive (neuro-)science to probe into the group of exceptionally talented multilingual learners or polyglots who can understand and speak an impressive number of multiple foreign languages other than their own mother tongue. The current paper reviews these latest developments and elucidates the phenomenon of (hyper-)polyglottism by tracing and analyzing its definitions and synthesizing and highlighting the key findings of case studies and large-scale surveys. Specifically, we aim to illuminate the complex and intricate relationships between hyperpolyglots' exceptional multilingual talents and their individual differences in language aptitude and other cognitive abilities such as IQ, personality traits, motivational characteristics, and language genetic variations, as well as their brain mechanisms and neural networks. The present paper calls upon concerted efforts from multiple disciplines to determine the critical cognitive abilities and pivotal developmental stages underlying the exceptional performance of these multilingual talents and hyperpolyglots.

R.A. Fisher's 1922 paper On the dominance ratio has a strong claim to be the foundation paper for modern population genetics. It greatly influenced subsequent work by Haldane and Wright, and contributed 3 major innovations to the study of evolution at the genetic level. First, the introduction of a general model of selection at a single locus, which showed how variability could be maintained by heterozygote advantage. Second, the use of the branching process approach to show that a beneficial mutation has a substantial chance of loss from the population, even when the population size is extremely large. Third, the invention of the concept of a probability distribution of allele frequency, caused by random sampling of allele frequencies due to finite population size, and the first use of a diffusion equation to investigate the properties of such a distribution. Although Fisher was motivated by an inference that later turned out to lack strong empirical support (a substantial contribution of dominance to quantitative trait variability), and his use of a diffusion equation was marred by a technical mistake, the paper introduced concepts and methods that pervade much subsequent work in population genetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the challenges of humanism and education in the 21st century as addressed by the German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk in his Elmau Speech (1999). In this lecture, titled "Rules for the Human Zoo", Sloterdijk argues that the traditional notion of humanism, specifically "humanism as a literary society," has reached its conclusion, necessitating the development of a new humanism appropriate for the contemporary era. However, the new concept of humanism emerging from what Sloterdijk terms the "anthropotechnic turn" appears to align with the discourses surrounding human enhancement that have emerged in the 21st century, thereby influencing the realm of education. The first half of this article reports on the significant concerns and criticisms expressed by the media at that time regarding this new humanism, which seems to be associated with eugenicist ideas. Taking a step further, this study critically examines the nature of the challenges around education implied by Sloterdijk, specifically the conflict between "friend of humans and friend of Übermensch", and explores the potential roles and responsibilities of education in the latter part of the paper.

The emerging field of genomic medicine offers an opportunity for biology and anatomy teachers to bring the topics of DNA, genetics, molecular processes, and evolution together into one experience. Through the genomic medicine paradigm, students see the unbroken connection between small biological topics such as mutations and their potential connection to disease phenotypes. In this paper, we present as a main example cystic fibrosis, which is an often-studied genetic disease in general biology class, for examination through the genomic medicine lens. Concepts such as genes, the plasma membrane, variation, mutations, the nucleus, and chromosomes can be used in a narrative and visual approach to genetics through the genomic medicine standpoint to engage and connect students with next-generation genomics and with the fundamental unit of life -- the cell. It is through the genomic medicine lens that the cell's context and relationship to the evolving world takes place.

Many theories support the idea that children's literacy learning develops as they learn to make meaning through interactions with others. These assertions are premised on the understanding that childhood literacy serves various social purposes and that these literacies are learned through participating in social contexts. In this position paper, we seek to reframe current, widely accepted understandings and definitions of literacy. We draw upon matauranga Maori (Maori knowledge/wisdom) concepts to illustrate Maori philosophical views about the nature of knowledge production. These concepts clearly delineate the link between knowledge, literacies, and power, a link often actively overlooked by western framing of literacy. We use a Maori whakatauki (proverbial saying) to re-conceptualise current understandings of literacy, positing varied literacies and literacy practices. Within this conceptual framework Maori children are re-positioned as maurea -- treasures of the highest order, born of and with mana, an integral part of generations of whakapapa (genealogy), and an essential element in an intricate web linking all things (human and non-human). This paper proposes that children are inherently and inherited-ly literate; they are born literate--inheritors of multiple and cumulative genealogies of multimodal communication and knowledge sharing.

Abstract Background Broussonetia papyrifera is an economically significant tree with high utilization value, yet its cultivation is often constrained by soil contamination with heavy metals (HMs). Effective scientific cultivation management, which enhances the yield and quality of B. papyrifera, necessitates an understanding of its regulatory mechanisms in response to HM stress. Results Twelve Metallothionein (MT) genes were identified in B. papyrifera. Their open reading frames ranged from 186 to 372 bp, encoding proteins of 61 to 123 amino acids with molecular weights between 15,473.77 and 29,546.96 Da, and theoretical isoelectric points from 5.24 to 5.32. Phylogenetic analysis classified these BpMTs into three subclasses: MT1, MT2, and MT3, with MT2 containing seven members and MT3 only one. The expression of most BpMT genes was inducible by Cd, Mn, Cu, Zn, and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments, particularly BpMT2e, BpMT2d, BpMT2c, and BpMT1c, which showed significant responses and warrant further study. Yeast cells expressing these BpMT genes exhibited enhanced tolerance to Cd, Mn, Cu, and Zn stresses compared to control cells. Yeasts harboring BpMT1c, BpMT2e, and BpMT2d demonstrated higher accumulation of Cd, Cu, Mn, and Zn, suggesting a chelation and binding capacity of BpMTs towards HMs. Site-directed mutagenesis of cysteine (Cys) residues indicated that mutations in the C domain of type 1 BpMT led to increased sensitivity to HMs and reduced HM accumulation in yeast cells; While in type 2 BpMTs, the contribution of N and C domain to HMs’ chelation possibly corelated to the quantity of Cys residues. Conclusion The BpMT genes are crucial in responding to diverse HM stresses and are involved in ABA signaling. The Cys-rich domains of BpMTs are pivotal for HM tolerance and chelation. This study offers new insights into the structure-function relationships and metal-binding capabilities of type-1 and − 2 plant MTs, enhancing our understanding of their roles in plant adaptation to HM stresses.

This paper utilizes the concept of 'discriminate biopower' to explore how advancements in social and behavioral genomics might inform the racially exclusionary nature of one of the most inequitable and academically coveted environments in American public education: gifted education. In its birth, gifted education became a mechanism for regulating the politics of race and equity in the American education system. Underpinning gifted education's contested history is the conflation of Whiteness with exceptionalism and the proliferation of false genetic ideologies about biological differences between races. Genetics and education are re-intersecting today as social and behavioral genomics examine whether, how, and why genetic differences between individuals relate to differences in characteristics such as educational attainment or intelligence. This paper identifies three mechanisms through which social and behavioral genomics might be recruited for biopolitical governance strategies that maintain or exacerbate the racially exclusionary nature of gifted education: distractionism, determinism, and sociopolitical invisibility. Although these mechanisms are not predestined, researchers will need to employ proactive and socially responsible collaboration and communication to prevent genomics from normalizing racial exclusion in education.

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 paper focuses on two elements of the Passover Seder ritual and their connection to Piagetian education theory. After outlining Piaget's theory of genetic epistemology and its implications for education theory, it focuses on Sigel's distancing theory, which touts question asking as a tool for presenting information to students. This paper argues that the Jewish ritual of the Passover Seder was formulated with such pedagogical methods in mind, especially as it concerns the role of questioning. This paper also discusses storytelling's importance as an effective tool in pedagogical instruction, and how the Passover Seder also takes advantage of that modality to make the ritual more impactful for educational purposes.

The objective of this paper is to analyze the nesting success and nest building behavior of myna, Acridotheres tristis, using paper/plastic Myna in artificial nest. The boxes were placed at different sites, including University Town, Rahat Abad and Qadir Abad in Peshawar City, Pakistan. The artificial nests were designed 56 × 22 cm and 21 × 16 cm in dimension with respective opening of 8 cm and 7 cm. Total number of artificial nests were 55, therein, number of successful next recorded 42 and unsuccessful 13. Artificial nests were installed in breeding season of common myna. Total nesting success was 85.71 in March-April; 68.18 in May-June and 78.94 in July-August 2022. Nest losses were recorded during six months (March to August). Total success rate (%) was 76.36% and the mean (± SD) number of plastic collected as nesting material per day was 18.8 ± 3.12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 the present research, the "DNA Model with Clothespins" activity was designed to teach the subjects of nucleotide, DNA, and DNA replication, which are abstract subjects of science. The aim of the research, which was carried out with 20 students in 8th grade, was to examine the effects of the activity on students' achievement on the subject. This paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation processes of the activity. The pedagogical analogical model, which is a visual analogy tool that simplifies students' complex knowledge and concretizes their abstract knowledge to provide meaningful and long-lasting learning, was used. An achievement test was administered as a pre-test and post-test to evaluate the activity, and students' views were taken about the activity. Data analysis revealed that students' achievement increased in the post-test. Additionally, the students thought that the activity was fun and instructive and enabled them to learn permanently and to understand better.

The article offers information on the retraction of papers from a genetics journal due to concerns about informed consent for study participants, particularly from ethnic minorities in China.

Teaching chemistry and biology students about biologics design remains challenging despite its increasing importance in pharmaceutical development. Monoclonal antibodies, commonly called mAbs, are the most popular biologics. They have been developed into drugs to treat various diseases in the past decades. Multiple challenges exist for designing proper formulations to stabilize mAbs, such as preventing aggregation and mitigating viscosity. Molecular modeling and simulations can improve pharmaceutical products by examining the interactions between mAbs and other compounds, such as excipients. To introduce students to biopharmaceuticals, eight students at the Stevens Institute of Technology participated in a semester-long course to learn the challenges of pharmaceutical development and different computational skills to study biologics design. The students started with a limited background in this field. Throughout one semester, they were introduced to various literature and software tools for modeling antibodies and studying their interactions with excipients. This paper aims to develop a course structure to be replicated at other universities and institutions to teach biopharmaceutical development to students.

Quantitative methods have a long historical entanglement with oppressive ideologies, including eugenics, white supremacism, and anti-LGBTQ+ ideology. Increasingly, scholars have made attempts at rectifying quantitative methods by bringing them into conversation with critical theoretical frameworks. One such example is QuantCrit, which attempts to engage quantitative methods through Critical Race Theory. The present paper attempts to extend that vital work by engaging queer theory in quantitative methods. Several key ideas are proposed for quantitative methodologists and educational researchers to think with queer theory in quantitative research. Each idea is explored with an eye toward queer theoretical frameworks while continuously engaging QuantCrit. Finally, implications for producers and users of research are offered.

In this paper I suggest a pragmatic model for the notion of 'information' used in molecular biology in the description of protein synthesis. Discarding any ontological commitments of the term 'information', I propose a view of information based on an analogy with communication. This view could at least supplement the existing information-metaphor that should be updated for two reasons: (i) the concept of information it presupposes, and (ii) the origin of the metaphor itself. Besides, the metaphorical nature of the notion of 'information' is still often overlooked, which leads to a false sense of understanding of the underlying genetic phenomena it should describe. The advantages of a model based on communication, as it is seen by the field of pragmatics, is twofold: (i) it provides a rather simple analogy between human communication and basic genetic processes, and (ii) it supplies the tools for the understanding of the non-literal use of the term 'information'.

Causal mediation analysis is a popular approach for investigating whether the effect of an exposure on an outcome is through a mediator to better understand the underlying causal mechanism. In recent literature, mediation analysis with multiple mediators has been proposed for continuous and dichotomous outcomes. In contrast, methods for mediation analysis for an ordinal outcome are still underdeveloped. In this paper, we first review mediation analysis methods with a continuous mediator for an ordinal outcome and then develop mediation analysis with a binary mediator for an ordinal outcome. We further consider multiple mediators for an ordinal outcome in the counterfactual framework and provide identification assumptions for identifying the mediation effects. Under the identification assumptions, we propose a regression-based method to estimate the mediation effects through multiple mediators while allowing the presence of exposure-mediator interactions. The closed-form expressions of mediation effects are also obtained for three scenarios: multiple continuous mediators, multiple binary mediators, and multiple mixed mediators. We conduct simulation studies to assess the finite sample performance of our new methods and present the biases, standard errors, and confidence intervals to demonstrate that our proposed estimators perform well in a wide range of practical settings. Finally, we apply our proposed methods to assess the mediation effects of candidate DNA methylation CpG sites in the causal pathway from socioeconomic index to body mass index.

Background: The gut microbiome is an important determinant of health and disease in preterm infants. Objectives: The objective of this article was to share our current protocol for other neonatal intensive care units to potentially expand their existing protocols, aiming to characterize the relationship between the intestinal microbiome and health outcomes in preterm infants. Methods : This prospective, longitudinal study planned to recruit 160 preterm infants born <32 weeks gestational age or weighing <1,500 g and admitted to one of two Level III/IV neonatal intensive care units. During the neonatal intensive care unit period, the primary measures included events of early life pain/stress, gut microbiome, host genetic variations, and neurobehavioral assessment. During follow-up visits, gut microbiome; pain sensitivity; and medical, growth, and developmental outcomes at 4, 8-12, and 18-24 months corrected age were measured. Discussion : As of February 14, 2020, 214 preterm infants have been recruited. We hypothesize that infants who experience greater levels of pain/stress will have altered gut microbiome, including potential adverse outcomes such as necrotizing enterocolitis and host genetic variations, feeding intolerance, and/or neurodevelopmental impairments. These will differ from the intestinal microbiome of preterm infants who do not develop these adverse outcomes. To test this hypothesis, we will determine how alterations in the intestinal microbiome affect the risk of developing necrotizing enterocolitis, feeding intolerance, and neurodevelopmental impairments in preterm infants. In addition, we will examine the interaction between the intestinal microbiome and host genetics in the regulation of intestinal health and neurodevelopmental outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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/.

This paper presents the results of research whose aim was to investigate the relationship between teachers' epistemological beliefs and their inclination towards either traditional or constructivist learning and teaching paradigm. The study was conducted on a sample of 126 primary school teachers in Croatia. The results show that primary school teachers understand learning as a process in which the connection between students' effort and learning outcomes is expressed and that learning ability is not innate, but on its development student and teacher can affect. Also, a positive correlation was found between teachers inclination towards the traditional paradigm of learning and their beliefs that the ability to learn is genetically innate, and between teachers` inclination towards the constructivist paradigm of learning and their beliefs about the learning process in which students' effort and learning outcomes are interdependent. Research has shown that teachers' epistemological beliefs significantly affect their inclination towards a particular learning paradigm. It has also shown that teachers are significantly more inclined towards the constructivist learning paradigm than the traditional one. Based on these findings, specific implications of such results in primary education and formal education of future teachers are discussed.

This paper describes the application of a "biosocial" approach to informal health and science education. As an engagement between biological and critical social sciences, biosocial theory has sought to re-articulate human bodies as fundamentally the product of interrelationships between the biological and social dimensions of human life. Applying this approach to health and science education, we conducted approximately 200 public demonstrations at a science museum with school-aged participants over a two-year period. These demonstrations were designed to describe cutting edge research into "biosocial mechanisms" such as allostatic load and epigenetics. We examined survey responses and informal conversation with participants in order to characterize key themes that emerged within these interactions. Our analysis identifies a distinct biosocial "science talk" characterized, at varying degrees of complexity, by an emphasis on complex inter-relationships between environments and biology, the mutability of bodies, and the role of social structures and personal experiences in shaping health outcomes. We argue that these forms of science talk reflect the highly individualized and relational functioning of the biosocial mechanisms. We contend that this approach is not only accessible and easily adaptable to informal science education, but of increasing relevance given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction and aim. The purpose of this paper is to provide information on genetically conditioned obesity and to present a modern genotyping-based therapy for obesity using setmelanotide. The connection between obesity and genes has been proven many years ago. Genetics plays significant role in the predisposition to obesity and may contribute up to 70% risk for this disease. Due to the genetic basis, two main groups of obesity can be distinguished -- the common polygenic obesity and the rare monogenic obesity. Obesity determined by a mutation of a single gene is extremely rare among the general population, however, in a group of children with early severe obesity, it can underlie 5% to as many as 30% of cases. The genes responsible for this type of obesity are most often associated with the leptin/melanocortin pathway, which proper functioning is essential for energy balance. Advances in genetics make it possible to select an appropriate, cause-specific treatment. The prototype of gynotype -- based obesity therapy is recombinant human leptin therapy in patients with its genetically determined and very rare deficiency. The second genotype -- based treatment for obesity is setmelanotide, a selective MC4R agonist, which was approved by the FDA in November 2020 for the treatment of rare, monogenic obesity disorders caused by three rare genetic disorders: pro-opiomelanocortin deficiency, proprotein subtilisin/kexin type 1 deficiency and leptin receptor deficiency, confirmed by genetic testing. Material and methods. The paper is based on a review of papers in the PubMed network on issues related to the topic of genetically conditioned obesity and modern therapy with setmelanotide. Analysis of literature. The articles on which the work was based concerned the subject of rare cases of gene-related obesity. The papers outline the mechanism of these diseases -- mutations in the leptin-melanocortin pathway affecting POMC, LEPR and PCSK1 as well as their impact on satiety sensation. Only since 2020 when setmelanotide was approved is there a possibility of treating such disorders. Its efficacy is evidenced by the results of clinical trials, including a phase three study in which among patients with POMC deficiency 80% of patients achieved more than 10% weight reduction, while in patients with LEPR mutation such weight loss affected 45.5% of patients with a significant reduction in the sensation of hunger in both of these groups.The presented results indicate the effectiveness and safety of setmelanotide, which can completely change the lives of patients with these rare diseases. Conclusion. Research directed at the genetic basis of obesity may become increasingly important, information about abnormalities in the genotype can be used to predict its occurrence, assess its prognosis and, importantly, to select the best and most effective treatment allowing an improvement in the patient's quality of life [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case studies are valuable tools for instruction but are often limited to a single topic and a single class period. Courses such as evolution that synthesize multiple concepts around a common theme, however, can use a single case study type project that extends over the entire semester to develop and link core concepts. A central theme in evolutionary biology is determining if complex biological traits represent adaptations that arose by natural selection. The instructional model presented here engages students in a step-by-step process to answer this question of adaptation for a trait of their choosing. In this process, the instructor first introduces the major concepts required to address adaptation. As each major concept is developed in class, students apply this concept to their particular trait, using information gathered from published studies. Students then report their research back to the class. At the end of the semester, each group synthesizes their evidence into a paper developing an argument as to whether or not their trait fits the criteria of being an adaptation. This project provides students with ownership of course material, gets students to act as practicing scientists, and helps them integrate and apply theoretical material to real questions.

In the context of England, secondary biology education is dominated by sub-organismal systems, such as physiology, often to the detriment of evolution & ecology and impeding an integrated understanding of biology. This paper proposes a framework that teachers could use to help them consider how the learning of physiological and developmental systems can be combined with ecological and evolutionary thinking. Thus, keeping a balance between anthropomorphic contexts, and those of nature. The framework has two axes: physio-developmental -- ecology, and contemporary -- evolutionary, from which four quadrants emerge for consideration during topic design. It is proposed that topic design in general should be centred on the whole organism in its environment, which would ensure that physiological phenomena are contextualised in the organism's ecology. Furthermore, it is proposed that by pedagogical use of comparative biology, an evolutionary perspective can be integrated with organismal systems and ecology, whilst also offering more opportunities for students to discern the pattern being studied and be exposed to more non-human organisms. The framework is designed for practising teachers and would not require a radical change in pedagogy or teaching resources, but a new way of seeing the content and organisation of the course.

Adaptive learning has garnered researchers' interest. The main issue within this field is how to select appropriate learning objects (LOs) based on learners' requirements and context, and how to combine the selected LOs to form what is known as an adaptive learning path. Heuristic and metaheuristic approaches have achieved significant progress on personalized and adaptive recommendations, but the operators of some heuristic algorithms are often fixed which decreases the algorithms' extendibility. This paper reviews existing works and proposes an innovative approach. We model the proposed approach as a constraints satisfaction problem, and an improved genetic algorithm named adaptive genetic algorithm is proposed to solve it. The proposed solution does not only reduce the search space size and increase search efficiency but also it is more explicit in finding the best composition of LOs for a specific learner. As a result, the best personalized adaptive learning resources combination will be found in lesser time.

Graduates in biology or genetics learn Mendel's laws and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium as students, and they know, use, and sometimes teach these concepts. However, it is unusual to learn about stochastic processes during the graduate studies of these topics, although the applications of Markov chains in the fields of genetics or biology are increasing. In this paper, and from Mendel's Laws, we are going to obtain an example of the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium that can be used to teach it. In the demonstration, stochastic processes theory and Markov chains will be used, in order to develop the transition matrix. In this way, we obtain an example that can be used to illustrate an explanation that involves, through Mendel's laws, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for degree students, and stochastic processes for advanced students in biology or genetic sciences (predoctoral students at university). In this example, we are going to use the Scientific Workplace version 6.0 software.