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A small but growing body of research confirms that people in the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other identities) community are among those underrepresented in STEM (science, technology engineering, and math). This is concerning because diversity and inclusion improves science for all. In response, Canadian institutions have developed initiatives aimed to address issues in which LGBTQ+ students disproportionately leave STEM fields. LGBTQ+ postdoctoral scholars (postdocs) are of particular interest because they have developed clear professional and LGBTQ+ identities, they are significant contributors to their fields, and they work at the intersection of STEM students and faculty. Studies have highlighted poor job satisfaction and career opportunities for this group. This qualitative study explored the values, beliefs, and experiences of 14 Canadian LGBQ+ postdocs in STEM through semi-structured interviews about coming out, experiences of LGBQ+ mentorship/representation, and their beliefs on staying within science and academia. Interview data was analyzed thematically from a post-structural perspective. Main themes emerged: (1) coming out, (2) representation, and (3) mentorship. This exploratory qualitative study offers insight into how the experiences of this understudied group are helpful in disentangling discourses surrounding coming out, representation, and mentorship for LGBQ+ researchers in STEM.

The ocular skeleton is composed of the scleral cartilage and the scleral ossicles. Teleost scleral cartilage is composed of a single layer of chondrocytes embedded in the sclera of the eye. The teleost scleral cartilage ring can vary in depth across teleost families and species, from a narrow ring a few cells wide to a deeper ring that resembles a cup and surrounds the entire sclera. However, very little research has been conducted on the development and morphology of teleost scleral cartilage. Thus, this study aims to characterize the development of the scleral cartilage in the zebrafish and Mexican tetra, with respect to the timing of emergence, depth throughout development, and positioning within the eye. We hypothesized that the scleral cartilage would first emerge in the scleral tissue closely abutting the ora serrata, and that growth would proceed in an anterior‐to‐posterior direction, resulting in differences in scleral cartilage depth between different fish species. We found that the scleral cartilage ring does not develop uniformly along its circumference, and that its relationship to the ora serrata varies between the rostral and caudal regions. Furthermore, distinct differences in the growth trajectory of the scleral cartilage indicate that the deep scleral cartilage of the Pachón cavefish is the result of both decreased eye size and prolonged cartilage growth. A significant difference in the size of the scleral chondrocytes was also noted. Overall, this study provides the first characterization of early scleral cartilage development in teleost fish and indicates that some aspects of scleral cartilage development and morphology are highly conserved while others are not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited research has been conducted exploring students' motives for choosing certain career pathways, aspirations and goals in Atlantic Canada. This study examines data from a province-wide survey of students in grades 7, 9 and 12 to better understand gender and grade differences as students start to develop ideas career goals and their futures. Our results indicate that female students are more likely influenced by family members and teachers, and are typically more interested in the medical profession, whereas male students are more likely to be influenced by their friends and the internet, and are typically more interested in STEM fields (such as skilled trades), and law enforcement. Furthermore, the results indicate that as grade levels increase, students are more likely to view visiting post-secondary campuses as an important step in exploring post-high school goals. In summary, we found significant grade and gender differences amongst students when it comes to their career explorations, career drivers, and career goals. These results greatly expand our understanding of how students make decisions about what they want to do after high school and should be used by key influencers as they guide and support students during this transitory, and often stressful, time in their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversity and inclusion in science improves the field for all, but cisheteronormative cultures can make academic science departments difficult for LGBTQ2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, 2-Spirit1, and other identities) individuals to navigate. Evidence suggests that this cisheteronormativity can contribute to a "leaking" science pipeline, where such individuals are more likely to seek out paths outside of science and academia. Studies also show that postdoctoral scholars have low life satisfaction and trouble finding academic jobs, which could worsen this "leak". However, there is little Canadian data on this topic, and no data on LGBTQ2S+ postdocs. This qualitative study explored the values, beliefs, and experiences of 14 Canadian LGBTQ2S+ postdocs in science. Semi-structured interviews were conducted about coming out as LGBTQ2S+ in science, experiences of mentorship, and their beliefs on staying within science and academia. Interview data was analyzed thematically from a poststructural perspective. The main themes that emerged were: 1) feeling supported and accepted, 2) experiencing cisheteronormativity and discrimination, and 3) the leaking academic pipeline. While some participants experienced their science departments as supportive, many also discussed heteronormativity, cisnormativity, and sexism, which was consistent with previous literature. Many participants considered leaving academia due to lack of job security, competitive job market, and work-life balance issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conjunctival placodes are a series of placodes that develop into the conjunctival (scleral) papillae and ultimately induce a series of scleral ossicles in the eyes of many vertebrates. This study establishes a hydrocortisone injection procedure (incl. dosage) that consistently inhibits all conjunctival papillae in the embryonic chicken eye. The effects of this hydrocortisone treatment on apoptosis, vasculature, and placode-related gene expression were assessed., Results: Hydrocortisone treatment does not increase apoptotic cell death or have a major effect on the ciliary artery or vascular plexus in the eye. β-catenin and Eda expression levels were not significantly altered following hydrocortisone treatment, despite the absence of conjunctival papillae. Notably, Fgf20 expression was significantly reduced following hydrocortisone treatment, and the distribution of β-catenin was altered., Conclusions: Our study showed that conjunctival papillae induction begins as early as HH27.5 (E5.5). Hydrocortisone treatment reduces Fgf20 expression independently of β-catenin and Eda and may instead affect other members of the Wnt/β-catenin or Eda/Edar pathways, or it may affect the ability of morphogens to diffuse through the extracellular matrix. This study contributes to a growing profile of gene expression data during placode development and enhances our understanding of how some vertebrate eyes develop these fascinating bones., (© 2024 The Author(s). Developmental Dynamics published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association for Anatomy.)