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Canine parvoviral enteritis (CPE) has a high mortality rate in untreated dogs due to systemic inflammation and multi-organ dysfunction. The inflammatory process can lead to coagulation abnormalities. This study aimed to evaluate the coagulation status using thromboelastography (TEG) and assess the thrombin generation (TG) and clot dissolution using TEG-derived velocity curve (v-curve) parameters in dogs with CPE. It included 21 dogs with CPE and five healthy dogs. In addition to the clinico-haemato-biochemical examinations, the coagulation status was analysed using citrated venous blood samples with TEG. All the dogs with CPE met at least two criteria for systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). The comparison to healthy controls showed a statistically significant prolongation of reaction times (R time; P = 0.005) and times to the maximum rate of thrombus generation (TMRTG; P = 0.003). However, the times to the maximum rate of lysis (TMRL; P = 0.041) and total lysis (L; P = 0.024) decreased significantly. The TEG tracings showed coagulation states varying from hypocoagulation to hypercoagulation in dogs with CPE. These results showed that the v-curve derivate can be used to evaluate the coagulation in dogs with CPE, and it could be superior to the standard TEG variables for determining the low fibrinolytic activity. Thus, the v-curve parameters may provide a novel insight into the underlying mechanism and clinical treatment strategy of CPE-induced inflammation.

Objective To evaluate the impact of coadministering statins with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) on the risk of major bleeding events in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE).Design Observational cohort analysis based on a multicentre international registry.Setting Data were extracted from the Registro Informatizado de Enfermedad TromboEmbolica Registry, which involves 205 centres across 27 countries.Participants A total of 73 659 patients diagnosed with VTE were classified based on their anticoagulant therapy (DOACs) versus low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) or vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) and concurrent use of statins.Methods Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for confounding variables to assess the risk of major bleeding events stratified by the type of anticoagulant use and statin use.Results From October 2013 to February 2023, 73 659 patients were recruited: 2573 were statin users on DOACs, 14 090 were statin users on LMWH or VKA therapy, 10 088 were non-statin users on DOACs and 46 908 were non-statin users on LMWH or VKA therapy. Statin users were 10 years older and more likely to have hypertension, diabetes, renal failure or prior artery disease. During anticoagulation (median, 187 days), 1917 patients (2.6%) suffered major bleeding. Rates of major bleeding per 100 patient-years were 2.33 (95% CI 1.72 to 3.09), 3.75 (95% CI 3.43 to 4.10), 1.39 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.69) and 3.10 (95% CI 2.93 to 3.27), respectively. On multivariable analysis, patients treated with DOACs had a significantly lower risk of major bleeding compared with those on LMWH or VKA therapy (adjusted HR 0.59; 95% CI 0.48 to 0.74). The adjusted HR in statin users versus non-users was 1.03 (95% CI 0.92 to 1.14), while in statin users on DOACs versus the rest of patients, it was 1.18 (95% CI 0.79 to 1.76).Conclusions In patients with VTE receiving statins, long-term anticoagulation with DOACs was associated with a reduced risk of major bleeding, regardless of the statin use. These findings support the safety profile of DOACs over VKAs or LMWH in the management of VTE in patients requiring statins.

Knowledge of the distribution and density of marine species is key to understanding habitat use and interactions with human activities. Yet such information for sea turtles remains scarce, especially at foraging areas, where low turtle density represents an additional challenge in comparison to turtle aggregations at coastal breeding areas. Aerial surveys with aircraft are an efficient method for collecting these data over broad scales, while more novel unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs) are better suited for finer-scale data collection. However, their use is less developed, especially in offshore areas. Here we explored, for the first time in the Mediterranean, the potential of UAV surveys to estimate turtle density (surface and total) at foraging areas and its temporal trend. Between 2017 and 2023, we conducted 427 flights in the Pelagian Islands Archipelago (PIA), Italy, a regionally important foraging area of the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta. To convert from surface to total density, we used data from multisensor biologgers deployed on 22 turtles to calculate the proportion of time turtles are visible from aerial surveys (availability time proportion, ATP). Results show that the mean surface turtle density in the PIA (0.336-0.477 turtles km-2) is among the highest reported globally for a loggerhead turtle foraging area. Such densities make it possible to assess population trends through periodic UAV surveys, which are less expensive than aircraft surveys and which can minimize the typical biases of aerial surveys (distance sampling, perception, and misidentification). A standardized methodology is needed for meaningful comparisons, including ATP at the visible depth layer vs. surface.

Aims: To investigate the sociodemographic profile of donors from four large Brazilian blood collection organizations (BCOs) from 2007 to 2016, providing key information to understand the characteristics of the blood donor population, and to support strategies to maintain and improve the sufficiency of the blood supply. Material and methods: Data were collected from BCOs participating in the REDS Brazil Study in São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Pernambuco between 2007 and 2016, and in Rio de Janeiro from 2012 to 2016. We included all eligible blood donation candidates who passed through clinical and laboratory routine screenings. Results are presented in terms of frequencies and percentages, analyzed by demographic characteristics, donor type: first time (FTD) and repeat donors (RD), and donation type (community or replacement). Results: During the study period, 3,246,516 whole blood and 61,169 platelet apheresis donations were collected. The percentage of men (67%) was twice as high as the number of women but varied by BCO, and the predominant age group was 26-35 years (34%). In the assessment of self-reported race/skin color, we found a predominance of mixed race (44%), followed by white (43%). For education level, most donors reported having finished high school (50%). Among the donors, 67% were RD and 33% were FTD. Over the 10-year period, the overall demographic profile of blood donors remained relatively stable with a predominance of males (62-69% range by site), whites (40-47%) and/or mixed race (35-46%), donors with a higher level of education (39-54%) with high school-level), aged between 26-35 years (32-35%), community donors (60-66%) and RD (63-69%).Male donors between 26-35 years old with ≥high school education were most common in all BCOs. In São Paulo and Pernambuco, replacement donations were 57% and 55%, respectively. In Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro, community donations were 86% and 71%, respectively. Discussion: Our results describe a predominance of male and young blood donors, as well as a predominance of community and RD. Campaigns conducted by the blood centers have increased the relative percentages of donations from female donors, but the efforts to attract community donors have seen limited success, with an overall increase of 5% in the percentage of female donors and an overall increase of 2% in community donors between 2007 and 2016. The greatest increase in the percentage of female donors was observed in São Paulo (10%) and Pernambuco (10%); the greatest increase in the percentage of community donors was observed in Minas Gerais (10%). The modest increases in female and community donors suggest that targeted strategies are needed to align with WHO recommendations, which emphasize that an adequate and reliable supply of safe blood is best assured by a stable base of regular and voluntary blood donors. Conclusion: This analysis provides information to understand the sociodemographic characteristics of Brazilian blood donors over time. With this analysis, we intend to support the Ministry of Health and other responsible bodies in creating effective strategies to increase blood donations. We are currently analyzing data up to 2023 to further assess these trends during and after the COVID pandemic.

Background: A concerning increase in syphilis has been observed worldwide. Traditional surveillance is limited by the scarce routine testing of asymptomatic infections. Blood donation screening is an opportunity to monitor resolved and active syphilis infections, providing public health insights into transmission. Aims: To define syphilis prevalence, incidence and factors associated with active infection among blood donors in five Brazilian blood centers. Material and methods: Donations from Jan. 2020 through Feb. 2022 were screened with treponemal or nontreponemal tests according to the local routine assessment at each blood center, followed by a confirmatory step with an alternate Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and rapid plasma reagin (RPR) testing. Samples with positive or indeterminate results in the alternate ELISA were categorized as active (if RPR reactive) or resolved syphilis (nonreactive RPR). Active cases were further categorized according to RPR titers (< 1:8 or ≥ 1:8). We report the prevalence of syphilis in first-time donations (FTD) and repeat donations (RD), incidence in RD, and use regression models to assess factors associated with active syphilis. Results: Of 862,146 donations, 10,771 (1.3%) were reactive or indeterminate on screening; 7,541 available samples underwent additional testing. Of those, 5,876 (77.9%) tested positive on the alternate ELISA; 907 (12.0%) were resolved infections, 2,980 (39.5%) were active syphilis with RPR < 1:8, and 1,989 (26.4%) were active syphilis with RPR ≥ 1:8. Overall syphilis prevalence (including resolved and active cases) was 2.5% in FTD and 0.6% in RD. The prevalence of active syphilis was 1211 and 238 per 105 donations among FTD and RD, respectively. Among FTD, the prevalence rates of active syphilis with high and low RPR titers were 466 and 745/105 donations; these rates were 4.4 and 5.6 times higher than those observed in RD. Subgroups with the highest prevalence of active syphilis were black donors (946/105 donations), donors with ≤primary education (788/105 donations) and replacement donors (822/105 donations). In the multivariable model, age, gender, race, education, donor type, and type of donation were significantly associated with active syphilis. The incidence of syphilis in RD was 90/105 person-years, with age (25-34 and ≥ 55 relative to ≤ 24 years), male gender, Black and Mixed race (relative to White), lower education, and replacement donation significantly associated with incident syphilis in RD. Discussion: We observed that both the prevalence and incidence of active syphilis are associated with male sex, black and mixed race, lower schooling, and replacement donation; compared to donors ≤ 24 years old, older donors had higher prevalence of active syphilis, whereas those aged 25-34 years old had higher incidence of syphilis. Conclusion: The prevalence of syphilis was below 3% among FTD and below 1% among RD including resolved and active cases. We found wide variation according to demographic characteristics, with age, gender, race, education, donor type, and type of donation associated with higher prevalence of active syphilis in the adjusted models. The results indicate sociodemographic subgroups that can be targeted in efforts to promote sexual health education and surveillance, prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections.

Background: Syphilis is a public health problem with traditional surveillance limited to clinical monitoring data; asymptomatic and low-risk populations rarely undergo diagnostic testing. Globally, the syphilis prevalence has consistently increased over the last years, worldwide. Blood donation screening can provide valuable information on syphilis trends over time and on the occurrence of undetected cases in the community. Aims: To evaluate the rates and the relationship between syphilis positivity in blood donors when compared against the notifications of sexually acquired syphilis, syphilis in pregnant persons, and congenital syphilis reported by the Brazilian surveillance system between 2012 and 2022. Material and methods: Data was compared directly to evaluate the correlations between deferral rates due to syphilis in first-time donors within the REDS-IV-P blood centers (per 100,000 donations); annual rates of syphilis reactivity among Brazilian blood donors obtained from the Hemotherapy Bulletin (HEMOPROD; per 100,000 donations); and rates of congenital syphilis (per 1,000 live births), sexually acquired syphilis (per 100,000 population), and syphilis in pregnant persons (per 1,000 live births) in Brazil extracted from official reports published by the Ministry of Health. The deferral rates in blood donations were based on the results of screening tests. Results: We observed an increase in syphilis detection over time by all definitions between 2012 and 2022, with a more pronounced increase in syphilis in pregnant persons (5.7x) and sexually acquired syphilis (7.0x), except for 2020, likely due to underreporting secondary to the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in deferral rates for syphilis in blood donors in Brazil and in REDS was less sharp (1.6x and 1.4x respectively) when compared to the rates for sexually acquired syphilis and gestational syphilis. REDS-IV-P data reflected the country's deferral pattern, approximately correlating with the increase in congenital syphilis detection rates (2.5x) in the period. Discussion: There is a close correlation between syphilis rates in first-time blood donors and congenital syphilis rates recorded by the surveillance system between 2012 and 2022. Donors have lower syphilis rates than the overall adult population and a less pronounced increase in rates over time, probably due to sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics of the blood donor population.

Background: Patients with Cushing syndrome (CS) are at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Objective: The aim was to evaluate the current management of new cases of CS with a focus on VTE and thromboprophylaxis. Design and methods: A survey was conducted within those that report in the electronic reporting tool (e-REC) of the European Registries for Rare Endocrine Conditions (EuRRECa) and the involved main thematic groups (MTG’s) of the European Reference Networks for Rare Endocrine Disorders (Endo-ERN) on new patients with CS from January 2021 to July 2022. Results: Of 222 patients (mean age 44 years, 165 females), 141 patients had Cushing disease (64%), 69 adrenal CS (31%), and 12 patients with ectopic CS (5.4%). The mean follow-up period post-CS diagnosis was 15 months (range 3–30). Cortisol-lowering medications were initiated in 38% of patients. One hundred fifty-four patients (69%) received thromboprophylaxis (including patients on chronic anticoagulant treatment), of which low-molecular-weight heparins were used in 96% of cases. VTE was reported in six patients (2.7%), of which one was fatal: two long before CS diagnosis, two between diagnosis and surgery, and two postoperatively. Three patients were using thromboprophylaxis at time of the VTE diagnosis. The incidence rate of VTE in patients after Cushing syndrome diagnosis in our study cohort was 14.6 (95% CI 5.5; 38.6) per 1000 person-years. Conclusion: Thirty percent of patients with CS did not receive preoperative thromboprophylaxis during their active disease stage, and half of the VTE cases even occurred during this stage despite thromboprophylaxis. Prospective trials to establish the optimal thromboprophylaxis strategy in CS patients are highly needed. Significance statement The incidence rate of venous thromboembolism in our study cohort was 14.6 (95% CI 5.5; 38.6) per 1000 person-years. Notably, this survey showed that there is great heterogeneity regarding time of initiation and duration of thromboprophylaxis in expert centers throughout Europe.

Introduction Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) and endobronchial valve (EBV) placement can produce substantial benefits in appropriately selected people with emphysema. The UK Lung Volume Reduction (UKLVR) registry is a national multicentre observational study set up to support quality standards and assess outcomes from LVR procedures at specialist centres across the UK.Methods Data were analysed for all patients undergoing an LVR procedure (LVRS/EBV) who were recruited into the study at participating centres between January 2017 and June 2022, including; disease severity and risk assessment, compliance with guidelines for selection, procedural complications and survival to February 2023.Results Data on 541 patients from 14 participating centres were analysed. Baseline disease severity was similar in patients who had surgery n=244 (44.9%), or EBV placement n=219 (40.9%), for example, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) 32.1 (12.1)% vs 31.2 (11.6)%. 89% of cases had discussion at a multidisciplinary meeting recorded. Median (IQR) length of stay postprocedure for LVRS and EBVs was 12 (13) vs 4 (4) days(p=0.01). Increasing age, male gender and lower FEV1%predicted were associated with mortality risk, but survival did not differ between the two procedures, with 50 (10.8%) deaths during follow-up in the LVRS group vs 45 (9.7%) following EBVs (adjusted HR 1.10 (95% CI 0.72 to 1.67) p=0.661)Conclusion Based on data entered in the UKLVR registry, LVRS and EBV procedures for emphysema are being performed in people with similar disease severity and long-term survival is similar in both groups.

Background Pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cardiovascular risk factors have been associated with an increased risk of complications following hospitalisation with COVID-19, but their impact on the rate of recovery following discharge is not known.Objectives To determine whether the rate of patient-perceived recovery following hospitalisation with COVID-19 was affected by the presence of CVD or cardiovascular risk factors.Methods In a multicentre prospective cohort study, patients were recruited following discharge from the hospital with COVID-19 undertaking two comprehensive assessments at 5 months and 12 months. Patients were stratified by the presence of either CVD or cardiovascular risk factors prior to hospitalisation with COVID-19 and compared with controls with neither. Full recovery was determined by the response to a patient-perceived evaluation of full recovery from COVID-19 in the context of physical, physiological and cognitive determinants of health.Results From a total population of 2545 patients (38.8% women), 472 (18.5%) and 1355 (53.2%) had CVD or cardiovascular risk factors, respectively. Compared with controls (n=718), patients with CVD and cardiovascular risk factors were older and more likely to have had severe COVID-19. Full recovery was significantly lower at 12 months in patients with CVD (adjusted OR (aOR) 0.62, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.89) and cardiovascular risk factors (aOR 0.66, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.86).Conclusion Patients with CVD or cardiovascular risk factors had a delayed recovery at 12 months following hospitalisation with COVID-19. Targeted interventions to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in patients with cardiovascular disease remain an unmet need.Trail registration number ISRCTN10980107.

Sustainability of agricultural production systems is a major concern in context to present environmental conditions. Natural farming (NF) is being promoted as low-cost environment friendly option. A study was carried out to investigate the effects of NF vis-a-vis organic farming (OF) and conventional farming (CF) systems on soil microbial population, enzymatic activity, and microarthropod population under tomato crop in the mid-hill zone of Himachal Pradesh, India. The results showed that bacterial population under NF increased by 42.8% and 24% in comparison to CF and OF, respectively. Similarly, the population of soil fungi and actinomycetes under NF increased by 80.5 and 67.7% over CF, and by 47.9 and 39.6% over OF, respectively. The soil dehydrogenase activity under NF (22.5µg TPF/g soil/h) was 150.6% higher than CF and 85.2% higher than OF. Similar trend was found for phosphatase and urease activity. Soil micro arthropod population after two years of experiment was also highest under NF followed by OF and CF. The system yield was statistically at par to each other, among different farming systems. All the soil biological parameters were significantly correlated with each other (P

Water is a necessary component of urban structures and a source of life. Nowadays water distribution system's performance might decline for various reasons, resulting in water waste, hence, to maintain a reliable water distribution network, assessing each water distribution study's validity is crucial. Therefore, this research has focused on using durability assessment to evaluate a water supply system. A water distribution network includes an overhead tank and nodes, pipelines, and nodes. The hydraulic properties of every node as well as pipe, including pressure and flow, are calculated utilizing EPANET. This research evaluates the reliability analysis based on the benchmark data's various diameter of pipes, such as 0.6 m, 0.4 m, 0.3 m, 0.2 m, and 0.15 m, usage. Finally, this research analyses the reliability of each set of diameter pipes in the water supply system.

Introduction: Body image is the perception and attitude one holds toward one’s own body, especially, but not exclusively, one’s physical appearance. The promotion of positive body image improves people’s quality of life and behaviors related to health. Social factors, sociocultural influences, media pressure, and the pursuit of an ideal body, associated with accomplishments and happiness are among the causes of changes in the perception of body image, leading to dissatisfaction. There is very less literature on these topics among males and also medical students. Objectives: To assess body image perception and the influence of sociocultural factors on it and self-esteem among undergraduate students of a medical college. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 192 undergraduate medical students of a medical college from June 2021 to September 2021 using a predesigned pretested self-administered questionnaire in English. Results: Out of 200 students included in the study the mean age of study subjects was 19.78 ± 1.39 years, of which,107(56%) were males and 85(44%) were females. The 192 students were classified as Underweight (27(14%)), Normal weight (78(41%)), Overweight (43(22%)) and Obese I (44(23%)) according to Asian WHO BMI classification. BISS scores (which measure body image satisfaction) were the median of the six items after reverse-scoring the three positive-to-negative items which were found to be 5.5(4-7) and 53% of students showed body image dissatisfaction. 33% (63 students) of students have thin/low body fat internalization and about 77(40%) have muscular/athletic internalization.54(28%) students mostly agree about family pressure to attain the ideal appearance, 53(28%) feel pressure from peers and 75(39%) mostly agree with influence of media to attain ideal appearance. Out of the 192 students,124(64%) showed normal self-esteem, 63(33%) with low self-esteem, and 5(3%) with high self-esteem as per Rosenberg’s self-esteem score. A statistically significant association was found between BMI and body image perception and also between Body image perception with sociocultural attitudes toward the appearance and self-esteem of students. Conclusion: Body image dissatisfaction affects young students. In this study, about 53% of the students showed body image dissatisfaction. This perception of self has mainly been influenced by media (39%), family pressure (28%), and peer pressure (28%). Also, 33% of the students have low esteem with a significant association between Body image perception and self-esteem.

Anthracnose fruit rot caused by Colletotrichum spp. is a serious production constraint causing severe marketable yield loss in chilli. Field evaluation of chilli accessions for resistance to Colletotrichum spp. depends on various factors affecting disease expression such as edaphic conditions, temperature, rainfall, humidity and other variables that are difficult to control, therefore considered less accurate. Also, high chances of cross contamination with different Colletotrichum species leads to inconclusive assays for specific pathogen species and isolate. To identify a stable and reliable screening method, various chilli accessions were subjected to in vitro pin-prick and non-wounding spray methods using a specific pathogen isolates. When chilli accessions were screened against C. gloeosporioides isolate ‘IHRCg-1’, the in vitro pin- prick method showed positive correlation with the non- wounding spray method, except in the accession PBC80. The change in bioassay influenced the disease reaction pattern in the accession PBC 80, probably the pin pricks break the basal cuticle defense mechanism that was retained in spray inoculation method indicating varied resistance pattern. However, in the accession PBC 81 stable resistance pattern was observed against isolates of both species viz., C. truncatum ‘IIHR Ct-1’ and C. gloeosporioides ‘IIHR Cg-1’ and in the accession PBC 80 against C. truncatum ‘IIHR Ct-1’ in both the inoculation methods that depicted the expression of resistance genes during both methods of inoculation. Based on disease development pattern, the red ripe chilli expressed a variant reaction to infection by C. truncatum and C. gloeosporioides. The peak anthracnose infection at 10 DAI and 14 DAI is an accurate duration to record ‘IIHR Cg-1’ and ‘IIHR Ct-1’ infection, respectively on chilli ripe fruit for assaying the resistance.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented health care challenges mandating surgical service reconfiguration. Within our hospital, emergency and elective streams were separated and self-contained Protected Elective Surgical Units were developed to mitigate against infection-related morbidity. Aims of this study were to determine the risk of COVID-19 transmission and mortality and whether the development of Protected Elective Surgical Units can result in significant reduction in risk. Methods: A retrospective observational study of consecutive patients from 18 specialties undergoing elective or emergency surgery under general, spinal, or epidural anaesthetic over a 12-month study period was undertaken. Primary outcome measures were 30-day postoperative COVID-19 transmission rate and mortality. Secondary adjusted analyses were performed to ascertain hospital and Protected Elective Surgical Unit transmission rates. Results: Between 15 March 2020 and 14 March 2021, 9,925 patients underwent surgery: 6,464 (65.1%) elective, 5,116 (51.5%) female, and median age 57 (39–70). A total of 69.5% of all procedures were performed in Protected Elective Surgical Units. Overall, 30-day postoperative COVID-19 transmission was 2.8% (3.4% emergency vs 1.2% elective P 70, male sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade >2, and emergency surgery were all independently associated with mortality. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that Protected Elective Surgical Units can facilitate high-volume elective surgical services throughout peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic while minimising viral transmission and mortality. However, mortality risk associated with perioperative COVID-19 infection remains high.

The objective of this study was to verify the accuracy of the quantitative PCR (qPCR) method for in vivo detection of Macrorhabdus ornithogaster. A total of 100 faecal and gastric mucosa samples from avian cadavers were investigated, using cytological and qPCR techniques (budgerigars, Fischer's lovebirds, red-crowned parakeets, scarlet-chested parrots, eastern rosellas, domestic canaries, zebra finches, white Java sparrow). Using qPCR, the probability of detecting positive samples of droppings was significantly higher than in the faecal smear microscopy (P

Bone is a unique nanocomposite tissue composed of organic and inorganic materials. Bone grafting is a common surgical method used to improve bone regeneration in dentistry and orthopedic surgery. Because standard therapies have substantial drawbacks, nanomaterials provide alternative options for bone repair. Owing to its high bioactivity, osteoconductivity, biocompatibility, and topography that matches the architecture of real bone, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (n-HA) are commonly used in bone treatment. We report here the synthesis and characterization of Naringin (NA) functionalized n-HA using HRTEM, FTIR, XRD, and UV-visible spectroscopy. The obtained results indicated that the n-HA can be functionalized with Naringin and they might be used as a bone regenerative material in medical and dental fields.

Climate change education is both important and challenging. Prior research suggests that many secondary school science teachers in the United States were conveying "mixed messages" to students that legitimized scientifically unwarranted explanations of recent global warming. In this paper, we focus on US climate education at the middle school level and assess whether teacher attention to recent global warming, and whether the messages conveyed to students, changed between 2014 and 2019. Pooling data from two nationally representative probability surveys of middle school science teachers, we show significant advances on several key criteria, but the prevalence of mixed messages remained high. Exploratory analysis suggests that improvements were spurred partly by the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards by many states and by partly by shifts in the personal views of science educators.

Misinformation regarding vaccine science decreased the receptiveness to COVID-19 vaccines, exacerbating the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on society. To mitigate the negative societal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, impactful and creative science communication was needed, yet little research has explored how to encourage COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and address misconceptions held by non-Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics majors (referred to as non-majors). We have previously demonstrated that including expert guest lectures in the vaccine module in the non-major introductory biology course helps combat students' vaccine hesitancy. In the present study, we further address how learning about vaccines impacts student knowledge and impressions of the COVID-19 vaccines through a podcast assignment. As a part of this assignment, non-majors created podcasts to address COVID-19 vaccine misconceptions of their choice. We coded pre and post, open-ended essay reflections (n = 40) to assess non-majors' knowledge and impressions of the COVID-19 vaccines. Non-majors' impressions of the vaccines improved following the podcast assignment with more than three times as many students reporting a positive view of the assignment than negative views. Notably, eight of the nine interviewed students still ended the course with misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccines, such as the vaccines being unnecessary or causing fertility issues. In a post semi-structured interview following this assignment, students (n = 7) discussed the impact of looking into the specific misconceptions related to COVID-19 vaccines themselves, including improved science communication skills and understanding of different perspectives. Thus, podcasts can provide opportunities for students to improve engagement in valuable societal topics like vaccine literacy in the non-majors classroom.

The complexity of modern biology poses challenges in fostering interdisciplinary understanding, particularly between practicing scientists and the public. Furthermore, scientists often lack formal training in science communication, despite various motivations to engage the public. The science literacy of the public in the biological sciences can also vary across socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. Leveraging popular culture and informal learning practices to promote active learning offers promising avenues to enhance public understanding of biological systems. Organized sports hold collective recognition across various communities and cultures, serving as a means to bring people together. Notably, the NCAA March Madness event holds widespread national and international popularity, presenting an opportunity to laterally apply this concept to promote science communication within STEM and biology education. An educational social media and web-based contest tool was developed integrating NCAA-inspired brackets with animal biological systems concepts. The tool featured tournament-style matchups based on animal biological systems, interesting animal facts, and a voting system, all housed within a user-friendly interface. To encourage regular user access to the tool, graphic designs were developed for all social media posts to aid in visual recruitment to the voting website. Based on online metrics, the use of social media garnered repeat users across both the public and educators. The latter noted the tool's simplicity and informative content. Application of this social media and web-based bracket contest tool, which leverages informal settings for active learning for use in biology education, can foster science communication to engage audiences, improve comprehension, and promote interdisciplinary biology education.

Purpose: To improve teacher education and education quality, this study explores the experiences and learning of student teachers during their practice instruction in public high schools in the Philippines. Methodology: Semi-structured, in-depth focus group discussions with student teachers were conducted employing a phenomenological research design using Colaizzi's approach. Eight groups of student teachers participated in the focus group discussions (FGDs). Each group comprised five students, with 40 participants in total. Findings: According to the findings, student teachers often struggle with the practical realities of teaching in public school and real-world scenarios instead of controlled training environments. Additionally, teaching-related learning experiences are crucial for adapting to diverse student characteristics and developing teaching styles. A mentoring program is found to be essential, despite issues of communication and confidence. Moreover, having supportive mentors play a significant role in helping student teachers to become effective educators. The study also emphasized the need to enhance the teaching and learning setting through digital tools. Significance: This study provides important insights into the obstacles and potential for improving teacher education quality in the Philippines and expanding the teaching practice program.

This article highlights the nascent efforts between College Unbound, Brown University, and Providence College--three very different types of institutions in Providence, Rhode Island--to foster cross-institutional capacity for place-based community engagement. By collectively engaging our institutions, we experimented with what collaboration around community engagement might look like within our local context. In this article, we share our approach and reflections in working to cultivate a place-based collaboration that is community-centric and grounded in students' lived experiences, along with limitations, lessons learned, and next steps related to our collaborative work. Through our efforts, we situate cross-institutional collaborations as an opportunity for more sustained and transformative work within higher education community engagement.

The focus of this study was to assess the skill requirements for data analytics positions and to understand data analysis employment expectations for new graduates. Furthermore, this work seeks to highlight issues relevant to curriculum management in university degree programs. 786 job postings were analyzed for domain-related, soft skills, as well as degree requirements. Soft skills, often referred to as people skills, comprised the largest part of the results (11 of the top 21 skills). Results revealed the most frequent soft skills were related to communication and teams or teamwork. The most frequent domain skills were related to visualization, data cleaning, data extraction and programming. Implications for curriculum based on results are discussed, and suggestions for future research are provided.

The objective of the cyclotron radiation emission spectroscopy (CRES) technology is to build precise particle energy spectra. This is achieved by identifying the start frequencies of charged particle trajectories which, when exposed to an external magnetic field, leave semi-linear profiles (called tracks) in the time–frequency plane. Due to the need for excellent instrumental energy resolution in application, highly efficient and accurate track reconstruction methods are desired. Deep learning convolutional neural networks (CNNs) - particularly suited to deal with information-sparse data and which offer precise foreground localization—may be utilized to extract track properties from measured CRES signals (called events) with relative computational ease. In this work, we develop a novel machine learning based model which operates a CNN and a support vector machine in tandem to perform this reconstruction. A primary application of our method is shown on simulated CRES signals which mimic those of the Project 8 experiment—a novel effort to extract the unknown absolute neutrino mass value from a precise measurement of tritium β ^− -decay energy spectrum. When compared to a point-clustering based technique used as a baseline, we show a relative gain of 24.1% in event reconstruction efficiency and comparable performance in accuracy of track parameter reconstruction.

In this randomized control study, we evaluated science teachers' pedagogical practices via classroom observations following ongoing, intensive, and structured instructional support sessions. These sessions included virtual professional development (VPD) and virtual mentoring and coaching (VMC) that accompanied a literacy-infused science curriculum. Using a low-inference observational instrument, we explored the direct impact of VPD and VMC on fifth-grade science teachers' observed time allocation in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) validation study. The observations were collected three times during science instruction from 121 teachers in 68 schools from 35 public school districts in the U.S. state of Texas, during the 2017-2018 school year. Preliminary findings revealed pedagogical differences in time allocation among teachers between treatment and control classrooms. We identified improved instructional practices within treatment classrooms, which suggests the intervention had a positive effect by enhancing the quality of pedagogy as well as the content-area instruction in science.