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Purpose: Adults recognize words that are acquired during childhood more quickly than words acquired during adulthood. This is known as the Age of Acquisition (AoA) effect. The AoA effect, according to the integrated account, manifests in tasks necessitating greater semantic processing and in tasks with arbitrary input-output mapping. Compound words allow us to investigate this account due to the arbitrary input-output mapping between the compound word itself and its morphemes, which requires greater semantic processing. Method: Forty-eight British English students in each experiment completed an unspaced (Experiment 1; n = 48; 83% female; M[subscript age] = 19.73), spaced (Experiment 2; n = 48; 83% female; M[subscript age] = 19.04), auditory (Experiment 3; n = 48; 63% female; M[subscript age] = 19.83), and cross-modal (Experiment 4; n = 48; 52% female; M[subscript age] = 19.81) lexical decision task (LDT) using a regression design on 226 compound words. Results: We observed that the AoA of the compound word affected accuracy across all tasks, whereas the AoA of the compound word influenced recognition latencies across all tasks except cross-modal LDT. Discussion: The results suggest that the influence of the AoA effect and of semantic predictors is largest in unspaced compound words and smallest in cross-modal LDT. This indicates that the AoA effect in word recognition is in line with the integrated account.

Abstract At least two global “Snowball Earth” glaciations occurred during the Neoproterozoic Era (1000-538.8 million years ago). Post-glacial surface environments during this time are recorded in cap carbonates: layers of limestone or dolostone that directly overlie glacial deposits. Postulated environmental conditions that created the cap carbonates lack consensus largely because single hypotheses fail to explain the cap carbonates’ global mass, depositional timescales, and geochemistry of parent waters. Here, we present a global geologic carbon cycle model before, during, and after the second glaciation (i.e. the Marinoan) that explains cap carbonate characteristics. We find a three-stage process for cap carbonate formation: (1) low-temperature seafloor weathering during glaciation generates deep-sea alkalinity; (2) vigorous post-glacial continental weathering supplies alkalinity to a carbonate-saturated freshwater layer, rapidly precipitating cap carbonates; (3) mixing of post-glacial meltwater with deep-sea alkalinity prolongs cap carbonate deposition. We suggest how future geochemical data and modeling refinements could further assess our hypothesis.

The present study aimed to gather evidence on the validity and reliability of the Italian and Hungarian versions of the University Mattering Scale (UM-S). This 10-item scale assesses university students’ perceptions of mattering across three dimensions: Awareness, Importance, and Reliance. University students from Italy (n = 210) and Hungary (n = 191) completed a questionnaire that included the adapted UM-S, along with measures of societal mattering, social support, well-being, and academic self-efficacy. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the three-factor structure of the scale in both contexts. The scale demonstrated high internal consistency, providing evidence of its reliability. Consistent with the original version, both the Italian and Hungarian UM-S showed good discriminant and convergent validity, as evidenced by its association with instruments measuring perceived social support and societal mattering. Additionally, the scale showed strong criterion-related and incremental validity; university mattering significantly predicted students’ well-being and academic self-efficacy, even after controlling for perceived social support. Furthermore, the scale was partially invariant across countries at the scalar level. A comparison of UM-S scores between the two groups revealed that Hungarian students perceived higher levels of university mattering than their Italian counterparts. In conclusion, the Italian and Hungarian versions of the UM-S are appropriate for use in academic contexts to assess students’ sense of being valued by their university. The instrument, having been shown to be both valid and reliable, is suitable for both research and intervention purposes.

Background University is an important time in a young person's life. Although it is a time of exploration, self-discovery and socialising, it is also a time of increased vulnerability to mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Studies have shown that engagement in mindfulness activities can have a positive effect on mental health. However, research is limited in its scope in particular in relation to stressful (transitional) periods of life.Methods The current study aims to address this issue by providing evidence on the predictive impact of both mindfulness practice and ‘dispositional' (or trait) mindfulness on students’ mental health. In total, we gathered data from 190 first-year students.Results A multiple regression was utilised for data analysis. This showed that ‘dispositional’ mindfulness, but not mindful activity had a significant impact on mental health scores.Conclusion This provides data for future research into the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions for student adaptation to university and potential interventions.

Age of acquisition (AoA) refers to the age at which people learn a particular item and the AoA effect refers to the phenomenon that early-acquired items are processed more quickly and accurately than those acquired later. Over several decades, the AoA effect has been investigated using neuroscientific, behavioral, corpus and computational techniques. We review the current evidence for the AoA effect stemming from a range of methodologies and paradigms and apply these findings to current explanations of how and where the AoA effect occurs. We conclude that the AoA effect can be found both in the connections between levels of representations and within these representations themselves, and that the effect itself occurs through the process of the distinct coding of early and late items, together with the nature of the connections between levels of representation. This approach strongly suggests that the AoA effect results from the construction of perceptual-semantic representations and the mappings between representations.

Abstract The Perseverance rover has collected seven oriented samples of sedimentary rocks, all likely older than the oldest signs of widespread life on Earth, at the exposed base of the western fan in Jezero crater, Mars. The samples include a sulfate‐ and clay‐bearing mudstone and sandstone, a fluvial sandstone from a stratigraphically low position at the fan front, and a carbonate‐bearing sandstone deposited above the sulfate‐bearing strata. All samples contain aqueously precipitated materials and most or all were aqueously deposited. Although the rover instruments have not confidently detected organic matter in the rocks from the fan front, the much more sensitive terrestrial instruments will still be able to search for remnants of prebiotic chemistries and past life, and study Mars's past habitability in the samples returned to Earth. The hydrated, sulfate‐bearing mudstone has the highest potential to preserve organic matter and biosignatures, whereas the carbonate‐bearing sandstones can be used to constrain when and for how long Jezero crater contained liquid water. Returned sample science analyses of sulfate, carbonate, clay, phosphate and igneous minerals as well as trace metals and volatiles that are present in the samples acquired at the fan front would provide transformative insights into past habitable environments on Mars, the evolution of its magnetic field, atmosphere and climate and the past and present cycling of atmospheric and crustal water, sulfur and carbon.

The moral dimension of primary geography in England is less obvious in the current national curriculum requirements for geography. The debate about geography and powerful knowledge has dominated in recent years, and has limited consideration of morality in geography. As a result, primary school geography curriculum statements focus on the knowledge (and skills) to be learned, leaving the moral dimension often unstated and implicit. The view in this article is that the moral dimension in primary geography is important and cannot be neglected. Primary schools need to make clear in their geography curriculum statements the moral aspects (or values) which they espouse in the subject to ensure these are clear to all who have a stake in the school's geography curriculum.

Abstract Environmental phosphate concentrations are typically much lower (~10−6 M) than needed for prebiotic phosphorylation of nucleosides, critical for the origin of life. Here, we tested hypotheses explaining highly concentrated dissolved phosphate in carbonate-rich “soda” lakes by examining phosphorus and nitrogen cycling in Last Chance Lake and Goodenough Lake, Canada. We find a lack of geochemical phosphorus precipitation, that sedimentary calcium is in dolomite rather than apatite, and that N2-fixation rates, probably suppressed by high salinity, are too low to create significant biological phosphate demand. Thus, nitrogen-limitation of biological production and precipitation of calcium-rich carbonate instead of apatite combine to allow unimpeded evaporative phosphate buildup in Last Chance Lake to the highest known natural levels (37 mM) due to small biological and geochemical phosphorus sinks. Forming on basaltic rock, which was likely common on early Earth, evaporative soda lakes were consequently plausible origin-of-life settings with sufficient phosphate for prebiotic synthesis.

Large randomized trials in sepsis have generally failed to find effective novel treatments. This is increasingly attributed to patient heterogeneity, including heterogeneous cardiovascular changes in septic shock. We discuss the potential for machine learning systems to personalize cardiovascular resuscitation in sepsis. While the literature is replete with proofs of concept, the technological readiness of current systems is low, with a paucity of clinical trials and proven patient benefit. Systems may be vulnerable to confounding and poor generalization to new patient populations or contemporary patterns of care. Typical electronic health records do not capture rich enough data, at sufficient temporal resolution, to produce systems that make actionable treatment suggestions. To resolve these issues, we recommend a simultaneous focus on technical challenges and removing barriers to translation. This will involve improving data quality, adopting causally grounded models, prioritizing safety assessment and integration into healthcare workflows, conducting randomized clinical trials and aligning with regulatory requirements.

Abstract Background and aims Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common cause of chronic liver disease in wealthy societies, and is responsible for a significant rise in liver morbidity and mortality. Current treatments prioritise lifestyle interventions, predominantly diet and exercise management, but patients frequently fail to make the necessary behavioural adjustments. The current study seeks to identify those factors which influence patients’ behaviour with respect to adherence to treatment regimes. Methods Novel areas of interest were investigated; locus of control, behavioural regulation and a range of mental health measures, due to their links to either poor lifestyle choices or abnormal eating as identified in previous literature. Data was gathered using self-report questionnaires, from 96 participants, who were split into three groups, NAFLD patients, non-NAFLD liver disease patients and healthy controls Results Data was analysed using a MANOVA, and followed up with a Tukey post-hoc test. Three factors were found to be significant by group; cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and SAPAS score (a measure of personality disorders). An association between personality disorders and NAFLD was identified. Conclusion It is suggested that NAFLD patients are screened for personality disorders and, if identified, treated prior to the commencement of diet and exercise management.

Background Breastfeeding protects against a range of conditions in the infant, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), diarrhoea, respiratory infections and middle ear infections [1, 2]. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age, with continued breastfeeding recommended for at least two years and other complementary nutritious foods [3]. The 2017-18 National Health Survey (NHS) and 2018-19 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS) reported that the proportion of breastfeeding in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants (0–2 years) were less than half that of non-Indigenous infants (21.2% vs. 45%, respectively)[4]. There is a lack of research on interventions supporting Aboriginal women to breastfeed, identifying an evaluation gap related to peer support interventions to encourage exclusive breastfeeding in Aboriginal women. Methods We will evaluate the effect of scheduled breastfeeding peer support for and by Aboriginal women, on breastfeeding initiation and the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding. This MRFF (Medical Research Future Fund) funded project is designed as a single-blinded cluster randomised controlled trial recruiting six sites across New South Wales, Australia, with three sites being randomised to employ a peer support worker or undertaking standard care. Forty pregnant women will be recruited each year from each of the six sites and will be surveyed during pregnancy, at six weeks, four and six months postnatally with a single text message at 12 months to ascertain breastfeeding rates. In-depth interviews via an Indigenous style of conversation and storytelling called ‘Yarning’ will be completed at pre- and post-intervention with five randomly recruited community members and five health professionals at each site” [5]. Yarns will be audio recorded, transcribed, coded and thematic analysis undertaken. Health economic analysis will be completed to assess the health system incremental cost and effects of the breastfeeding intervention relative to usual care. Discussion Evidence will be given on the effectiveness of Aboriginal peer support workers to promote the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding of Aboriginal babies. The findings of this study will provide evidence of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of including peer support workers in postnatal care to promote breastfeeding practices. Trial Registration ACTRN12622001208796 The impact of breastfeeding peer support on nutrition of Aboriginal infants

Resilience, when coping with stress, can protect against serious negative life outcomes and lead to greater lifetime satisfaction. The current literature suggests that there are internal factors that may moderate the development of resilience. These factors could be used to inform targeted interventions for young people experiencing stress within the educational sphere. The current study extends previous literature by confirming known predictors and testing novel predictors of resilience in female students within a Higher Education context. Psychological measures of resilience, attachment quality, self-esteem, and exposure to stressful and adverse childhood experiences were utilised. Statistical analysis revealed that self-esteem, exposure to stressful events, levels of avoidance in maternal relationships, and levels of anxiety in paternal relationships were significant predictors of levels of resilience. The practical and theoretical implications of these results are discussed alongside potential interventions.

Objectives: By 2030, 60% of the global population is expected to live in urban areas. Exposure to urban environments during the first 2000 days of life can have positive or negative health outcomes across the life course. Understanding the types of urban exposures that influence health outcomes is needed to guide research priorities for public health and urban planning. This review aims to summarise the published research examining the health outcomes of all urban environmental exposures during the first 2000 days of life, identify the quantity and characteristics of research in this area, methods used, and knowledge gaps. Methods: We conducted a scoping review using the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. Eight databases were searched for peer-reviewed primary studies. Inclusion criteria were studies that measured maternal, infant and child exposure to everyday urban environment features and conditions in cities/metropolitan areas during the first 2000 days of life and reported offspring health outcomes across the life course, including embryo, fetal/newborn, infant, child, adolescent, and adult outcomes. We used Covidence software for data screening and extraction. Study characteristics and findings were summarised using tables and narrative synthesis. Results: We reviewed 235 articles, which included studies conducted across 41 countries, the majority in the US (n = 63). A broad range of environmental exposures were studied, spanning seven categories: air pollution; energy-based pollution; atmosphere, chemical and metal exposure; neighbourhood-built and natural environment features; neighbourhood community conditions; and residential living conditions. Air pollution was the most studied exposure type (n = 153 studies). Health outcomes were reported for all life stages except adults, with fetal/newborn outcomes the most studied life stage (n = 137). Conclusions: We found that most research investigating urban environmental exposures in the first 2000 days and health outcomes across the life course focused on air pollution exposures and fetal/newborn health outcomes, using correlational retrospective cohort designs. Few studies included multiple environmental exposures. There is a clear need for more longitudinal research to determine the health impacts of multiple urban environmental exposures across the life course. This will assist in developing urban design and planning strategies and population health to mitigate health risks across the life course.

Abstract Perchlorate has been observed in many environments on Earth and Mars but its sources remain poorly quantified. In this study, we use a global three‐dimensional chemical transport model to simulate perchlorate's gas‐phase photochemical production, atmospheric transport, and deposition on Earth's surface. Model predictions are compared to newly compiled observations of atmospheric concentrations, deposition flux, and oxygen isotopic composition of perchlorate. We find that the modeled gas‐phase production of perchlorate is consistent with reported stratospheric observations. Nevertheless, we show that this mechanism alone cannot explain the high levels of perchlorate observed at many near‐surface sites (aerosol concentrations >0.1 ng m−3 and deposition fluxes >10 g km−2 yr−1) or the low 17O‐excess observed in perchlorate sampled from pristine environments (

A Geografia dos Anos Iniciais (AI) é um assunto bastante confortável. Ela tende a evitar tópicos da Geografia considerados "inaceitáveis", ameaçadores e potencialmente perigosos. Considerar desafio e 'perigo' na Geografia dessa fase escolar não é tanto sobre os perigos do trabalho de campo, mas sim sobre tópicos intelectuais, emocionais e socialmente perigosos, local e globalmente. A tendência é ensinar o que é aceitável e não causar desconforto, focar nos aspectos positivos do mundo, demonstrar esperança. Porém isso não é sempre recomendável. Aqui serão descritos e questionados quatro argumentos em prol dessa abordagem confortável. O argumento que versa sobre ‘ir com cuidado’ em um mundo inseguro, mesmo quando pensamos em crianças menores, mantém o indivíduo desinformado, e por isso deve ser questionado. O desejo de ser positivo não deve comprometer o ato de ser realista e honesto com as crianças, que por sua vez são capazes e resilientes. A fim de corroborar a proposta de uma abordagem mais exigente, até mesmo mais ‘perigosa’ em relação à Geografia dos AI, alguns tópicos que podem ser investigados pelas crianças são aqui sugeridos. Surge então a inevitável pergunta: a quem ensinamos Geografia? O objetivo desse artigo é levantar questionamentos e trazer uma reflexão sobre o papel da educação (em Geografia) no mundo atual.

Like all school textbooks, geography textbooks are authored. Almost all textbook research in and beyond geography has neglected their authors. This questionnaire-based multinational research project investigated the perceptions of 71 primary and secondary school geography textbook authors from seven countries in five continents. Though not intended as a definitive study, the findings identified several values and areas of expertise which many textbook authors in different countries held to be important for their work. While there were variations across country contexts, there was much that was shared by the authors. Authors valued enabling students to develop geographical perspectives, knowledge and skills and informed attitudes about the world when learning in real world contexts and making connections with everyday life. It was notable that the focus of authors on subject knowledge, the pedagogy of textbooks and the students who will use the textbooks aligned with these same key elements which are central to curriculum making. Authors can be said to perceive their role as creating a geography curriculum, albeit externally to any specific geography classroom, through their textbooks.

Abstract Clinical prediction models typically make point estimates of risk. However, values of key variables are often missing during model development or at prediction time, meaning that the point estimates mask significant uncertainty and can lead to over-confident decision making. We present a model of mortality risk in emergency laparotomy which instead presents a distribution of predicted risks, highlighting the uncertainty over the risk of death with an intuitive visualisation. We developed and validated our model using data from 127134 emergency laparotomies from patients in England and Wales during 2013–2019. We captured the uncertainty arising from missing data using multiple imputation, allowing prospective, patient-specific imputation for variables that were frequently missing. Prospective imputation allows early prognostication in patients where these variables are not yet measured, accounting for the additional uncertainty this induces. Our model showed good discrimination and calibration (95% confidence intervals: Brier score 0.071–0.078, C statistic 0.859–0.873, calibration error 0.031–0.059) on unseen data from 37 hospitals, consistently improving upon the current gold-standard model. The dispersion of the predicted risks varied significantly between patients and increased where prospective imputation occurred. We present a case study that illustrates the potential impact of uncertainty quantification on clinical decision making. Our model improves mortality risk prediction in emergency laparotomy and has the potential to inform decision-makers and assist discussions with patients and their families. Our analysis code was robustly developed and is publicly available for easy replication of our study and adaptation to predicting other outcomes.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions placed upon society have had a profound impact on both physical and mental health, particularly for young people. Aims The current study assesses the impact of COVID-19 on student mental health. Method Four hundred and thirty four first year Undergraduate students completed a battery of self-report questionnaires (PHQ-P, GAD-7 and SAS-SV) to assess for depression, anxiety and mobile phone addiction respectively with data being collected over a 2 year period. The data from each year was compared (216 and 218 students respectively). Results A MANOVA revealed that COVID-19 had a significant impact on self-reported levels of depression, anxiety and smartphone addiction—which all significantly increased from the 2020 to the 2021 group. The percentage of students who had a score which warranted a classification of clinical depression increased from 30 to 44%, and for anxiety increased from 22 to 27%—those students who showed a comorbidity across the two rose from 12 to 21%. Smartphone addiction levels rose from 39 to 50%. Correlational analysis showed a significant relationship between Smartphone usage and depression and anxiety. Conclusions This research suggests that COVID-19 has had a major impact upon student mental health, and smartphone addiction. The importance of identifying predictive factors of depression and anxiety is emphasised, and suggestions for intervention are discussed.

Abstract Background There are major shortfalls in the midwifery workforce which has been exacerbated by the COVID 19 pandemic. Midwives have high levels of burnout and many, often early career midwives, are planning to leave the profession. There are reports of a poor workplace culture in maternity units, including bullying. Support is essential for the welfare of the workforce to be able to cope with the demands of their jobs. Supportive strategies, such as Clinical Supervision, a recognised approach in healthcare, enable reflection in a facilitated, structured way, and can enhance professional standards. The purpose of this research is to study burnout levels in midwives, those exiting their workplace and perceptions of workplace culture in relation to access to, and attendance of, monthly Clinical Supervision. Methods This study will be a cluster randomised controlled trial of maternity sites within Sydney and the surrounding districts. Twelve sites will be recruited and half will receive monthly Clinical Supervision for up to two years. Midwives from all sites will be requested to complete 6-monthly surveys comprising validated measurement tools: the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), the Australian Midwifery Workplace Culture (AMWoC) tool and the Clinical Supervision Evaluation Questionnaire (CSEQ) (the latter for intervention sites only). Primary outcomes are the levels of burnout in midwives (using the CBI). Secondary outcomes will be the quality of the intervention (using the CSEQ), perceptions of workplace culture (using the AMWoC tool) and midwives’ intention to stay in their role/profession, as well as sick leave rates and numbers of exiting staff. We will also determine the dose effect – ie the impact in relation to how many Clinical Supervision sessions the midwives have attended, as well as other supportive workplace strategies such as mentoring/coaching on outcomes. Discussion Through attending monthly Clinical Supervision we hypothesise that midwives will report less burnout and more positive perceptions of workplace culture than those in the control sites. The potential implications of which are a productive workforce giving high quality care with the flow-on effect of having physically and psychologically well women and their babies. Trial registration The ACTRN Registration number is ACTRN12621000545864p , dated 10/05/2021,

Adverse life experiences have been linked with a wide range of negative outcomes. However, despite being exposed to adversity, individuals who exhibit high levels of resilience appear to be less impacted by adversity, and continue to function normally. Using self-report measures and a sample of 161 participants aged between 16 and 21, the present study aimed to identify whether exposure to adverse experiences, locus of control (LOC), academic delay of gratification and age could predict resilience in young students. Two significant individual predictors of resilience were identified: the amount of adversity within an individual's relationship with their parents/guardians; and LOC. Specifically, the lack of adversity within the relationship with parents/guardians and an internal LOC were found to predict higher levels of resilience. These results will be discussed in relation to increasing resilience in students and young people.

The relationship between academic motivation, support structures, self-esteem, and social mobility was assessed between three culturally distinct Higher Education student cohorts. Two-hundred-and-sixty-seven students took part in the study: 64 American undergraduates; 100 British undergraduates; and 103 Ugandan undergraduates. Using a number of appropriate, validated questionnaires, intergenerational upward social mobility was found to be academically motivating, both intrinsically and extrinsically. Intergenerational upward mobility was significantly positively correlated with academic self-esteem. Cultural differences were found primarily in intrinsic, extrinsic and intergenerational upward mobility scores, with Ugandan students endorsing these variables significantly more than the American students, and American students endorsing them significantly more than the British students. These findings are discussed in relation to the potential impact on student social mobility both here and abroad.

Transition to university is an important and potentially stressful life event for students. Previous studies have shown that resilience, delay of gratification and stress can affect the academic performance of students. However, none have shown the effect of these factors in predicting academic performance, hence the current study aimed to look at the predictive power of the combined effect of these factors on first-year undergraduate student's academic performance. One-hundred-and-seventy-six first-year Psychology undergraduates from the University of Birmingham were recruited. All participants completed five scales (Demographic questionnaire, CD-RISC-25, Perceived Stress scale, College Students' Stressful Event Checklist, and Academic Delay of Gratification scale). Linear Multiple Regression was conducted using the Stepwise method to assess for predictors of students' academic performance. Results indicated that UCAS scores (previous academic performance) were the only significant predictor for first-years' academic performance.

Dieser Beitrag geht den verschiedenen Herausforderungen nach, die mit der Aufnahme der Geographie in den Fächerkanon der Grundschule einhergehen. Diese speisen sich nicht zuletzt aus der Notwendigkeit, dass die Kinder im Rahmen des Faches Geographie sich breit informieren müssen. Mit ihrem Wissen sind sie aufgefordert, nach gründlicher Abwägung Kritik zu üben, zu reflektieren und Entscheidungen zu treffen. Voraussetzung für solche Prozesse ist, ihr Interesse und ihre aktive Teilnahme am Geographieunterricht vom jungen Alter an zu wecken, um ihr Wissen zu erweitern und die Welt verstehen zu können. Dieser Beitrag widmet sich verschiedenen Facetten der Geographie in der Grundschule, wie etwa Geographien von jungen Menschen, der Notwendigkeit der frühen geographischen Bildung, der Bedeutung der Progression, der Natur und den Aufgaben des Schulfaches Geographie und der Relevanz guten Unterrichts. Zum Schluss formuliert der Beitrag zehn Herausforderungen der Geographie in der Grundschule.

Primary Geography is crucial for our subject in so many ways. Material and imagined spaces and places shape young children's realities from an early age onwards and engage them with structures and processes in and of their natural, built, and human environment. It is these early years that can spark curiosity and motivation to understand how our world works in spatial and environmental terms and, most importantly, how each human being both individually and as a member of a community, can engage with it.

Abstract This paper reports on the design and evaluation of Field Studies in Functional Ecology (FSFE), a two‐week intensive residential field course that enables students to master core content in functional ecology alongside skills that facilitate their transition from “student” to “scientist.” We provide an overview of the course structure, showing how the constituent elements have been designed and refined over successive iterations of the course. We detail how FSFE students: (1) Work closely with discipline specialists to develop a small group project that tests an hypothesis to answer a genuine scientific question in the field; (2) Learn critical skills of data management and communication; and (3) Analyze, interpret, and present their results in the format of a scientific symposium. This process is repeated in an iterative “cognitive apprenticeship” model, supported by a series of workshops that name and explicitly instruct the students in “hard” and “soft” skills (e.g., statistics and teamwork, respectively) critically relevant for research and other careers. FSFE students develop a coherent and nuanced understanding of how to approach and execute ecological studies. The sophisticated knowledge and ecological research skills that they develop during the course is demonstrated through high‐quality presentations and peer‐reviewed publications in an open‐access, student‐led journal. We outline our course structure and evaluate its efficacy to show how this novel combination of field course elements allows students to gain maximum value from their educational journey, and to develop cognitive, affective, and reflective tools to help apply their skills as scientists.

It is a decade since the last review of the geographical understandings of pre-service primary teachers. Examining the range of research about novice primary teachers' geographical and environmental knowledge and understanding, it is clear there have been limited follow up studies, and there remain important gaps in the research. Research relevant to this topic was identified through journal, research book and conference proceedings searches, where these were accessible. It is evident that more research now exists into pre-service primary teachers' senses of geography, geographical and environmental knowledge and environmental attitudes. For instance, it appears that they have an information oriented view of geography but are not clear about the meaning of the term "environment", that there are misunderstandings in such aspects of their geographical knowledge as climate change, that they may not adapt their behaviors though they appreciate a need for care for the environment, and that they have limited experience in planning for and teaching geography in primary schools. Furthermore, studies are lacking into their understanding of such aspects of geographical learning as fieldwork, map work, geographical enquiry and a wide range of topics in physical and human geography. While there is some information, little is known really about their teaching of geography to younger children. In view of the increased focus globally on geographical knowledge in the school curriculum, this raises serious questions about geography teacher educators' understanding of their trainee primary teachers, in part because tutors seem rarely to undertake such research. This appears to be an embedded situation, resulting in negligible evidence to challenge the status quo and improve pre-service primary teachers' geographical knowledge. Is it really a concern? Four responses are presented, but the paper concludes that more needs to be known.

This article provides an insight into the development of primary geography since the inception of the national curriculum in England in the late 1980s. It is hoped this is informative as the "Australian Curriculum: Geography Foundation to Year 12" is introduced to and implemented in primary schools. It draws out various matters which have affected geography in primary schools in England for good and ill and indicates that developing primary geography to a good and high level of teaching and learning is as yet an unfinished project, after two decades of development. Among the matters which affect good geography teaching are teachers' understanding of geography, their focus on subject teaching, access to useful resources, and the impact of government changes in policy and practice. Effective support in their school and opportunities to develop their geography teaching skills will make a positive difference. The active engagement of children in their geographical learning through their experiences and awareness can be used to take their learning beyond both the immediate and their current knowledge and understanding. In good primary schools geography is evident and enticing.

Undergraduate students may succeed or fail within their studies for a myriad of different reasons. Within this exploratory study we assess some of the academic, psychosocial and demographic predictors of student attainment. Using a questionnaire, first-year psychology undergraduates were assessed for a number of demographic, socioeconomic, academic, financial, and resilience factors and their general "well-being" through the WHOQOL-BREF (UK Version; The WHOQOL Group). Using multiple regression analysis it was demonstrated that peer support and financial situation were significant predictors of failure rate, whilst peer support was shown to be the only significant predictor of average grade. These findings are discussed in relation to the implications for student retention.

In the habitable zone concept, a planet’s carbon dioxide-water greenhouse maintains surface liquid water. Here, the authors estimate how many Earthlike exoplanets are needed to detect a relationship between stellar flux and the atmospheric carbon dioxide predicted by carbon cycle modeling.

The early Earth’s atmosphere had very low oxygen levels for hundreds of millions of years, until the 2.4 Ga Great Oxidation Event, which remains poorly understood. Here, the authors show that reducing Archean volcanic gases could have prevented atmospheric O2 from accumulating, and therefore mantle oxidation was likely very important in setting the evolution of O2 and aerobic life.

The Coronavirus pandemic has significantly affected psychological wellbeing in older adults, with cases of depression, anxiety and loneliness rising in the general population. Cognitive health has also potentially been affected, as social isolation can lead to cognitive decline. Worrying about cognitive health can be damaging to psychological wellbeing and is especially relevant to explore in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic. The objective of the present study was to explore the associations between cognitive health worries and wellbeing, and to investigate whether physical activity and social contact can mitigate negative effects of the pandemic on psychological wellbeing. Older adults (N = 191) completed an online survey which included measures of cognitive health worries, depression, anxiety, loneliness, social isolation, fatigue, impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, quality of life, subjective vitality, and physical activity. Analyses indicated that cognitive health worries, lower levels of physical activity and smaller amounts of social interaction were associated with poorer psychological and physical wellbeing. Results showed that worrying about cognitive health is associated with poorer wellbeing, and so interventions are needed to encourage positive cognitive functioning in times of social isolation. Promoting physical activity and social interaction is also beneficial, as results show that exercise and social contact are linked with improved wellbeing.

The origin of life on Earth would benefit from a prebiotic atmosphere that produced nitriles, like HCN, which enable ribonucleotide synthesis. However, geochemical evidence suggests that Hadean air was relatively oxidizing with negligible photochemical production of prebiotic molecules. These paradoxes are resolved by iron-rich asteroid impacts that transiently reduced the entire atmosphere, allowing nitriles to form in subsequent photochemistry. Here we investigate impact-generated reducing atmospheres using new time-dependent, coupled atmospheric chemistry and climate models that account for gas-phase reactions and surface catalysis. The resulting H _2 -, CH _4 -, and NH _3 -rich atmospheres persist for millions of years, until the hydrogen escapes to space. The HCN and HCCCN production and rainout to the surface can reach 10 ^9 molecules cm ^−2 s ^−1 in hazy atmospheres with a mole ratio of CH _4 /CO _2 > 0.1. Smaller CH _4 /CO _2 ratios produce HCN rainout rates of 0.1 is 4 × 10 ^20 –5 × 10 ^21 kg (570–1330 km diameter), depending on how efficiently iron reacts with a steam atmosphere, the extent of atmospheric equilibration with an impact-induced melt pond, and the surface area of nickel that catalyzes CH _4 production. Alternatively, if steam permeates and deeply oxidizes the crust, impactors of ∼10 ^20 kg could be effective. Atmospheres with copious nitriles have >360 K surface temperatures, perhaps posing a challenge for RNA longevity, although cloud albedo can produce cooler climates. Regardless, postimpact cyanide can be stockpiled and used in prebiotic schemes after hydrogen has escaped to space.

On Mars, liquid water may form in regolith when perchlorate salts absorb water vapor and dissolve into brine, or when ice-salt mixtures reach their melting temperature and thaw. Brines created in this way can chemically react with minerals, alter the mechanical properties of regolith, mobilize salts in the soil, and potentially create habitable environments. Although Martian brines would exist in contact with regolith, few studies have investigated how regolith alters the formation and stability of brines at Mars-relevant conditions. To fill this gap, we studied magnesium perchlorate brine in a Martian regolith simulant at salt concentrations up to 5.8 wt.%. We measured the water mass fraction and water activity between 3 and 98% relative humidity at 25 °C using the isopiestic method, and monitored salt and ice crystallization between −150 °C and 20 °C with differential scanning calorimetry. Results show that regolith inhibits salt and ice crystallization, allowing water to form and persist at much colder and drier conditions than pure brine. Remarkably, in several samples, neither salt nor ice crystallized at any conditions. These results suggest that brines could exist in regolith for longer periods of the Martian year than previously thought, and could persist indefinitely under certain conditions. By retaining water, inhibiting salt and ice crystallization, and maintaining habitable water activity, briny regolith may be a more favorable environment for life than pure brine alone. These findings indicate the critical importance of brine–regolith interactions for understanding the properties, evolution, and potential habitability of Mars’s surface.

In the search for life on other planets, the presence of photosynthetic surface vegetation may be detectable from the colors of light it reflects. On the modern Earth, this spectral reflectance is characterized by a steep increase in reflectance between the red and near‐infrared wavelengths, a signature known as the “red edge”. This edge-like signature occurs at wavelengths of peak photon absorbance, which are the result of adaptations of the phototroph to their spectral environment. On planets orbiting different stellar types, red edge analogs may occur at other colors than red. Thus, knowing the wavelengths at which photosynthetic organisms preferentially absorb and reflect photons is necessary to detect red edge analogs on other planets. Using a numerical model that predicts the absorbance spectrum of extant photosynthetic pigments on Earth from Marosvölgyi and van Gorkom (2010), we calculate the absorbance spectrum for pigments on an Earth-like planet around F through late M type stars that are adapted for maximal energy production. In this model, cellular energy production is maximized when pigments are tuned to absorb at the wavelength that maximizes energy input from incident photons while minimizing energy losses due to thermal emission and building cellular photosynthetic apparatus. We find that peak photon absorption for photosynthetic organisms around F type stars tends to be in the blue while for G, K, and early M type stars, red or just beyond is preferred. Around the coolest M type stars, these organisms may preferentially absorb in the near-infrared, possibly past one micron. These predictions are consistent with previous, qualitative estimates of pigment absorptance. Our predicted absorbance spectra for photosynthetic surface organisms depend on both the stellar type and planetary atmospheric composition, especially atmospheric water vapor concentrations, which alter the availability of surface photons and thus the predicted pigment absorption. By constraining the absorbance spectra of alien, photosynthetic organisms, future observations may be better equipped to detect the weak spectral signal of red edge analogs.

While the value of ethnography in health research is recognized, the extent to which it is used is unclear. The aim of this review was to map the use of ethnography in maternity care, and identify the extent to which the key principles of ethnographies were used or reported. We systematically searched the literature over a 10-year period. Following exclusions we analyzed 39 studies. Results showed the level of detail between studies varied greatly, highlighting the inconsistencies, and poor reporting of ethnographies in maternity care. Over half provided no justification as to why ethnography was used. Only one study described the ethnographic approach used in detail, and covered the key features of ethnography. Only three studies made reference to the underpinning theoretical framework of ethnography as seeking to understand and capture social meanings. There is a need to develop reporting guidelines to guide researchers undertaking and reporting on ethnographic research.

This study investigated the perspectives of seven English authors, on aspects of their geography textbook writing for schools in England, through a questionnaire-based enquiry. This investigation asked about the features that geography textbook authors consider to be the most important when designing student activities, and which criteria they used to select and develop case studies for their textbooks. The authors emphasized the geographical content and key concepts for developing pupils' knowledge base, rather than the learning processes. The key criteria identified by the majority of the authors were the geographical relevance of the case studies, coverage of the national curriculum requirements, and geographical balance.

Research into geography provision in primary initial teacher education [ITE] courses in the United Kingdom and worldwide is very limited. England educates pre-service primary teachers of 5-11 year olds to be "generalists" who teach the full range of curriculum subjects, including geography. This article identifies that the provision of teaching time for geography is low and declining in England's primary ITE courses. It presents a picture which may not seem dissimilar in other parts of the world. With only about half of pre-service primary teachers in England having studied geography after age 14, their subject knowledge appears weak. University-based ITE subject sessions rarely extend beyond introducing them to England's primary geography requirements and to some approaches to teaching geography. Prospective primary teachers observe and teach limited, if any, geography in primary schools. Developing their geographical understanding and teaching capability is highly challenging for tutors. There are concerns that the current situation may well decline further. Encouragement exists to develop geography provision in primary ITE but the opportunities to achieve this appear increasingly constrained as the pre-service environment moves from university-led to school-led provision. International comparative research is essential to understand better pre-service primary teachers' learning to teach geography.