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The greenhouse effect is a complex scientific phenomenon that plays a crucial role in understanding climate change. Grasping students' understanding of this phenomenon on the content-specific level but also how students' conceptions are organized is vital for effective climate change education. This study addresses both levels and delves into the relationship between students' frameworks and knowledge pieces of the greenhouse effect through the analysis of multiple-choice questions, employing Bayesian correlations and multiple logistic regression. We thereby focus on specific types of conceptualizations of the greenhouse effect that have been identified in previous research and furthermore investigate the coherency of them. To do so, we analyzed answers of N = 604 grade 11 students in Austria and Germany and interpreted them from different theoretical perspectives. The findings showed that students hold various ideas about the greenhouse effect that are only seldom coherent, in particular when it comes to adequate ideas about the greenhouse effect. However, especially for a reflection-based framework of the greenhouse effect, our results demonstrate that students' conceptions show some form of coherency. We argue that our results can inform the development of effective teaching strategies that address students' existing knowledge and alternative conceptions. In terms of practical implications, the findings suggest that teaching strategies should provide opportunities for students to integrate their knowledge pieces into a more coherent understanding of the greenhouse effect. The study highlights the need for further investigation into the relationship between knowledge pieces and frameworks not only for the greenhouse effect, but for science education in general.

Abstract Background Since spring 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread worldwide, causing dramatic global consequences in terms of medical, care, economic, cultural and bioethical dimensions. Although the resulting conflicts initially appeared to be quite similar in most countries, a closer look reveals a country-specific intensification and differentiation of issues. Our study focused on understanding and highlighting bioethical conflicts that were triggered, exposed or intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs). Methods We conducted qualitative interviews with 39 ethics experts from 34 countries (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Israel, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, Tunisia, Türkiye, United-Kingdom, United States of America, Zambia) from November 2020 to March 2021. We analysed the interviews using qualitative content analysis. Results The scale of the bioethical challenges between countries differed, as did coping strategies for meeting these challenges. Data analysis focused on: a) Resource scarcity in clinical contexts: Scarcity of medical resources led to the need to prioritize the care of some COVID-19 patients in clinical settings globally. Because this entails the postponement of treatment for other patients, the possibility of serious present or future harm to deprioritized patients was identified as a relevant issue. b) Health literacy: The pandemic demonstrated the significance of health literacy and its influence on the effective implementation of health measures. c) Inequality and vulnerable groups: The pandemic highlighted the context-sensitivity and intersectionality of the vulnerabilities of women and children in LMICs and the aged in HICs. d) Conflicts surrounding healthcare professionals: The COVID-19 outbreak underscored the tough working conditions for nurses and other health professionals, raising awareness of the need for reform. Conclusion The pandemic exposed pre-existing structural problems in LMICs and HICs. Without neglecting individual contextual factors in the observed countries, we created a mosaic of different voices of experts in bioethics across the globe, drawing attention to the need for international solidarity in the context of a global crisis.

In a 1-year survey of wild terrestrial predators in northern Germany, we found that 5 of 110 foxes were infected with contemporary avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses, forming a temporal cluster during January‒March 2023. Encephalitis and strong cerebral virus replication but only sporadic mammalian-adaptive viral polymerase basic 2 protein E627K mutations were seen.

Abstract The organ donation and transplantation (ODT) system heavily relies on the willingness of individuals to donate their organs. While it is widely believed that public trust plays a crucial role in shaping donation rates, the empirical support for this assumption remains limited. In order to bridge this knowledge gap, this article takes a foundational approach by elucidating the concept of trust within the context of ODT. By examining the stakeholders involved, identifying influential factors, and mapping the intricate trust relationships among trustors, trustees, and objects of trust, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of trust dynamics in ODT. We employ maps and graphs to illustrate the functioning of these trust relationships, enabling a visual representation of the complex interactions within the ODT system. Through this conceptual groundwork, we pave the way for future empirical research to investigate the link between trust and organ donation rates, informed by a clarified understanding of trust in ODT. This study can also provide valuable insights to inform interventions and policies aimed at enhancing organ donation rates.

For the promotion of students' learning in science, teachers must attend to critical classroom situations in which students express their ideas about scientific concepts and methods. The notion of professional vision is used to describe the skill of noticing situations that are relevant for learning and understanding. The present study contributes to solving the problem of whether professional vision with a physics-specific focus can be validly measured through the application of an instrument based on scripted instructional videos and a partially closed questionnaire. In three sub-studies, video vignettes, and items were developed, resulting in an instrument consisting of 19 items (EAP reliability was 0.698) through which physics-specific professional vision could be measured. Further analysis supported the construct validity of the instrument. It has been shown that physics-specific professional vision differed significantly according to the subject studied by pre-service teachers (i.e. physics and geography), indicating a physics specificity of the construct.

For successful elucidation of a food-borne infection chain, the availability of high-quality sequencing data from suspected microbial contaminants is a prerequisite. Commonly, those investigations are a joint effort undertaken by different laboratories and institutes. To analyze the extent of variability introduced by differing wet-lab procedures on the quality of the sequence data we conducted an interlaboratory study, involving four bacterial pathogens, which account for the majority of food-related bacterial infections: Campylobacter spp., Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica. The participants, ranging from German federal research institutes, federal state laboratories to universities and companies, were asked to follow their routine in-house protocols for short-read sequencing of 10 cultures and one isolated bacterial DNA per species. Sequence and assembly quality were then analyzed centrally. Variations within isolate samples were detected with SNP and cgMLST calling. Overall, we found that the quality of Illumina raw sequence data was high with little overall variability, with one exception, attributed to a specific library preparation kit. The variability of Ion Torrent data was higher, independent of the investigated species. For cgMLST and SNP analysis results, we found that technological sequencing artefacts could be reduced by the use of filters, and that SNP analysis was more suited than cgMLST to compare data of different contributors. Regarding the four species, a minority of Campylobacter isolate data showed the in comparison highest divergence with regard to sequence type and cgMLST analysis. We additionally compared the assembler SPAdes and SKESA for their performance on the Illumina data sets of the different species and library preparation methods and found overall similar assembly quality metrics and cgMLST statistics.

Abstract Background European countries are increasingly harmonising their organ donation and transplantation policies. Although a growing number of nations are moving to presumed consent to deceased organ donation, no attempts have been made to harmonise policies on individual consent and the role of the family in the decision-making process. Little is known about public awareness of and attitudes towards the role of the family in their own country and European harmonisation on these health policy dimensions. To improve understanding of these issues, we examined what university students think about the role of the family in decision-making in deceased organ donation and about harmonising consent policies within Europe. Methods Using LimeSurvey© software, we conducted a comparative cross-sectional international survey of 2193 university students of health sciences and humanities/social sciences from Austria (339), Belgium (439), Denmark (230), Germany (424), Greece (159), Romania (190), Slovenia (190), and Spain (222). Results Participants from opt-in countries may have a better awareness of the family’s legal role than those from opt-out countries. Most respondents opposed the family veto, but they were more ambivalent towards the role of the family as a surrogate decision-maker. The majority of participants were satisfied with the family’s legal role. However, those who were unsatisfied preferred to limit family involvement. Overall, participants were opposed to the idea of national sovereignty over consent policies. They favoured an opt-out policy harmonisation and were divided over opt-in. Their views on harmonisation of family involvement were consistent with their personal preferences. Conclusions There is overall division on whether families should have a surrogate role, and substantial opposition to granting them sole authority over decision-making. If European countries were to harmonise their policies on consent for organ donation, an opt-out system that grants families a surrogate decision-making role may enjoy the widest public support.

IntroductionThe emergence of carbapenem-resistant bacteria causing serious infections may lead to more frequent use of previously abandoned antibiotics like colistin. However, mobile colistin resistance genes (mcr) can jeopardise its effectiveness in both human and veterinary medicine. In Germany, turkeys have been identified as the food-producing animal most likely to harbour mcr-positive colistin-resistant Enterobacterales (mcr-Col-E). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of both mcr-Col-E and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) in German turkey herds and humans in contact with these herds.MethodsIn 2018 and 2019, 175 environmental (boot swabs of turkey faeces) and 46 human stool samples were analysed using a combination of enrichment-based culture, PCR, core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) and plasmid typing.Resultsmcr-Col-E were detected in 123 of the 175 turkey farms in this study (70.3%). mcr-Col-E isolates were Escherichia coli (98.4%) and Klebsiella spp. (1.6%). Herds that had been treated with colistin were more likely to harbour mcr-Col-E, with 82.2% compared to 66.2% in untreated herds (p = 0.0298). Prevalence also depended on husbandry, with 7.1% mcr-Col-E in organic farms compared to 74.5% in conventional ones (p < 0.001). In addition, four of the 46 (8.7%) human participants were colonised with mcr-Col-E. mcr-Col-E isolates from stables had minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) from 4 to ≥ 32 mg/l, human isolates ranged from 4 to 8 mg/l. cgMLST showed no clonal transmission of isolates. For one farm, plasmid typing revealed great similarities between plasmids from an environmental and a human sample. No CPE were found in turkey herds or humans.DiscussionThese findings confirm that mcr-Col-E-prevalence is high in turkey farms, but no evidence of direct zoonotic transmission of clonal mcr-Col-E strains was found. However, the results indicate that plasmids may be transmitted between E. coli isolates from animals and humans.

Abstract Background There is increasing research focus on prediction and prevention of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Information about risk of RA is increasingly available via direct-to-consumer testing. However, there is limited understanding of public perceptions around predictive testing for RA. This study explores public perceptions of predictive testing for RA in comparison to breast cancer (BC) and early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods Four focus groups with 21 members of the public were conducted using hypothetical vignettes about predictive testing for each disease. Transcripts of focus group proceedings were analysed inductively using thematic analysis. Results Thematic analysis of the data produced three key themes: decision-making factors, consequences, and consumer needs. Factors suggested that might influence decision-making about predictive testing included family history, fear, and perceived severity and treatability of the illness. RA was perceived to be less severe and more treatable than BC/AD. Potential consequences of predictive testing across all diseases included lifestyle modification, planning for the future and discrimination by employers or insurers. Predictive testing for RA was perceived to have less potential for negative psychological consequences than other diseases. Participants highlighted that individuals undertaking predictive testing should be signposted to appropriate support services and receive information on the accuracy of predictive testing. It was suggested that strategies to mitigate concerns regarding communication and confidentiality of risk results are required. Conclusions The findings of this study reflect public misunderstandings regarding RA that may impact the uptake of and responses to predictive testing, and key informational needs of individuals considering a predictive test. Predictive strategies should be accompanied by awareness-raising initiatives and informational resources.

Understanding the scientific underpinnings of climate change is crucial for informed citizenship and future decision-making. This study investigates the understanding of the scientific underpinnings of climate change among German A-level students, focusing on key content areas such as the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect, the carbon cycle, and the distinction between weather and climate. Using a validated climate change concept inventory (CCCI-422), we assessed 501 students from five urban secondary schools in North Rhine-Westphalia. Results indicate that students correctly answered on average 39% of the questions correctly, revealing significant knowledge gaps, particularly in areas like the greenhouse effect and atmospheric composition. We also identified several overarching ideas that many students demonstrate. This study underscores the importance of integrating comprehensive climate science education into national curricula and classroom instruction to foster scientifically literate future generations capable of addressing the global climate crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA-metabarcoding is becoming more widely used for routine authentication of meat-based food and feed products. Several methods validating species identification methods through amplicon sequencing have already been published. These use a variety of barcodes and analysis workflows, however, no methodical comparison of available algorithms and parameter optimization are published hitherto for meat-based products’ authenticity. Additionally, many published methods use very small subsets of the available reference sequences, thereby limiting the potential of the analysis and leading to over-optimistic performance estimates. We here predict and compare the ability of published barcodes to distinguish taxa in the BLAST NT database. We then use a dataset of 79 reference samples, spanning 32 taxa, to benchmark and optimize a metabarcoding analysis workflow for 16S rDNA Illumina sequencing. Furthermore, we provide recommendations as to the parameter choices, sequencing depth, and thresholds that should be used to analyze meat metabarcoding sequencing experiments. The analysis workflow is publicly available, and includes ready-to-use tools for validation and benchmarking.

O presente artigo oferece uma perspectiva sobre o turismo no Brasil, analisando os principais desdobramentos com foco no período de 2000-2019. Trata-se de um artigo de opinião com reflexões de acadêmicos do turismo brasileiro. Os tópicos relacionados ao turismo, cobertos neste artigo, incluem economia, política e planejamento, marketing, transporte, meio ambiente, gastronomia, hospitalidade, lazer, entre outros. Como principal conclusão, considera-se que o Brasil não conseguiu se posicionar como destino de renome internacional, já que desde a década de 1990 os esforços para apoiar o desenvolvimento do turismo regional obtiveram sucesso apenas moderado. As crises econômicas, a instabilidade política, a violência e a corrupção foram entraves que afetaram consideravelmente o setor de turismo. A falta de uma abordagem coordenada entre os vários níveis de governo, a escassez de dados de turismo e uma campanha de marketing supra-governamental de longo prazo, entre outros fatores, fizeram com que o país perdesse várias oportunidades importantes na década de 2010 para se estabelecer como um dos principais destinos turísticos no mercado global.

Abstract Background The bioethical debates concerning living donation and surrogacy revolve around similar ethical questions and moral concepts. Nevertheless, the ethical discourses in both fields grew largely isolated from each other. Methods Based on a review of ethical, sociological and anthropological research this paper aims to link the ethical discourses on living kidney donation and surrogacy by providing a comparative analysis of the two practices’ relational dimension with regard to three aspects, i.e. the normative role of relational dynamics, social norms and gender roles, and reciprocity. Based on this analysis, we derive conclusions for the framing of living organ donation and surrogacy in ethical theory and practice. Results First, our analysis emphasizes the relevance of acknowledging the complex relational implications of living kidney donation and surrogacy. Underestimating this relational dimension may not only lead to individual crises but endanger existing as well as newly emerging familial relationships. Second, we point out differences in the normative assessment of social norms and gender roles in the ethical debates about living kidney donation and surrogacy. In particular, we show how different evaluations of altruism affect the understanding of autonomy in both contexts. In addition, we sensitize for biased perceptions of gender roles. Finally, we argue that challenges resulting from unresolved reciprocity are an issue in living kidney donation and surrogacy independent of whether the exchange of body parts or bodily services is framed as a gift or commercial exchange. By pointing out the limits of financial compensation, we stress the relevance of non-material, relational rewards as potential remedy.