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Disseminating and communicating scientific findings is an acknowledged part of the research experience, but few science programs include explicit undergraduate curricula for practicing oral science communication. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) can provide opportunities for students to practice science communication, but few studies describe or assess authentic oral science communication activities within CUREs, and none do so under hybrid conditions. The existing literature lacks substantial evidence for how science communication activities impact students' science identity and science communication self-efficacy, specifically regarding research posters. To address this, we collected students' quantitative and qualitative perceptions of science identity and science communication self-efficacy in a hybrid CURE and collected students' qualitative perceptions of presenting their research remotely at a virtual poster symposium. We found that students' science identity and science communication self-efficacy improved significantly, as well as benefits and complaints about presenting research virtually, namely, reduced stress, a more comfortable atmosphere, but a murkier communication channel. Our results should prove valuable to educators interested in improving students' science identity and science communication self-efficacy, especially when limited to a virtual or hybrid format, as affective factors strongly impact students' persistence in science.

Because students and professors place different values on syllabi components, perceptions of course objectives vary. Previous studies investigated the relationship between students' and instructors' expectations and syllabi content, but do not address the role of explicitly stated course objectives in syllabi. Our study used qualitative methods to investigate relationships among student-reported perceptions of course objectives, professor-reported intended course objectives, and explicitly stated course objectives from syllabi. We used interviews from two professors who taught introductory biology courses for non-majors, course syllabi, and student responses to an open-ended questionnaire about course objectives. After using a deductive approach to code students' responses, we found only 21% of students accurately identified a course objective listed in the syllabus. We identified three main themes in student reported course objectives: Knowledge (n=539), Practice (n=30), and Performance (n=41). Two of these (Knowledge and Practice) aligned with professor intended course objectives but did not align with explicitly stated course objectives. Based on our findings, we conclude that students poorly identified explicitly stated course objectives but correctly identified their professors' intended objectives. Therefore, we recommend professors better connect their intended course objectives with those explicitly stated in the syllabus.

A leading human-related threat to the Florida manatee Trichechus manatus latirostris is collisions with watercraft, which account for 20-25% of reported mortalities. Quantitative threat assessments do not include information on all known manatee-watercraft interactions. These interactions often result in sublethal wounding, usually leaving multiple fresh external wounds in a variety of patterns. These wounds then resolve into well-healed scars. We characterized and quantified watercraft-related scar patterns (1 pattern = 1 strike event) on 2935 nonperinatal carcasses (>150 cm total length) that were recovered from 2007 through 2016 to compare the number of patterns by life stage, sex, and population region and across years. We used generalized linear mixed models to examine the effects of several factors on the probability carcasses having scars and on the number of scar patterns per carcass. The models indicated that approximately 96% of adults, approximately 70% of subadults, and approximately 34% of calves had watercraft-related scars. The raw data showed that 1 in 4 adults had been hit 10 or more times; 5 adult carcasses bore evidence of 40 or more strikes. On average, adult females had more scar patterns than did adult males. Manatees on Florida’s west coast had more scar patterns than did those on the east coast, while carcasses from the less populated Everglades had significantly fewer scar patterns than did those from the rest of the state. These results improve our understanding of the extent of sublethal injury of the Florida manatee caused by boat strikes.

The communication of scientific findings often concludes the research experience, but few science programs include explicit undergraduate curricula for practicing oral science communication. While course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) can provide opportunities for students to practice science communication, few studies describe or assess authentic oral science communication activities within CUREs, and fewer do so under pandemic conditions. Little evidence exists describing how science communication activities impact students' science identity and science communication self-efficacy, specifically regarding research posters. To address this topic, we collected students' quantitative and qualitative perceptions of science identity and science communication self-efficacy in a face-to-face (F2F) CURE and collected students' qualitative perceptions of presenting their research at a F2F poster symposium during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that students' science identity and science communication self-efficacy improved significantly, and we identified benefits and complaints about presenting research F2F during the pandemic—namely, a stimulating presentation atmosphere, face coverings as communication barriers and comforts, and audience type informing presentation confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raffaele Sperandeo,1,2,* Vincenzo Monda,3,* Giovanni Messina,4 Marco Carotenuto,5 Nelson Mauro Maldonato,1,2 Enrico Moretto,1,2 Elena Leone,1,2 Vincenzo De Luca,6 Marcellino Monda,3 Antonietta Messina3 1Department of Human Sciences, Università Della, Basilicata, 2School of Integrated Gestaltic Psychotherapy, Torre Annunziata, 3Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetic and Sport Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, 4Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, 5Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy; 6Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Dissociative phenomena are common among psychiatric patients; the presence of these symptoms can worsen the prognosis, increasing the severity of their clinical conditions and exposing them to increased risk of suicidal behavior. Personality disorders as long duration stressful experiences may support the development of dissociative phenomena. In 933 psychiatric outpatients consecutively recruited, presence of dissociative phenomena was identified with the Dissociative Experience Scale (DES). Dissociative phenomena were significantly more severe in the group of people with mental disorders and/or personality disorders. All psychopathologic traits detected with the symptom checklist-90-revised had a significant correlation with the total score on the DES. Using total DES score as the dependent variable, a linear regression model was constructed. Mental and personality disorders which were associated with greater severity of dissociative phenomena on analysis of variance were included as predictors; scores from the nine scales of symptom checklist-90-revised, significantly correlated to total DES score, were used as covariates. The model consisted of seven explanatory variables (four factors and three covariates) explaining 82% of variance. The four significant factors were the presence of borderline and narcissistic personality disorder, substance abuse disorders and psychotic disorders. Significant covariates were psychopathologic traits of anger, psychoticism and obsessiveness. This study, confirming Janet’s theory, explains that, mental disorders and psychopathologic experiences of patients can configure the chronic stress condition that produces functional damage to the adaptive executive system. The symptoms of dissociative depersonalization/derealization and dissociative amnesia can be explained, in large part, through their current and previous psychopathologic experiences. Keywords: mental disorders, personality disorders, amnesia, depersonalization/derealization

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a genetic disorder causing progressive muscle weakness resulting in permanent disability, which demands lifelong management. Care standards are required to ensure equitable care and measure improvement in FSHD services. However, these are currently lacking in the UK (UK) leading to service and care provision variability across the country, disparities in terms of care quality, and health inequalities, further exacerbated by financial and resource constraints. These deficiencies underscore the urgent need to establish benchmarks for UK clinical services that reflect the needs of both care providers and recipients, including people with FSHD, their families, and caregivers. Therefore, this study aimed to collaboratively develop care quality standards for FSHD, with people with FSHD, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, through qualitative focus groups. A two-stage process was used, comprising of 1) eight online focus groups with separate groups of people with FSHD, caregivers, and healthcare professionals (June – July 2023) and 2) two online focus groups bringing together people with FSHD, carers and healthcare professionals to refine initial findings and co-produce FSHD care standards (April 2024). Participants meeting the following inclusion criteria were included in the study: adults living with FSHD in the UK, informal carers of people with FSHD living in the UK, and UK healthcare professionals working with FSHD. Focus group transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Preliminary findings for agreed standards are reported here. Findings of preliminary analysis, which included 27 adults with FSHD, four caregivers, and 20 healthcare professionals from different professional backgrounds (e.g., neurologists, physiotherapists, care advisors, orthotists, psychologists) predominantly based in UK tertiary specialist centres, identified the following 11 care quality domains: education and support for people with FSHD at diagnosis; information, education and support for families and carers; support networks, forums and self-help groups; multidisciplinary team; periodical multidisciplinary review and clinical assessment; self-management; access to healthcare professionals with FSHD understanding; named healthcare professional; coordinated care and clinical pathways; service access modalities; communication. The preliminary framework emerging from these findings holds significant potential to shape the development of FSHD care standards, which can enhance care delivery, standardise practices, guide healthcare professionals' education and training, mitigate regional discrepancies and health inequalities, and optimise FSHD patient health outcomes, not only within the UK but also globally. Importantly, anecdotal evidence suggests that current UK clinical services may fall short of meeting these standards, necessitating further action to bridge the existing gaps. Moving forward, this preliminary framework lays the groundwork for developing an audit tool to formally assess the alignment of UK clinical services with established care quality standards. As UK clinical services providing care for FSHD also manage other neuromuscular conditions, the implications of our findings extend beyond FSHD alone. Suboptimal care quality identified suggests broader challenges in neuromuscular care provision, emphasising the critical need for comprehensive care standards and quality improvement initiatives across neuromuscular services in the UK, with potential implications for global neuromuscular healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare size and morphologic features of three-dimensional aneurysm models, obtained with a semi-automated segmentation software (Stroke VCAR, GE, USA) from cerebral CT angiography (CTA) data, to three-dimensional aneurysm models obtained with digital subtraction angiography (DSA, with 3D rotational angiography acquisition—3DRA), considered as the reference standard. Methods: In this retrospective study, we reviewed 132 patients, with a total number of 137 intracranial aneurysm, who underwent CTA and subsequent DSA examination, supplemented with 3DRA. We compared neck length, short axis and long axis measured on 3DRA model to the same variables measured on 3D-CTA model by two blinded readers and to the automatic software dimensions. Therefore, statistics analysis assessed intra-observer and inter-observer variability and differences between patients with or without subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Results: There were no significant differences in short-axis and long-axis measurements between 3D angiographic and 3D-CTA models, while comparison of neck lengths revealed a statistically significant difference, which tended to be greater for smaller neck lengths (partial volume effect and "kissing vessels" artifact). There were significant differences between manual and automatic data measured for the same three variables, and the presence of SAH did not affect aneurysm 3D reconstruction. Inter-observer agreement resulted moderate for neck length and substantial for short axis and long axis. Conclusion: The examined 3D-CTA segmentation system is a reproducible procedure for aneurysm morphologic characterization and, in particular, for assessment of aneurysm sac dimensions, but considerable carefulness is required in neck length interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]