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The California Blackworm ("Lumbriculus variegatus") is a freshwater segmented worm species that has been used by biology instructors as a model system for inquiry-based student investigations. The blackworm dorsal blood vessel pulsation rate is easily quantified. Moreover, this species can facilitate the study of neuromuscular functioning via its photosensitive escape behavior which can be quantified as a segmental reflex rate. Both of these variables can be used to examine the physiological response of the "L. variegatus" circulatory and neuromuscular systems to environmental changes. Because knowledge about this species and its optimal environmental conditions is limited, we studied dorsal vessel pulsation and segmental reflexes of "L. variegatus" maintained at differing lighting, temperature and water cleaning frequency conditions. Our data strongly indicate that "L. variegatus" circulatory and motor functions are significantly affected by environmental conditions. We provide evidence-based recommendations for the careful control of environmental conditions that will allow instructors, students and researchers to collect robust data on "L. variegatus" and better utilize this model organism in their investigations.

The Women's Center of Jamaica Foundation's (WCJF) Programme for Adolescent Mothers)--has supported pregnant girls and adolescent mothers to have uninterrupted access to education and allied services since 1978. This paper analyzes the conception, establishment, scale up and sustainability of the Programme. The Programme evolved from a small, local initiative into a national and international model. Repeat pregnancy has remained under 2% among programme beneficiaries since inception. While the core package of interventions has remained for the past 40 years, some new dimensions have been added, with the most recent one being support for transition to higher education, all of which are aimed at strengthening the impact of the Programme. The achievements of the Programme were propelled prominently by a progressive national policy environment with the support of several non-state actors. The PAM demonstrates the value of sustained cross-sectoral support, spearheaded, or fully supported by the state in providing opportunities for adolescent mothers.

Physical and life science disciplines emphasize how basic structural units influence function, yet it is challenging for students to understand structure-function relationships, particularly at molecular scales. Undergraduates in our biology capstone course struggled to connect mutations in a gene encoding a key protein in a cell development regulation pathway to the function of that protein. We hypothesized that physical molecular models and interactive activities exploring the pathway would help students overcome this learning challenge. Four years of iterative assessment cycles, curricular revisions, and assessment rubrics based on these classroom strategies allowed us to pinpoint students' struggles to make specific connections between genetic structural mutations and protein function. Student scores on summative assessments and self-reports of learning improved over the 4 years. Furthermore, student comments both supported the summative data and helped us understand how these curricular materials are helpful. We present an evidence-based example in which STEM educators successfully incorporate a novel teaching material by integrating scaffolds that allow students to see how experts make sense of complex and dynamic systems.

This chapter captures the authors' voices as faculty who were abruptly required to learn how to teach courses remotely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They share how they successfully made changes and stayed committed to maintaining high standards in an online environment. Based on these experiences, they present recommendations for adaptations of active learning techniques from face-to-face (F2F) courses to online equivalents. Their roadmap to success focuses on key factors that contributed to increased student success and retention including: flexibility, a commitment to active learning methodologies, and fostering strong classroom communities.

A typically developing student's perceptions of his or her own capabilities (academic self-concept), is predictive of later academic achievement. However, little is known about academic self-concept in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To understand whether students math self-concept and reading self-concept predicted their performance, 44 school-aged children and adolescents with ASD and 36 age-matched individuals with typical development (TYP) rated their perceived math and reading abilities and were administered standardized achievement measures. Results showed self-concept was predictive of performance in math and reading in the TYP group. For youth with ASD, there was agreement between self-concept and performance only in math. These findings suggest that educators should be cautious when interpreting the self-assessments of reading ability in students with ASD.

The current study investigated the development of global and domain (academic, physical, same-sex peer relationship, opposite-sex peer relationship) self-esteem from age 10 to 16 in a sample of Mexican-origin adolescents. Participants' (N = 674) responses on the Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ; Marsh, 2005) II-S showed moderate rank-order stability across four time points. In terms of mean-level change, global self-esteem and most forms of domain self-esteem decreased across adolescence; the one exception is that opposite-sex peer relationship self-esteem increased. As expected, there were individual differences in rates of change for all SDQ subscales. Most domain self-esteem subscales were concurrently related to global self-esteem (r's ranged from 0.18 to 0.87), but they did not predict changes in global self-esteem over time. Academic self-esteem had the strongest concurrent associations with global self-esteem. In general, there were no consistent gender differences in rank-order stability, mean levels, or change over time of global and domain self-esteem. These findings provide insight into the development of self-esteem in a rapidly-growing segment of the population of the United States.

Critical Studyin' is a Black Studies-inspired, morally engaged pedagogy. With roots in anti-racist teaching, it is focused on race, ideology, and education. This study explores the learning experiences and outcomes of seven, preservice educators after taking a course that was based on Critical Studyin' and offered in a College of Education at one university in the Southeastern region of the United States. Researchers employed constructivist grounded theory techniques to the analysis of semi-structured interviews and course documents. Findings highlight the development of students' critical consciousness and agency as they engaged in critical interrogation of the complex relationships among race, culture, and classroom teaching. This study highlights the potential of Black Studies as a pedagogy teacher educators can enact to orchestrate disruptive learning experiences and environments necessary for anti-racist teaching. It adds further support for culture-centered approaches in educator preparation that scaffolds preservice educators in their development of justice-oriented perspectives and practices in education.

Indigenous Studies is a rapidly growing field of enquiry both nationally and internationally. The internationalisation of the discipline is dependent on its interdiciplinarity and on the collaborative efforts of interdisciplinary scholars. Colonised Indigenous people globally share similar experiences despite differences in histories and contexts. In collaborative situations, dedicated scholarship brings together Indigenous people and allies who are committed to the global expansion of Indigenous knowledge through shared understandings of experiences and histories. Collective efforts can improve curriculum development, enhance opportunities for publication, bring scholars together in conferences and symposia and provide opportunities for new research networks for Indigenous scholarship. This paper addresses spheres of collaborative and collective endeavours that continue to reap benefits nationally and internationally in the field of international Indigenous Studies.

A large body of literature suggests a clear, concurrent association between peer approval and self-esteem in adolescence. However, little empirical work exists on either the prospective or reciprocal relation between peer approval and self-esteem during this age period. Moreover, it is unclear from past research whether both "subjectively perceived peer approval" and "objectively measured peer approval" are related to subsequent self-esteem over time (and vice versa) and whether these paths have long-term associations into adulthood. Using data from a large longitudinal study that covers a time span of 2 decades, we examined reciprocal, prospective relations between self-esteem and peer approval during ages 12-16 in addition to long-term relations between these variables and later social constructs at age 35. Cross-lagged regression analyses revealed small but persistent effect sizes from both types of peer approval to subsequent self-esteem in adolescence, controlling for prior self-esteem. However, effects in the reverse direction were not confirmed. These findings support the notion that peer relationships serve an important function for later self-esteem, consistent with many theoretical tenets of the importance of peers for building a strong identity. Finally, we found long-term relations between adult social constructs and adolescent objective and subjective peer approval as well as self-esteem. Therefore, not only do peer relationships play a role in self-esteem development across adolescence, but they remain impactful throughout adulthood. In sum, the current findings highlight the lasting, yet small link between peer relationships and self-esteem development and call for investigations of further influential factors for self-esteem over time.

Many have called for re-examination of the "colorblind" philosophy to which some early educators have, tacitly or explicitly, adhered (e.g. Boutte et al. 2011; Derman-Sparks and Edwards 2010; Husband 2012). It has been argued that, while colorblind approaches may appear to be politically neutral, they actually exacerbate racial oppression. In this article, we advocate for a direct and active approach to raising conversations about race with younger preschool children. Based on the developmental nature of young children's concepts of self and of other, our focus is on initiating discussions about concrete and observable physical aspects of human diversity associated with race. Young children notice and are curious about differences in skin color, hair texture, and facial features. Because these differences are salient, are accessible, and are of interest to young children they can serve as an effective starting point. We suggest shared reading of high quality illustrated children's books, incorporating the principles of dialogic reading, as a potent springboard for discussions about race with very young children. Our purpose is to equip children, very early in their schooling, with a color-filled appreciation for and comfort with physical diversity of appearance. On that foundation, children may better proceed on the course of developing anti-racist attitudes.

Understanding how basic structural units influence function is identified as a foundational/core concept for undergraduate biological and biochemical literacy. It is essential for students to understand this concept at all size scales, but it is often more difficult for students to understand structure-function relationships at the molecular level, which they cannot as effectively visualize. Students need to develop accurate, 3-dimensional mental models of biomolecules to understand how biomolecular structure affects cellular functions at the molecular level, yet most traditional curricular tools such as textbooks include only 2-dimensional representations. We used a controlled, backward design approach to investigate how hand-held physical molecular model use affected students' ability to logically predict structure-function relationships. Brief (one class period) physical model use increased quiz score for females, whereas there was no significant increase in score for males using physical models. Females also self-reported higher learning gains in their understanding of context-specific protein function. Gender differences in spatial visualization may explain the gender-specific benefits of physical model use observed.

How can science instructors prepare students for the statistics needed in authentic inquiry labs? We designed and assessed four instructional modules with the goals of increasing student confidence, appreciation, and performance in both experimental design and data analysis. Using extensions from a just-in-time teaching approach, we introduced concepts throughout a two-semester biology sequence when students could apply their knowledge to the inquiry labs. The modules included readings and active lessons that used modified "jigsaw" and immediate feedback techniques. Assessment based on pre-and postmodule surveys paired by individual student indicated improved student confidence and a rise in the number of students planning to take a statistics class. Student self-reported skill and performance were not always linked; student performance was best for the learning outcomes emphasized during class. Poor performance on low-level tasks, such as formatting statistical results, demonstrated the need for classroom time in support of reading assignments. The four short statistics modules appeared to be a minimum level of instruction for preparing science students to apply data analysis tools appropriately in their own research. Using an iterative process over several months, student-driven research and student-centered activities were important strategies in preparing students to apply statistics.

Universities in Australia are expanding their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies programs to include Indigenous populations from around the globe. This is also the case for the Indigenous Studies Unit at the University of Wollongong (UOW). Although systems of nomenclature in Indigenous Studies seek to be respectful of difference, the politics of naming in the global context raises some complexities worthy of discussion. In this article, four scholars discuss the politics of naming in relation to teaching a joint Indigenous Studies subject at the UOW and Northern Arizona University.

Research examining prevalence rates and risk factors related to victimization for people with mental disorders has procured considerable attention. Despite this increased attention, why a subset of this population is not victimized, despite elevated risk, is less understood. That is, there is a group of people with mental disorders who are effectively resilient from victimization, but the ways in which resiliency is produced is not known. Using the National Comorbidity Study–Adolescent supplement data, the applicability of numerous resiliency models is examined to identify and understand how the resiliency from victimization process operates for people with mental disorders. Building off previous work, factors specific to mental illness are also included in additional models to examine whether the same factors relate to resiliency for people with mental illness as they do for other samples. Results indicate support for the compensatory and protective-protective resilience models when mental health-specific factors are excluded from the analyses. Results change, however, when mental health-specific variables are included in the analyses, suggesting the need for continued research on resiliency for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientists routinely integrate information from various channels to explore topics under study. We designed a 4-wk undergraduate laboratory module that used a multifaceted approach to study a question in molecular genetics. Specifically, students investigated whether "Caenorhabditis elegans" can be a useful model system for studying genes associated with human disease. In a large-enrollment, sophomore-level laboratory course, groups of three to four students were assigned a gene associated with either breast cancer ("brc-1"), Wilson disease ("cua-1"), ovarian dysgenesis ("fshr-1"), or colon cancer ("mlh-1"). Students compared observable phenotypes of wild-type "C. elegans" and "C. elegans" with a homozygous deletion in the assigned gene. They confirmed the genetic deletion with nested polymerase chain reaction and performed a bioinformatics analysis to predict how the deletion would affect the encoded mRNA and protein. Students also performed RNA interference (RNAi) against their assigned gene and evaluated whether RNAi caused a phenotype similar to that of the genetic deletion. As a capstone activity, students prepared scientific posters in which they presented their data, evaluated whether "C. elegans" was a useful model system for studying their assigned genes, and proposed future directions. Assessment showed gains in understanding genotype versus phenotype, RNAi, common bioinformatics tools, and the utility of model organisms. (Contains 7 figures and 1 table.)

We conducted a controlled investigation to examine whether a combination of computer imagery and tactile tools helps introductory cell biology laboratory undergraduate students better learn about protein structure/function relationships as compared with computer imagery alone. In all five laboratory sections, students used the molecular imaging program, Protein Explorer (PE). In the three experimental sections, three-dimensional physical models were made available to the students, in addition to PE. Student learning was assessed via oral and written research summaries and videotaped interviews. Differences between the experimental and control group students were not found in our typical course assessments such as research papers, but rather were revealed during one-on-one interviews with students at the end of the semester. A subset of students in the experimental group produced superior answers to some higher-order interview questions as compared with students in the control group. During the interview, students in both groups preferred to use either the hand-held models alone or in combination with the PE imaging program. Students typically did not use any tools when answering knowledge (lower-level thinking) questions, but when challenged with higher-level thinking questions, students in both the control and experimental groups elected to use the models. (Contains 6 tables and 2 figures.)

• Simulation can facilitate interprofessional collaborative decision making. • Simulation can provide insights into the patient and carer perspective. • Interprofessional education can enhance preparation for practice. • Interprofessional education facilitates learning beyond one's own profession. Effective communication and collaboration in interprofessional teams are fundamental to the provision of high quality and safe healthcare. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of interprofessional, pre–qualifying health professional students engaged in a simulated patient care scenario. Students from five healthcare disciplines were immersed in a collaborative simulation experience of managing a patient with stroke, from admission to discharge. Three focus groups were used to evaluate students' experiences. Three key themes emerged from participant narratives: (a) Learning to Speak the Same language: Working Together to Understand the Healthcare Team, (b) Progressing from Uncertainty to Collaborative Practice: Reflecting on Practice and Transition, and (c) Lessons Learned in Developing the Simulation: Barriers and Enablers to Learning. Immersion of healthcare students in interprofessional simulation experiences enhances role understanding, collaborative decision making, and communication skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We explore long‐term plant community responses 17 years after a one‐time application of biosolids (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 dry Mg/ha) to determine: (a) whether the land application of biosolids on mine tailings, seeded with an agronomic grass‐legume mixture, affects long‐term plant community responses; (b) how application rates and soil texture influenced plant community responses and community structure; and (c) whether native plant species have colonized and contributed to the reclaimed plant community. Location: Two tailings deposits (sand and silt loam) generated by a copper–molybdenum (Cu–Mo) mine in southern British Columbia, Canada. Methods: Plant communities were sampled by visual evaluation of cover percentage to the lowest taxonomic level possible. Vegetation surveys were completed on two mine tailings deposits within the storage facility that have different soil textures (sand and silt loam). Results: Results showed that the interaction of biosolids applications and soil texture impacted multiple community plant responses, including increasing plant cover at both sites, and increasing richness, evenness and diversity at the sandy site. Biosolids application enhanced the performance of spontaneously established species (volunteer species) and non‐native/naturalized grasses. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that biosolids application facilitates ecological succession by enhancing the establishment of non‐native volunteer species over the long term, which increases vegetative cover on both deposits and promotes plant communities' diversity on sites with sandy soil texture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are highly aggressive and may be lethal if untreated. Polymicrobial infections of the groin and lower limb have been documented secondary to invasive colorectal cancer (CRC). We present a case of CRC diagnosed more than 4 years after the development of NSTI. There are documented cases of NSTIs concomitant with a preexisting CRC. In this case, however, the patient's initial presentation was an NSTI followed by later diagnosis of CRC. A previously treated NSTI that is not healing appropriately may be an early indicator for CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated a cluster of Burkholderia cepacia complex colonization in ventilated pediatric patients. Isolates from 15 patients, 2 sink drains, and several ventilator components were found to belong to a single B cenocepacia clone. Hospital tap water used during oral and tracheostomy care was identified as the most likely mechanism for transmission. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Respiratory abnormalities are common causes of decreased performance in horses presumably because of impaired pulmonary gas exchange. The objectives of the present study were to describe respiratory abnormalities in poorly performing horses and to investigate the relationships between dynamic upper respiratory tract (URT) videoendoscopy, postexercising bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology, and exercising arterial blood gas analysis. Medical records of 93 horses with exercise intolerance, which presented for treadmill evaluation, were reviewed. Relationships between horse demographics, treadmill endoscopic findings, exercising blood gas values, and BAL cytology results were examined. A total of 25 (27%) horses had a URT obstruction and 91 (98%) horses had abnormal BAL cytology; 73 (78%) had evidence of inflammatory airway disease (IAD) and 83 (89%) had exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). In all, 39 (42%) horses had abnormal blood gas values. Dynamic URT obstruction was significantly associated with exercising hypoxemia (P = .036). There were no significant relationships between gas exchange and IAD or between EIPH. Out of 24 (26%) horses with combined URT obstruction and abnormal BAL, horses with URT obstruction and EIPH were more likely to be hypoxic during exercise (P = .037). It was concluded that horses with dynamic URT abnormalities are likely to have exercising hypoxemia. Although IAD and EIPH were commonly indentified in poor performers, they were not significantly associated with abnormal exercising blood gas analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We add to a sparse literature on the well-being of Jamaican adults by examining the relationships between parenthood, education, and psychological distress. Data for these analyses come from a multistage area probability sample of 388 adults in Manchester, Jamaica. Regression methods yield two main findings: (1) respondents suffer greater levels of psychological distress as they have more children and endure higher levels of financial stress; and (2) though more educated respondents report less distress, the magnitude of this education effect differs significantly for men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite improved race relations over the past 30 years, non-white Americans still report that they feel discriminated against. While sociological inquiry into these phenomena has largely focused on the experience of African Americans (as compared to whites), this paper addresses the issue of perceived discrimination among blacks (African Americans. Caribbean Americans), and also among Hispanics (Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans) and Asians (Chinese Americans, Korean Americans, and Vietnamese Americans). Using data from a national probability sample. this research demonstrates that: 1) the prevalence of reports of discrimination differs by broad racial/ethnic group classification; 2) when groups are disaggregated by ethnic groups, further differences in prevalence emerge; and 3) immigrant status and other sociodemographic factors are important predictors of perceptions of discrimination. For example. immigrant Caribbean Americans report less discrimination than their native born counterparts, while the opposite is true for Mexican Americans. The findings from this paper highlight the contextual nature of perceptions of discrimination, and the importance of considering heterogeneity in any discussion of minority status in America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coastal zone is morphologically dynamic and a range of engineering practices are used to stabilize it. The dune system serves as the first line of defense against storms and rising sea levels. Sand fences on dunes are one popular and economical restorative engineering alternative. This study evaluates the geomorphic response of dunes with and without sand fences resulting from the impact of high energy events, specifically Hurricanes Florence and Michael , which impacted South Carolina, United States in 2018. Innovative cost-effective field methods were applied to calculate dune volumes on a mechanical dune. Measurements compared a site with eleven sand fences and an unmodified control site. Dune volume decreased after Hurricane Florence for the fenced and control sites and increased after Hurricane Michael for the fenced site. There was differential geomorphic change post-storm between the control and fenced sites. Results support that sand fences are resilient under high wind conditions and are an effective strategy to aid in dune recovery and growth, suggesting that they can be installed prior to the storm season rather than being reserved as a post-storm recovery technique. • Cost-effective methodology to measure coastal dunes. • Sand fences are effective in a pre- and post-storm environment. • Dunes with sand fences gained sediment during Hurricane Michael. • Sediment characteristics should be carefully considered in management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]