The Impact of Field Courses on Undergraduate Knowledge, Affect, Behavior, and Skills: A Scoping Review.

Field courses provide transformative learning experiences that support success and improve persistence for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors. But field courses have not increased proportionally with the number of students in the natural sciences. We conducted a scoping review to investigate the factors influencing undergraduate participation in and the outcomes from field courses in the United States. Our search yielded 61 articles, from which we classified the knowledge, affect, behavior, and skill-based outcomes resulting from field course participation. We found consistent reporting on course design but little reporting on demographics, which limits our understanding of who takes field courses. Cost was the most commonly reported barrier to student participation, and knowledge gains were the most commonly reported outcome. This scoping review underscores the need for more rigorous and evidence-based investigations of student outcomes in field courses. Understanding how field courses support or hinder student engagement is necessary to make them more accessible to all students.

What is the level of household gun ownership in urban Mexico? An estimate from the first Mexican survey on gun ownership 2017.

Gun violence has increased in Mexico since the mid-2000s, but little is known about patterns of gun ownership. We examine the size and composition of the privately held urban firearm stock in Mexico, motivations for ownership, and attitudes about gun laws. To this end, a household telephone survey of 1361 adults living in nine Mexican cities was conducted in the summer of 2017. We find that few urban Mexican households contain guns. Most of those who report ownership possess one gun, having purchased it recently for self-defense. Few urban Mexican citizens plan to purchase a gun in the future. Respondents are more likely to believe that crime in Mexico would increase if guns were allowed in more places (ie, workplaces and motor vehicles). Evidence suggests urban Mexico has relative low rates of firearm ownership. Few city dwellers plan on obtaining a firearm in the near future.

Gender Identity and Student Perceptions of Peer Research Aptitude in CUREs and Traditional Laboratory Courses in the Biological Sciences.

While several studies have investigated gender inequities in the social learning environment of biology lecture courses, that same phenomenon remains largely unexplored in biology laboratory contexts. We conducted a mixed methods study to understand the influence of gender on student perceptions of their peers' research aptitude in introductory biology CUREs and traditional laboratory courses. Specifically, students (N = 125) were asked to complete a name generator survey at three time points across the semester. This survey asked students to list the names of peers whom they viewed as "most proficient" in the course investigations and to justify their choice via an open-ended response prompt. Using social network analysis, exponential random graph modeling (ERGM), and thematic analysis, we demonstrate that student gender identity did not influence nomination behaviors in CURE or traditional laboratory courses. However, the ERGMs reveal the presence of a popularity effect in CUREs and demonstrate that mutual nominations were more prevalent in traditional laboratory courses. Our qualitative data further provide insights into the reasons students nominated peers as proficient in CURE and traditional courses.

Comparing study features is easy but identifying next steps is hard: Evaluating critical thinking through the Biology Lab Inventory of Critical Thinking in Ecology.

Critical thinking, which can be defined as the evidence-based ways in which people decide what to trust and what to do, is an important competency included in many undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. To help instructors effectively measure critical thinking, we developed the Biology Lab Inventory of Critical Thinking in Ecology (Eco-BLIC), a freely available, closed-response assessment of undergraduate students' critical thinking in ecology. The Eco-BLIC includes ecology-based experimental scenarios followed by questions that measure how students decide on what to trust and what to do next. Here, we present the development of the Eco-BLIC using tests of validity and reliability. Using student responses to questions and think-aloud interviews, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the Eco-BLIC at measuring students' critical thinking skills. We find that while students generally think like experts while evaluating what to trust, students' responses are less expert-like when deciding on what to do next.

What influences students' abilities to critically evaluate scientific investigations?

Critical thinking is the process by which people make decisions about what to trust and what to do. Many undergraduate courses, such as those in biology and physics, include critical thinking as an important learning goal. Assessing critical thinking, however, is non-trivial, with mixed recommendations for how to assess critical thinking as part of instruction. Here we evaluate the efficacy of assessment questions to probe students' critical thinking skills in the context of biology and physics. We use two research-based standardized critical thinking instruments known as the Biology Lab Inventory of Critical Thinking in Ecology (Eco-BLIC) and Physics Lab Inventory of Critical Thinking (PLIC). These instruments provide experimental scenarios and pose questions asking students to evaluate what to trust and what to do regarding the quality of experimental designs and data. Using more than 3000 student responses from over 20 institutions, we sought to understand what features of the assessment questions elicit student critical thinking. Specifically, we investigated (a) how students critically evaluate aspects of research studies in biology and physics when they are individually evaluating one study at a time versus comparing and contrasting two and (b) whether individual evaluation questions are needed to encourage students to engage in critical thinking when comparing and contrasting. We found that students are more critical when making comparisons between two studies than when evaluating each study individually. Also, compare-and-contrast questions are sufficient for eliciting critical thinking, with students providing similar answers regardless of if the individual evaluation questions are included. This research offers new insight on the types of assessment questions that elicit critical thinking at the introductory undergraduate level; specifically, we recommend instructors incorporate more compare-and-contrast questions related to experimental design in their courses and assessments.

How do introductory field biology students feel? Journal reflections provide insight into student affect.

An understanding of both cognitive and affective domains of learning is critical to promoting undergraduate student success in biology. Field courses-which support student learning, observation, and experimentation in the outdoors-have been shown to be effective in supporting cognitive student outcomes. However, less is known about students' affective responses during field instruction. To better understand the affective domain in this course type, we asked students enrolled in a campus-based introductory field biology course to engage in weekly reflective journaling over the course of a semester. We employed inductive and deductive coding of over 700 field journal reflections using the Model of the Affective Domain for the Geosciences as a conceptual basis. Informed by our results, we present a theoretically-driven, five-part Framework of Student Affect in Field Biology and in-depth and novel insights into what students feel, believe, and value as they participate in an undergraduate field course. Our framework and coding results can be used by field course instructors to understand how to better design experiences that leave students feeling confident in their abilities, interested to learn more about nature, and empowered to persist in the discipline.

Current Approaches for Integrating Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) Education into Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences: A National Assessment.

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), which often engage students as early as freshman year, have become increasingly common in biology curricula. While many studies have highlighted the benefits of CUREs, little attention has been paid to responsible and ethical conduct of research (RECR) education in such contexts. Given this observation, we adopted a mixed methods approach to explore the extent to which RECR education is being implemented and assessed in biological sciences CUREs nationwide. Survey and semistructured interview data show a general awareness of the importance of incorporating RECR education into CUREs, with all respondents addressing at least one RECR topic in their courses. However, integration of RECR education within the CURE environment primarily focuses on the application of RECR during research practice, often takes the form of corrective measures, and appears to be rarely assessed. Participants reported lack of time and materials as the main barriers to purposeful inclusion of RECR education within their courses. These results underscore a need for the CURE community to develop resources and effective models to integrate RECR education into biology CUREs.

Characterization of Instructor and Student Behaviors in CURE and Non-CURE Learning Environments: Impacts on Student Motivation, Science Identity Development, and Perceptions of the Laboratory Experience.

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) serve to increase student access to authentic scientific opportunities. Current evidence within the literature indicates that engagement in CUREs promotes students' science identity development, science self-efficacy, motivation, and ability to "think like a scientist." Despite the importance of these findings, few studies have examined the behaviors and interactions occurring within CURE and non-CURE settings and the impact of those behaviors on said student outcomes. To address these concerns, we conducted a mixed-methods study to explore student and instructor behaviors in four CURE and four non-CURE introductory biology laboratory sections. Representative video data were collected in each section and coded using the Laboratory Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM. In addition, pre/postsemester affective survey data were obtained from CURE and non-CURE participants. Results indicated that CURE students and instructors engaged in more interactive behaviors (e.g., one-on-one dialogue, questioning) than their non-CURE counterparts, a finding confirmed by analyzing behavioral patterns via construction of partial correlation networks. Multiple regression analyses further revealed that both student and instructor interactive behaviors and enrollment in a CURE were strong predictors of pre/postsemester shifts in student motivation, science identity development, collaboration, and perceived opportunities to make relevant scientific discoveries.

Place-Based Case Studies: A New Approach to an Effective Teaching Practice.

Case-based approaches have been used extensively in STEM classrooms to enhance the real-world applicability of course content. Prior research in the bioeducation field indicates, specifically, that such methods lead to increases in students' conceptual understanding and affect in the discipline relative to more traditional methods. Despite these outcomes, the majority of case study exercises are formatted in a generalist manner. In other words, the content and context of the case study itself are not framed around the communities in which the students live. In an effort to address this concern, we developed and implemented a series of place-based case study (PBCS) exercises within the introductory cell and molecular biology courses at our institutions. A comparative, quasi-experimental approach was used to evaluate the impact of PBCSs versus non-PBCSs on cognitive and non-cognitive student outcomes. Results indicated that both PBCSs and non-PBCSs led to increases in students' content knowledge; however, no statistically significant difference existed in post-exercise performance between the PBCS and non-PBCS cohorts at the University of Texas, for instance, after controlling for confounding factors. Importantly, data also revealed that students within the PBCS cohort agreed more strongly that the case studies provided them with a better understanding of how scientific advancements and research impacted the community in which they lived than did their peers in the non-PBCS cohort. Collectively, these outcomes suggest that PBCSs offer a scalable, classroom-based approach to engage students in relevant, practical experiences that are of direct interest to them and, ideally, the broader scientific community.

"Where's My Mentor?!" Characterizing Negative Mentoring Experiences in Undergraduate Life Science Research.

Undergraduate research experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields are championed for promoting students' personal and professional development. Mentorship is an integral part of undergraduate research, as effective mentorship maximizes the benefits undergraduates realize from participating in research. Yet almost no research examines instances in which mentoring is less effective or even problematic, even though prior research on mentoring in workplace settings suggests negative mentoring experiences are common. Here, we report the results of a qualitative study to define and characterize negative mentoring experiences of undergraduate life science researchers. Undergraduate researchers in our study reported seven major ways they experienced negative mentoring: absenteeism, abuse of power, interpersonal mismatch, lack of career support, lack of psychosocial support, misaligned expectations, and unequal treatment. They described some of these experiences as the result of absence of positive mentoring behavior and others as actively harmful behavior, both of which they perceive as detrimental to their psychosocial and career development. Our results are useful to mentors for reflecting on ways their behaviors might be perceived as harmful or unhelpful. These findings can also serve as a foundation for future research aimed at examining the prevalence and impact of negative mentoring experiences in undergraduate research.

Recommendations for Effective Integration of Ethics and Responsible Conduct of Research (E/RCR) Education into Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences: A Meeting Report.

Advancement of the scientific enterprise relies on individuals conducting research in an ethical and responsible manner. Educating emergent scholars in the principles of ethics/responsible conduct of research (E/RCR) is therefore critical to ensuring such advancement. The recent impetus to include authentic research opportunities as part of the undergraduate curriculum, via course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), has been shown to increase cognitive and noncognitive student outcomes. Because of these important benefits, CUREs are becoming more common and often constitute the first research experience for many students. However, despite the importance of E/RCR in the research process, we know of few efforts to incorporate E/RCR education into CUREs. The Ethics Network for Course-based Opportunities in Undergraduate Research (ENCOUR) was created to address this concern and promote the integration of E/RCR within CUREs in the biological sciences and related disciplines. During the inaugural ENCOUR meeting, a four-pronged approach was used to develop guidelines for the effective integration of E/RCR in CUREs. This approach included: 1) defining appropriate student learning objectives; 2) identifying relevant curriculum; 3) identifying relevant assessments; and 4) defining key aspects of professional development for CURE facilitators. Meeting outcomes, including the aforementioned E/RCR guidelines, are described herein.

Worry and perceived risk of contagion during the COVID-19 quarantine in the Jalisco population: Preliminary Study / Preocupación y riesgo de contagio percibido durante la cuarentena por COVID-19 en población jalisciense: estudio preliminar

Abstract Introduction Preventive measures taken during periods of health crisis, specifically in pandemics, have consistently been associated with detrimental effects on mental health. Isolation and loneliness are indirect effects of these preventive measures. Given these premises, monitoring the behavior of the population in the face of these eventualities becomes important. Worry as an indirect measure of anxiety and stress enables one to recognize subjects who are vulnerable to phenomena of high uncertainty, since measures taken to avoid excessive contagion can have high costs for this population. This phenomenon has been consistently observed in other pandemics such as H1/N1 influenza. Objective To determine the prevalence of worry and perceived risk of contagion in the Guadalajara population during the COVID-19 quarantine and to identify differentiating effects. Method A total of 255 people from western Mexico (Guadalajara, Jalisco) voluntarily participated by answering the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) adapted to Mexican population. The average age of the respondents, aged between 18 and 70 years, was 31.71 (± 5.19). A total of 170 women and 85 men participated in the study. Results 40.12% of the population scored high levels of worry, making them vulnerable to mental health conditions. Subjects favored the prevention of a contagion regardless of whether they were self-isolated. The only variable that had a differential effect was sex (p < .05), and there were no differences in educational attainment, occupational demandingness, and isolation between the groups. Discussion and conclusion A preventive attitude was observed among the participants, and so it is important to implement strategies that will prevent mental health costs in those who express excessive worry to avoid saturating mental health services.

Resumen Introducción Las medidas preventivas tomadas durante periodos de crisis de salud, específicamente en las pandemias, se han asociado constantemente a efectos perjudiciales en la salud mental. El aislamiento y la soledad son efectos indirectos de estas medidas preventivas. Dadas estas premisas, monitorear la conducta de la población ante estas eventualidades cobra importancia. La preocupación como medida indirecta de la ansiedad y el estrés puede permitir reconocer aquellos sujetos que se encuentren en una situación de vulnerabilidad ante fenómenos de alta incertidumbre, por lo que las medidas tomadas para evitar contagios excesivos pueden tener un costo alto para dicha población. Este fenómeno se ha observado consistentemente en otras pandemias como la de la influenza H1/N1. Objetivo Determinar la prevalencia de preocupación y riesgo de contagio percibido en población tapatía durante la cuarentena por COVID-19 e identificar efectos diferenciadores. Método Un total de 255 personas del occidente de México (Guadalajara, Jalisco) participaron voluntariamente contestando el Cuestionario de Preocupación del Pensilvania (PWSQ) adaptado a la población mexicana. La edad promedio fue de 31.71 (± 5.19) de entre los 18 y los 70 años. Un total de 170 mujeres y 85 hombres participaron en la encuesta. Resultados El 40.12% de la población alcanzó puntajes altos de preocupación, que los vuelven vulnerables a los padecimientos de salud mental. Se expresaron datos favorables en pro de la prevención de un contagio independientemente de si se estaba en situación de aislamiento o no. Por otro lado, la única variable que tuvo un efecto diferencial fue la del sexo (p < .05), mientras que la escolaridad, la exigencia ocupacional y el aislamiento no mostraron diferencias entre grupos. Discusión y conclusión Se observa una actitud de prevención en los participantes; es importante realizar estrategias que eviten que haya costes a razón de la salud mental en aquellos que muestra preocupación excesiva para evitar la saturación de los servicios de salud mental.

Quick correction of a skeletal class III maloclussion in primary dentition with face mask plus rapid maxillary expansion therapy / Corrección rápida de una maloclusión esquelética clase III en dentición primaria con máscara facial más terapia rápida de expansión maxilar

Abstract Skeletal Class III is a malocclusion characterized by anterior crossbite as a result of an abnormal skeletal maxillary and mandibular base discrepancy, which involves disharmony of craneofacial skeleton and profile. The preferred management for children having skeletal Class III malocclusion with retruded maxilla and/or prognathic mandible is the use of devices that encourage the growth and anterior movement of the maxilla bone and/or restrict the exessive mandible growth. The orthopedic treatment consisting of a face mask with rapid maxillary expansion (RME) produces the most dramatic results in the shortest period of time. The purpose of this article is to review a quick correction of skeletal class III maloclussion in the primary dentition through a case example with use of a face mask plus rapid maxillary expansion therapy in a 5 year-old male patient due to a combination of retruded maxilla and protruded mandible, in primary dentition, who was treated with a Petit face mask in conjunction with a bonded RME intraoral appliance added with bite blocks. The first evident occlusal outcomes were a clockwise rotation of the mandible, a positive overjet of 3 mm, a correct overbite, a canine Class I relationship, and a bilateral flush terminal plane. After discussing the present clinical case report and the related published literature, we concluded that skeletal class III malocclusions should be treated as soon as the first clinical signs of abnormal craniofacial growth are recognized, during the first years of life.

Resumen La clase III esquelética es una maloclusión caracterizada por mordida cruzada anterior como resultado de una discrepancia esquelética de la base maxilar y mandibular, que implica desarmonía craneofacial y del perfil. El tratamiento de elección para niños con maloclusión clase III esquelética con mandíbula maxilar y/o prognática es el uso de dispositivos que estimulan el crecimiento y el movimiento anterior del hueso maxilar y/o restringen el crecimiento excesivo de la mandíbula. El tratamiento ortopédico que consiste en una máscara facial con expansión maxilar rápida (EMR) produce resultados en un período de tiempo más corto. El propósito de este artículo es revisar una corrección rápida de la maloclusión de clase III esquelética en la dentición primaria mediante el uso de una máscara facial más terapia de expansión maxilar rápida en un paciente masculino de 5 años debido a una combinación de maxilar retruido y mandíbula prominente, en dentición primaria, que fue tratada con una mascarilla Petit junto con un dispositivo intraoral unido con bloques de mordida. Los primeros resultados evidentes fueron una rotación en sentido horario de la mandíbula, un overjet positivo de 3 mm, una sobremordida correcta, una relación canina de Clase I y un plano terminal de descarga bilateral. Después de discutir el presente informe de caso clínico y la literatura publicada relacionada, concluimos que las maloclusiones de clase III esqueléticas deberían tratarse tan pronto como se reconozcan los primeros signos clínicos de crecimiento craneofacial anormal, durante los primeros años de vida.

Decreasing hormonal promotion is key to breast cancer prevention.

An early full-term pregnancy in women is highly protective against breast cancer. This protection can be mimicked by short-term treatment with estradiol plus progesterone in nulliparous rats. We determined the effect of long-term hormonal promotion following the protective short-term estradiol and progesterone treatment that mimics parity protection against mammary tumors. Rats were treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea before or after protective hormone treatment. In brief, the animals could be broadly classified into three categories. First, the controls that received no protective hormone treatment, second, the short-term protective hormone treated rats, and third, rats which received the short-term protective hormone treatment plus continuous treatment with estradiol or progesterone or a combination of estradiol and progesterone. Different doses of hormones were used for short-term protective and long-term promotion treatments. The experiments were terminated 9 months post carcinogen treatment. Mammary tumor incidence in all the short-term estradiol- plus progesterone-treated rats was significantly lower compared with controls. Short-term hormone treatment followed by long-term promotion resulted in an increased mammary tumor incidence compared with animals that received only the short-term treatment. Overall, the results demonstrate the importance of the promotional environment in mammary carcinogenesis indicating that the decreased promotional environment could be the reason for protection against mammary carcinogenesis.