NORTH TO THE FUTURE: A NEW ASYNCHRONOUS DELIVERY OF THE CLASSIC "FLORA CLASS" AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS

Alaska is relatively isolated from the rest of the United States, due to its distance, size and widespread population. Online course delivery is a valuable alternative to on-campus enrollment for many of the rural students in our state. Introduction to the Flora of Alaska and Systematic Botany are now being offered as fully online courses with a lab component. These courses taught both online, and in the classroom (COVID-19 depending), are versions of the first author's own experiences taking these same classes taught by Don Pinkava at Arizona State University. His legacy as an intrepid botanist and inspiring educator influenced how I (Steffi Ickert-Bond) approached developing my own teaching style. The course design presented reflects some of Don Pinkava's rigorous detailed and challenging course content and innovative labs. The devoted teacher he was, Dr. Pinkava left for us a comprehensive statement outlining his teaching principles he had acquired over many years (Appendix 1). As a student of Don's, I have applied those teaching principles to my own courses. To create a lab experience like Don's classes, I have carefully chosen technology that will allow students from all over the state (and even outside Alaska) to have a hands-on learning experience. Using cutting-edge virtual herbaria they collect data, and perform plant dissections within the flora's native environment. Instead of traditional course materials like textbooks, students use an inexpensive wide-angle macro lens to take high-resolution, detailed photos of flora on the go. The technology not only lets students mimic lab spaces in their own areas but also expands their digital networks through the submission of images to iNaturalist, enabling them to share and collaborate with enthusiasts around the world. Students must get outside, touch with their hands and share what they discover. In combining traditional methods with modern technologies such as virtual, streaming dissections students develop skills and confidence with the microscope and dissection techniques just as much as I did in Don's in person Flora of Arizona class in 1993. Today the Introduction to the Flora of Alaska (BIOL190), and Systematic Botany (BIOL331) are both exciting intersections highlighting a curiosity for wild plants, an exploration of Alaska's plant communities as well as a great introduction to the science of botany. Don's Flora of Arizona took us students to those same crossroads. Together with my colleague Dr. Ute Kaden who teaches STEM methodology at the School of Education, UAF we describe effective course design elements for online delivery of a biology course and the challenges that come with it. Some student feedback after the first semester running will be presented here as well. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] Alaska está relativamente aislada del resto de los Estados Unidos, debido a su distancia, tamaño y población extendida. La entrega de cursos en línea es una alternativa valiosa a la inscripción en el campus para muchos de los estudiantes rurales de nuestro estado. Introducción a la Flora de Alaska y Botánica Sistemática ahora se ofrecen como cursos completamente en línea con un componente de laboratorio. Estos cursos impartidos tanto en línea como en el aula (dependiendo de COVID-19), son versiones de las propias experiencias del primer autor al tomar estas mismas clases impartidas por Don Pinkava en la Universidad Estatal de Arizona. Su legado como botánico intrépido y educador inspirador influyó en cómo yo (Steffi Ickert-Bond) abordé el desarrollo de mi propio estilo de enseñanza. El diseño del curso presentado refleja algunos de los contenidos rigurosos, detallados y desafiantes del curso y los laboratorios innovadores de Don Pinkava. El devoto maestro que fue, el Dr. Pinkava nos dejó una declaración completa que describe los principios de enseñanza que había adquirido durante muchos años (Apéndice 1). Como estudiante de Don, he aplicado esos principios de enseñanza a mis propios cursos. Para crear una experiencia de laboratorio como las clases de Don, he elegido cuidadosamente la tecnología que permitirá a los estudiantes de todo el estado (e incluso fuera de Alaska) tener una experiencia de aprendizaje práctica. Utilizando herbarios virtuales de última generación, recopilan datos y realizan disecciones de plantas dentro del entorno nativo de la flora. En lugar de los materiales tradicionales del curso, como los libros de texto, los estudiantes usan una lente macro gran angular económica para tomar fotografías detalladas de alta resolución de la flora sobre la marcha. La tecnología no solo permite a los estudiantes imitar espacios de laboratorio en sus propias áreas, sino que también expande sus redes digitales mediante el envío de imágenes a iNaturalist, lo que les permite compartir y colaborar con entusiastas de todo el mundo. Los estudiantes deben salir, tocar con las manos y compartir lo que descubren. Al combinar métodos tradicionales con tecnologías modernas, como disecciones virtuales, los estudiantes desarrollan habilidades y confianza con el microscopio y las técnicas de disección tanto como lo hice en la clase presencial de Flora de Arizona de Don en 1993. Hoy en día, la Introducción a la Flora de Alaska (BIOL190) y Systematic Botany (BIOL331) son interesantes intersecciones que destacan la curiosidad por las plantas silvestres, una exploración de las comunidades de plantas de Alaska y una gran introducción a la ciencia de la botánica. Don's Flora of Arizona nos llevó a los estudiantes a esa misma encrucijada. Junto con mi colega, la Dra. Ute Kaden, quien enseña metodología STEM en la Facultad de Educación de la UAF, describimos elementos de diseño de cursos efectivos para la entrega en línea de un curso de biología y los desafíos que conlleva. Aquí también se presentarán algunos comentarios de los estudiantes después del primer semestre. (Spanish) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas is the property of Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Paper-based immunoassay based on 96-well wax-printed paper plate combined with magnetic beads and colorimetric smartphone-assisted measure for reliable detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been recognized as a global pandemic outbreak, opening the most severe socio-economic crisis since World War II. Different scientific activities have been emerged in this global scenario, including the development of innovative analytical tools to measure nucleic acid, antibodies, and antigens in the nasopharyngeal swab, serum, and saliva for prompt identification of COVID-19 patients and to evaluate the immune response to the vaccine. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva remains a challenge for the lack of sufficient sensitivity. To address this issue, we developed a novel paper-based immunoassay using magnetic beads to support the immunological chain and 96-well wax-printed paper plate as a platform for color visualization by using a smartphone combined with Spotxel free-charge app. To assess the reliability of the measurement of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva, untreated saliva was used as a specimen and the calibration curve demonstrated a dynamic range up to 10 µg/mL, with a detection limit equal to 0.1 µg/mL. The effectiveness of this sustainable analytical tool in saliva was evaluated by comparing the data with the nasopharyngeal swab specimens sampled by the same patients and tested with Real-Time PCR reference method, founding 100% of agreement, even in the case of high Cycle Threshold (CT) numbers (low viral load). Furthermore, the positive saliva samples were characterized by the next-generation sequencing method, demonstrating the capability to detect the Delta variant, which is actually (July 2021) the most relevant variant of concern.

Collection and disinfection of forensic biological specimens in five cases concerning COVID-19 in Guangzhou, China.

There have been many cases of pneumonia caused by novel coronavirus infections in China and around the world. This will inevitably lead to a rise in the number of patients. At the present time, clinical and forensic autopsies have given guidance and explanations in relation to the problem of COVID-19 transmission and defense. However, less attention is paid to the handling of COVID-19 biological samples in forensic practice. Particularly, COVID-19 can survive on some surfaces for days. Since there were many cases involving COVID-19 during the epidemic, this article shares the methods and strategies for handling such inspection materials and the biological samples related specifically to COVID-19 cases.