Non-STEM majors COVID-19 vaccine impressions improve, and misconceptions resolve, after podcast assignment.

Misinformation regarding vaccine science decreased the receptiveness to COVID-19 vaccines, exacerbating the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on society. To mitigate the negative societal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, impactful and creative science communication was needed, yet little research has explored how to encourage COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and address misconceptions held by non-Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics majors (referred to as non-majors). We have previously demonstrated that including expert guest lectures in the vaccine module in the non-major introductory biology course helps combat students' vaccine hesitancy. In the present study, we further address how learning about vaccines impacts student knowledge and impressions of the COVID-19 vaccines through a podcast assignment. As a part of this assignment, non-majors created podcasts to address COVID-19 vaccine misconceptions of their choice. We coded pre and post, open-ended essay reflections (n = 40) to assess non-majors' knowledge and impressions of the COVID-19 vaccines. Non-majors' impressions of the vaccines improved following the podcast assignment with more than three times as many students reporting a positive view of the assignment than negative views. Notably, eight of the nine interviewed students still ended the course with misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccines, such as the vaccines being unnecessary or causing fertility issues. In a post semi-structured interview following this assignment, students (n = 7) discussed the impact of looking into the specific misconceptions related to COVID-19 vaccines themselves, including improved science communication skills and understanding of different perspectives. Thus, podcasts can provide opportunities for students to improve engagement in valuable societal topics like vaccine literacy in the non-majors classroom.

Chronic Hepatitis B Infection: New Approaches towards Cure.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection leads to the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Lifelong treatment with nucleotides/nucleoside antiviral agents is effective at suppressing HBV replication, however, adherence to daily therapy can be challenging. This review discusses recent advances in the development of long-acting formulations for HBV treatment and prevention, which could potentially improve adherence. Promising new compounds that target distinct steps of the virus life cycle are summarized. In addition to treatments that suppress viral replication, curative strategies are focused on the elimination of covalently closed circular DNA and the inactivation of the integrated viral DNA from infected hepatocytes. We highlight promising long-acting antivirals and genome editing strategies for the elimination or deactivation of persistent viral DNA products in development.

A Lesson from the Pandemic: Utilizing Digital Tools To Support Student Engagement during Instructional Assistant-Led Sessions.

Student instructional assistants (IAs) are an integral part of most students' college experience in higher education. When properly trained, IAs can improve students' grades, engagement with course content, persistence, and retention. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the transition of nearly all instructional practices online. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham, IAs, including Biology Learning Assistants (BLAs), began hosting their instructional sessions virtually, outside of class time. The goals of these sessions were to reinforce fundamental concepts using active learning strategies and to address student questions by building a supportive learning community. In this article, we summarize the training and guidance we provided to the BLAs regarding how best to adapt digital educational tools to engage students during their virtual sessions. We recommend that institutions of higher education recognize the expansion of digital educational tools as an opportunity to increase the technological literacy and competence of their IAs to best serve their student body in this increasingly digital age of education.

Auto-Craniotomy With Leaves Implantation on the Surface of the Brain Following a Road Traffic Accident.

The development of modern vehicles that are not compatible with the roads, the rising burden of vehicles on narrow roads, and the recklessness of the vehicle's driver and pedestrians have resulted in an increase in uncommon and severe forms of head injury. We present a case of non-fatal autocraniotomy with leaf implantation inside the cranium. Foreign body implantation merit certain management adaptation from other traumatic head injuries. This case highlights the detachment of the frontal bone of the skull on the left side with a Superior Sagittal Sinus tear and leaf implanted inside the cranium. Early assessment of the patient with computed tomography (CT) of the head to identify surgically removable foreign bodies and thorough washing of the brain and scalp is recommended.

Expert-Led Module Improves Non-STEM Undergraduate Perception of and Willingness to Receive COVID-19 Vaccines.

As evidence mounted that existing prevention methods would be insufficient to end the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that vaccines would be critical to achieve and maintain reduced rates of infection. However, vaccine-hesitant sentiments have become widespread, particularly in populations with lower scientific literacy. The non-STEM major (called non-major) college students represent one such population who rely on one or more science classes to develop their scientific literacy and thus, become candidates of interest for the success of the COVID-19 vaccine campaign. As these students have fewer opportunities to learn how to identify reputable scientific sources or judge the validity of novel scientific findings, it is particularly important that these skills are included in the science courses offered to non-majors. Two concurrent non-major biology courses (N = 98) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Spring 2021 completed Likert questionnaires with open-ended questions prior to and after an expert-led Vaccine Awareness educational intervention addressing vaccine-related concerns. In the module, experts gave presentations about COVID-19 related to microbiology, epidemiological factors, and professional experiences relating to COVID-19. Ten students agreed to participate in post-semester one-on-one interviews. Student interviews revealed that students perceived guest lecturers as providing more information and assurance. Questionnaire data showed an increase in student willingness to accept a COVID-19 vaccine as well as increased student perception of the COVID-19 vaccines as both safe and effective (Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test, p < 0.05). However, the questionnaire data revealed 10 of 98 students remained vaccine-resistant, and these students expressed insufficient research and side effects as leading vaccination concerns. Overall, we show expert-led modules can be effective in increasing non-majors willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccines. Future research should explore the experiences of non-majors and guest lectures, particularly as they relate to vaccination and vaccine concerns.

Using personas and the ADKAR framework to evaluate a network designed to facilitate sustained change toward active learning in the undergraduate classroom.

One promising practice for increasing active learning in undergraduate science education is the use of a mentoring network. The Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring (PALM) Network was launched with practitioners from several professional societies and disciplines to make changes in their teaching based on evidence-based practices and to encourage the members to reflect deeply on their teaching experiences. Members of the Network interviewed seven previous Fellows, 1 to 6 years after completing their fellowship, to better understand the value of the Network and how these interactions impacted their ability to sustain change toward more active teaching practices. The interviews resulted in the creation of three personas that reflect the kinds of educators who engaged with the Network: Neil the Novice, Issa the Isolated, and Etta the Expert. Key themes emerged from the interviews about how interactions with the PALM Network sustained change toward evidence-based teaching practices allowing the members to readily adapt to the online learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding how the personas intersect with the ADKAR model contributes to a better understanding of how mentoring networks facilitate transformative change toward active learning and can inform additional professional development programs. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44217-022-00023-w.

Leveraging Virtual Experiences for International Professional Development Opportunities during the Pandemic and Beyond.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all spheres of life, including the world of education. Within no time, once-bustling university classrooms were compelled to move online, leaving educators to rely on virtual engagement tools. This in turn heightened the impact of virtual professional development in higher education, not just nationally but also internationally. As we look toward finding means to engage students in effective classroom instruction, there remain parts of the globe that are making this transition to online instruction without cutting-edge technologies. This article highlights the importance of engaging educators in virtual professional development activities as part of international outreach and details one author's experience using the Avida-ED platform for a novel international teaching partnership. Traditionally, international outreach activities have been pursued through distinct platforms, like Fulbright programs, sabbaticals, and other international collaborations. The ongoing pandemic presents a unique opportunity to propagate professional development activities on a virtual platform by emphasizing scientific teaching practices as they relate to the STEM fields. If undertaken, these endeavors ultimately benefit educators across the globe by not only equipping them with various pedagogical tools and resources for their online instruction but also by establishing international partnerships and collaborations.

A Tale of Two Institutions: Analyzing the Impact of Gamified Student Response Systems on Student Anxiety in Two Different Introductory Biology Courses.

Anxiety can impact overall performance and persistence in college. Student response systems (SRSs), real-time active-learning technologies used to engage students and gauge their understanding, have been shown to elicit anxiety for some students. Kahoot! is an SRS technology that differs from others in that it involves gamification, the use of gamelike elements. Recent studies have explored the impact of active-learning strategies on student anxiety across different institutions, but there is little known about how Kahoot! impacts student perceived anxiety, especially in comparison with other active-learning strategies. In two complementary yet parallel studies of introductory biology courses at a western research-intensive institution (n = 694) and a southeastern research-intensive institution (n = 60), we measured students' perceived anxiety. We then explored how students were influenced by nongraded Kahoot! play and other elements of instruction. Using previously developed and course-specific pre- and post-course surveys, we found students at both universities agreed that nongraded Kahoot! play caused less anxiety compared with other pedagogical practices, such as working in small groups or reading the textbook. After playing Kahoot!, lower-performing students demonstrated greater engagement and lower levels of anxiety compared with their peers, suggesting that Kahoot! may be a particularly engaging active-learning strategy for these students.

Impacts of a COVID-19 E-Service-Learning Module in a Non-Major Biology Course.

Educators need to create an informed scientifically aware citizenry, especially in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, where public health measures have focused on increasing adoption of safe behaviors for reducing the transmission of COVID-19. Non-major science students make up an important, yet understudied, part of our public, given that they constitute tomorrow's voters, workers, consumers, and policy-makers. Expecting that non-majors may benefit from a module connecting COVID-19 to community education, we implemented a novel E-service-learning module in light of the transition from an in-person course to an online platform. Our 4-week module included expert-led lectures, assigned digital infographics about COVID-19 safety precautions, and a required post-reflection assignment summarizing their learning gains. Out of 112 enrolled students, 87 consented to have their reflections analyzed and 8 students chose to participate in additional one-on-one online interviews. In an effort to determine which parts of our module garnered the most student commentary, we grouped post-reflection and interview data into four categories: service-learning infographic, service-learning guest lectures, information on COVID-19, and the broader implications of COVID-19. While 13% of students explicitly referenced infographics in their reflections, a far greater proportion (37%) explicitly referenced learning gains related to the expert-led lectures. Based on these findings, we encourage other educators to continue to explore the impact of E-service-learning content and assignments to help maximize learning in an online classroom environment during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Facilitating Long-Term Mentoring To Effectively Implement Active Learning Instruction: Formation of the Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring (PALM) Network.

A large body of data suggests that implementing active learning practices in a STEM classroom contributes to increased success in both achievement of student learning outcomes and retention of students. Despite these findings, significant barriers exist for instructors implementing active learning strategies in their undergraduate classrooms. These barriers can be effectively addressed by providing sustained support to instructors and postdoctoral trainees interested in implementing active learning strategies in their teaching practice. The Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring (PALM) network attains this objective by connecting instructors interested in learning more about active learning (Fellows) with individuals who have extensive expertise related to this practice (mentors). These facilitated connections occur in the form of active mentorship for a year or more, virtual journal clubs, and biannual gatherings of PALM Fellows and mentors. Here, we describe the foundation on which PALM was built and explain how a successful mentorship program can pave the way for educators to adapt and implement evidence-based practices like active learning in a college classroom.

Endocrine-disrupting effects of spironolactone in female western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis.

The discovery of pharmaceuticals in effluent from wastewater treatment plants and drug manufacturing facilities and in receiving waters has raised environmental concern. Because these compounds are ending up in the environment, it is important to investigate the effects of these compounds on wildlife as well as humans. The present study used a fish model to investigate the endocrine-disrupting effects of spironolactone (SPL), an aldosterone antagonist used as a diuretic, but which also exhibits antiandrogenic effects in humans. A dose-response study measured the effects of SPL on anal fin ray elongation, an androgen-dependent secondary sex trait, and expression of the vitellogenin gene, an estrogen-dependent trait, in female western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis. Fish were exposed to SPL in the water for 35 d at four nominal concentrations: 10, 100, 250, and 500 nM (4.2, 41.7, 104.1, and 208.3 µg/L, respectively) via the static renewal method. Masculinization of females, as evidenced by development of an elongated and modified anal fin, was observed in the fish exposed to the three highest concentrations. Anal fin elongation was observed in the group exposed to the lowest SPL concentration, but without the development of a tip apparatus. These results confirm the results of a preliminary study that, in contrast to antiandrogenic effects seen in humans, SPL has androgenic and/or antiestrogenic activity in a fish.

Triclosan has endocrine-disrupting effects in male western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis.

Triclosan (TCS) is an antibacterial agent used in a variety of personal care and industrial products. Triclosan and its environmentally transformed derivative, methyl-TCS, have been detected in waters receiving effluent from public wastewater treatment plants. Previous studies have demonstrated that TCS has the potential to act as an endocrine disruptor. The present study tested the hypothesis that TCS acts as an endocrine-disrupting agent in fish. Mature male western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, were exposed to TCS concentrations of 100, 200, and 350 nM (29.0, 57.9, and 101.3 microg/L) for 35 d by the static renewal method. Induction of the normally female-limited vitellogenin gene expression and reduction in sperm count were quantified as biomarkers of endocrine disruption. Vitellogenin mRNA expression was significantly elevated in the 350 nM TCS treatment. Sperm counts in the same treatment group were significantly decreased. The mean hepatosomatic index in the 350 nM treatment group was significantly increased. This study demonstrates that TCS has the potential to act as an endocrine disruptor in male mosquitofish.