Use of OneNote class notebook as a combined electronic laboratory notebook and content delivery tool in an introductory biochemistry laboratory course.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a shift in thinking regarding the safe delivery of wet laboratory courses. While we were fortunate to have the capacity to continue delivering wet laboratory experiments with physical distancing and other measures in place, modifications to the mechanisms of delivery within courses were necessary to minimize risk to students and teaching staff. One such modification was introduced in BCH370H, an introductory biochemistry laboratory course, where a OneNote Class Notebook (ONCN) was used as an electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) in place of the traditional hardbound paper laboratory notebook (PLN) used prior to the pandemic. The initial reasoning for switching to an ELN was around safety-allowing course staff and students to maintain physical distancing whenever possible and eliminating the need for teaching assistants to handle student notebooks; however, the benefits of the ONCN proved to be significantly more. OneNote acted not only as a place for students to record notes but the Class Notebook's unique features allowed easy integration of other important aspects of the course, including delivery of laboratory manuals, posting of student results, notetaking feedback, sharing of instructional materials with teaching assistants, and more. Student and teacher experiences with the ONCN as used within a fully in person biochemistry laboratory course, as well as learned best practices, are reviewed.

Teaching biologics design using molecular modeling and simulations.

Teaching chemistry and biology students about biologics design remains challenging despite its increasing importance in pharmaceutical development. Monoclonal antibodies, commonly called mAbs, are the most popular biologics. They have been developed into drugs to treat various diseases in the past decades. Multiple challenges exist for designing proper formulations to stabilize mAbs, such as preventing aggregation and mitigating viscosity. Molecular modeling and simulations can improve pharmaceutical products by examining the interactions between mAbs and other compounds, such as excipients. To introduce students to biopharmaceuticals, eight students at the Stevens Institute of Technology participated in a semester-long course to learn the challenges of pharmaceutical development and different computational skills to study biologics design. The students started with a limited background in this field. Throughout one semester, they were introduced to various literature and software tools for modeling antibodies and studying their interactions with excipients. This paper aims to develop a course structure to be replicated at other universities and institutions to teach biopharmaceutical development to students.

Teaching biology students data exploration and visualization in a data-driven world.

As biologists accumulate or encounter increasingly large and complex data sets, our field creates the need for students to develop skills in data exploration and visualization. Many biology courses lack the time for students to develop the skills needed to parse complex datasets and visualize them appropriately. We developed a new upper-level undergraduate biology course to focused on data exploration and communication without requiring previous coding experience. We emphasized data visualization principles and best practices and taught students how to manage and visualize data via Tableau and R. We also explored scientific ethics, how to refute misinformation, and inequities that can occur in data collection and usage.

Catalytic stereoselective Mannich-type reactions for construction of fluorinated compounds.

For its unique role in developing and designing new bioactive materials and healthcare products, fluoro-organic compounds have attracted remarkable interest. Along with ever-increasing demand for a wider availability of fluorine-containing structural units, a large diversity of methods has been introduced to incorporate fluorine atoms specially in a stereoselective fashion. Among them, catalytic Mannich reaction can proceed with a broad variety of reactants and open clear paths for the synthesis of versatile amine synthons in the synthesis of natural product and pharmaceutical molecules. This review provides an overview of the employment of catalytic asymmetric Mannich reactions in the synthesis of fluorine-containing amine compounds and highlights the conceivable distinct mechanisms.

Molecular dynamics simulations and analysis for bioinformatics undergraduate students.

A computational biochemistry laboratory, fitted for bioinformatics students, is presented. The molecular dynamics package GROMACS is used to prepare and simulate a solvated protein. Students analyze the trajectory with different available tools (GROMACS and VMD) to probe the structural stability of the protein during the simulation. Students are also required to make use of Python libraries and write their own code to probe non-covalent interactions between the amino acid side chains. Based on these results, students characterize the system in a qualitatively approach but also assess the importance of each specific interaction through time. This work mobilizes biochemical concepts and programming skills, fostering critical thinking and group work and developing presenting skills.

Off-label use of inhaled bronchodilators in hospitalised patients in Spain: a multicentre observational study.

BACKGROUND: Off-label prescription of inhaled bronchodilators (IB) is frequent, despite the fact that they can be ineffective and increase avoidable healthcare costs. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the frequency of off-label prescription of IB in hospitalised patients. Indications and level of evidence, involved drugs, medical specialties prescribing off-label IB and patients' adherence to IBs were also evaluated. METHOD: A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was performed in four tertiary hospitals in Spain. The main outcome measure was the number of patients prescribed off-label IBs. Prescriptions were checked against the European Medicines Agency-approved indications. The level of evidence supporting off-label prescription of IBs (according to MICROMEDEX 2.0) was also analysed. Patients were interviewed to test differences (off-label vs on-label) in adherence and knowledge about their inhaled therapy. RESULTS: 217 patients were prescribed IBs, 92 of whom were givend off-label IBs (54.7% men, mean age 73.9±12.9 years). The most common off-label prescriptions for IBs were: unspecified dyspnoea (not related to COPD or asthma) (27.2%), respiratory infections (23.9%) and heart failure (22.8%). 76.8% of patients did not have evidence supporting them. Beta2-agonist+corticosteroids and anticholinergics were most commonly prescribed off-label. Internal Medicine was the main medical specialty involved. There were no differences between off-label and on-label users in terms of patients' knowledge about treatment and adherence. CONCLUSION: Off-label indications for IBs are common in hospitalised patients and are generally indicated without scientific support. Dyspnoea not related to COPD or asthma, respiratory infections and heart failure were the main off-label indications, most frequently treated with anticholinergics and beta2-agonists+corticosteroids, for which their efficacy and safety has not been proved. Our results show that prescribing needs to be improved to follow the evidence that exists. Moreover, further research focused on off-label indications is needed to clarify whether they are effective, safe and cost-effective.

Guidelines for evidence synthesis reporting: medications.

In the process of determining if a drug is valuable enough to be included in a hospital's pharmacotherapeutic repertoire many factors should be taken into account. In order to develop a guide, the methodology of different appraisal working groups and similar methodological documents published by Health Technology Assessment agencies have been taken into account. We recommend that reports are structured with the following headings: Medication/Description/Authorised indication; Description of the disease; Pathology reference treatment; Evaluation of efficacy and safety (Bibliographic search, Quality assessment, Efficacy and safety results); Assessment of ethical, organisational, social and legal aspects; Strengths and limitations of available evidence; Pharmacoeconomic evaluation; and Key points. This guide to evaluate technologies may be used as a tool in decision-making scenarios related to health innovation. It could be used by hospital pharmacists and by clinicians, health system professionals and public services advisors.

Bioscience education 2030 and beyond: Where will technology take the curriculum?

This brief review explores the ever-increasing role that technological affordances may play in the 21C biochemistry and molecular biology curriculum. We consider the need to develop digital and creative fluencies in our students and the importance of creativity and visualization in learning science. The potential of virtual reality (VR) platforms to complement these goals are discussed with a number of examples. Finally, we look into the future where to see how VR might fit into a future curriculum.

Virtual laboratory lessons in enzymology.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread lock-down strategies that force universities to perform all educational activities remotely. In this context, laboratory lessons pose a significant challenge. Here, I present an on-line tool that simulates the kinetics of chemical reactions. Enzymatic mechanisms can be easily modeled and followed through time. In addition, professors can customize the interface to hide the reaction mechanism. This setting will force students to design virtual experiments to uncover the mechanism and obtain the relevant enzymatic parameters. While some of the skills developed in a practical lesson cannot be simulated, this tool can be used to teach students important concepts about data acquisition and processing.

Rapid deployment of smartphone-based augmented reality tools for field and online education in structural biology.

Structural biology education commonly employs molecular visualization software, such as PyMol, RasMol, and VMD, to allow students to appreciate structure-function relationships in biomolecules. In on-ground, classroom-based education, these programs are commonly used on University-owned devices with software preinstalled. Remote education typically involves the use of student-owned devices, which complicates the use of such software, owing to the fact that (a) student devices have differing configurations (e.g., Windows vs MacOS) and processing power, and (b) not all student devices are suitable for use with such software. Smartphones are near-ubiquitous devices, with smartphone ownership exceeding personal computer ownership, according to a recent survey. Here, we show the use of a smartphone-based augmented reality app, Augment, in a structural biology classroom exercise, which students installed independently without IT support. Post-lab attitudinal survey results indicate positive student experiences with this app. Based on our experiences, we suggest that smartphone-based molecular visualization software, such as that used in this exercise, is a powerful educational tool that is particularly well-suited for use in remote education.

Something old, something new: Teaching the BMB lab.

Lab courses are a significant component of biochemistry and molecular biology (BMB) education. In teaching the labs, we combine established techniques with novel approaches. Lab formats have also moved from traditional cookbook style labs to guided inquiry to course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), where faculty bring their own research interests into the course setting with a larger number of students in a much more restricted time frame. This presentation is designed to explore some of these ideas and challenge the reader to introduce research opportunities to all students, not just the smaller group of students in their research labs.

A few introductory notes on the special issue on the Evaluation Framework for Promoting Gender Equality in Research and Innovation (EFFORTI).

Being European with a long standing research interest in evaluation of gender policies, I could not begin my assignment as Editor in Chief with a better task. Readers will forgive me for these few biographical notes. Before presenting this special issue, I owe many thanks to Jonny Morell who involved me in its design as early as June 2018. I also want to thank Susanne Bührer, Clemens Striebing, Evanthia Kalpazidou Schmidt, Rachel Palmén, Sybille Reidl, Florian Holzinger and Jörg Müller, who invited me at the 2019 conference in Brussels, where the final results of the European initiative 'Evaluation Framework for Promoting Gender Equality in Research and Innovation' (EFFORTI) were critically debated.1 And drawing on the outline and comments I pointed out on that occasion, in this short introduction, I highlight why this special issue is politically relevant and theoretically innovative.

The Normalization Project: The Progress and Limitations of Promoting LGBTQ Research and Teaching in Mainland China.

This article reflects on the author's own experience of promoting LGBTQ research and teaching in mainland China, where the fight for institutional legitimacy and recognition has been a core element in this journey. After a historical survey of how Chinese LGBTQ research has grown out of the particular sociopolitical milieu, it focuses on a discussion of the "normalization project"-a key approach to both create and expand the institutional space for LGBTQ studies. Apart from the positive effects this project entails, this article also critically examines its limitations by bringing into the picture certain critical perspectives.

Graduação e Pós-Graduação em Psicologia na PUC-SP: mútua contribuição para o compromisso social na pesquisa e qualificação docente / Psychology Undergraduate and Graduate courses at PUC-SP: mutual contribution and social commitment in research and teacher qualification / Graduación y Postgrado en Psicología en PUC-SP: contribución mutua al compromiso social en la enseñanza de la investigación y la calificación docente

O artigo objetiva apresentar as mútuas relações e contribuições entre os Programas de Pós-Graduação stricto sensu e a Graduação em Psicologia da PUC-SP, para a construção do conhecimento da Psicologia como ciência, profissão e interdisciplinaridade. A fim de subsidiar a proposta, apresenta-se uma breve retomada histórica da implantação da Pós-Graduação na PUC-SP, a memória dos Programas de Psicologia: Social (1972), Clínica (1976) e Experimental - Análise do Comportamento (1999), e do Programa de Educação: Psicologia da Educação (1969) - um dos três primeiros da PUC-SP. Acrescentam-se dois exemplos de trabalhos pioneiros iniciados na, então, Faculdade de Psicologia e incorporados à Pós-Graduação da PUC-SP que se mantêm como referências nacional e internacional: o Laboratório de Estudos e Intervenções sobre o Luto - LELu, iniciativa da professora Maria Helena Pereira Franco, e a inserção da Psicologia Ambiental articulada à Saúde, pela professora Marlise Aparecida Bassani. Enfatiza-se o movimento de contribuições de docentes da Graduação em Psicologia titulados pelos Programas de Pós-Graduação da Universidade e a integração Pós-Graduação - Graduação na formação de profissionais de Psicologia, pesquisadores e docentes comprometidos com as questões e transformações sociais, na promoção de diálogos mais articulados com outras áreas do Saber, para avanços da ciência psicológica.

The goal of this article is to present mutual relations and contributions between the Postgraduate and Undergraduate courses in Psychology at PUC-SP in contributing to the Science of Psychology, the professional life of psycholo-gists and interdisciplinary studies. In order to contextualize such proposal, we introduce a brief historic summary of how the post-graduate courses at PUC-SP came into existence, the history and memory of the different Psycho-logy Departments: Social Psychology (1972), Clinical Psychology (1976) and Experimental Psychology and Behavior Analysis (1999). We also dig into Education Psychology (part of the Education Department) (1969) ­ one of the first three courses at PUC-SP. We show two examples of pioneer works initiated in the Undergraduate courses which were incorporated into the Postgraduate environment which are considered national and international gold-standard interventions: the Laboratório de Estudos e Intervenções sobre o Luto - LELu (a laboratory dedicated to grief and grieving studies), initiated by Professor Maria Helena Pereira Franco, and the introduction of Environmental Psycho-logy focused on health studies by Professor Marlise Aparecida Bassani. We found a quite active field of professorial contributions from Undergraduate courses integrated with Postgraduate professors which aids in the qualification of committed Psychology professionals, researchers who dedicate themselves to studying social changes, interdisciplinary studies and focus on the advancing of psychological sciences.

El artículo tiene como objetivo presentar las relaciones y contribuciones mutuas entre los Programas de Posgrado stricto sensu y el Graduado de Psicología de PUC-SP, para la construcción del conocimiento de la Psicología como ciencia, profesión e interdisciplinariedad. Para apoyar la propuesta, presentamos una breve reanudación histórica de la implementación de los Programas de Posgrado en PUC-SP, la memoria de los Programas de Psicología: Social (1972), Clínica (1976) y Experimental - Análisis de Comportamiento (1999) y el Programa de Educación: Psicología Educativa (1969), uno de los primeros tres de PUC-SP. Además, dos ejemplos de trabajo pionero comenzaron en la entonces Facultad de Psicología y se incorporaron al Programa de Posgrado PUC-SP, que siguen siendo referencias nacionales e internacionales: el Labora-tório de Estudos e Intervenções sobre o Luto - LELu para personas que están de luto, iniciativa de la Profesora Maria Helena Pereira Franco, y la inserción de Psicología Ambiental articulada a la Salud, por la profesora Marlise Aparecida Bassani. Se enfatiza el movimiento de las contribuciones de los profesores de pregrado de psicología de los programas de posgrado universitarios y la inte-gración de posgrado - posgrado en la formación de profesionales de psicología, investigadores y docentes comprometidos con los problemas sociales y las transformaciones, en la promoción desde diálogos más articulados con otras áreas del conocimiento, hasta avances en la ciencia psicológica.

How to become a medical professor - a comparative analysis of academic requirements in Germany and the United States.

BACKGROUND: The acquisition of a medical professorship represents a significant step in a physician's academic career. The responsibility as well as the honor and the associated obligations are significant; however, the requirements to become a medical professor vary in Germany. OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the variable requirements for prospective medical professors in Germany, with special focus on the tenure track concept and the U.S. system. METHODS: Based on an online research, we queried German medical faculty regulations to obtain a medical professorship within Germany. RESULTS: We analyzed 35 German universities. On average, 11 publications are required after "venia legendi" to meet professorship (apl) prerequisites (median x̅ = 10, max = 24, min = 6, n = 16), whereas 6 publications with first or last authorship are required on average (x̅ = 6, max = 16, min = 4, n = 26). In most German universities, it takes an average of 4 years after gaining habilitation to apply for a professorship (x̅ = 5 years, max = 6 years, min = 2 years). Candidates for university chair positions, however, can shorten this period by an average of 38%. DISCUSSION: In the German academic system, the prerequisites to gain a professorship differ among universities. Due to different scientific cooperation and exchange programs, research and academic activities have reached an intense international exchange level. Yet there is no international or even national standardization, quality assurance, and comparability to gain a medical professorship.

Flexible Implementation of the BASIL CURE.

Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) can be a very effective means to introduce a large number of students to research. CUREs are often an extension of the instructor's research, which may make them difficult to replicate in other settings because of differences in expertise or facilities. The BASIL (Biochemistry Authentic Scientific Inquiry Lab) CURE has evolved over the past 4 years as faculty members with different backgrounds, facilities, and campus cultures have all contributed to a robust curriculum focusing on enzyme function prediction that is suitable for implementation in a wide variety of academic settings. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(5):498-505, 2019.

The construction and practice of medical postgraduate students' core curriculum system for cultivating scientific research and innovation abilities based on the integration of science and teaching / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective To promote the research innovative capacity for the academic medical graduate student to adapt to the development of modern medicine,life science,as well as the trend of interdisciplinary integration.Methods The curriculum reform of the medical graduate student was carried out by taking into account of the knowledge context and systematic implementation,which covered the latest development of global life science and scientific research methodologies from the context perspective,also the interdisciplinary integration and the consistency and extension of knowledge from the structure perspective.Results A totally new core curriculum system for medical graduated students,which including four modules:public courses,core courses,professional courses and elective courses,was set up.Furthermore,related administrative mechanism reform was also carried out.Conclusions The new curriculum constructed is based on the integration of research and teaching,highlighted the needs for research innovation which is well adapted with the development trend of life science,break down the traditional barriers of different disciplines,contributes to the integration of interdisciplinary,as well as the promotion of research innovative capacities of graduate students.

High school biology students use of visual molecular dynamics as an authentic tool for learning about modeling as a professional scientific practice.

Modeling is a practice of science that is underemphasized in biology classrooms in comparison to its central focus in the physical sciences. Visualizations of the submicroscopic world of molecules are becoming increasingly sophisticated with the evolution of new technologies. With this in mind, we introduced high school biology classrooms to a professional molecular modeling software program used by research biochemists to visualize proteins and other macromolecules. Analysis of surveys completed before and after the use of the program revealed significant student gains in their understandings of the nature of models. Student and teacher perceptions of the program showed an appreciation for the real/authentic nature of the program, and its affordances when utilizing the three-dimensional rendering of proteins. The teachers did report a general level of frustration regarding their lack of experience with the program and their inability to unlock its full potential due to not being able to access all of the program's features. However, we believe that the evidence at hand indicates that the value of introducing students to authentic molecular modeling tools in high school science classrooms outweighs the potential limitations. © 2018 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(3):230-236, 2018.