In this position paper, we introduce the concept of socioscientific capital (SSC) to denote students' resources that unequivocally play a part when students learn about and make decisions regarding ...socioscientific issues (SSIs). Students use a variety of resources when they engage with SSI. Our conceptualization of SSC expands on current conceptualizations to refer to resources related to both the scientific and the non‐scientific aspects of SSI, including internal resources (personal experiences, values, attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and skills), external resources (family, friends, communities, and media), and meta‐level resources (dominant frames and cultures). Aiming to strengthen SSI education, we argue for taking into account how students' resources impact their SSI‐related learning and decision‐making. To this end, insight into students' SSC is needed and is imperative for teachers. By bringing together literature about SSI education and literature about students' resources, we provide a conceptual view on students' SSC and describe implications for SSI education.
The current study is about students' engagement with socioscientific issues (SSI). We explored the use of sources of knowledge about SSI and attitudes toward SSI among a sample of 1676 Dutch 8‐ to ...16‐year‐old students. First, we developed a questionnaire that measured students' use of four sources of knowledge about SSI: Social Resources (online media use and talking with parents and friends), In‐Class Resources (in‐class talk and in‐class offline media use), Visit Resources (visiting the zoo or a science museum with parents or school), and Offline Media Resources (engaging with issues or the news via books, magazines, newspapers, or TV). Second, we performed a latent profile analysis to explore students' patterns of use of these sources. This resulted in five profiles: Social Visitors (5.9%), Offline Media Consumers (10.6%), Media Discussers (14.3%), In‐Class Users (21.0%), and Non‐Users (48.3%). Third, we related these profiles to students' attitudes toward SSI, as measured with the Pupils' Attitudes toward Socioscientific Issues (PASSI) questionnaire. In line with the sources of knowledge profiles, the Non‐Users felt and thought most negatively about engagement with SSI, while the Media Discussers showed the most positive attitudes. We believe that our exploration of the profiles adds to the discourse about students' socioscientific capital. Moreover, this study informs teachers about the resources that students may bring into the learning environment and their decision‐making about SSI. The study concludes with practical suggestions about stimulating the use of sources of knowledge for certain groups of students and fostering positive attitudes toward engagement with SSI.
Dark‐colored fruit berries are a rich source of polyphenols that could provide innovative bioactive molecules as natural weapons against dental caries. High‐quality extracts of cranberry, blueberry, ...and strawberry, and a combination of the three berry extracts (Orophenol), were used to treat 24‐h‐old Streptococcus mutans biofilms. The grown biofilms were treated with the berry extracts at concentrations ranging from 62.5 to 500 μg ml−1. Treated biofilms were assessed for metabolic activity, acidogenicity, biovolumes, structural organization, and bacterial viability. The biofilms treated with the cranberry and Orophenol extracts exhibited the most significant reductions in metabolic activity, acid production, and bacterial/exopolysaccharide (EPS) biovolumes, while their structural architecture appeared less compact than the control‐treated biofilms. The blueberry extract produced significant reductions in metabolic activity and acidogenicity only at the highest concentration tested, without significantly affecting bacterial/EPS biovolumes or biofilm architecture. Strawberry extracts had no significant effects on S. mutans biofilms. None of the berry extracts were bactericidal for S. mutans. The results indicate that cranberry extract was the most effective extract in disrupting S. mutans virulence properties without significantly affecting bacterial viability. This suggests a potential ecological role for cranberry phenols as non‐bactericidal agents capable of modulating pathogenicity of cariogenic biofilms.
Summary Background Results from large randomised controlled trials combining docetaxel or bisphosphonates with standard of care in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer have emerged. In order to ...investigate the effects of these therapies and to respond to emerging evidence, we aimed to systematically review all relevant trials using a framework for adaptive meta-analysis. Methods For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, trial registers, conference proceedings, review articles, and reference lists of trial publications for all relevant randomised controlled trials (published, unpublished, and ongoing) comparing either standard of care with or without docetaxel or standard of care with or without bisphosphonates for men with high-risk localised or metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. For each trial, we extracted hazard ratios (HRs) of the effects of docetaxel or bisphosphonates on survival (time from randomisation until death from any cause) and failure-free survival (time from randomisation to biochemical or clinical failure or death from any cause) from published trial reports or presentations or obtained them directly from trial investigators. HRs were combined using the fixed-effect model (Mantel-Haenzsel). Findings We identified five eligible randomised controlled trials of docetaxel in men with metastatic (M1) disease. Results from three (CHAARTED, GETUG-15, STAMPEDE) of these trials (2992 93% of 3206 men randomised) showed that the addition of docetaxel to standard of care improved survival. The HR of 0·77 (95% CI 0·68–0·87; p<0·0001) translates to an absolute improvement in 4-year survival of 9% (95% CI 5–14). Docetaxel in addition to standard of care also improved failure-free survival, with the HR of 0·64 (0·58–0·70; p<0·0001) translating into a reduction in absolute 4-year failure rates of 16% (95% CI 12–19). We identified 11 trials of docetaxel for men with locally advanced disease (M0). Survival results from three (GETUG-12, RTOG 0521, STAMPEDE) of these trials (2121 53% of 3978 men) showed no evidence of a benefit from the addition of docetaxel (HR 0·87 95% CI 0·69–1·09; p=0·218), whereas failure-free survival data from four (GETUG-12, RTOG 0521, STAMPEDE, TAX 3501) of these trials (2348 59% of 3978 men) showed that docetaxel improved failure-free survival (0·70 0·61–0·81; p<0·0001), which translates into a reduced absolute 4-year failure rate of 8% (5–10). We identified seven eligible randomised controlled trials of bisphosphonates for men with M1 disease. Survival results from three of these trials (2740 88% of 3109 men) showed that addition of bisphosphonates improved survival (0·88 0·79–0·98; p=0·025), which translates to 5% (1–8) absolute improvement, but this result was influenced by the positive result of one trial of sodium clodronate, and we found no evidence of a benefit from the addition of zoledronic acid (0·94 0·83–1·07; p=0·323), which translates to an absolute improvement in survival of 2% (−3 to 7). Of 17 trials of bisphosphonates for men with M0 disease, survival results from four trials (4079 66% of 6220 men) showed no evidence of benefit from the addition of bisphosphonates (1·03 0·89–1·18; p=0·724) or zoledronic acid (0·98 0·82–1·16; p=0·782). Failure-free survival definitions were too inconsistent for formal meta-analyses for the bisphosphonate trials. Interpretation The addition of docetaxel to standard of care should be considered standard care for men with M1 hormone-sensitive prostate cancer who are starting treatment for the first time. More evidence on the effects of docetaxel on survival is needed in the M0 disease setting. No evidence exists to suggest that zoledronic acid improves survival in men with M1 or M0 disease, and any potential benefit is probably small. Funding Medical Research Council UK.
Many insect species are under threat from the anthropogenic drivers of global change. There have been numerous well‐documented examples of insect population declines and extinctions in the scientific ...literature, but recent weaker studies making extreme claims of a global crisis have drawn widespread media coverage and brought unprecedented public attention. This spotlight might be a double‐edged sword if the veracity of alarmist insect decline statements do not stand up to close scrutiny.
We identify seven key challenges in drawing robust inference about insect population declines: establishment of the historical baseline, representativeness of site selection, robustness of time series trend estimation, mitigation of detection bias effects, and ability to account for potential artefacts of density dependence, phenological shifts and scale‐dependence in extrapolation from sample abundance to population‐level inference.
Insect population fluctuations are complex. Greater care is needed when evaluating evidence for population trends and in identifying drivers of those trends. We present guidelines for best‐practise approaches that avoid methodological errors, mitigate potential biases and produce more robust analyses of time series trends.
Despite many existing challenges and pitfalls, we present a forward‐looking prospectus for the future of insect population monitoring, highlighting opportunities for more creative exploitation of existing baseline data, technological advances in sampling and novel computational approaches. Entomologists cannot tackle these challenges alone, and it is only through collaboration with citizen scientists, other research scientists in many disciplines, and data analysts that the next generation of researchers will bridge the gap between little bugs and big data.
The focus on global insect declines puts insect conservation firmly on the public agenda but could become a double‐edged sword if population trend estimates do not withstand increased scrutiny.
Here, we identify seven key challenges in drawing robust quantitative inference about insect population declines, reflecting errors of baseline, trend estimation and resulting population level inference.
We present a forward‐looking prospectus for the future of insect population monitoring, highlighting opportunities for more creative exploitation of existing baseline data, technological advances in sampling and novel computational approaches.
We report on the effect of an aliphatic oxalamide based nucleating agent (OXA3,6) on the melt and crystallization behavior of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) under defined shear conditions. Through ...polarized optical microscopy, we demonstrate that OXA3,6 self-assembles from the iPP melt into rhombic crystals whereas their size and distribution proved highly dependent on the employed cooling rates. The presence of 0.5 wt % of OXA3,6 in iPP results in a significant suppression in iPP melt viscosity, which could not be explained via molecular modeling. A possible cause for the drop in viscosity in the presence of OXA3,6 is attributed to the interaction (absorption) of high molecular weight iPP chains with the nucleating agent, thereby suppressing their contribution to the viscoelastic response of the melt. This proposed mechanism for the suppression in melt viscosity appears similar to that encountered by the homogeneous distribution of nanoparticles such as CNTs, graphene, and silica. Shear experiments, performed using a slit flow device combined with small-angle X-ray diffraction measurements, indicate that crystallization is significantly enhanced in the presence of OXA3,6 at relatively low shear rates despite its lowered sensitivity to shear. This enhancement in crystallization is attributed to the shear alignment of the rhombic OXA3,6 crystals that provide surface for iPP kebab growth upon cooling. Overall, the suppression in melt viscosity in combination with enhanced nucleation efficiency at low as well as high shear rates makes this self-assembling oxalamide based nucleating agent a promising candidate for fast processing.
Background: Casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) acts as a salivary biomimetic that provides bioavailable calcium and phosphate ions to augment fluoride-mediated ...remineralisation of early caries lesions. However, there are indications that it may also have beneficial ecological effects on the oral microbiome. Objective: This in vitro study investigated whether CPP-ACP could influence microbial counts, acidogenicity, and the relative abundance of specific caries- and health-associated bacterial species in polymicrobial biofilms. Methods: Saliva-derived polymicrobial biofilms were grown for 96 h in a cariogenic environment and treated every 12 h with 2% CPP-ACP or vehicle control. Colony forming units (CFUs) and acidogenicity were estimated from the treated biofilms. Microbial ecological effects of CPP-ACP were assessed based on the relative abundance of 14 specific caries- and health-associated bacterial species using a real-time quantitative PCR assay. Results: CPP-ACP-treated biofilms showed relatively modest, but significant, reductions in microbial CFUs (21% reduction, p = 0.008) and acidogenicity (33% reduction, p < 0.001), compared to the control-treated biofilms. The CPP-ACP treated biofilms also exhibited significantly lower bacterial loads of cariogenic Scardovia wiggsiae (fold change 0.017, p < 0.001) and Prevotella denticola(fold change 0.005, p < 0.001), and higher bacterial loads of commensal Streptococcus sanguinis(fold change 30.22, p < 0.001), S. mitis/oralis(fold change 9.66, p = 0.012), and S. salivarius/thermophilus(fold change 89.35, p < 0.001) than the control-treated biofilms. Conclusions: The results indicate that CPP-ACP has virulence-attenuating attributes that can influence a beneficial microbial ecological change in the biofilm.
To assess the phenotypic variability and natural course of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) caused by EYS mutations.
Multiethnic cohort study (N = 30) with biallelic EYS variants from a clinical IRD ...database (retinitis pigmentosa RP, N = 27; cone-rod dystrophy CRD, N = 1; and macular dystrophy, N = 2). In vitro minigene splice assay was performed to determine the effect on EYS pre-mRNA splicing of the c.1299+5_1299+8del variant in macular dystrophy patients.
We found 27 different EYS variants in RP patients and 7 were novel. The rate of visual field loss of the V4e isopter area was -0.84 ± 0.44 ln(deg2) per year, and the rate of visual acuity loss was 0.75 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters per year. Ellipsoid zone width was correlated with area of the hyperautofluorescent ring, with rs = 0.78 and P < 0.001. Rate of decline in ellipsoid zone width was -57 ± 17 μm per year (P < 0.01) (n = 14) or -3.69% ± 0.51% from baseline per year (P < 0.001). An isolated CRD patient carried a homozygous EYS variant (c.9405T>A), previously identified in RP patients. Two siblings with macular dystrophy carried compound heterozygous EYS variants: c.1299+5_1299+8del and c.6050G>T. The former was novel and shown to result in skipping of exon 8, and the latter was a known RP variant.
We report on EYS-associated macular dystrophy, extending the spectrum of EYS-associated IRDs. We observed heterogeneity between RP patients in age of onset and disease progression. Identical EYS variants were found in cases with RP, CRD, and macular dystrophy. Screening for EYS variants in CRD and macular dystrophy patients might increase the diagnostic yield in previously unsolved cases.
Nutrigenetic research examines the effects of inter-individual differences in genotype on responses to nutrients and other food components, in the context of health and of nutrient requirements. A ...practical application of nutrigenetics is the use of personal genetic information to guide recommendations for dietary choices that are more efficacious at the individual or genetic subgroup level relative to generic dietary advice. Nutrigenetics is unregulated, with no defined standards, beyond some commercially adopted codes of practice. Only a few official nutrition-related professional bodies have embraced the subject, and, consequently, there is a lack of educational resources or guidance for implementation of the outcomes of nutrigenetic research. To avoid misuse and to protect the public, personalised nutrigenetic advice and information should be based on clear evidence of validity grounded in a careful and defensible interpretation of outcomes from nutrigenetic research studies. Evidence requirements are clearly stated and assessed within the context of state-of-the-art 'evidence-based nutrition'. We have developed and present here a draft framework that can be used to assess the strength of the evidence for scientific validity of nutrigenetic knowledge and whether 'actionable'. In addition, we propose that this framework be used as the basis for developing transparent and scientifically sound advice to the public based on nutrigenetic tests. We feel that although this area is still in its infancy, minimal guidelines are required. Though these guidelines are based on semi-quantitative data, they should stimulate debate on their utility. This framework will be revised biennially, as knowledge on the subject increases.
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