ScLi-1. Identify peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed literature The following are made up articles about the use of multivitamins.  Classify them as peer-reviewed or non-peer reviewed based on their content: Article A: Title: “Multivitamin Use and Its Effects on Chronic Disease Prevention”Authors: Dr. Jane Doe, Dr. John SmithExcerpt: “This study investigates the long-term effects of multivitamin use on chronic disease prevention. Our randomized controlled trial included over 10,000 participants and found that regular multivitamin intake was associated with a modest reduction in the incidence of certain chronic diseases.”Source: Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Article B: Title: “5 Reasons to Take a Daily Multivitamin”Authors: Emily WhiteExcerpt: “Taking a daily multivitamin can provide numerous health benefits, from boosting your immune system to improving your skin health. Here are the top 5 reasons you should consider adding a multivitamin to your daily routine.”Source: Health.com Article C: Title: “Impact of Multivitamins on Cognitive Function in Older Adults”Authors: Dr. Michael Green, Dr. Susan LeeExcerpt: “Our double-blind, placebo-controlled study examined the effects of multivitamin supplementation on cognitive function in older adults. Results indicated that those who took multivitamins showed significantly better performance on memory and attention tests compared to the placebo group.”Source: Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences Article D: Title: “The Best Multivitamins for Women: A Comprehensive Guide”Authors: Sarah BrownExcerpt: “Finding the right multivitamin can be challenging. This guide reviews the best multivitamins for women based on ingredients, quality, and customer reviews to help you make an informed decision.”Source: Women’s Health Magazine Article E: Title: “Do You Really Need a Multivitamin? Experts Weigh In”Authors: Mark ThompsonExcerpt: “Are multivitamins necessary for everyone? We talked to experts to get their opinions on whether you should be taking a daily multivitamin or if a balanced diet is enough to meet your nutritional needs.”Source: WebMD

ScLi12- Identify the elements in the methods that allow researchers answer their research question A real study aimed to test if temperature plays a role in a barnacle species (Notochthamalus spp.) abundance, growth and distribution.  Researchers performed a shading study conducted at two intertidal elevations and determined the effect on the abundance, growth rate and space occupation. The study was conducted on the central Chilean coast.   “To investigate the effect of emersion temperature on the growth, cover and reproductive output of  Notochthamalus, we shaded ten 10 × 10 cm plots in each of the high and mid barnacle zones with plastic mesh.  All experimentally shaded areas had similar total barnacle cover (~50%) at the start of the experiment. Ten control areas (unshaded 10 × 10 cm plots) of similar total barnacle cover were selected in each barnacle zone from an ongoing study of the same species. In order to characterize thermal conditions in each zone and the efficacy of the experimental shading treatment, we monitored rock temperatures over the course of the study. ”  

ScLi14- Interpret graphs, charts and statistics in results of research studies A study wanted to determine the relationship between two species of ant (P. ferrugineus and P gracilis) and an acacia tree. Both species of ants take nectar from the tree. One hypothesis is that in return, ants protect the trees by killing bacteria that can infect acacias. This are their results:  What did researchers show?

ScLi16- Identify the purpose of discussions in scientific articles The following excerpt belongs to the study Anthropogenic Marsh Impoundments Alter Collective Tendency in Schooling Fish coauthored by Dr. Kevin Boswell  (professor in our bio department). The objective of the study was to determine if schooling behavior of fish was affected by the introduction of human modifications to their habitats. Researchers compared fish school behavior before and during predator attacks in undisturbed marsh environments and environments with  Water Control Structure (man-made).  The following is a part of a paragraph of their discussion: “In contrast with previous studies, which demonstrated that habitats with a structural boundary elicited tighter schooling with an increase in both rotational order and polarization (Rodriguez-Pinto et al. 2020), the decrease in the two schooling metrics at the WCS found in our study suggests that other factors modulated by the anthropogenic structure in addition to structural complexity are driving collective tendencies. A potential factor that may explain this is if the WCS environment, acting as an ecological hotspot, causes an increase in predation risk due to a greater abundance of predators. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability for fish schools to adjust schooling tendency relative to the perceived risk level (termed the “risk sensitive hypothesis”) (Rieucau et al. 2014), as well as showing that high-predation habitats influence social dynamics in fish schools (Ioannou et al. 2017). Therefore, the changes in behavioural schooling state observed at the WCS may be a result of a combination between habitat complexity, predation risk, and other environmental factors. Further studies on the combinations of environmental factors affected by anthropogenic structures and their impacts on collective behaviour are a novel area for future research.” Which of the following are functions of discussions that are NOT being addressed in the paragraph?

Consider the deterministic linear-time selection algorithm whose running time can be described (for a certain q < 0.8) by the recurrence  T(n)

ScLi10- Identify study variables in research articles A study tested if blue-footed boobies changed their parental investment across their life-spans. Here is an excerpt of the methods: “We investigated possible change across the lifespan in parental behaviour (…) To test for an inverted-U pattern in nest defence, we measured it over the age-span in a marked population of a long-lived marine bird where most individuals’ sexes and exact ages are known. (…) On Isla Isabel, Mexico we recorded how 112 males 3–20 years old and 143 females 3–25 years old defended their nests against human intruders. After identifying each subject’s sex, both observers slowly and silently walked in single file toward the nest, approximately 50 cm apart. The rear observer stopped 6 m from the nest and recorded the subject’s behaviour. The leading observer continued approaching, looking the subject in the eyes, then stopped 50 cm from the nest and waited for 5 s. (…) On the basis of each subject’s response to the approach, the intensity of its defence was assigned to one of seven categories (in ascending order): (1) fled when the observer was > 5 m from the nest or (2) < 5 m from it, (3) uncovered its clutch but remained within 1 m of the nest, (4) remained on the nest without making vocal threats, (5) remained on the nest and started making vocal threats when the observer was 0.75–3.4 m distant or (6) 3.5–6 m distant or (7) remained on the nest and pecked toward the observer. " Match the following variables with the type of variable they are:   (modified from Ortega, S., Sánchez-Macouzet, O., Urrutia, A., Rodríguez, C., & Drummond, H. (2017). Age-related parental care in a long-lived bird: implications for offspring development. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 71, 1-6.)

ScLi-8 Identify the structure of paragraphs in introductions of research papers The following statement is a “Amphibians have been hit particularly hard by emerging infectious disease in the last century.” A simple paragraph containing this statement would need A statement that would be appropriate to include in this paragraph would be (modified from Byrne, A. Q., Vredenburg, V. T., Martel, A. N., Pasmans, F., Bell, R. C., Blackburn, D. C., … & Rosenblum, E. B. (2019). Cryptic diversity of a widespread global pathogen reveals expanded threats to amphibian conservation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(41), 20382-20387.)

ScLi-2 Identify research and review articles What kind of article is this? Click here to open link (access by selecting FIU as the institution and log in with your FIU credentials) Click here to download PDF

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Climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year globally between 2030 and 2050 by exacerbating climate-sensitive diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, malnutrition, and heat stress.