ScLi6- Identify research questions/gaps addressed by research papers   A hypothetical study on autism is stating that: Despite extensive research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there remains a significant gap in our understanding of the early developmental markers that can predict the onset of autism. While behavioral symptoms of autism typically become apparent by the age of three, the subtle early indicators during infancy and their biological underpinnings are not well understood. Identifying these early markers is crucial for timely diagnosis and intervention, which can significantly improve outcomes for children with autism. Current studies have focused largely on observable behaviors in later stages, leaving a gap in the early detection and understanding of the neurobiological changes that precede these behaviors. Which would be the most likely research question addressed in this study?

ScLi-1. Identify peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed literature Classify the following excerpts of articles about the Everglades as either peer-reviewed or non-peer reviewed   Article 1:   Article 2 Article 3   Article 4 

ScLi14- Interpret graphs, charts and statistics in results of research studies The following figure is from the study Sediment associated with algal turfs inhibits the settlement of two endangered coral species  coauthored by Dr. Alain Duran (professor in our bio department) The objective of the study was to determine if algal turfs or a mix of algal turfs and their sediments affected the presence of juvenile corals and settlement of new corals of two important coral species in South Florida     Which of the following statements are true?

ScLi13- Identify elements in results that provide information on how study variables behaved 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 this study was to determine whether the collective tendency of schooling fish is modulated by anthropogenically introduced habitat complexity, prior to and in response to predator attack. To achieve this objective, we compared collective state of fish schools before and during predator attack, between an open salt marsh canal and a Water Control Structure (man-made). In those environments, we observed schools of free-ranging juvenile gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) The collective behavioural state of each fish school was quantified using six behavioural parameters : school area, group speed, angular velocity, orientational alignment (polarization), coherence of rotation (rotational order) (Attanasi et al. 2014), and correlation strength (degree of influence on neighbours) (Cavagna et al. 2008; Handegard et al. 2012). we predict that fish schools in the vicinity of a WCS will adjust their schooling tendencies and form less aligned shoals, exhibiting increases in area and decreases in polarization compared to the natural marsh environment.  ” Which of the following statements in the results section address the predictions mentioned above?  

ScLi-3 Perform a successful literature search A lab-mate has given you the following 5 papers for you to decide which to present to your research mentor. Your mentor has asked you both to bring two papers with information about mosquito borne diseases in the Everglades.  Here are titles and excerpts of each paper. Choose the ones you should bring: Article 1 Emergence potential of mosquito-borne arboviruses from the Florida Everglades “In this study, we obtained baseline data on the distribution and abundance of both mosquitos and arboviruses occurring in the southern Everglades region during the summer months of 2013, when water levels were high, and in 2014, when water levels were low. ”   Article 2 Mosquito-borne diseases “Despite centuries of control efforts, mosquito-borne diseases are flourishing worldwide. With a disproportionate effect on children and adolescents, these conditions are responsible for substantial global morbidity and mortality. Malaria kills more than 1 million children annually, chiefly in sub-Saharan Africa. Dengue virus has expanded its range over the past several decades, following its principal vector, Aedes aegypti, back into regions from which it was eliminated in the mid-20th century and causing widespread epidemics of hemorrhagic fever.”   Article 3 The effect of global change on Mosquito-borne disease “Here, we show, through a review of contemporary modelling studies, that no consensus on how future changes in climatic conditions will impact mosquito-borne diseases exists, possibly due to interacting effects of other global change processes, which are often excluded from analyses. We conclude that research should not focus solely on the role of climate change but instead consider growing evidence for additional factors that modulate disease risk.” Article 4 Seasonal Dynamics of Mosquito-Borne Viruses in the Southwestern Florida Everglades, 2016, 2017 “Mosquitoes were collected for 12 consecutive months beginning June 2016, from 11 locations in the Florida Everglades  Seven species of virus were identified from 110 isolations. Everglades, West Nile, Tensaw, and Mahogany Hammock viruses were most frequently isolated.  Viruses were isolated from mangrove, cypress swamp, hardwood hammock, and sawgrass habitats.”   Article 5 Mammal decline, linked to invasive Burmese python, shifts host use of vector mosquito towards reservoir host of a zoonotic disease “We used historic and current data to investigate potential impacts of these community effects on contact between the reservoir hosts (certain rodents) and vectors of Everglades virus, a zoonotic mosquito-borne pathogen that circulates in southern Florida. The percentage of blood meals taken from the primary reservoir host, the hispid cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus Say and Ord, increased dramatically (422.2%) from 1979 (14.7%) to 2016 (76.8%), while blood meals from deer, raccoons and opossums decreased by 98.2%, reflecting precipitous declines in relative abundance of these larger mammals”

ScLi-8 Identify the structure of paragraphs in introductions of research papers The following is a “A growing body of literature shows that research papers are a valuable and useful tool for science education and that primary literature can be used to teach the nature and practices of science” To create a simple paragraph we would need One statement that would belong with the statement above in a paragraph would be (Modified from McCartney, M., Childers, C., Baiduc, R.R. and Barnicle, K., 2018. Annotated primary literature: A professional development opportunity in science communication for graduate students and postdocs. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 19(1), pp.19-1.)        

ScLi15- Determine whether results of a research study answer the research question 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 this study was to determine whether the collective tendency of schooling fish is modulated by anthropogenically introduced habitat complexity, prior to and in response to predator attack. To achieve this objective, we compared collective state of fish schools before and during predator attack, between an open salt marsh canal and a Water Control Structure (man-made). In those environments, we observed schools of free-ranging juvenile gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) The collective behavioural state of each fish school was quantified using six behavioural parameters : school area, group speed, angular velocity, orientational alignment (polarization), coherence of rotation (rotational order) (Attanasi et al. 2014), and correlation strength (degree of influence on neighbours) (Cavagna et al. 2008; Handegard et al. 2012). we predict that fish schools in the vicinity of a WCS will adjust their schooling tendencies and form less aligned shoals, exhibiting increases in area and decreases in polarization compared to the natural marsh environment.  ” This is figure 2 Mean comparisons of six behavioural metrics that describe schooling tendency between habitat context and predator attack. Raw metric data is shown behind the mean. Habitat context comparisons, separated on the bottom axis, are separated between pre- and mid-predator attack (separated by colour), presenting comparisons between and within habitat context. Significant differences at 95% confidence level are denoted with an asterisk. Comparisons that do not meet the traditional level of significance but are nearly significant are shown without the asterisk   What can researchers conclude?

ScLi4- Acknowledge the importance of Scientific communication The following article talks about research performed at FIU Seaweed-Eating Giant Crabs Could Help Save Florida Coral Reefs – And They’re Lovingly Named ‘The Reef Goats’   A family member read it and called you right away very excited. What can you tell them?  

ScLi9- Identify type of research in research articles The following are excerpts of the study The application of amplicon length heterogeneity PCR (LH-PCR) for monitoring the dynamics of soil microbial communities associated with cadaver decomposition coauthored by Dr. De Etta Mills (professor in our bio department) “The use of microbial community variations of underlying grave soils has not been thoroughly studied for the determination of time and placement of a body The objective of this study was to determine changes in eubacterial metagenomic composition of the soil on which bodies had been placed with respect to ‘pristine’ soils using a fast and reliable molecular method commonly used in the ecological field and applying it to potentially identify burial sites. Soils were collected within the Anthropology Research Facility, the outdoor laboratory of the Forensic Anthropology Center of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Because of the very limited number of ‘new’ cadavers available for study, nine sites were sampled and soil was collected in triplicate from underneath the bodies at a maximumdepth of 2.5 cm at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 weeks postplacement. The donated/available cadavers used were placed on the soil between late April and early November of 2007. In addition, four control site soil samples (non grave sites) were collected during May and November of 2007 and February of 2008. The control sites were located at each of four cardinal points within the same enclosed wooded area. (to determine the bacterial community at each site) Two of the nine hypervariable domains of the 16SrRNA genes were amplified using universal eubacterial primers.  The non-overlapping domains assayed were chosen based on the results from a previous study (Moreno et al., 2006) that indicated these two domains in combination provided discrete information that could discriminate between soil microbial communities.” What type of study is this?

ScLi-1. Identify peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed literature The following are excerpts from real articles about ovarian cancer. Classify them as peer-reviewed or non-peer reviewed based on their content: Article 1: Title: Ovarian Cancer Author: Mayo Clinic staff “Ovarian cancer is a growth of cells that forms in the ovaries. The cells multiply quickly and can invade and destroy healthy body tissue. The female reproductive system contains two ovaries, one on each side of the uterus. The ovaries — each about the size of an almond — produce eggs (ova) as well as the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Ovarian cancer treatment usually involves surgery and chemotherapy.”   Article 2 Cancer patients often do better with less intensive treatment, new research finds Author: Carla K. Johnson “Scaling back treatment for three kinds of cancer can make life easier for patients without compromising outcomes, doctors reported at the world’s largest cancer conference. It’s part of a long-term trend toward studying whether doing less — less surgery, less chemotherapy or less radiation — can help patients live longer and feel better. The latest studies involved ovarian and esophageal cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma.” Article 3 Ovarian Cancer: an integrated review Authors: Christine Stewart, Christine Ralyea, Suzy Lockwood  “When one thinks about fatal gynecologic malignancies, breast cancer is often the first that comes to mind. October is filled with pink ribbons and breast cancer awareness stickers, and communities rally to participate in dedicated walks and screening events. However, most may not know that ovarian cancer is the most fatal of all female reproductive cancers.1., 2. Often known as the silent killer, ovarian cancer is frequently not diagnosed until it is at an advanced stage because of its generally vague symptoms, making it hard to treat on a curative basis.3., 4. ”   Article 4 Screening for ovarian cancer Author: Daniel L. Clarke-Pearson, M.D. “More than two thirds of cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed when the disease has progressed to stage III or IV and involves the peritoneal cavity or other organs.3 Symptoms that are associated with ovarian cancer are typically nonspecific, and the association is often not recognized until the disease has advanced. In one case–control study, investigators developed an index to try to establish a correlation between symptoms and the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. If women who were 50 years of age or older reported having had pelvic or abdominal pain, urinary frequency or urgency, increased abdominal size or bloating, or difficulty eating or feeling full more than 12 times in a month within the previous year, the index had a sensitivity of 67% and a specificity of 90%. The sensitivity was lower in those with early-stage disease (57%), and the specificity was lower in younger women (87%).4”