ScLi-3 Perform a successful literature search   A new research lab-mate has asked you for advice about how to perform a literature search about epigenetic regulation of flowering time in plants. They are proposing to use the following keywords for their search. Which ones would produce the best results?  

ScLi10- Identify study variables in research articles A real study aimed to test whether the pattern of resource distribution in an environment affected how many individuals of the same species could be maintained by such environment. Researchers used single-strain populations of budding yeast (microorganism that you use to raise dough) in plates with the amino acid tryptophan (Trp) as the exploited, renewable resource. Researchers set 96 plates with Trp . Each plate was divided in 12 sections.  Each plate had either a heterogeneous or homogeneous distribution of resources (Trp). A heterogeneous environment was designed by alternating high and low Trp concentrations. A homogeneous environment was designed as having a uniform amount of Trp in all 12 sections. Yeast population in each well was quantified every 24 h as the optical density (OD600) until an asymptote was observed.

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?

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 

ScLi-7 Identify hypotheses and objectives in scientific papers The following is a hypothetical study in STEM education. Current research in STEM education is focusing on strategies to improve student engagement and learning outcomes in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. While traditional teaching methods have relied heavily on lectures and standardized testing, recent studies highlight the effectiveness of active learning, project-based learning, and the integration of technology in the classroom. However, there remains a significant gap in understanding how these innovative teaching methods impact different student demographics, including underrepresented minorities and women in STEM fields. Furthermore, the long-term effects of these educational strategies on students’ career choices and success in STEM careers are not well understood. Addressing these gaps is crucial for developing more inclusive and effective STEM education practices. What is the most likely hypothesis of the study? [1] What is the most likely objective of the study? [2]

ScLi-8 Identify the structure of paragraphs in introductions of research papers The following is a [1] “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 [2] One statement that would belong with the statement above in a paragraph would be [3] (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.)        

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

ScLi10- Identify study variables in research articles A study tested if acorn ants that are raised in different temperatures are more tolerant to extreme heat or cold. Here is an excerpt of the methods: “After collection from the field, ant colonies were allowed to acclimate to laboratory conditions (~25 °C, an intermediate temperature between our two temperature treatments) for approximately 24 h prior to being randomly assigned to one of two temperature treatments (Percival growth chambers, 36-VL). We used a simple diurnal fluctuation in temperature for both our warm and cool rearing treatments. The warm treatment cycled between 25 (night) and 30 (day) °C; the cool treatment cycled between 20 (night) and 25 (day) °C. These temperature treatments represent a non-stressful range for this species (Diamond et al., 2013), and correspond with typical warm-day conditions in urban and rural habitats, respectively, in our study area; none of these temperature treatments lie outside the range of temperatures experienced by acorn ants at our study sites (Fig. 1). […] Photoperiod in each treatment was 14:10 L:D. Colonies were maintained in the temperature treatments for an average of 65.48 days (± 1SD 8.11). […] We used a dynamic temperature ramping protocol to assess the critical thermal maximum and minimum (CTmax and CTmin), each defined as the loss of muscular coordination, which yields an ecologically relevant tolerance limit (Lutterschmidt & Hutchison, 1997).  ” (modified from Harris, B. A., Stevens, D. R., & Mathis, K. A. (2024). The effect of urbanization and temperature on thermal tolerance, foraging performance, and competition in cavity‐dwelling ants. Ecology and Evolution, 14(2), e10923.) Match the following variables with the type of variable they are: