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1. Making the Most of Science Seminars

   https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2019.81.8.585  

   Morris, Sara R.; Elsinghorst, Hannah M.; Aronica, Susan M. (October 2019, The American Biology Teacher)

   Although guest speakers have been a part of our curriculum for several decades, in recent years we have adopted a system that allows us to maximize the benefit of these speakers for our students. We provide learning opportunities before, during, and after a seminar to enhance students' scientific comprehension. Our system begins with students reading peer-reviewed literature relevant to a future seminar. In class, students work cooperatively to answer guided questions about the article, which serves as a basis for a discussion of the article among the entire class. This preparation facilitates students' understanding, their engagement, and their awareness of effective presentation techniques. Finally, small-group discussions with the speaker can provide students knowledge about their curriculum, awareness of additional opportunities, and insight into the nature of science. Our system thus provides a series of learning opportunities that ensure student engagement with the material multiple times, resulting in a deeper understanding of scientific research and effective mechanisms to communicate it. 

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2. The femora of Drepanosauromorpha ( Reptilia : Diapsida ): Implications for the functional evolution of the thigh of Sauropsida

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.25160  

   Pritchard, Adam_C; Irmis, Randall_B; Olori, Jennifer_C; Nesbitt, Sterling_J; Smith, Nathan_D; Stocker, Michelle_R; Turner, Alan_H (February 2023, The Anatomical Record)

   Abstract The femora of diapsids have undergone morphological changes related to shifts in postural and locomotor modes, such as the transition from plesiomorphic amniote and diapsid taxa to the apomorphic conditions related to a more erect posture within Archosauriformes. One remarkable clade of Triassic diapsids is the chameleon‐like Drepanosauromorpha. This group is known from numerous articulated but heavily compressed skeletons that have the potential to further inform early reptile femoral evolution. For the first time, we describe the three‐dimensional osteology of the femora of Drepanosauromorpha, based on undistorted fossils from the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation and Dockum Group of North America. We identify apomorphies and a combination of character states that link these femora to those in crushed specimens of drepanosauromorphs and compare our sample with a range of amniote taxa. Several characteristics of drepanosauromorph femora, including a hemispherical proximal articular surface, prominent asymmetry in the proximodistal length of the tibial condyles, and a deep intercondylar sulcus, are plesiomorphies shared with early diapsids. The femora contrast with those of most diapsids in lacking a crest‐like, distally tapering internal trochanter. They bear a ventrolaterally positioned tuberosity on the femoral shaft, resembling the fourth trochanter in Archosauriformes. The reduction of an internal trochanter parallels independent reductions in therapsids and archosauriforms. The presence of a ventrolaterally positioned trochanter is also similar to that of chameleonid squamates. Collectively, these features demonstrate a unique femoral morphology for drepanosauromorphs, and suggest an increased capacity for femoral adduction and protraction relative to most other Permo‐Triassic diapsids. 

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3. Increasing Social Relevance to Increase Inclusion in First-Year Seminars

   Ramsey, Laura; Kling, Thomas; Deline, Alyssa; Marintcheva, Boriana; Mendell, Jennifer; Serna-Otalvaro, Samuel; Oussa, Vignon (April 2024, AAC&U)

   Research has shown that making STEM socially relevant can attract more diverse students to STEM fields. Learn to utilize the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals to center socially relevant goals in first-year seminars, as we did when constructing STEM linked-course learning communities. The seminars were designed to foster a communal view of science and mathematics, both in terms of the importance of collaboration to STEM success and the application of STEM to real-world problems. Course structures and sample materials will be shared as inspiration. Conversations will focus on helping visitors increase the social relevance of their own courses or curricula. 

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4. The Movement Ecology of Mutualism ( CSEE / ESA 2022, OOS17 )

   https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.2063  

   Moore, Christopher M.; Shaw, Allison K.; Bruninga‐Socolar, Bethanne; Caves, Eleanor M.; Karnish, Alex T.; Kiesewetter, Kasey N.; Nelson, Annika S.; Pringle, Elizabeth G. (April 2023, The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America)
5. Unwinding the roles of RNA helicase MOV10

   https://doi.org/10.1002/wrna.1682  

   Nawaz, Aatiqa; Shilikbay, Temirlan; Skariah, Geena; Ceman, Stephanie (July 2021, WIREs RNA)

   Abstract MOV10 is an RNA helicase that associates with the RNA‐induced silencing complex component Argonaute (AGO), likely resolving RNA secondary structures. MOV10 also binds the Fragile X mental retardation protein to block AGO2 binding at some sites and associates with UPF1, a principal component of the nonsense‐mediated RNA decay pathway. MOV10 is widely expressed and has a key role in the cellular response to viral infection and in suppressing retrotransposition. Posttranslational modifications of MOV10 include ubiquitination, which leads to stimulation‐dependent degradation, and phosphorylation, which has an unknown function. MOV10 localizes to the nucleus and/or cytoplasm in a cell type‐specific and developmental stage‐specific manner. Knockout ofMov10leads to embryonic lethality, underscoring an important role in development where it is required for the completion of gastrulation. MOV10 is expressed throughout the organism; however, most studies have focused on germline cells and neurons. In the testes, the knockdown ofMov10disrupts proliferation of spermatogonial progenitor cells. In brain, MOV10 is significantly elevated postnatally and binds mRNAs encoding cytoskeleton and neuron projection proteins, suggesting an important role in neuronal architecture. HeterozygousMov10mutant mice are hyperactive and anxious and their cultured hippocampal neurons have reduced dendritic arborization. Zygotic knockdown ofMov10inXenopus laeviscauses abnormal head and eye development and mislocalization of neuronal precursors in the brain. Thus, MOV10 plays a vital role during development, defense against viral infection and in neuronal development and function: its many roles and regulation are only beginning to be unraveled. This article is categorized under:RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA‐Protein ComplexesRNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein‐RNA Interactions: Functional Implications 

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