Cognitive ease at a cost: LLMs reduce mental effort but compromise depth in student scientific inquiry

This study explores the cognitive load and learning outcomes associated with using large language models (LLMs) versus traditional search engines for information gathering during learning. A total of 91 university students were randomly assigned to either use ChatGPT3.5 or Google to research the socio-scientific issue of nanoparticles in sunscreen to derive valid recommendations and justifications. The study aimed to investigate potential differences in cognitive load, as well as the quality and homogeneity of the students' recommendations and justifications. Results indicated that students using LLMs experienced significantly lower cognitive load. However, despite this reduction, these students demonstrated lower-quality reasoning and argumentation in their final recommendations compared to those who used traditional search engines. Further, the homogeneity of the recommendations and justifications did not differ significantly between the two groups, suggesting that LLMs did not restrict the diversity of students’ perspectives. These findings highlight the nuanced implications of digital tools on learning, suggesting that while LLMs can decrease the cognitive burden associated with information gathering during a learning task, they may not promote deeper engagement with content necessary for high-quality learning per se

The impact of regional socioeconomic deprivation on the timing of HIV diagnosis: a cross-sectional study in Germany

Background: HIV infections which are diagnosed at advanced stages are associated with significantly poorer health outcomes. In Germany, the proportion of persons living with HIV who are diagnosed at later stages has remained continuously high. This study examined the impact of regional socioeconomic deprivation on the timing of HIV diagnosis. Methods: We used data from the national statutory notification of newly diagnosed HIV infections between 2011 and 2018 with further information on the timing of diagnosis determined by the BED-Capture-ELISA test (BED-CEIA) and diagnosing physicians. Data on regional socioeconomic deprivation were derived from the German Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation (GISD). Outcome measures were a non-recent infection based on the BED-CEIA result or an infection at the stage of AIDS. The effect of socioeconomic deprivation on the timing of diagnosis was analysed using multivariable Poisson regression models with cluster-robust error variance. Results: Overall, 67.5% (n = 10,810) of the persons were diagnosed with a non-recent infection and 15.2% (n = 2746) with AIDS. The proportions were higher among persons with heterosexual contact compared to men who have sex with men (MSM) (76.8% non-recent and 14.9% AIDS vs. 61.7% non-recent and 11.4% AIDS). MSM living in highly deprived regions in the countryside (< 100 k residents) were more likely to have a non-recent infection (aPR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.05–1.28) as well as AIDS (aPR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.08–1.85) at the time of diagnosis compared to MSM in less deprived regions in the countryside. No differences were observed among MSM from towns (100 k ≤ 1 million residents) or major cities (≥ 1 million residents), and no differences overall in the heterosexual transmission group. Conclusions: An effect of socioeconomic deprivation on the timing of HIV diagnosis was found only in MSM from countryside regions. We suggest that efforts in promoting HIV awareness and regular HIV testing are increased for heterosexual persons irrespective of socioeconomic background, and for MSM with a focus on those living in deprived regions in the countryside.Peer Reviewe

Report and preliminary results of SONNE cruise SO175, Miami - Bremerhaven, 12.11 - 30.12.2003 : (GAP, Gibraltar Arc Processes)

Expedition SO175 using FS Sonne aimed for a multidisciplinerary geoscientific approach with an international group of researchers. Methods covered the entire span from geophysical data acquisition (seafloor mapping, echography, seismic reflection), sediment coring at sites of active fluid venting, in situ heat flow measurements across the entire length of the Gibraltar thrust wedge, the deformation front, landslide bodies, and mud volcanoes, and finally the deployment of a long-term pore pressure probe. Video-supported operations helped to identify fluid vent sites, regions with tectonic activity, and other attractive high priority targets. Qualitative and quantitative examinations took place on board and are continued on land with respect to pore pressure variation, geomicrobiology, sediment- and fluid mobilization, geochemical processes, faunal assemblages (e.g. cold water corals), and gas hydrates (flammable methane-ice-crystals). Main focus of the expedition has been a better understanding of interaction between dynamic processes in a seismically active region region with slow plate convergence. In the context of earthquake nucleation and subduction zone processes, the SO175 research programme had a variety of goals, such as: • To test the frictional behaviour of the abyssal plain sediments. • To explore the temperature field of the 1755 thrust earthquake event via heat flow measurements. • To assess the role of fluid venting and gas hydrate processes control slope stability and mud volcanic activity along the Iberian continental margin. • To measure isotope geochemistry of pore waters and carbonates of deep fluids. • To quantify microbial activity in Gibraltar wedge sediments. • To test whether microseismicity in the area corresponds to in situ pore pressure changes. • To find out if enhanced heat flow max be indicative of active subduction. Initial tentative results during the cruise suggest that there is a component of active thrusting at the base of the wedge, as attested by heat flow data. Based on mostly geochemical evidence, mud volcanism was found less active than previously assumed. Highlights from post-cruise research include the successful deployment of the long-term station and high frictional resistance of all incoming sediment on the three abyssal plains

Gateveys – An R Toolbox for Re-Traceable Aggregation of Business Tendency Survey Data

This paper describes how to use the R package gateveys to establish a transparent and reproducible aggregation work flow for longitudinal data stemming from business tendency surveys (BTS). Business tendency survey researchers are addressed in particular though the suggested work flow could also be applied to other processes that generate categorical data. The package has two main features: First, it provides functions to build an aggregation process that re-calculates all periods when a new survey wave is added and hence can be fully reproduced at any later stage. Second, the package can be used to dynamically add localized meta information to the resulting time series object during the aggregation process. Besides, the paper suggests a software architecture for use of the package in a scenario with regular, periodical survey waves

Facilitation of Digital Change of Teaching in School by Professional Learning Communities: Use of Multiplicators to Establish Learning Communities

Zahlreiche Studien zeigen, dass die wirkungsvolle Implementierung von Innovationen davon profitiert und sich positive Effekte auf die Schüler:innen nachweisen lassen, wenn Lehrpersonen kooperieren. In vielen Fällen einer solchen Zusammenarbeit handelt es sich um professionelle Lerngemeinschaften, typischerweise bestehend aus Lehrpersonen, Schulleitung, Schulverwaltung und Wissenschaft. Unter einer Professionellen Lerngemeinschaft (PLG) wird eine «Gemeinschaft fortlaufender Forschung und Verbesserung» verstanden, in der alle Gruppenmitglieder sowohl miteinander als auch voneinander lernen. Eine offene Frage in der Forschung zu Professionellen Lerngemeinschaften ist, inwieweit anstelle einer intensiven Kooperation mit Vertreter:innen aus der Wissenschaft geschulte Multiplikator:innen die Inhalte aus der Wissenschaft einbringen und die Arbeit in den Lerngemeinschaften fördern können. Dieser Fragestellung wird im Rahmen dieser Pilotstudie nachgegangen. Zu diesem Zweck wurden an drei bayerischen Schulen (zwei Mittelschulen, eine Realschule) professionelle Lerngemeinschaften zur Digitalisierung des MINT-Unterrichts in der Schule im Schuljahr 2020/2021 gegründet. Die Befunde der durchgeführten Interviewstudie deuten darauf hin, dass die wissenschaftliche Unterstützung von Lerngemeinschaften zur Digitalisierung von Unterricht in der Schule mit Ausnahme der evidenzbasierten Arbeit an Unterrichtskonzepten erfolgreich mithilfe von Multiplikator:innen umgesetzt werden kann. Für die fachspezifische Unterstützung sollten jedoch zusätzliche Lehrpersonen (z. B. die Fachleitungen) geschult werden, um die fachbezogene Arbeit an den Unterrichtskonzepten zu unterstützen.Numerous studies provide evidence that successful implementation of innovation as well as learning of students benefit from teacher collaboration. Such collaboration often takes place as part of so-called Professional Learning Communities (PLC). PLCs are communities of learners that continuously do research with the goal of further improvement at three levels: individual, community, and institution. All members of PLC learn from and with each other through collaborative work to reach a joint goal. An open issue in research on PLC is, however, to what extent an intensive collaboration with Science can be compensated by facilitation through specifically trained multiplicators. To what extent can multiplicators place the scientific content and facilitate the collaboration within a PLC? To answer these research questions, PLCs on digitalization of teaching STEM in school were founded in 2020/2021 at three Bavarian secondary schools (two Mittelschulen, one Realschule). The results of the conducted interview study suggest, that multiplicators can successfully establish PLCs. However, not all functions of scientific PLC members can be equally compensated. To fulfill the needs of the PLC, additional multiplicators with focus on STEM didactics (e. g., heads of STEM subjects from the schools themselves) may be trained to support the subject-related work on material for teaching with digital media

Unveiling Participant Level Determinants of Unit Non-Response in Business Tendency Surveys

Business Tendency Surveys (BTS) continue to be an important source of timely information on business cycles in many countries. We address quality of economic survey data by uncovering the relation between unit non-response and participant characteristics on company respectively respondent level. We use a unique, matched dataset that merges rich business tendency survey panel data with data from an exclusively conducted meta survey. Our meta information enhances the set of firm characteristics by information such as valuation of business tendency surveys or perceived response burden. We use different count data models to explain non-response count. Our models include weighted count data regressions as well as a two part hurdle model. We find that response burden, a company's survey track record, timeliness and participation mode are the strongest and most robust predictors of unit non-response. We also find a weaker negative effect of the business situation on unit response. Remarkably we do not find a significant influence of neither company size nor valuation of BTS on the propensity to respond to periodical qualitative BTS

Progressive skin fibrosis is associated with a decline in lung function and worse survival in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis in the European Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) cohort.

Objectives To determine whether progressive skin fibrosis is associated with visceral organ progression and mortality during follow-up in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc). Methods We evaluated patients from the European Scleroderma Trials and Research database with dcSSc, baseline modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) ≥7, valid mRSS at 12±3 months after baseline and ≥1 annual follow-up visit. Progressive skin fibrosis was defined as an increase in mRSS &gt;5 and ≥25% from baseline to 12±3 months. Outcomes were pulmonary, cardiovascular and renal progression, and all-cause death. Associations between skin progression and outcomes were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariable Cox regression. Results Of 1021 included patients, 78 (7.6%) had progressive skin fibrosis (skin progressors). Median follow-up was 3.4 years. Survival analyses indicated that skin progressors had a significantly higher probability of FVC decline ≥10% (53.6% vs 34.4%; p&lt;0.001) and all-cause death (15.4% vs 7.3%; p=0.003) than non-progressors. These significant associations were also found in subgroup analyses of patients with either low baseline mRSS (≤22/51) or short disease duration (≤15 months). In multivariable analyses, skin progression within 1 year was independently associated with FVC decline ≥10% (HR 1.79, 95% CI 1.20 to 2.65) and all-cause death (HR 2.58, 95% CI 1.31 to 5.09). Conclusions Progressive skin fibrosis within 1 year is associated with decline in lung function and worse survival in dcSSc during follow-up. These results confirm mRSS as a surrogate marker in dcSSc, which will be helpful for cohort enrichment in future trials and risk stratification in clinical practice

Racial differences in systemic sclerosis disease presentation: a European Scleroderma Trials and Research group study

Objectives. Racial factors play a significant role in SSc. We evaluated differences in SSc presentations between white patients (WP), Asian patients (AP) and black patients (BP) and analysed the effects of geographical locations.Methods. SSc characteristics of patients from the EUSTAR cohort were cross-sectionally compared across racial groups using survival and multiple logistic regression analyses.Results. The study included 9162 WP, 341 AP and 181 BP. AP developed the first non-RP feature faster than WP but slower than BP. AP were less frequently anti-centromere (ACA; odds ratio (OR) = 0.4, P &lt; 0.001) and more frequently anti-topoisomerase-I autoantibodies (ATA) positive (OR = 1.2, P = 0.068), while BP were less likely to be ACA and ATA positive than were WP [OR(ACA) = 0.3, P &lt; 0.001; OR(ATA) = 0.5, P = 0.020]. AP had less often (OR = 0.7, P = 0.06) and BP more often (OR = 2.7, P &lt; 0.001) diffuse skin involvement than had WP.AP and BP were more likely to have pulmonary hypertension [OR(AP) = 2.6, P &lt; 0.001; OR(BP) = 2.7, P = 0.03 vs WP] and a reduced forced vital capacity [OR(AP) = 2.5, P &lt; 0.001; OR(BP) = 2.4, P &lt; 0.004] than were WP. AP more often had an impaired diffusing capacity of the lung than had BP and WP [OR(AP vs BP) = 1.9, P = 0.038; OR(AP vs WP) = 2.4, P &lt; 0.001]. After RP onset, AP and BP had a higher hazard to die than had WP [hazard ratio (HR) (AP) = 1.6, P = 0.011; HR(BP) = 2.1, P &lt; 0.001].Conclusion. Compared with WP, and mostly independent of geographical location, AP have a faster and earlier disease onset with high prevalences of ATA, pulmonary hypertension and forced vital capacity impairment and higher mortality. BP had the fastest disease onset, a high prevalence of diffuse skin involvement and nominally the highest mortality