Attitudes towards science among senior secondary students in Fiji

In order to investigate gender and ethnicity-based differences in scientific attitudes among Fijian students, the widely studied Test of Scientific Related Attitudes (TOSRA) was administered to 1401 senior secondary Fijian students (Years 11–13; approximately 15–18 years of age). Students generally had a positive attitude towards science overall in Years 11–13, with females showing a more positive attitude than males. By Year 13, the attitudes of females towards science had become more negative. The attitude of iTaukei students towards science started out lower than other ethnicities in Year 11 and increased during Year 12, before falling to below the starting attitude levels in Year 13. Fijian students of Indian descent generally had a positive attitude towards science that remained consistent throughout Years 11–13, with an increase in leisure and career interest in science in Year 13. A strong correlation was found between the ethnicity of a student and their first language. Continued science outreach programmes, particularly in Year 12, are important to achieve and retain scientific interest and attitudes among Fijian secondary students. © 2020, Wilf Malcolm Institute of Educational Research. All rights reserved

Cell culture metabolomics in the diagnosis of lung cancer - The influence of cell culture conditions

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. Unfortunately, lung cancer is often diagnosed only when it becomes symptomatic or at an advanced stage when few treatment options are available. Hence, a diagnostic test suitable for screening widespread populations is required to enable earlier diagnosis. Analysis of exhaled breath provides a non-invasive method for early detection of lung cancer. Analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by various mass spectral techniques has identified potential biomarkers of disease. Nevertheless, the metabolic origins and the disease specificity of VOCs need further elucidation. Cell culture metabolomics can be used as a bottom-up approach to identify biomarkers of pathological conditions and can also be used to study the metabolic pathways that produce such compounds. This paper summarizes the current knowledge of lung cancer biomarkers in exhaled breath and emphasizes the critical role of cell culture conditions in determining the VOCs produced in vitro. Hypoxic culture conditions more closely mimic the conditions of cancer cell growth in vivo. We propose that since hypoxia influences cell metabolism and so potentially the VOCs that the cancer cells produce, the cell culture metabolomics projects should consider culturing cancer cells in hypoxic conditions

Evaluation of group based inquiry oriented learning in undergraduate chemistry practicals

This work examines and evaluates the implementation of inquiry oriented learning (IOL), as an alternative to the traditional 'recipe-style' expository laboratory teaching method, with the aim of enhancing students' experience and engagement in chemistry laboratory practicals. Small groups of students in the first year of their undergraduate degree were assigned a practical problem and were required to devise an appropriate experimental protocol that would allow them to successfully execute the assigned task. With a response rate of 64% (47/73), over 80% of respondents agreed that IOL based practicals were interesting/enjoyable and created awareness about the challenges that researchers in chemistry experience. Only 50% of the respondents agreed that they felt confident initially with the open-ended nature of IOL activities; 45% felt that more appropriate background information on the practical should have been provided. However, the level of guidance provided by the demonstrators was considered appropriate (70% agreement). While 70% agreed that IOL activities enhanced their skills in investigative/critical thinking, use of laboratory equipment and team work, only 55% agreed that their observation/recording and data analysis skills were developed and that increased understanding of the course content was achieved. Whilst the implementation and evaluation of IOL in chemistry practicals is ongoing, there is no doubt that students perceive that they learned or practised a range of graduate attributes (such as teamwork, research, problem solving etc.) while engaging in a group based IOL activity

Attitudes and experiences among first-year regional australian undergraduate students toward the study of chemistry

Both attitude and previous experiences play a large role in shaping a student’s approach to and achievement in a given subject. Similarly, students’ enjoyment of their learning experiences is an important factor in determining their retention in their course of choice. Here, we explore the attitudes toward the study of chemistry amongst a cohort of first-year undergraduate students at a regional Australian university, including assessing these parameters at the beginning of their first term, the end of the first term and the end of their second term. In addition, metrics on the students’ experiences of studying chemistry were collected at the latter two timepoints. Generally, student attitudes toward chemistry were positive, as were student learning experiences in most instances. Two-step cluster analysis revealed the presence of two distinct clusters of students within the data, differing significantly in their overall attitude toward the study of chemistry. Students who had studied chemistry in Year 12 did not show any significant differences in their attitudes toward chemistry, when compared to students who had not studied Year 12 chemistry; however, their learning experiences in first-year chemistry were rated as being significantly more positive. We attribute this to their increased ability to engage with and successfully learn from the topic material presented in lectures and tutorials, as their previous exposure to the ‘language’ of chemistry may provide them with an advantage over chemistry-naïve students. © 2021, University of Wollongong. All rights reserved

Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) in an Introductory Course in Chemistry.

Approaches to study and learning may enhance or undermine educational outcomes, and thus it is important for educators to be knowledgeable about their students’ approaches to study and learning. TheApproaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students(ASSIST) – a 52 item inventory which identifies three learning styles (Deep, Strategic, and Surface), was given to first year undergraduate students undertaking an introductory chemistry course. Completed inventories (n=103, 85% response), included 30 BSc Biomedicine, 15 BSc Food and Nutrition, 22 BSc Geology, 18 BSc Science students, and a further 18 students on unnamed BSc pathways. The dominant learning style adopted was the Surface approach, with a mean score (SD) of 2.94 (0.54). The preference of the surface approach was consistent for all BSc pathways.There was a higher mean score for the strategic learning style in males (n= 59) compared to females (n=44) with no gender-based differences in either the deep or the surface learning styles.A surface approach may not necessarily indicate a lack of interest in chemistry, rather chemistry may be perceived as being peripheral to the students’ interests – this may be a problem when students with a diverse range of career aspirations study common content in large, first year introductory courses. Identifying students that adopt a surface learning style at an early stage in the undergraduate education journey is an important step in effectively targeting educational resources aimed at enhancing students’ learning habits

The relevance of chemistry practicals - first year students’ perspective at a regional university in Victoria, Australia

The use of laboratory practical sessions in chemistry to enhance student learning is common practice however, student perspectives of the relevance of this experience to their learning is difficult to find. A unique situation arose with a cohort of first-year undergraduate students where they completed one introductory chemistry course with no laboratory component, followed by a second introductory chemistry course with a laboratory component included. Upon completion of both chemistry courses the students were surveyed to gauge their perceptions, attitudes and experiences relating to chemistry laboratory sessions and whether they aided their understanding of chemical concepts covered in lectures and tutorials. Students (88%) considered the laboratory work to be essential and/or important in aiding their learning of chemistry, highlighting that their learning was enhanced due to the cross-over between theory and practice, while also gaining a variety of laboratory skills. A more diverse range of laboratory activities was suggested, but some students noted that they appreciated some skills repetition. Incorporating a combination of introductory and inquiry based sessions could meet the needs of both of these groups of students, while enhancing skills in other areas

Antimicrobial activity of extracts from native plants of temperate Australia

Introduction: Significant effort has been invested in looking at the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts from tropical regions of Australia, with less interest in those from more temperate environments. We sought to redress this imbalance by examining antimicrobial activities of extracts from native plants of Victoria. Methods: Sixteen plant samples were obtained around the Ballarat region of Victoria. Plant material was desiccated, ground and extracted with methanol at room temperature. Methanol extracts were subsequently dissolved in water, filtered and freeze dried. Extracts were dissolved in water and their activity determined against eight bacterial species. Plant extracts that showed appreciable antibacterial activity in the initial antimicrobial screen were examined further with both their MICs and MBCs determined. Results: Ten of the sixteen plant extracts showed antimicrobial activity. Extracts of Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Prostanthera and Westringia were particularly active with MICs as low as 0.25 mg/ml against organisms including P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts from temperate Australia. These may serve as precursors for future chemotherapy agents

Attitude and achievement of first-year chemistry undergraduate students at the university of the South Pacific

Student attitude toward chemistry may influence engagement and achievement in chemistry-related courses, however, equivocal results in studies conducted in Western countries to date indicate this relationship requires further investigation. In this study, we investigated the correlation between attitude toward chemistry and achievement amongst a cohort of first-year undergraduate students from The University of the South Pacific (USP). A cluster analysis was used to identify low- and high-achieving groups of students to further explore potential correlations. There was a positive correlation between the cognitive and affective components of attitude among low-achieving students, but not among high-achieving students. The cognitive component of attitude did not appear to be strongly correlated with achievement in students from either group, although the affective component was positively correlated with achievement. The single item most strongly correlated with student achievement was their response on the Worthless-Beneficial scale. One of the notable findings was the differences in the attitude-achievement relationship between low-achieving and high-achieving students, suggesting that combining these clusters of students into a single group for analysis may obscure underlying correlations. Chemistry educators should continue to target their teaching styles to cater to different learning styles and achievement levels of students, including cognitive and non-cognitive learning styles. Copyright © 2022 Johnson, Reddy, Sharma, Wakeling, Mani, Benveniste, Naiker and Brown

Australian ethnomedicinal plant extracts promote apoptosis-mediated cell death In human hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) Is the leading cause of primary liver cancer with Its prevalence continuing to rise. Although the number of cases continues to rise In both developing and developed countries, prognosis remains poor due to a lack of successful treatments. Inspired by the prospect of developing complementary medicines for this condition, we explore several native Australian plants for anti-carcinogenic activity, especially against HCC. Methods: Cytotoxicity assays against HCC cell lines were conducted using various plant extracts. Biochemical profiling of the plant species was conducted for total phenolics and antioxidant capacity, while reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to determine the active apoptotic pathways. Results: Westringia fruticosa and Prostanthera ovalifolia (small-leaved variety) had high antioxidant (410 and 227 mg/g, respectively) and phenolic contents (72.7 and 42.7 mg/g, respectively). P ovalifolia (small-leaved variety) demonstrated the greatest cytotoxic activity against HepG2 cells (IC50 4.61 ± 0.98 pg/mL) followed by Solanum laciniatum leaves (11.79 ± 0.43 pg/mL) and fruit extracts (ripe, unripe) (14.85 ± 1.80 and 19 ± 1.32 pg/mL, respectively). RT-PCR results confirmed apoptotic events in HepG2 cells, exposed to ripe and unripe S. laciniatum fruit extracts, via caspase-3 pathway. The highest apoptotic induction occurred after 8 hr. Compared to unripe fruits, ripe fruits induced a greater level of apoptosis, as evidenced by a 73 % higher level of caspase-3 mRNA expression and 22 % lower IC50 value. Conclusion: With further investigation, these fruits may provide a valuable source of anticarcinogenic compounds for use as chemotherapeutic or complementary therapies

Authentication using volatile composition : a proof-of-concept study on the volatile profiles of fourteen queensland ciders

Although relatively small, the Australian cider industry has experienced significant growth in recent years. One of the current challenges in the industry is the lack of research specific to Australian ciders. Establishing baseline volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles of Australian cider is paramount to developing a better understanding of the industry. This understanding may ultimately be utilized for both the categorization and authentication of existing ciders, and the targeted modification of cider volatiles for the development and improvement of cider quality. This study utilized gas chromatography, coupled with mass spectrometry, to identify key VOCs present in 14 ciders sourced from four different manufacturers in Queensland, Australia. A total of 40 VOCs were identified across the ciders, with significant variation depending on the flavor and manufacturer. Principal component analysis indicated that the ciders were well-separated based on the manufacturer, supporting the prospect of using the volatile composition to discriminate between cider manufacturers. Furthermore, hierarchical cluster analysis highlighted the commonalities and differences in cider composition between different manufacturers, which may be indicative of the varying ingredients and manufacturing processes used to create the ciders. Future studies profiling the volatile composition of larger numbers of Australian ciders are recommended to support the use of this analytical technique for authentication purposes. Likewise, exploration of the relationship between specific processes and VOCs is recommended to fortify an understanding of how to optimize cider production to improve consumer satisfaction. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland