Training Graduate Students in Multiple Genres of Public and Academic Science Writing: An Assessment Using an Adaptable, Interdisciplinary Rubric

There is an urgent need for scientists to improve their communication skills with the public, especially for those involved in applying science to solve conservation or human health problems. However, little research has assessed the effectiveness of science communication training for applied scientists. We responded to this gap by developing a new, interdisciplinary training model, “SciWrite,” based on three central tenets from scholarship in writing and rhetoric: 1) habitual writing, 2) multiple genres for multiple audiences, and 3) frequent review and created an interdisciplinary rubric based on these tenets to evaluate a variety of writing products across genres. We used this rubric to assess three different genres written by 12 SciWrite-trained graduate science students and 74 non-SciWrite-trained graduate science students at the same institution. We found that written work from SciWrite students scored higher than those from non-SciWrite students in all three genres, and most notably thesis/dissertation proposals were higher quality. The rubric results also suggest that the variation in writing quality was best explained by the ability of graduate students to grasp higher-order writing skills (e.g., thinking about audience needs and expectations, clearly describing research goals, and making an argument for the significance of their research). Future programs would benefit from adopting similar training activities and goals as well as assessment tools that take a rhetorically informed approach

A low-investment, high-impact approach for training stronger and more confident graduate student science writers

Scientists in applied fields, including conservation biology, face increasing expectations to communicate their research across multiple audiences. As environmental issues become more complex, the need for scientists to clearly communicate with other scientists, managers, stakeholders, tribes, the public, and policy makers becomes ever critical. Despite this need, students in graduate science programs receive limited direct instruction in writing and little training in writing for audiences outside of academia or in different genres. To that end, we developed an interdisciplinary program that incorporates rhetorical theory and writing intensive pedagogy to train graduate science students to write more effectively across genres. During the pilot testing in the first year of this broader, multiyear program, we evaluated changes in the writing practices and confidence of participants as writers and scientists who completed a low-investment, two-workshop sequence that highlighted habitual writing, peer review, and writing for multiple audiences and multiple genres. In just six contact hours, we documented significant increases in students\u27 reporting maintaining a more consistent writing routine and writing environment, revising multiple drafts for writing projects, and being willing to have work reviewed by peers or mentors. Upon completion of both workshops, students reported an increase in their confidence as writers. The development of comprehensive graduate writing programs can be costly and time intensive, but our evaluation demonstrates that significant gains in writing capacity and confidence as writers were made by graduate science students with even a low level of investment. We urge graduate science faculty in all Science Technology Engineering Math disciplines to consider how they might offer this two-workshop sequence or similar low-investment interventions that will build writing capacity and confidence as writers and scientists in graduate students

Protocol of the randomized control trial: the WiseApp trial for improving health outcomes in PLWH (WiseApp)

Background Poor adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is one of the primary barriers to viral load suppression. mHealth technology can help overcome challenges with ART adherence. This paper outlines the protocol for the WiseApp randomized control trial. The WiseApp contains real-time medication monitoring linking an electronic pill bottle and fitness tracker to the app, helping persons living with HIV (PLWH) self-manage their medication adherence and improve their overall quality of life. The primary objective of the trial is to test the effect of the WiseApp's medication adherence features on antiretroviral adherence in underserved PLWH in New York City. Methods This ongoing study is a two-arm randomized control trial. Participants are randomized 1:1 to the WiseApp intervention arm or the control arm at baseline and followed for 6 months. Eligibility criteria include: 18 years of age, have a diagnosis of HIV, speak and understand English or Spanish, live in the United States, own a smartphone, currently taking ART medications, and report the past 30 days adherence of 80% or less as measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), or have a viral load of over 400 copies/mL. The sample size for the trial is 200 people. All study participants receive the WiseApp, a CleverCap electronic pill bottle, and a fitness tracker. The intervention group also receives videos and health surveys centered on medication adherence and managing living with HIV as well as medication reminders. In contrast, the control group receives walk step reminders, videos, and surveys focused on overall wellness. Discussion The WiseApp Trial has the potential to improve HIV self-management applications, being one of the few randomized controlled trials of a mHealth medication adherence and HIV self-management application in the United States. The trial could also bring new opportunities for advancement in reaching economically disenfranchised and underserved populations in the United States. The real-time monitoring of the WiseApp has the potential to help providers initiate interventions to help patients resume treatment before drug resistance begins. Trial registration This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT03205982 ) on July 2, 2017

The Compact, Conical, Accretion-Disk Warm Absorber of the Seyfert 1 Galaxy NGC 4051 and its Implications for IGM-Galaxy Feedback Processes

(Abridged) Using a 100 ks XMM-Newton exposure of NGC 4051, we show that the time evolution of the ionization state of the X-ray absorbers in response to the rapid and highly variable X-ray continuum constrains all the main physical and geometrical properties of an AGN Warm Absorber wind. The absorber consists of two different ionization components. By tracking the response in the opacity of the gas in each component to changes in the ionizing continuum, we were able to constrain the electron density of the system. The measured densities require that the high and low ionization absorbing components of NGC 4051 must be compact, at distances 0.5-1.0 l-d (2200 - 4400Rs) and < 3.5 l-d (< 15800Rs) from the continuum source, respectively. This rules out an origin in the dusty obscuring torus, as the dust sublimation radius is at least an order of magnitude larger (>12 l-d). An accretion disk origin for the warm absorber wind is strongly suggested, and an association with the high ionization, HeII emitting, broad emission line region (radius <2 l-d) is possible. The two detected phases are consistent with pressure equilibrium, which suggests that the absorber consists of a two phase medium. A radial flow in a spherical geometry is unlikely, and a conical wind geometry is preferred. The implied mass outflow rate from this wind, can be well constrained, and is 2-5% of the mass accretion rate. If the mass outflow rate scaling with accretion rate is representative of all quasars, our results imply that warm absorbers in powerful quasars are unlikely to produce important evolutionary effects on their larger environment, unless we are observing the winds before they get fully accelerated. Only in such a scenario can AGN winds be important for cosmic feedback.Comment: Accepted for publication on ApJ on Dec 15, 2006. 13 Figures, 4 Table

Incremental Reduction in Risk of Death Associated with Use of Guideline-Recommended Therapies in Patients with Heart Failure: A Nested Case-Control Analysis of IMPROVE HF

Background: Several therapies are guideline-recommended to reduce mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, but the incremental clinical effectiveness of these therapies has not been well studied. We aimed to evaluate the individual and incremental benefits of guideline-recommended HF therapies associated with 24-month survival. Methods and results: We performed a nested case-control study of HF patients enrolled in IMPROVE HF. Cases were patients who died within 24 months and controls were patients who survived to 24 months, propensity-matched 1:2 for multiple prognostic variables. Logistic regression was performed, and the attributable mortality risk from incomplete application of each evidence-based therapy among eligible patients was calculated. A total of 1376 cases and 2752 matched controls were identified. β-Blocker and cardiac resynchronization therapy were associated with the greatest 24-month survival benefit (adjusted odds ratio for death 0.42, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.34–0.52; and 0.44, 95% CI, 0.29–0.67, respectively). Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation, and HF education were also associated with benefit, whereas aldosterone antagonist use was not. Incremental benefits were observed with each successive therapy, plateauing once any 4 to 5 therapies were provided (adjusted odds ratio 0.31, 95% CI, 0.23–0.42 for 5 or more versus 0/1, P<0.0001). Conclusions: Individual, with a single exception, and incremental use of guideline-recommended therapies was associated with survival benefit, with a potential plateau at 4 to 5 therapies. These data provide further rationale to implement guideline-recommended HF therapies in the absence of contraindications to patients with HF and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction

Defining a Flexible Notion of “Good” STEM Writing Across Contexts: Lessons Learned From a Cross-Institutional Conversation

We respond to a surging interest in science communication training for graduate scientists by advocating for a focus on rhetorically informed approaches to STEM writing and its assessment. We argue that STEM communication initiatives would benefit by shifting from a strategic focus on products to a flexible understanding of writing as a practice worthy of attention and study. To do that, we use our experience across two universities and two distinct programmatic contexts to train STEM graduate students in writing and communication. We draw from cross-disciplinary conversations to identify four facets of “good” STEM writing: (1) connecting to the big picture; (2) explaining science; (3) adhering to genre conventions; and (4) choosing context-appropriate language. We then describe our ongoing conversations across contexts to develop and implement flexible rubrics that capture and foster conversations around “good” writing. In doing so, we argue for a notion of writing rubrics as boundary objects, capable of fostering cross-disciplinary, integrative conversations and collaborations that strengthen student writing, shift STEM students toward a rhetorically informed sense of “good” writing, and offer that kinds of assessment data that make for persuasive evidence of the power of writing-centric approaches for STEM administrators and funders

The impact of attrition on the representativeness of cohort studies of older people

Background: There are well-established risk factors, such as lower education, for attrition of study participants. Consequently, the representativeness of the cohort in a longitudinal study may deteriorate over time. Death is a common form of attrition in cohort studies of older people. The aim of this paper is to examine the effects of death and other forms of attrition on risk factor prevalence in the study cohort and the target population over time

Mediator role of presence of meaning and self-esteem in the relationship of social support and death anxiety

IntroductionDeath anxiety has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic. Although terror management theory has suggested social support, presence of meaning and self-esteem functioned as death anxiety buffers, few existing works have explored the mechanism of how social support, presence of meaning, and self-esteem buffer death anxiety. To identify these mechanisms is the aim of this study.MethodsOur cross-sectional study was conducted with 1167 people in China from 19 May 2020 to 1 June 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak. The average age of participants was 26 years. Data were by questionnaire, including demographic information, the Templer's Death anxiety scale, the multidimensional scale of perceived social support, the presence of meaning scale, and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale.ResultsResults using structural equation modeling showed presence of meaning and self-esteem fully mediated the relationship between social support and death anxiety, respectively and sequentially. The proposed model showed good fit of indices: χ2 = 243.384, df = 58, p &lt; 0.001; CFI = 0.968, TLI = 0.954, RMSEA = 0.052, SRMR = 0.044.DiscussionThis study demonstrates significant mediator roles of presence of meaning and self-esteem in the relationship of social support and death anxiety. Multi-component interventions are needed to manage death anxiety by targeting increasing social support, presence of meaning and self-esteem and increasing presence of meaning and self-esteem when social support is diminished in the pandemic