mdpi-ai/citelens huggingface dataset:
An Experiential Online Training Approach for Underrepresented Engineering and Technology Students
Field: EDUCATION

Workforce pipelines are essential to sustain a productive workforce in an increasingly competitive, high-tech environment. Advanced automation, sensors, materials and data analytics will increase the need for highly skilled workers in the manufacturing (and manufactured construction) sector. Attracting and developing the next-generation workforce is not without its challenges; however, students are often deficient in technical skills and generally have negative perceptions about manufacturing and construction. As a result, new education and training models have been developed to provide instruction at all levels of the educational system, with a focus on both traditional students and non-traditional students, including ethnic minorities, women, veterans, disabled persons and older adult learners. This study focused specifically on certain underrepresented students in STEM programs offered at community colleges in the Great Plains region of the U.S. An available online training program by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers was used as a contextualized online training tool. The Learning Management System embedded in this online training tool was used to gather student data. Conducting multiple regression analyses on the test outcomes, completion rates, and improvement between post-test and pre-test scores showed that female participants achieved greater improvement between pre- and post-test scores than males, and achieved higher rates of credentialing compared to all other demographic groups. African American participants achieved greatest improvement between pre- and post-test scores than all other ethnic groups while Hispanics achieved higher rates of module completion. Additionally, this study also examines the background related to contextualized teaching and learning, as well as the effectiveness of this delivery method for these underrepresented populations.
Exploring STEM postsecondary instructors’ accounts of instructional planning and revisions
Field: EDUCATION

Background: Local and national initiatives to improve the learning experiences of students enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses have been on-going for a couple of decades with a heightened momentum within the last 10 years. However, recent large-scale studies have demonstrated that transmission of information is still the primary mode of instruction in STEM courses across the undergraduate curriculum. The limited impact of instructional change reform efforts can be partly explained by the one-sided focus of educational research on the development of evidence-based instructional practices and production of evidence demonstrating their impact on student learning. This has been done at the expense of understanding faculty members’ instructional practices and mindsets about teaching and learning that underlie their practices. This study addresses this gap in the literature by characterizing STEM instructors’ instructional intentions and reflections on their teaching performance for a week of instruction. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 42 STEM faculty members from one doctorate-granting institution in the USA. Results: STEM instructors in this study had teacher-centric mindsets with respect to their instructional planning (e.g., content-focused learning goals, lecture is seen as an engagement strategy). We found that these instructors mostly saw formative assessment tools as engagement strategy rather than tools to monitor student learning. Reflections on their level of satisfaction with their week of teaching focused heavily on content coverage and personal feelings and minimally considered student learning. Finally, we found that pedagogical discontent was not a driver of planned course revisions. Conclusions: This study identifies mismatches between STEM instructors’ teaching mindsets and current approaches to instructional change. STEM instructors in this study paid minimal attention to student learning when considering course-level revisions and many of their reflections were anchored in their personal feelings. However, instructional reform strategies often attempt to convince faculty of a new approach by demonstrating its impact on student learning. The misalignment identified in this study further highlights the need to better characterize STEM instructors’ cognition around teaching so that reform efforts can better meet them where they are.
R-KG: A Novel Method for Implementing a Robot Intelligent Service
Field: AI

Aiming to solve the problem of environmental information being difficult to characterize when an intelligent service is used, knowledge graphs are used to express environmental information when performing intelligent services. Here, we specially design a kind of knowledge graph for environment expression referred to as a robot knowledge graph (R-KG). The main work of a R-KG is to integrate the diverse semantic information in the environment and pay attention to the relationship at the instance level. Also, through the efficient knowledge organization of a R-KG, robots can fully understand the environment. The R-KG firstly integrates knowledge from different sources to form a unified and standardized representation of a knowledge graph. Then, the deep logical relationship hidden in the knowledge graph is explored. To this end, a knowledge reasoning model based on a Markov logic network is proposed to realize the self-developmental ability of the knowledge graph and to further enrich it. Finally, as the strength of environment expression directly affects the efficiency of robots performing services, in order to verify the efficiency of the R-KG, it is used here as the semantic map that can be directly used by a robot for performing intelligent services. The final results prove that the R-KG can effectively express environmental information.
Conceptual framework of STEM based on Japanese subject principles
Field: EDUCATION

Background: School education should improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) ability not only in science and mathematics but also in technology and engineering. However, practice and research are being conducted without clear definitions and methods for STEM education. Moreover, the positioning and characteristics of the technology included in each STEM field are unclear. Therefore, it is necessary to propose an appropriate framework for practice of STEM from the viewpoint of technology education. In response to this need, this commentary proposes a conceptual framework for the appropriate practice of STEM education. Results: First, we referred to the perspectives and thinking styles of the fields of science, technology, and mathematics in the Japanese curriculum to specify the approach of the education system to each subject included in STEM. Next, to determine the concept of engineering in STEM education, we referred to the definition of engineering presented in Japan, the USA, and the UK. We positioned engineering, which means creating structures, processes, systems, etc., as a practical STEM activity and attempted to relate it to the unique perspectives and thinking styles of mathematics, science, and technology. Conclusion: We proposed a conceptual framework for the appropriate practice of STEM education based on the principles of subjects in the Japanese curriculum. The conceptual framework suggests that a means to improve the practice of STEM education is to retain the principles of science, technology, and mathematics in the activity of engineering. It can be inferred that the key point for practicing STEM education is to examine and design the appropriate order and combination of the learning process and activities based on the proposed conceptual framework. Although this framework is theoretical, it can be useful in determining an adequate practice of STEM education and clarifying the relationship between STEM education and technology education.
The Role of Field Training in STEM Education: Theoretical and Practical Limitations of Scalability
Field: PSYCHOLOGY

In this article, we consider the features of the perception of student information in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, in order to draw the attention of researchers to the topic of learning in practice through field training. The article shows the results of these studies in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as an example) to reflect the global trends. For this purpose, we examined the expectations of students in Russia and the CIS countries from training related to lectures and field training. We created a questionnaire and distributed it in three Moscow-based universities (Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography—MIIGAiK, Moscow Aviation Institute—MAI, and Moscow City University—MCU). Our key assumption is that field practices in Russian universities are qualitatively different from the phenomenon described in European literature, where digital or remote field practices have already emerged. The results obtained through the survey show the tendency of students’ perceptions to fulfill practical duties (in a laboratory with instruments of field training) in STEM education.
Proton Pump Inhibitors Reduce Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Progression by Selectively Targeting H+, K+-ATPases in Pancreatic Cancer and Stellate Cells
Field: ONCOLOGY

Pancreatic duct cells are equipped with acid/base transporters important for exocrine secretion. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells may utilize such transporters to acidify extracellular tumor microenvironment, creating a niche favoring cell proliferation, fibrosis and resistance to chemotherapy—all contributing to the notoriously bad prognosis of this disease. Here, we report that gastric and non-gastric H+, K+-ATPases (coded by ATP4A and ATP12A) are overexpressed in human and murine pancreatic cancer and that we can target them specifically with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and potassium-competitive acid blockers (P-CABs) in in vitro models of PDAC. Focusing on pantoprazole, we show that it significantly reduced human cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting cellular H+ extrusion, increasing K+ conductance and promoting cyclin D1-dependent cell cycle arrest and preventing STAT3 activation. Pantoprazole also decreased collagen secretion from pancreatic stellate cells. Importantly, in vivo studies show that pantoprazole treatment of tumor-bearing mice reduced tumor size, fibrosis and expression of angiogenic markers. This work provides the first evidence that H+, K+-ATPases contribute to PDAC progression and that these can be targeted by inhibitors of these pumps, thus proving a promising therapeutic strategy.
Macrophage and Tumor Cell Cross-Talk Is Fundamental for Lung Tumor Progression: We Need to Talk
Field: ONCOLOGY

Regardless of the promising results of certain immune checkpoint blockers, current immunotherapeutics have met a bottleneck concerning response rate, toxicity, and resistance in lung cancer patients. Accumulating evidence forecasts that the crosstalk between tumor and immune cells takes center stage in cancer development by modulating tumor malignancy, immune cell infiltration, and immune evasion in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Cytokines and chemokines secreted by this crosstalk play a major role in cancer development, progression, and therapeutic management. An increased infiltration of Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) was observed in most of the human cancers, including lung cancer. In this review, we emphasize the role of cytokines and chemokines in TAM-tumor cell crosstalk in the lung TME. Given the role of cytokines and chemokines in immunomodulation, we propose that TAM-derived cytokines and chemokines govern the cancer-promoting immune responses in the TME and offer a new immunotherapeutic option for lung cancer treatment.
Effects of school climate and teacher self-efficacy on job satisfaction of mostly STEM teachers: a structural multigroup invariance approach
Field: EDUCATION

Background: Identification and retention of effective teachers in STEM education play cardinal roles in teacher recruitment exercises worldwide. Studies on factors that characterize effective teachers have therefore gained popularity in recent times. Teacher self-efficacy, job satisfaction and school climate are among other factors that have attracted global attention. Thus, proper understanding of the relations between these factors is equally important. The purpose of this study is to validate and cross-validate a model of direct/indirect effects of school climate and teacher self-efficacy on job satisfaction. Results: The data used for the current study are extracted from a publicly available data of Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018 survey. Structural equation modeling approach was used in the analyses coupled with robust maximum likelihood to ensure accurate estimations in the models. The results of the validated models show a strong direct impact of school climate on job satisfaction, a direct impact of teacher self-efficacy on job satisfaction and a mediating effect of teacher self-efficacy between school climate and job satisfaction. This model exhibits structural invariance in factor loadings, intercepts and regression weights across two independent samples from a population of 3951 lower secondary school teachers in Norway. Conclusion: The findings of this study do provide empirical evidence for the relations between teacher self-efficacy, job satisfaction and school climate among Norwegian lower secondary school teachers. The cross-validation of these relations was also established using an independent sample to enhance generalization of the findings. Two methodological observations concerning recoding of some items as well as an addition of item cross-loading in the measurement model of the job satisfaction scales are raised and addressed. It is therefore recommended that researchers who will be using TALIS 2018 data should take note of these observations.
Research and trends in STEM education: a systematic review of journal publications
Field: EDUCATION

With the rapid increase in the number of scholarly publications on STEM education in recent years, reviews of the status and trends in STEM education research internationally support the development of the field. For this review, we conducted a systematic analysis of 798 articles in STEM education published between 2000 and the end of 2018 in 36 journals to get an overview about developments in STEM education scholarship. We examined those selected journal publications both quantitatively and qualitatively, including the number of articles published, journals in which the articles were published, authorship nationality, and research topic and methods over the years. The results show that research in STEM education is increasing in importance internationally and that the identity of STEM education journals is becoming clearer over time.
A Multiple-Baseline Evaluation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Focused on Repetitive Negative Thinking for Comorbid Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression
Field: PSYCHOLOGY

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a core feature of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and depression. Recently, some studies have shown promising results with brief protocols of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) focused on RNT in the treatment of emotional disorders in adults. The current study analyzes the effect of an individual, 3-session, RNT-focused ACT protocol in the treatment of severe and comorbid GAD and depression. Six adults meeting criteria for both disorders and showing severe symptoms of at least one of them participated in the study. A delayed multiple-baseline design was implemented. All participants completed a 5-week baseline without showing improvement trends in emotional symptoms (Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale – 21; DASS-21) and pathological worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire; PSWQ). The ACT protocol was then implemented, and a 3-month follow-up was conducted. Five of the six participants showed clinically significant changes in the DASS-21 and the PSWQ. The standardized mean difference effect sizes for single-case experimental design were very large for emotional symptoms (d = 3.34), pathological worry (d = 4.52), experiential avoidance (d = 3.46), cognitive fusion (d = 3.90), repetitive thinking (d = 4.52), and valued living (d = 0.92 and d = 1.98). No adverse events were observed. Brief, RNT-focused ACT protocols for treating comorbid GAD and depression deserve further empirical tests.
Integrating science and engineering practices: outcomes from a collaborative professional development
Field: EDUCATION

Background: The Next Generation Science Standards accentuate engineering design along with scientific inquiry, emphasizing the relationship between scientific investigations and engineering design in solving problems and devising new ideas and technologies. The goal is for students to realize the importance of science and engineering in innovation and in solving many of today’s challenges. The Next Generation Science Standards contends that a working knowledge and practicality of engineering design prepares students for embracing the challenges of the future. To support students in developing these capabilities, teachers are tasked with the responsibility of facilitating science instruction that integrates science and engineering practices. This is a challenge since a majority of them have little to no understanding of engineering applications.Results: An interdisciplinary team, consisting of science education and mechanical engineering faculty and doctoral students from each discipline, and science, mathematics, and career and technical curriculum supervisors, collaborated with middle school science, mathematics, and career and technical education teachers to develop a framework for integrating engineering practices into their curricula. The exploratory nature of the project, and instructional outcomes with their students, supported teachers in developing an understanding and value for science and engineering practices. As a result, they were motivated to critique and revise their practices, aiming to develop and implement instruction that they perceived as beneficial to their students.Conclusion: With the surge in emphasis on preparing K-12 students for the STEM workforce, initiatives devoted to exposing teachers and students to STEM applications have also increased. The findings from this study could be useful for informing these initiatives, since they reveal the learning experiences of the teachers while processing instructional strategies for integrating science and engineering practices into their curriculum. The findings highlight factors that motivated these teachers to reform their instructional practices, as well as their deliberations while endeavoring to assimilate the strategies into their curricular activities.
Rubrics to assess critical thinking and information processing in undergraduate STEM courses
Field: EDUCATION

Background: Process skills such as critical thinking and information processing are commonly stated outcomes for STEM undergraduate degree programs, but instructors often do not explicitly assess these skills in their courses. Students are more likely to develop these crucial skills if there is constructive alignment between an instructor’s intended learning outcomes, the tasks that the instructor and students perform, and the assessment tools that the instructor uses. Rubrics for each process skill can enhance this alignment by creating a shared understanding of process skills between instructors and students. Rubrics can also enable instructors to reflect on their teaching practices with regard to developing their students’ process skills and facilitating feedback to students to identify areas for improvement. Results: Here, we provide rubrics that can be used to assess critical thinking and information processing in STEM undergraduate classrooms and to provide students with formative feedback. As part of the Enhancing Learning by Improving Process Skills in STEM (ELIPSS) Project, rubrics were developed to assess these two skills in STEM undergraduate students’ written work. The rubrics were implemented in multiple STEM disciplines, class sizes, course levels, and institution types to ensure they were practical for everyday classroom use. Instructors reported via surveys that the rubrics supported assessment of students’ written work in multiple STEM learning environments. Graduate teaching assistants also indicated that they could effectively use the rubrics to assess student work and that the rubrics clarified the instructor’s expectations for how they should assess students. Students reported that they understood the content of the rubrics and could use the feedback provided by the rubric to change their future performance. Conclusion: The ELIPSS rubrics allowed instructors to explicitly assess the critical thinking and information processing skills that they wanted their students to develop in their courses. The instructors were able to clarify their expectations for both their teaching assistants and students and provide consistent feedback to students about their performance. Supporting the adoption of active-learning pedagogies should also include changes to assessment strategies to measure the skills that are developed as students engage in more meaningful learning experiences. Tools such as the ELIPSS rubrics provide a resource for instructors to better align assessments with intended learning outcomes.
The use of a psychological testing instrument as an indicator of dissatisfaction with aesthetic dental treatment – a preliminary study
Field: PSYCHOLOGY

Background: The use of psychological testing to indicate the potential for dissatisfaction with dental treatment has many potential patient and clinician benefits but has been rarely investigated. The study aimed to explore the use of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) psychological testing instrument in describing the relationship between pre-treatment psychological traits and aesthetic restorative treatment satisfaction. Methods: Thirty patients requiring aesthetic restorative dental treatment completed three questionnaires, namely 1) a pre-treatment expectation assessment, 2) an SCL-90-R analysis pre-treatment and 3) an outcome assessment post-treatment to assess patient’s expectations and satisfaction of the proposed dental treatment relating to function, aesthetics, comfort and tissue preservation. Logistic regression models were used to assess the impact of psychological variables on patient satisfaction after adjusting for baseline expectations (P < 0.05). Results: The satisfaction for the aesthetic component of treatment was significantly associated with psychoticism and positive symptom distress index. The satisfaction for the comfort component of treatment was significantly associated with obsessive compulsive symptoms, depression and anxiety. Following adjustment for baseline expectation, tissue preservation satisfaction was associated with somatization, obsessive compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression and global severity index. No baseline psychological measures were significantly associated with chewing satisfaction. Conclusions: The SCL-90-R shows initial promise in assisting clinicians to identify and understanding patients who have a high risk of dissatisfaction with aesthetic dental treatment. The ability to indicate aesthetic restorative treatment dissatisfaction is of great benefit to clinicians in maximising success and mitigating risk.