Effects of a story-based strategy to enhance pupils’ ability and motivation to read bio-technical texts

This paper reports the results of a survey of the opinions of UK school teachers on the use of living organisms in secondary school science. A total of 285 respondents completed a questionnaire circulated to all members of the Institute of Biology. It was found that the last few years have seen a variety of constraints on the use of living organisms in schools. These include the pressures of time and finance, other effects of the introduction of the National Curriculum (England and Wales), a shortage of skilled technicians and a shift in pupils' perceptions about the ethics and value of the use of animals in schools. Despite all these, most respondents strongly favoured the appropriate use of living materials as an integral part of genuine biology education.     

Non-lichenized fungi around kindrogan,Perthshire recorded in 1991

Summary

Two hundred and sixty-eight agarics and boleti and 39 other basidiomycetes (excluding rusts and smuts) were recorded during the Nordic Mycological Congress at Kindrogan Field Centre, Perthshire; a further 290 micro- and lichenized fungi were found. Collections made as far afield as Abernethy, Inverness-shire and Barry Links, Dundee are included. A list is presented of all non-lichenized fungi. Several collections are new records and do not appear in British check-lists.     

The role of the amateur in mycology—what would we do without them!

The amateur's role in the history of mycology will be traced from its early roots deeply based in the collection of fungi for food to the amateur's present day activities. Attention will be drawn to the most important key amateur figures studying fungi solely or as a wider part of natural history in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the early part of the present century. How their work influenced the development of mycology will be demonstrated. It is often forgotten that the authorities attached to fungal names, including those we use in mycology on a daily basis, often belong to amateurs. The true professions of these amateurs, the net-work of correspondents they developed, etc. will be revealed and discussed in the context of an overall understanding of fungi as organisms. In addition the formation of mycological societies, and how they have become a focus of amateur activity and a source of accurate and disciplined information valuable to professional scientists will be plotted. The kind of work undertaken by amateurs I refer to will be demonstrated by documenting the activities of the British Mycological Society which celebrated its centenary in 1996. The continuing work of this band of workers and their counterparts throughout the world in the closing years of the millennium will be described. It is argued that they are nationally important and necessary resources, despite many governments or their advisers, especially the most influential ones, being under the delusion that systematics is not cutting edge science. It is also emphasized that amateurs will have an even more important role to play in the future as custodians of knowledge—until hopefully opinions change. The essential points of this paper were addressed to the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Mycological Society of Japan held at Kyoto University, Kyoto, on 16–17, May 1998.     

Tropische Pilze

Tropical fungi Mycological fieldwork in the tropics is a fascinating activity, because fungi are heterotrophic living beings and acquire nutrients in manyfold ways, often in association with algae, plants, or animals. Numerous fungi live in mutualistic symbiosis with plants or algae (lichens), as parasites of plants, or live on dead plant material. Other fungi kill insects or other animals and use their bodies as substrate to develop fruiting bodies, while a few fungal species live in mutualistic symbiosis with insects. These and further groups of fungi are presented based on examples from Panama. Sometimes, supposed fungal structures turn out to be cases of mimesis – plants or animals copy fungal patterns in order to take cover.     

New bottles for old wine: fruit body types,phylogeny, and classification

Molecular phylogenetic studies have made it evident that similar fruit body types, formerly the cornerstone of the classification of ascomycete and basidiomycete fungi, including those that form lichens, are often a result of convergent evolution. This commentary provides an introduction to this special issue of Mycological Research, which is based on papers presented at a one-day joint meeting of the British Mycological Society and the Natural History Museum held in London on 3 December 2005. The nine papers included address this issue in relation to its impact on classification, and also draw attention to the over-emphasis in fungal classification of ascus types and, in the case of lichen fungi, thallus form.     

辽宁省黏菌初步研究

为掌握辽宁省的黏菌资源,在位于辽宁省宽甸县的白石砬子国家自然保护区和桓仁县的老秃顶子国家级自然保护区进行了黏菌标本的采集,并根据形态特征进行了鉴定;复核了吉林农业大学菌物研究所标本馆保存的辽宁省产的黏菌标本,明确了辽宁省已知黏菌5目8科24属90种,其中有5个属为辽宁省新记录属,有34个种为辽宁省新记录种.     

唐家河国家级自然保护区大型真菌多样性研究

为了摸清保护区大型真菌资源,2003～2007年多次对保护区大型真菌资源种类及利用情况进行深入调查,基本摸清了保护区大型真菌资源种类,本次调查显示保护区大型真菌有8目39科95属219种,有经济价值的真菌162种,其中可食用真菌149种、药用真菌52种、毒菌31种、木腐菌82种、菌根菌72种。为达到不破坏生态环境和保护资源的目的,根据保护区大型真菌资源特点提出保护和综合利用建议,为保护区管理处制定大型真菌资源保护与利用对策提供科学依据。     

全国首届虫生真菌学术讨论会在公主岭召开

<正> 由中国植物学会真菌学会筹办的全国首届虫生真菌学术讨论会于1987年8月26—29日在吉林省公主岭市召开,来自全国17个省、市、自治区的科研、教学和有关业务部门的50名代表参加了会议。会议共收到论文51篇,有38人作大会发言,广泛讨论了各主要虫生真菌类群,内容涉及到真菌形态分类、生态、生理、遗传,昆虫病理,农林病虫害的生物防治及药用真菌等领域。我国虫生真菌的研究和应用自70年代以来有了较大的进展,在世界上有一定影响。虫生真菌作为农林生态系的重要组成部分及生物防治的重要材料,对我国的农林业生产起了积极作用。在当前环境及生态问题日益突出的形势下,加强虫生真菌的研究,不仅对学科发展,而且对于生产建设都有不可忽视的作用。此外,虫草属的一些种还具有重要的药理作用。根据当前国内外虫生真菌研究动向及存在的问题,在利用真菌防治害虫方面,应扩大资源开发,加强流行病学、遗传育种、发酵工艺、剂型和应用途径以及同其它防治手段的相容性研究,使虫生真菌在有     

Stomata: Versatile Sensory Devices but Difficult Experimental Subjects

This study examined what worldviews are present among Dutch students and teachers and how the students cope with scientific knowledge acquired in the biology classroom. Furthermore, we investigated what learning and teaching strategies teachers adopt when they teach about evolution and worldviews. For this survey, 10 schools for higher general secondary education or pre-university level were selected. The data showed that most teachers did not have an articulated learning and teaching strategy. Controversial topics and discussions with students about their own worldviews were ignored in the classroom. Furthermore, the data revealed that students and teachers have a large variety of different worldviews. Some students acknowledged having difficulties coping with the knowledge gained from the classroom, because it contradicted their own worldviews. These results support our hypothesis that there is need for an explicit learning and teaching strategy that supports both teachers and students to teach and learn about evolution in multiple contexts.     

Borne in the wagon of a travelling show: the BMS Roadshow rides on

The British Mycological Society (BMS) has created a Roadshow exhibition of over 20 square metres of mobile display boards, educational models, posters, booklets, leaflets, and a staff of enthusiastic volunteers that travels around the UK. The aim is to make the general public aware of the science of fungal biology in food, pharmaceuticals, environment - and every-day life. In the past four years or so, we've contributed events to National Science Week, several Excellence in Cities programmes, and Science Fairs and Festivals. The backbone of the Roadshow calendar, though, is the Royal Horticultural Society's Flower Show programme. The BMS has contributed displays to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for several years. Now the BMS Roadshow goes to RHS shows around the country, appearing at the Tatton Park Flower Show in July, the Malvern Spring Gardening Show in May, and Malvern Autumn Garden and Country Show towards the end of September. Our displays always attract enormous public interest. In July 2004 (the first time it was submitted for judging) the BMS Roadshow was awarded a Silver-Gilt Lindley Medal at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show, and success has continued with a Gold Medal at the Malvern Autumn Garden and Country Show in 2004, a Silver-Gilt at the Malvern Spring Gardening Show 2005, Gold at both Tatton Park 2005 and the Malvern Autumn Show 2005, and Silver at the Chelsea Flower Show 2006. The total “through the turnstile” audience of all these shows totals something like one million people and even if only a small fraction of that total stops at our display, then we are communicating awareness of fungal biology to a crowd that would fill a Premiership football stadium! That's an audience that few others can claim.     

Mycological examination on skin surface of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)]

Mycological examination on skin surface of 39 female and 35 male cynomolgus monkeys was carried out. Fungi were detected from 73 out of 74 subjects. Cladosporium was mostly predominant and the moderate predominant fungi were as follows: Acremonium, Curvularia, Arthrinium, Trichoderma, Stachybotrys, Emericella, Epicoccum, Pestalotia and Aureobasidium. However, dermatophytes or keratinophilic fungi were not isolated in this study.     

Transportation of nonindigenous species via soil on international aircraft passengers’ footwear

The potential for transported soil to harbour and spread nonindigenous species (NIS) is widely recognised and many National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPOs) restrict or prohibit its movement. However, surprisingly few studies have surveyed soil while it is in transit to provide direct support for its role in accidental introductions of NIS. Moreover, there are few border interception records for soil organisms because they are neither easily detected nor routinely isolated and identified. Better data would improve evaluations of risks from soil transported via different pathways, enable targeting of management resources at the riskiest pathways, and support development of new risk management methods. We surveyed organisms present in soil that had been removed from footwear being carried in the baggage of international aircraft passengers arriving in New Zealand and recorded high incidences, counts and diversities of viable bacteria, fungi, nematodes and seeds, as well as several live arthropods. These included taxa that have not been recorded in New Zealand and were therefore almost certainly nonindigenous to this country. In each gram of soil, there was an estimated 52–84% incidence of genera that contain species regulated by New Zealand’s NPPO, which suggests many were potentially harmful. Variation in the incidences and counts of soil organisms with sample weight, footwear type and season at the port of departure indicated it may be possible to develop methods for targeting management resources at the riskiest footwear. Comparisons with previously published data supported the hypothesis that survival of soil organisms is greater when they are transported in protected (e.g. in luggage) rather than unprotected environments (e.g. external surfaces of sea containers); this offers opportunities to develop methods for targeting management resources at the most hazardous soil pathways.     

Experimental and physiological ecology of ammonia fungi: studies using natural substrates and artificial media

Experiments using natural substrates and artificial media were categorized into three groups. Using experiments in these three categories, we investigated dispersion, invasion sequence, and decomposing ability of ammonia fungi in the field on natural substrates. Spore germination and vegetative and reproductive growth of ammonia fungi derived from monocultures and five-species cultures were assessed on natural substrates and on artificial media. These features assist understanding of the colonization and successive occurrence of ammonia fungi in the field based on estimation of interactions among the fungi and the physiological characteristics of each ammonia fungus. The sequential colonization and fruiting of ammonia fungi in the field can be explained primarily by the preference or tolerance of a species to high concentrations of ammonium-N under alkaline to neutral conditions. Succession of ammonia fungi results from their sequential colonization associated with the time needed for each fungus to produce reproductive structures. Colonization likely initiates from mycelia and/or spores preinhabiting the soil and from newly invading airborne propagules. Duration of occurrence of ammonia fungi in the field is shortened by the interactions among them. Saprobic ammonia fungi are the principal agents of litter decomposition under alkaline to neutral conditions. Parts of this review were presented as the presidential address of the Mycological Society of Japan (MSJ) at the Mycological Society of America (MSA) and MSJ Joint Meeting 2005 held in Hawaii in August 2005     

Audit of prenatal diagnosis for haemoglobin disorders in the United Kingdom: the first 20 years.

OBJECTIVES: To audit services for prenatal diagnosis for haemoglobin disorders in the United Kingdom. DESIGN: Comparison of the annual number of cases recorded in a United Kingdom register of prenatal diagnoses for haemoglobin disorders, with the annual number of pregnancies at risk of these disorders, by ethnic group and regional health authority. The number of pregnancies at risk was estimated using data on ethnic group from the 1991 census and data from the United Kingdom thalassaemia register, which records the number of babies born with thalassaemia. SETTING: The three national prenatal diagnosis centres for haemoglobin disorders. SUBJECTS: 2068 cases of prenatal diagnosis for haemoglobin disorders in the United Kingdom from 1974 to 1994. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Utilisation of prenatal diagnosis by risk, ethnic group, and regional health authority. Proportion of referrals in the first trimester and before the birth of any affected child. RESULTS: National utilisation of prenatal diagnosis for haemoglobin disorders was around 20%. During the past 10 years it has remained steady at about 50% for thalassaemias and risen from 7% to 13% for sickle cell disorders. Utilisation for sickle cell disorders varies regionally from 2% to 20%. Utilisation for thalassaemias varies by ethnic group. It is almost 90% for Cypriots and ranges regionally for British Pakistanis from 0% to over 60%. About 60% of first prenatal diagnoses are done for couples without an affected child. Less than 50% of first referrals are in the first trimester. CONCLUSIONS: National utilisation of prenatal diagnosis for haemoglobin disorders is far lower than expected, and there are wide regional variations. A high proportion of referrals are still in the second trimester and after the birth of an affected child. The findings point to serious shortcomings in present antenatal screening practice and in local screening policies and to inadequate counselling resources, especially for British Pakistanis.     

Dermatophytosis among the students of the elementary schools in Taipei city

Summary A survey of dermatophytosis among the students of all elementary schools in Taipei City was performed from April to June, 1957. A total of 2687 students, 1419 boys and 1268 girls, were examined as a random sample.There were 85 cases of dermatophytosis (3.16%) including 80 cases of tinea capitis (2.98 %), two cases of tinea glabrosa (0.07 %), one case of tinea pedis (0.04 %) and two cases of favus (0.07 %). Seventy eight out of 80 cases of tinea capitis were male.Mycological study of 80 cases from these patients was performed and 49 strains of the causative organisms were obtained. Among 46 strains cultured from tinea capitis, there were 39 cases (84.8 %) ofT. ferrugineum, which is the commonest species in Formosa, 6 cases (13.0 %) ofT. violaceum and one case ofT. rubrum.Favus is an endemic dermatophytosis in middle and southern China but is rare in Taipei City.The relationship between the causative dermatophytes and the clinical findings of tinea capitis were described. Clinical symptom due toT. ferrugineum was different from that due to other organisms.     

中国植物学会第二届全国真菌、地衣学术讨论会会议纪要

<正> 第二届全国真菌、地衣学术讨论会于1986年10月28日至11月1日在武汉华中农业大学举行。出席这次学术讨论会的代表、列席代表和特邀代表共160余人,来自全国25省、市、自治区,是我国真菌与地衣学工作者的一次空前盛会。会议由中国植物学会真菌学会主持。会议进行了大会与分组学术报     

Hands-on Experiments on Predatory Behaviour with Antlion Larvae

One of the innovations in the Slovenian school system has been the introduction of elective subjects in the curricula of primary and secondary schools, thus there is a lack of teaching manuals for practical exercises and hands-on classroom experience. This situation is reflected in the Ethology classroom and for that purpose we prepared step-by-step model experiments, which can be used in Ethology classes. The larvae of antlions (Myrmeleontidae) are proposed as ideal organisms for studying the effect of environmental factors on predatory behaviour. The students perform three different experiments, where the effect of substrate particle size and feeding regime on the behaviour of antlion larvae are tested. Students are made to work in three groups, and depending on the result of the first experiment, the other two experiments are performed. Students are encouraged to think about the setting, active research, thorough observation and interpretation of the data to yield meaningful information. The exercise plan is the basic principle of studying animal behaviour, and the main focus is for students to be actively involved.     

Drug resistance among infantile enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated in the United Kingdom.

Two hundred and thirty-two strains of Escherichia coli belonging to infantile enteropathogenic serotypes isolated in the United Kingdom during 1980 and 1981 were tested for resistance to 10 antimicrobial drugs. Resistance to one or more drugs was found in 134 (57.8%) of the strains, with resistance to sulphonamides, streptomycin, tetracycline, and ampicillin occurring most commonly. Resistance was transferable in 65 out of 104 resistant strains. These findings are a cause for concern because they indicate that the choice of treatment for severe illness is limited and suggest that a large pool of drug-resistant organisms exists in the community.     

Child Centred Approach to Climate Change and Health Adaptation through Schools in Bangladesh: A Cluster Randomised Intervention Trial

Background

Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. People are getting educated at different levels on how to deal with potential impacts. One such educational mode was the preparation of a school manual, for high school students on climate change and health protection endorsed by the National Curriculum and Textbook Board, which is based on a 2008 World Health Organization manual. The objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of the manual in increasing the knowledge level of the school children about climate change and health adaptation.

Methods

This cluster randomized intervention trial involved 60 schools throughout Bangladesh, with 3293 secondary school students participating. School upazilas (sub-districts) were randomised into intervention and control groups, and two schools from each upazila were randomly selected. All year seven students from both groups of schools sat for a pre-test of 30 short questions of binary response. A total of 1515 students from 30 intervention schools received the intervention through classroom training based on the school manual and 1778 students of the 30 control schools did not get the manual but a leaflet on climate change and health issues. Six months later, a post-intervention test of the same questionnaire used in the pre-test was performed at both intervention and control schools. The pre and post test scores were analysed along with the demographic data by using random effects model.

Results

None of the various school level and student level variables were significantly different between the control and intervention group. However, the intervention group had a 17.42% (95% CI: 14.45 to 20.38, P = <0.001) higher score in the post-test after adjusting for pre-test score and other covariates in a multi-level linear regression model.

Conclusions

These results suggest that school-based intervention for climate change and health adaptation is effective for increasing the knowledge level of school children on this topic.