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Factors influencing Life Sciences learners’ engagement in classroom questioning : a case of learners from rural contexts
Khoza, Hlologelo Climant (Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Education, 2026-03-06)
Learner engagement in Life Sciences classroom questioning has been seen as a driver of meaning-making. However, research suggests that this engagement is minimal in rural science teaching contexts. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence rural school Life Sciences learners’ engagement in classroom questioning. A conceptual framework consisting of several theoretical positions regarding science classroom questioning was developed to ground the study. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through open-ended questionnaires. The 128 questionnaires were analysed using a qualitative content analysis. This analysis yielded six categories that characterise inhibiting and enabling factors to classroom questioning engagement. These categories include teacher orchestration of classroom questioning, teacher perception of questioning, learner preference and perceptions of questioning, learner anxiety and resilience, learner resonance with the topic, as well as language issues. I argue that it is important for Life Sciences teachers to realise these factors, especially issues of learner anxiety and language. A recommendation from this study is that teachers need to be trained in strategies that can be used to deal with the factors that inhibit Life Sciences learners’ engagement in classroom questioning.
Facies architecture, depositional environments, and organic matter enrichment of the Mamu Formation on the western flank of the Anambra Basin, Nigeria
Oluwajana, Oladotun; Adebambo, Bamidele; Opatola, Abraham; Ehinola, Olugbenga; Johnson, Temitayo; Omietimi, Erepamo Job; Olawuyi, Gabriel; Afolabi, Akinwande; Olowa, Folakemi (Elsevier, 2026-07)
Coal-bearing strata of the Maastrichtian Mamu Formation on the western flank of the Anambra Basin are widely recognised. Yet, the controls on facies variability, organic matter enrichment, and reservoir distribution remain poorly resolved. This study integrates detailed sedimentological logging, agglutinated foraminiferal assemblages, and inorganic geochemical proxies from representative outcrops to reconstruct depositional environments and sequence stratigraphic architecture. Eight lithofacies are grouped into swamp, tidally influenced estuarine, estuarine mudflat, bay-fill delta, and braided fluvial facies associations. Vertical stacking patterns and key stratigraphic surfaces define a complete LST-TST-HST succession comprising lowstand peat-forming coastal mires, retrogradational estuarine deposits capped by an Ammobaculites-rich maximum transgressive interval, and highstand bay-fill delta to braided fluvial progradation. Geochemical proxies indicate brackish estuarine conditions with strong terrigenous influx, predominantly oxygenated bottom waters, and reducing pore-water conditions favourable for organic matter preservation. Organic enrichment reflects estuarine restriction, sediment dilution, and early diagenetic recycling rather than persistent anoxia. By integrating facies architecture, micropalaeontology, and redox-salinity proxies, this study establishes the high-resolution sequence stratigraphic model for the western flank of the basin and clarifies the paleoenvironmental controls on organic matter enrichment. Coal seams and Ammobaculites-bearing shales constitute potential gas-prone source rocks, whereas braided-channel sandstones represent the most prospective reservoirs. The proposed model provides a predictive framework for reservoir and source-rock distribution and reduces exploration uncertainty in this underexplored sector of the Anambra Basin. HIGHLIGHTS • Integrated facies, geochemistry, and foraminifera refine basin evolution. • LST-TST-HST succession defined for western Anambra Basin. • Coal mires formed during lowstand under freshwater–brackish conditions. • Maximum transgression marked by Ammobaculites-rich estuarine muds. • Coal and shale are gas-prone sources; braided sands are key reservoirs.
Gapless pangenome analyses reveal fast Brassica rapa subspeciation
Ma, Wei; Liu, Yuanming; Wei, Xiaochun; Zhang, Xiaomeng; Li, Xiaonan; Liu, Zhaokun; Yuan, Lingyun; Li, Guangguang; Zhang, Shu; Yang, Qihang; Chang, Xiaocong; Han, Zizhuo; Liang, Hao; Luan, Zhaoshui; Wang, Qianyun; Gu, Yujie; Wang, Xinlong; Zhao, Xianlei; Liu, Qing; Sun, Xiaoxue; Liu, Mengyang; Feng, Daling; Lu, Yin; Luo, Shuangxia; Yang, Lei; Li, Mengyuan; Allaby, Robin; Wang, Kai; Zhang, Tianzhen; Shen, Shuxing; Van de Peer, Yves; Hong, Yiguo; Yuan, Yuxiang; Zhao, Jianjun (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2026-02)
Brassica rapa (Br) encompasses many morphotypes and subspecies, so it is a good model with which to investigate plant diversification and subspeciation. Here, we resequenced the genomes of 1720 Br accessions and de novo assembled 11 representative telomere-to-telomere gapless genomes for seven elite subspecies that underwent intensive morphotypification and developed distinct agronomic traits valued to agriculture. We identified 6992 unknown genes, 110 complete (peri)centromeres, and five new satellites associated with Br morphotypes and subspecies and Brassica species evolution. The pangenome, built on 11 gapless and 20 published genomes, reveals structural variations and gene diversities among Br subspecies. Pangenome-wide association studies uncovered that the gene BrLH1 controls leaf-head formation. We show that structural changes have occurred in satellites, (peri)centromeres, and genes, contributing to fast subspeciation and morphotypification during the short history of Br cultivation, providing invaluable resources for Brassica breeding. STRUCTURED ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION : The drivers leading to the rapid rise and diversification of angiosperms since the Middle Cretaceous period remain mysterious. Recent advances in genomics and pangenomics have opened new avenues to study fast evolution and development in flowering plants. However, the lack of high-quality gapless genomic and pangenomic resources has restricted our ability to fully understand genomic and pangenomic structures and diversity, as well as their links with phenotypic variations in plants. Crops that have rapidly diversified during domestication may serve as suitable targets to answer such questions. RATIONALE : Brassica rapa (Br) is a diploid species that has evolved morphologically and physiologically diverse subspecies and morphotypes over a short history of domestication. These encompass eight forms that include turnip, pak choi, and Chinese cabbage. Using Br and its subspecies as a model, we aimed to uncover hidden links between functional satellites and centromere dynamics, structural variations (SVs) and gene functions, as well as genomic and pangenomic causes for phenotypic changes that have driven rapid plant speciation and subspeciation. RESULTS : We resequenced the genomes of 1720 different Br accessions and de novo assembled telomere-to-telomere (T2T) gapless genomes for 11 representatives of seven morphotypes and subspecies that serve as elite breeding parents. We identified 6992 previously unannotated genes, 110 complete centromeres and pericentromeres, and five new satellites associated with evolution of Br morphotypes and subspecies and Brassica species. We constructed a high-quality centromere and SV map for Br, enabling the analysis of centromeric elements, SV diversity, and their rapid evolution. We established the most comprehensive gapless pangenome to date, which comprises 31 accessions (including 11 T2T and 20 previously published genomes), and elucidated the pangenomic basis for morphotype diversification and subspeciation in Br. Particularly, we found that 200, 203, and 503 presence-absence variants (PAVs) are potentially relevant (80% conformity) to the diversification of Chinese cabbage, caixin, and turnip, respectively. Through pangenome-wide association studies (pan-GWAS) and forward genetics analysis, we also identified and functionally validated BrLH1 as a key player in the control of leafy head development in Chinese cabbage and Br subspecies. CONCLUSION : We show that structural changes have occurred in satellites, centromeres, and genes that contributed to fast subspeciation and morphotypification during the short history of Br cultivation. These genomic and pangenomic resources will provide valuable insights into the genetic basis for phenotypic diversity across Br, with implications for breeding and domestication processes. EDITOR’S SUMMARY Pangenomes were developed to better encompass genetic variation across a species, but this concept is now being expanded to include variation across subspecies as well as genera. A pair of papers in this issue report pangenome creation for crops, which particularly benefit from this analysis approach given their high levels of diversification and ploidy (see the Perspective by Soltis and Soltis). Ma et al. created a pangenome for Brassica rapa by integrating genetic variation from 1720 accessions spanning seven subspecies. Huang et al. created a pangenome for the polyploid sugarcane (Saccharum) that combines nine assemblies from four species. These references were able to help identify structural variations and regions potentially underlying important phenotypes. These pangenomes will serve as a valuable resource for research focusing on the improvement of these crops and will offer insight into domestication processes. —Corinne Simonti and Madeleine Seale
MnSe supported on carbon foam prepared by salt template method as advanced host cathode for lithium-sulfur battery
Zhang, Xuefeng; Lv, Qian; Liu, Hui; Guo, Aifang; Ren, Jianwei; Mo, Zaiyong; Huang, Zhenlong; Wang, Hui (Springer, 2026-03)
Please read abstract in the article.
Systematic review of international ethics knowledge in the speech-language pathology literature (1980–2022)
Naudé, Alida Maryna; Kanji, Amisha; Louw, Brenda; Bornman, Juan (Taylor and Francis, 2025-01-07)
PURPOSE : A systematic review was conducted to describe various viewpoints expressed in speech-language pathology literature over four decades concerning ethics knowledge in the profession. METHOD : The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were employed. Our sample search encompassed peer-reviewed journal articles sourced from electronic databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, MasterFILE Premier, E-Journals, Africa-Wide Information, and Academic Search Premier, spanning the period from 1980 to 2022. RESULT : The initial search of articles identified 139 papers. After applying rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria, 60 full-text papers were deemed suitable for inclusion. We conducted a qualitative, deductive analysis of the relevant data and findings. Studies primarily concentrated on the speech-language pathologist’s roles in rehabilitation/management and education, research, and administration. A predominant focus of these papers revolved around moral judgement, a fundamental component of moral behaviour. CONCLUSION : Findings suggest an evolving landscape within the speech-language pathology discipline, with an increased focus on moral judgement, professional competency, and rehabilitation/management. The findings highlight a consistent need for further development and emphasis on ethics in education, research, administration, and advocacy/consultation roles. This underscores the necessity for ongoing ethical education and support to ensure practitioners are well-equipped to navigate the complex ethical landscape of their professional practice.