It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Friday, March 28, 2025
Classroom talk plays a key part in the teaching of writing, study shows
The way teachers manage classroom discussion with pupils plays a key role in the teaching of writing, a new study shows.
The research shows the importance of managing classroom discussion in a way that develops pupils’ understanding of the choices that writers make, and how those choices create particular effects for readers. This discussion helps pupils to think more about the choices that they make in their own writing.
The study reinforces the importance of dedicating time to discussion in secondary English lessons. It shows that time should be given to exploratory, speculative discussion that encourages students to share their initial impressions and ideas about the texts that they read.
Dr Ruth Newman, from the University of Exeter, observed classroom talk about writing – also referred to as ‘metalinguistic talk’ - in Year 9 classes as part of a three-year ESRC funded project.
The study highlights the importance of “scaffolding” discussion and making explicit the relationship between the language choices that writers make and the effect of those choices. Vague or clustered questioning may obscure meaning or scaffold insufficiently learners’ understandings and diminish the potential for dialogue.
Dr Newman said: “The study reinforces the importance of teachers finding space in lessons for everyone to respond to texts in a speculative and exploratory way. This can engage students’ interest and help them to build on what they already know about writing. This also gives teachers an opportunity to check students’ understandings”
“Carefully led, purposeful discussion helps pupils think about how writers make choices about language, and how these choices shape meaning”
Dr Newman said: “Managing this talk about writing is a highly skilled task. It requires careful handling and development of unanticipated responses. Students less eager or able to contribute might also need support and discursive scaffolds to access textual meaning and verbalise thinking.”
Dr Newman has been working closely with seven teachers in the South-West of England for three years. She observed their lessons, which were captured by a digital recorder worn by the teacher and a video recorder in the classroom.
Dr Newman also examined existing research for evidence of how talk about writing influences learners’ knowledge about language use and writing choices. This showed the importance of supporting teachers to develop classroom talk about writing through professional dialogue, reflection and collaboration.
The studies showed opportunities to engage in talk about language may have an impact on students’ ]learning about language use, and on their own writing.
Developing metalinguistic understanding in the secondary English classroom: the role of teachers’ framing questions and responsive talk moves in dialogic metalinguistic talk about written text
Staff shortages exceed those for teachers in many Illinois public schools
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau
A new USC Schaeffer Center white paper finds expanded access to anti-obesity medications would lead to significant increases in life expectancy and disease-free years while generating a substantial societal return on investment, even after accounting for treatment costs.
More than 4 in 10 U.S. adults have obesity, which is linked to increased risk of over 200 diseases — including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia — and costs society $260 billion annually to treat. Highly effective new anti-obesity medications can be a powerful tool against chronic disease, but fewer than one-third of health insurers cover them amid concerns about upfront costs.
Expanding access to anti-obesity medications for all adults without diabetes who qualify would generate $10 trillion in social value by enabling people to live longer and healthier lives, Schaeffer Center researchers found. Further, the investment in expanded access would yield returns to society exceeding 13% annually, which is comparable to returns on early childhood education for disadvantaged children and nearly double the U.S. stock market’s returns this century — investments widely regarded as valuable.
“While the costs of anti-obesity medications have grabbed headlines, our analysis shows why it’s important to consider the lifetime value of treatment. Expanding access will prevent or delay obesity-related comorbidities, resulting in improved quality and quantity of life for many Americans,” said Alison Sexton Ward, a research scientist at the Schaeffer Center and co-author of the study.
The analysis comes as federal officials consider a proposal to expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage of anti-obesity medications — a move that, if adopted, could also encourage broader coverage among private insurers. The new study builds on a widely cited 2023 Schaeffer Center white paper that found Medicare coverage of these medications could result in as much as $175 billion in cost offsets to the program over the next decade by reducing demand for care.
Expanded access generates value for more than just the sickest patients
Schaeffer Center researchers leveraged an economic-demographic microsimulation model known as the Future Adult Model to project the lifetime trajectories of health, medical spending, treatment costs and other economic outcomes for adults 25 and older without diabetes who qualify for anti-obesity medication under clinical guidelines. These findings were broken down by age group, body mass index (BMI) and risk of developing diabetes.
Although branded competition typically pushes down net prices of high-cost drugs even before cheaper generics arrive, the researchers conservatively assumed the net price of anti-obesity medication would remain constant before declining substantially when expected generic competition begins in 2032. The net price, which includes rebates and negotiated discounts, is estimated at about 55-65% below the list price and is consistent with net price estimates used by the Congressional Budget Office.
Younger and healthier adults who qualify for the medications were found to benefit the most from expanded access, though all age groups would have longer lives and less time with diabetes. As many as 1.8 years would be added to the lives of adults starting treatment at ages 25 to 34, while they would have as much as 5.9 additional years without diabetes.
Researchers determined the social value of expanding access by weighing the value of longer, healthier lives and savings from reduced medical costs against treatment costs.
Because of the years gained in better health, the greatest social value comes from treating younger and heathier adults. For instance, treating a 25-year-old with low immediate risk of developing diabetes on average generates nearly 30% higher lifetime social value than treating a 35-year-old with similar risk.
“Insurers often limit coverage of anti-obesity medications to sicker patients, such as those with prediabetes or diabetes, but our analysis shows they are likely missing out on a chance to prevent worse and more costly outcomes through early treatment,” said co-author Darius Lakdawalla, chief scientific officer at the Schaeffer Center and professor at the USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the USC Price School of Public Policy.
It's not just younger and healthier people. The lifetime net social value is positive for nearly every group the researchers analyzed.
Strong investment returns found across populations
Researchers also estimated the annual return to society for each dollar invested in expanding access to anti-obesity medication, reflecting the long-term health and economic benefits of such treatments.
Expanding access would broadly generate compelling rates of return across different groups of patients. This measurement, known as the internal rate of return (IRR), exceeded 13% for all subgroups with obesity (BMI of 30 or higher) over a 30-year period.
“Expanding access to anti-obesity medication is probably the single most effective policy to improve Americans’ public health,” said co-author Dana Goldman, co-director of the Schaeffer Center and founding director of the USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service. “The challenge will be to do it in a way that rewards innovators but keeps the public costs low."
Figure shows the additional life years spent without diabetes, relative to status quo, from expanding access to anti-obesity medication (AOM).
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Figure shows the net social value, relative to the status quo, from expanding access to anti-obesity medication (AOM).
Lifetime Social Returns From Expanding Access to Anti-Obesity Medication
Article Publication Date
27-Mar-2025
COI Statement
This white paper was supported by the Schaeffer Center, which receives funding from foundations, government agencies, individuals, and corporations— including companies that have interests in obesity treatments. A complete list of supporters of the Schaeffer Center can be found in our annual report. The Future Adult Model was developed with support from the National Institute on Aging (P30AG024968).
Discovery of novel small compounds that delay flowering in plants
Researchers from Japan investigate chemicals that can control the timing of flowering, aiming to enhance crop yield and resilience
Arabidopsis seedlings express a reporter of the flowering repressor, FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). FLC, seen in blue here, is strongly expressed in vascular tissues
Ikoma, Japan—In an era where climate change threatens food security, scientists worldwide are searching for reliable ways to improve crop production. Extreme weather and shifting seasonal patterns can disrupt traditional agricultural cycles, making technologies that regulate the timing of plant growth invaluable for farmers worldwide.
Plant growth and development are dependent on many factors such as the environment, photoperiod, and genetics. Flowering is an important event in a plant’s life cycle, and in many species, a period of cold exposure (or vernalization) is required before flowering in the spring. Once flowering begins, plants redirect nutrients from their leaves to seed production, reducing the nutritional value of leafy crops. While scientists understand many aspects of this process, mechanisms that can naturally pause or reverse this phase of preparation for flowering (devernalization) remain largely unexplored.
Against this backdrop, a research team led by Assistant Professor Makoto Shirakawa of Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Japan, has been investigating the molecular basis of devernalization. They identified a new class of small molecules called devernalizers (DVRs), capable of inducing devernalization without the requirement of heat treatment in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. Their findings were published in Volume 8 of Communications Biology on January 22, 2025. This work was co-authored by Nana Otsuka, Ryoya Yamaguchi, Hikaru Sawa, Nobutoshi Yamaguchi, and Toshiro Ito from NAIST; Naoya Kadofusa, Nanako Kato, and Ayato Sato from Nagoya University; and Yasuyuki Nomura and Atsushi J. Nagano from Ryukoku University.
The researchers screened over 16,000 chemical compounds and discovered five DVRs that reactivated the expression of the FLOWERING LOCUS C gene, a key suppressor of flowering. By minimizing specific dynamic modifications to the plant’s genes, these DVRs could delay flowering even after induced vernalization. Notably, three of these DVRs shared two critical structural features—a hydantoin-like region and a spiro-like carbon—which were found to be essential for the devernalizing effect.
Furthermore, the team identified a sixth DVR compound—named DVR06—which was structurally simpler yet retained the above-mentioned key features. Experimental results showed that plants treated with DVR06 exhibited delayed flowering without adverse side effects. A genome-wide analysis revealed that DVR06 affected a more specific set of genes compared to heat-induced devernalization, highlighting its potential for flowering regulation. “It was well known that applying heat treatment to plants in the field is both labor-intensive and costly. So, I was really excited when we found out that DVR06 had a more specific effect than heat treatment. This was the moment when all the time we had spent on screening finally paid off!” shares Shirakawa.
The discovery of DVR06 and its mechanisms could pave the way for new agricultural technologies that allow farmers to effectively regulate flowering times. By delaying flowering, leafy crops may maintain their nutritional quality for longer periods, increasing yields and reducing wastage. The research team aims to improve the efficacy of DVRs, as Ito remarks: “We will conduct further research to change the structure of DVRs to develop compounds with greater activity and specificity. We expect the results of these studies to lead to the development of new technologies for stable food production under a fluctuating global environment.”
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Resource
Title: Small molecules and heat treatments reverse vernalization via epigenetic modification in Arabidopsis
Authors: Nana Otsuka, Ryoya Yamaguchi, Hikaru Sawa, Naoya Kadofusa, Nanako Kato, Yasuyuki Nomura, Nobutoshi Yamaguchi, Atsushi J. Nagano, Ayato Sato, Makoto Shirakawa, and Toshiro Ito
Information about the Plant Stem Cell Regulation and Floral Patterning Laboratory can be found at the following website: https://bsw3.naist.jp/ito/
About Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST)
Established in 1991, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) is a national university located in Kansai Science City, Japan. In 2018, NAIST underwent an organizational transformation to promote and continue interdisciplinary research in the fields of biological sciences, materials science, and information science. Known as one of the most prestigious research institutions in Japan, NAIST lays a strong emphasis on integrated research and collaborative co-creation with diverse stakeholders. NAIST envisions conducting cutting-edge research in frontier areas and training students to become tomorrow's leaders in science and technology.
Ikoma, Japan—Throughout evolution, plants have continuously adapted to survive in changing environments. Apart from complex structural changes, plants have also developed various defense strategies against herbivores, including tougher protective layers, thorns, and chemical deterrents. Delving deeper into the evolution of defense mechanisms, a research team led by Assistant Professor Makoto Shirakawa from Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), identified a surprising genetic adaptation in the Brassicales plant order. In these cruciferous plants—including cabbage, mustard, and wasabi—genes originally used for gas exchange have been repurposed for defense.
The researchers uncovered the unique mechanism behind this evolutionary adaptation. Their findings were published online on February 24, 2025 and published in Volume 11 of the journal Nature Plants on March 01, 2025. The research team included Tomoki Oguro, Nobutoshi Yamaguchi, and Toshiro Ito from NAIST; Shigeo S. Sugano from National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology; Shohei Yamaoka and Takayuki Kohchi from Kyoto University; Yasunori Ichihashi from RIKEN Institute; Atsushi Takemiya from Yamaguchi University; and Takamasa Suzuki from Chubu University.
According to the study, FAMA, a protein primarily responsible for regulating gene expression for gas exchange, serves a dual role for the cruciferous plants. Beyond controlling stomatal (tiny pores for gas exchange) guard cells, FAMA also helps to produce myrosin cells—the specialized structures that store mustard oil compounds. So, when a plant is damaged, these compounds create a sharp, pungent taste that repels herbivores.
“We identified a specific gene called WASABI MAKER (WSB), which is directly activated by FAMA and is the key trigger for the development of myrosin cells,” shares Dr. Shirakawa. “When we studied the plants without WSB, we found that these defense cells failed to form, confirming its essential role in myrosin cell production.”
Additionally, the researchers identified another gene called STOMATAL CARPENTER 1 (SCAP1), which is also a target for FAMA. This gene collaborates with WSB in regulating guard cell development, but its role in myrosin cell formation appears to be secondary.
Evolutionary analysis suggests that these genetic pathways originally helped regulate stomatal development but were later repurposed for defense in Brassicales. “This discovery is particularly interesting because it highlights how gene repurposing allows plants to develop new survival strategies without evolving entirely new genes,” adds co-author Toshiro Ito.
This remarkable discovery offers promising avenues for improving crop yield. Modifying key genetic regulators like FAMA could help enhance the chemical defense in crops and vegetables, avoiding pest damage. Additionally, since FAMA also controls gas exchange, it can be optimized for efficient uptake of carbon dioxide in plants.
Moving forward, the researchers aim to uncover the mechanism of how plants have evolved to produce such a diverse range of specialized cells. Highlighting the significance of their research, Dr. Shirakawa concludes, “Beyond offering new insights for crop improvement strategies, we believe our future work will help answer one of biology’s most fundamental questions: How have plants achieved such remarkable diversity with a limited number of genes?”
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Resource
Title: Co-option and neofunctionalization of stomatal executors for defence against herbivores in Brassicales
Authors: Makoto Shirakawa, Tomoki Oguro, Shigeo S. Sugano, Shohei Yamaoka, Mayu Sagara, Mai Tanida, Kyoko Sunuma, Takuya Iwami, Tatsuyoshi Nakanishi, Keita Horiuchi, Kie Kumaishi, Soma Yoshida, Mutsumi Watanabe, Takayuki Tohge, Takamasa Suzuki, Yasunori Ichihashi, Atsushi Takemiya, Nobutoshi Yamaguchi, Takayuki Kohchi, and Toshiro Ito
Information about the Plant Stem Cell Regulation and Floral Patterning Laboratory can be found at the following website: https://bsw3.naist.jp/ito/
About Professor Makoto Shirakawa from Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Japan
Dr. Makoto Shirakawa is an Assistant Professor at Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) in Ikoma, Japan. He earned his PhD from Kyoto University, Japan, and specializes in plant biology, molecular biology, cell biology, genome editing, and botany. His key research includes CRISPR/Cas9 applications in Marchantia polymorpha, studies on Arabidopsis thaliana, and plant development. For his remarkable contributions, he is recognized among Japan's top scientists in plant cell and developmental biology.
About Nara Instituteof Science and Technology (NAIST)
Established in 1991, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) is a national university located in Kansai Science City, Japan. In 2018, NAIST underwent an organizational transformation to promote and continue interdisciplinary research in the fields of biological sciences, materials science, and information science. Known as one of the most prestigious research institutions in Japan, NAIST lays a strong emphasis on integrated research and collaborative co-creation with diverse stakeholders. NAIST envisions conducting cutting-edge research in frontier areas and training students to become tomorrow's leaders in science and technology.
