BIOL 426 Spring 2024 | Biology Department | West Virginia University Infographic II Description and Rubric Over the course of the semester, you have most likely developed further interest in some general areas of cancer study that we have not yet covered or still have questions that remain on some topics after lecture. This is an opportunity to select one of those interests and pursue it further on your own. The information that you gather will again be used to create an infographic, but your audience will be different. You will take the scientific interest that you have and explain it at the level of the general public. Due Date: Wednesday, April 24th at 1:30 PM EST on eCampus. Project Rationale By completing this project, you will be gaining skills to: 1. Educate yourselves on an unknown topic by searching for relevant sources. 2. Communicate clearly to a select audience using a modern form of information dissemination. 3. Make complex information more accessible to a wider and mostly non-scientific audience. In part, this project will allow you to research a related topic of your choice, but the bigger picture is to practice your skills at finding reliable sources, critically analyzing information, and how to explain these facts to others who do not have a strong scientific background. These skills are so very important in our modern society! Professional/Real-World Skills developed by this project include: Critical/Analytical thinking Ability to use new/unfamiliar software through self-exploration ● Creative Communication WVU BIOL 426-001 Infographic II Description & Rubric | Young | Page 2 of 5 How to Get Started, then Complete the Project 1. Start with some simple research surrounding your topic of interest and see where it leads. • Try Google first, then scientific journal articles to see what research may have been performed on the subject. 2. Check out different free infographic design websites to see which you like best. • Canva- https://www.canva.com/ o Piktochart- https://piktochart.com/formats/infographics/ ○ Visme- https://www.visme.co/make-infographics/ ○ Smartdraw - https://www.smartdraw.com/ o If you have another website or program in mind, please go for it! o Please do not pay for anything!!! There are easy ways to work around this - come see me first! 3. Check the rubric at the end of this document to make sure you know what needs to be included in your infographic. 4. Create your own infographic. Have fun with this! I know students HATE to hear professors say this, but how often do you get to flex your creative muscles in your biology courses? 5. Download your completed infographic as a PDF file and submit it to the appropriate link on eCampus by 1:30 PM EST on 4/24/24. BIOL 426: Molecular Biology of Canc HOW TO CREATE AN INFOGRAPHIC ? ויויז ויזיז Start with a question. I've always heard that causes caner. Is it true? You may fill in the blank with your original answer from class or use another you find interesting that you have thought of since. Perform a quick Google search. Search to see if others have this question as well What kind of information is available to you. Are the sources your found easily trustworthy? Can you find sources that you trust on this topic elsewhere? Check out the attached rubric. The rubric provides bullet points of all items required in your infographic. This will help to guide future research. Canva PIKTOCHART Think about your infographic design. In what order would you like to present your information. What would best represent your data (a table, a graph, a picture)? Get Creative with free online software. Use websites such as Piktochart or Canva (used for this graphic) to build a visual representation of the information you collect to answer your question. @ Don't forget your references. Information can come trusted sources, but two journal articles must be used. Also, you should have both in-text citations (Young. 2018) and a full references section at the end. Download and email to submit. Infographic I will be due on 3/10/21 at 9:30am Download as a PDF and submit via the Tumitir link on eCampus. References: Author Last Name, Author First and Middle Initials. Year of Publication. Article Title. Name of Journal Volume of Journal: Pag Numbers of Article WVU BIOL 426-001 Infographic II Description & Rubric | Young | Page 3 of 5 Items to Keep in Mind While Designing Your Infographic Your audience is key in this assignment: the general public. Most Americans read at the 8th-grade level. There is a fine line between providing enough information to inform your audience and insulting them. Beware this line! Make known the significance of your question/project. ➤ Your audience will need to see right away why they should care about your topic so you can keep their attention. Use information from trusted sources ➤ Two scientific journal articles minimum - a must this time. ➤ In-text and full citations are required. See the Writing Guide below. ❖ Include as many facts in visual form as possible, while still keeping “white space” in your design. ➤ Can that fact you wish to use be shown visually in a figure, a cartoon, or a graph? ➤ Use as little text as possible. Let the figures/pictures do your talking for you. *Use the attached rubric for all items required to be present on your infographic to earn full points. WVU BIOL 426-001 Infographic II Description & Rubric| Young | Page 4 of 5 Writing Guide Avoiding Plagiarism Plagiarism is defined as submitting anyone else's work or ideas as your own. Even if you change a few words around or reorder sentences from a source, it is still considered to be plagiarism. This can be intentional or accidental, but in either case it is treated the same by the University. So if unintentional plagiarism is possible, how do you know if you are avoiding it? In scientific writing, we cite all information, language, and ideas that are not our own. It is always best to restate the ideas of others into our own words, but this information still needs to have an in-text citation and a full citation in the References section. References sections are not entirely difficult to write; if a citation is found in the text, it should also be found in the References section. In the text of your infographic, it is better to over-cite, than to under-cite. Although citations are not always necessary after every sentence (see below), when in doubt, cite it. Citing Sources - Journal Articles In-text citations: (Author, Year of Publication) Example: if you use a paper that has a single author of Janet Smith that was published in 2012, after that information in your infographic, but before the period of that sentence, you should find the following: (Smith, 2012). Full Citations in the References Section: Full citations in the references section have many acceptable forms. These citations can also be a little different depending on if the source is a journal article, book, web site, or personal communication. Although all slightly different, most use the following general format: Author Last Name, Author First and Middle Initials. Year of Publication. Article Title. Name of Journal. Volume of Journal (Issue): Page Numbers of Article. Example: Smith, J.T. 2012. Most Common Causes of Lung Cancer in the Midwestern United States of America. Nature Cancer Reviews (123): 234-245. Infographic I Rubric: WVU BIOL 426-001 Infographic II Description & Rubric| Young | Page 5 of 5 Criterion Points Points Possible Earned Purpose Title Provide a descriptive title for your infographic. 2 。 The title may be in the form of your original question, but should catch a reader from your audience's attention. Project Significance An explanation of the significance of the project. 。 Why is this of interest to your audience? 。 Statistics may be presented to explain importance. Research • Provide information from reliable sources. 7 • Show the results of experimentation and/or important figures from scientific research (2 articles must be cited). 10 • Provide a summary of facts/data collected by trusted groups/organizations (i.e. American Cancer Association). Discussion/Conclusion • Research presented is critically analyzed. o Is the source trustworthy? Were the results clear/strong? •Provide a final conclusion based on your presented facts. • Summarize what all this information means to the reader. 4 o Is there a suggestion you can make for your reader based on these findings? Audience The presentation uses appropriate terms, explanations, and graphics given the audience = the general public. Conventions Facts & Clarity • All information presented is scientifically accurate and clearly communicated. • The information is presented logically so that is both educational and conclusive. • The information presented is clearly relevant to the question asked. Design of the Infographic • Graphics used help illustrate the text in the infographic • Layout includes sufficient white space and is easy to follow • Color scheme is pleasant and enhances the visibility of the infographic. • Includes an appropriate font to complement the content and make the text readable. References • In-Text citations present in infographic (Author, year) • References section included that contains full bibliographic citations for all sources used. 5 5 3 TOTAL: 40 _/40/n CANCER'S SILENT THREAT: ASBESTOS EXPOSURE DANGER ASBESTOS What is asbestos? Asbestos as a group of naturally occurring minerals composed of thin, fibrous crystals uses in construction, insulation, and manufacturing. FIBERS TO THE LUNGS Health Risks Mesothelioma Lung cancer Asbestosis Pleural plaques Other respiratory diseases A ASBESTOS Common sources Older buildings constructed with asbestos-containing Occupational exposure Construction workers Shipyard workers . Plumbers . Electricians • Mechanics materials (ACMs) Insulation materials Automotive parts Industrial settings Environmental exposure Demolition or renovation of buildings containing asbestos Natural disasters that disturb asbestos- containing materials • Insulators Symptoms: Early & Asbestos-related Early Warning Signs: ASBESTOS • Persistent coughing or wheezing • Shortness of breath Chest pain or tightness . Fatigue and weakness Respiratory issues that worsen over time Asbestos-Related Diseases: • Mesothelioma: chest pain, difficulty breathing, and unexplained weight loss. Lung Cancer: persistent cough, chest pain, and coughing up blood. • Asbestosis: shortness of breath, persistent dry cough, and chest tightness. Other disease: 3% Mesothelioma: 20% Asbestos related lung cancer: 20% 12.000 deaths Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): 34% Non-asbestos related lung cancer: 23% 42% · 39% Survival Rate 1 Year After Diagnosis 10% 4% Lung Cancer Mesothelioma Survival Rate 10 Years After Diagnosis Diagnosis Medical History: Doctors inquire about potential asbestos exposure through occupation or living environments. Physical Examination: Assessing respiratory function and overall health. Imaging Tests: X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs to detect abnormalities in the lungs or chest cavity. Pulmonary Function Tests: Measuring lung capacity and efficiency. Biopsies: Extracting tissue samples for laboratory analysis to confirm asbestos-related diseases. Experimentation Culture A549 cells in plates Prepare asbestos suspensions in media at desired concentrations Expose cells to asbestos Incubate cells Cell Viability Assessment Perform statistical suspensions analysis REFERENCES 1. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (2020). Asbestos Toxicity: What Are the Health Effects of Asbestos Exposure? [Online]. Available: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/asbestos/health_effects_asbestos.html 2. American Cancer Society. (2022). Key Statistics for Malignant Mesothelioma. [Online]. Available: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/malignant- mesothelioma/about/key-statistics.html 3. Environmental Protection Agency. (2021). Asbestos Laws and Regulations. [Online]. Available: https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/asbestos-laws-and- regulations 4. National Cancer Institute. (2021). Asbestos Exposure and Cancer Risk. [Online]. Available: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes- prevention/risk/substances/asbestos/asbestos-fact-sheet 5. World Health Organization. (2020). Asbestos: Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases. [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact- sheets/detail/asbestos-elimination-of-asbestos-related-diseases