BLENDED LEARNING AND SYSTEMATIC WORK OF STUDENTS

The use of blended learning for the biology students, which combines a module-rating system of learning with an e-training scheme, has proved to enhance the learning quality byencouraging systematic independent work of students

Learning management system as a necessary element of blended learning

The objective of the given work was to study approaches to the choice of software platforms for supporting distance, blended and e-learning. The article presents brief information about the evolution of e-learning systems, and the explanation is given of using the term “blended learning” in case of applying it. The results of comparative analysis are given for systems of managing content and education process exemplified by Moodle 3.2 and DiSpace 2.0, the latter of which is an updated version of a software platform developed by Novosibirsk State Technical University. The following characteristics of e-learning systems were studied: functionalities of modules and subsystems; terms of authorization, installation and support; interface convenience and other parameters. The results are given of polling students about evaluating the indicators of the quality of DiSpace 2.0 e-learning environment (interface friendliness, communication convenience, functional completeness) and electronic educational-methodical complex (availability, content completeness, presentation convenience, involvement in the educational process, topicality). It is pointed in the conclusion, that regardless of the particular learning management system, it should meet the main criteria imposed to basic platforms: openness, expendability, stability, documented nature, and constant development

The Genom of Enteroviruses in the Blood Serum of Patients with Acute Stroke.

Objective of the study was determination of enterovirus genom presence in the blood serum of patients with acute stroke by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The blood serum of 72 patients with acute stroke and control group of 30 patients with another vascular disease was studied to reveal genom of enteroviruses. Detection of enterovirus RNA was performed by PCR using the reverse transcription. Viruses were isolated on HeLa and HEp-2 cell lines. The enterovirus genom detected by PCR was in 17 of 72 samples of the tested serum in the research group (23,6±5,0%). In the control group only one serum was PCR-positive for enteroviruses (3,3±3,2%). Cytopathogenic agents were isolated in HEp-2 and HeLa cell lines from 11 PCR-positive samples of blood serum from the experimental group of patients. No viruses were isolated from the remaining PCR-positive and PCR-negative sera. The presence of enteroviruses in the blood of patients with acute stroke suggests etiopathogenetical link between them. The introduction of PCR to detect enteroviral agents in patients with acute stroke can complement existing methods of diagnosis

Comparison of DNA-Hydrolyzing Antibodies from the Cerebrospinal Fluid and Serum of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

It was found that high-affinity anti-DNA antibodies were one of the major components of the intrathecal IgG response in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients [Williamson et al., PNAS, 2001]. Recently we have shown that IgGs from the sera of MS patients are active in the hydrolysis of DNA. Here we have shown, for the first time, that average concentration of total proteins (132-fold), total IgGs (194-fold) and anti-DNA antibodies (200-fold) in the sera is significantly higher than that in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of fifteen MS patients. The relative activities of total protein from sera and CSFs varied remarkably from patient to patient. It was surprising that the specific DNase activity of the total protein of CSF reparations were 198-fold higher than the serum ones. Electrophoretically and immunologically homogeneous IgGs were obtained by sequential affinity chromatography of the CSF proteins on protein G-Sepharose and FPLC gel filtration. We present first evidence showing that IgGs from CSF not only bind but efficiently hydrolyze DNA and that average specific DNase activity of homogeneous antibodies from CSF is unpredictably ∼49-fold higher than that from the sera of the same MS patients. Some possible reasons of these findings are discussed. We suggest that DNase IgGs of CSF may promote important neuropathologic mechanisms in this chronic inflammatory disorder and MS pathogenesis development