Effects of Advance Organiser and Concept Attainment Models on the Achievement of Pre-Nce Students in Geometry in North – Central Nigeria

The study investigated the effectiveness of two instructional models – the Concept Attainment Model (CAM) and Advance Organiser Model (AOM) on the achievement of Pre-NCE students in geometry. Two research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The design of the study was Pre-test Post-test equivalent control group design or quasi-experimental design. The study was carried out in Kogi and Benue States in the present North Central Nigeria. The population of the study was 1100 pre-NCE students in public colleges of education in the two states. Three out of the four public colleges of Education in the two states were randomly selected for the study. The total number of students in their intact classes who offered Pre-NCE geometry in these colleges was 830. This formed the sample for the study. 402 (48.4%) of the students were male and 428 (51.6%) were female. The instrument used for data collection was Pre-NCE Geometry Achievement Test (PNGAT). PNGAT had two versions – Pre-PNGAT and Post-PNGAT which were the same except for the swapping of some of the items. PNGAT was subjected to both face and content validation and item analysis. Using Kuder-Richardson (K-R) 20 formula, the internal consistency was found to be 0.74. Pre-PNGAT was administered on the groups before treatment started while Post-PNGAT was administered at the end of the 5-week treatment period. Scores from the Pre-PNGAT and Post-PNGAT were analysed using means and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Some of the major findings were (i) AOM and CAM were more effective than the conventional method (ii) CAM was more effective than AOM. Based on the findings, the implications were highlighted and recommendations were made towards better achievement of pre-NCE students in geometry. Keywords: Avance organiser, concept attainment, achievement, Pre-NCE geometr

Translational considerations in injectable cell-based therapeutics for neurological applications: concepts, progress and challenges

Significant progress has been made during the past decade towards the clinical adoption of cell-based therapeutics. However, existing cell-delivery approaches have shown limited success, with numerous studies showing fewer than 5% of injected cells persisting at the site of injection within days of transplantation. Although consideration is being increasingly given to clinical trial design, little emphasis has been given to tools and protocols used to administer cells. The different behaviours of various cell types, dosing accuracy, precise delivery, and cell retention and viability post-injection are some of the obstacles facing clinical translation. For efficient injectable cell transplantation, accurate characterisation of cellular health post-injection and the development of standardised administration protocols are required. This review provides an overview of the challenges facing effective delivery of cell therapies, examines key studies that have been carried out to investigate injectable cell delivery, and outlines opportunities for translating these findings into more effective cell-therapy interventions

A novel self-sintering microparticle-based system for regenerative medicine

The use of injectable scaffolds has raised great interest as they minimise the need for invasive surgery and its associated complications, costs and discomfort to the patient. Furthermore, they can fill cavities of any size or shape as well as being able to deliver a localised therapeutic agent. The aim of this study was to develop an injectable scaffold using PLGA microparticles which may be able to (i) carry cells and/or drugs to a site of injury (ii) be delivered via a narrow bore needle, and (iii) form a scaffold in situ with sufficient mechanical properties. The investigated system exploits a novel in situ solidification mechanism (liquid sintering) whereby the injectable microparticle-based precursors solidify into 3D constructs in response to thermal changes [2]. Thus, we demonstrate that PLGA microparticles incorporated with Triton X-100 are thermally responsive at body temperature (37°C) and may be exploited in regenerative medical applications.Peer reviewe

Microparticles as tissue engineering scaffolds : manufacture, modification and manipulation

Tissue engineering, a field which focusses on the replacement, repair and regeneration of damaged or diseased tissue by the application of biomaterials, cells and associated biological molecules, has advanced rapidly due to the intense demand for tissue substitutes. A key principle in tissue engineering involves growing the appropriate cells in vitro for the desired application before delivery into the body of a patient. The implantable devices, biological constructs or scaffolds, developed in tissue engineering aim to provide the initial architecture required for supporting the cells as well as define the micro and macrostructure of the final engineered product. Furthermore, these scaffolds may be exploited to release drugs and/or growth factors in a controlled manner, thus facilitating the repair and regeneration of the target tissue. Microparticles, spherical carrier scaffolds, have recently received extensive interest for their potential therapeutic applications in a diverse range of clinical and regenerative medical settings. Not only can these versatile subunits be used as cell culture scaffolds, their innate structure reduces the degradation of encapsulated biologically active molecules and also allows their exploitation as a localised injectable delivery system. The purpose of the present article is to review the tissue engineering applications of these microparticles and to provide a brief overview of the critical factors considered during their formulation and use - including the range of materials used and the different modification protocols and technologies exploited to improve and enhance their mechanical properties and biocompatibility for regenerative medicine.Peer reviewe

Life support systems for cell therapies

Peer reviewe