Learning Biology through Innovative Curricula: A Comparison of Game- and Nongame-Based Approaches

This study explored student learning in the context of innovative biotechnology curricula and the effects of gaming as a central element of the learning experience. The quasi-experimentally designed study compared learning outcomes between two curricular approaches: one built around a computer-based game and the other built around a narrative case. The research questions addressed student learning of basic biological principles, development of interest in learning science, and how a game-based approach compared to a nongame-based approach in terms of supporting learning. The study employed a pre-post design with 1,888 high school students nested within the classes of 36 biology teachers. Results indicated that students participating in both approaches demonstrated statistically and practically significant gains on both proximal and distal assessments of biological content knowledge. Neither group demonstrated gains in science interest. The curriculum by time interaction was not statistically different, indicating that students in both groups showed similar results. Implications for game-based science learning and future research include building better awareness of technological and professional development challenges associated with implementing educational games, the need for new strategies for understanding the impacts of games for learning, and the need for cost-benefit analyses in the planning of game-based educational approaches

Learning Biology through Innovative Curricula: A Comparison of Game- and Nongame-Based Approaches

This study explored student learning in the context of innovative biotechnology curricula and the effects of gaming as a central element of the learning experience. The quasi-experimentally designed study compared learning outcomes between two curricular approaches: one built around a computer-based game and the other built around a narrative case. The research questions addressed student learning of basic biological principles, development of interest in learning science, and how a game-based approach compared to a nongame-based approach in terms of supporting learning. The study employed a pre-post design with 1,888 high school students nested within the classes of 36 biology teachers. Results indicated that students participating in both approaches demonstrated statistically and practically significant gains on both proximal and distal assessments of biological content knowledge. Neither group demonstrated gains in science interest. The curriculum by time interaction was not statistically different, indicating that students in both groups showed similar results. Implications for game-based science learning and future research include building better awareness of technological and professional development challenges associated with implementing educational games, the need for new strategies for understanding the impacts of games for learning, and the need for cost-benefit analyses in the planning of game-based educational approaches

Learning Biology through Innovative Curricula: A Comparison of Game- and Nongame-Based Approaches

This study explored student learning in the context of innovative biotechnology curricula and the effects of gaming as a central element of the learning experience. The quasi-experimentally designed study compared learning outcomes between two curricular approaches: one built around a computer-based game and the other built around a narrative case. The research questions addressed student learning of basic biological principles, development of interest in learning science, and how a game-based approach compared to a nongame-based approach in terms of supporting learning. The study employed a pre-post design with 1,888 high school students nested within the classes of 36 biology teachers. Results indicated that students participating in both approaches demonstrated statistically and practically significant gains on both proximal and distal assessments of biological content knowledge. Neither group demonstrated gains in science interest. The curriculum by time interaction was not statistically different, indicating that students in both groups showed similar results. Implications for game-based science learning and future research include building better awareness of technological and professional development challenges associated with implementing educational games, the need for new strategies for understanding the impacts of games for learning, and the need for cost-benefit analyses in the planning of game-based educational approaches

Communicating product user reviews and ratings in interfaces for e-commerce: a multimodal approach

This paper describes a comparative empirical evaluation study that uses multimodal presentations to communicate review messages in an e-commerce platform. Previous studies demonstrate the effective use of multimodality in different problem domains (e.g. e-learning). In this paper, multimodality and expressive avatars are used to communicate information related to product reviews messages. The data of the reviews was opportunistically collected from Facebook and Twitter. Two independent groups of users were used to evaluate two different presentations of reviews and ratings using as a basis an experimental e- commerce platform. The control group used a text-based with emojis presentation and the experimental group used a multimodal approach based on expressive avatars. Three parameters of usability were measured. These were efficiency, effectiveness, user satisfaction, and user preference. The result showed that the two approaches performed similarly. These findings provide a basis for further experiments in which text, emojis and expressive avatars can be combine to communicate a larger volume of reviews and ratings

Self-rated eyesight and handgrip strength in older adults

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between self-rated eyesight and handgrip strength in a large, representative population of older adults. Methods: Data were from 7433 older adults (≥52 years) participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Linear regression was used to analyze the association between self-rated eyesight and handgrip strength cross-sectionally in 2004/2005, and longitudinally over 4‑year follow-up, adjusting for a range of sociodemographic and health-related variables. Results: In cross-sectional and prospective models, poor eyesight was strongly associated with lower handgrip strength after adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and body mass index (BMI, cross-sectional B = −1.39 kg, 95% confidence interval, CI −1.84 to −0.94, p < 0.001, prospective B = −0.68 kg, 95% CI −1.14 to −0.22, p = 0.004). The association was attenuated but remained statistically significant when health behaviours were included in the model (cross-sectional B = −0.93 kg, 95% CI −1.42 to −0.44, p < 0.001, prospective B = −0.50, 95% CI −0.99 to −0.02, p = 0.044). Conclusion: Older adults in England with poor self-rated eyesight have lower levels of physical function compared with those with good eyesight. This association can be predominantly explained by differences in age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, BMI, and health behaviours, as well as chronic conditions, disability and depression

Enfermedad de Gaucher en Argentina: un informe del Registro Internacional de Gaucher y del Grupo Argentino de Diagnóstico y Tratamiento de la Enfermedad de Gaucher

La Enfermedad de Gaucher por su baja frecuencia está incluida dentro de las enfermedades huérfanas. En 1991 comenzó el ingreso de pacientes en el Registro Internacional de Gaucher. En 1992 se incorporaron los primeros dos pacientes de Latinoamérica. En 2006 se creó el Grupo Argentino de Diagnóstico y Tratamiento de la Enfermedad de Gaucher siendo sus objetivos principales el entendimiento de la prevalencia, presentación, manejo y tratamiento de la Enfermedad de Gaucher en Argentina. Hasta el 1 de febrero del 2013 ingresaron al Registro Internacional 5.986 pacientes provenientes de 60 países, de los cuales 133 (2.22%) fueron argentinos. El análisis de esta publicación fue realizado sobre 133 pacientes con Enfermedad de Gaucher. Esta es la primera publicación del Grupo Argentino de Diagnóstico y Tratamiento en base a los datos del Registro Internacional. La casuística argentina mostró un predominio femenino y la forma clínica más frecuente fue el tipo 1 (97.7%, n=128). El genotipo fue identificado en 57 pacientes (42.9%), siendo el más frecuente el N370S/ otro alelo (82.5%). Entre los pacientes con datos reportados, los síntomas basales predominantes, previos al inicio del tratamiento con Imiglucerasa que predominaron fueron la esplenomegalia (100%, n=13) y la hepatomegalia (88.9%, n=8) y como citopenias más frecuentes, la trombocitopenia (64.2%, n=34) y la anemia (45.9%, n=28). La infiltración de la médula ósea como un marcador específico de enfermedad ósea se encontró en el 50% de los pacientes. En total, el 85.7% de los pacientes argentinos reciben terapia de reemplazo enzimático con Imiglucerasa, lográndose las metas terapéuticas, en la mayoría de los casos, en la última evaluación. Las metas terapéuticas más frecuentemente alcanzadas resultaron: el control de las manifestaciones óseas (dolor óseo y crisis ósea, 81.9% y 99% respectivamente) y la normalización de la hemoglobina (86.5%). La terapia de reemplazo enzimática con Imiglucerasa, a largo plazo en la población argentina demostró ser una herramienta eficaz para mejorar los parámetros clínicos y bioquímicos de la Enfermedad de Gaucher tipo1.Fil: Drelichman, G.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Fernández Escobar, Nicolás. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Basack, Nora. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Kohan, R.. Registro Argentino de Gaucher; ArgentinaFil: Watman, N.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos "Ramos Mejía"; ArgentinaFil: Bolesina, M.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos "Ramos Mejía"; ArgentinaFil: Elena, G.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños Pedro Elizalde (ex Casa Cuna); ArgentinaFil: Veber, S. E.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños Pedro Elizalde (ex Casa Cuna); ArgentinaFil: Dragosky, M.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Oncología Marie Curie; ArgentinaFil: Annetta, I.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Oncología Marie Curie; ArgentinaFil: Feliu, A.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; ArgentinaFil: Sciuccati, Gabriela. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; ArgentinaFil: Cuello, María Fernanda. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de la Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Fynn, Alcira. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de la Plata; ArgentinaFil: Dodelson de Kremer, Raquel. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de la Plata; ArgentinaFil: Angaroni, Celia Juana. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de la Plata; ArgentinaFil: Giner Ayala, Alicia. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de la Plata; ArgentinaFil: Del Valle Oller, Ana María. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de la Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Guelbert, Norberto Bernardo. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de la Plata; ArgentinaFil: Delgado, María Andrea. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de la Plata; ArgentinaFil: Becerra, Adriana Berónica. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de la Plata; ArgentinaFil: Oliveri, María Beatriz. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Larroudé, M.. Centro Médico TIEMPO; ArgentinaFil: Masllorens, F.. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Nacional “Prof. Dr. A. Posadas"; ArgentinaFil: Szlago, M.. Fundación para el eEstudio de las Enfermedades Neurometabólicas; Argentina. Laboratorio de Neuroquímica “Dr. N. A. Chamoles”; ArgentinaFil: Schenone, A.. Laboratorio de Neuroquímica “Dr. N. A. Chamoles”; Argentina. Fundación para el eEstudio de las Enfermedades Neurometabólicas; Argentin

Developing Health-Based Pre-Planning Clearance Goals for Airport Remediation Following Chemical Terrorist Attack: Introduction and Key Assessment Considerations

In the event of a chemical terrorist attack on a transportation hub, post-event remediation and restoration activities necessary to attain unrestricted facility reuse and re-entry could require hours to multiple days. While restoration timeframes are dependent on numerous variables, a primary controlling factor is the level of pre-planning and decision-making completed prior to chemical terrorist release. What follows is the first of a two-part analysis identifying key considerations, critical information, and decision criteria to facilitate post-attack and post-decontamination consequence management activities. A conceptual site model and human health-based exposure guidelines are developed and reported as an aid to site-specific pre-planning in the current absence of U.S. state or Federal values designated as compound-specific remediation or re-entry concentrations, and to safely expedite facility recovery to full operational status. Chemicals of concern include chemical warfare nerve and vesicant agents and the toxic industrial compounds phosgene, hydrogen cyanide, and cyanogen chloride. This work has been performed as a national case study conducted in partnership with the Los Angeles International Airport and The Bradley International Terminal. All recommended guidelines have been selected for consistency with airport scenario release parameters of a one-time, short-duration, finite airborne release from a single source followed by compound-specific decontamination

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure