A Gesture-Based Educational System that Integrates Simulation and Molecular Visualization to Teach Chemistry

Technology has proven effective in enhancing teaching methods. Gesture-based applications have a high potential for use in the development of teaching methods in schools. Simulation and 3D visualization, in particular, are some of the most important technologies that positively affected education. The implementation of these technologies in the education sector can determine students’ potential and enhance their interest in learning in scientific fields. This study explored the use of a chemistry education system that integrates virtual simulation and molecular visualization and uses a Leap Motion controller to teach chemistry in secondary schools. The sample comprised 113 students enrolled in four different classes in a public secondary school in Saudi Arabia. The data were analyzed using an ANOVA test to compare the results. The results indicate that the students who used the proposed educational system achieved better learning results than the students who participated in theoretical classroom learning only. Moreover, students who used the proposed educational system learned microscopic-level concepts better than those who used a real chemistry laboratory. Finally, combining simulation and molecular visualization and using gesture-based technology has a significant and positive effect on the students’ learning experience, as demonstrated by the results of this study which contributes to the development of education through the utilization of modern technolog

threats and challenges to sustainable agriculture and rural development in egypt: implications for agricultural extension.

ABSTRACT Egypt is an agricultural based country. Its development primarily depends upon rural resources. Agriculture contributes approximately 14% of the GDP and absorbs about 31% of workforce. About 53% population lives in rural areas where directly or indirectly their livelihood depends upon agricultural sector. Despite its positive and significant contributions to food security/supply, economy, employment, export earnings, ecological balance, yet the agriculture of the country faces many threats and challenges which, in turn, impacts rural development initiatives. The prominent challenges include land and water issues; old cultivation techniques; lack of information on marketing; poverty; degradation of natural resources and environmental issues; population growth; inadequate support services; framework and institutional constraints; and lack of agricultural and rural development policies. In this article, an effort has been made to identify the constraints faced by the agricultural sector, discuss the available farm management options, and to outline the vibrant strategy backed by an efficient and effective Extension to realize sustainable yields and rural development in the country

X-Tream: a novel dosimetry system for Synchrotron Microbeam Radiation Therapy

Microbeam Radiation Therapy (MRT) is a radiation treatment technique under development for inoperable brain tumors. MRT is based on the use of a synchrotron generated X-ray beam with an extremely high dose rate ( ~ 20 kGy/sec), striated into an array of X-ray micro-blades. In order to advance to clinical trials, a real-time dosimeter with excellent spatial resolution must be developed for absolute dosimetry. The design of a real-time dosimeter for such a radiation scenario represents a significant challenge due to the high photon flux and vertically striated radiation field, leading to very steep lateral dose gradients. This article analyses the striated radiation field in the context of the requirements for temporal dosimetric measurements and presents the architecture of a new dosimetry system based on the use of silicon detectors and fast data acquisition electronic interface. The combined system demonstrates micrometer spatial resolution and microsecond real time readout with accurate sensitivity and linearity over five orders of magnitude of input signal. The system will therefore be suitable patient treatment plan verification and may also be expanded for in-vivo beam monitoring for patient safety during the treatment

Joint Binding of OTX2 and MYC in Promotor Regions Is Associated with High Gene Expression in Medulloblastoma

Both OTX2 and MYC are important oncogenes in medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in childhood. Much is known about MYC binding to promoter regions, but OTX2 binding is hardly investigated. We used ChIP-on-chip data to analyze the binding patterns of both transcription factors in D425 medulloblastoma cells. When combining the data for all promoter regions in the genome, OTX2 binding showed a remarkable bi-modal distribution pattern with peaks around −250 bp upstream and +650 bp downstream of the transcription start sites (TSSs). Indeed, 40.2% of all OTX2-bound TSSs had more than one significant OTX2-binding peak. This OTX2-binding pattern was very different from the TSS-centered single peak binding pattern observed for MYC and other known transcription factors. However, in individual promoter regions, OTX2 and MYC have a strong tendency to bind in proximity of each other. OTX2-binding sequences are depleted near TSSs in the genome, providing an explanation for the observed bi-modal distribution of OTX2 binding. This contrasts to the enrichment of E-box sequences at TSSs. Both OTX2 and MYC binding independently correlated with higher gene expression. Interestingly, genes of promoter regions with multiple OTX2 binding as well as MYC binding showed the highest expression levels in D425 cells and in primary medulloblastomas. Genes within this class of promoter regions were enriched for medulloblastoma and stem cell specific genes. Our data suggest an important functional interaction between OTX2 and MYC in regulating gene expression in medulloblastoma

Cytogenetic Prognostication Within Medulloblastoma Subgroups

PURPOSE: Medulloblastoma comprises four distinct molecular subgroups: WNT, SHH, Group 3, and Group 4. Current medulloblastoma protocols stratify patients based on clinical features: patient age, metastatic stage, extent of resection, and histologic variant. Stark prognostic and genetic differences among the four subgroups suggest that subgroup-specific molecular biomarkers could improve patient prognostication. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Molecular biomarkers were identified from a discovery set of 673 medulloblastomas from 43 cities around the world. Combined risk stratification models were designed based on clinical and cytogenetic biomarkers identified by multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses. Identified biomarkers were tested using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) on a nonoverlapping medulloblastoma tissue microarray (n = 453), with subsequent validation of the risk stratification models. RESULTS: Subgroup information improves the predictive accuracy of a multivariable survival model compared with clinical biomarkers alone. Most previously published cytogenetic biomarkers are only prognostic within a single medulloblastoma subgroup. Profiling six FISH biomarkers (GLI2, MYC, chromosome 11 [chr11], chr14, 17p, and 17q) on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, we can reliably and reproducibly identify very low-risk and very high-risk patients within SHH, Group 3, and Group 4 medulloblastomas. CONCLUSION: Combining subgroup and cytogenetic biomarkers with established clinical biomarkers substantially improves patient prognostication, even in the context of heterogeneous clinical therapies. The prognostic significance of most molecular biomarkers is restricted to a specific subgroup. We have identified a small panel of cytogenetic biomarkers that reliably identifies very high-risk and very low-risk groups of patients, making it an excellent tool for selecting patients for therapy intensification and therapy de-escalation in future clinical trials

A Gesture-Based Educational System that Integrates Simulation and Molecular Visualization to Teach Chemistry

Technology has proven effective in enhancing teaching methods. Gesture-based applications have a high potential for use in the development of teaching methods in schools. Simulation and 3D visualization, in particular, are some of the most important technologies that positively affected education. The implementation of these technologies in the education sector can determine students’ potential and enhance their interest in learning in scientific fields. This study explored the use of a chemistry education system that integrates virtual simulation and molecular visualization and uses a Leap Motion controller to teach chemistry in secondary schools. The sample comprised 113 students enrolled in four different classes in a public secondary school in Saudi Arabia. The data were analyzed using an ANOVA test to compare the results. The results indicate that the students who used the proposed educational system achieved better learning results than the students who participated in theoretical classroom learning only. Moreover, students who used the proposed educational system learned microscopic-level concepts better than those who used a real chemistry laboratory. Finally, combining simulation and molecular visualization and using gesture-based technology has a significant and positive effect on the students’ learning experience, as demonstrated by the results of this study which contributes to the development of education through the utilization of modern technolog