The desktop interface in intelligent tutoring systems

The interface between an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) and the person being tutored is critical to the success of the learning process. If the interface to the ITS is confusing or non-supportive of the tutored domain, the effectiveness of the instruction will be diminished or lost entirely. Consequently, the interface to an ITS should be highly integrated with the domain to provide a robust and semantically rich learning environment. In building an ITS for ZetaLISP on a LISP Machine, a Desktop Interface was designed to support a programming learning environment. Using the bitmapped display, windows, and mouse, three desktops were designed to support self-study and tutoring of ZetaLISP. Through organization, well-defined boundaries, and domain support facilities, the desktops provide substantial flexibility and power for the student and facilitate learning ZetaLISP programming while screening the student from the complex LISP Machine environment. The student can concentrate on learning ZetaLISP programming and not on how to operate the interface or a LISP Machine

An Investigation in Muscle Activation During Load Carrying

Carrying items is essential to everyday living, but is often reported to be a functional limitation in individuals with respiratory dysfunction. The interaction between breathing and carrying a bimanual load (i.e., carrying an evenly distributed load in each hand) is not well understood and limits the capacity to derive interventions to address functional limitations. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of two bimanual loads, 10% and 5% of body weight, on gait. Fourteen healthy, young adults walked with and without a load on each wrist (2.5 and 5% of body weight) using wrist weights. The mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation (CoV), and sample entropy of stride length and step width were calculated. Significant decreases in the mean step width across all conditions, baseline and 10% (

Zwei-Hybrid-Fluoreszenzkreuzkorrelationsspektroskopie : In vivo Charakterisierung von Protein-Protein-Wechselwirkungen im AP-1-System

In dieser Arbeit wurde die Wechselwirkung zwischen den AP-1-Komponenten c-Fos und c-Jun mit der so genannten �Zwei-Hybrid�-Fluoreszenzkreuzkorrelations-spektroskopie in vivo nachgewiesen. Des Weiteren wurden die Mobilität und die Dynamik dieses Komplexes in lebenden Zellen charakterisiert. AP-1 (Aktivator Protein-1) ist ein Transkriptionsfaktor, dessen Komponenten nur als Dimere ihre Funktion ausüben können, wobei c-Jun und c-Fos die Hauptkomponenten sind. Mit der FCCS können Wechselwirkungen zweier Fluorophore aufgrund ihrer korrelierten Bewegung nachgewiesen werden. Das Prinzip der FCCS beruht auf der gleichzeitigen Anregung und Detektion zweier Fluorophore in einem konfokalen Mikroskopaufbau. Die Intensitätsfluktuationen in beiden Kanälen werden über Kreuz korreliert. Zur Kreuzkorrelation tragen nur Teilchen bei, die in beiden Kanälen gleichzeitig ein Signal erzeugen, d.h. die beide Farben simultan durch das Beobachtungsvolumen tragen. In der �Zwei-Hybrid�-FCCS werden als Fluorophore ausschließlich autofluoreszierende Proteine (AFP) statt organisch-chemischer Farbstoffe eingesetzt. Dies hat den großen Vorteil, dass die Proteine nicht aufgereinigt, dann chemisch markiert und schließlich in die Zelle mikroinjiziert werden müssen, sondern direkt von der Zelle als Fusionsprotein in vivo exprimiert werden und ohne weitere Eingriffe in die Zelle gemessen werden können. Unter den getesteten AFPs (EYFP, ECFP, EGFP, DsRed2, mRFP1 und eqFP611) war das Chromophorpaar EGFP-mRFP1 das einzige, das zum Erfolg führte. Der FCCS-Aufbau wurde in vivo einerseits mit einem Fusionsprotein aus EGFP und mRFP1 als Referenz für 100 % Kreuzkorrelation und andererseits mit den zwei über einen IRES-Vektor getrennt exprimierten EGFP und mRFP1 als Negativkontrolle für fehlende Wechselwirkung kalibriert. Es wurden Fusionsproteine von c-Jun und mRFP1 bzw. c-Fos und EGFP, sowie von deren Deletionsmutanten c-JunDD und c-FosDD, denen die Dimerisierungs- und DNA-Bindungsdomäne fehlte, hergestellt. Während die AP-1 Deletionsmutanten eine Kreuzkorrelationsamplitude von 18 % ± 4 % lieferten, vergleichbar mit der Negativkontrolle von 13 % ± 3 %, zeigte das AP-1-System eine signifikante Kreuzkorrelationsamplitude von 31 % ± 6 %. Im Vergleich dazu lieferte die Positivkontrolle, das Fusionsprotein aus EGFP und mRFP1, eine Amplitude von 45 % ± 4 %. Außerdem zeigte das AP-1-System nur eine langsam diffundierende Komponente, was darauf schließen lässt, dass alle markierten Fos-Jun Dimere an DNA gebunden sind. So konnte mit der �Zwei-Hybrid�-FCCS sowohl die Wechselwirkung zwischen c-Jun und c-Fos als auch die Bindung dieses Komplexes an DNA nachgewiesen werden. Diese Methode eignet sich somit sehr gut, um Protein-Protein-Wechselwirkungen in vivo zu charakterisieren

Innovative partnerships to advance public health training in community-based academic residency programs

Collaborative partnerships between community-based academic residency training programs and schools of public health, represent an innovative approach to training future physician leaders in population management and public health. In Kaiser Permanente Northern California, development of residency-Masters in Public Health (MPH) tracks in the Internal Medicine Residency and the Pediatrics Residency programs, with MPH graduate studies completed at the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, enables physicians to integrate clinical training with formal education in epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy, and disease prevention. These residency-MPH programs draw on more than 50 years of clinical education, public health training, and health services research - creating an environment that sparks inquiry and added value by developing skills in patient-centered care through the lens of population-based outcomes

In vivo characterization of protein-protein interactions in the AP1 system with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS).

The aim of these studies is the quantitative investigation of protein-protein interactions in the AP1 system in vivo. First results of FCS measurements show an exchange in the nucleus of the proteins Fos-CFP and Jun-YFP in the stably mono-transfected HeLa-Cells. This is also shown by fitting the bleaching curves measured in the nucleus with an appropriate model. We obtained dissociation times between 10 and 20 seconds in the nucleus. In the autocorrelation function a free and an obstructed component of diffusion are shown. For further studies doubly transfected cells with both proteins, Fos-CFP and Jun-YFP, were prepared. These cells will now be characterized with FCCS to investigate the protein-protein interactions. In order to obtain the dissociation rates of the complex in the cell nucleus bleaching curves will be recorded on these cell lines. We also overexpressed and purified Jun-YFP and Fos-CFP for in vitro studies

Rapid, diffusional shuttling of poly(A) RNA between nuclear speckles and the nucleoplasm

Speckles are nuclear bodies that contain pre-mRNA splicing factors and polyadenylated RNA. Because nuclear poly(A) RNA consists of both mRNA transcripts and nucleus-restricted RNAs, we tested whether poly(A) RNA in speckles is dynamic or rather an immobile, perhaps structural, component. Fluorescein-labeled oligo(dT) was introduced into HeLa cells stably expressing a red fluorescent protein chimera of the splicing factor SC35 and allowed to hybridize. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) showed that the mobility of the tagged poly(A) RNA was virtually identical in both speckles and at random nucleoplasmic sites. This same result was observed in photoactivation-tracking studies in which caged fluorescein-labeled oligo(dT) was used as hybridization probe, and the rate of movement away from either a speckle or nucleoplasmic site was monitored using digital imaging microscopy after photoactivation. Furthermore, the tagged poly(A) RNA was observed to rapidly distribute throughout the entire nucleoplasm and other speckles, regardless of whether the tracking observations were initiated in a speckle or the nucleoplasm. Finally, in both FCS and photoactivation-tracking studies, a temperature reduction from 37 to 22°C had no discernible effect on the behavior of poly(A) RNA in either speckles or the nucleoplasm, strongly suggesting that its movement in and out of speckles does not require metabolic energy. © 2006 by The American Society for Cell Biology

Characteristics of intensive care units in Michigan: Not an open and closed case

OBJECTIVE: Delivery of critical care by intensivists has been recommended by several groups. Our objective was to understand the delivery of critical care physician services in Michigan and the role of intensivists and nonintensivist providers in providing care. DESIGN: Descriptive questionnaire. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Intensive care unit (ICU) directors and nurse managers at 96 sites, representing 115 ICUs from 72 hospitals in Michigan. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The primary outcome measure was the percentage of sites utilizing a closed vs. an open model of ICU care. Secondary outcome measures included the percentage of ICUs utilizing a high-intensity service model, hospital size, ICU size, type of clinician providing care, and clinical activities performed. Twenty-four (25%) sites used a closed model of intensive care, while 72 (75%) had an open model of care. Hospitals with closed ICUs were larger and had larger ICUs than sites with open ICUs ( P < 0.05). Hospitalists serving as attending physicians were strongly associated with an open ICU (odds ratio [OR] = 12.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.5-60.2), as was the absence of intensivists in the group (OR = 12.2; 95%CI = 1.4-105.8), while ICU and hospital size were not associated. At 18 sites (20%) all attendings were board certified in Critical Care. Sixty sites had less than 50% board-certified attending physicians. CONCLUSIONS: The closed intensivist-led model of intensive care delivery is not in widespread use in Michigan. In the absence of intensivists, alternate models of care, including the hospitalist model, are frequently used. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2010;5:4–9. © 2010 Society of Hospital Medicine.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64903/1/567_ftp.pd

Graceful gait: virtual ballet classes improve mobility and reduce falls more than wellness classes for older women

IntroductionDance is an effective and motivating form of exercise for older women, but few studies have quantified the benefits of virtual dance classes nor, specifically, ballet. This study tested the effectiveness of virtual ballet compared to virtual wellness classes, with the goal of reaching underserved populations. It is among the first to explore the effects of virtual classical ballet on functional gait mobility, balance, and quality of life measures in older women.MethodsOlder women were recruited in two waves and randomized to two groups: a ballet class modified for older adults and a wellness-based control class. Both groups received 12 weeks of online classes, meeting twice per week for 45-min sessions. Classes were taught by a local company that offers community-based ballet classes. The same instructor led both the ballet and the wellness classes. Pre- and post-intervention assessments include gait and balance testing using wearable inertial sensors and self-report outcomes including quality of life and mood questionnaires.ResultsForty-four older women completed the study: Ballet group (n = 21, 67.81 ± 7.3 years); Wellness group (n = 23, 69.96 ± 6.7 years). Pre- to post-intervention, both groups increased velocity on the two-minute walk test (F1,42 = 25.36, p &lt; 0.001) and improved their time on the Timed Up and Go (F1,42 = 4.744, p = 0.035). Both groups improved balance on the Mini-BESTest (F1,42 = 38.154, p &lt; 0.001), increased their scores on the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (F1,42 = 10.688, p &lt; 0.001), and increased quality of life via the Short Form Health Survey (F1,42 = 7.663, p = 0.008). The ballet group improved gait variability in the backward direction (F1,42 = 14.577, p &lt; 0.001) and reduced fall rates more than the wellness group [χ2(1) = 5.096, p = 0.024].DiscussionBoth virtual ballet and wellness classes improve select measures of gait, balance, and quality of life. The benefits seen in both groups highlight the importance of considering social interaction as a key component when developing future interventions to target mobility in older women

Making it work for me: beliefs about making a personal health record relevant and useable.

BACKGROUND: A Personal Health Record (PHR) is an electronic record that individuals use to manage and share their health information, e.g. data from their medical records and data collected by apps. However, engagement with their record can be low if people do not find it beneficial to their health, wellbeing or interactions with health and other services. We have explored the beliefs potential users have about a PHR, how it could be made personally relevant, and barriers to its use. METHODS: A qualitative design comprising eight focus groups, each with 6-8 participants. Groups included adults with long-term health conditions, young people, physically active adults, data experts, and members of the voluntary sector. Each group lasted 60-90 min, was audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. We analysed the data using thematic analysis to address the question "What are people's beliefs about making a Personal Health Record have relevance and impact?" RESULTS: We found four themes. Making it work for me is about how to encourage individuals to actively engage with their PHR. I control my information is about individuals deciding what to share and who to share it with. My concerns is about individuals' concerns about information security and if and how their information will be acted upon. Potential impact shows the potential benefits of a PHR such as increasing self-efficacy, uptake of health-protective behaviours, and professionals taking a more holistic approach to providing care and facilitating behaviour change. CONCLUSIONS: Our research shows the functionality that a PHR requires in order for people to engage with it. Interactive functions and integration with lifestyle and health apps are particularly important. A PHR could increase the effectiveness of behaviour change apps by specifying evidence-based behaviour change techniques that apps should incorporate. A PHR has the potential to increase health-protective behaviours and facilitate a more person-driven health and social care system. It could support patients to take responsibility for self-managing their health and treatment regimens, as well as helping patients to play a more active role when care transfers across boundaries of responsibility

Lipase-catalysed acylation of starch and determination of the degree of substitution by methanolysis and GC

Background: Natural polysaccharides such as starch are becoming increasingly interesting as renewable starting materials for the synthesis of biodegradable polymers using chemical or enzymatic methods. Given the complexity of polysaccharides, the analysis of reaction products is challenging. Results: Esterification of starch with fatty acids has traditionally been monitored by saponification and back-titration, but in our experience this method is unreliable. Here we report a novel GC-based method for the fast and reliable quantitative determination of esterification. The method was used to monitor the enzymatic esterification of different starches with decanoic acid, using lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus. The reaction showed a pronounced optimal water content of 1.25 mL per g starch, where a degree of substitution (DS) of 0.018 was obtained. Incomplete gelatinization probably accounts for lower conversion with less water. Conclusions: Lipase-catalysed esterification of starch is feasible in aqueous gel systems, but attention to analytical methods is important to obtain correct DS values