Enhancing the teaching-research nexus in the undergraduate curriculum through assessment

Successful linkages between teaching and research in the undergraduate curriculum are strongly dependent on academics’ ability to encourage and facilitate an inquiry based approach to learning. An assessment strategy in which students become active participants in the assessment process is crucial to facilitate the development of this inquiry based approach. Developing this so-called research-mindedness is central to helping students' to become independent learners and to be more effective professionals in their future careers. This paper describes a distributed systems approach to assessment implemented in the undergraduate module Molecular Biology. The assessment comprised a series of sequence identification, database use and analysis steps, with each student being given a different starting gene. In combination, the students analysed an entire genetic pathway. This approach allows the assignments generated to be combined and used to address a single larger question, which can be either teaching or research based. This is then fed back into the teaching. This direct link between the assessment outcomes and the learning process increases student engagement with the subject and sense of ownership of the work carried out. This approach to assessment, in which students undertake a small part of a larger task, is ideal for various technical, skills-based, assignments, such as those central to the many types of bioinformatics analyses. However, it can be adapted to various types of meta-review. The paper discusses the details for the implementation, as well as the benefits and potential pitfalls of the approach

The Use of New Technologies for Improving Reading Comprehension

Since the introduction of writing systems, reading comprehension has always been a foundation for achievement in several areas within the educational system, as well as a prerequisite for successful participation in most areas of adult life. The increased availability of technologies and web-based resources can be a really valid support, both in the educational and clinical field, to devise training activities that can also be carried out remotely. There are studies in current literature that has examined the efficacy of internet-based programs for reading comprehension for children with reading comprehension difficulties but almost none considered distance rehabilitation programs. The present paper reports data concerning a distance program Cloze, developed in Italy, for improving language and reading comprehension. Twenty-eight children from 3rd to 6th grade with comprehension difficulties were involved. These children completed the distance program for 15\u201320 min for at least three times a week for about 4 months. The program was presented separately to each child, with a degree of difficulty adapted to his/her characteristics. Text reading comprehension (assessed distinguishing between narrative and informative texts) increased after intervention. These findings have clinical and educational implications as they suggest that it is possible to promote reading comprehension with a distance individualized program, avoiding the need for the child displacements, necessary for reaching a rehabilitation center

Myocardial infarction and arterial thrombosis in severe (homozygous) FXII deficiency: no apparent causative relation.

Twenty-one patients (12 female and 9 male) with severe (homozygous) factor XII (FXII) deficiency and 58 (32 female and 26 male) with heterozygous FXII deficiency were observed for an average 16.2 years. No patient with homozygous FXII deficiency experienced myocardial infarction or any other arterial thrombosis. The same was true for heterozygotes. The cases of FXII deficiency and arterial thrombosis reported in the literature were evaluated. In every instance, associated risk factors were present that could justify the arterial thrombosis. Dyslipidemia, hypertension, smoking, and diabetes mellitus were the most frequent findings. The examination of the few papers that dealt with the prevalence of arterial thrombosis in patients with severe FXII deficiency showed that only 1 patient of 61 experienced myocardial infarction. In conclusion, it seems that the role of FXII deficiency in the pathogenesis of arterial thrombosis is minor

Limb reconstruction with knee mega-prosthesis in patients with distal femur primary tumours: gait analysis and alignment evaluation

Introduction: The aim of this study was the functional evaluation and lower limb alignment assessment of patients with a modular knee prosthesis after distal femur resection for primary bone tumour. Materials and methods: 15 patients affected by distal femur tumor and treated with a megaprosthesis implant (6 females and 9 males, mean age: 41 years, range: 15-74 years) and 15 controls were recruited for the study. For each subject the function evaluation included an instrumented gait analysis, while only patients underwent a teleradiography and a latero-lateral X-ray projection of the knee. Results: The duration of the stance phase of gait was shortened in the prosthetic limb with respect to the contralateral limb (57.5±3.6 % gait cycle vs. 60.9±4.8 % gait cycle, P = 0.01), with a correspondent increase of the swing phase. The prosthetic limb also showed an altered knee joint kinematic curve during gait, with a flexion deficit at load response with respect to the contralateral limb (4.5±3.6° vs. 13.4±5.0°, P = 0.000003). Abnormal timing in the muscle activation intervals were observed for tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius lateralis and rectus femoris of the prosthetic limb. The prosthetic limb was found to be misaligned with respect to the contralateral limb, both for the femorotibial (P<0.05) and the ankle joints (P<0.05). Conclusions: Gait analysis performed widely in reference centres could lead to a change in the design of megaprostheses to improve the function and prevent degenerative changes in not involved joint. A multicentric expertise is mandator

Synthesis of gold functionalised nanoparticles with the eranthis hyemalis lectin and preliminary toxicological studies on caenorhabditis elegans

The lectin found in the tubers of the Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) plant (EHL) is a Type II Ribosome Inactivating Protein (RIP). Type II RIPs have shown anti-cancer properties and have great potential as therapeutic agents. Similarly, colloidal gold nanoparticles are successfully used in biomedical applications as they can be functionalised with ligands with high affinity and specificity for target cells to create therapeutic and imaging agents. Here we present the synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles conjugated with EHL and the results of a set of initial assays to establish whether the biological effect of EHL is altered by the conjugation. Gold nanoparticles functionalised with EHL (AuNPs@EHL) were successfully synthesised by bioconjugation with citrate gold nanoparticles (AuNPs@Citrate). The conjugates were analysed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Zeta Potential analysis, and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Results indicate that an optimal functionalisation was achieved with the addition of 100 µL of EHL (concentration 1090 ± 40 µg/mL) over 5 mL of AuNPs (concentration [Au0] = 0.8 mM). Biological assays on the effect of AuNPs@EHL were undertaken on Caenorhabditis elegans, a free-living nematode commonly used for toxicological studies, that has previously been shown to be strongly affected by EHL. Citrate gold nanoparticles did not have any obvious effect on the nematodes. For first larval stage (L1) nematodes, AuNPs@EHL showed a lower biological effect than EHL. For L4 stage, pre-adult nematodes, both EHL alone and AuNPs@EHL delayed the onset of reproduction and reduced fecundity. These assays indicate that EHL can be conjugated to gold nanoparticles and retain elements of biocidal activity

Long-term functional evaluation of the treated kidney in a prospective series of patients who underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for small renal tumors.

Background: Renal scintigraphy may allow long-term monitoring of ischemic damage after partial nephrectomy (PN). Objective: Evaluate use of renal scintigraphy for evaluating long-term effects of warm ischemia on renal function in patients with a normal contralateral kidney. Design, setting, and participants: We prospectively examined kidney function of 54 patients who underwent laparoscopic PN (LPN). Minimum follow-up time was 4 yr. Intervention: LPN was performed with warm ischemia by transperitoneal or retroperitoneal approach. Measurements: Demographic, perioperative, and pathologic data and postoperative complications were registered. Split renal function (SRF) and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) were evaluated by renal scintigraphy preoperatively, at 3 and 12 mo postoperatively, then yearly. Baseline weighted differentials (b-WDs) of both SRF and ERPF in the affected kidney were calculated between baseline condition and every time point. Multivariate linear regression was used to find independent variables for increased b-WDs at 3 and 48 mo. P values&lt;0.05 were considered significant. Results and limitations: The SRF and ERPF of kidneys treated by LPN decreased significantly at month 3 and subsequently remained stable through the duration of follow-up. Conversely, neither serum creatinine nor estimated glomerular filtration rate changed significantly during follow-up. The regression model showed statistical significance at month 3 for warm ischemia time (WIT) and age, whereas at 48 mo, statistical significance was reached by WIT alone. No new onset of cardiovascular disease was registered. No evidence of local recurrence was recorded with computed tomography scan. Our study may be underpowered due to small sample size; however, this is one of the largest long-term prospective series using renal scintigraphy to evaluate the renal function after LPN. Conclusions: WIT contributes to irreversible kidney damage observed at month 3 that does not appear to worsen

Indication to pelvic lymph nodes dissection for prostate cancer: the role of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging when the risk of lymph nodes invasion according to Briganti updated nomogram is &lt;5

Background: The Briganti updated nomogram (BN) is the most popular predictive model aiming to predict the presence of lymph node invasion (LNI) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa), but it lacks information obtained by preoperative imaging. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the role of multiparametric prostate magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) in the indication to perform pelvic lymph nodes dissection (PLND) or not in patients with risk of LNI according to BN below 5%. Methods: Since March 2012 and September 2016, 310 patients who underwent a preoperative mp-MRI for staging purpose and subsequent robot-assisted extended PLND (RAEPLND) were retrospectively evaluated. Mp-MRIs were prospectively analyzed by two experienced radiologists. The imaging parameters analyzed were the presence of extracapsular extension (ECE), seminal vesicles invasion (SVI) and predominant Gleason pattern 4 (pG4). All patients underwent RAEPLND by two experienced surgeons with a standardized technique. A dedicated uropathologist performed all pathological analysis. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used in order to identify the predictors of LNI in patients with PCa. Results: In the overall population, 57 (18.4%) patients had histologically proven pN1 disease. 48/250 patients (19.2%) with a risk of LNI â¥5% as calculated by the BN were staged pN1 at final histopathological analysis. 9/60 patients (15.0%) with a risk of LNI <5% as calculated by BN, who underwent RAEPLND anyway according to the findings at mp-MRI, were staged pN1 at final histopathological analysis. At multivariate logistic regression analysis, all the three mp-MRI parameters were significant independent predictors of LNI after RAEPLND. Conclusions: The role of mp-MRI seemed to be crucial in patients with a risk of LNI <5% as calculated by the BN. The presence of ECE, SVI, or pG4 at mp-MRI was found to be an independent predictor of LNI by itself

Classificação digital para identificação e mapeamento de vegetação secundária e pastagens no Cerrado.

Com o objetivo de promover avanços metodológicos para a automatização dos mapeamentos, foram executados processamentos de dados satelitários, por meio do pacote sits (Satellite Image Time Series Analysis for Earth Observation Data Cubes), para construir um modelo acurado.Editores: Douglas Francisco Marcolino Gherardi, Ieda Del´Arco Sanches, Luiz Eduardo Oliveira e Cruz de Aragão