A Comparison of the Effects of Multiple Visual Examples and Nonexamples Versus Prototypical Examples on Science Concept Learning: An Exploratory Study Based Upon the Concept of Photosynthesis.

Two researcher-produced, standard-length videos on photosynthesis (and accompanying ancillary materials) were developed with the input of educators and content experts. The control treatment video script contained the standard number of prototypical examples and graphics based high school textbooks. The experimental treatment video script was based on the theory of conceptual change. Two student focus groups met daily for one week and reviewed portions of the original experimental treatment script for clarity, brevity, and choice and placement of examples and nonexamples. Their suggestions and conceptual change have implications for curriculum design. The main research question of this study was: Do students learn more from a biology video supplemented with small-multiple examples and nonexamples than one with prototypical examples? The experimental treatment group students performed significantly higher on a subject knowledge posttest than did the control treatment group students (p $\u3c$.05). Three research questions were included in this study. The first subquestion was: Do students of high, medium, or low ability learn more from a biology video supplemented with small-multiple examples and examples and nonexamples than one with prototypical examples? The second subquestion was: Do students of high, medium, or low ability retain more from a biology video supplemented with small-multiple examples and nonexamples than one with prototypical examples? The third research subquestion was closely related: Do high, medium, or low ability students\u27 concept maps exhibit greater concept elaboration and stronger linkages between concepts from a biology video supplemented with small-multiple examples and nonexamples than one with prototypical examples? The experimental treatment group students performed significantly higher on a retention test than the control treatment group students (p $\u3c$.05). The high-ability students in both the control treatment and experimental treatment group showed no appreciable differences in their concept maps. However, the medium ability experimental treatment students\u27 concept maps showed a greater depth of knowledge about photosynthesis and more precise linkages between concepts than the maps of the control treatment group students. The low-ability experimental treatment students\u27 concept maps revealed a blend of their previous alternative conceptions and the scientifically acceptable knowledge about photosynthesis

Early Childhood Outcomes After Neonatal Encephalopathy in Uganda: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is a leading cause of global child mortality. Survivor outcomes in low-resource settings are poorly described. We present early childhood outcomes after NE in Uganda. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of term-born infants with NE (n = 210) and a comparison group of term non-encephalopathic (non-NE) infants (n = 409), assessing neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) and growth at 27-30 months. Relationships between early clinical parameters and later outcomes were summarised using risk ratios (RR). FINDINGS: Mortality by 27-30 months was 40·3% after NE and 3·8% in non-NE infants. Impairment-free survival occurred in 41·6% after NE and 98·7% of non-NE infants. Amongst NE survivors, 29·3% had NDI including 19·0% with cerebral palsy (CP), commonly bilateral spastic CP (64%); 10·3% had global developmental delay (GDD) without CP. CP was frequently associated with childhood seizures, vision and hearing loss and mortality. NDI was commonly associated with undernutrition (44·1% Z-score < - 2) and microcephaly (32·4% Z-score < - 2). Motor function scores were reduced in NE survivors without CP/GDD compared to non-NE infants (median difference - 8·2 (95% confidence interval; - 13·0, - 3·7)). Neonatal clinical seizures (RR 4.1(2.0-8.7)), abnormalities on cranial ultrasound, (RR 7.0(3.8-16.3), nasogastric feeding at discharge (RR 3·6(2·1-6·1)), and small head circumference at one year (Z-score < - 2, RR 4·9(2·9-5·6)) increased the risk of NDI. INTERPRETATION: In this sub-Saharan African population, death and neurodevelopmental disability after NE were common. CP was associated with sensorineural impairment, malnutrition, seizures and high mortality by 2 years. Early clinical parameters predicted impairment outcomes

LEARN: A multi-centre, cross-sectional evaluation of Urology teaching in UK medical schools

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the status of UK undergraduate urology teaching against the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) Undergraduate Syllabus for Urology. Secondary objectives included evaluating the type and quantity of teaching provided, the reported performance rate of General Medical Council (GMC)-mandated urological procedures, and the proportion of undergraduates considering urology as a career. MATERIALS AND METHODS: LEARN was a national multicentre cross-sectional study. Year 2 to Year 5 medical students and FY1 doctors were invited to complete a survey between 3rd October and 20th December 2020, retrospectively assessing the urology teaching received to date. Results are reported according to the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES). RESULTS: 7,063/8,346 (84.6%) responses from all 39 UK medical schools were included; 1,127/7,063 (16.0%) were from Foundation Year (FY) 1 doctors, who reported that the most frequently taught topics in undergraduate training were on urinary tract infection (96.5%), acute kidney injury (95.9%) and haematuria (94.4%). The most infrequently taught topics were male urinary incontinence (59.4%), male infertility (52.4%) and erectile dysfunction (43.8%). Male and female catheterisation on patients as undergraduates was performed by 92.1% and 73.0% of FY1 doctors respectively, and 16.9% had considered a career in urology. Theory based teaching was mainly prevalent in the early years of medical school, with clinical skills teaching, and clinical placements in the later years of medical school. 20.1% of FY1 doctors reported no undergraduate clinical attachment in urology. CONCLUSION: LEARN is the largest ever evaluation of undergraduate urology teaching. In the UK, teaching seemed satisfactory as evaluated by the BAUS undergraduate syllabus. However, many students report having no clinical attachments in Urology and some newly qualified doctors report never having inserted a catheter, which is a GMC mandated requirement. We recommend a greater emphasis on undergraduate clinical exposure to urology and stricter adherence to GMC mandated procedures

The Role of Trc in Glial Development

The development of the nervous system depends heavily on glial cells, but there are many questions regarding the mechanisms underlying glial development. Previous studies have identified a transmembrane protein, Raw, as a negative regulator of the JNK signaling pathway during glial development. Raw has been observed to physically and genetically interact with Tricornered (Trc), an NDR family kinase, in neurons, which raises the question of whether or not this is true in glia

The difference in angle at the most disrupted site between helices in homologous helix pairs (|<i>θ</i>_max − <i>θ</i>_min|) plotted against the sequence identity between A) the homologous helix sequences, B) the residues in spatial proximity to the homologous helices (neighbouring residues) and C) the homologous chain sequences.

<p>Data from the redundant membrane protein set is shown so that the full range of sequence identity can be seen.</p

Two examples of helix pairs, which are (A) not significantly different and (B) significantly different.

<p>PDB code, chain identifier and residue numbers are given for each helix. The black residues are at the most disrupted site (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0157553#sec002" target="_blank">Methods</a>) in each helix pair. <i>r</i>_<i>n</i> and <i>r</i>_<i>c</i> give the quality of the cylinder fit (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0157553#pone.0157553.e001" target="_blank">Eq (1)</a>) to the backbone atoms on the N- (red) and C- (blue) terminal sides of the kink site. <i>θ</i> is the angle measured between the two cylinders. <i>ε</i> is the estimated error of the angle measurement, calculated from <i>r</i>_<i>n</i> + <i>r</i>_<i>c</i> using <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0157553#pone.0157553.e006" target="_blank">Eq (4)</a>. If <i>θ</i>_max − <i>θ</i>_min > <i>ε</i>₁ + <i>ε</i>₂, the confidence intervals do not overlap therefore we consider the angles to be significantly different.</p

Distributions of angles measured at each site of the seven transmembrane helices in the GPCR family, after smoothing.

<p>The label at each site shown on the <i>x</i>-axis is the Class A numbering used in the GPCRDB [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0157553#pone.0157553.ref024" target="_blank">24</a>]. The broken grey line at 20° is the threshold for the definition of a kink. The most disrupted site in each helix (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0157553#sec002" target="_blank">Methods</a>) is shown in grey. In the top left of each graph, the classification, <i>σ</i>_<i>θ</i> (standard deviation of angles), and <i>μ</i>_<i>ε</i> (mean error) of the most disrupted site is given.</p

The number of aligned helix pairs in each class, and occurrence of proline within that class.

<p>The number of aligned helix pairs in each class, and occurrence of proline within that class.</p

Flowchart showing the classification of homologous helix pairs and families.

<p>Pair classification uses the angles of the two helices at the most disrupted site (<i>θ</i>_max, <i>θ</i>_min), angle difference (Δ<i>θ</i>) and the error on each angle (<i>ϵ</i>). Family classification uses analogous statistics to obtain the same classes: the median angle (<i>θ</i>_median), standard deviation (<i>σ</i>_<i>θ</i>), and mean error (<i>μ</i>_<i>ϵ</i>) of the angles in the family.</p

The number of helix families greater than or equal to each group size for the soluble and membrane protein sets.

<p>The number of helix families greater than or equal to each group size for the soluble and membrane protein sets.</p