The design of a learning environment based on the theory of multiple intelligence and the study its effectiveness on the achievements, attitudes and retention of students

AbstractMultiple intelligences theory (MIT) which takes into account students’ individual differences has an important role in the teaching and learning process. In this study a novel learning environment based on MIT which takes students’ interests and needs into an account has been developed. Many activities were carried out depending on students’ intelligence types. The effects of different activities on students’ achievements, attitudes toward chemistry and retention of knowledge in periodical features’ variety at the 10th class were measured and compared. The comparison between experimental group, which was instructed through MIT learning strategies and materials, and control group thought by traditional methods was observed. The research was applied in the first semester of 2009-2010 education years. The study carried out on 75 high school students in Izmir. The application of the study was lasted for 8 weeks containing methods and tests’ practices. Following MIT assessment survey, achievement test and attitude scales were used to analyze its effectiveness. Based on the theories and literature data, an instructional material included concept maps, puzzles, stories, classical music in background, group games, and photos about periodic features’ variety as an alternative to traditional written material. As a result of statistical analysis there were significant differences between achievement post-test and attitudes post-test towards chemistry course of control and experimental groups. Consequently, instructional methods needed to be varied so students could use their intellectual strengths to better understand topics, increase their intrinsic motivation, intervention and encourage active student engagement to improve learning at middle school level

Metabolic syndrome and risk of restenosis in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

OBJECTIVE - Patients with metabolic syndrome have increased risk of cardiovascular events. The number of patients With Metabolic syndrome is rapidly increasing, and these patients Often need revascularization. However, only limited data are available on the effect of metabolic syndrome on restenosis in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - To assess the role of trieLabolic syndrome in the development of restenosis, we performed an analysis in a population of patients from the GENetic DEterininants of Restenosis (GENDER) study. The GENDER project, a multicenter prospective study, included consecutive patients after successful PCI and was designed to study the predictive value of various genetic and other risk factors for subsequent clinical restenosis, defined as target vessel revascularization (TVR) or combined end point of death, myocardial infarction, and TVR. This subpopulation of GENDER consisted of 901 patients, 448 of whom (49.7%) had metabolic syndrome. RESULTS - on multivariable Cox regression analysis, Controlling for age, sex, previous myocardial infarction, stent length, current smoking, and Statin therapy, there was no association between increased risk of TVR (hazard ratio 1.03 [95% CI 0.68-1.57]) or the combined end point (1.05 [0.71-1.55]) and the presence of metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS - This study demonstrates that metabolic syndrome is not associated with TVR or the combined end point after PCI. Furthermore, accumulating characteristics of metabolic syndrome were neither associated with increased risk of TVR nor with the combined end point. Therefore, PCI has equal beneficial results in patients with or Without Metabolic syndrome. This is important information in light of the pandemic proportion of Metabolic syndrome that the medical community will face

Vitamin D receptor: a new risk marker for clinical restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention

Objective: Restenosis is the main drawback of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Inherited factors may explain part of the risk of restenosis. Recently, the vitamin D receptor (VDR) has been shown to be involved not only in bone metabolism but also in modulating immune responses and cell proliferation. Since the inflammatory response is implicated in restenosis, VDR-gene variants could therefore contribute to the risk of restenosis. Methods/results: Systematic genotyping for 15 haplotype tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the VDR gene was performed with the high throughput TaqMan allelic discrimination assays in the Genetic Determinants of Restenosis (GENDER) population. A haplotype-based survival analysis revealed an association of haplotypes in blocks 2, 3 and 4 of the VDR-gene with the risk of clinical restenosis (p-values 0.01, 0.04 and 0.02 respectively). After adjustment for clinical risk factors for restenosis, the individual effect of the block 2 AA haplotype (p = 0.011) persisted. Conclusions: The present study indicates that VDR plays a role in restenosis after PCI. Therefore, VDR genotype may be used as risk marker for restenosis and may contribute to individual patient screening prior to PCI in clinical practice