Teaching Symmetry in the Light of Didactic Situations

The purpose of this study is to determine the student experiences for a lesson plan designed according to Didactic Situation Theory using Cabri-Geometry software. In line with this aim, we worked with four seventh grade students in Bursa. Within the scope of the study, students were given a black box activity involving the symmetry transformation made in the computer environment. Descriptive analysis of qualitative research methods was performed, and data were processed according to the thematic framework. The students were invited to do our black box activity. As a result they made some group discussions about their process of learning and discovering concepts and gave feedback on their experiences. All five phases of the Didactic Situations Theory have been exemplified in the findings of the study. The results showed that students could construct the concept of symmetry with its properties by means of the constructive environment prepared with the black-box activity

Are left- and right-eye pupil sizes always equal?

Eye movements provide very critical information about the cognitive load and behaviors of human beings. Earlier studies report that under normal conditions, the left- and right-eye pupil sizes are equal. For this reason, most studies undertaking eye-movement analysis are conducted by only considering the pupil size of a single eye or taking the average size of both eye pupils. This study attempts to offer a better understanding concerning whether there are any differences between the left- and right-eye pupil sizes of the right-handed surgical residents while performing surgical tasks in a computer-based simulation environment under different conditions (left hand, right hand and both hands). According to the results, in many cases, the right-eye pupil sizes of the participants were larger than their left-eye pupil sizes while performing the tasks under right-hand and both-hands conditions. However, no significant difference was found in relation to the tasks performed under left-hand condition in all scenarios. These results are very critical to shed further light on the cognitive load of the surgical residents by analyzing their left-eye and right-eye pupil sizes. Further research is required to investigate the effect of the difficulty level of each scenario, its appropriateness with the skill level of the participants, and handedness on the differences between the left- and right-eye pupil sizes

Sedation for Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy

Although anesthetic requirements for minimally invasive neurosurgical techniques have been described in detail and applied successfully since the early 2000s, most of the literature on this subject has dealt with cranial cases that were operated on in the supine or sitting positions. However, spinal surgery has also used minimally invasive techniques that were performed in prone position for more than 30 years to date. Although procedures in both these neurosurgical techniques require the patient to be awake for a certain period of time, the main surgical difference with minimally invasive spinal surgery is that the patients are in the prone position, which may result in increased requirement of airway management because of deep sedation. In addition, although minimally invasive spinal surgery progresses slowly and different techniques are used with no agreement on the terminology used to describe these techniques thus far, the anesthetist needs to understand the surgical and anesthetic requirements for each type of intervention in order to take necessary precautions. This paper reviews the literature on this topic and discusses the anesthetic necessities for percutaneous endoscopic laser surgery

The Effects of the Content Elements of Online Banner Ads on Visual Attention: Evidence from An-Eye-Tracking Study

The aim of this paper is to examine the influence of the content elements of online banner ads on customers’ visual attention, and to evaluate the impacts of gender, discount rate and brand familiarity on this issue. An eye-tracking study with 34 participants (18 male and 16 female) was conducted, in which the participants were presented with eight types of online banner ads comprising three content elements—namely brand, discount rate and image—while their eye movements were recorded. The results showed that the image was the most attractive area among the three main content elements. Furthermore, the middle areas of the banners were noticed first, and areas located on the left side were mostly noticed earlier than those on the right side. The results also indicated that the discount areas of banners with higher discount rates were more attractive and eye-catching compared to those of banners with lower discount rates. In addition to these, the participants who were familiar with the brand mostly concentrated on the discount area, while those who were unfamiliar with the brand mostly paid attention to the image area. The findings from this study will assist marketers in creating more effective and efficient online banner ads that appeal to customers, ultimately fostering positive attitudes towards the advertisement.publishedVersio

A Systematic Review of Studies on Educational Robotics

There has been a steady increase in the number of studies investigating educational robotics and its impact on academic and social skills of young learners. Educational robots are used both in and out of school environments to enhance K–12 students’ interest, engagement, and academic achievement in various fields of STEM education. Some prior studies show evidence for the general benefits of educational robotics as being effective in providing impactful learning experiences. However, there appears to be a need to determine the specific benefits which have been achieved through robotics implementation in K–12 formal and informal learning settings. In this study, we present a systematic review of the literature on K–12 educational robotics. Based on our review process with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, and a repeatable method of systematic review, we found 147 studies published from the years 2000 to 2018. We classified these studies under five themes: (1) general effectiveness of educational robotics; (2) students’ learning and transfer skills; (3) creativity and motivation; (4) diversity and broadening participation; and (5) teachers’ professional development. The study outlines the research questions, presents the synthesis of literature, and discusses findings across themes. It also provides guidelines for educators, practitioners, and researchers in areas of educational robotics and STEM education, and presents dimensions of future research

Prostatectomía robótica: análisis anestesiológico de cirugías urológicas robóticas, un estudio prospectivo

ResumenJustificación y objetivosAunque muchas características de la prostatectomía robótica sean similares a las de las laparoscopias urológicas convencionales (como la prostatectomía laparoscópica), el procedimiento está asociado con algunos inconvenientes, incluyendo el acceso intravenoso limitado, tiempo quirúrgico relativamente largo, posición de Trendelenburg profunda y presión intraabdominal alta. El objetivo principal fue describir las alteraciones respiratorias y hemodinámicas y las complicaciones relacionadas con la presión intraabdominal elevada y con la posición de Trendelenburg profunda en pacientes sometidos a prostatectomía robótica. El objetivo secundario fue revelar criterios seguros de alta del quirófano.MétodosCincuenta y tres pacientes sometidos a prostatectomía robótica entre diciembre de 2009 y enero de 2011 fueron incluidos en un estudio prospectivo. Las principales medidas de resultado fueron: monitorización no invasiva, monitorización invasiva y gasometría realizada en decúbito dorsal (T0), Trendelenburg (T1), Trendelenburg+neumoperitoneo (T2), Trendelenburg predesinsuflación (T3), Trendelenburg posdesinsuflación (T4) y posiciones supinas (T5).ResultadosCincuenta y tres pacientes sometidos a prostatectomía robótica fueron incluidos en el estudio. El principal reto clínico en nuestro grupo de estudio fue la elección de la estrategia de ventilación para controlar la acidosis respiratoria, que es detectada por medio de la presión de dióxido de carbono espirado y la gasometría. Además, la presión arterial media permaneció inalterada, y la frecuencia cardíaca disminuyó significativamente y fue necesario intervenir. Los valores de la presión venosa central también estaban por encima de los límites normales.ConclusiónLa acidosis respiratoria y los síntomas clínicos «similares a la obstrucción de las vías aéreas» fueron los principales desafíos asociados con los procedimientos de prostatectomía robótica.AbstractBackground and objectivesAlthough many features of robotic prostatectomy are similar to those of conventional laparoscopic urological procedures (such as laparoscopic prostatectomy), the procedure is associated with some drawbacks, which include limited intravenous access, relatively long operating time, deep Trendelenburg position, and high intra-abdominal pressure. The primary aim was to describe respiratory and hemodynamic challenges and the complications related to high intra-abdominal pressure and the deep Trendelenburg position in robotic prostatectomy patients. The secondary aim was to reveal safe discharge criteria from the operating room.MethodsFifty-three patients who underwent robotic prostatectomy between December 2009 and January 2011 were prospectively enrolled. Main outcome measures were non-invasive monitoring, invasive monitoring and blood gas analysis performed at supine (T0), Trendelenburg (T1), Trendelenburg + pneumoperitoneum (T2), Trendelenburg-before desufflation (T3), Trendelenburg (after desufflation) (T4), and supine (T5) positions.ResultsFifty-three robotic prostatectomy patients were included in the study. The main clinical challenge in our study group was the choice of ventilation strategy to manage respiratory acidosis, which is detected through end-tidal carbon dioxide pressure and blood gas analysis. Furthermore, the mean arterial pressure remained unchanged, the heart rate decreased significantly and required intervention. The central venous pressure values were also above the normal limits.ConclusionRespiratory acidosis and “upper airway obstruction-like” clinical symptoms were the main challenges associated with robotic prostatectomy procedures during this study

A high throughput approach for analysis of cell nuclear deformability at single cell level

Various physiological and pathological processes, such as cell differentiation, migration, attachment, and metastasis are highly dependent on nuclear elasticity. Nuclear morphology directly reflects the elasticity of the nucleus. We propose that quantification of changes in nuclear morphology on surfaces with defined topography will enable us to assess nuclear elasticity and deformability. Here, we used soft lithography techniques to produce 3 dimensional (3-D) cell culture substrates decorated with micron sized pillar structures of variable aspect ratios and dimensions to induce changes in cellular and nuclear morphology. We developed a high content image analysis algorithm to quantify changes in nuclear morphology at the single-cell level in response to physical cues from the 3-D culture substrate. We present that nuclear stiffness can be used as a physical parameter to evaluate cancer cells based on their lineage and in comparison to non-cancerous cells originating from the same tissue type. This methodology can be exploited for systematic study of mechanical characteristics of large cell populations complementing conventional tools such as atomic force microscopy and nanoindentation

How Does an Integrated STEM Life Sciences Unit Affect Middle School Students\u27 Engagement and Science Content Knowledge?

This study explored the effect of an integrated engineering design-based life sciences unit on middle school students\u27 engagement and science content knowledge, and the role of engagement in predicting their success. Participants were 530 seventh-grade students from rural schools in the Midwest region of the United States. Data included science content pre- and post-assessments and a multidimensional engagement survey. The data were analyzed by conducting paired-sample t-tests and multiple regression analysis. Results indicated that students\u27 social engagement increased when they engaged in an integrated engineering design-based life science curriculum unit. Also, students’ pre-assessment scores were found to be the most effective factor for the increase in their science content knowledge