A multi-user virtual environment to support students’ self-efficacy and interest in science: A latent growth model analysis

Using latent growth models, we explored: (a) The effect of middle school students’ (n=189) preintervention science self-efficacy and science interest on their initial interest in an Ecosystems Multi-User Virtual Environment (EcoMUVE) and the rate of change in their interest in EcoMUVE; and (b) the mediating effect of students’ initial interest in EcoMUVE and rate of change in interest on students’ post-intervention science self-efficacy and interest in science. Results showed that: (1) students’ pre-intervention self-efficacy for science had an effect both on students’ triggered situational interest for EcoMUVE and on students’ maintained situational interest for EcoMUVE; (2) both triggering and maintaining situational interest in EcoMUVE were important in developing students’ science self-efficacy. In fact, maintained situational interest was the stronger predictor; and (3) maintained situational interest for EcoMUVE translated into individual interest for the science content. Results support and extend social cognitive theory as well as models of interest development

Distinct phase-amplitude couplings distinguish cognitive processes in human attention

Abstract Spatial attention is the cognitive function that coordinates the selection of visual stimuli with appropriate behavioral responses. Recent studies have reported that phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) of low and high frequencies covaries with spatial attention, but differ on the direction of covariation and the frequency ranges involved. We hypothesized that distinct phase-amplitude frequency pairs have differentiable contributions during tasks that manipulate spatial attention. We investigated this hypothesis with electrocorticography (ECoG) recordings from participants who engaged in a cued spatial attention task. To understand the contribution of PAC to spatial attention we classified cortical sites by their relationship to spatial variables or behavioral performance. Local neural activity in spatial sites was sensitive to spatial variables in the task, while local neural activity in behavioral sites correlated with reaction time. We found two PAC frequency clusters that covaried with different aspects of the task. During a period of cued attention, delta-phase/high-gamma (DH) PAC was sensitive to cue direction in spatial sites. In contrast, theta-alpha-phase/beta-low-gamma-amplitude (TABL) PAC robustly correlated with future reaction times in behavioral sites. Finally, we investigated the origins of TABL PAC and found it corresponded to behaviorally relevant, sharp waveforms, which were also coupled to a low frequency rhythm. We conclude that TABL and DH PAC correspond to distinct mechanisms during spatial attention tasks and that sharp waveforms are elements of a coupled dynamical process

Profiling of Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Tumour-Associated Macrophages in Ovarian Epithelial Cancer:Relation to Tumour Characteristics and Impact on Prognosis

Early evidence suggests a strong impact of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) on both the prognosis and clinical behaviour of ovarian cancer. Proven associations, however, have not yet translated to successful immunotherapies and further work in the field is urgently needed. We aimed to analyse the tumour microenvironment of a well-characterised cohort of ovarian cancer samples. Tumour markers were selected owing to their comparative underrepresentation in the current literature. Paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed tumour tissue blocks of 138 patients representative of the population and including early stage disease were identified, stained for CD3, CD20, CD68 and CD163 and analysed for both the stromal and intertumoral components. Data were statistically analysed in relation to clinical details, histological subtype, borderline vs. malignant status, survival and management received. Mean stromal CD3, total CD3 count, mean stromal CD20 and total CD20 count all correlated negatively with survival. Malignant ovarian tumours consistently demonstrated significantly higher infiltration of all analysed immune cells than borderline tumours. Assessment of the stromal compartment produced a considerably higher proportion of significant results when compared to the intra-tumoural infiltrates. Customary assessment of solely intra-tumoural cells in advanced stage disease patients undergoing primary debulking surgery should be challenged, with recommendations for future scoring systems provided

Introduction of rubella-containing-vaccine to Madagascar: implications for roll-out and local elimination

Few countries in Africa currently include rubella-containing vaccination (RCV) in their immunization schedule. The Global Alliance for Vaccines Initiative (GAVI) recently opened a funding window that has motivated more widespread roll-out of RCV. As countries plan RCV introductions, an understanding of the existing burden, spatial patterns of vaccine coverage, and the impact of patterns of local extinction and reintroduction for rubella will be critical to developing effective programmes. As one of the first countries proposing RCV introduction in part with GAVI funding, Madagascar provides a powerful and timely case study. We analyse serological data from measles surveillance systems to characterize the epidemiology of rubella in Madagascar. Combining these results with data on measles vaccination delivery, we develop an age-structured model to simulate rubella vaccination scenarios and evaluate the dynamics of rubella and the burden of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) across Madagascar. We additionally evaluate the drivers of spatial heterogeneity in age of infection to identify focal locations where vaccine surveillance should be strengthened and where challenges to successful vaccination introduction are expected. Our analyses indicate that characteristics of rubella in Madagascar are in line with global observations, with an average age of infection near 7 years, and an impact of frequent local extinction with reintroductions causing localized epidemics. Modelling results indicate that introduction of RCV into the routine programme alone may initially decrease rubella incidence but then result in cumulative increases in the burden of CRS in some regions (and transient increases in this burden in many regions). Deployment of RCV with regular supplementary campaigns will mitigate these outcomes. Results suggest that introduction of RCV offers a potential for elimination of rubella in Madagascar, but also emphasize both that targeted vaccination is likely to be a lynchpin of this success, and the public health vigilance that this introduction will require

Exploring Ecosystems from the Inside: How Immersive Multi-user Virtual Environments Can Support Development of Epistemologically Grounded Modeling Practices in Ecosystem Science Instruction

Recent reform efforts and the next generation science standards emphasize the importance of incorporating authentic scientific practices into science instruction. Modeling can be a particularly challenging practice to address because modeling occurs within a socially structured system of representation that is specific to a domain. Further, in the process of modeling, experts interact deeply with domain-specific content knowledge and integrate modeling with other scientific practices in service of a larger investigation. It can be difficult to create learning experiences enabling students to engage in modeling practices that both honor the position of the novice along a spectrum toward more expert understanding and align well with the practices and reasoning used by experts in the domain. In this paper, we outline the challenges in teaching modeling practices specific to the domain of ecosystem science, and we present a description of a curriculum built around an immersive virtual environment that offers unique affordances for supporting student engagement in modeling practices. Illustrative examples derived from pilot studies suggest that the tools and context provided within the immersive virtual environment helped support student engagement in modeling practices that are epistemologically grounded in the field of ecosystem science

EcoMOBILE – Designing for contextualized STEM learning using mobile technologies and augmented reality

The ubiquity of mobile technologies can unlock new opportunities for “anytime, anywhere” learning, and some argue that portable mobile platforms will inherently lead to more contextualized learning experiences. However, the meaning of contextualization and how to achieve it in mobile designs bears further examination, as the greater the level of contextualization, the more difficult it may be to scale mobile designs. Context is a product of the interaction among learners, the personal, social and physical resources at hand, and mobile technologies. We examine how, through the affordances of mobile technologies, designers might emphasize different aspects of social and physical context in order to support learning. In particular, augmented reality enables students to interact—via mobile wireless devices—with virtual information, visualizations, and simulations superimposed on real-world physical landscapes. The EcoMOBILE activity considered here involved student participation in an outdoor field trip near their school using mobile broadband devices running augmented reality software. We present a case study highlighting two designs focused on a similar middle- grades science learning goal of exploring the local watershed – a place-dependent, collaborative design (“Take a Tour”) and a place-independent, individual design (“Follow the Flow”). We implemented these designs with two different teachers each with four classes of students. We present detailed comparison of the design logic and features of each experience, and a summary of feedback from interviews and student focus groups with attention to feelings of contextualization, engagement and support for learning. Our results showed little difference in student comments related to the contextualization of the experience, which suggests that carefully constructed, yet minimalist designs may support a perception of contextualization that comes from the perspective of the user rather than from the device. A place-independent mobile learning experience may, with minimal modification, be used in a location other than the one in which it was designed, and may still have positive effects on feelings of contextualization, engagement and support for learning among participants

Teacher Perceptions of the Practicality and Effectiveness of Immersive Ecological Simulations as Classroom Curricula

Recent research with Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) in education has shown that these platforms can be effective and engaging for students; however, educators and administrators have practical concerns about the adoption of MUVE-based curricula. This study looks at implementations of EcoMUVE, a MUVE-based curriculum designed to support middle school learning of ecosystem concepts and processes. Research questions looked at teacher perceptions of the curriculum’s implementation feasibility, alignment with curricular objectives and standards, and perceived value. Results showed that EcoMUVE was very well-received, and technical issues were manageable. Teachers felt the curriculum was effective, aligned well with standards, and compared favorably with a non-MUVE alternative. Particular technological and curriculum features that contributed to EcoMUVE’s perceived value included student-directed learning, an inquiry, role-based pedagogy, immersion in the virtual environment, and the ease of collecting and comparing data with graphs

Atom tracker: Designing a mobile augmented reality experience to support instruction about cycles and conservation of matter in outdoor learning environments

We describe a mobile augmented reality (AR) experience called Atom Tracker designed to help middle school students better understand the cycling of matter in ecosystems with a focus on the concept of conservation of matter and the processes of photosynthesis and respiration. Location-based AR allows students to locate virtual "hotspots," where they interact with multiple representations including vision-based AR animations of virtual atoms during ecological processes such as photosynthesis and physical LEGO® -based representations of molecules. This design case describes the design rationale, the iterative design process, the context for implementation, and reflections on the success and limitations of the Atom Tracker AR experience. An augmented reality interface was chosen due to theoretical support for its utility in supporting interaction with multiple representations (both physical and virtual) of atoms and molecules, the ability to condense and expand temporal and spatial scales associated with ecological processes, and its ability to explicitly situate these representations in real-world contexts that could support learning. Two significant design challenges that we recognized were (a) appropriately leveraging narrative, student engagement and agency when designing around the topic of atoms and molecules, which are inanimate and invisible; and (b) designing for engagement with both virtual and physical resources available during the experience

Rubella vaccine introduction in the South African public vaccination schedule : mathematical modelling for decision making

CITATION: Motaze, Nkengafac Villyen et al. 2020. Rubella vaccine introduction in the South African public vaccination schedule : mathematical modelling for decision making. Vaccines, 8(3):383, doi:10.3390/vaccines8030383.The original publication is available at: https://www.mdpi.comBackground: age structured mathematical models have been used to evaluate the impact of rubella-containing vaccine (RCV) introduction into existing measles vaccination programs in several countries. South Africa has a well-established measles vaccination program and is considering RCV introduction. This study aimed to provide a comparison of different scenarios and their relative costs within the context of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) reduction or elimination. Methods: we used a previously published age-structured deterministic discrete time rubella transmission model. We obtained estimates of vaccine costs from the South African medicines price registry and the World Health Organization. We simulated RCV introduction and extracted estimates of rubella incidence, CRS incidence and effective reproductive number over 30 years. Results: compared to scenarios without mass campaigns, scenarios including mass campaigns resulted in more rapid elimination of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Routine vaccination at 12 months of age coupled with vaccination of nine-year-old children was associated with the lowest RCV cost per CRS case averted for a similar percentage CRS reduction. Conclusion: At 80% RCV coverage, all vaccine introduction scenarios would achieve rubella and CRS elimination in South Africa. Any RCV introduction strategy should consider a combination of routine vaccination in the primary immunization series and additional vaccination of older childrenPublisher's versio