Towards Predictable Process and Consequence Attributes of Data-Driven Group Work: Primary Analysis for Assisting Teachers with Automatic Group Formation

Data-driven platforms with rich data and learning analytics applications provide immense opportunities to support collaborative learning such as algorithmic group formation systems based on learning logs. However, teachers can still get overwhelmed since they have to manually set the parameters to create groups and it takes time to understand the meaning of each indicator. Therefore, it is imperative to explore predictive indicators for algorithmic group formation to release teachers from the dilemma with explainable group formation indicators and recommended settings based on group work purposes. Employing learning logs of group work from a reading-based university course, this study examines how learner indicators from different dimensions before the group work connect to the subsequent group work processes and consequences attributes through correlation analysis. Results find that the reading engagement and previous peer ratings can reveal individual achievement of the group work, and a homogeneous grouping strategy based on reading annotations and previous group work experience can predict desirable group performance for this learning context. In addition, it also proposes the potential of automatic group formation with recommended parameter settings that leverage the results of predictive indicators

Supporting “time awareness” in self-regulated learning: How do students allocate time during exam preparation?

The development of technology enables diverse learning experiences nowadays, which shows the importance of learners’ self-regulated skills at the same time. Particularly, the ability to allocate time properly becomes an issue for learners since time is a resource owned by all of them. However, they tend to struggle to manage their time well due to the lack of awareness of its existence. This study, hence, aims to reveal how learners allocate their time and evaluate the effectiveness of the time allocation by examining its effects on learners’ performance. We collect the learning logs of 116 seventh-graders from the online learning system implemented in a Japanese public junior high school. We look at the data in the time window of 34 days before the regular exam. Even though clustering techniques as a Learning Analytics method help identify different groups of learners, it is seldom applied to group students’ learning patterns with different levels of indicators extracted from their learning process data. In this study, we adopt the method to cluster students’ patterns of time allocation and find that better performance can result from the consistency of study time throughout the exam preparation period. Practical suggestions are then proposed for different roles involved in digital learning environments to facilitate students’ time management. Collectively, this study is expected to make contributions to smart learning environments supporting self-regulated learning in the digital era

Adaptive challenges of curriculum implementation for enhancing medical student resilience at Showa University in Japan

It has been consistently reported that medical students experience a high rate of psychological morbidity, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment around the world. Under the circumstances, resilience-enhancing programs have been gathering attention and partially implemented even in Japan. However, most of the programs just imitate resiliency programs in North America even though studies have indicated that there are cultural differences between East Asia and North America in the capacity to cope with a stressful situation. The presenters investigated what factors might affect the similarities or differences in the perception of resilience among experienced palliative care physicians in Canada and Japan in 2017-2018. This study showed that Japanese physicians are more likely to rely on “Relationships” with other persons such as family members, friends, mentors or colleagues; in contrast, Canadian physicians tended to be more focused on individual factors such as “Autonomy” and “Confidence”. As a result, the presenters at Showa University School of Medicine in Japan have implemented a progressively advancing resiliency program in a passed manner for the 1st through 6th year medical students as part of a new curriculum. This represents one of the most drastic revisions of curriculum in the school’s history. This presentation will introduce a course for resiliency programs as part of a new curriculum, including course description, course content, educational objectives, instructional strategies and the tips for the classroom teaching and learning. &nbsp

Culturally-adapted resilience-building curriculum for medical students: a comprehensive approach at Showa University School of Medicine, Japan

The growing prevalence of psychological morbidity, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment among medical students underscores the need for resilience-enhancing programs tailored to their specific needs. Incorporating cultural perspectives and societal context into these interventions is crucial to ensure their effectiveness and relevance. In response, Showa University School of Medicine in Japan has pioneered a culturally-adapted, resilience-based curriculum for medical students from their first through sixth years since 2020. This presentation will outline the comprehensive framework of the resilience-focused curriculum, including course objectives, content, learning resources, timetables, and pedagogical approaches. Key components of the curriculum encompass self-assessment and reflection, stress management strategies, effective communication and conflict resolution skills, and fostering a growth mindset. Additionally, interdisciplinary collaborations with psychology and social work departments provide individual supports and resources for students. Emphasizing the distinct challenges faced by medical students, such as academic stressors, relationships with senior clinical educators, patient and family interactions, and managing errors and burnout, the presentation will highlight the classes on the curriculum, support systems and mentorship programs in promoting mental well-being and resilience. The experiences and outcomes of the 2020-2022 cohorts will be shared, offering valuable insights into the effectiveness of the resilience-building curriculum in the Japanese context. Lessons learned from the implementation process, including challenges faced and strategies employed, will provide practical examples for other medical schools seeking to develop similar programs

Build-up functionalization of anti-EGFR × anti-CD3 bispecific diabodies by integrating high-affinity mutants and functional molecular formats

Designing non-natural antibody formats is a practical method for developing highly functional next-generation antibody drugs, particularly for improving the therapeutic efficacy of cancer treatments. One approach is constructing bispecific antibodies (bsAbs). We previously reported a functional humanized bispecific diabody (bsDb) that targeted epidermal growth factor receptor and CD3 (hEx3-Db). We enhanced its cytotoxicity by constructing an Fc fusion protein and rearranging order of the V domain. In this study, we created an additional functional bsAb, by integrating the molecular formats of bsAb and high-affinity mutants previously isolated by phage display in the form of Fv. Introducing the high-affinity mutations into bsDbs successfully increased their affinities and enhanced their cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. However, there were some limitations to affinity maturation of bsDb by integrating high-affinity Fv mutants, particularly in Fc-fused bsDb with intrinsic high affinity, because of their bivalency. The tetramers fractionated from the bsDb mutant exhibited the highest in vitro growth inhibition among the small bsAbs and was comparable to the in vivo anti-tumor effects of Fc-fused bsDbs. This molecule shows cost-efficient bacterial production and high therapeutic potential

Application of the sliding window method and Mask-RCNN method to nuclear recognition in oral cytology

Background: We aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted oral cytology method, similar to cervical cytology. We focused on the detection of cell nuclei because the ratio of cell nuclei to cytoplasm increases with increasing cell malignancy. As an initial step in the development of AI-assisted cytology, we investigated two methods for the automatic detection of cell nuclei in blue-stained cells in cytopreparation images.Methods: We evaluated the usefulness of the sliding window method (SWM) and mask region-based convolutional neural network (Mask-RCNN) in identifying the cell nuclei in oral cytopreparation images. Thirty cases of liquid-based oral cytology were analyzed. First, we performed the SWM by dividing each image into 96 × 96 pixels. Overall, 591 images with or without blue-stained cell nuclei were prepared as the training data and 197 as the test data (total: 1,576 images). Next, we performed the Mask-RCNN by preparing 130 images of Class II and III lesions and creating mask images showing cell regions based on these images.Results: Using the SWM method, the highest detection rate for blue-stained cells in the evaluation group was 0.9314. For Mask-RCNN, 37 cell nuclei were identified, and 1 cell nucleus was identified as a non-nucleus after 40 epochs (error rate:0.027).Conclusions: Mask-RCNN is more accurate than SWM in identifying the cell nuclei. If the blue-stained cell nuclei can be correctly identified automatically, the entire cell morphology can be grasped faster, and the diagnostic performance of cytology can be improved

Manipulation and assembly of small objects in liquid crystals by dynamical disorganizing effect of push-pull-azobenzene-dye

The phase transition of a nematic liquid crystal containing a push-pull azobenzene dye could be induced efficiently during irradiation with visible light. The dynamical disorganizing effect of the push-pull azobenzene dye on the liquid crystalline order through its trans-cis-trans photoisomerizaion cycle under visible light was contributed to the efficient phase transition. Then, the effects of light irradiation on the motion of small objects dispersed in the liquid crystals containing the push-pull azobenzene were explored and the manipulation and assembly of those objects were successfully achieved in the nematic phase but also in the smectic phase. The combination of the photo-controlled dynamical change in the liquid crystalline order and the intrinsic self-assembly property of a liquid crystal is promising for use in technologies that require not only the organization of small objects but also the photo-driving of nano- and micro-sized mechanical materials

MURC/Cavin-4 and cavin family members form tissue-specific caveolar complexes

Polymerase I and transcript release factor (PTRF)/Cavin is a cytoplasmic protein whose expression is obligatory for caveola formation. Using biochemistry and fluorescence resonance energy transfer–based approaches, we now show that a family of related proteins, PTRF/Cavin-1, serum deprivation response (SDR)/Cavin-2, SDR-related gene product that binds to C kinase (SRBC)/Cavin-3, and muscle-restricted coiled-coil protein (MURC)/Cavin-4, forms a multiprotein complex that associates with caveolae. This complex can constitutively assemble in the cytosol and associate with caveolin at plasma membrane caveolae. Cavin-1, but not other cavins, can induce caveola formation in a heterologous system and is required for the recruitment of the cavin complex to caveolae. The tissue-restricted expression of cavins suggests that caveolae may perform tissue-specific functions regulated by the composition of the cavin complex. Cavin-4 is expressed predominantly in muscle, and its distribution is perturbed in human muscle disease associated with Caveolin-3 dysfunction, identifying Cavin-4 as a novel muscle disease candidate caveolar protein

Copy number elevation of 22q11.2 genes arrests the developmental maturation of working memory capacity and adult hippocampal neurogenesis

Working memory capacity, a critical component of executive function, expands developmentally from childhood through adulthood. Anomalies in this developmental process are seen in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia and intellectual disabilities (ID), implicating this atypical process in the trajectory of developmental neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the cellular and neuronal substrates underlying this process are not understood. Duplication and triplication of copy number variants of 22q11.2 are consistently and robustly associated with cognitive deficits of ASD and ID in humans, and overexpression of small 22q11.2 segments recapitulates dimensional aspects of developmental neuropsychiatric disorders in mice. We capitalized on these two lines of evidence to delve into the cellular substrates for this atypical development of working memory. Using a region- and cell-type-selective gene expression approach, we demonstrated that copy number elevations of catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) or Tbx1, two genes encoded in the two small 22q11.2 segments, in adult neural stem/progenitor cells in the hippocampus prevents the developmental maturation of working memory capacity in mice. Moreover, copy number elevations of COMT or Tbx1 reduced the proliferation of adult neural stem/progenitor cells in a cell-autonomous manner in vitro and migration of their progenies in the hippocampus granular layer in vivo. Our data provide evidence for the novel hypothesis that copy number elevations of these 22q11.2 genes alter the developmental trajectory of working memory capacity via suboptimal adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus.Peer reviewe

Plasma-induced changes in the physiology of mammalian retinal glial cells: Role of glutamate

Plasma can leak into the nervous system when the vascular endothelial barrier is compromised. Although this occurs commonly, little is known about the effects of plasma on the function of cells in the central nervous system. In this study, we focused on the responses of glial cells, which, because they ensheathe the blood vessels, are the first cells exposed to leaking plasma. We used the perforated-patch configuration of the patch-clamp technique to assess the effects of plasma on freshly dissociated bovine and human MÜller cells, the principal glia of the retina. To monitor the function of MÜller cells in situ, we recorded electroretinograms from isolated retinas. We found that plasma activates an electrogenic glutamate transporter and inhibits inward-rectifying K + channels, as well as a transient outward current. Glutamate, a normal constituent of the blood, mimicked these effects. Unlike our recent findings with serum, which contains molecules generated by the clotting process, plasma neither activated a nonspecific cation conductance nor inhibited the slow P III component of the electroretinogram, which is generated by MÜller cells responding to light-evoked changes in the extracellular potassium concentration ([K + ] O ). Taken together, our observations indicate that a leakage of serum into the retina compromises the regulation of [K + ] O by MÜller cells; however, when plasma enters the retina at sites of a breakdown in the blood-retinal barrier, these glia can maintain K + homeostasis while reducing the potentially neurotoxic levels of glutamate. GLIA 25:205–215, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/35021/1/1_ftp.pd