Oxalate-Induced Damage to Renal Tubular Cells

Our own studies and those of others have shown that the incidence of calcium oxalate stones and plaques is markedly increased by nephrotoxins. The possible role of oxalate as a nephrotoxin has not been fully appreciated. However, recent studies in experimental animals and in cultured cells support this possibility. The results of these studies led us to hypothesize that hyperoxaluria promotes stone formation in several ways: by providing a substrate for the formation of the most common form of renal stones, calcium oxalate stones, and by inducing damage to renal epithelial cells. Damaged cells in turn would produce an environment favorable for crystal retention and provide membranous debris that promotes crystal nucleation, aggregation and adherence. The present report summarizes evidence for oxalate nephrotoxicity and discusses the potential importance of oxalate toxicity in the pathogenesis of stone disease

Understanding parents’ emotional experiences for neonatal education:A narrative, interpretive approach

Aims and objectives: To explore the emotional experiences of parents who have had premature babies to inform and educate neonatal nurses and health professionals in this field. Background: Parents find the neonatal unit a daunting and unfamiliar place leading to anxiety, uncertainty and fear about the future of their baby. Parents have significant emotional needs in relation to assisting them to cope with their neonatal experience. In line with a family-centred approach to neonatal education, it is essential to teach health professionals about the emotional impact of neonatal care based on an appreciation of the parent experience. Design: A narrative-based, interpretive approach was undertaken in line with constructivist learning theory. Methods: Twenty narrative interviews took place, with a total of 23 parents of premature babies. Following core story creation to create coherent stories from the raw transcripts, thematic analysis of the narrative constructs using the principles of Braun and Clarke's, International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 2014, 9, 1, framework was undertaken. The study methods were compliant with the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ). Findings: Thematic analysis revealed key themes relating to the following: parents’ emotions through the whole neonatal experience, feelings towards the baby, the environment, the staff and the transitions through the different phases of neonatal care. Both negative and positive experiences were reported. Conclusion: Understanding the emotional experience from the parent's perspective, following birth of their premature baby, informs empathic, family-centred teaching and learning within the neonatal education arena. Relevance to clinical practice: Students and health professionals alike can learn what is important in the delivery of care that addresses the emotional needs of parents and families. Educators can use narratives and key messages from parents, both negative and positive, to teach family-centred principles to nurses and health professionals as a core component of a narrative curricula and potentially to enhance empathy

IWIN: the Isfjorden Weather Information Network

In an effort led by the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), with support from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (MET Norway), the Isfjorden Weather Information Network (IWIN) is under development in the Isfjorden region in central Svalbard. The network substantially expands upon the relatively sparse existing operational network of weather stations and consists of compact and cost-efficient all-in-one weather stations permanently installed at lighthouses around Isfjorden and on board small tourist cruise ships trafficking the fjord from spring to autumn. All data from the network until June 2023, as presented in this paper, can be found at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8137588 (Frank et al., 2023b). New data become freely available in near-real time via MET Norway's data portals (https://doi.org/10.21343/ebrw-w846, Frank et al., 2023a). The IWIN data are highly valuable for scientific purposes such as atmospheric boundary layer research, the validation and development of numerical weather prediction models, and assimilation in these, as well as the planning and safe conduction of outdoor activities in the region.</p

Using Schema Training to Facilitate Students\u27 Understanding of Challenging Engineering Concepts in Heat Transfer and Thermodynamics

Background: Chi and colleagues have argued that some of the most challenging engineering concepts exhibit properties of emergent systems. However, students often lack a mental framework, or schema, for understanding emergence. Slotta and Chi posited that helping students develop a schema for emergent systems, referred to as schema training, would increase the understanding of challenging concepts exhibiting emergent properties. Purpose: We tested the effectiveness of schema training and explored the nature of challenging concepts from thermodynamics and heat transfer. We investigated if schema training could (a) repair misconceptions in advanced engineering students and (b) prevent them in beginning engineering students. Method: We adapted Slotta and Chi\u27s schema training modules and tested their impact in two studies that employed an experimental design. Items from the Thermal and Transport Concept Inventory and expert-developed multiple-choice questions were used to evaluate conceptual understanding of the participants. The language used by students in their open-ended explanations of multiple-choice questions was also coded. Results: In both studies, students in the experimental groups showed larger gains in their understanding of some concepts—specifically in dye diffusion and microfluidics in Study One, and in the final test for thermodynamics in Study Two. But in neither study did students exhibit any gain in conceptual questions about heat transfer. Conclusion: Our studies suggest the importance of examining the nature of the phenomena underlying the concepts being taught because the language used in instruction has implications for how students understand them. Therefore, we suggest that instructors reflect on their own understanding of the concepts

Submerged in the mainstream? A case study of an immigrant learner in a New Zealand primary classroom

Immigrant children from diverse language backgrounds face not only linguistic challenges when enrolled in mainstream English-medium classrooms, but also difficulties adjusting to an unfamiliar learning community. The culture of primary school classrooms in New Zealand typically reflects conventions across three dimensions: interactional, instructional task performance and cognitive-academic development. All three dimensions are underpinned by the culturally specific discourse conventions involved in language socialisation. New learners may be helped by classmates or their teacher to understand and successfully use these conventions, but left on their own they may sink rather than swim. This is a case study of one Taiwanese 11-year old boy, 'John', who entered a New Zealand primary classroom midway through the school year. John's basic conversational ability was sound, but he did not possess the interactive classroom skills needed to operate in the new culture of learning. Selected from a wider study of the classroom, transcript data from audio-recorded excerpts of John's interactions over several months with his teacher and classmates are interpreted from perspectives derived from sociocultural and language socialisation theories. The article concludes with a brief consideration of the extent to which John constructed, or was constrained from constructing meaningful learning experiences, and suggestions for further research and reflection

A comparative evaluation of the effect of internet-based CME delivery format on satisfaction, knowledge and confidence

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Internet-based instruction in continuing medical education (CME) has been associated with favorable outcomes. However, more direct comparative studies of different Internet-based interventions, instructional methods, presentation formats, and approaches to implementation are needed. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative evaluation of two Internet-based CME delivery formats and the effect on satisfaction, knowledge and confidence outcomes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Evaluative outcomes of two differing formats of an Internet-based CME course with identical subject matter were compared. A Scheduled Group Learning format involved case-based asynchronous discussions with peers and a facilitator over a scheduled 3-week delivery period. An eCME On Demand format did not include facilitated discussion and was not based on a schedule; participants could start and finish at any time. A retrospective, pre-post evaluation study design comparing identical satisfaction, knowledge and confidence outcome measures was conducted.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Participants in the Scheduled Group Learning format reported significantly higher mean satisfaction ratings in some areas, performed significantly higher on a post-knowledge assessment and reported significantly higher post-confidence scores than participants in the eCME On Demand format that was not scheduled and did not include facilitated discussion activity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The findings support the instructional benefits of a scheduled delivery format and facilitated asynchronous discussion in Internet-based CME.</p

E1DS: catalytic site prediction based on 1D signatures of concurrent conservation

Large-scale automatic annotation of protein sequences remains challenging in postgenomics era. E1DS is designed for annotating enzyme sequences based on a repository of 1D signatures. The employed sequence signatures are derived using a novel pattern mining approach that discovers long motifs consisted of several sequential blocks (conserved segments). Each of the sequential blocks is considerably conserved among the protein members of an EC group. Moreover, a signature includes at least three sequential blocks that are concurrently conserved, i.e. frequently observed together in sequences. In other words, a sequence signature is consisted of residues from multiple regions of the protein sequence, which echoes the observation that an enzyme catalytic site is usually constituted of residues that are largely separated in the sequence. E1DS currently contains 5421 sequence signatures that in total cover 932 4-digital EC numbers. E1DS is evaluated based on a collection of enzymes with catalytic sites annotated in Catalytic Site Atlas. When compared to the famous pattern database PROSITE, predictions based on E1DS signatures are considered more sensitive in identifying catalytic sites and the involved residues. E1DS is available at http://e1ds.ee.ncku.edu.tw/ and a mirror site can be found at http://e1ds.csbb.ntu.edu.tw/

Using social network sites in Higher Education: An experience in business studies

In the past 5 years the impact of Web 2.0 in new generations has been remarkably significant (Pew Research Center, 2010). This paper reports on an experience in the use of Social Network Sites (SNS) to support student involvement with the subject and to develop basic skills. According to students’ opinion, the experience was deemed as positive. They considered that the experience contributed to a higher engagement with the subject and a deeper collaboration with other students and teaching staff. As a result, the majority of students would prefer the use of SNS as a first option if they had to enrol again in the subject. Regarding the relationships between academic performance and use of the SNS, two different student profiles were identified based on usage patterns of the platform. Students with a more intensive use of the site showed a significantly better performance than students with a low usage profile.This work was partially supported by the Junta de Andalucía – FEDER (Proyectos de Excelencia: SEJ-02670

Designing electronic collaborative learning environments

Electronic collaborative learning environments for learning and working are in vogue. Designers design them according to their own constructivist interpretations of what collaborative learning is and what it should achieve. Educators employ them with different educational approaches and in diverse situations to achieve different ends. Students use them, sometimes very enthusiastically, but often in a perfunctory way. Finally, researchers study them and—as is usually the case when apples and oranges are compared—find no conclusive evidence as to whether or not they work, where they do or do not work, when they do or do not work and, most importantly, why, they do or do not work. This contribution presents an affordance framework for such collaborative learning environments; an interaction design procedure for designing, developing, and implementing them; and an educational affordance approach to the use of tasks in those environments. It also presents the results of three projects dealing with these three issues