Active Learning in Introductory Economics: Do MyEconLab and Aplia Make Any Difference?

This paper reports experiment results of teaching large classes of introductory economics with modern learning technology such as MyEconLab or Aplia. This new technology emerges partially in response to the enrollment pressure currently facing many institutions of higher education. Among other things, the technology provides an integrated online teaching and learning environment that allows active learning through student direct participation in the learning process as well as interaction with their instructor, peers, and the outside Internet. Our results showed that, for the classes in the experiment, modern learning technology could make a difference in helping students improve their class mark averages by a small but statistically significant amount of 2% regardless whether the technology was used as a required or optional course component. We noted that students responded more favorably when the technology component was given more weight in the marking scheme

An observational study on the effects of early and late risk factors on the development of childhood obesity in the South of Italy

Background: Child obesity is today one of the greatest health emergencies, on such a large scale as to be considered a global epidemic by the WHO and, unfortunately, Italy holds the worst European record. Methods: We conducted an observational study to investigate the effects of early and late risk factors on the development of primary childhood obesity. We collected anthropometric parameters, information about early risk markers and late risk factors on a sample of 280 children from March 2016 to December 2017. Results: Statistically significant associations emerged between: child's BMI and education level of the mother (p<0.001) and the father (p<0.05); level of parents' education and qualitative variables (subjects’ physical activity level (p<0.05), consumption of carbonated beverages (p<0.05), fruit juices (p <0.05) and snacks (p<0.05); BMI and the presence or absence of a family history of obesity, DM and cardiovascular diseases. Significant linear correlations were found between weight classification (overweight/obese) and the consumption of carbonated drinks (p<0.05), snack consumption (p<0.05), physical activity levels (p<0.001) and duration of sleep in the afternoon (p<0.05). Conclusions: In our sample we found incorrect eating habits to be frequently linked to a low level of parental education; particularly for the mother, the main childcare provider

Active Learning in Introductory Economics: Do MyEconLab and Aplia Make Any Difference?

This paper reports experiment results of teaching large classes of introductory economics with modern learning technology such as MyEconLab or Aplia. This new technology emerges partially in response to the enrollment pressure currently facing many institutions of higher education. Among other things, the technology provides an integrated online teaching and learning environment that allows active learning through student direct participation in the learning process as well as interaction with their instructor, peers, and the outside Internet. Our results showed that, for the classes in the experiment, modern learning technology could make a difference in helping students improve their class mark averages by a small but statistically significant amount of 2% regardless whether the technology was used as a required or optional course component. We noted that students responded more favorably when the technology component was given more weight in the marking scheme

9. Language Diversity & Practice in Higher Education: Can Discipline-Specific Language Instruction Improve Economics Learning Outcomes?

In the field of second language acquisition, discipline-specific language instruction is becoming widely known as Content and Language Integrated Learning. This method includes any activity that involves teaching a subject in a second language for the purpose of teaching both the subject content and the language. Research has shown that this two for one approach increases students’ content knowledge and language proficiency in both the short and long terms (Baik & Greig, 2009; Kasper, 1997; Song, 2006). These studies have been conducted using a variety of subjects in combination with several second languages, but the combination of economics and English has not been explored in the literature. Our research involved teaching English as an Additional Language (EAL) to international students taking an introductory economics course. Ten voluntary participants completed pre- and post-treatment assessments as well as exit interviews. Assessment results indicate that vocabulary instruction is correlated to success in economics although reading strategy instruction did not have the same impact

Discipline-Specific Language Instruction for International Students in Introductory Economics

This paper explores student perceptions of the effects of pairing discipline-specific language instruction with the traditional method of course delivery in economics. Our research involved teaching content-based English as an additional language (EAL) tutorials to a small group of ten international students taking first-year introductory economics courses. These voluntary participants completed pre- and post-treatment assessments with exit interviews at the end of the project. Assessment results and interviews suggest that students perceive that discipline-specific language instruction such as our EAL tutorials assists in the development of increased content and language proficiency. They also believe that vocabulary development is one of the most critical activities to support these goals; reading skills are also important but require more time and commitment than students can afford to give. Despite the students’ interest in the project, their heavy class schedules prevented many from participating; our group was limited to ten students which precludes any assurance of statistical significance. In spite of the limitations, we believe that the project can still contribute valuable qualitative lessons to the literature of content-based language instruction in which the discipline of economics has not been well represented. Cette communication explore la manière dont les étudiants perçoivent les effets du jumelage de l’enseignement de la langue spécifique à une discipline avec l’enseignement d’un cours d’économie selon la méthode traditionnelle d’enseignement. Notre recherche a porté sur l’enseignement en tutorat de l’anglais langue additionnelle (ALA) fondé sur le contenu à un petit groupe de dix étudiants internationaux inscrits dans des cours de première année d’introduction à l’économie. Ces participants bénévoles ont complété une évaluation avant et après le cours et ont été interviewés à la fin du projet. Les résultats de l’évaluation et les entrevues suggèrent que les étudiants ont le sentiment que l’enseignement de la langue spécifique à une discipline, tel que nos cours d’ALA en tutorat, les aident à développer une meilleure compréhension du contenu du cours et de la langue. Ils pensent également que l’acquisition du vocabulaire est l’une des activités les plus importantes pour réaliser ces objectifs. Les compétences en lecture sont également importantes mais requièrent davantage de temps et d’engagement que ce que les étudiants sont en mesure de fournir. Malgré l’intérêt des étudiants dans le projet, leur emploi du temps très chargé a empêché plusieurs d’entre eux d’y participer. Notre groupe a été limité à dix étudiants, ce qui écarte toute assurance de signification statistique. Malgré ces limites, nous croyons que ce projet peut malgré tout apporter une contribution qualitative appréciable à la documentation qui existe sur l’enseignement de la langue spécifique à une discipline dans laquelle l’économie n’a pas souvent été représentée

HER2 Analysis in Sporadic Thyroid Cancer of Follicular Cell Origin

The Epidermal Growth Factor Receoptor (EGFR) family member human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is overexpressed in many human epithelial malignancies, representing a molecular target for specific anti-neoplastic drugs. Few data are available on HER2 status in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). The present study was aimed to investigate HER2 status in sporadic cancers of follicular cell origin to better clarify the role of this receptor in the stratification of thyroid cancer. By immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in-situ hybridization, HER2 expression was investigated in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded surgical specimens from 90 DTC patients, 45 follicular (FTC) and 45 papillary (PTC) histotypes. No HER2 immunostaining was recorded in background thyroid tissue. By contrast, overall HER2 overexpression was found in 20/45 (44%) FTC and 8/45 (18%) PTC, with a significant difference between the two histotypes (p = 0.046). Five of the six patients who developed metastatic disease during a median nine-year follow-up had a HER2-positive tumor. Therefore, we suggest that HER2 expression may represent an additional aid to identify a subset of patients who are characterized by a worse prognosis and are potentially eligible for targeted therapy

Beyond alpha power: EEG spatial and spectral gradients robustly stratify disorders of consciousness.

peer reviewedNeurophysiological markers can overcome the limitations of behavioural assessments of Disorders of Consciousness (DoC). EEG alpha power emerged as a promising marker for DoC, although long-standing literature reported alpha power being sustained during anesthetic-induced unconsciousness, and reduced during dreaming and hallucinations. We hypothesized that EEG power suppression caused by severe anoxia could explain this conflict. Accordingly, we split DoC patients (n = 87) in postanoxic and non-postanoxic cohorts. Alpha power was suppressed only in severe postanoxia but failed to discriminate un/consciousness in other aetiologies. Furthermore, it did not generalize to an independent reference dataset (n = 65) of neurotypical, neurological, and anesthesia conditions. We then investigated EEG spatio-spectral gradients, reflecting anteriorization and slowing, as alternative markers. In non-postanoxic DoC, these features, combined in a bivariate model, reliably stratified patients and indexed consciousness, even in unresponsive patients identified as conscious by an independent neural marker (the Perturbational Complexity Index). Crucially, this model optimally generalized to the reference dataset. Overall, alpha power does not index consciousness; rather, its suppression entails diffuse cortical damage, in postanoxic patients. As an alternative, EEG spatio-spectral gradients, reflecting distinct pathophysiological mechanisms, jointly provide a robust, parsimonious, and generalizable marker of consciousness, whose clinical application may guide rehabilitation efforts

A national cohort study on pediatric Behçet’s disease: cross-sectional data from an Italian registry

Abstract Background Behçet’s disease is a rare multi-systemic inflammatory disease with unknown etiology which involves principally oral and genital mucosa, skin and eyes. Average age at onset of the disease is about 25-30 years, but it may be diagnosed before the age of 16. It is not very rare in Italy, even though there are limited data concerning epidemiology. Aim of this study is to describe the baseline data of an Italian cohort of patients with as having BD or probable BD. Methods We described the baseline data of the first national epidemiological study on children coming from 16 Italian Pediatric Rheumatologic Centers diagnosed by the treating physicians as having Behçet’s Disease. Data on demographic characteristics, clinical features and therapy were collected. We then compared our findings to those of international pediatric cohort studies and also retrospectively evaluated the ability to diagnose BD using ISG, ICBD and, for the first time, the new PEDBD criteria. Results The study included 110 patients (62 M, 48F). Average age at onset was 8.34±4.11 years. The frequencies of signs/symptoms were: recurrent oral aphtosis 94.5%, genital ulcers 33.6%, ocular 43.6%, gastrointestinal 42.7%, musculoskeletal 42.7%, neurological 30.9% and vascular involvement 10%. Thirty-two patients (29.1%) fulfilled ISG, 78 (70.9%) ICBD, 50 (45.5%) PEDBD criteria and 31 (28%) didn’t fulfill any of them. The most frequently used treatments were colchicine and corticosteroids followed by immunosuppressants. Four patients received biologic therapy (anti TNF-α and anti-IL-1) to treat severe organ involvement. Conclusions Recurrent oral aphtosis was the most frequent clinical manifestation, followed by ocular involvement. Gastrointestinal lesions were more frequent in Italy than in non-European countries as opposed to genital ulcers. Skin, ocular and vascular manifestations had a higher frequency in males and genital ulcers in females. Constitutional symptoms were present in 44.5% and recurrent fever in one third of our population