Evaluating the Effects of Immersive Embodied Interaction on Cognition in Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is on its advent of becoming mainstream household technology, as technologies such as head-mounted displays, trackers, and interaction devices are becoming affordable and easily available. Virtual reality (VR) has immense potential in enhancing the fields of education and training, and its power can be used to spark interest and enthusiasm among learners. It is, therefore, imperative to evaluate the risks and benefits that immersive virtual reality poses to the field of education. Research suggests that learning is an embodied process. Learning depends on grounded aspects of the body including action, perception, and interactions with the environment. This research aims to study if immersive embodiment through the means of virtual reality facilitates embodied cognition. A pedagogical VR solution which takes advantage of embodied cognition can lead to enhanced learning benefits. Towards achieving this goal, this research presents a linear continuum for immersive embodied interaction within virtual reality. This research evaluates the effects of three levels of immersive embodied interactions on cognitive thinking, presence, usability, and satisfaction among users in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Results from the presented experiments show that immersive virtual reality is greatly effective in knowledge acquisition and retention, and highly enhances user satisfaction, interest and enthusiasm. Users experience high levels of presence and are profoundly engaged in the learning activities within the immersive virtual environments. The studies presented in this research evaluate pedagogical VR software to train and motivate students in STEM education, and provide an empirical analysis comparing desktop VR (DVR), immersive VR (IVR), and immersive embodied VR (IEVR) conditions for learning. This research also proposes a fully immersive embodied interaction metaphor (IEIVR) for learning of computational concepts as a future direction, and presents the challenges faced in implementing the IEIVR metaphor due to extended periods of immersion. Results from the conducted studies help in formulating guidelines for virtual reality and education researchers working in STEM education and training, and for educators and curriculum developers seeking to improve student engagement in the STEM fields

Evaluation of the Effect of Hydroalcoholic Extracts of Cassia Occidentalis Leaves in Neutrophil Adhesion Test in Rats

Evaluation of the effect of hydroalcoholic extracts of Cassia occidentalis leaves in neutrophil adhesion test in Rats. The effect of oral administration of hydroalcoholic extract of Cassia occidentalis leaves on neutrophil has been studied and is compared with control group on rats. The differential leukocyte count (DLC) was performed by fixing the blood smears and staining with leucofine and percent neutrophils in each sample was determined. After the initial counts, blood samples were incubated with 80 mg/ml of nylon fibers for 10 min at 37ºC. Supplementation with hydroalcoholic extract of Cassia occidentalis leaves significantly decreased neutrophil adhesion. The results indicate that the leaf of Cassia occidentalis is endowed with protected neutrophil adhesion. These effects could conclude that Cassia occidentalis has an antiasthmatic property. Keywords: Cassia occidentalis, Neutrophil adhesion, analysis of varianc

Perceptions of faculty about student-centered curriculum

Background: The term student-centered learning (SCL) is widely used in the teaching and learning literature. Student-centered learning, if implemented properly, offers benefits to all, including the institution, students and staff involved, higher education staff unions, students′ unions, and society as a whole. Materials and Methods: Present cross-sectional study was done to find out faculty attitudes and practice towards student-centeredness of curriculum in their own settings. Results: that learning environment (66.18%) is student-centered in most of the institute, followed by teaching and learning methods (57.65%), and the least student-centeredness was observed in learning outcome component (23.53%). All other components i.e. professional academic development (48.53%), student assessment methods (47.06%), mobility, recognition and prior learning (46.08%), social dimensions (44.12%), quality assurance (39.22%), consultation with students (28.43%) were student-centered in less than 50% institutions, indirectly suggesting practice of teacher centered curriculum. Conclusion: It has become clear from the study that, overall, there is practice of teacher centered curriculum. Particularly students need to be consulted in process of curriculum and in preparing learning outcome. Students should be part of quality assurance process

Mucocele - A study of 36 cases

Background: Mucocele is one of the most common benign soft tissue tumor present in the oral cavity. They are of two types - one is extravasation and second one is retention type but the majority are extravasation type. Aims: The objective is to determine various factors related to mucocele such as role of trauma due to nearby teeth, recurrence, duration, and to find out whether there is any role of psychological stress which initiates trauma like lip or cheek biting. Materials and Methods: 36 cases of mucocele diagnosed at the Department of the Oral Pathology, Govt. Dental College and Hospital, Ahmedabad, between 2004 and 2008 were reviewed. The clinical data were recorded and histopathologic diagnosis was made. Statistical Analysis Used: Data analysis tool, Microsoft Office Excel 2007. Results: A diagnosis of mucocele was established in 36 cases with male-to-female ratio of 1.77:1. Most common type was extravasation in 30 (83.33%) cases. The peak age of occurrence was between 1st and 3rd decade. Lateral side of the lower labial mucosa was the most affected site in 34 (94.44%) cases. The history of trauma appeared the major etiological factor seen in 28 (77.77%) cases. Conclusion: We conclude that there was male predominance and they were more affected in 2nd and 3rd decade. The lateral side of lower labial mucosa was the commonest site and the trauma due to teeth or lip biting was the major etiological factor for the occurrence of the mucocele. The article highlights role of psychological stress in occurrence of mucocele. The reader should understand the importance of histopathology examination and should try to control the psychological stress in such mucocele patients

ROAD LIGHTING AS AN ACCIDENT COUNTER MEASURE

ABSTRACT Road lighting is widely recognized as an efficient traffic safety measure. However, we know too little about the effect of road lighting on accidents in a given situation and we do not know what kind of lighting that is optimal for the situation. The objective of this thesis is to contribute to more knowledge about the relationship between road lighting and traffic safety. The lighting level can be reduced to the minimum of what is required to ensure good traffic safety. A problem is, however, that we do not know what lighting quantity and quality that is needed to ensure good traffic safety at the actual situation. Lighting standards do not fully answer the question. We need to know more about the relationship between road lighting and traffic safety. Visibility criteria have to be developed, where factors important for visibility in critical situations must be considered. In this study the Luminance is measured by lux meter& luminance meter. Other two surveys like accident survey and traffic volume count are carried out for this study. Regression models are to be generated for this study and after the comparison of these regression models; it is fact that the poor lighting is main cause behind accident at study area

Targeting allosteric binding site in methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) to identify natural product inhibitors via structure-based computational approach

Abstract Cancer has been viewed as one of the deadliest diseases worldwide. Among various types of cancer, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) is a promising druggable target and is overexpressed in cancerous cells, like, breast cancer. We conducted structure-based modeling on the allosteric site of the enzyme. Targeting the allosteric site avoids the problem of drug resistance. Pharmacophore modeling, molecular docking, HYDE assessment, drug-likeness, ADMET predictions, simulations, and free-energy calculations were performed. The RMSD, RMSF, RoG, SASA, and Hydrogen-bonding studies showed that seven candidates displayed stable behaviour. As per the literature, average superimposed simulated structures revealed a similar protein conformational change in the αEʹ-βfʹ loop, causing its displacement away from the allosteric site. The MM-PBSA showed tight binding of six compounds with the allosteric pocket. The effect of inhibitors interacting in the allosteric site causes a decrease in the binding energy of J49 (active-site inhibitor), suggesting the effect of allosteric binding. The PCA and FEL analysis revealed the significance of the docked compounds in the stable behaviour of the complexes. The outcome can contribute to the development of potential natural products with drug-like properties that can inhibit the MTHFD2 enzyme