scholarly journals Genie: An interactive real-time simulation for teaching genetic drift

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreina I. Castillo ◽  
Ben H. Roos ◽  
Michael S. Rosenberg ◽  
Reed A. Cartwright ◽  
Melissa A. Wilson Sayres

AbstractBackgroundOne of the most challenging topics for students in Evolution courses is that of non-adaptive evolution, particularly genetic drift. Novel teaching techniques and software have been implemented to facilitate student understanding of this and other evolution related topics; nonetheless, some of them still present certain disadvantages. Here we introduce Genie, a web-based application designed to demonstrate population genetics and evolutionary concepts.ResultsWe used Genie as a tool to teach 203 students taking Arizona State University’s Evolution course. Students freely used Genie during recitation session after having learned about genetic drift and other mechanism of non-adaptive evolution during lectures. Student performance and comprehension of genetic drift, and other evolutionary concepts, was tested with the Genetic Drift Inventory before and after using Genie. We found that Genie was an efficient tool for teaching genetic drift, mutation, the effects of barrier formation, and gene flow, across a variety of student demographics. Specifically, we found that with our implementation of Genie, students had significantly improved understanding of concepts such as: changes in alleles frequencies due to genetic drift and the difference between adaptive and non-adaptive evolutionary mechanisms.ConclusionsWe believe that the easy usage, creativity, and real-time nature of Genie makes it an accessible tool for both teachers and students learning non-adaptive evolution, as well as a means for student development of creative and critical thinking. Genie is freely available (https://cartwrig.ht/apps/genie/) and can be easily accessed across different operating systems.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zsolt Pintér ◽  
Dániel Kardos ◽  
Péter Varga ◽  
Eszter Kopjár ◽  
Anna Kovács ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Near-peer teaching (NPT) is a special way of teaching where the tutor is one or more academic years ahead of the person being tutored. The literature agrees on the benefits of the method, but there are only a few publications examining its effectiveness using objective methods. The aim of our study was to examine the effectiveness of NPT in the training of basic surgical skills. Methods We included 60 volunteer students who participated in a 20 × 45 min long surgical skills course. Based on the results of a pre-course test, we randomly divided the students into six equal groups. All groups completed the same curriculum, with three groups being assisted by a NPT tutor. After the course, they completed the same test as at the beginning. The exams were recorded on anonymized videos and were blindly evaluated. The students’ satisfaction was monitored using a self-administered online anonymous questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests. Results Overall, student performance improved with completion of the course (from 119.86 to 153.55 points, p <  0.01). In groups where a NPT tutor assisted, students achieved a significantly better score (37.20 vs. 30.18 points improvement, p = 0.036). The difference was prominent in surgical knotting tasks (14.73 vs. 9.30 points improvement, p <  0.01). In cases of suturing (15.90 vs. 15.46 points) and laparoscopy (7.00 vs. 4.98 points), the presence of the NPT tutor did not significantly affect development. Based on student feedback, although students positively assessed the presence of NPT, it did not significantly improve students’ overall satisfaction since it was already 4,82 on a scale of 5 in the control group. Conclusions Overall, involving a NPT tutor had a positive impact on student development. An outstanding difference was observed in connection with knotting techniques.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zsolt Pintér ◽  
Dániel Kardos ◽  
Péter Varga ◽  
Eszter Kopjár ◽  
Anna Kovács ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundNear-peer teaching (NPT) is a special way of teaching where the tutor is one or more academic years ahead of the person being tutored. The literature agrees on the benefits of the method, but there are only a few publications examining its effectiveness using objective methods. The aim of our study was to examine the effectiveness of NPT in the training of basic surgical skills.MethodsWe included 60 volunteer students who participated in a 24-hour basic surgical skills course. Based on the results of a pre-course test, we randomly divided the students into six equal groups. All groups completed the same curriculum, with three groups being assisted by a NPT tutor. After the course, they completed the same test as at the beginning. The exams were recorded on anonymized videos and were blindly evaluated. The students’ satisfaction was monitored using a self-administered online anonymous questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests.ResultsOverall, student performance improved with completion of the course (from 119.86 to 153.55 points, p<0.01). In groups where a NPT tutor assisted, students achieved a significantly better score (37.20 vs. 30.18 points, p=0.036). The difference was prominent in surgical knotting tasks (14.73 vs. 9.30 points improvement, p<0.01). In cases of suturing (15.90 vs. 15.46 points) and laparoscopy (7.00 vs. 4.98 points), the presence of the NPT tutor did not significantly affect development. Based on student feedback, although students positively assessed the presence of NPT, it did not significantly improve students’ overall satisfaction.ConclusionsOverall, the use of NPT had a positive impact on student development. An outstanding difference was observed in connection with knotting techniques. The teaching of knot tying requires a high degree of personalized attention, which can be better realized with the assistance of a NPT tutor.


Author(s):  
R.A. Herring

Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) of ion-implanted Si is important for device fabrication. The defect structures of 2.5, 4.0, and 6.0 MeV As-implanted silicon irradiated to fluences of 2E14, 4E14, and 6E14, respectively, have been analyzed by electron diffraction both before and after RTA at 1100°C for 10 seconds. At such high fluences and energies the implanted As ions change the Si from crystalline to amorphous. Three distinct amorphous regions emerge due to the three implantation energies used (Fig. 1). The amorphous regions are separated from each other by crystalline Si (marked L1, L2, and L3 in Fig. 1) which contains a high concentration of small defect clusters. The small defect clusters were similar to what had been determined earlier as being amorphous zones since their contrast was principally of the structure-factor type that arises due to the difference in extinction distance between the matrix and damage regions.


1979 ◽  
Vol 42 (04) ◽  
pp. 1332-1339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroh Yamazaki ◽  
Takeshi Motomiya ◽  
Minoru Sonoda ◽  
Noboru Miyagawa

SummaryChanges in platelets in 48 patients with uterine myoma before and after hysterectomy with and without ovariectomy were examined. Bilateral ovariectomy in 25 cases (ovariec-tomized group) and unilateral or non-ovariectomy in 23 cases (control group) were performed at the hysterectomy. Platelet count and an appearance rate of secondary aggregation decreased at one day after and increased at one week after the operation, similarly in both the ovariectomized and the control group. The appearance rate of secondary aggregation was reflected in an intensity of aggregation at 5 min after the addition of reagent to PRP. At one month after the operation, the appearance rate of secondary aggregation induced by 3 μM ADP showed a statistically significant decrease in comparison with the preoperation value (P <0.05) and the enhancement of 5-min aggregation was still observed in the control group, while ceased in the ovariectomized group. The difference between the two groups was significant (P < 0.05). There was almost no change in the speed and intensity of primary and secondary aggregation during the observation period. No significant differences in collagen-induced aggregation were noted between the two groups. The results suggest that ovarian hormones, mainly estrogen, facilitate platelet activation which is mediated by the so-called secondary aggregation.


Author(s):  
Niken Setyaningrum ◽  
Andri Setyorini ◽  
Fachruddin Tri Fitrianta

ABSTRACTBackground: Hypertension is one of the most common diseases, because this disease is suffered byboth men and women, as well as adults and young people. Treatment of hypertension does not onlyrely on medications from the doctor or regulate diet alone, but it is also important to make our bodyalways relaxed. Laughter can help to control blood pressure by reducing endocrine stress andcreating a relaxed condition to deal with relaxation.Objective: The general objective of the study was to determine the effect of laughter therapy ondecreasing elderly blood pressure in UPT Panti Wredha Budhi Dharma Yogyakarta.Methods: The design used in this study is a pre-experimental design study with one group pre-posttestresearch design where there is no control group (comparison). The population in this study wereelderly aged over> 60 years at 55 UPT Panti Wredha Budhi Dharma Yogyakarta. The method oftaking in this study uses total sampling. The sample in this study were 55 elderly. Data analysis wasused to determine the difference in blood pressure before and after laughing therapy with a ratio datascale that was using Pairs T-TestResult: There is an effect of laughing therapy on blood pressure in the elderly at UPT Panti WredhaBudhi Dharma Yogyakarta marked with a significant value of 0.000 (P <0.05)


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-361
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Grau-Pérez ◽  
J. Guillermo Milán

In Uruguay, Lacanian ideas arrived in the 1960s, into a context of Kleinian hegemony. Adopting a discursive approach, this study researched the initial reception of these ideas and its effects on clinical practices. We gathered a corpus of discursive data from clinical cases and theoretical-doctrinal articles (from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s). In order to examine the effects of Lacanian ideas, we analysed the difference in the way of interpreting the clinical material before and after Lacan's reception. The results of this research illuminate some epistemological problems of psychoanalysis, especially the relationship between theory and clinical practice.


1962 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pentti A. Järvinen ◽  
Sykkö Pesonen ◽  
Pirkko Väänänen

ABSTRACT The fractional determination of 17-ketosteroids in the daily urine was performed in nine cases of hyperemesis gravidarum and in four control cases, in the first trimester of pregnancy both before and after corticotrophin administration. The excretion of total 17-KS is similar in the two groups. Only in the hyperemesis group does the excretion of total 17-KS increase significantly after corticotrophin administration. The fractional determination reveals no difference between the two groups of patients with regard to the values of the fractions U (unidentified 17-KS), A (androsterone) and Rest (11-oxygenated 17-KS). The excretion of dehydroepiandrosterone is significantly higher in the hyperemesis group than in the control group. The excretion of androstanolone seems to be lower in the hyperemesis group than in the control group, but the difference is not statistically significant. The differences in the correlation between dehydroepiandrosterone and androstanolone in the two groups is significant. The high excretion of dehydroepiandrosterone and low excretion of androstanolone in cases of hyperemesis gravidarum is a sign of adrenal dysfunction.


1979 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39
Author(s):  
G. S. Ludwig ◽  
F. C. Brenner

Abstract An automatic tread gaging machine has been developed. It consists of three component systems: (1) a laser gaging head, (2) a tire handling device, and (3) a computer that controls the movement of the tire handling machine, processes the data, and computes the least-squares straight line from which a wear rate may be estimated. Experimental tests show that the machine has good repeatability. In comparisons with measurements obtained by a hand gage, the automatic machine gives smaller average groove depths. The difference before and after a period of wear for both methods of measurement are the same. Wear rates estimated from the slopes of straight lines fitted to both sets of data are not significantly different.


Author(s):  
I Ketut Widana

The working practice of the engineering students is part of the learning process that is irreducible and indispensable. The composition of  lecturing between theoretical and practical one is 40% to 60%. With this condition, the students spend more time at the laboratory. Generally, the students perform in the laboratory work by standing position. The design of research is observational cross-sectional. The method applied is observation, interview and measuring. The subjects of research are practicing students amounting to 21 students. Referring to the analysis of statistical test or Wilcoxon signed ranks test, the difference of effect of work position is significant, namely p < 0.05 towards musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) before and after working. The quantity of the average complaint after working is score 44.62 ± 9.47. The result of Wilcoxon signed rank test shows that there is significant different effects of standing work position, namely p < 0.05 towards fatigue generally before and after working. The degree of the working pulse is on the average of 110.78  ± 17.80 bpm (beats per minutes) which can be categorized into the medium workload. Using paired t-test, the result is p < 0.05.


1979 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 3632-3643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karel Mach ◽  
Igor Janovský ◽  
Karel Vacek

Total yields of paramagnetic species, their optical bleaching and thermal annealing in acetic, propionic, a-butyric, isobutyric, and pivalic acid γ-irradiated at 77 K were followed by ESR spectroscopy. Radical anions, always found after irradiation, disappear during optical bleaching without formation of any paramagnetic product. During thermal annealing they are converted almost quantitatively into the α-radicals of the respective acid, with the exception of pivalic acid. Amounts of radical anions were estimated from the difference of integrated ESR spectra taken before and after optical bleaching. The results show that approximately equal amounts of the reduction and oxidation paramagnetic products of the γ-irradiation can be detected.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document