Advanced Evolution Of Massive Stars .4. Secondary Nucleosynthesis During Helium Burning

NSF GP-32051, GP-23282Astronom

Is a picture worth a thousand words: an analysis of the difficulty and discrimination parameters of illustrated vs. text-alone vignettes in histology multiple choice questions.

Background Advances in cognitive load theory have led to greater understanding of how we process verbal and visual material during learning, but the evidence base with regard to the use of images within written assessments is still sparse. This study examines whether the inclusion of images within the stimulus format of multiple choice questions (MCQs) has a predictable or consistent influence on psychometric item properties, such as difficulty or discrimination. Methods Item analysis data from three consecutive years of histology multiple choice examinations were included in this study. All items were reviewed and categorised according to whether their stem, or stimulus format, was purely textual or included an associated image. Results A total of 195 MCQs were identified for inclusion and analysed using classical test theory; 95 used text alone and 100 included an image within the question stem. The number of students per examination ranged from 277 to 347, with a total of 60,850 student-question interactions. We initially examined whether the inclusion of an image within the item stem altered the item difficulty using Mann–Whitney U. The median item difficulty for images with purely textual stems was 0.77, while that for items incorporating an appropriate image was 0.80; this difference was not significant (0.77 vs. 0.80; p = 0.862, Mann–Whitney-U = 4818.5). Mean values showed that the Item Discrimination Index appeared unaffected by the inclusion of an image within the stem, and Item point biserial correlation also showed no difference in means between these two groups (Independent samples t-test; 2-tailed). Conclusion We demonstrate that the addition of illustrations within undergraduate histology Multiple Choice Question stems has no overall influence on item difficulty, or measures of item discrimination. We conclude that the use of images in this context is statistically uncritical, and suggest that their inclusion within item stems should be based upon the principles of constructive alignment. However, further research with respect to the effect of images within item stems on cognitive processing, particularly with regard to image complexity or type, would enable the development of more informed guidelines for their use

Aseptic fluid transfer system

A method and means is provided, which permits the transfer of fluids between separate detached containers, in a manner which preserves the sterility of the fluids during and after their transfer

Is a picture worth a thousand words?

Background: It has previously been suggested that the use of illustrations in MCQs may have variable effects on individual items. This study examines the effect of illustrated questions, as opposed to pure text, to discern if any overall bias between the two formats is detectable. Summary of work: We reviewed 6 Histology MCQ papers from our Medical Junior Cycle. Classical test theory analysis was performed on all MCQs, which were then divided into two groups, those with associated images and those without. Summary of results: We analysed 195 single best answer MCQs; 100 with associated illustrations, 95 without. The number of students per examination ranged from 277 to 347, with a total of 60,850 student-question interactions. There was no difference in question difficulty between the two groups (0.800 vs. 0.770; p = 0.862, Mann-Whitney-U). The discriminating power of the questions, as measured by point biserial correlation, was also identical (0.315 vs. 0.300; p = 0.939; Independent t-test). Conclusions: We found no overall bias or effect on either item difficulty or discrimination resulting from the addition of illustrations. We suggest that illustrated questions, as with textual vignettes, may test a range of cognitive levels depending on how they are employed

Comparison of performance in a four year graduate entry medical programme and a traditional five/six year programme.

Background In 2006 the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, (RCSI), introduced the first four year Graduate Entry Programme (GEP) in medicine in Ireland in line with national policy to broaden access to medical education. One concern considered at the time, was whether the GEP students could be trained to the same standard as their undergraduate Direct Entry Programme (DEP, five/ six year duration) counterparts in the shorter time frame. Since students from both cohorts undertake the same examinations in the final two years, it is possible to directly compare GEP vs DEP outcomes. The primary aim of the current study was to analyse the comparative performance of GEP and DEP students undergoing these examinations between 2008 and 2013.MethodsScores from five assessments performed during the final two years were transformed to z scores for each student and 4 scores for the penultimate year were summed to create a unit weighted composite score. The resultant scores for each of the two years were used to assess the comparative performance of GEP vs DEP cohorts and to perform sub-cohort analyses of GEP outcomes.ResultsIn all cohorts/years examined, evidence demonstrated significantly better assessment outcomes for the GEP group for the final two years¿ examinations as compared with the DEP group. In all but one cohort examined, this advantage was retained when nationality factors were excluded. Further analyses showed no difference in outcomes between GEP students having science vs. non-science backgrounds and or between those from EU vs non-EU backgrounds. Finally, data suggested weak correlations between total composite scores and entry scores in American (r¿=¿0.15) and Australian (r¿=¿0.08) medical school admissions tests.ConclusionsWe have shown for the first time in Ireland, that graduate-entry students perform at least as well, or even better, than a corresponding undergraduate-entry group. Moreover, having a scientific background on entry to the GEP confers no advantage in final assessments. These data provide evidence of the viability of the graduate entry route into medical education in Ireland

Computing and data processing

The applications of computers and data processing to astronomy are discussed. Among the topics covered are the emerging national information infrastructure, workstations and supercomputers, supertelescopes, digital astronomy, astrophysics in a numerical laboratory, community software, archiving of ground-based observations, dynamical simulations of complex systems, plasma astrophysics, and the remote control of fourth dimension supercomputers

Does changing examiner stations during UK postgraduate surgery objective structured clinical examinations influence examination reliability and candidates' scores?

Objective Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE) are widely used for summative assessment in surgery. Despite standardizing these as much as possible, variation, including examiner scoring, can occur which may affect reliability. In study of a high-stakes UK postgraduate surgical OSCE, we investigated whether examiners changing stations once during a long examining day affected marking, reliability, and overall candidates’ scores compared with examiners who examined the same scenario all day. Design, Setting, and Participants An observational study of 18,262 examiner-candidate interactions from the UK Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons examination was carried at 3 Surgical Colleges across the United Kingdom. Scores between examiners were compared using analysis of variance. Examination reliability was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha, and the comparative distribution of total candidates’ scores for each day was evaluated using t-tests of unit-weighted z scores. Results A significant difference was found in absolute scores differences awarded in the morning and afternoon sessions between examiners who changed stations at lunchtime and those who did not (p < 0.001). No significant differences were found for the main effects of either broad content area (p = 0.290) or station content area (p = 0.450). The reliability of each day was not affected by examiner switching (p = 0.280). Overall, no difference was found in z-score distribution of total candidate scores and categories of examiner switching. Conclusions This large study has found that although the range of marks awarded varied when examiners change OSCE stations, examination reliability and the likely candidate outcome were not affected. These results may have implications for examination design and examiner experience in surgical OSCEs and beyond

Modern Spectroscopy with a Spectrometer by the Optogalvanic Effect

An Experiment Involving the Optogalvanic Effect Suitable for the Advanced Physics Laboratory is Described. This Experiment Complements the Usual Basic Experiment in Atomic Spectroscopy Where Spectra Are Recorded on Photographic Film with a Spectrograph or with a Monochromator and Photomultiplier. the Optogalvanic Effect Used the Atoms Being Studied as the Detector and a Tunable Dye Laser as the Source. Linewidths Observed Are Those of the Dye Laser that Are Considerably Smaller Than Those Obtained with the Usual Laboratory Monochromator. the student is Introduced to the Techniques of Spectroscopy with Pulsed Dye Lasers and to a Spectrum for Which LS Coupling Does Not Hold. © 1981, American Association of Physics Teacher

Multi-ancestry study of blood lipid levels identifies four loci interacting with physical activity.

Many genetic loci affect circulating lipid levels, but it remains unknown whether lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, modify these genetic effects. To identify lipid loci interacting with physical activity, we performed genome-wide analyses of circulating HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in up to 120,979 individuals of European, African, Asian, Hispanic, and Brazilian ancestry, with follow-up of suggestive associations in an additional 131,012 individuals. We find four loci, in/near CLASP1, LHX1, SNTA1, and CNTNAP2, that are associated with circulating lipid levels through interaction with physical activity; higher levels of physical activity enhance the HDL cholesterol-increasing effects of the CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 loci and attenuate the LDL cholesterol-increasing effect of the CNTNAP2 locus. The CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 regions harbor genes linked to muscle function and lipid metabolism. Our results elucidate the role of physical activity interactions in the genetic contribution to blood lipid levels

Immunochip analysis identifies multiple susceptibility loci for systemic sclerosis

In this study, 1,833 systemic sclerosis (SSc) cases and 3,466 controls were genotyped with the Immunochip array. Classical alleles, amino acid residues, and SNPs across the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region were imputed and tested. These analyses resulted in a model composed of six polymorphic amino acid positions and seven SNPs that explained the observed significant associations in the region. In addition, a replication step comprising 4,017 SSc cases and 5,935 controls was carried out for several selected non-HLA variants, reaching a total of 5,850 cases and 9,401 controls of European ancestry. Following this strategy, we identified and validated three SSc risk loci, including DNASE1L3 at 3p14, the SCHIP1-IL12A locus at 3q25, and ATG5 at 6q21, as well as a suggested association of the TREH-DDX6 locus at 11q23. The associations of several previously reported SSc risk loci were validated and further refined, and the observed peak of association in PXK was related to DNASE1L3. Our study has increased the number of known genetic associations with SSc, provided further insight into the pleiotropic effects of shared autoimmune risk factors, and highlighted the power of dense mapping for detecting previously overlooked susceptibility loci