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PubMed2000

Naming speed, phonological awareness and the initial stage of learning to read.

Phonological awareness in kindergarten and rapid naming of objects in Grade 1 were used as predictors of reading achievement in Grade 1. Two reading measures were used: oral decoding of both words and pseudowords. They were found to be highly correlated. Both rapid naming and phonological awareness accounted for independent variance in reading achievement except for pseudoword reading, where rapid naming did not contribute significantly after the effect of phonemic awareness had been accounted for. Phonological awareness was the stronger predictor and a large part of the variance was shared between it and rapid naming. The rapid naming testing procedure functioned well and its potential as a research and diagnostic tool is discussed.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1998

[A plan of the life-long learning support system of UOEH--possibility for the introduction of distance learning system by the Internet].

In order to keep up with the rapid advance in knowledge and skills in various industrial sectors, the needs for the life-long learning has increased recently. This is also the case for the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, which has as its aim the education of occupational health specialists. In fact, there are many universities and colleges which have organized some post-graduate courses for the workers. However, most of these courses are for workers who can come to classes in the daytime or evening. In the case of UOEH, it is not enough to organize such type of classes in order to respond to the social needs, because it has to offer an opportunity of life-long learning for all occupational health specialists in all parts of Japan. In order to solve this problem, it is recommended that a distance learning system based on modern information technology such as the internet be organized. In this report, the authors present the distance learning system of Wisconsin University in the USA, and that of Tamagawa Gakuen University of Japan. After evaluating these two systems, a plan for a life-long learning support system of UOEH is suggested, which consists of a distance learning system based on the internet.

Education, Continuing↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Creating an interactive Web-based e-learning course: a practical introduction for radiologists.

With the development of e-learning and its ability to provide rich animated content rapidly to a wide audience, new methods for teaching medical imaging have evolved. E-learning tools allow building of learner-focused structured courses. Standards such as shareable content object reference model (SCORM) or Aviation Industry Computer-based Training Committee (AICC) guidelines and recommendations provide the framework required to combine text, images, videos, animations, and quizzes for learning assessment, even if each of these elements is created with different software. The main features to consider when choosing a learning management system are content management, assessment and reporting tools, customization options, course delivery, administration, and security. The tools for building a Web-based course with pages containing text, images, videos, and Flash animations are now accessible to any radiologist. Open-source learning management systems and content authoring software are available at no cost. The authors developed e-MRI.com, a free Web-based e-learning course with interactive animations and simulations, self-tests, and clinical cases to demonstrate the potential of the latest advances in e-learning and pedagogy applied to magnetic resonance imaging physics.

Computer-Assisted Instruction↗
PubMed2005

Later life learning experience among Chinese elderly in Hong Kong.

In a world with increasing numbers of older adults and a world wide emphasis placed on lifelong learning, it is crucial to examine and formulate appropriate policy for learning in later life (LLL). Hong Kong has a rapidly aging population, which is projected to double within the next 25 years. However, lifelong learning for the elderly has yet to be fully developed. This article reports the findings of 2 surveys: one on the LLL experience among 190 Chinese elderly in Hong Kong and another on the experiences of 9 center directors in running courses for the elderly. We found that Chinese older persons generally learn for expressive motivation rather than instrumental motivation, although those with higher educational attainment take LLL for both instrumental and expressive motivation. This finding is consistent with those obtained with American populations. Practical courses such as languages and health-related topics were found to be the most popular; and Nearly a quarter (27%) of the respondents (in particular those who are well educated) expressed interest in peer teaching. The findings are important to understand LLL in the Chinese population and assist in the formulation of an appropriate LLL policy in Hong Kong. These findings also serve as a comparison for other countries trying to provide continuing education opportunities for its older citizens.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Interhemispheric transfer of visual pattern discriminations: evidence for a bilateral storage of the engram.

The present experiment was carried out to determine whether the memory trace of a pattern discrimination learned with one hemisphere is also transmitted to the second hemisphere via the corpus callosum or whether the trace is limited to the trained hemisphere and becomes accessible to the second during recall via this route. Split-chiasma cats learned two pattern discriminations with one eye (and hemisphere), then were subjected to a mid-sagittal transection of their corpus callosum, followed by learning with the other untrained eye (and hemisphere). Ten cats were separated into two groups: one group learned the discrimination to criterion (the non-overtrained group) while the other received 1600 overtraining trials over and beyond those needed to reach criterion (the overtrained group). Results indicated that there was little bilateral storage in the non-overtrained group (as determined by the number of trials needed to attain criterion with the second eye). Most subjects from the overtrained group showed chance performance during the first transfer session but learned the pattern discrimination much more rapidly with the second eye than with the first. These results are taken as indicating that memory transcription is possible through the callosum but that this route is slower and its readout is possibly contaminated by secondary non-specific factors which affect the initial utilization of the trace.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Timing of conditioned responses utilizing electrical stimulation in the region of the interpositus nucleus as a CS.

A large body of evidence indicates that the cerebellum is essential for the acquisition, retention, and expression of the standard delay conditioned eyeblink response and that the basic memory trace appears to be established in the anterior interpositus nucleus (IP). Adaptive timing of the conditioned response (CR) is a prominent feature of classical conditioning-the CR peaks at the time of onset of the unconditioned stimulus (US) over a wide range of CS-US interstimulus intervals (ISI). A key issue is whether this timing is established by the cerebellar circuitry or prior to the cerebellum. In this study timing of conditioned eyeblink responses established via electrical stimulation of the interpositus nucleus as a conditioned stimulus (CS) was analyzed prior to and following modification of the CS-US interval in well-trained rabbits. Consistent with previous results, learning under these conditions is very rapid and robust. The CR peak eyeblink latencies are initially timed to the US onset and adjust accordingly to lengthening or shortening of the CS-US interval, just as with peripheral CSs. The acquisition of conditioned eyeblink responses by direct electrical stimulation of the IP as a CS thus retains temporal flexibility following shifts in the CS-US delay, as found in standard classical eyeblink conditioning procedures.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

BIMU1 increases associative memory in rats by activating 5-HT4 receptors.

Olfactory association learning was used to investigate the involvement of 5-HT4 receptors in learning and long-term memory. The behavioral role of the 5-HT4 receptors was studied by using BIMU1 (3-ethyl-2,3-dihydro-N-[endo-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo(3.2.1)oct-3-yl]-2-oxo -1 H-benzimidazole-1-carboxamide, hydrochloride (Boehringer Ingelheim, Italy); a mixed 5-HT4 agonist/5-HT3 antagonist, and GR125487 (1-[2-[methyl sulphonyl)-amino]ethyl]-4-piperidinyl-methyl 5-fluro-2-methoxy-1H-indole-3- carboxylate; Glaxo Group Research, Hertfordshire, U.K.), a specific 5-HT4 antagonist. The intraperitoneal injections of BIMU1 at 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg were followed by an substantial improvement (> 15% in percentage of correct responses at the dose of 10 mg/kg) in associative memory. Difficulty rapidly reversing behavioral responses to previously learned association, 1 month later indicated that the BIMU1 effect at 10 mg/kg was not transient, but correlated to long-term memory. The effects of BIMU1 are most likely to be mediated by 5-HT4 receptors since they were blocked by GR125487 at 10 mg/kg. These data suggest that activation of 5-HT4 receptors may modulate cognitive processes like learning and memory.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

[Detection of rapid eye movement with rapidly adapting neuronal fuzzy systems in imprecise REM syntax].

Both living beings and artificial neuronal networks are capable of 'learning' and behavioural adaptation. But also the fuzzy program designed to detect rapid eye movements (REM) during sleep and described here, can be provided with a self-learning option that provides important information about REM sleep. The algorithm computes REM on the basis of horizontal and vertical EOG. EEG, EMG and actiography signals are employed to optimize the method and eliminate artefacts. In a second step, the fuzzy system learns to detect REM with the aid of a sample data set and a minimal set of syntax rules. From sample data and the actions and reactions of visual scorers, the program extracts additional rules and information, which are then used to build a complete fuzzy structure. Thereafter, the REM detection program optimizes the fuzzy logic structure, independently of visual monitoring, on its own. A direct comparison of the results of the algorithm in a 10-night analysis with those of two experienced visual scorers revealed a better than 95% agreement. Re-analysis with the algorithm showed a 100% concurrence. Complete visual measurement of the eye movements occurring in a single night requires several hours; this compares with only 15 minutes required by the algorithm.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2002

A course director's perspectives on problem-based learning curricula in biochemistry.

Knowledge of the applications of biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics in the practice of medicine has been and continues to be a vital part of medical students' and continuing education. The technical background and the rapid expansion of information and new applications have made it an arduous task to learn and teach this material within the already crowded medical school curriculum. Problem-based learning (PBL) formats are rapidly being adopted at all levels of education as not only a major paradigm shift in education but also a solution for the instruction of biochemistry in medical school. Designing an effective biochemistry curriculum with PBL-based or lecture-based formats requires an appreciation for their strengths and weakness. The author's experiences in the Double Helix Curriculum at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (which employs PBL cases and complementing lectures) has shown that students are excited about learning in the PBL environment and explore in depth ways of integrating biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, and molecular biology into the practice of medicine. At the same time, complementary lectures greatly enhance uniformity in the quality and, importantly, the accuracy of the students' learning.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1983

Effects of unilateral and bilateral lesions of the lateral suprasylvian area on learning and interhemispheric transfer of pattern discrimination in the cat.

The aim of the present experiment was to evaluate the hypothesis that the lateral suprasylvian area is involved in the interhemispheric transfer of visual information. This area was surgically removed in 10 cats which had previously undergone a midsagittal transection of their optic chiasmas. The animals then learned a pattern discrimination using either one or the other hemisphere and were tested for transfer using the other, untrained hemisphere. The lateral suprasylvian area in the intact hemisphere was next ablated in 6 of these cats. Each hemisphere was trained on a new pattern discrimination and tested for transfer using the other. The results obtained with the unilaterally lesioned animals indicated that: (a) learning with the lesioned hemisphere was as rapid as with the intact hemisphere; and (b) that transfer in either direction was normal although slightly retarded, but not significantly so, when the information proceeded from the intact to the lesioned hemisphere. Learning with either hemisphere of the bilaterally lesioned animals also appeared to be normal. Learning with the hemisphere which was lesioned second and transferring to the one which was ablated first was within normal range whereas transfer was generally not as immediate when the procedure was reversed. As a whole, the results, when coupled with those of others, would tend to indicate that the lateral suprasylvian area is involved in interhemispheric transfer but shares this function with other callosally connected areas of the primary visual cortex.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

A model to structure student learning in ambulatory care settings.

Providing students with an explicit framework for conducting patients' follow-up visits can ease students' transition into ambulatory care settings and enhance their learning. The authors describe a model that structures and defines students' tasks for a follow-up office visit. The model gives priority to the organization of patient care issues, the efficient use of patient and preceptor time, and the student's identification of a learning agenda for each patient encounter. In a rapidly expanding managed care world where physician and practice productivity are paramount, this model has the potential to enhance standardization of learning across diverse clinical sites and to increase the cost-effectiveness of teaching medical students in ambulatory settings. The authors have introduced this model in a half-day orientation for a primary care clerkship. Initial feedback suggests that the model is useful in preparing students to function more effectively in an ambulatory care setting.

Ambulatory Care↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Age and elaboration of conditioned reflex switching in dogs].

Conditioned switching-over during initial elaboration of either a food-procuring or defensive (two-way shuttle-box avoidance) reflex in the same experimental chamber was studied in one-and-a-half month puppies and adult dogs. In the adult animals, initial learning of both habits proceeded more rapidly than in the puppies. When the defensive habit was elaborated first, subsequent elaboration of the food-procuring reflex in conditions of switching-over was much longer due to a high level of fear. In the puppies, on the contrary, regardless of which of the two habits was elaborated first, duration of the second habit elaboration in conditions of switching-over was considerably shorter. The transfer of experience from one experimental situation to other is apparently facilitated by absence of fear. The data obtained are considered from the viewpoint of the hypothesis on similarity in the behaviour of puppies and adult hippocampectomized dogs.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Internal Medicine chief residents suggest need to improve health care delivery and public policy education. Internal Medicine Center to Advance Research and Education.

The primary objective in medical training remains skill development in the delivery of medical care through the understanding of bedside data collection, natural history of disease, use of diagnostic tools and the influence of therapy--all applied to a specific patient. More recently, also considered important is training on the broader issues of health care delivery and public policy, especially since the environment of medicine is changing rapidly. With limited curricular time these issues must compete with the traditional and important clinical training. To evaluate how these subjects have been included in internal medicine training, the Resident Physicians Section (RPS) of the American Society of Internal Medicine (ASIM) sponsored a survey of United States internal medicine chief residents which was conducted by the Internal Medicine Center to Advance Research and Education (IMCARE). The objectives of the study were to 1) study the extent of training on health care delivery and public policy issues offered to residents by internal medicine residency programs; 2) assess training opportunities now available; and 3) determine areas of study not fulfilling perceived needs. The questionnaire contained 12 questions. Chief residents rated the 1) quality of their program in preparing residents on health care delivery, public policy issues and practice management; 2) level of instruction provided on 12 topics; and 3) degree of priority these same topics should have. Respondents were asked to identify 1) any other relevant areas their residency program covered particularly well; 2) the amount of time which should be devoted to these socioeconomic topics in each year of training; and 3) the most appealing formats for learning about these topics. Despite the rapidly growing influence of socioeconomic issues on medical practice, many chief residents perceive that important topics are not being addressed adequately. This study provides information on areas addressed well and topics that should receive greater attention. Recommendations are made for further studies and strategies to increase the emphasis on socioeconomic topics during medical education.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2006

Early nutritional stress impairs development of a song-control brain region in both male and female juvenile song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) at the onset of song learning.

Birdsong is a sexually selected trait and is often viewed as an indicator of male quality. The developmental stress hypothesis proposes a model by which song could be an indicator; the time during early development, when birds learn complex songs and/or local variants of song, is of rapid development and nutritional stress. Birds that cope best with this stress may better learn to produce the most effective songs. The developmental stress hypothesis predicts that early food restriction should impair development of song-control brain regions at the onset of song learning. We examined the effect of food restriction on song-control brain regions in fledgling (both sexes, 23-26 days old) song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). Food restriction selectively reduced HVC volume in both sexes. In addition, sex differences were evident in all three song-control regions. This study lends further support to a growing body of literature documenting a variety of behavioural, physiological and neural detriments in several songbird species resulting from early developmental stress.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗
PubMed1994

Chronic L-deprenyl or L-amphetamine: equal cognitive enhancement, unequal MAO inhibition.

The effect of chronic (4 month), subcutaneous injections of saline, L-deprenyl (0.25 mg/kg), or L-amphetamine (0.25 mg/kg) on the acquisition of a learned spatial habit in a modified Morris Water Maze was investigated in middle aged rats. Injections, given three times weekly starting at 6 months of age, were continued during behavioral testing, which occurred at 10 months of age. The cognitive performance of the middle aged rats was compared to that of 2-month-old control rats. Twenty-four hours after the last behavioral test, the rats were sacrificed and their brains were removed, dissected, and frozen in liquid nitrogen. The activities of MAO-A and MAO-B in the lateral cortex were determined. Results indicate that rats in the L-deprenyl group, the L-amphetamine group, and the young control group all learned the water maze task equally rapidly and significantly faster than rats in the saline group. MAO-A did not differ among the saline, amphetamine, and young control rats, but MAO-B was significantly higher in the middle aged saline and L-amphetamine rats than in the young controls. Both MAO-A and MAO-B activities were significantly lower in the L-deprenyl group than in the other three groups. This indicates that low-dose L-deprenyl can also inhibit MAO-A following chronic SC administration. Moreover, the improved cognitive performance produced by L-deprenyl may not be due to its ability to inhibit MAO-B, but rather to some other effect such as the activation of growth factors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amphetamine↗
PubMed1979

Sensitization in Aplysia: restoration of transmission in synapses inactivated by long-term habituation.

Long-term habituation of a simple withdrawal reflex in Aplysia leads to an inactivation of synaptic transmission between identified sensory and gill motor neurons that persists for more than 3 weeks. A single sensitizing stimulus rapidly reactivates both the depressed behavioral response and the inactivated synaptic transmission. Thus sensitization, a simple competitive form of learning, provides a mechanism whereby changing environmental demands can rapidly override the long-term memory of habituation.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

An animal model of autism: behavioural studies in the GS guinea-pig.

Autism is a human behavioural pathology marked by major difficulties in abnormal socialization, language comprehension and stereotypic motor patterns. These behavioural abnormalities have been associated with corticocerebral and cerebellar abnormalities in autistic patients, particularly in vermal folia VI and VII. Progress in understanding this disease has been hindered by the absence of a non-primate animal model. GS guinea-pigs are a partially inbred, non-ataxic guinea-pig strain with cerebellar and corticocerebral abnormalities similar to those reported to exist in human patients with autism. In order to determine if GS guinea-pigs represent an animal model of autism, their behaviour was compared with that of Hartley strain guinea-pigs. GS animals learned a motor task significantly more rapidly than Hartley guinea-pigs, but performed it in a more stereotypic manner and were less influenced by environmental stimuli than Hartleys. GS animals exhibited significantly less exploratory behaviour in a novel environment and were significantly less responsive to 50-95 dBA pure tones than Hartley guinea-pigs. In a social interaction assay, GS guinea-pigs interacted significantly less frequently with each other or with Hartley guinea-pigs than Hartleys did under the same conditions. GS behaviour thus exhibits autistic-like behaviour patterns: motor stereotypy, lack of exploration and response to environment and poor social interaction. Coupled with the neuropathological findings, this abnormal behaviour suggests that GS guinea-pigs could be a useful animal model of autism.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of perinatal exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on spatial and visual reversal learning in rats.

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant that has been shown to alter spatial and visual learning following developmental exposure. The current study examined the effects of gestational and lactational exposure to TCDD on spatial and visual discrimination/reversal learning (spatial and visual RL) in rats using two-lever operant testing chambers. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (10 per dose) received either 0 or 0.1 microg/kg TCDD per orem in corn oil from gestational day (GD) 10 to GD 16. One male and one female from each litter were tested beginning at 100 days of age. For spatial RL, animals were reinforced for pressing the lever associated with the correct spatial location (either left or right). For visual RL, the animals were reinforced for pressing the lever associated with the correct visual stimulus (either the illuminated or nonilluminated cuelight). After reaching 85% correct for two consecutive days, the opposite spatial location or visual cue was reinforced. Five reversals were conducted for spatial RL, and two reversals for visual RL. For spatial RL, there were no differences between the TCDD-exposed and control rats in total number of errors committed. However, an in-depth analysis of errors in four different phases of the learning process revealed that TCDD-exposed rats made more errors early in learning when they were just beginning to learn the new reinforcement contingencies. The importance of this increase in errors during the initial stage of learning is unclear, given that there was no increase in overall errors to criterion. For visual RL, there was a reduction in errors on original learning (OL) for TCDD-exposed males, while TCDD-exposed females exhibited a reduction in errors on the second reversal. Subsequent response pattern analyses revealed that the facilitation in performance was due to a more rapid transition through the early phase of learning. Why males were improved on OL and females were not until the second reversal is unknown, but the different patterns could reflect differences in learning style in male and female rats. In keeping with previous research, the results of the current study underscore the fact that (1) alterations in cognitive function observed following early TCDD exposure are very subtle and (2) under some conditions, learning is actually facilitated, rather than impaired, in TCDD-exposed animals.

Analysis of Variance↗