Contextualized mobile game-based learning application for computing education

This paper intends to present an overview of a mobile game-based learning application, BaghLearn that develops and upskills programming and algorithmic knowledge by cross-curricular capabilities through a traditional world-based game. The focus of this research was to explore the learning effectiveness of BaghLearn on students. Mixed method research approach was applied to collect, process and analyze the research data in which undergraduate students who had some prior knowledge or had taken algorithm courses were instructed to test the mobile game learning application. This study exhibits the idea of integrating learning with contextual mobile game as an effective approach in understanding the influence of games towards cognitive achievements of students in computing education. In addition, there are no major requirements for the use of this application (can be maintained in resource-constrained contexts such as Nepal), which makes it expressively satisfying and useful for students who are relentlessly using mobile devices. Besides, this study evaluated the influence of BaghLearn towards learning of the design and analysis of algorithm course, which is a compulsory course for most undergraduate computing education program. Furthermore, the study findings can be used as a guideline for developing learning solutions and usability evaluation of such solutions, especially for infrastructure-constrained contexts. Students using the BaghLearn opined that the application is easy to use, supportive and lead to improved learning satisfaction.

     

Can Spelling Checkers Help the Novice Writer?

This paper argues that one type of text analyser—the spelling checker—can help non-proficient writers. 16 students in a Singapore classroom wrote compositions by hand for one month; the following month they composed their compositions directly on the computer. Observations of students' composing behaviours and a comparison of the lexis used in two students' hand-written and computer essays show that students use the spelling checker for two functions: (a) word-correction, in which they locate and correct some of their spelling errors, and (b) word-generation, in which they use the spelling checker to generate words that are in their receptive but not their productive vocabularies. The spelling checker benefits those students whose initial writing ability is poor and whose writing is blocked by an emphasis on the mechanical aspects of writing.     

Correlation of Adiponectin and Leptin with Insulin Resistance: A Pilot Study in Healthy North Indian Population

The increasing incidence of obesity, leading to metabolic complications is now recognized as a major public-health problem. Insulin resistance is a central abnormality of the metabolic syndrome, or syndrome X, originally hypothesized by Reaven Insulin resistance is more strongly linked to intra abdominal fat than to fat in other depots. Adipose tissue secretes numerous factors (adipokines) known to markedly influence lipid and glucose/insulin metabolism, oxidative stress, and cardiovascular integrity. Some of these adipokines have been shown to directly or indirectly affect insulin sensitivity through modulation of insulin signaling and the molecules involved in glucose and lipid metabolism. A pilot study was conducted with 80 healthy subjects who were non diabetic, non hypertensive and having no family history of hypertension, the aim was to evaluate the correlation of adiponectin and leptin levels with obesity and insulin resistance markers in healthy north Indian adult population. Serum leptin, adiponectin and insulin was estimated by sandwich ELISA method. In our study, Leptin correlated significantly with BMI (P value of 0.0000), WC (P value = 0.007), and HC (P value = 0.000). leptin showed significant positive correlation with fasting insulin (P value 0.002), post prandial insulin (P value = 0.000) and HOMA-IR (P value = 0.002). Adiponectin showed significant positive correlation with triglycerides (P value = 0.038), strong negative correlation with HDL-cholesterol (P value = 0.017). Serum concentrations of leptin are associated with central body fat distribution. Insulin resistance and adiponectin is associated with dyslipidemia and these all disorders may ultimately lead to metabolic syndrome.     

Establishment of Reference Interval for Liver Specific Biochemical Parameters in Apparently Healthy North Indian Population

Reference intervals (RI) are the most common decision support tool used for interpretation of numerical laboratory reports. The quality of the RI can play as large a role in result interpretation as the quality of the result itself. As such there is hardly any study examining RI for liver specific biochemical parameters in Indian population especially north Indians having drastically different food habits as compared to rest of the India. So there is a need to establish the RI for north Indian population. Present study was conducted on 2,021 apparently healthy individuals of north Indian origin ranging in age from 15–60 years, were selected randomly using defined criteria. Lipemic, hemolysed, icteric and stored samples were also excluded adopting preanalytical criteria for rejection of sample. Non parametric methodology for determination of RI was adopted as most of the biochemical parameters included revealed non Gaussian distribution. Data were analyzed for middle 95 percentile (2.5th–97.5th percentile), median and 95 % confidence interval using SPSS software package version 10.0. The upper and the lower limit of RI (reported Vs observed) for bilirubin (0–1.2 Vs 0.30–1.30 mg/dL), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transferase (SGOT) (0–41 Vs 13–52.80 IU/L), serum glutamate pyruvate transferase (SGPT) (0–50 Vs 10–68 IU/L) showed wide variation as compared to reported standard RI however Gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) (0–50 Vs 5.00–50.60 IU/L) remained within the reported standard RI. Further gender wise evaluation revealed higher cutoff in males (AST 14–55, ALT 11–70.35, GGT 6.76–51.09 in IU/L, bilirubin (0.40–1.34 mg/dL) as compared to females (SGOT 13–50.43, SGPT 9–63.43, GGT 3.92–48.70 in IU/L, Bilirubin 0.30–1.20 mg/dL) for both enzymatic and non enzymatic biochemical parameters. The variations may be attributed to dietary pattern smoking and alcoholism.     

Changes in Serum PSA During Normal Menstrual Cycle

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) has long been used as a biological marker for prostatic cancer. Recent studies have demonstrated that PSA synthesis can be induced by steroid hormones in several tissues of women. Menstrual cycle is regulated by the cyclic variation of estradiol and progesterone. This study was undertaken in order to study the correlation of serum PSA to both these corpus luteal hormones. 110 serum samples and 10 saliva samples were collected from healthy women aged 18–45 years of age having normal menstrual cycles. Active PSA DSL-9700 ultrasensitive kit with detection limit 0.001 ng/ml was used to analyze PSA. 38.2 % of all serum samples and 10 % of saliva samples had detectable concentrations of PSA. The serum PSA was highest during mid follicular phase (between 4th and 8th days of cycle). Variation in PSA levels seemed to follow the variations in progesterone with a lag period of 12–14 days, but did not appear to bear any relationship with the estradiol levels.     

Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Asian Indian Inversion Deletions Gγ(Aγδβ)0 Breakpoint A and Breakpoint B

Asian Indian inversion deletion Gγ (Aγδβ)0-thalassemia is a rare entities characterized by high HbF. Due to interaction with various genetic factors, patients with Gγ (Aγδβ)0-thalassemia showed clinical variability. Here we are presenting the phenotypic expression of Gγ(Aγδβ)0 thalassemia under influence of various co-inherited factors. Patient with α-globin gene deletion had mild phenotype than the patient with β-globin mutations. Patient with alpha gene deletion were presenting clinical character like thalassemia intermedia while Gγ (Aγδβ)0-thalassemia patients with co- presence of beta thalssemia mutation clinically behaved like thalassemia major.     

Expanding computer science education in schools: understanding teacher experiences and challenges

The increased push for teaching computer science (CS) in schools in the United States requires training a large number of new K-12 teachers. The current efforts to increase the number of CS teachers have predominantly focused on training teachers from other content areas. In order to support these beginning CS teachers, we need to better understand their experiences and challenges encountered in the classroom. This study investigated U.S. CS teachers’ perspectives on the demands of teaching computer science and support needed to ensure quality teaching. Results suggested that teachers face a number of challenges, including isolation, lack of adequate computer science background, and limited professional development resources.