Student perceptions of low-tech active learning and mastery of introductory biomechanics concepts.

This study documented student perceptions of five low-tech active learning exercises, their epistemology of learning, and examined the association between these variables and mastery of biomechanics concepts. Students (N = 152) in four introductory biomechanics courses at two universities completed the Biomechanics Concept Inventory (BCI) at the beginning and the end of the course. An additional 10-question survey was used at the end of the course to determine student perceptions of the active learning exercises and their epistemology of learning. Student learning of biomechanical concepts improved over levels reported in previous studies of traditional lecture instruction, but not as much as seen in other studies of active learning pedagogy in biomechanics and physics. Student perceptions of active learning were positive, particularly in individual rather than group exercises. A minority (12-16%) of these students had negative perceptions of group-based active learning exercises. Student perception of epistemology of learning was primarily constructivist; however, there was no evidence of these perceptions had associations with learning biomechanical concepts. Biomechanics instructors planning to use low-tech active learning exercises should communicate their philosophy of learning, expectations for the course, and progressively implement individual-based and group-based active learning experiences early in the course.

Stay calm and focus on the learning outcomes: Tools for taking biophysical chemistry online.

Course specific learning outcomes are an important tool to define the scope of a course and can be very helpful when designing experiments and assessments. With slight modification, these learning outcomes can serve as a guide when transitioning to the distance learning format especially in courses with a traditional lab. Here we present such an example for the biophysical chemistry course.

Can research align with service? Lessons learned from the Big Experiment and National Biomechanics Day.

Public engagement is an important role for the university academic, but is often neglected due to perceived lack of time and prioritized commitments in research and teaching. Yet, public engagement events offer an untapped opportunity for researchers to collect data from members of the general public who arrive on site at university labs. These engagement events could allow for data collection as part of didactic and demonstrative outreach events to be used in research and science. In this proof of concept study, a collaborative group of international researchers investigated the feasibility of embedding research quality assessment into events surrounding National Biomechanics Day. The Big Experiment collected data on 501 secondary school students (age range: 13 to 18 years) across 9 university sites within a 24-hour period. Data included maximal vertical jump height and self-reported physical activity levels. Vertical jump height was positively correlated to participant height, but not age or body mass. Very physically active students had significantly higher vertical jump heights than individuals who reported being somewhat or not physically active. This feasibility project demonstrates that with substantial preparation and a simple research design, focused research questions can be incorporated into educational outreach initiatives and ultimately provide a rich data source.

Oblivion Phenomenon in Science.

Recognition of true merits may not be a common virtue of the human being, as often achievements are either forgotten, not seen or just buried into oblivion. History of science has plenty of examples, occasionally tainted by endless and useless accusations or even lawsuits leading nowhere.

Guided inquiry activity linking thermodynamic parameters of protein unfolding to structure using differential scanning fluorimetry data in the biophysical chemistry classroom.

Visualizations are useful tools for helping students to understand chemistry concepts at the particulate level. A classroom activity was developed based on learning theory and evidence-based practices, combining protein visualization with thermodynamic parameters from differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) data analysis. Coding of student responses showed that many students were able to establish the desired connections among protein structure, thermodynamic parameters, and experimental data analysis, while a few did not recognize all the differences between the folded and unfolded forms of the protein. The activity elicits student prior knowledge through the pre-class activity, has the students examine the interactions within a protein molecule through the PyMOL activity, introduces DSF analysis using the learning cycle through the Guided Inquiry activity, and tests student learning through the post-class activity. Upon completing the activity, the majority of students successfully met the learning goals. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(1):67-75, 2018.

A Low-Cost Mechanical Stretching Device for Uniaxial Strain of Cells: A Platform for Pedagogy in Mechanobiology.

Mechanical cues including stretch, compression, and shear stress play a critical role in regulating the behavior of many cell types, particularly those that experience substantial mechanical stress within tissues. Devices that impart mechanical stimulation to cells in vitro have been instrumental in helping to develop a better understanding of how cells respond to mechanical forces. However, these devices often have constraints, such as cost and limited functional capabilities, that restrict their use in research or educational environments. Here, we describe a low-cost method to fabricate a uniaxial cell stretcher that would enable widespread use and facilitate engineering design and mechanobiology education for undergraduate students. The device is capable of producing consistent and reliable strain profiles through the use of a servomotor, gear, and gear rack system. The servomotor can be programmed to output various waveforms at specific frequencies and stretch amplitudes by controlling the degree of rotation, speed, and acceleration of the servogear. In addition, the stretchable membranes are easy to fabricate and can be customized, allowing for greater flexibility in culture well size. We used the custom-built stretching device to uniaxially strain macrophages and cardiomyocytes, and found that both cell types displayed functional and cell shape changes that were consistent with the previous studies using commercially available systems. Overall, this uniaxial cell stretcher provides a more cost-effective alternative to study the effects of mechanical stretch on cells, and can therefore, be widely used in research and educational environments to broaden the study and pedagogy of cell mechanobiology.

Time to Stop Telling Biophysics Students that Light Is Primarily a Wave.

Standard pedagogy introduces optics as though it were a consequence of Maxwell's equations and only grudgingly admits, usually in a rushed aside, that light has a particulate character that can somehow be reconciled with the wave picture. Recent revolutionary advances in optical imaging, however, make this approach more and more unhelpful: How are we to describe two-photon imaging, FRET, localization microscopy, and a host of related techniques to students who think of light primarily as a wave? I was surprised to find that everything I wanted my biophysics students to know about light, including image formation, x-ray diffraction, and even Bessel beams, could be expressed as well (or better) from the quantum viewpoint pioneered by Richard Feynman. Even my undergraduate students grasp this viewpoint as well as (or better than) the traditional one, and by mid-semester they are already well positioned to integrate the latest advances into their understanding. Moreover, I have found that this approach clarifies my own understanding of new techniques.

Why National Biomechanics Day?

National Biomechanics Day (NBD) seeks to expand the influence and impact of Biomechanics on our society by expanding the awareness of Biomechanics among young people. NBD will manifest this goal through worldwide, synchronized and coordinated celebrations and demonstrations of all things Biomechanics with high school students. NBD invites all Biomechanists to participate in NBD 2018, http://nationalbiomechanicsday.asbweb.org/.

Interface between Physics and Biology: Training a New Generation of Creative Bilingual Scientists.

Whereas physics seeks for universal laws underlying natural phenomena, biology accounts for complexity and specificity of molecular details. Contemporary biological physics requires people capable of working at this interface. New programs prepare scientists who transform respective disciplinary views into innovative approaches for solving outstanding problems in the life sciences.

Classroom Journal Club: Collaborative Study of Contemporary Primary Literature in the Biomechanics Classroom.

Current engineering pedagogy primarily focuses on developing technical proficiency and problem solving skills; the peer-review process for sharing new research results is often overlooked. The use of a collaborative classroom journal club can engage students with the excitement of scientific discovery and the process of dissemination of research results, which are also important lifelong learning skills. In this work, a classroom journal club was implemented and a survey of student perceptions spanning three student cohorts was collected. In this collaborative learning activity, students regularly chose and discussed a recent biomechanics journal article, and were assessed based on specific, individual preparation tasks. Most student-chosen journal articles were relevant to topics discussed in the regular class lecture. Surveys assessed student perceptions of the activity. The survey responses show that, across all cohorts, students both enjoyed the classroom journal club and recognized it as an important learning experience. Many reported discussing their journal articles with others outside of the classroom, indicating good engagement. The results demonstrate that student engagement with primary literature can foster both technical knowledge and lifelong learning skills.

Instrumented and interactive limb models for biomechanics education: An assessment of efficacy and engagement.

Custom anatomical and instrumented models of the human arm and leg were designed and manufactured to complement the teaching of introductory biomechanics subjects. The models were assessed for engagement and efficacy via questionnaires and unscheduled pop-quizzes, respectively. Questionnaire results demonstrated the ability of the models to provide assistance with understanding and visualising the fundamental principles of biomechanics. Additionally, the majority of students who participated also stated that the models enhanced their motivation to learn and stimulated their interest in biomechanics. Results from the pop-quizzes were ambiguous about the efficacy of the arm and leg models; only one group (out of five) showed significant improvements in pop-quiz scores following exposure to the models. Significance was not reached in the remaining groups. Further assessment is required to expose the true efficacy of the models.

Fluorescence quantum yield measurements of fluorescent proteins: a laboratory experiment for a biochemistry or molecular biophysics laboratory course.

Fluorescent proteins are commonly used in cell biology to assess where proteins are within a cell as a function of time and provide insight into intracellular protein function. However, the usefulness of a fluorescent protein depends directly on the quantum yield. The quantum yield relates the efficiency at which a fluorescent molecule converts absorbed photons into emitted photons and it is necessary to know for assessing what fluorescent protein is the most appropriate for a particular application. In this work, we have designed an upper-level, biochemistry laboratory experiment where students measure the fluorescence quantum yields of fluorescent proteins relative to a standard organic dye. Four fluorescent protein variants, enhanced cyan fluorescent protein (ECFP), enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), mCitrine, and mCherry, were used, however the methods described are useful for the characterization of any fluorescent protein or could be expanded to fluorescent quantum yield measurements of organic dye molecules. The laboratory is designed as a guided inquiry project and takes two, 4 hr laboratory periods. During the first day students design the experiment by selecting the excitation wavelength, choosing the standard, and determining the concentration needed for the quantum yield experiment that takes place in the second laboratory period. Overall, this laboratory provides students with a guided inquiry learning experience and introduces concepts of fluorescence biophysics into a biochemistry laboratory curriculum.

Research at the interface of physics and biology: bridging the two fields.

I firmly believe that interaction between physics and biology is not only natural, but inevitable. Kamal Shukla provides a personal perspective on working at the interface between the physical and biological sciences.

The OpenPicoAmp: an open-source planar lipid bilayer amplifier for hands-on learning of neuroscience.

Understanding the electrical biophysical properties of the cell membrane can be difficult for neuroscience students as it relies solely on lectures of theoretical models without practical hands on experiments. To address this issue, we developed an open-source lipid bilayer amplifier, the OpenPicoAmp, which is appropriate for use in introductory courses in biophysics or neurosciences at the undergraduate level, dealing with the electrical properties of the cell membrane. The amplifier is designed using the common lithographic printed circuit board fabrication process and off-the-shelf electronic components. In addition, we propose a specific design for experimental chambers allowing the insertion of a commercially available polytetrafluoroethylene film. We provide a complete documentation allowing to build the amplifier and the experimental chamber. The students hand-out giving step-by step instructions to perform a recording is also included. Our experimental setup can be used in basic experiments in which students monitor the bilayer formation by capacitance measurement and record unitary currents produced by ionic channels like gramicidin A dimers. Used in combination with a low-cost data acquisition board this system provides a complete solution for hands-on lessons, therefore improving the effectiveness in teaching basic neurosciences or biophysics.

Conception and development of the Second Life® Embryo Physics Course.

The study of embryos with the tools and mindset of physics, started by Wilhelm His in the 1880s, has resumed after a hiatus of a century. The Embryo Physics Course convenes online allowing interested researchers and students, who are scattered around the world, to gather weekly in one place, the virtual world of Second Life®. It attracts people from a wide variety of disciplines and walks of life: applied mathematics, artificial life, bioengineering, biophysics, cancer biology, cellular automata, civil engineering, computer science, embryology, electrical engineering, evolution, finite element methods, history of biology, human genetics, mathematics, molecular developmental biology, molecular biology, nanotechnology, philosophy of biology, phycology, physics, self-reproducing systems, stem cells, tensegrity structures, theoretical biology, and tissue engineering. Now in its fifth year, the Embryo Physics Course provides a focus for research on the central question of how an embryo builds itself.

MIT OpenCurseWare: Quantitative Physiology: Cells and Tissues

Curso on line, de acesso aberto, e de nível de graduação, oferecido pelo Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Através de uma abordagem multidisciplinar pretende estudar a fisiologia das células e tecidos com ênfase no transporte de moléculas através da membrana celular e sua expressão em modelos matemáticos.

MIT OpenCurseWare: Quantitative Physiology: Organ Transport Systems

Curso on line, de acesso aberto, e de nível de graduação, oferecido pelo Massachusetts Institute of Technology. O curso analisa a aplicação dos princípios do fluxo de massa e de energia para os principais sistemas de órgãos humanos, discute mecanismos de regulação e homeostase e também características anatômicas, fisiológicas e fisiopatológicas dos sistemas cardiovascular, respiratório e renal.

On-line integration of computer controlled diagnostic devices and medical information systems in undergraduate medical physics education for physicians.

We designed and evaluated an innovative computer-aided-learning environment based on the on-line integration of computer controlled medical diagnostic devices and a medical information system for use in the preclinical medical physics education of medical students. Our learning system simulates the actual clinical environment in a hospital or primary care unit. It uses a commercial medical information system for on-line storage and processing of clinical type data acquired during physics laboratory classes. Every student adopts two roles, the role of 'patient' and the role of 'physician'. As a 'physician' the student operates the medical devices to clinically assess 'patient' colleagues and records all results in an electronic 'patient' record. We also introduced an innovative approach to the use of supportive education materials, based on the methods of adaptive e-learning. A survey of student feedback is included and statistically evaluated. The results from the student feedback confirm the positive response of the latter to this novel implementation of medical physics and informatics in preclinical education. This approach not only significantly improves learning of medical physics and informatics skills but has the added advantage that it facilitates students' transition from preclinical to clinical subjects.

Clinically oriented three-year medical physics curriculum: a new design for the future.

OBJECTIVE: Medical physics instruction for diagnostic radiology residency at our institution has been redesigned with an interactive and image-based approach that encourages clinical application. The new medical physics curriculum spans the first 3 years of radiology residency and is integrated with the core didactic curriculum. CONCLUSION: Salient features include clinical medical physics conferences, fundamentals of medical physics lectures, practicums, online modules, journal club, and a final review before the American Board of Radiology core examination.

A contribuição de Carlos Chagas Filho para a institucionalização da pesquisa científica na universidade brasileira / The contribution of Carlos Chagas Filho to the institutionalization of scientific research in Brazilian universities

Estuda o período considerado a 'pré-história' do Instituto de Biofísica, entre novembro de 1937 e outubro de 1945, durante o qual Carlos Chagas Filho buscou a implantação da pesquisa científica na Universidade do Brasil (UB), apesar dos múltiplos e complexos obstáculos. A inexistência de precedentes de sucesso na UB isolava-o numa cadeira básica. O equipamento disponível era inadequado para seus fins, não existiam fontes oficiais e formais de auxílio à ciência nem pessoal preparado para atividades de pesquisa. Por outro lado, Chagas Filho conquistou aliados devido tanto à força político-social de seu nome e de seu casamento, quanto à influência científica decorrente de seu êxito na finalidade a que se propôs.

This paper studies the period considered the 'prehistory' of the Instituto de Biofísica, namely between November 1937 and October 1945, during which Carlos Chagas Filho championed the inclusion of scientific research at Universidade do Brasil (UB), despite facing multiple and complex obstacles. The lack of successful precedents at UB isolated him to one inexpressive chair. The equipment available was inadequate for his purposes; there were no official sources and forms of access to funding for science or trained personnel for research activities. On the other hand, Chagas Filho won over allies due both to the political and social clout of his name and his marriage, and to his scientific influence ensuing from his success in attaining the goals he fought for.