No abstract

Traditional methods of teaching anatomy to undergraduate medical and veterinary students are being challenged and need to adapt to modern concerns and requirements. There is a move away from the use of cadavers to new technologies as a way of complementing the traditional approaches and addressing resource and ethical problems. Haptic (touch) technology, which allows the student to feel a 3D computer-generated virtual environment, provides a novel way to address some of these challenges. To evaluate the practicalities and usefulness of a haptic simulator, first year veterinary students at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, were taught basic bovine abdominal anatomy using a rectal palpation simulator: ''The Haptic Cow.'' Over two days, 186 students were taught in small groups and 184 provided feedback via a questionnaire. The results were positive; the majority of students considered that the simulator had been useful for appreciating both the feel and location of key internal anatomical structures, had helped with their understanding of bovine abdominal anatomy and 3D visualization, and the tutorial had been enjoyable. The students were mostly in favor of the small group tutorial format, but some requested more time on the simulator. The findings indicate that the haptic simulator is an engaging way of teaching bovine abdominal anatomy to a large number of students in an efficient manner without using cadavers, thereby addressing some of the current challenges in anatomy teaching. Anat Sci Educ 2: [280][281][282][283][284][285] 2009.

Abstract-Palpation is an important clinical skill in both veterinary and medical health professions. The present study compares the ability of practicing veterinarians and veterinary students to identify the stiffness of virtual surfaces through palpation. An absolute identification paradigm was used where a force-feedback haptic device rendered virtual surfaces with five levels of stiffness within a "clinically relevant" range (0.2-0.5 N/mm). The mean information transfer was 0.97 bits (almost two perfectly identifiable stiffness levels) for 12 veterinarians and 0.58 bits (one correctly identified level) for 14 veterinary students. Although the difference between the two groups was significant (p < 0:001), neither group was able to reliably identify more than two levels of stiffness, indicating that the success of veterinarians in clinical practice probably relies on additional properties such as size, shape, and texture. Analyses of force versus time and displacement versus time recordings suggest that the superior performance of the veterinarians may be partially attributable to motor strategy. Specifically, veterinarians used a greater mean maximum force (2.0 N) compared to students (1.6 N) (p < 0:05). However, further studies are required to investigate motor strategy in more detail. The implications of our findings for veterinary education and quantitative skill assessment are discussed.

An online professional network for veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary educationalists, and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) educationalists is being developed under the EU (European Union) Lifelong Learning Programme. The network uses Web 2.0, a term used to describe the new, more interactive version of the Internet, and includes tools such as wikis, blogs, and discussion boards. Focus groups conducted with qualified and student veterinarians within the project's five founding countries (The Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Hungary, Romania) demonstrated that online professional communities can be valuable for accessing information and establishing contacts. Online networks have the potential to overcome common challenges to face-to-face communities-such as distance, cost, and timing-but they have their own drawbacks, such as security and professionalism issues. The Network Of Veterinary ICt in Education (NOVICE) was developed using Elgg, an open-source, free social networking platform, after several software options had been considered. NOVICE aims to promote the understanding of Web 2.0, confidence to use social software tools, and participation in an online community. Therefore, the Web site contains help sections, Frequently Asked Questions, and access to support from ICT experts. Five months after the network's launch (and just over one year into the project) 515 members from 28 countries had registered. Further research will include analysis of a core group's activities, which will inform ongoing support for and development of informal, lifelong learning in a veterinary context.

High mobility organic semiconductor formulations with excellent uniformity across large area substrates are prepared via the use of formulations containing small molecule and high permittivity semiconducting oligomers. The use of these high-k ( k > 3.3) oligomers allows control of the wetting via the manipulation of the surface energy of the substrate being coated. Organic thin fi lm transistors results with mobilities of up to 5 cm 2 V −1 s −1 , standard deviation <10 %, on/off ratios of 10 9 are presented.

No abstract

The Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO, https://www.iddo.org) has launched a clinical data platform for the collation, curation, standardisation and reuse of individual participant data (IPD) on treatments for two of the most globally important neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), schistosomiasis (SCH) and soiltransmitted helminthiases (STHs). This initiative aims to harness the power of data-sharing by facilitating collaborative joint analyses of pooled datasets to generate robust evidence on the efficacy and safety of anthelminthic treatment regimens. A crucial component of this endeavour has been the development of a Research Agenda to

A novel systematic approach to the synthesis of 2-cyano-7-deaza-8-azapurine derived nucleosides is described. It is shown how this chemistry was developed with the labile 2-substituted nitrile position in mind, and also how the same approach is applicable to 2-cyano-8-azapurine derived nucleosides.Nucleosides and their analogues continue to be investigated to treat a range of diseases including cancer and viral infections. 1 In addition, nucleosides and nucleotides form the primary building blocks for the construction of natural and modified genetic material. For example, oligomeric nucleoside constructs form the basis of antisense/RNA interference applications. 2 Finally, nucleosides are intimately involved in key processes such as metabolic regulation and energy storage. 3 A large body of synthetic methodology to access modified bases and riboses has accumulated over the last several decades, 4 spurred along by several highly successful drugs in this class. 5 Research in this area is complicated by a requirement that the nucleoside must be converted into its triphosphate in cellular assays followed by effective inhibition of the target in the designated pathway. Lack of biological activity due to poor or no recognition by the cellular kinases required to activate the parent nucleoside is often a high hurdle to overcome. The effect of structural modifications on the conformational preference of nucleoside analogues has been proposed as a significant driver of subsequent recognition by biological systems. 6 Two strong drivers in nucleoside design include a desire to stay close in structure to the natural bases and riboses, while designing novelty into target compounds.With these considerations in mind, we became interested in 2-cyano-8-aza-7-deazapurines ( Figure 1) as a potential adenine mimic by virtue of a replacement of the C2-hydrogen of adenine with CN and an isomeric movement of N7 to C8. 7 Figure 1