Search

This research is part of the Artificial Intelligence Virtual Trainer (AI-VT) project which aims to create a system that can identify the user's skills from a text by means of machine learning. AI-VT is a case-based reasoning learning support system can generate customized exercise lists that are specially adapted to user needs. To attain this outcome, the relevance of the first proposed exercise must be optimized to assist the system in creating personalized user profiles. To solve this problem, this project was designed to include a preliminary testing phase. As a generic tool, AI-VT was designed to be adapted to any field of learning. The most recent application of AI-VT was in the field of computer science specifically in the context of the fundamentals of algorithmic learning. AI-VT can and will also be useful in other disciplines. Developed in Python with the Keras API and the Tensorflow framework, this artificial intelligence-based tool encompasses a supervised learning environment, multi-label text classification techniques and deep neural networks. This paper presents and compares the performance levels of the different models tested on two different data sets in the context of computer programming and algorithms.

Cross-sectional studies have shown a positive association between expressive suppression and depressive symptoms. These results have been interpreted as reflecting the impact of emotion regulation efforts on depression. However, it is also possible that depression may alter emotion regulation tendencies. The goal of the present study was to prospectively examine the bidirectional association between habitual use of suppression and depressive symptoms in young adolescents. Participants were 1,753 adolescents (mean age = 13.8 years) who reported their use of suppression and depressive symptoms at two time points with a 1-year interval. Suppression and depressive symptoms were correlated within each time point. Depressive symptoms preceded increased use of suppression 1 year later, but suppression did not precede future depressive symptoms. Overall, the findings suggest depressive symptoms may be a potential precursor of habitual use of suppression during adolescence. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

Many studies have reported on the perceptions of medical students toward dissection. It is important to understand the feelings and symptoms experienced during dissection so that they can be adequately handled. Prior to dissection, first year students are given lectures on aspects of dissection, death and dying, and death rituals in various cultures. Two separate questionnaires, one given during the first week of dissection and another given one month into the program were then completed anonymously by dissection groups. The questions were designed to be open-ended, thereby encouraging group discussion amongst students. The questionnaires were used to determine the perception of students to dissection and to discover if these perceptions change during the dissection program. The first questionnaire revealed that students do experience fears and anxiety prior to and at the beginning of dissection; however, most of these fears dissipated by the time of the second questionnaire. One month into dissection students cited talking to peers as their main coping mechanism and fewer students mentioned emotional detachment from their cadaver as a coping mechanism, as was the case in the first questionnaire. Dissection was perceived as a positive experience by our student cohort and most students cited the main advantage of dissection as the ability to visualize organs in three dimensions. The comprehensive answers received from the students indicated that thorough discussion of feelings amongst peers occurred, introducing students to an important coping mechanism at an early stage of their learning. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)

It has been noted by staff at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University that medical students neglect the study of surface anatomy during dissection. This study reports on the novel use of Lodox[R] Statscan[R] images in anatomical education, particularly the teaching of surface anatomy. Full body digital X-ray images (Lodox Statscan) of each cadaver (n = 40) were provided to second year medical students. During dissection students were asked to visualize landmarks, organs, and structures on the digital X-ray and their cadaver, as well as palpate these landmarks and structures on themselves, their colleagues, and the cadaver. To stimulate student engagement with surface anatomy, dissection groups were required to draw both the normal and actual position of organs on a laminated image provided. The accuracy of the drawings was subsequently assessed and students were further assessed by means of practical identification tests. In addition, students were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire. A response rate of 79% was obtained for the student questionnaire. From the questionnaire it was gathered that students found the digital X-ray images beneficial for viewing most systems' organs, except for the pelvic organs. Although it appears that students still struggle with the study of surface anatomy, most students believed that the digital X-rays were beneficial to their studies and supported their continued use in the future. (Contains 2 tables and 5 figures.)