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When designing social robots for educational settings, there is often an emphasis on domain knowledge. This presents challenges: 1) Either robots must autonomously acquire domain knowledge, a currently unsolved problem in HRI, or 2) the designers provide this knowledge implying re-programming the robot for new contexts. Recent research explores alternative, relatively easier to port, knowledge areas like student rapport, engagement, and synchrony though these constructs are typically treated as the ultimate goals, when the final goal should be students’ learning. Our aim is to propose a shift in how engagement is considered, aligning it naturally with learning. We introduce the notion of a skilled ignorant peer robot: a robot peer that has little to no domain knowledge but possesses knowledge of student behaviours conducive to learning, i.e., behaviours indicative of productive engagement as extracted from student behavioral profiles. We formally investigate how such a robot’s interventions manipulate the children’s engagement conducive to learning. Specifically, we evaluate two versions of the proposed robot, namely, Harry and Hermione, in a user study with 136 students where each version differs in terms of the intervention strategy. Harry focuses on which suggestions to intervene with from a pool of communication, exploration, and reflection inducing suggestions, while Hermione also carefully considers when and why to intervene. While the teams interacting with Harry have higher productive engagement correlated to learning, this engagement is not affected by the robot’s intervention scheme. In contrast, Hermione’s well-timed interventions, deemed more useful, correlate with productive engagement though engagement is not correlated to learning. These results highlight the potential of a social educational robot as a skilled ignorant peer and stress the importance of precisely timing the robot interventions in a learning environment to be able to manipulate moderating variable of interest such as productive engagement.

Abstract Background Early exposure to Computer Science (CS) and Computational Thinking (CT) for all is critical to broaden participation and promote equity in the field. But how does the introduction of CS and CT into primary school curricula impact learning, perception, and gaps between groups of students? Methodology We investigate a CS-curricular reform and teacher Professional Development (PD) programme from an equity standpoint by applying hierarchical regression and structural equation modelling on student learning and perception data from three studies with, respectively, 1384, 2433 and 1644 grade 3–6 students (ages 7–11) and their 83, 142 and 95 teachers. Results Regarding learning, exposure to CS instruction appears to contribute to closing the performance gap between low-achieving and high-achieving students, as well as pre-existing gender gaps. Despite a lack of direct influence of what was taught on student learning, there is no impact of teachers’ demographics or motivation on student learning, with teachers’ perception of the CS-PD positively influencing learning. Regarding perception, students perceive CS and its teaching tools (robotics, tablets) positively, and even more so when they perceive a role model close to them as doing CS. Nonetheless, gender differences exist all around with boys perceiving CS more positively than girls despite access to CS education. However, access to CS-education affects boys and girls differently: larger gender gaps are closing (namely those related to robotics), while smaller gaps are increasing (namely those related to CS and tablets). Conclusion This article highlights how a CS curricular reform impacts learning, perception, and equity and supports the importance of (i) early introductions to CS for all; (ii) preparing teachers to teach CS all the while removing the influence of teacher demographics and motivation on student outcomes; and (iii) having developmentally appropriate activities that signal to all groups of students.

IntroductionThis study aimed to investigate the use of ultrasonography for verifying feeding tube placement in hospitalized cats compared with radiographic evaluation.MethodsThis prospective investigation was performed on client-owned cats. The position of the feeding tube was checked using right lateral thoracic radiography and ultrasonography. Ultrasound examinations were performed using a high-frequency linear transducer and a microconvex transducer. The examination was performed in three steps: transverse and longitudinal planes of the left side of the animal’s neck to identify the feeding tube in the esophagus, and a longitudinal angled plane of the epigastrium to identify the tube at the lower esophageal sphincter.ResultsA total of 25 cats were included in this study. Assessing the correct positioning of the feeding tubes using a right lateral thoracic radiograph revealed that the tube was in the distal esophagus in 12/25 cats and reached the stomach in 13/25 cases.DiscussionIn all cats, both ultrasonography and right lateral chest radiography identified the feeding tube at the esophageal level. For stomach, ultrasonography demonstrated good values of diagnostic performance compared to radiography, with excellent reliability and validity in terms of sensitivity and predictive value. Ultrasonography is a valid tool for confirming tube placement in the esophagus and is almost as efficient as radiology.

IntroductionWith the increasing amount of research around Computational Thinking (CT) and endeavors introducing CT into curricula worldwide, assessing CT at all levels of formal education is of utmost importance to ensure that CT-related learning objectives are met. This has contributed to a progressive increase in the number of validated and reliable CT assessments for K-12, including primary school. Researchers and practitioners are thus required to choose among multiple instruments, often overlapping in their age validity.MethodsIn this study, we compare the psychometric properties of two of these instruments: the Beginners' CT test (BCTt), developed for grades 1–6, and the competent CT test (cCTt), validated for grades 3–4. Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory (IRT) were employed on data acquired from 575 students in grades 3–4 to compare the properties of the two instruments and refine the limits of their validity.ResultsThe findings (i) establish the detailed psychometric properties of the BCTt in grades 3–4 for the first time, and (ii) through a comparison with students from the same country, indicate that the cCTt should be preferred for grades 3–4 as the cCTt is able to discriminate between students of low and medium ability. Conversely, while the BCTt, which is easier, shows a ceiling effect, it is better suited to discriminate between students in the low ability range. For these grades, the BCTt can thus be employed as a screening mechanism to identify low ability students.DiscussionIn addition to providing recomendations for use of these instruments, the findings highlight the importance of comparing the psychometric properties of existing assessments, so that researchers and practitioners, including teachers and policy makers involved in digital education curricular reforms, may take informed decisions when selecting assessments.

Task-specific training constitutes a core element for evidence-based rehabilitation strategies targeted at improving upper extremity activity after stroke. Its combination with additional treatment strategies and neurotechnology-based solutions could further improve patients' outcomes. Here, we studied the effect of gamified robot-assisted upper limb motor training on motor performance, skill learning, and transfer with respect to a non-gamified control condition with a group of chronic stroke survivors. The results suggest that a gamified training strategy results in more controlled motor performance during the training phase, which is characterized by a higher accuracy (lower deviance), higher smoothness (lower jerk), but slower speed. The responder analyses indicated that mildly impaired patients benefited most from the gamification approach. In conclusion, gamified robot-assisted motor training, which is personalized to the individual capabilities of a patient, constitutes a promising investigational strategy for further improving motor performance after a stroke.

One of the many purposes for which social robots are designed is education, and there have been many attempts to systematize their potential in this field. What these attempts have in common is the recognition that learning can be supported in a variety of ways because a learner can be engaged in different activities that foster learning. Up to now, three roles have been proposed when designing these activities for robots: as a teacher or tutor, a learning peer, or a novice. Current research proposes that deciding in favor of one role over another depends on the content or preferred pedagogical form. However, the design of activities changes not only the content of learning, but also the nature of a human–robot social relationship. This is particularly important in language acquisition, which has been recognized as a social endeavor. The following review aims to specify the differences in human–robot social relationships when children learn language through interacting with a social robot. After proposing categories for comparing these different relationships, we review established and more specific, innovative roles that a robot can play in language-learning scenarios. This follows Mead’s (1946) theoretical approach proposing that social roles are performed in interactive acts. These acts are crucial for learning, because not only can they shape the social environment of learning but also engage the learner to different degrees. We specify the degree of engagement by referring to Chi’s (2009) progression of learning activities that range from active, constructive, toward interactive with the latter fostering deeper learning. Taken together, this approach enables us to compare and evaluate different human–robot social relationships that arise when applying a robot in a particular social role.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus primarily infects salivary glands suggesting a change in the saliva metabolite profile; this shift may be used as a monitoring instrument during SARS-CoV-2 infection. The present study aims to determine the salivary metabolomic profile of patients with and post-SARS-CoV-19 infection. Patients were without (PCR−), with SARS-CoV-2 (PCR+), or post-SARS-CoV-2 infection. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected, and the 1H spectra were acquired in a 500 MHz Bruker nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer at 25 °C. They were subjected to multivariate analysis using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), as well as univariate analysis through t-tests (SPSS 20.0, IL, USA), with a significance level of p < 0.05. A distinction was found when comparing PCR− subjects to those with SARS-CoV-2 infection. When comparing the three groups, the PLS-DA cross-validation presented satisfactory accuracy (ACC = 0.69, R2 = 0.39, Q2 = 0.08). Seventeen metabolites were found in different proportions among the groups. The results suggested the downregulation of major amino acid levels, such as alanine, glutamine, histidine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, and proline in the PCR+ group compared to the PCR− ones. In addition, acetate, valerate, and capronic acid were higher in PCR− patients than in PCR+. Sucrose and butyrate were higher in post-SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to PCR−. In general, a reduction in amino acids was observed in subjects with and post-SARS-CoV-2 disease. The salivary metabolomic strategy NMR-based was able to differentiate between non-infected individuals and those with acute and post-SARS-CoV-19 infection.

Few routinely available biomarkers are clinically useful in assessing dogs with inflammatory protein-losing enteropathy caused by immunosuppressive-responsive enteropathy (IRE-PLE). Only the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been studied, while no information exists on the use of the albumin to globulin ratio (AGR) and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CRP/ALB). We aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of the NLR, AGR and CRP/ALB in a population of dogs with IRE-PLE. The medical records of 53 IRE-PLE dogs were reviewed at the time of diagnosis (T0) and 1 month after the initiation of immunosuppressants (T1). A control group of 68 healthy dogs was used for comparison. At T0, the median values of the NLR and AGR of sick dogs were significantly higher and lower than those of healthy dogs, respectively. With the increase in the chronic enteropathy activity index, AGR and CRP/ALB significantly decreased and increased, respectively. At T1, NLR and AGR significantly increased, while CRP/ALB significantly decreased. NLR, AGR and CRP/ALB did not differ significantly between dogs classified as responders and nonresponders according to the chronic enteropathy activity index. Further studies are needed to provide more information on this subject.

Dogs with neoplasm are at risk of thrombosis, yet there is no information on the haemostatic alterations that may result from the surgeries performed to remove neoplastic masses. The aim of this study was to observe the characteristics of haemostasis in dogs undergoing surgery to remove a malignancy by means of rotational thromboelastometry and thrombin generation. Haemostasis was assessed immediately before surgery (T0), 24 h after surgery (T1), and two weeks after surgery (T2). Statistically significant differences were found between the thromboelastometric parameters at T0 vs. T1, with increases observed in MCF, the α angle, and G parameters in the ex-TEM and in-TEM profiles. In the thromboelastometric analysis performed after surgery differences were identified between T1 and T2, with a decrease observed in parameters such as CFT, MCF, the α angle, and G. Between T0 and T2, only a significant decrease in CT was detected in the fib-TEM profile. No differences were found in the comparison among the results obtained via thrombin generation. In dogs with resectable malignancies, the surgeries performed to remove cancer affected coagulation, causing a tendency towards hypercoagulability. The interference with coagulation was transient, and 2 weeks after surgery, the thromboelatometric results returned to those obtained before surgery (T0).

Many countries struggle to effectively introduce Digital Education (DE) to all K-12 students as they lack adequately trained teachers. While cascade models of in-service teacher-professional development (PD) can rapidly deploy PD-programs through multiple levels of trainers to reach all teachers, they suffer from many limitations and are often ineffective. We therefore propose an adapted cascade model to deploy a primary school DE teacher-PD program throughout an administrative region. The model relies on teacher-trainers who (i) are active teachers in the region, (ii) have a prolonged trainer-PD with experts who piloted the teacher-PD program to acquire adult-trainer and DE-related competences, and (iii) are supported by the experts throughout the deployment. To validate the deployment model we used data from 14 teacher-trainers, the 700 teachers they trained, and 350 teachers trained by experts. The teacher-trainer findings demonstrate that the adapted cascade model effectively addresses most cascade models' limitations. The teacher-related findings further validate the adapted cascade model in terms of perception, motivation and adoption which are at least equivalent to those obtained with the experts. To conclude, the adapted cascade model is an effective means of spreading primary school DE PD-programs at a large scale and can be used in other DE reforms.

The article describes a multi-sensor dataset of human-human handovers composed of over 1000 recordings collected from 18 volunteers. The recordings refer to 76 test configurations, which consider different volunteer׳s starting positions and roles, objects to pass and motion strategies. In all experiments, we acquire 6-axis inertial data from two smartwatches, the 15-joint skeleton model of one volunteer with an RGB-D camera and the upper-body model of both persons using a total of 20 motion capture markers. The recordings are annotated with videos and questionnaires about the perceived characteristics of the handover.

In this article we investigate the role of interactive haptic-enabled tangible robots in supporting the learning of cursive letter writing for children with attention and visuomotor coordination issues. We focus on the two principal aspects of handwriting that are linked to these issues: Visual perception and visuomotor coordination. These aspects, respectively, enhance two features of letter representation in the learner's mind in particular, namely the shape (grapheme) and the dynamics (ductus) of the letter, which constitute the central learning goals in our activity. Building upon an initial design tested with 17 healthy children in a preliminary school, we iteratively ported the activity to an occupational therapy context in 2 different therapy centers, in the context of 3 different summer school camps involving a total of 12 children having writing difficulties. The various iterations allowed us to uncover insights about the design of robot-enhanced writing activities for special education, specifically highlighting the importance of ease of modification of the duration of an activity as well as of adaptable frequency, content, flow and game-play and of providing a range of evaluation test alternatives. Results show that the use of robot-assisted handwriting activities could have a positive impact on the learning of the representation of letters in the context of occupational therapy (V = 1, 449, p < 0.001, r = 0.42). Results also highlight how the design changes made across the iterations affected the outcomes of the handwriting sessions, such as the evaluation of the performances, monitoring of the performances, and the connectedness of the handwriting.

Abstract Background The primary aim was to evaluate by means of thromboelastometry (ROTEM) the effects of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) 130/0.4 administered as a constant rate infusion (CRI) on hemostasis in hypoalbuminemic dogs. The second aim was to use ROTEM analysis to detect whether all hypoalbuminemic dogs of our population were hypercoagulable. Results The study sample was 20 hypoalbuminemic dogs (albumin 0.05), whereas in group 2 statistically significant differences (P

In veterinary medicine, investigations relating the effects of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) on renal function report contrasting results. This study aimed to assess the changes in the selected biomarkers of kidney injury in dogs after the administration of HES 130/0.4 as a constant rate infusion (CRI) for 24 h. Ten adult client-owned dogs with hypoalbuminemia (albumin < 2 g/dL) and ongoing fluid losses were included. Enrolled dogs received intravenous fluid therapy with crystalloids and a CRI of HES 130/0.4 at a dose of 2 mL/kg/h for 24 h. Serum creatinine (sCr), fractional excretion (FE) of electrolytes, urinary protein to creatinine ratio (UPC), urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UAC), SDS-page, and urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) were measured at the baseline before HES infusion, and after 24 h (T24) and 48 h (T48) from the baseline. No statistically significant difference was found between the baseline value vs. T24 and the baseline vs. T48 for sCr, UAC, UPC, FE of sodium, chloride and calcium, and uNGAL. A significant increase in FEK (p = 0.04) was noticed between the baseline and T48. In this study sample of hypoalbuminemic dogs, HES 130/0.4 at the dose and rate of infusion applied did not cause any significant changes in the investigated biomarkers of kidney injury.

Intravenous iodinated contrast (IVIC) medium is routinely administered to dogs. Scattered information exists regarding the serum biochemical or urinary profiles associated with the administration of IVIC in dogs. The aim of the study was to describe, compare, and discuss from the perspective of previous studies the alterations in serum biochemical and urinary parameters before (T0) and within one week (T1) of the IVIC administration during routine computed tomography (CT) scan evaluation of 22 dogs. Mature dogs presenting for CT scan evaluation for preoperative oncology staging/surgical planning were included. T1 evaluation was performed within one week of IVIC administration. Statistically significant differences in serum total protein, albumin, chloride, calcium, and phosphorus concentrations, urine protein to creatinine ratio, and urine specific gravity were found between T1 and T0. At T1, the serum creatinine concentration was within reference ranges in all dogs but one. An increase in the urine protein to creatinine ratio was observed in four samples, one of which was non-proteinuric at T0. Changes in biochemistry and urine parameters between T0 and T1 were not considered clinically significant.

Teachers' self-efficacy in managing classrooms is an important consideration when it comes to bringing educational robots to classrooms. Orchestration tools support teachers by providing awareness indicators of students' progress as well as levers to control the flow of the lesson. We designed and evaluated the impact of an orchestration tool for a series of robot-based learning activities to teach a basic concept in mathematics to children, aged 7-10. Six teachers in primary schools across Switzerland used the orchestration tool to manage the activities in six sessions involving a total of ninety-one students. We observed teachers' usage of the orchestration tool during the sessions and interviewed them after the sessions about the usefulness of these functionalities. Our findings show that even though teachers used the tool in different ways from each other, in general, it supported them in their classroom orchestration practices, mainly to manage the activity sequence and get aware of the robot technical failures and, to a lesser degree, get aware of students' progress for the purpose of activity transitions and enriching class discussions. We discuss the theoretical implications of these results, relating our findings to the literature on classroom orchestration tool design, especially highlighting the importance of "educational level" and "the type of learning technology as" contextual factors affecting teachers' usage of orchestration tools. We also provide implications for designing orchestration tools, focusing on the necessity of providing different types of awareness indicators and multiple options for activity management to fulfil the variety of teachers' orchestration needs.

Sustaining changes in teachers' practices is a challenge that determines the success of curricular reforms, from which Digital Education (DE) is not exempt. As the literature on sustainability is considered "scarce" and "scattered", long-term studies modelling the factors impacting teachers' sustained uptake of DE pedagogical content are lacking. Thus, we investigate whether and how 287 in-service teachers sustained a primary school DE curricular reform over a year after they completed their two-year DE professional development program. We model the sustainability of the reform through Structural Equation Modelling, and identify critical sustainability-factors. The validated Sustainable Adoption of Digital Education (SADE) model confirms that sustainability in the fourth year of the reform depends on perceived usefulness of teaching the new content, ease of implementation, and access to sufficient support in schools. Such factors should thus be evaluated, accounted for in the implementation phase of the reform, and sustained over time. The findings confirm that the DE curricular reform model contributes to positive self-efficacy to teach DE, provides sufficient in-school support, and promotes increasing adoption over time. However, as teachers' practices have not yet stabilised, and teachers may still adopt more to cover the breadth of DE-concepts, it is important to remain attentive to remaining sustainability barriers: lack of time, effort required to teach DE with teachers preferring to delegate, and lack of student-learning evidence, the latter being a significant challenge to address in the literature. These barriers must therefore be jointly addressed by researchers and practitioners in the field in order to promote the sustainability of the reform.

In patients affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD), some ultrasonographic (US) abnormalities have been shown to correlate better than others with the progression of the disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of the most frequent renal US abnormalities in dogs at different stages of CKD, and to investigate their association with CKD International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) stages. Medical records and ultrasonographical report of 855 dogs were retrospectively included. The most frequent renal ultrasonographic abnormalities were: increased cortical echogenicity, abnormal ratio of cortico-medullary junction (C/M) and pyelectasia. A statistically significant difference in the prevalence of irregular contour, abnormal cortico-medullary junction, abnormal C/M, increased cortical echogenicity, and pyelectasia was found for dogs at different IRIS stages. The number of dogs with more than one US abnormality increased significantly with the progression of IRIS stage. In conclusion, increased cortical echogenicity, abnormal C/M junction and pyelectasia were the most prevalent US abnormalities in our CKD population. Although none of the US abnormalities showed a significantly higher prevalence, the number of dogs presenting > 3 US abnormalities increased significantly from IRIS 2 to IRIS 4. Renal US is an excellent ancillary diagnostic test, which should be used together with renal functional parameters, to monitor the progression of CKD.

Background Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is a potentially curative treatment for myelofibrosis, although its use is limited by a high rate of transplant-related mortality. In this study, we evaluated the outcome of patients with myelofibrosis who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation, and the impact of prognostic factors.Design and Methods One hundred patients were transplanted in 26 Italian centers between 1986 and 2006. We analyzed the influence of the patients’ characteristics and the clnical features of their disease before stem cell transplantation and of transplant procedures on transplant-related mortality, overall survival, and relapse-free survival by means of univariate and multivariate analyses.Results The median age of the patients at the time of stem cell transplantation was 49 years (range, 21–68) and 90% of them had an intermediate or high Dupriez score. Forty-eight percent received a myeloablative conditioning regimen and 78% received stem cells from matched sibling donors. The cumulative incidence of engraftment at day 90 after transplant was 87% (95% CI, 0.87–0.97). The cumulative 1-year and 3-year incidences of transplant-related mortality were 35% and 43%, respectively. The estimated 3-year overall and relapse-free survival rates after stem cell transplantation were 42% and 35%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, negative predictors of transplant-related mortality were year of stem cell transplantation before 1995, unrelated donor, and a long interval between diagnosis and transplantation. There was a trend towards longer overall and relapse-free survival in patients receiving peripheral blood stem cells rather than bone marrow as the source of their graft (p=0.070 and p=0.077, respectively). The intensity of the conditioning regimen (myeloablative versus reduced intensity regimens) did not significantly influence the outcome.Conclusions We conclude that the outcome of myelofibrosis patients who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation significantly improved after 1996 due to the reduction in transplant-related mortality. We observed that a reduction in transplant-related mortality was associated with the choice of a matched sibling donor, whereas longer overall survival was associated with the use of peripheral blood as the source of stem cells.