Virtual 3D environment for exploring the spatial ability of students

Background Spatial ability is an unique type of intelligence;it can be distinguished from other forms of intelligence and plays an essential role in an individual's success in many academic fields,particular in this era of technology.Instruction-assisted 3D technology can display stereo graphics and promote students'understanding of the geometrical structure and characteristics of graphics.Spatial ability includes several aspects.Few software programs are available for training different aspects of spatial ability for senior high school students.This study aims to explore an effective method for training the spatial ability for senior high school students,and to promote the development of students'independent inquiry ability.Methods First,an inquiry design strategy to improve the spatial ability of students is proposed.Based on this strategy,unity3D was used to develop a 3D inquiry environment that can use leap motion to complete a gesture interaction.Finally,researchers carried out experience-based activities and issued user experience questionnaires to participants to verify the application effect of the spatial ability inquiry environment and used interviews to understand the user experience of participants exploring the leap motion device in a 3D inquiry environment.Results 32 learners participated in the experiment.learners have a high score for perceived usefulness and willingness to use.Compared with the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness,the average score of the application effect is relatively low.In terms of willingness to use,most of the learners expressed their willingness to use a similar inquiry environment for spatial ability training in the future.Conclusions The spatial ability inquiry environment can help learners better understand different concepts.The users showed a strong willingness to continue using the device.The device also updates the teaching concept to a certain extent and emphasizes the dominant position of a student.

Effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide and nerve growth factor on spatial learning and memory abilities of rats following focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion

BACKGROUND: Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and nerve growth actor (NGF) cam improve spatial learning and memory abilities of rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion; however, the effect of combination of them on relieving learning and memory injury following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion should be further studied. OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of exogenous CGRP and NGF on learning and memory abilities of rats with focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion. DESIGN: Randomized controlled animal study. SETTING: Department of Neurosurgery, the Second Hospital of Xiamen; Department of Neurosurgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University; Department of Neurobiology, Basic Medical College of China Medical University. MATERIALS: A total of 30 healthy male SD rats, aged 8 weeks, of clean grade, weighing 250-300 g, were provided by Experimental Animal Department of China Medical University. All rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group, ischemia/reperfusion group and treatment group with 10 in each group. The main reagents were detailed as the follows: 100 g/L chloral hydrate, 0.5 mL CGRP (2 mg/L, Sigma Company, USA), and NGF (1× 106 U/L, 0.5 mL, Siweite Company, Dalian). METHODS: The experiment was carried out in the Department of Neurobiology, Basic Medical College of China Medical University from February to July 2005. Rat models of middle cerebral artery occlusion were established by method of occlusion, 2 hours after that rats were anesthetized and the thread was slightly drawn out for 10 mm under direct staring to perform reperfusion. Rats in the ischemia/reperfusion group received intraperitoneal injection of 1 mL saline via the abdomen at two hours later, while rats in the treatment group at 2 hours later received intraperitoneal injection of 2 mg/L CGRP (0.5 mL) and 1×106 U/L NGF (0.5 mL) once a day for 10 successive days. First administration was accomplished within 15 minutes after ischemia/reperfusion. Rats in the sham-operation group were separated of the vessels without occlusion or administration. The neural function was evaluated with Zea Longa 5-grade scale. Animals with the score of one, two and three points received Morris water-maze test to measure searching time on platform (omitting platform-escaping latency). Meanwhile, leaning and memory abilities of animals were reflected through testing times of passing through platform per minute. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Experimental results of omitting platform-escaping latency and spatial probe. RESULTS: Three and two rats in the ischemia/reperfusion group and treatment group respectively were not in accordance with the criteria in the process, and the rest were involved in the final analysis. ① Comparisons of platform-escaping latency during Morris water-maze test in all the three groups: Ten days after modeling, the platform-escaping latency in the ischemia/reperfusion group was obviously longer than that in sham-operation group (P < 0.01), and was significantly shorter than that in the treatment group (P < 0.01). ② Comparisons of times of passing through platform in all the three groups: Times of passing through platform were remarkably less in the ischemia/reperfusion group than those in the sham-operation group [(1.79±0.39), (4.30±0.73) times/minute, P < 0.01], and those were markedly more in the treatment group than the ischemia/reperfusion group [(3.16±1.03), (1.79±0.39) times/minute, P < 0.01]. CONCLUSION: CGRP and NGF are capable of ameliorating the abilities of spatial learning and memory in MCAO rats, which indicates that CGRP and NGF can protect ischemic neurons.

Rhesus monkey neural stem cell transplantation promotes neural regeneration in rats with hippocampal lesions

Rhesus monkey neural stem cells are capable of differentiating into neurons and glial cells. Therefore, neural stem cell transplantation can be used to promote functional recovery of the nervous system. Rhesus monkey neural stem cells （1 ×10^5 cells/μL） were injected into bilateral hippocampi of rats with hippocampal lesions. Confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated that green fluorescent protein-la- beled transplanted cells survived and grew well. Transplanted cells were detected at the lesion site, but also in the nerve fiber-rich region of the cerebral cortex and corpus callosum. Some transplanted cells differentiated into neurons and glial cells clustering along the ventricular wall, and integrated into the recipient brain. Behavioral tests revealed that spatial learning and memory ability improved, indicating that rhesus monkey neural stem cells noticeably improve spatial learning and memory abilities in rats with hippocampal lesions.

Identification of altitude profiles in 3D geovisualizations:the role of interaction and spatial abilities

Three-dimensional geovisualizations are currently pushed both by technological development and by the demands of experts in various applied areas.In the presented empirical study,we compared the features of real 3D(stereoscopic)versus pseudo 3D(monoscopic)geovisualizations in static and interactive digital elevation models.We tested 39 high-school students in their ability to identify the correct terrain profile from digital elevation models.Students’performance was recorded and further analysed with respect to their spatial abilities,which were measured by a psychological mental rotation test and think aloud protocol.The results of the study indicated that the influence of the type of 3D visualization(monoscopic/stereoscopic)on the performance of the users is not clear,the level of navigational interactivity has significant influence on the usability of a particular 3D visualization,and finally no influences of the spatial abilities on the performance of the user within the 3D environment were identified.