Since concepts may have different meanings in different contexts, students have to learn to recontextualise them, i.e. to adapt their meanings to a new context. It is unclear, however, what characteristics a learning and teaching strategy for recontextualising should have. The study aims to develop such a learning and teaching strategy for cellular respiration. The strategy consists of a storyline, consisting of three contexts, with embedded cognitive elements and some episodes focussed on recontextualising cellular respiration. Testing the strategy in two classes in upper secondary biology education showed that the strategy was largely practicable.
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AimsGenetic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is caused by mutations in sarcomere protein-encoding genes (i.e. genotype-positive HCM). In an increasing number of patients, HCM occurs in the absence of a mutation (i.e. genotype-negative HCM). Mitochondrial dysfunction is thought to be a key driver of pathological remodelling in HCM. Reports of mitochondrial respiratory function and specific disease-modifying treatment options in patients with HCM are scarce.Methods and resultsRespirometry was performed on septal myectomy tissue from patients with HCM (n = 59) to evaluate oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid oxidation. Mitochondrial dysfunction was most notably reflected by impaired NADH-linked respiration. In genotype-negative patients, but not genotype-positive patients, NADH-linked respiration was markedly depressed in patients with an indexed septal thickness ≥10 compared with <10. Mitochondrial dysfunction was not explained by reduced abundance or fragmentation of mitochondria, as evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. Rather, improper organization of mitochondria relative to myofibrils (expressed as a percentage of disorganized mitochondria) was strongly associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Pre-incubation with the cardiolipin-stabilizing drug elamipretide and raising mitochondrial NAD+ levels both boosted NADH-linked respiration.ConclusionMitochondrial dysfunction is explained by cardiomyocyte architecture disruption and is linked to septal hypertrophy in genotype-negative HCM. Despite severe myocardial remodelling mitochondria were responsive to treatments aimed at restoring respiratory function, eliciting the mitochondria as a drug target to prevent and ameliorate cardiac disease in HCM. Mitochondria-targeting therapy may particularly benefit genotype-negative patients with HCM, given the tight link between mitochondrial impairment and septal thickening in this subpopulation.
BACKGROUND:Many patients visiting physiotherapists for musculoskeletal disorders face psychosocial challenges which may form a large barrier to recover. There are only a limited number of evidence based psychosocial therapies, but they are mainly based on breathing exercises. OBJECTIVE: to study which respiration frequency would lead to the highest relaxation, reflected in vagal tone derived from the heart rate variability (HRV) in healthy subjects. METHODS: A randomized controlled cross sectional study was performed. Respiration cycles of four, five, six, seven and eight breaths per minute (BPM) were delivered in randomized order for two minutes each. HRV metrics were measured during the sessions with electrocardiogram (ECG). Repeated Measures ANOVA’s were performed to analyze differences between breathing frequencies. RESULTS: 100 healthy volunteers were included (40 male). Standard Deviation of inter beat intervals (SDNN) values were significantly highest at 5 BPM, whereas the Root Mean Square of Successive Differences (RMSSD) values appeared highest at 7 breaths per minute (p< 0.01). High Frequency (HF) power was lowest at 4 BPM, whereas Low Frequency (LF) power was not significantly influenced by respiration frequency. CONCLUSIONS: Breathing at a frequency of 5 to 7 breaths per minute leads to highest HRV values, but there is no single respiration ratio that maximizes all metrics. Physiotherapists may use five to seven BPM as guidance to determine ideal breathing frequencies
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In samenwerking met het Saxion FabLab Enschede zijn veel ZZP en MKB bedrijven bezig met innovatie. Daarbij is het opgevallen dat er steeds meer aanvragen op het gebied van Health producten binnenkomen, veelal hulpmiddelen. Om deze specifieke groep innovators beter faciliteren is er behoefte aan een Health Innovation FabLab werkwijze, waar een innovatie traject is ontwikkeld waar de disciplines gezondheidzorg, technologie en business ontwikkeling geïntegreerd aan bod komen., Hierdoor moet het mogelijk zijn sneller, betere producten te ontwikkelen. Het betreft het volledige traject van, het opstellen van een correct pakket van eisen, design consideraties binnen de Health sector, prototype development, gebruikstesten en functionele testen , en aspecten die betrekking hebben op het op de markt brengen van het product toegespitst op het MKB. Hierdoor faciliteert het Health Innovation FabLab niet enkel bij met ‘Rapid Prototyping’, maar ook met ‘Rapid Innovation & Realisation’ waardoor de algehele productontwikkeling wordt versneld en time-to-market voor het MKB wordt verminderd. In feite betreft het een crossover van de Topsectoren Creatieve Industrie en Health Sciences & Life. De methodieken en mogelijkheden van de ontwerpers en makers zoals gebruikelijk in het Fablab worden aangevuld en geïntegreerd met kennis en werkwijzen vanuit de zorg en ondernemersschap, aan de hand van twee cases die zijn ingebracht door mkb-bedrijven Pita Medical en B.J.Bulsink beheer. Het betreft respectievelijk de Hermocool-er (ten behoeve van bestrijding van aambeien) en een Respiration-logger (trainer van ademhalingsgewoonten). Beide cases hebben gemeen dat ze de zelfstandigheid van patiënten vorderen en kosten medische zorg reduceren. Aan de hand van de ervaringen met deze cases willen kunnen de behoeften van het MKB m.b.t. innovaties binnen Health in kaart worden gebracht, en een aanzet worden gegeven voor een specifiek ontwikkel traject worden opgezet voor MKB-ers welke samenkomen in het Health Innovation FabLab.
