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Results for “Informal learning”

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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Women's satisfaction with genetic counseling for hereditary breast-ovarian cancer: psychological aspects.

Women who participate in BRCA1/2 cancer genetic counseling do so for a variety of reasons, including learning quantitative risk information about their chances of developing hereditary breast-ovarian cancer at some point during their lifetimes. For these women, obtaining pre-test and disclosure genetic counseling with a professional affords them numerous potential benefits, including adequate preparation for, and accurate interpretation of, their test results. In consequence, women commonly report being highly satisfied with their cancer genetic counseling experience, even if the information learned through testing suggests they are at increased cancer risk. This occurrence raises an interesting question, namely, what are the psychological aspects of satisfaction with genetic counseling for hereditary breast-ovarian cancer in women? To answer this question, we administered the Genetic Counseling Satisfaction Scale (GCSS) to a convenience sample of 61 women participating in BRCA1/2 pretest genetic counseling, and re-administered the GCSS to approximately one-third of these women at disclosure. Available psychological data included personality, distress, and family functioning. In bivariate analyses, optimism and family functioning were positively associated with pretest satisfaction. With respect to satisfaction at disclosure, general and cancer-specific distress were negatively associated with satisfaction. Our findings suggest that psychological aspects of satisfaction with cancer genetic counseling vary, with individual differences and family functioning playing a role at pretest, and distress playing a role at disclosure. The implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

What neural correlates underlie successful encoding and retrieval? A functional magnetic resonance imaging study using a divided attention paradigm.

If attention is divided during learning, memory suffers. Nevertheless, individuals can learn information with divided attention. This event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study (n = 17) investigated what neural processes support (1) learning with divided attention and (2) retrieval of information learned with divided attention. Participants encoded words (Is the word abstract or concrete?) while performing an auditory discrimination task (press a button whenever an auditory pattern changes). The auditory task was easy or hard, depending on the similarity of the patterns. A behavioral study indicated that detailed ("recollective") information was more likely to be present for words encoded with the easy versus the hard concurrent task. Words encoded with the hard versus the easy concurrent task, in contrast, were more likely to rely on less detailed ("familiarity"-based) information. fMRI revealed encoding-related activation in the left prefrontal cortex (PFC) and left hippocampus that was linked to successful memory formation only for items encoded with the easy task. In contrast, activation in the right PFC and left parahippocampal gyrus was linked to successful memory for all items. Thus, successful encoding with the hard concurrent task was supported by a subset of the regions recruited for successful encoding with the easy task. The neural processes recruited for successful retrieval also depended on the encoding condition: The left PFC was disproportionately recruited for retrieval of items encoded with the easy task, whereas the right PFC was disproportionately recruited for retrieval of items encoded with the hard task. These findings may reflect left-sided specialization for recollective memories and right-sided specialization for familiarity-based traces.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1996

Synaptic organizations and dynamical properties of weakly connected neural oscillators. II. Learning phase information.

This is the second of two articles devoted to analyzing the relationship between synaptic organizations (anatomy) and dynamical properties (function) of networks of neural oscillators near multiple supercritical Andronov-Hopf bifurcation points. Here we analyze learning processes in such networks. Regarding learning dynamics, we assume (1) learning is local (i.e. synaptic modification depends on pre- and postsynaptic neurons but not on others), (2) synapses modify slowly relative to characteristic neuron response times, (3) in the absence of either pre- or postsynaptic activity, the synapse weakens (forgets). Our major goal is to analyze all synaptic organizations of oscillatory neural networks that can memorize and retrieve phase information or time delays. We show that such network have the following attributes: (1) the rate of synaptic plasticity connected with learning is determined locally by the presynaptic neurons, (2) the excitatory neurons must be long-axon relay neurons capable of forming distant connections with other excitatory and inhibitory neurons, (3) if inhibitory neurons have long axons, then the network can learn, passively forget and actively unlearn information by adjusting synaptic plasticity rates.

Learning↗
PubMed1997

Healthcare information. Slow to learn.

Access to information in the NHS is in need of huge improvements. In 1992 more than half of all staff had no access to a library service geared to their requirements. NHS libraries are now expected to serve patients and managers as well as clinical staff.

Hospitals, Public↗
PubMed1997

Comparison of temporal order memory in early and middle stage Alzheimer's disease.

Four tests, each including a new learning and a prior learning component were developed to investigate temporal order memory in subjects with early and middle stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). For newly learned information, both AD groups performed worse than controls but did not differ from each other. For previously learned information, the subjects with AD performed worse than controls. The early AD group performed better than the middle AD group. It appears then, that progression of the disease is associated with decreased access to knowledge systems.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Functional characteristics of the associative areas of the cortex involved in visual information discrimination learning processes in monkeys.

Experiments on three groups of rhesus macaques (intact and with bilateral removal of field 7 and the sulcus principalis) were performed to study the functional characteristics of the associative areas of the cortex while the monkeys learned visual discrimination. Significant differences in learning processes associated with removal of structures and the properties of the stimuli were seen in all animals, in the form of different types of learning curves. As compared with intact monkeys, removal of field 7 had no effect on learning processes for images with properties such as spatial frequency, color, and animal images, though there was a significant worsening in the characteristics of learning during visual discrimination of spatial relationships between objects. Learning processes became unstable, the number of peaks and troughs on learning curves increased, and as a result the training periods were significantly lengthened and 85% of the animals were unable to achieve the learning criterion. Removal of the sulcus principalis significantly worsened the characteristics of discrimination of the sizes of geometric objects, the spatial relationships between them, and stimuli of different colors. The stable reaction time and the probability of refusal in most cases also increased for monkeys of both these groups. Cluster analysis based on the quantitative characteristics of learning processes, despite individual differences between the monkeys, demonstrated a tendency for stimuli to be separated into classes corresponding to different types of information. These data show that the result of sensory processing is that several (at least three) functional visual information flows are generated and that different areas of the cortex deal with these different flows.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Diagnosis, disclosure, and informed consent: learning from parents of children with cancer.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to learn about and to describe retrospective perceptions of parents of the circumstances of their child's cancer diagnosis and of the informed consent process. METHODS: Professional moderators conducted three focus groups with 22 parents of children with cancer who were eligible for enrollment in a Children's Cancer Group clinical trial research protocol. Each focus group consisted of seven to nine parents and was audiotaped and transcribed. RESULTS: Parents' descriptions of the early phase of their child's illness yielded the following themes: dialogues regarding the diagnosis and treatment options occurred amidst tremendous stress; a sense of constraint and lack of control were common; parents experienced variable degrees of choice regarding their child's participation in a clinical trial; and parents provided suggestions about how to improve the informed consent process. Overall, parents did not verbalize distinctions between their understanding of their child's medical treatment, research participation, and other aspects of their child's cancer experience. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, the authors conclude with practical recommendations for health care professionals caring for children with cancer and call for future research about parents' understanding of treatment options, the nature of clinical trials, and experience with the diagnostic and early treatment phase of childhood cancer with larger samples of parents from multiple sites.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Cholinergic parameters and the retrieval of learned and re-learned spatial information: a study using a model of Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome.

This is a factorial (2 x 2 x 2) spatial memory and cholinergic parameters study in which the factors are chronic ethanol, thiamine deficiency and naivety in Morris water maze task. Both learning and retention of the spatial version of the water maze were assessed. To assess retrograde retention of spatial information, half of the rats were pre-trained on the maze before the treatment manipulations of pyrithiamine (PT)-induced thiamine deficiency and post-tested after treatment (pre-trained group). The other half of the animals was only trained after treatment to assess anterograde amnesia (post-trained group). Thiamine deficiency, associated to chronic ethanol treatment, had a significant deleterious effect on spatial memory performance of post-trained animals. The biochemical data revealed that chronic ethanol treatment reduced acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the hippocampus while leaving the neocortex unchanged, whereas thiamine deficiency reduced both cortical and hippocampal AChE activity. Regarding basal and stimulated cortical acetylcholine (ACh) release, both chronic ethanol and thiamine deficiency treatments had significant main effects. Significant correlations were found between both cortical and hippocampal AChE activity and behaviour parameters for pre-trained but not for post-trained animals. Also for ACh release, the correlation found was significant only for pre-trained animals. These biochemical parameters were decreased by thiamine deficiency and chronic ethanol treatment, both in pre-trained and post-trained animals. But the correlation with the behavioural parameters was observed only for pre-trained animals, that is, those that were retrained and assessed for retrograde retention.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed2025

Leveraging structure-informed machine learning for fast steric zipper propensity prediction across whole proteomes.

Predicting the amyloid fold and the propensity of peptide segments to adopt amyloid-like structures remain a challenge. However, recent progress has facilitated structure-based prediction of steric zipper propensity and the use of machine learning to accelerate the calculation of predictive models across many scientific areas. Leveraging these advances, we have developed a new approach for rapid proteome-wide assessment of zipper profiles that is informed by four million steric zipper predictions collected over ten years. This collection is used to build a machine learning model capable of rapidly predicting steric zipper propensity, and allowing for the assessment of zippers at both the protein and proteome level. Our predictions show enrichment for zipper forming segments in proteins involved in cell wall reorganization in yeast, highlighting a potential category of interest for experimental characterization. Overall, our predictive model allows for the exploration of amyloid formation across the tree of life and provides a tool for assessment of both novel and designed sequences for zipper density.

Machine Learning↗
PubMed2002

The Professional Socialization of Certified Athletic Trainers in High School Settings: A Grounded Theory Investigation.

OBJECTIVE: To gain an understanding of the professional socialization experiences of certified athletic trainers (ATCs) working in the high school setting. DESIGN AND SETTING: A qualitative investigation using a grounded theory approach was conducted to explore the experiences related to how ATCs learned their professional role in the high school setting. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 15 individuals (12 ATCs currently practicing at the high school level, 2 current high school athletic directors who are also ATCs, and 1 former high school ATC) participated in the study. The average number of years in their current position for the 12 currently practicing ATCs was 10.16 +/- 7.44, with a range of 2 to 25 years. The 2 athletic directors averaged 5.5 years of experience in their roles, and the former high school athletic trainer had worked in that setting for 1 academic year. DATA ANALYSIS: The interviews were transcribed and then analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Peer debriefing, member checks, and triangulation were used to establish the trustworthiness of the study. RESULTS: Informal learning processes were discovered as the overarching theme. This overarching theme was constructed from 2 thematic categories that emerged from the investigation: (1) an informal induction process: aspects of organizational learning, and (2) creating networks for learning. CONCLUSIONS: Informal learning is critical to the professional socialization process of ATCs working in the high school setting. Because informal learning hinges on self-direction, self-evaluation, reflection, and critical thinking, the findings of this study indicate that both preservice and continuing education should attempt to foster and enhance these qualities.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Side-specificity of olfactory learning in the honeybee: generalization between odors and sides.

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) can be trained to associate an odor stimulus with a sucrose reward. The neural structures involved in the detection and integration of olfactory stimuli are represented bilaterally in the brain. Little is known about the respective roles of the two sides of the brain in olfactory learning. Does each side learn independently of the other, or do they communicate, and if so, to what extent and at what level of neural integration? We addressed these questions using the proboscis extension response (PER) conditioning paradigm applied in a preparation that allows the separation of the two input sides during olfactory stimulations. Bees conditioned to two odorants A and B, one being learned on each side (A+/B+ training), showed in extinction tests rather unspecific responses: They responded to both odorants on both sides. This could be attributable to either a transfer of the learned information between sides, or to a generalization between odorants on each side. By subjecting bees to conditioning on one side only (A+/0 training), we found that the learned information is indeed transferred between sides. However, when bees were trained explicitly to give opposite values to the two odorants on the two sides (A+B-/B+A- training), they showed clear side-specific response patterns to these odorants. These results are used in the elaboration of a functional model of laterality of olfactory learning and memory processing in the honeybee brain.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Empirical and theoretical implications of additivity between reinstatement and renewal after interference in causal learning.

An experiment explored the effects of context change (renewal) and presentation of the outcome (reinstatement) upon retroactive interference in causal learning. An interference task was used where a sequential relationship between the name of a food and two different outcomes was established (A+|A*). Renewal and reinstatement effects appeared as partial attenuation of retroactive interference. The combination of both treatments produced complete recovery of first-learned information (A+). This complete reversal on the estimations of participants suggests that renewal and reinstatement effects within this paradigm imply partial recovery of the first-learned information, rather than response at a chance level emitted by confused participants. On the other hand, additivity between reinstatement and renewal suggests that reinstatement may be due to the combined effect of different underlying processes.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Intergenerational concepts of adolescent sexuality: implications for community-based reproductive health care with Haitian immigrants.

Intergenerational conflict occurs when immigrant parents hold different values from those of their more rapidly acculturating offspring. These conflicts frequently involve disparate views related to sex roles and reproduction. A community-based study of 19 immigrant Haitian parent-adolescent pairs in South Florida compared their attitudes and values about sexuality and reproduction. Data were obtained through focused, open-ended interviews. Content analysis procedures at the level of words and phrases facilitated the categorization of responses. Data revealed considerable differences between parents and adolescents about the sources and types of information learned about reproduction and contraception, when such information is learned, and expectations regarding premarital sexual intercourse. Both parents and adolescents lacked accurate biomedical information about contraception, placed responsibility for contraceptive use primarily on the female partner, considered reproduction a natural rather than a medical event, and believed parents have the major responsibility for educating children about reproduction and contraception. Implications for culturally-appropriate health care center on increasing the role of the public health nurse in health education, minimizing intergenerational and intercultural conflict, and engaging the Haitian immigrant community in the promotion of reproductive health.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Memory, benzodiazepines, and anxiety: integration of theoretical and clinical perspectives.

The benzodiazepines have been reported to cause anterograde amnestic effects. These impairments are likely mediated through the GABAA receptor complex, which contains the benzodiazepine receptor binding site. This GABAA receptor site is also believed to be the locus of the anxiolytic effects of the drugs as well, and recent research findings suggest that the anxiolytic and amnestic properties of the benzodiazepines may be functionally linked. Normal human memory function is extremely complex and requires the smooth integration of multiple aspects of cognition. On the basis of neuropsychological testing, the processes of memory have been divided into a variety of functions or stores that are interrelated, yet distinct. The amnestic effects of the benzodiazepines have been extensively studied within the context of this conceptual framework. Studies to date have shown that the memory deficits produced by the drugs are relatively selective and are primarily caused by impairments in the acquisition of newly learned information into long-term episodic storage. Benzodiazepines may impair other aspects of memory as well, but findings across studies have been inconsistent. The drugs clearly do not impair the recall of previously learned information, unlike anticholinergic drugs with amnestic effects, such as scopolamine. The amnestic effects of the benzodiazepines are dose-dependent, and can be predicted by pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic variables. In addition, multiple clinical factors may influence the likelihood of memory impairments. The amnestic effects of alprazolam are consistent with the drug effects of the benzodiazepines as a group.

Alprazolam↗
PubMed1995

Medical books: for information or learning? Reflections on the books of three Newfoundland physicians, c.1860 to c.1970.

This study describes the medical books of three physicians in rural Newfoundland who followed each other chronologically. Spanning the years c.1860 to c.1970, the nearly 300 books prompt a variety of questions about the physicians themselves, their practices, and their reading habits. These enquiries raise further questions about the extent to which medical books are read for factual information or for contemplating more general issues about the nature of disease and the nature of the individual.

Book Collecting↗