LEGO Bricks Research Articles

Piecing Complement Together with LEGO Bricks: Impacts on Interest, Confidence, and Learning in the Immunology Classroom.

Teaching and learning complex molecular cascades can often be challenging. In immunology, students struggle to visualize immunological processes, such as activation of the complement system, which involves three separate cascades leading to multiple effector functions. Offering learning activities that use tangible modeling can help students learn conceptually difficult content by fostering a visual understanding of concepts, as well as instill confidence and interest in the material. In this article, we describe a learning activity using LEGO bricks that demonstrates the activation of the classical, lectin, and alternative complement pathways and formation of the membrane attack complex. In both an introductory and advanced immunology course, we investigated the effect of the activity on student learning and subject confidence. Performance on examination questions about complement demonstrated that the LEGO activity improved learning in a naive student population (students in introductory immunology), but not in a previously informed student population (students in advanced immunology). In addition, self-reported confidence in the content was significantly higher in students who completed the LEGO activity in the advanced course, but not the introductory course, compared with those who did not do the activity. Students in both courses who did the activity had a positive perception of the activity, with a majority of students reporting that they enjoyed the activity and had more interest in the complement system.

Perception is Only Real When Shared: A Mathematical Model for Collaborative Shared Perception in Human-Robot Interaction

Partners have to build a shared understanding of their environment in everyday collaborative tasks by aligning their perceptions and establishing a common ground. This is one of the aims of shared perception: revealing characteristics of the individual perception to others with whom we share the same environment. In this regard, social cognitive processes, such as joint attention and perspective-taking, form a shared perception. From a Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) perspective, robots would benefit from the ability to establish shared perception with humans and a common understanding of the environment with their partners. In this work, we wanted to assess whether a robot, considering the differences in perception between itself and its partner, could be more effective in its helping role and to what extent this improves task completion and the interaction experience. For this purpose, we designed a mathematical model for a collaborative shared perception that aims to maximise the collaborators’ knowledge of the environment when there are asymmetries in perception. Moreover, we instantiated and tested our model via a real HRI scenario. The experiment consisted of a cooperative game in which participants had to build towers of Lego bricks, while the robot took the role of a suggester. In particular, we conducted experiments using two different robot behaviours. In one condition, based on shared perception, the robot gave suggestions by considering the partners’ point of view and using its inference about their common ground to select the most informative hint. In the other condition, the robot just indicated the brick that would have yielded a higher score from its individual perspective. The adoption of shared perception in the selection of suggestions led to better performances in all the instances of the game where the visual information was not a priori common to both agents. However, the subjective evaluation of the robot’s behaviour did not change between conditions.

Dreamscape Bricks VR: An Experimental Virtual Reality Tool for Architectural Design

In this paper, we propose a VR design tool framework called DREAMSCAPE, which adopts a direct manipulation approach focusing on embody, experience, and manipulation activities in design. The framework defines a VR design process using intuitive controls without being limited by the preconceptions of conventional CAD systems. To establish and demonstrate the framework, we designed and developed a VR design tool called Dreamscape Bricks VR in Unreal Engine 4, using LEGO bricks as base components in a high-fidelity interactive design environment. We conducted user tests and administered questionnaires assessing usability, performance, and comfort. Results showed that the user experience of the tool is positive. The developed tool is expected to establish the abstract framework and provide insights into the future of VR design tools with implications on design education

Heterojunction engineered bioactive chlorella for cascade promoted cancer therapy

The hypoxic tumor microenvironment is one of most major hurdles restraining the anti-tumor efficiency of photodynamic therapy (PDT). Herein, active photosynthetic Chlorophyceae (Chlorella, Chl) functionalized with black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNSs) through polyaspartic acid (PASP) and Fe3+ mediating "Lego building method" are utilized for photocatalyzed oxygen-evolving to realize photosynthesis enhanced synergistic photodynamic/chemodynamic/immune therapy. The Chl cells with inherent photosynthesis and distinct metabolites are able to ameliorate tumor hypoxia, enhance immune cells infiltration, and stimulate the proliferation and maturation of immune cells. BPNSs loaded on the surface of Chl cells construct a type-II heterojunction with the chlorophyll in Chl cells, which improves the conversion efficiency of light through thoroughly separating photo-excited electrons and holes for 1O2 generation and O2 evolution, respectively. Additionally, the lock between "Lego bricks", Fe3+, can both consume glutathione (GSH) and catalyze Fenton reaction with H2O2 to generate ·OH, mediating chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Moreover, Chl@BP-Fe also exhibited high biocompatibility and potential biodegradability, guaranteeing high potential for clinic applications of this synergistic photodynamic/chemodynamic/immune therapy.

Lock-release gravity currents propagating over roughness elements

The influence of bottom roughness on the development of lock-release gravity currents is investigated through laboratory experiments using Particle Image Velocimetry. The bottom roughness is represented by arrays of vertical LEGO bricks with a constant spacing while varying lambda , the relative height of the roughness elements to the gravity current depth. Depending on lambda , the roughness elements may affect the gravity current propagation: for small lambda the current behaves like moving over a smooth bottom, while for larger lambda the propagation speed is reduced and the internal structure of the current, including both the head and the tail, is significantly modified. As lambda increases, stronger recirculation areas between the roughness elements develop interacting with the overlying layer and giving rise to small-scale vortical structures of opposite sign within the whole depth of the current. The additional drag force induced by the bottom roughness adds significant complexity to the flow dynamics and modifies the characteristics of the current.

Accuracy of low-cost alternative facial scanners: a prospective cohort study

IntroductionThree-dimensional facial scans have recently begun to play an increasingly important role in the peri-therapeutic management of oral and maxillofacial and head and neck surgery cases. Face scan images can be generated by optical facial scanners utilizing line-laser, stereophotography, or structured light modalities, as well as from volumetric data: for example, from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). This study aimed to evaluate whether two low-cost procedures for the creation of three-dimensional face scan images were capable of producing sufficiently accurate data sets for clinical analysis.Materials and methodsFifty healthy volunteers were included in the study. Two test objects with defined dimensions (Lego bricks) were attached to the forehead and the left cheek of each volunteer. Facial anthropometric values (i.e., the distances between the medial canthi, the lateral canthi, the nasal alae, and the angles of the mouth) were first measured manually. Subsequently, face scans were performed with a smart device and manual photogrammetry and the values obtained were compared with the manually measured data sets.ResultsThe anthropometric distances deviated, on average, 2.17 mm from the manual measurements (smart device scanning deviation 3.01 mm, photogrammetry deviation 1.34 mm), with seven out of eight deviations being statistically significant. For the Lego brick, from a total of 32 angles, 19 values demonstrated a significant difference from the original 90° angles. The average deviation was 6.5° (smart device scanning deviation 10.1°, photogrammetry deviation 2.8°).ConclusionManual photogrammetry demonstrated greater accuracy when creating three-dimensional face scan images; however, smart devices are more user-friendly. Dental professionals should monitor camera and smart device technical improvements carefully when choosing and adequate technique for 3D scanning.

Inside Back Cover Picture

The inside back cover picture shows modular synthesis of flavones, isoflavones and 2,3‐diarylated chromones via palladium/norbornene cooperative catalysis, mimicking the assembly of Lego bricks. Salient features of this include readily available starting materials, broad substrate scope, good chemoselectivity and step‐economy. A large number of structurally diversified flavones, isoflavones and 2,3‐diarylated chromones can be quickly prepared in a predictable manner. This chemistry can be treated as another valuable addition to the toolbox of medicinal chemists. More details are given in the article by Zhou et al. on page 675—680. image

Build What You Think. Philosophical Education Using the LEGO-LOGOS Method

LEGO bricks have an enormous educational potential. The article analyzes the possibility of using the bricks in teaching philosophy. As a case in point, it describes the LEGO-LOGOS project, a method where the bricks have been successfully used in opening students to philosophical ideas. The project makes use of play (in this case with the LEGO bricks) to introduce students to philosophy and philosophizing. It tackles one of the biggest obstacles in teaching this subject, that is the resistance of students to formulate and express their thoughts as the method allows for a free and creative expression of ideas and interpretations. The article describes the structure of the classes where the method is to be used and provides an analysis of educational and philosophical assumptions of LEGO-LOGOS also touching on the possibility of using the method as a tool in the school setting and beyond.

Особливості утруднення під час розв’язання арифметичних задач здобувачами початкової освіти

The article reveals the issue of elementary school students’ ability to solve arithmetic problems while facing some difficulties, the nature of which has not been sufficiently studied yet. Trying to find out the reason for these difficulties it should be clarified what constitutes a simple problem as a subject of students’ cognition, and how it is understood by the students at their first stages of studying. For this purpose it is necessary to consider how the novice student relates to the task which the teacher offers him/her, how he/she subjectively “accepts” it. Today, the educational institution deals with the personality, identity of the individual, while the individual turns out to be the center of ethics and will act as the main methodological position in upbringing and education. In the systemic nature of education one of the important roles belongs to primary education, which lays the foundation of intellectual, ethical, emotional and volitional qualities of the individual. The mathematics education field is the midpoint for mastering the acquisition of mathematical knowledge, building proficiency and skills, and obtaining the full mathematics education. Arithmetic problems are of great importance in the study of mathematics. They, on the one hand, create a characteristic section of the typical program, the meaning of which the student must learn, and, on the other hand, could be interpreted as a learning material of training, education and development of the elementary school student. Among the system of tasks, which are the subject of studying mathematical field of knowledge, the main place is inherent exactly to the arithmetic problems. Their solution is aimed at the formation of students’ system of mathematical knowledge, development of their skills and abilities of mathematical modeling, calculation, intellectual activity. Arithmetic problems help to reveal the mediated connections with the world and practical activities of people, using ICT, implementing cognitive and educational functions of learning. Keywords: mathematics, arithmetic problems, solution, psychology, textbooks, ICT, Lego bricks.

Turning Lego bricks into high-tech

At Kampf Schneid- und Wickeltechnik GmbH & Co. KG in Wiehl, Germany, Björn Moritz inspires his colleagues and superiors with technically sophisticated Lego models. OPE journal introduces the hobby tinkerer and his passion in detail

Active learning assignment: Legos and coins to explain glucose metabolism

This article describes an assignment used in an undergraduate Advanced Exercise Physiology course for seniors. Students' backgrounds in chemistry varied from adequate to almost nonexistent. This presented several challenges for teaching and students' understanding of aerobic oxidation of a glucose molecule. This article presents an assignment for an active-learning team-based approach in the classroom and the adapted version for virtual learning. Students in active, team-based learning were asked to create a short video of glucose oxidation using Lego bricks, coins, or other toys to represent the glucose molecule, the by-products, and the enzymes involved in each pathway. During virtual learning, the assignment was modified to create a video independently in both synchronous and asynchronous course sections. Based on students' responses to an instructor-developed survey on their perceptions of the assignment, 71% reported that the assignment was helpful to understand glucose metabolism.

Assembly of Silicalite-1 Crystals Like Toy Lego Bricks into One-, Two-, and Three-Dimensional Architectures for Enhancing Its Adsorptive Separation and Catalytic Performances.

Many researchers have contributed to the assembly of zeolitic nanosheets and nanocrystallites into three-dimensional (3D) networks as it can remarkably improve the catalytic and/or adsorptive performances of zeolites. However, the applications of these synthesized materials are seriously limited because of low hydrothermal stability. A highly interesting strategy, but a great challenge, is the alignment of well-crystallized zeolite crystals into desirable architectures. Here, well-crystallized silicalite-1 crystals are assembled like toy Lego bricks into one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D), and three-dimensional (3D) architectures, and the assembly mechanism is investigated by combining elaborate experiments, in situ spectroscopy, and theoretical calculations. A 1D architecture was formed by stacking crystals along the b axis with the assistance of ethanol that is selectively adsorbed on (100) and (001) crystal facets. Such adsorption increases the condensation energy barriers along a and c axes, but facilitates the condensation between (010) facets. The assembly of the crystals into well-arrayed 2D architectures is achieved using both ethanol and benzaldehyde because of their preferable adsorption on the (001) facet. When an amphiphilic copolymer (P123) was further added in the gel along with the substitution of ethanol by 1-propanol, a 3D network was fabricated by the agglomeration and self-pillaring of the 2D Lego bricks possibly with P123 aggregates as the substrate matrix. Excitingly, upon alignment of crystals into 2D architectures, the adsorptive selectivity of 1-butanol (2 wt %) to water of silicalite-1 increases by 45.3 times, while into 3D networks, the catalytic activity for the Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime elevates by 79% along with a great enhancement of catalytic stability.

Extending the Applicability of the Semi-experimental Approach by Means of "Template Molecule" and "Linear Regression" Models on Top of DFT Computations.

The accurate determination of equilibrium structures for isolated molecules plays a central role in the evaluation and interpretation of stereoelectronic, thermodynamic, and spectroscopic properties. For small semi-rigid systems, state-of-the-art quantum-chemical computations can rival the most sophisticated experimental results. For larger molecules, cheaper yet accurate approaches need to be defined. The double-hybrid rev-DSD-PBEP86 functional already delivers remarkable results that can be further improved by means of a “Lego brick” model. This is based on the idea that a molecular system can be seen as formed by different fragments (the “Lego bricks”), whose accurate semi-experimental (SE) equilibrium geometries are available. The template molecule (TM) approach can be used to account for the modifications occurring when going from the isolated fragment to the molecular system under investigation, with the linear regression (LR) model employed to correct the linkage between the different fragments. The resulting TM-SE_LR approach has been tested with respect to available SE equilibrium structures and rotational constants. Indeed, the latter parameters straightforwardly depend on the equilibrium geometry of the system under consideration. The main outcome of our study is the reliability, robustness, and accuracy of this novel approach. The molecular systems considered for benchmarking the TM-SE_LR scheme are those formally issued from addition/elimination reactions of nucleophilic unsaturated radicals (e.g., CN, C2H, and phenyl) to alkenes, imines, and aldehydes, whose rotational spectra have been investigated, but accurate structural determinations are not yet available.

Brick Strex: a robust device built of LEGO bricks for mechanical manipulation of cells

Cellular forces, mechanics and other physical factors are important co-regulators of normal cell and tissue physiology. These cues are often misregulated in diseases such as cancer, where altered tissue mechanics contribute to the disease progression. Furthermore, intercellular tensile and compressive force-related signaling is highlighted in collective cell behavior during development. However, the mechanistic understanding on the role of physical forces in regulation of cellular physiology, including gene expression and signaling, is still lacking. This is partly because studies on the molecular mechanisms of force transmission require easily controllable experimental designs. These approaches should enable both easy mechanical manipulation of cells and, importantly, readouts ranging from microscopy imaging to biochemical assays. To achieve a robust solution for mechanical manipulation of cells, we developed devices built of LEGO bricks allowing manual, motorized and/or cyclic cell stretching and compression studies. By using these devices, we show that upbeta-catenin responds differentially to epithelial monolayer stretching and lateral compression, either localizing more to the cell nuclei or cell–cell junctions, respectively. In addition, we show that epithelial compression drives cytoplasmic retention and phosphorylation of transcription coregulator YAP1. We provide a complete part listing and video assembly instructions, allowing other researchers to build and use the devices in cellular mechanics-related studies.

A Multi-Phase Search Approach to the LEGO Construction Problem

The task of determining which LEGO bricks to use to construct a volume is known as the LEGO Construction Problem. This is a challenging problem because even small volumes can be constructed in a tremendously large number of ways. As a result, an exhaustive search is impractical, and more nuanced search strategies must be employed to find a good, though not necessarily optimal, solution. This paper describes a multi-phase search approach to the LEGO Construction Problem. Our first search phase uses heuristics to identify a moderate number of candidates for each layer in the model. This is followed by two different search strategies which identify alternative brick arrangements that reduce the number of connected components, undesirable edges, and bricks in the model. A final highly localized search is applied to bricks at the boundaries between the model's connected components if the previous search processes fail to reduce the model to a single connected component. Applying this four-phase search strategy to a diverse selection of models has demonstrated that it normally finds a result that consists of a single connected component when such a solution exists, and that the models are structurally sound when built.

Supporting innovation processes using material artefacts: Comparing the use of LEGO bricks and moderation cards as boundary objects

Various collaborative innovation methods are increasingly used in strategy development and the implementation of organizational challenges. The aim of applying them is to involve different agents of an organization and support them in generating new ideas in a joint effort. For this research, an experimental field study was conducted in the course of an innovation workshop for 80 top managers in the public sector using a quantitative questionnaire and an ethnographic observation. A novel workshop format was designed using different materials to support the beginning of this innovation process. The groups used either traditional workshop materials, that is, moderation cards (small sheets of colored paper), or novel workshop materials, that is, LEGO bricks. Our results show that both materials significantly influenced the human experience in the workshop. The use of LEGO bricks was perceived as more enjoyable, active, and inspiring than the use of moderation cards. However, the perceived group outcome using moderation cards was rated higher than that working with LEGO bricks. We discuss how using novel workshop materials changes the experience of an innovation workshop, but we also highlight that additional factors, including translation effects, trained facilitators, and specific innovation phases, must be considered to outperform the use of traditional materials.

Comparison of iPad Pro®’s LiDAR and TrueDepth Capabilities with an Industrial 3D Scanning Solution

Today’s smart devices come equipped with powerful hard- and software-enabling professional use cases. The latest hardware by Apple utilizes LiDAR and TrueDepth, which offer the capability of 3D scanning. Devices equipped with these camera systems allow manufacturers to obtain 3D data from their customers at low costs, which potentially enables time-efficient mass customization and product differentiation strategies. However, the utilization is limited by the scanning accuracy. To determine the potential application of LiDAR and TrueDepth as a 3D scanning solution, in this paper an evaluation was performed. For this purpose, different Lego bricks were scanned with the technologies and an industrial 3D scanner. The results were compared according to shape and position tolerances. Even though the industrial 3D scanner consistently delivered more accurate results, the accuracy of the smart device technologies may already be sufficient, depending on the application.

The Labor of Curating: Fandom, Museums, and the Value of Fan Heritage

The Labor of Curating: Fandom, Museums, and the Value of Fan Heritage

Penggunaan Media Lego Bricks Untuk Meningkatkan Kemampuan Kognitif Matematika Pada Materi Operasi Hitung Bilangan Bulat

This study aims to improve mathematical cognitive abilities in integer arithmetic operations through the use of lego bricks for fifth grade students of SDN 02 Winongo Madiun. This type of research is a classroom action research conducted in two cycles and each cycle is carried out twice. The research subjects were all fifth grade students totaling 17 SDN 02 Winongo Madiun. The research data were collected through observation, written tests in the form of pretest and posttest and documentation. The results of this study indicate that the Lego brick media can improve the cognitive ability of mathematics in integer arithmetic operations. This increase was marked by an increase in the number of students with test scores that exceeded the KKM, with scores between 70 and 100.With an increase in percentage of 35.5% of students who scored above the KKM, from 41.17% of students who scored in the KKM to 76, 14%.
 Keyword: mathematical cognitive abilities, lego bricks, integer operations

Constructed Pasts

LEGO bricks are one of the world’s most popular toys, part of a class of postwar playthings that addressed middle-class ideals of childhood creativity and educative play. As the company adapted to a globalized consumer culture in the second half of the twentieth century, however, it also relied on longstanding tropes of gender, history, and cultural others that put pressure on its claims as a provider of wholesome, “universal” play. This article unpacks how LEGO’s product designs, marketing, and theme park operations have commodified historical inequities, giving tangible form to stereotypes of a racially unmarked European past, colonial encounters with the “uncivilized,” and the gendering of domestic space and construction play.