Virtual Laboratory Research Articles

Bringing Real Inquiry-Based Science to Diverse Secondary Educational Environments: A Virtual Zebrafish Laboratory to Investigate Environmental Health.

The goal of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee WInSTEP SEPA program is to provide valuable and relevant research experiences to students and instructors in diverse secondary educational settings. Introducing an online experience allows the expansion of a proven instructional research program to a national scale and removes many common barriers. These can include lack of access to zebrafish embryos, laboratory equipment, and modern classroom facilities, which often deny disadvantaged and underrepresented students from urban and rural school districts valuable inquiry-based learning opportunities. An online repository of zebrafish embryo imagery was developed in the Carvan laboratory to assess the effects of environmental chemicals. The WInSTEP SEPA program expanded its use as an accessible online tool, complementing the existing classroom experience of our zebrafish module. This virtual laboratory environment contains images of zebrafish embryos grown in the presence of environmental toxicants (ethanol, caffeine, and nicotine), allowing students to collect data on 19 anatomical endpoints and generate significant amounts of data related to developmental toxicology and environmental health. This virtual laboratory offers students and instructors the choice of data sets that differ in the independent variables of chemical concentration and duration of postfertilization exposure. This enables students considerable flexibility in establishing their own experimental design to match the curriculum needs of each instructor.

Remote field-programmable gate array laboratory for signal acquisition and design verification

A remote laboratory utilizing field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technologies enhances students’ learning experience anywhere and anytime in embedded system design. Existing remote laboratories prioritize hardware access and visual feedback for observing board behavior after programming, neglecting comprehensive debugging tools to resolve errors that require internal signal acquisition. This paper proposes a novel remote embedded-system design approach targeting FPGA technologies that are fully interactive via a web-based platform. Our solution provides FPGA board access and debugging capabilities beyond the visual feedback provided by existing remote laboratories. We implemented a lab module that allows users to seamlessly incorporate into their FPGA design. The module minimizes hardware resource utilization while enabling the acquisition of a large number of data samples from the signal during the experiments by adaptively compressing the signal prior to data transmission. The results demonstrate an average compression ratio of 2.90 across three benchmark signals, indicating efficient signal acquisition and effective debugging and analysis. This method allows users to acquire more data samples than conventional methods. The proposed lab allows students to remotely test and debug their designs, bridging the gap between theory and practice in embedded system design.

Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Exploring Ways of Harnessing Pedagogical Practices with the Assistance of ChatGPT

There is a growing interest in using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for educational purposes within the higher education environments, while AI applications (such as ChatGPT) can transform traditional teaching and learning methods. ChatGPT is an advanced AI tool that generates new content and human-like responses. The purpose of this paper is to use ChatGPT as a research assistant in order to explore ways AI can be harnessed to enhance pedagogical practices in higher education. This is a qualitative study, in which the output-responses generated by ChatGPT provided a starting point for the investigation. AI can be harnessed to enhance pedagogical practices in higher education in various ways including personalized learning, automated assessment and feedback generation, virtual assistants and chatbots, content creation, resource recommendation, time management, language translation and support, research assistance, simulations and virtual labs. Other educational affordances that can strengthen the teaching and learning experience regard collaboration and communication, accessibility and inclusivity, as well as AI literacy. When implementing AI tools such as ChatGPT in higher education, ethical considerations (e.g., data privacy, transparency, accessibility, cultural sensitivity), potential misuses and concerns need to also be addressed. Although ChatGPT can aid the generation of content-ideas for further exploration, it is a complementary-supportive tool, and its output necessitates human evaluation and review. The integration of ChatGPT and other AI tools in the higher educational process/practices has implications for educators, students, design of curricula, and university policy makers.

An online teaching learning sequence with home experiments and simulations on relativity of motion and the equivalence principle in classical mechanics

We designed a teaching-learning sequence on relative motion in classical mechanics, based on the fundamental design principle of highlighting those conceptual elements which could be valuable in the future learning of special and general relativity In order to highlight selected key concepts and motivate students in their exploration, we used a series of experiments based on video analysis and interactive simulations, which can be modified on the fly by the students. In this study, we introduce a pilot investigation focused on testing the instructional sequence, and we provide initial outcomes regarding students’ understanding. The sequence of activities was tested with a group of 24 undergraduate students in an online laboratory course during the COVID-19 pandemic.

تعزيز الامن السيبراني من خلال اختبار الاختراق الفعال وفحص الثغرات

The number of computer network attacks today is increasing with the sophisticated attack tools and complicated methods hence, building secure systems is required. The demand for regular penetration testing and vulnerability scanning has become an urgent issue. This paper focuses on increase the security of the system resources being tested; Determine the weakness in the popular operating systems; Focus on methodologies and approaches to analyze the system for security that leads to protect the system against external threats. An experimental setup of a virtual penetration testing environment lab is created on a system using virtualization software. By using of the most powerful tools and techniques used today, a successful penetration testing and vulnerability scanning through three phases of processes are implemented. Eventually, the results of this process will help identify potential vulnerabilities in the operating systems and ways to patch them up. Keywords: Cybersecurity, penetration testing, vulnerability scanning tools.

Several genetic SNPs identified in acute appendicitis patients including the HLA-C known to be related to coeliac disease in a Genome-Wide Association Study

Acute Appendicitis (AA) is an inflammatory condition of the vermiform appendix in the caecum of the colon. Genetic polymorphisms have been suggested as risk factors predisposing to AA susceptibility but have remained relatively unknown, due to insufficient sample size in previous analyses. Therefore, the primary research aim was to identify genetic variants associated with AA. It was hypothesised that gene polymorphisms associated with AA will provide a connection to other diet-related inflammatory diseases. Genetic variants associated with AA were studied via a Genome-Wide Association Scan (GWAS) using the Global Biobank Meta-Analysis Initiative (GBMI). The GBMI is a collaborative consortium of 23 biobanks with a publicly released repository of de-identified genetic data linked with digital health records spanning 4 continents with a study population size of over 2.2 million consented individuals of multiple ancestral backgrounds1. A linear regression model was used to estimate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), across the human genome, and AA by each contributing biobank. The results were then meta-analysed with a total of 32,706 cases and 1,075,763 controls. In the present study, the free open-source Complex Traits Genetic Virtual Lab (CTG-VL) platform was used to access, analyse, and visualise the GWAS summary statistics of AA2. Genome-wide significantly associated SNPs (p-value < 5 x 10-8) were further searched for their associations with health-related traits in publicly available GWAS summary statistics. Upon analysis, significantly associated SNPs for AA were identified within or nearby nine genes. HLX, NKX2-3, LTBR, and DLEU1 are genes involved in immune responses; IRF8 associated with maturation of myeloid cells; OSR-1 responsible for transmembrane ion transporter activity; NCALD a regulator of G protein-coupled signal transduction. In addition, based on the hypothesis, the SNP of key clinical importance was the HLA-C rs2524046 (p-value = 2.38 x 10-8), with the AA risk-increasing allele C being also strongly associated with a higher risk of coeliac disease (CD). The CD is an autoimmune condition where gluten, a protein present in grains such as barley, rye, and wheat, elicits an inflammatory response that results in damage to the small intestine lining. Considering how both AA and CD share the same SNP, it is possible to speculate whether gluten initiates a similar pathophysiological mechanism that exacerbates inflammation in the vermiform appendix in AA. In conclusion, the top AA associated SNPs suggests its development could be due to immunological responses influenced by dietary nutrient intake. The HLA-C SNP is common to AA and CD, suggesting that the gluten protein found in certain cereal grains possibly contributes to the pathophysiology of AA like CD. This warrants further investigations into whether dietary gluten could play a key role in AA development.

Access Data Based Analytics and Visualization for Web-Based Online Laboratories

Access Data Based Analytics and Visualization for Web-Based Online Laboratories

Accessibility and Inclusive Public Policy Initiatives of Union Ministry of Education for Digital Higher Education in India

Digital Education is the innovative use of digital tools and technologies during teaching and learning, and is often referred to as Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) or e-Learning. It is an evolving area which is primarily concerned with the teaching learning process using digital medium. M. Bakia says that internet based education is referred to by multiple terms including online learning, e-learning, cyber learning and web based learning. It is a true that digital or online education cannot replace the existing classroom learning. But it has some advantages for effectively utilization of internet in the higher education. It has a superior potential to enrich learners current knowledge, skills, and abilities. The question is whether the digital higher education is accessible and inclusive for the learners in a vast populated, diverse and plural India. In order to address these issues, the union Ministry of Education initiated through its various major public policies such as Swayam, Swayam Prabha, National Digital Library, e-PG Pathshala, e-ShodhSindhu, e-Yantra, Virtual Labs and National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT) in order to make the digital higher education system is more accessible and more inclusive for all types of the learners in India.

Development of Virtual Reality for Optical Fiber Splicing Simulation

This study aims to determine the design and evaluation of content and media experts in the development of Virtual Reality for Optical Fiber Splicing Simulation. The research method used is Research & Development with the Multimedia Development Life Cycle (MDLC) model which consists of concept, design, material collecting, assembly, testing, and distribution stages. This Virtual Reality development uses the Unity application in making applications with the Oculus Quest 2 device. The data collection process begins with interviews with educators about the learning that takes place, and the difficulties experienced. At the testing stage, Blackbox Test, Content Expert Test: 1.00 Validity Coefficient, and Media Expert Test: 1.00 Validity Coefficient. Virtual Reality for Fiber Optic Splicing Simulation offers simulation before implementing splicing in real. By taking characteristics of life such as laboratories, educators, and fiber optic practicum tools. Virtual reality can provide situations and conditions for students to practice Optical Fiber Splicing by entering a virtual laboratory in cyberspace. The learning experience in Virtual Reality that provides a sense of immersion in a virtual environment using Full Hand Interaction that applies the Hand Tracking function in Oculus Quest 2. Based on the overall test, the development of Virtual Reality for Optical Fiber Splicing Simulation is feasible to use and distribute to target students.

Discovery Learning-Based Virtual Laboratory in Physics Education as an Effort to Enhance Students’ Scientific Attitudes

This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of using discovery-based virtual laboratories in enhancing students' scientific attitudes towards the topic of the photoelectric effect. The method employed a quasi-experimental design involving 12th-grade students at SMAN 2 Yogyakarta. The research design employed is pretest-posttest, nonequivalent multiple-group design. Subject selection was conducted through purposive sampling, resulting in experimental and control classes. The research subjects were from classes 12 MIPA 4 and 12 MIPA 5. Data were collected through questionnaires and observations of scientific attitudes. Observations during the learning process were conducted by three observers. The results of the study showed an improvement in the understanding of physics concepts and the development of scientific attitudes in the experimental group, with an average score of 89.36. The improvement in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group. These findings indicate that virtual laboratories based on discovery learning are effective in enhancing students' scientific attitudes. This finding highlights the potential of virtual laboratories in fostering scientific attitudes and assisting students in understanding modern physics, thereby stimulating their interest in the subject. The positive implications for physics education indicate that this approach can address students' challenges in learning physics conventionally

Towards a Learning Progression of Alternative Energy at School: A Literature Review

The enormous energy crisis due to the high demand for energy consumption leads to the need to incorporate Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the learning strategy to ensure energy-literate citizens. This study addressed the analysis of the current trends of alternative energy education in the school setting in terms of educational level scope, content area, and educational strategy. The data was gained from the Scopus database and the PRISMA method which includes the identification, screening, and inclusion phase was used. 15 articles were brought to the inclusion phase to be read and analyzed. The result highlighted that the educational level covered in alternative energy education mainly focused on secondary and university levels. It is found that at elementary and high school levels, there are insufficient amounts of alternative energy education happened. Most of the papers covered general alternative energy as the topic and the rest of the articles mainly focus on one type of alternative energy topic. Project-based learning was the most common educational strategy in teaching alternative energy and STEM learning comes as the second common. Pedagogical, professional development, problem-based learning, and virtual lab were also utilized to teach alternative energy

Выбор технологий и направлений снижения техногенного воздействия минеральных образований на окружающую среду

Introduction. With an increase in natural and man-made pressure, the condition of lands in the regions of Russia is deteriorating. Under the combined influence of natural and man-made processes, the soil layer of the lands that host them inevitably degrades, so the issue of minimizing the impact of these objects is relevant. Materials and methods. The possibility of minimizing the negative impact of technogenic mineral formations (TMF) on the environment under specific conditions is assessed through analysis using the method of expert assessments. The zone parameters were determined as a result of field and remote observations, laboratory experiments and mathematical modeling. Land plots located in zones of active influence of TMF were taken into account. Results. The following tasks were solved in the work: the state of the solid sediments was clarified; an analysis of the best available technologies for solid waste disposal was carried out; the lands containing solid waste were ranked according to their economic value; The degree of reduction of the negative impact of solid waste on the environment when using new technologies was assessed. Discussion. Since their creation, the structure of the land fund has changed greatly. The lands on which solid soil formations are located are most often not taken into account, i.e. it is not possible to determine the category of land and the type of permitted use. Conclusions. As a criterion for the optimality of recycling technologies, it is proposed to use the degree of negative impact of solid waste on the environment, determined as a result of ranking solid waste using fuzzy clustering. Conclusion. The proposed algorithm allows not only to determine the optimal direction for the reclamation of such lands in the absence of initial data, but also to select the most effective technologies for each direction. Suggestions for practical applications and directions for future research. The possibility of using solid waste now or in the future has been studied, and the use of an algorithm for selecting technologies to minimize or eliminate the negative impact of solid waste on the environment under similar conditions has been proposed.

VR Based Media for Three-Dimensional (3D) Visualization in Chemical Laboratory

VR (VR) is a technology created with the aim of creating a three-dimensional (3DVR) simulated environment where users can observe and interact with the contents of that environment. This research aims to develop and assess the quality of a 3D-VR-Based Virtual Lab learning media. The development of learning media in this research uses the ADDIE development model. However, in this research, it is limited only to the development stage, namely validation by media experts and feasibility testing. Based on the validation results from each media validator, covering three aspects: audiovisual, software engineering, and instructional design, good results were obtained. Therefore, 3D-VR media developed is declared valid and feasible to be tested with learners.

Development and evaluation of immersive VR laboratories of organic chemistry and physics for students education

In science education, the use of laboratory experiments has a critical role. However, experiments can cause excessive material waste, and safety issues must be taken seriously. Virtual laboratories and simulations have become a useful and effective alternative to in-person, hands-on laboratories as a result of the educational possibilities afforded by information and communication technology. With virtual reality (VR), students can depict scientific phenomena through virtual practical experiments that use computer simulation. In this work, VR-based lab simulations of physics and chemistry experiments were introduced. Chemistry lab includes 3 experiments from organic chemistry (identify aldehydes using Tollen’s test, identify ketones using the 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazine test, and identify carboxylic acids using the sodium carbonate test) and physics lab includes 2 experiments on series and parallel current, accomplished through the use of the real-time 3D graphics and pre-rendered animations. Further, to assess the usability of the developed system, 20 students were surveyed as research subjects and they filled out the SUS survey after conducting the VR experiments in Oculus Quest 2. . The average score for the VR chemistry lab simulations was 92.63%, and, the average score for the physics lab was 93.38%, indicating a high level of performance and achievement among the participants. Further, in the comparative study evaluating knowledge retention and learning experience, the experimental group (VR, N=20) outperformed the control group (traditional, N=13), indicating a more favorable learning experience. All participants from the experiment group reported that virtual labs were easy to use. Overall, findings from the Knowledge Retention survey show that interactive laboratory activities enhance students’ understanding of chemical processes and practical skills.

Evaluation the effectiveness of using media content in the educational process of sports specialties students

This paper examines the effectiveness of utilizing social media and digital platform media content in medical and biological topics for teaching students of sports specialties. The paper separately studies the transformation of teaching methodologies and tools in light of the new digital reality, specifically distance learning. The author conducts a comparative analysis of different types of media, such as videos from social media platforms, comics, infographics, and online labs. The study is conducted using a survey method, involving students from a sports-specific higher education institution. The analysis of results reveals not only a shift in students' perception of information due to the increased use of online resources in traditional instruction, but also a shift in the role of teachers from being the primary source of knowledge to a mentor guiding the learning process.

An alternative method for assessing the agreement between test results

The paper proposes a new way of assessing the agreement between measurement results during test quality assurance procedures in the laboratory. The decision-making rule is based on the measurement uncertainty. The probability, with which mathematical expectations of the measured data lie within the uncertainty of the indicator measurements, is proposed as a quantitative indicator. Such a quantitative indicator of the impact of methodological errors is proposed as the ratio of the difference between mathematical expectations of the measurement results obtained in different series of measurements to the average uncertainty of their determination, taking into account the applied decision-making rule. This indicator is based on the assumption that the measurement results are normally distributed. To simplify the process of calculating quality assurance indicators and reduce the risk of making mistakes in calculations, the “Agreement” module was created on the basis of a virtual test laboratory. The input data for the calculation of the agreement in the module are: measuring equipment, measurement results themselves (at least three for each tester), the coverage coefficient, full names of the people performing the measurements, and the coefficient of the decision-making rule.

Comparison Test Between Amrita Virtual Lab and Real Spectrometer on Refractive Index Using Blended Laboratory

Education in the 21st century is an era where learning is unconventional. Interactive learning in the 21st century can be done by conducting virtual or real laboratory activities, even by combining the two in one activity at once. Various innovations in virtual laboratories have spread to optical materials, especially refraction by using a virtual spectrometer. Conceptually, the refractive index is a measure of the bending ray of a light beam as it passes from one medium to another. The refractive index is given by measurement between the refractive index of air, the angle of the prism, and the angle of minimum deviation. The angle of the prism and the angle of minimum deviation can be measured with a spectrometer. The spectrometer is a scientific instrument used to separate and measure the spectral components of physical phenomena and can separate white light and measure individual narrow color bands. Other than an on-hand spectrometer, other tools that we can use to measure the angle of minimum deviation are by using a virtual spectrometer provided by several virtual labs. The study aimed to compare the result of refractive index between on on-hand spectrometer and a virtual lab. Here we report our study on spectrometer whether the virtual lab experiment yields the same results as the real lab. We compare both results of experimental data using data and graph analytics. The results of the study show that the difference in the index of refraction measured between the virtual lab and the real lab is about 0.2%. This shows that there is no significant difference between virtual lab and real lab.
 Keywords: amrita virtual lab, real spectrometer, refractive index, blended laboratory

Design and implementation of an interactive virtual laboratory in distance education in Argentine universities

<p>The adoption of distance education (DE) in Argentine universities has long been in practice and was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The effectiveness of online learning (OL) in such situations has contributed a lot, but it has limitations, especially in delivering practical laboratory-based education. Interactive virtual laboratories (IVLs) are being designed within the framework of this attempt in order to address these types of issues. The purpose of these virtual laboratories is to provide learners who have recently graduated from DE courses in science and engineering with the potential to get hands-on training. The layout and creation of an IVL application that attempts to recreate face-to-face laboratory experiences within an online environment is the subject of examination among the researchers of the current research. This method of HE focuses on integrating college-level teaching with real-world use to provide learners with a complete education subject to their physiological limitations. The program’s goal is to address immediate challenges and provide an architecture for Argentina’s higher education (AHE) system’s constant evolution.</p>

Phenome-wide causal associations between osteoarthritis and other complex traits through the latent causal variable analysis

BackgroundIndividuals with osteoarthritis present with comorbidities, and the potential causal associations remain incompletely elucidated. The present study undertook a large-scale investigation about the causality between osteoarthritis and variable traits, using the summary-level data of genome-wide association studies (GWAS).MethodsThe present study included the summary-level GWS data of knee osteoarthritis, hip osteoarthritis, hip or knee osteoarthritis, hand osteoarthritis, and other 1355 traits. Genetic correlation analysis was conducted between osteoarthritis and other traits through cross-trait bivariate linkage disequilibrium score regression. Subsequently, latent causal variable analysis was performed to explore the causal association when there was a significant genetic correlation. Genetic correlation and latent causal variable analysis were conducted on the Complex Traits Genomics Virtual Lab platform (https://vl.genoma.io/).ResultsWe found 133 unique phenotypes showing causal relationships with osteoarthritis. Our results confirmed several well-established risk factors of osteoarthritis, such as obesity, weight, BMI, and meniscus derangement. Additionally, our findings suggested putative causal links between osteoarthritis and multiple factors. Socioeconomic determinants such as occupational exposure to dust and diesel exhaust, extended work hours exceeding 40 per week, and unemployment status were implicated. Furthermore, our analysis revealed causal associations with cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, including heart failure, deep venous thrombosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and elevated cholesterol levels. Soft tissue and musculoskeletal disorders, such as hallux valgus, internal derangement of the knee, and spondylitis, were also identified to be causally related to osteoarthritis. The study also identified the putative causal associations of osteoarthritis with digestive and respiratory diseases, such as Barrett’s esophagus, esophagitis, and asthma, as well as psychiatric conditions including panic attacks and manic or hyperactive episodes. Additionally, we observed osteoarthritis causally related to pharmacological treatments, such as the use of antihypertensive medications, anti-asthmatic drugs, and antidepressants.ConclusionOur study uncovered a wide range of traits causally associated with osteoarthritis. Further studies are needed to validate and illustrate the detailed mechanism of those causal associations.

A Study of Artificial Intelligence-Driven Change in Higher Education in the Age of Digital Intelligence

The arrival of the age of digital intelligence signifies the increasingly important role of artificial intelligence (AI) in driving change in higher education. The incorporation of AI technology improves the efficiency of teaching and learning and facilitates fundamental changes in the mode, content, and management of education. This paper discusses the application of AI in personalized learning path design, intelligent tutoring systems, virtual labs, and course content development, and analyzes the challenges and countermeasures of technology access and equality, data privacy and security, education quality and AI dependency, and resistance to changing the traditional education system.