In nursing, bioscience is regarded as one of the cornerstones of nursing practice. However, bioscience disciplines as anatomy, physiology and biochemistry are considered challenging for students and the failure rate is high. In this study we explore a blended learning teaching strategy in an anatomy, physiology and biochemistry course for first year Bachelor nursing students. In the blended learning teaching strategy, short narrated online digital resources of bioscientific terms and concepts were integrated into the teaching design along with digital metacognitive evaluations of learning outcomes. Results show that compared to students receiving traditional face-to-face teaching, the students with a blended learning approach performed better on their national exam with a small to medium effect size (Cohen's d=0.23). Student course evaluations supported the blended learning delivery with small to medium effect sizes. The students reported that the digital resources supported their learning outcome achievement, that they better understood the teacher's expectations and that they were more satisfied with their virtual learning environment. This study adds to the growing literature of blended learning effectiveness in higher education, and suggests the use of digital resources as an enrichment of teaching and enhancement of students' study experience.

Training through simulation has shown to increase relevant and specific skills sets across a wide range of areas in nursing and related professions. Increasing skills has a reciprocal relation to the development of self-efficacy. A study was conducted to assess changes in the development of self-efficacy in simulation training for 2nd year nursing students. Initial emotional states, pre and post self-efficacy, and expert ratings of simulation performance were assessed. Results show that students who displayed an increase in self-efficacy as a result of simulation training were also judged to perform better by expert ratings. The effect of simulation on self-efficacy could be influenced by initial states of physiological activation and over control. Results also showed that initial emotional states did not moderate self-efficacy development on outcome measures. These findings improve our understanding on the relationship between students’ self-efficacy and performance of practical skills and inform pedagogical designs and targeted interventions in relation to feedback and supervision in nursing education.

Ciliates use phagocytosis to acquire edible particles. The polymorphic ciliate Tetrahymena vorax appears in two forms (`microstomes' and`macrostomes'). Transformation of microstomes into macrostomes takes place in the presence of the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila and enables the macrostome to phagocytose the latter species. The non-specific, constitutive phagocytosis in microstomes thereby changes into a specific inducible process in macrostomes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the phagocytotic process in macrostomes is specifically aimed at catching T. thermophila. The two forms of phagocytosis represent an interesting model system for studying the mechanism whereby phagosomes are formed. The macrostomal form capture deciliated and ciliated Tetrahymena thermophila, latex beads with diameters of 20.3 and 30.0 μm and small microstomal cells. However, the macrostomes select T. thermophila as a prey when they have the opportunity to choose between deciliated T. thermophila and latex beads and between T. thermophila and microstomes. The non-selective formation of phagosomes seen in microstomes changes to a highly selective process during the transformation to macrostomes. Unlike microstomes, macrostomes do not form a closed vacuole after capturing a latex bead, indicating that mechanical stimulation by the prey does not in itself trigger phagocytosis in the macrostomal form of T. vorax. Although macrostomes captured T. thermophila in preference to microstomes, phagocytosis of microstomes started immediately following capture, indicating that the substance/molecule that triggers the formation of the phagosome is not specific for T. thermophilacells. After capturing a T. thermophila cell, the macrostomal cell, which normally swims in a forward direction, reverses direction and swims backwards for a short time before starting to rotate. Macrostomal cells did not change their swimming pattern after capturing a latex bead. We believe, therefore,that backward swimming is more likely to be related to signals resulting from phagocytosis than from mechanical stimulation of the pouch. Cytochalasin B (10 μg ml^-1) inhibits phagocytosis in both microstomes and macrostomes, indicating that actin filaments play an active role in phagocytosis in both cell types. The antitubulin drug nocodazole(0.3-30 μmol l^-1) inhibits the formation of more than one phagosome in the macrostome, indicating that membrane transport to the oral apparatus in macrostomes is guided by microtubules. Nocodazole has no effect on the process of phagocytosis in microstomes.

The aim of this study was to explore bachelor-level nursing students' experiences with concept cartoons as an active learning strategy and formative assessment to develop conceptual understanding in anatomy and physiology (A&P). Many first-year nursing students struggle to understand central concepts in A&P. Concept cartoons-cartoon characters proposing scientifically acceptable statements and misconceptions combined with an illustration-might facilitate active learning in lectures, overcome misconceptions and promote deep learning. Voting on the most precise statement using a student response system gives formative information about the students' conceptual understanding. Parallel mixed methods design with an emphasis on a qualitative approach. Nine concept cartoons were developed based on former students' written answers to exam items and applied in lectures at three universities/university colleges. Qualitative data of students' experiences were collected in three focus group interviews during November 2019, one focus group at each of the three universities/university colleges (n = 5, 8 and 8). A short questionnaire was also applied (n = 343) to all students at the three universities/university colleges. Qualitative data were analysed using qualitative content analyses, whereas frequency analysis and Chi-square statistics were applied for the quantitative data. The study was approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data, ref. 779586. Qualitative data analysis indicated that the use of concept cartoons addresses different learning styles and could promote deep learning and enhance the environment for learning. The concept cartoons were also seen as valuable for examination preparation. Regarding potential improvements, more information about concept cartoons, how they were developed and how they were supposed to be used would be beneficial, and the cartoons could be used in a more time-efficient manner during lectures. Quantitative data indicated that most of the students thought that concept cartoons were useful and inspiring in learning A&P, and they would recommend further use to increase their understanding of central concepts. There were no significant differences across sex, age, or entrance qualifications when it comes to the benefits of using concept cartoons in learning A&P. Compared to students born in Scandinavia, a larger proportion of students born outside Scandinavia found the use of concept cartoons inspiring for their learning in A&P. The use of concept cartoons was appreciated by the students to develop a conceptual understanding in A&P. Most students recommended future use. At point of submission put this on title page Tweetable Concept cartoons are appreciated as an active learning strategy and formative assessment in developing nursing students' conceptual understanding of anatomy and physiology.

SUMMARY Ciliates feed by phagocytosis. Some ciliate species, such as Tetrahymena vorax, are polymorphic, a strategy that provides more flexible food utilization. Cells of the microstomal morph of T. vorax feed on bacteria, organic particles and organic solutes in a non-selective manner, whereas macrostome cells are predators that consume specific prey ciliates. In the present study, we investigated a possible correlation between phagocytosis and mechanosensitivity in macrostome T. vorax. Microstome cells seem to be insensitive to mechanical stimulation whereas macrostome cells depolarise in response to mechanical stimulation of the anterior part of the cell. The amplitude of the receptor potential induced by either a prey ciliate or a 5 μm push by a glass needle was sufficient to elicit a regenerative Ca²⁺ spike. The difference in mechanosensitivity of the two forms correlates with the swimming behaviour when hitting an obstacle; microstome cells swim alongside the obstacle whereas macrostome cells swim backwards, turn and resume forward swimming. Macrostome cells prevented from backward swimming and the subsequent turn failed to capture prey cells in their pouch. Macrostome cells consumed heterospecific prey ciliates preferentially over conspecific microstome cells. This selectivity is not due to electrical membrane responses elicited by physical contact. Both microstome and macrostome cells accumulated in an area containing putative substances released from heterospecific prey ciliates, but the substances did not elicit any electrophysiological membrane responses. We conclude that the mechanosensitivity of macrostome cells is associated with the prey-capture behaviour, whereas the selective phagocytosis is probably due to chemo-attraction to heterospecific prey ciliates.

SUMMARY The swimming behaviour of ciliates is mainly determined by membrane potential and transmembrane fluxes. In a chemical gradient, swimming ciliates may approach or move away from the source. Based on experiments on Paramecium, it is generally assumed that chemical attractants and repellents affect the swimming behaviour of ciliates by specific changes in the membrane potential. We have examined whether there is a causal relationship between membrane potential and chemo-accumulation in the microstome form of the polymorphic ciliate Tetrahymena vorax. Effects of chemo-attractants on the membrane potential of Tetrahymena have not been previously reported. Microstome T. vorax cells aggregated close to a point source of l-cysteine and the complex meat hydrolysate proteose peptone. Chemo-accumulated cells displayed a significantly higher turning frequency than control cells at a similar cell density. A concentration of 20 mmol l–1l-cysteine did not evoke any detectable change in the membrane potential whereas 1% proteose peptone depolarised the cells by ∼12 mV. This is contrary to the current model, which predicts agents that induce a moderate depolarisation to be repellents. A solution of 1% proteose peptone contains 21 mmol–1 Na+. A solution of 21 mmol–1 NaCl without organic compounds also caused ∼12 mV depolarisation but had no aggregating effect on the cells. Collectively, the electrophysiological and behavioural data indicate that chemo-accumulation in the microstome form of T. vorax is not governed obligatorily by the membrane potential. We thus suggest that the simple membrane potential model for chemokinesis in Paramecium may not be valid for T. vorax.