Texas A&M University

About: Texas A&M University is a education organization based out in College Station, Texas, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Gene. The organization has 72169 authors who have published 164372 publications receiving 5764236 citations.

Motor skill learning and performance: a review of influential factors.

Abstract: Objectives Findings from the contemporary psychological and movement science literature that appear to have implications for medical training are reviewed. Specifically, the review focuses on four factors that have been shown to enhance the learning of motor skills: observational practice; the learner’s focus of attention; feedback, and self-controlled practice. Observational Practice Observation of others, particularly when it is combined with physical practice, can make important contributions to learning. This includes dyad practice (i.e. practice in pairs), which is not only cost-effective, but can also enhance learning. Focus of Attention Studies examining the role of the performer’s focus of attention have consistently demonstrated that instructions inducing an external focus (directed at the movement effect) are more effective than those promoting an internal focus (directed at the performer’s body movements). An external focus facilitates automaticity in motor control and promotes movement efficiency. Feedback Feedback not only has an informational function, but also has motivational properties that have an important influence on learning. For example, feedback after successful trials and social-comparative (normative) feedback indicating better than average performance have been shown to have a beneficial effect on learning. Self-Controlled Practice Self-controlled practice, including feedback and model demonstrations controlled by the learner, has been found to be more effective than externally controlled practice conditions. Conclusions All factors reviewed in this article appear to have both informational and motivational influences on learning. The findings seem to reflect general learning principles and are assumed to have relatively broad applicability. Therefore, the consideration of these factors in designing procedures for medical training has the potential to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of training. Medical Education 2010: 44: 75–84

Matthews coefficient probabilities: Improved estimates for unit cell contents of proteins, DNA, and protein–nucleic acid complex crystals

Abstract: Estimating the number of molecules in the crystallographic asymmetric unit is one of the first steps in a macromolecular structure determination. Based on a survey of 15,641 crystallographic Protein Data Bank (PDB) entries the distribution of VM, the crystal volume per unit of protein molecular weight, known as Matthews coefficient, has been reanalyzed. The range of values and frequencies has changed in the 30 years since Matthews first analysis of protein crystal solvent content. In the statistical analysis, complexes of proteins and nucleic acids have been treated as a separate group. In addition, the VM distribution for nucleic acid crystals has been examined for the first time. Observing that resolution is a significant discriminator of VM, an improved estimator for the probabilities of the number of molecules in the crystallographic asymmetric unit has been implemented, using resolution as additional information.