Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31271154›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2019

Development of In-Browser Simulators for Medical Education: Introduction of a Novel Software Toolchain.

Jan Šilar, David Polák, Arnošt Mládek, Filip Ježek, Theodore W Kurtz, Stephen E DiCarlo, Jan Živný, Jiri Kofranek

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Jan ŠilarInstitute of Pathological Physiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0002-2469-5092
David PolákInstitute of Pathological Physiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0002-2599-2320
Arnošt MládekInstitute of Pathological Physiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0003-0519-7351
Filip JežekInstitute of Pathological Physiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0003-0629-7389
Theodore W KurtzDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States.ORCID 0000-0003-0436-5456
Stephen E DiCarloDepartment of Physiology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-5357-2120
Jan ŽivnýInstitute of Pathological Physiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0002-1811-8977
Jiri Kofranek *Institute of Pathological Physiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0002-1183-2748

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSimulators used in teaching are interactive applications comprising a mathematical model of the system under study and a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows the user to control the model inputs and visualize the model results in an intuitive and educational way. Well-designed simulators promote active learning, enhance problem-solving skills, and encourage collaboration and small group discussion. However, creating simulators for teaching purposes is a challenging process that requires many contributors including educators, modelers, graphic designers, and programmers. The availability of a toolchain of user-friendly software tools for building simulators can facilitate this complex task.

objectiveThis paper aimed to describe an open-source software toolchain termed Bodylight.js that facilitates the creation of browser-based client-side simulators for teaching purposes, which are platform independent, do not require any installation, and can work offline. The toolchain interconnects state-of-the-art modeling tools with current Web technologies and is designed to be resilient to future changes in the software ecosystem.

methodsWe used several open-source Web technologies, namely, WebAssembly and JavaScript, combined with the power of the Modelica modeling language and deployed them on the internet with interactive animations built using Adobe Animate.

resultsModels are implemented in the Modelica language using either OpenModelica or Dassault Systèmes Dymola and exported to a standardized Functional Mock-up Unit (FMU) to ensure future compatibility. The C code from the FMU is further compiled to WebAssembly using Emscripten. Industry-standard Adobe Animate is used to create interactive animations. A new tool called Bodylight.js Composer was developed for the toolchain that enables one to create the final simulator by composing the GUI using animations, plots, and control elements in a drag-and-drop style and binding them to the model variables. The resulting simulators are stand-alone HyperText Markup Language files including JavaScript and WebAssembly. Several simulators for physiology education were created using the Bodylight.js toolchain and have been received with general acclaim by teachers and students alike, thus validating our approach. The Nephron, Circulation, and Pressure-Volume Loop simulators are presented in this paper. Bodylight.js is licensed under General Public License 3.0 and is free for anyone to use.

conclusionsBodylight.js enables us to effectively develop teaching simulators. Armed with this technology, we intend to focus on the development of new simulators and interactive textbooks for medical education. Bodylight.js usage is not limited to developing simulators for medical education and can facilitate the development of simulators for teaching complex topics in a variety of different fields.

Indexed as

User-Computer InterfaceEducation, MedicalHumansInternetSoftwarecomputer simulationeducationmodelingphysiologyWeb browserWeb technologies

Identifiers

PMID31271154
PMCPMC6786851

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.