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Gamification is an increasingly popular strategy to foster engagement in education. This paper reflects on digital escape rooms in the learning environment and their alignment with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Four digital escape rooms based on different anatomy and physiology themes were developed as revision exercises for a first-year biomedical engineering class. Students selforganized into small groups and completed the activities. Results from feedback surveys revealed positive student experiences, with 91% finding the activity engaging and 86% indicating its positive impact on learning. 82% of students said that the digital escape room helped create a sense of community in the class. Students commented on the development of collaborative skills, quick thinking, and coping mechanisms under pressure. Discussion centres on the alignment of digital escape rooms with UDL principles, addressing multiple means of engagement, representation, and action & expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between learning in the arts and students' critical thinking disposition, few studies have investigated the influence of an interdisciplinary art-related teaching approach and its correlation with academic student behavior confidence in anatomy and physiology (A&P). Therefore, this study aims to demonstrate the impact of an interdisciplinary approach - reading, discussion, and drawing on students' academic confidence in undergraduate A&P. The investigation utilized a self-reported pre- and post-survey design to explore the change in confidence in A&P between course entry and exit. Sixty undergraduate students completed surveys while taking an elective course called Medical Literature, Anatomy, and the Arts, at a public state university in Southwest Florida. Results indicate a statistically significant difference in student-reported confidence levels in knowledge and experience of A&P. Additionally, the students' perceptions of the course were positive, citing more engagement and better support from peers and instructor as a result of this interdisciplinary approach. These outcomes suggest that teaching undergraduate students in A&P using medical arts enhances student academic confidence. This study provides encouraging support to existing scholarly work on higher education course design and instructional methods relative to improving student confidence and class engagement in A&P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruggero Oddi was a talented scientist who initiated the modern era of biliary system physiology, not only with the anatomical discovery of the hepatopancreatic sphincter, but also with the detailed description of its spinal center and nerve regulation. However, his personal and scientific life were determined by an incredible series of unfortunate circumstances. Until now most of these events have been unknown, while the few known have produced biographies distorted by fake interpretations. The purpose of this article is to document Oddi's biography and scientific production in detail, comprehensively framing the scientific environment in which his discoveries occurred. It clears many misinterpretations about events in Oddi's life and academic career, bringing to a new light his figure as scientist in gastroenterological field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at greater risk of permanent hearing loss compared to infants in well mother and baby units. Several factors have been associated with this increased prevalence of hearing loss, including congenital infections (e.g. cytomegalovirus or syphilis), ototoxic drugs (such as aminoglycoside or glycopeptide antibiotics), low birth weight, hypoxia and length of stay. The aetiology of this increased prevalence of hearing loss remains poorly understood. Design: Here we review current practice and discuss the feasibility of designing improved ototoxicity screening and monitoring protocols to better identify acquired, druginduced hearing loss in NICU neonates. Study sample: A review of published literature. Conclusions: We conclude that current audiological screening or monitoring protocols for neonates are not designed to adequately detect early onset of ototoxicity. This paper offers a detailed review of evidence-based research, and offers recommendations for developing and implementing an ototoxicity monitoring protocol for young infants, before and after discharge from the hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the literature surrounding force-related tissue damage (other terminology for this includes: pressure injury, pressure ulcer, decubitus ulcer) and explains the latest research behind the current understanding of the science beneath the skin; including up-to-date knowledge of the anatomy, physiology and physics that interplay within tissue when force-related tissue damage occurs. The role of force, tissue, the body's adaptation system and pathology are all explained in order to increase our understanding of the often preventable events that happen before tissue damage occurs. The article challenges the reader to consider the science of tissue damage in greater depth in order to find solutions to this distressing and costly problem. It is hoped that expanding and explaining the biology behind force-related tissue damage will stimulate discussion, research and ultimately the development of solutions that will allow the body to adapt rather than disrupt when it experiences forces that could cause damage to its structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To create and implement meaningful tasks that go beyond the cognitive processes of understanding and that integrate all three dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is challenging for both educators and curriculum makers. This issue is compounded when considering a content-rich biology course such as anatomy and physiology that requires first familiarity and understanding before engagement in higher-order thinking. The use of crime scene investigations that encourages students to examine evidence even as they learn specific biology concepts can encourage meaning making about scientific practices and science content. This paper deconstructs the implementation of a crime scene investigation titled the “Jewel Heist,” created by the New York Hall of Science and implemented in twelfth-grade anatomy and physiology classes in a diverse urban high school in the northeastern United States. The NGSS, the Framework for K-12 Science Education, along with Bloom’s taxonomy and Krathwohl’s revisions, are implicated in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human Anatomy and Physiology courses are “gateway” courses that students must pass with high grades in order to proceed through their program of study. However, student pass rates are often low, resulting in students attempting the course multiple times and delaying their graduation. Supplemental instruction performed by peer leaders is one mechanism that has been used to increase student success. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of peer-led supplemental instruction by comparing predicted and actual course grades. We learned that students predicted to earn a C achieved higher grades when they utilized supplemental instruction. While those students performed better than predicted, supplemental instruction did not improve ABC rates for the class. We conclude that supplemental instruction can be of benefit for some students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there has been a recent focus on developing programs to support educational research by community college anatomy and physiology instructors, there is not yet an established long-term community of practice (CoPs) in this particular area. Studies of long-term CoPs, particularly in STEM education, are few and far between. This study examines College in the Schools (CIS), a long-term community of practice for high school anatomy and physiology (A&P) educators in Minnesota and Wisconsin. In addition, this study highlights the factors that attract high school A&P teachers to CIS and the possibility of creating a similar CoP for community college (CC) A&P instructors focused on educational research. It was discovered that despite their varying reasons for joining, members of CIS and CC instructors tend to participate in CoPs similarly. As a result, A&P instructors from CC who are interested in educational research could benefit from a CoP structure similar to CIS over a longer period of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The current study aimed to determine perceptions of registered and student nurses regarding the integration of anatomy and physiology into nursing practice. Methods: This scoping review was conducted following the checklist provided in the Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for scoping reviews. Articles published in PubMed, ERIC, and CINAL from January 1, 2002 to September 30, 2022 were included. Results: A literature review of 20 articles that matched the indicative criteria revealed that both undergraduate student and registered nurses recognized knowledge of anatomy and physiology as important to nursing practice. Student nurses recognized that such knowledge is related to understanding patient pathophysiology, patient observation, treatment selection, and patient safety and forms the basis for nursing practice. Registered nurses who were confident in their knowledge of anatomy and physiology also reported that they were able to explain the rationale for their nursing practice. They also reported that this knowledge is necessary for communication with multiple professions, which promotes patient/family trust in nurses and is the basis for building trusting relationships with patients and their families. Conclusions: Although undergraduate student and registered nurses recognized the importance of learning anatomy and physiology, the integration of anatomy and physiology into nursing practice was not the same for all student and registered nurses. This suggests the need to investigate the overall perceptions of nurses regarding the integration of anatomy and physiology into nursing practice and for faculty to discuss how to facilitate critical thinking among students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a review of literature regarding the role of embryological connective tissue in the formation of muscles and the organization of the musculoskeletal system. The intention is to introduce a potential paradigm shift with regards to understanding peripheral coordination of movement and movement patterns. This new perspective could improve comprehension of the normal physiological function of connective tissue and, whenever it is pathological, resultant symptoms. Furthermore, this paper briefly discusses some implications of this paradigm shift in the interpretation of movement patterns, posing further questions for future research.

Misalignments in teaching pedagogies between secondary schools and tertiary institutions have exacerbated educational disparities among students from different backgrounds. Given the variation in students' educational background and competencies, there was a need to develop an Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) Foundational Knowledge Assessment to establish the levels of preparedness of first-year medical students. Previous work that focused on the development of the assessment showed it to be effective in measuring students' foundational knowledge in human anatomy and physiology. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the A&P Foundational Knowledge Assessment in determining students' prior knowledge and predicting academic performance of first-year students in their anatomy and physiology studies. Three hundred seventy first-year students, across two cohort years, 2017 and 2018, completed the A&P Foundational Knowledge Assessment. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and Pearson's correlation. Results show that for both cohorts ~30% of students scored ≤55% and were potentially at risk of performing poorly in their anatomy and physiology studies. Pearson's correlation showed a significant relationship between students' performance on the foundational knowledge assessment and their anatomy and physiology assessments. For both cohorts, >10% of students identified by the A&P Foundational Knowledge Assessment were at risk of either failing the course, entering an extended degree program, or being excluded from the program. Results indicate that the assessment is a good predictor for differentiating medical students' performance in first-year anatomy and physiology. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The development of a foundational knowledge assessment tool to predict academic performance of medical students in first-year anatomy and physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most challenging aspects of teaching anatomy and physiology is using teaching tools that enhance active learning and keep students actively engaged during the lecture courses. This study explored the use of a student response system that was easy to use, cost-efficient, and re-usable for multiple anatomy and physiology courses. More specifically, the impact of i>clickers on student performance in anatomy and physiology courses was investigated by comparing exam scores before and after the introduction of i>clickers. This study showed that the use of i>clickers during the lecture courses increased student engagement and improved the performance of students on the lecture exams covering the respiratory, digestive, urinary, reproductive, lymphatic, and immune systems. The overall performance of students in the anatomy and physiology lecture courses had also a tendency to increase. Furthermore, student feedback regarding i>clicker use was highly positive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) courses in undergraduate nursing programs are often considered challenging for students. Typically, a wide variety of teaching strategies, including dissection, experiments, illustrations and photographs are used to engage students. This study aimed to explore and describe the learning experiences of an open creative assessment task on undergraduate nursing students of learning A&P. A total of eight students participated in semi-structured interviews. Two major themes emerged from the data, this included 'Bringing A&P to life' which included two sub-themes of 'Learning through peer teaching' and 'An easy way to learn', with the second major theme, 'Custom made learning' which included four sub-themes, 'To grade or not to grade', 'Catering for different learning styles', 'Logistics of group work', and 'Effect of group dynamics'. This qualitative exploratory study contributes to further pedagogical insights into art and/or creative approaches to teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a traditional anatomy and physiology lab, the general senses - temperature, pain, touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception - and the special senses - olfaction (smell), vision, gustation (taste), hearing, and equilibrium - are typically taught in isolation. In reality, information derived from these individual senses interacts to produce the complex sensory experience that constitutes perception. To introduce students to the concept of multisensory integration, a crossmodal perception lab was developed. In this lab, students explore how vision impacts olfaction and how vision and olfaction interact to impact flavor perception. Students are required to perform a series of multisensory tasks that focus on the interaction of multiple sensory inputs and their impact on flavor and scent perception. Additionally, students develop their own hypothesis as to which sensory modalities they believe will best assist them in correctly identifying the flavor of a candy: taste alone, taste paired with scent, or taste paired with vision. Together these experiments give students an appreciation for multisensory integration while also encouraging them to actively engage in the scientific method. They are then asked to hypothesize the possible outcome of one last experiment after collecting and assessing data from the prior tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D printing is a widely used technology in a number of STEM fields and can be incorporated into undergraduate education in order to engage students in active learning. Using the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, this study examined student perceptions of completing 3D printing of a physical model in two different Biology courses, Anatomy and Physiology and Molecular Biology. Students completed surveys before and after engaging in a semester-long 3D printing project. Demographic information was also collected in order to assess student perceptions based on race and sex. Students reported increased confidence with 3D printing technology after completing their projects, and this effect occurred similarly across race and sex. Student attitudes towards their 3D printing experience were overwhelmingly positive, with general interest and excitement being the most common themes. These results suggest that 3D printing projects can be successfully implemented in undergraduate courses and generate positive student outcomes. Engaging women and underrepresented minority students with 3D printing technology may have significant implications for retention of these students in STEM programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign bodies penetrating deep into the wound at the time of tissue damage can cause chronic inflammatory responses that delay healing and can sometimes lead to the formation of granuloma or abscess. In general, a product intended for the treatment of gunshot wounds must be hypoallergenic, non-toxic and biocompatible; be able to prevent microbial contamination, to enable the gas exchange and exudate evacuation; to be flexible and adaptable to body contours; to be able to deliver, with the appropriate kinetics, important therapeutic compounds for the healing process and to be adherent. The researches were focused on performing of coupled simulations of the human body anatomy, analyse of the impact of the military weapons with different ballistic performances against human body, mathematical modeling of the electrospinning process and definition of the textile mesh parameters. The design of the technological process for obtaining the textile structures used in particular case, was performed, with the help of a dedicated software, the simulation of the main areas of interest of the human anatomy, respectively: the circulatory, bone and muscular system. The results of the simulations enabled the description of the phenomena that take place on the human body subject to the action of the 5.45 x 39 mm infantry armament at subsonic speeds and the mathematical model allowed the prediction of the control of the mesh permeability and of the neo tissue cellular growth and proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Men and women differ in their susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, though the underlying mechanism has remained elusive. Heart disease symptoms, evolution and response to treatment are often sex-specific. This has been studied in animal models of hypertension or myocardial infarction in the past but has received less attention in the context of heart valve regurgitation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the development of cardiac hypertrophy (CH) in response to left ventricle (LV) volume overload (VO) caused by chronic aortic valve regurgitation (AR) in male and female rats treated or not with angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), valsartan. We studied eight groups of Wistar rats: male or female, AR or sham-operated (sham) and treated or not with valsartan (30 mg/kg/day) for 9 weeks starting one week before AR surgical induction. Results. As expected, VO from AR resulted for both male and female rats in significant LV dilation (39% vs. 40% end-diastolic LV diameter increase, respectively; p<0:0001) and CH (53% vs. 64% heart weight increase, respectively; p < 0:0001) compared to sham. Sex differences were observed in LV wall thickening in response to VO. In untreated AR males, relative LV wall thickness (a ratio of wall thickness to end-diastolic diameter) was reduced compared to sham, whereas this ratio in females remained unchanged. ARB treatment did not prevent LV dilation in both male and female animals but reversed LV wall thickening in females. Systolic and diastolic functions in AR animals were altered similarly for both sexes. ARB treatment did not improve systolic function but helped normalizing diastolic parameters such as left atrial mass and E wave slope in female AR rats. Increased LV gene expression of Anp and Bnp was normalized by ARB treatment in AR females but not in males. Other hypertrophy gene markers (Fos, Trpc6, Klf15, Myh6 and Myh7) were not modulated by ARB treatment. The same was true for genes related to LV extracellular matrix remodeling (Col1a1, Col3a1, Fn1, Mmp2, Timp1 and Lox). In summary, ARB treatment of rats with severe AR blocked the female-specific hypertrophic response characterized by LV chamber wall thickening. LV dilation, on the other hand, was not significantly decreased by ARB treatment. This also indicates that activation of the angiotensin II receptor is probably more involved in the early steps of LV remodeling caused by AR in females than in males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Objective: The main goal of asthma treatment is to achieve and maintain clinical control of the disease. The exhaled fraction nitric oxide (FeNO) level is a biomarker of T-helper cell type 2 (Th2) inflammation of the airways. Our objective was to determine whether the FeNO level can be used to discriminate between patients with controlled, partially controlled, and uncontrolled asthma. Materials and Methods: The FeNO level and asthma control were evaluated in a retrospective and analytic cross-sectional study through data collected from asthmatic patients who were assessed by clinical history, asthma control, physical examination, spirometry, and FeNO level. Asthma control was determined by the criteria of the Global Initiative for Asthma and classified as controlled asthma, partially controlled asthma, and uncontrolled asthma. The FeNO values were classified as low (<25 ppb) or intermediate/high (⩾25 ppb) based on the American Thoracic Society recommendations. Results: The symptoms of 81 asthmatic patients were classified as controlled (34 [42%] patients), partially controlled (27 [33.3%] patients), and uncontrolled (20 [24.7%] patients). The FeNO level discriminated between the uncontrolled and controlled groups (P =.01) and between the uncontrolled and partially controlled groups (P =.01), but not between the controlled and partially controlled groups (P =.98). An FeNO level >30 ppb was associated with uncontrolled asthma (P =.0001) with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.78 (95% confidence interval = 0.65-0.89). Conclusions: FeNO level could be helpful in determining asthma control as >30 ppb was associated with uncontrolled asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preterm infants are at risk for a broad spectrum of neurobehavioral disabilities associated with diffuse disturbances in cortical growth and development. During brain development, subplate neurons (SPNs) are a largely transient population that serves a critical role to establish functional cortical circuits. By dynamically integrating into developing cortical circuits, they assist in consolidation of intracortical and extracortical circuits. Although SPNs reside in close proximity to cerebral white matter, which is particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress, the susceptibility of SPNs remains controversial. We determined SPN responses to two common insults to the preterm brain: hypoxia-ischemia and hypoxia. We used a preterm fetal sheep model using both sexes that reproduces the spectrum of human cerebral injury and abnormal cortical growth. Unlike oligodendrocyte progenitors, SPNs displayed pronounced resistance to early or delayed cell death from hypoxia or hypoxia-ischemia. We thus explored an alternative hypothesis that these insults alter the maturational trajectory of SPNs. We used DiOlistic labeling to visualize the dendrites of SPNs selectively labeled for complexin-3. SPNs displayed reduced basal dendritic arbor complexity that was accompanied by chronic disturbances in SPN excitability and synaptic activity. SPN dysmaturation was significantly associated with the level of fetal hypoxemia and metabolic stress. Hence, despite the resistance of SPNs to insults that trigger white matter injury, transient hypoxemia disrupted SPN arborization and functional maturation during a critical window in cortical development. Strategies directed at limiting the duration or severity of hypoxemia during brain development may mitigate disturbances in cerebral growth and maturation related to SPN dysmaturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An online survey was distributed to first-year pharmacy students in Trinidad and Tobago, to evaluate their experiences using adaptive learning technology in the form of a SmartBook® for an Anatomy and Physiology course. Fifty percent of the students sampled completed the survey. Respondents reported spending approximately five hours per week using the SmartBook®; accessing the platform primarily via laptops. Seventy-four percent of students found the software easy to navigate and identified the e-book as the most commonly used feature out of the seven features that were available. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the SmartBook® supported learning, and provided positive learning experiences in Anatomy and Physiology for first-year B.Sc. Pharmacy students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research indicates that student learning of science, student attitudes toward science, and their motivation to learn science and pursue science-related careers is related to classroom instruction. This study examined anatomy and physiology (A&P) classes in a south Texas high school where 97 percent of students are Hispanic bilingual learners. Classes were assigned to control or treatment groups, with the treatment group receiving instruction designed to help students develop a deeper understanding of anatomy vocabulary related to brain structures by making connections to these words in everyday life as well as to their understanding of Spanish. Main effects between group and test scores were significant, with the control group reporting higher test scores than the treatment group. We attribute this finding to a bleed-over of the treatment group instructional design to the control group. In addition, significant differences in mean and median scores were observed with respect to intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy. The statistically significant increases in learning for both groups suggests the activity-, problem-, and project-based (APB) curriculum has the potential to be an effective type of instruction, especially for bilingual learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:The aims of the present study were to determine the effects of language background on the performance of the pitch pattern sequence test (PPST) and duration pattern sequence test (DPST). As temporal order sequencing may be affected by age and working memory, these factors were also studied.Design:Performance of tonal and non-tonal language speakers on PPST and DPST were compared.Study sample:Twenty-eight native Mandarin (tonal language) speakers and twenty-nine native Malay (non-tonal language) speakers between seven to nine years old participated in this study.Results:The results revealed that relative to native Malay speakers, native Mandarin speakers demonstrated better scores on the PPST in both humming and verbal labeling responses. However, a similar language effect was not apparent in the DPST. An age effect was only significant in the PPST (verbal labeling). Finally, no significant effect of working memory was found on the PPST and the DPST.Conclusion:These findings suggest that the PPST is affected by tonal language background, and highlight the importance of developing different normative values for tonal and non-tonal language speakers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The testing effect shows that learning is enhanced by the act of recalling information after exposure. Although the testing effect is among the most robust findings in cognitive science, much of its empirical support is from laboratory studies and it has been applied as a strategy for enhancing learning in the classroom in a limited fashion. The purpose of this investigation was to replicate the testing effect in a university anatomy and physiology course and to extend the applicability of it to independent student study. Students repeatedly studied three sets of passages that described structures and concepts pertaining to (1) cardiac electrophysiology, (2) ventilation and (3) endocrinology. Each student was randomly assigned to study one of those three passage sets by reading it three consecutive times (R-R-R), another by reading and then rereading it while taking notes (R-R + N) and the third by reading it, recalling as much as possible (i.e., self-testing) and then rereading it (R-T-R). Retention assessed after 1 week was significantly greater following R-T-R (53.95 ± 1.72) compared to R-R-R (48.04 ± 1.83) and R-R + N (48.31 ± 1.78). Evidence is also presented that suggests students benefited from instructions to self-test when preparing for exams on their own. The testing effect, then, can be generalized to real-life settings such as university anatomy and physiology courses and to independent study situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]