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The way medical students learn anatomy is constantly evolving. Nowadays, technologies such as tablets support established learning methods like drawing. In this study, the effect of drawing on a tablet on medical students' anatomy learning was investigated compared to drawing or summarizing on paper. The quality of drawings or summaries was assessed as a measure of the quality of strategy implementation. Learning outcome was measured with an anatomy test, both immediately afterward and after 4-6 weeks to assess its sustainability. There were no significant group differences in learning outcome at both measurement points. For all groups, there was a significant medium strength correlation between the quality of the drawings or summaries and the learning outcome (p < 0.05). Further analysis revealed that the quality of strategy implementation moderated outcomes in the delayed test: When poorly implemented, drawing on a tablet (M = 48.81) was associated with lower learning outcome than drawing on paper (M = 58.95); The latter (M = 58.89) was related to higher learning outcome than writing summaries (M = 45.59). In case of high-quality strategy implementation, drawing on a tablet (M = 60.98) outperformed drawing on paper (M = 52.67), which in turn was outperformed by writing summaries (M = 62.62). To conclude, drawing on a tablet serves as a viable alternative to paper-based methods for learning anatomy if students can make adequate use of this strategy. Future research needs to identify how to support student drawing, for instance, by offering scaffolds with adaptive feedback to enhance learning.

To investigate the geometric morphological differences of the lacrimal punctum by analyzing its shape in relation to age and sex in a normal population. 960 high-magnification slit-lamp images were obtained from 320 puncta of normal asymptomatic Indian individuals across eight decades of life. Using advanced geometric morphometric techniques, including Elliptic Fourier Analysis and Principal Component Analysis, the intricate details of the lacrimal punctum's shape in a diverse population sample were categorized by age and sex. High-resolution images of the lacrimal punctum underwent standardization for scale and orientation, followed by precise landmark identification and coordinate data extraction. The geometric morphometry of the lacrimal punctum shows significant changes as one ages. However, the gender differences, in isolation, without consideration of age, remain subtle and are not pronounced. Interestingly, detailed Principal Component scores analysis revealed potential sex- and age-related variations specifically for the left and right lower puncta, which warrant further investigation. These changes could reflect unique aging changes in the proximal lacrimal drainage system. The study is a starting point for geometric morphometric analysis of the lacrimal punctum and provides valuable insights into the punctal changes in size, orientation, and overall morphology across different age groups and between sexes. These findings highlight the significance of considering individual age-wise anatomical variations to better understand the lacrimal punctum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inguinal hernias remain a challenging area of learning for medical students due to its relatively complex anatomy. Modern curriculum delivery methods are conventionally limited to didactic lectures and demonstration of anatomy intraoperatively. These strategies have limitations; lectures are inherently descriptive and based on 2-dimensional models, while intraoperative teaching is often unstructured and opportunistic. Methods: A paper-based model was developed comprising three overlapping paper panels simulating the anatomical layers of the inguinal canal which can be modified readily to further simulate various hernia pathologies and their surgical repair. These models were incorporated into a timetabled structured learning session for 3rd- and 4th-year medical students. Learners responded to fully anonymised surveys before and after the learning session. Findings: A total of 45 students participated in these sessions over a period of 6 months. Pre-learning session mean ratings for the learners' confidence in their understanding of the layers of the inguinal canal, identifying indirect and direct inguinal hernias and in naming the contents of the inguinal canal were 2.5, 3.3 and 2.9, while post-learning session mean ratings were 8.0, 9.4 and 8.2, respectively. Paired samples Student's t-tests for all three questions were statistically significant (p < 0.001). The mean rating for usefulness of the session was 9.6/10. Free comments from students emphasised the models' usefulness as a visual learning aid. Discussion and Conclusion: Our novel, low-cost paper model was associated with an improvement in learners' perceived knowledge and understanding of inguinal canal anatomy and pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the papermaking inventions that, beginning with the Flemish physician Andreas Vesalius' De humani corporis fabrica (1543), became part of anatomy books. In particular, flaps became the tactile and visual tool that allowed, by progressively lifting individual flaps of paper (lift the flap), to represent the layered arrangement of organs and apparatuses of the human body. These movable devices, along with others (e.g., volvelle) widely employed especially in astronomy texts, became the educational complements of the new science. The paper reconstructs, through some significant samples, the evolution of interactive anatomical books up to the threshold of the 20th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To quantify the 100 most frequently cited papers in CPT for predicting research hotspots for benefitting future clinical outcomes. Methods Web of Science database was searched for publications related to CPT original research from January 1, 1900 to December 31,2022. And Cited Reference Search tool was employed for retrieving articles to determine the most cited item. Then a knowledge map was generated for number of citations, publication year, publication periodical, author unit, publication country and key words. Results Top 100 selected articles were cited from 11 to 196 times and publication period started from 1928 to 2016. Clinical research was the major type ( n = 93) and only 7 studies belonged to basic research. The largest contribution came from the United States ( n = 37),followed by Republic of Korea ( n = 9), Germany ( n = 6) and Italy ( n = 6) . The frequently appearing keywords were divided into 2 groups of "Neurofibroma" and "Clinical characteristic of pseudarthrosis". And term "NFl" was the latest hot spot in the most cited article. Conclusion Current researches on CPT focuse upon clinical treatment. Basic research on the pathogenesis of CPT is still relatively lacking. In the future, investment in basic research on CPT should be strengthened to provide a more comprehensive treatment for CPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of learners in the anatomical sciences is a complex task as it not only tests students' fact knowledge, but also the analysis of visual information. Sometimes, novice histology learners must acquire image recognition skills of microscopic structures in a short time frame. This paper describes a strategy of offering first year dental students at the University of Michigan a short, non-grade contributing, formative assessment quiz in order to better prepare them for a high-stakes, final summative histology examination. Data collected over 7 years indicate that students, who made use of this formative assessment opportunity, performed significantly better in their summative examination than students, who did not. Especially early practice quiz users profited most. Students, who used the practice quiz until they achieved a perfect score, also had statistically higher final examination scores. Students, who did not use the practice quiz, had a significantly lower cumulative D1-year Grade Point Average (D1-GPA) than students, who did, indicating that academically weaker students often underuse supporting learning resources. In general, scores from the Dental Admission Test (DAT) were weak predictors of learning success in the DENT 510 histology course. In contrast, the D1-GPA values had a medium strength positive correlation with final histology examination scores. The major problem that was encountered with this practice quiz strategy was that many students waited until close to the day of the final examination before taking advantage of this feedback opportunity, thereby reducing its potential benefit for improving their overall learning strategy for histology.

3D scanning and printing technologies are quickly evolving and offer great potential for use in gross anatomical education. The use of human body donors to create digital scans and 3D printed models raises ethical concerns about donor informed consent, potential commodification, and access to and storage of potentially identifiable anatomical reproductions. This paper reviews available literature describing ethical implications for the application of these emerging technologies, existing published best practices for managing and sharing 2D imaging, and current adherence to these best practices by academic body donation programs. We conclude that informed consent is paramount for all uses of human donor and human donor-derived materials and that currently there is considerable diversity in adherence to established best practices for the management and sharing of 3D digital content derived from human donors. We propose a new and simplified framework for categorizing donor-derived teaching materials and the corresponding level of consent required for digital sharing. This framework proposes an equivalent minimum level of specific consent for human donor and human donor-derived materials relative to generalized, nonidentical teaching materials (i.e., artificial plastic models). Likewise, we propose that the collective path forward should involve the creation of a centralized, secure repository for digital human donor 3D content as a mechanism for accumulating, regulating, and controlling the distribution of properly consented human donor-derived 3D digital content that will also increase the availability of ethically created human-derived teaching materials while discouraging commodification.

Neuroanatomy is a notoriously challenging subject for medical students to learn. Due to the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, anatomical education transitioned to an online format. We assessed student performance in, and attitudes toward, an online neuroanatomy assessment compared to an in-person equivalent, as a marker of the efficacy of remote neuroanatomy education. Participants in the National Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Competition (NUNC) 2021 undertook two online examinations: a neuroanatomically themed multiple-choice question paper and anatomy spotter. Students completed pre- and post-examination questionnaires to gauge their attitudes toward the online competition and prior experience of online anatomical teaching/assessment. To evaluate performance, we compared scores of students who sat the online (2021) and in-person (2017) examinations, using 12 identical neuroradiology questions present in both years. Forty-six percent of NUNC 2021 participants had taken an online anatomy examination in the previous 12 months, but this did not impact examination performance significantly (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in examination scores between in-person and online examinations using the 12 neuroradiology questions (p = 0.69). Fifty percent of participants found the online format less enjoyable, with 63% citing significantly fewer networking opportunities. The online competition was less stressful for 55% of participants. This study provides some evidence to suggest that student performance is not affected when undertaking online examinations and proposes that online neuroanatomy teaching methods, particularly for neuroradiology, may be equally as effective as in-person approaches within this context. Participants perceived online examinations as less stressful but raised concerns surrounding the networking potential and enjoyment of online events.

Concept maps help detect misconceptions and provide revision exercises to assess comprehension once a topic has been introduced. A concept map is a schematic drawing used to show the connection among the concepts in propositional form. A concept map is a helpful tool for illustrating the relationships between main concepts and sub-concepts. The main objective of the study was to identify misconceptions about the human digestive system among higher secondary students using concept maps. The data was collected from higher secondary students XI class students) (N = 388) with the help of students' preliminary concept maps and researcher-made concept map tools. Findings of the study showed that secondary school students hold misconceptions related to the human digestive system, i.e. few (22.68%) students have misconceptions such as 'Human Digestive System is the process by which hard food is converted into simple diffusible assimilable nutrients', few (19.32%) students have misconceptions such as 'Alimentary Canal starts with the throat," etc. The present paper will help use concept maps for the identification and remediation of students' misconceptions.

Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) is a foundational sequence of courses required for students to complete as a prerequisite prior to admission to a range of graduate health programs and degrees, some of which include medical schools, nursing, occupational and physical therapy, exercise science, cardiovascular technologist, diagnostic medical sonography, dental hygienist, respiratory care, and radiography. While undergraduate A&P course content is fairly standard, differences in curricula, as well as differences in the student populations within these classes exist. In this paper we examine ways in which a more inclusive teaching environment can be created to support an increased sense of belonging for LGBTQIA+ students within anatomy and physiology courses, potentially leading to higher retention and success rates (Fenaughty et al. 2019; Garvey et al. 2017; National Academy of Sciences 2017; Snapp et al. 2015). Inclusive teaching has largely been absent within STEM disciplines, leading to negative perceived classroom experiences within STEM courses (Snapp et al. 2015; Garvey and Rankin 2015). Faculty can help to reduce barriers to success faced by gender and sexual minority students by growing in cultural competency, using inclusive vocabulary, and infusing their courses with accurate content that allows all students to see themselves in the curriculum.

The use of electronic media in the classroom was prevalent during the height of the COVID-19 global pandemic because it afforded the health and safety of students in blended course modalities. This project aimed to quantify the effectiveness of a three-dimensional computer-based human anatomical online platform in a blended synchronous course design. We asked our students to self-report the learning efficacy and overall student engagement of the online learning platform. We found that with intentional course design utilizing in-person anchored Zoom Buddy blended classes and a 3-D anatomy software, students reported high levels of learning efficacy and engagement in anatomy & physiology courses. The course design presented in this paper provides a viable option should we be faced with similar emergency learning situations or when course enrollments are high and class spaces are limited.

The use of drawing as an assessment tool to reveal students' conceptions in biology specifically on human organs and organ systems is not new, however, there is a deficit in the literature that attempted to explore and reflect on its usefulness and relevance specifically, in eliciting students' preconceptions related thereto. Making use of a convergent mixed methods design, this paper presents the first phase of a sequential study on the development and implementation of a teaching sequence on human organ systems, that is the use of drawing in aggregating preconceptions on human organs and organ systems from among 138 pre-service teachers. The drawings underwent content and thematic analysis informed by the level of the biological quality of drawings. Results showed that a great majority of the participants possess limited and inconsistent conceptions that needed to be addressed systematically. Taking into consideration the purpose of eliciting and nature of students' preconceptions, as well as the inherent strengths and limitations of drawing as a tool for assessment, a reflection on the relevance of drawing as a tool in eliciting students' preconceptions is provided.

At the University of Bristol, we established a novel dissection course to complement our anatomy degree. Students enrolled in this undergraduate course are trained as comparative anatomists, with equal time given to both human and veterinary anatomy. Historically, students opted to dissect either human or veterinary donors as part of the course. To fully reflect the comparative nature of the degree, the dissection course was redesigned so students could dissect both human and veterinary specimens as part of the same course. This facilitated a wide-ranging experience of anatomy, encouraging detailed knowledge of a multitude of species and allowing for multifaceted anatomy graduates to be ready for employment in a wide and competitive job market. Across three iterations of the amended version of the course, median marks ranged from 58.7% to 62.0%, with between 22 and 39 students enrolled. In comparison to the course prior to the introduction of the change, median marks ranged from 59.8% to 62.8%, with between 16 and 24 students enrolled. There was no significant difference between marks before or after the introduction of the concurrently comparative aspect. This paper describes the course, with learning materials and assessments considered, along with some reflection on its value. The course offers benefits to students by widening their perspective on anatomical knowledge and making them more equipped for the job market. It also broadens their understanding of form-function relationships. However, student feedback implied that having the choice between human or veterinary dissection was preferable, and this may outweigh the perceived benefits of the course.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced all dentistry faculties to quickly shift to the online supplementation or replacement of traditional modules to pursue education. However, there is limited research evaluating the effectiveness of this education modality on student performance in dental anatomy and manipulation module. Accordingly, it was aimed to compare the influence of different education modalities on the performances of the students enrolled in this module. The students were requested to perform 11 practical assignments throughout the fall term. A total of 220 face-to-face-educated (F2F) and 138 screen-to-screen-educated (S2S) students were included. To evaluate the influence of education modality on the performances of the students, cumulative success scores were calculated and compared using an independent t-test. The grades of the first (maxillary central), sixth (maxillary premolar), and eleventh assignments (mandibular first molar) were also analyzed to understand the manipulation-skill progress of each student within the same year. The grades of above-mentioned three assignments were converted into nominal data (excellent, very good, good, acceptable, and fail) based on certain thresholds, and a chi-square test was conducted. The cumulative success scores in F2F group were significantly lower than those in S2S group (P = 0.02). Differences between the first and eleventh tasks in both education modalities were significant (P < 0.05). The S2S-educated students achieved significantly higher achievement points in the sixth and eleventh assignments (P < 0.001). The S2S education can be suggested as an applicable modality for teaching dental anatomy and manipulation module. However, further work is needed to ascertain whether this result is replicable throughout dental anatomy education. [Paper presented at the International Dental Education Congress (1st, Ankara, Turkey, Jan 11-15, 2021).]

Combinations of perceptual fluency and sense-making competencies contribute synergistically to learning gains in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. However, instructional principles depend on the target of instruction, and in many fields, the targets of instruction are quite different from undergraduate STEM education. Professional learning often involves the application of previously acquired conceptual knowledge in a perceptually complex reality. This paper focuses on the field of surgery, specifically the recognition of surgical anatomy, in which the target of instruction is perceptual ability rather than conceptual knowledge. We conducted two experiments in which 42 and 44 surgical trainees participated in perceptual-fluency and sense-making interventions, followed by tests of their ability to recognize surgical anatomy in real operative images. The results showed that perceptual-fluency interventions contributed to gains in perceptual knowledge relating to surgical anatomy, whereas sense-making interventions did not. We discuss our findings in terms of alignment between instructional design and instructional goals, and the application of advances in learning sciences to adult learning of complex skills.

In this paper, we present and discuss an explorative study on the use of a social 360° virtual reality (360VR) for supporting case-based Problem Based Learning (case-PBL) in clinical medical education. In the context of case-PBL, we argue that our social 360VR learning space extends the design and application of cases in medical education by including elements from project-PBL. Three groups tested the learning design as a part of the clinical exercises in their 5. Semester bachelor course. After the social 360VR activity, the students performed a physical examination of the collateral and cruciate ligaments of the knee like the one in the training material. Our preliminary findings indicate that the students immersed in social 360VR collaboratively establish a mutual understanding of how to perform the examination through identifying problems related to the examination and by taking responsibility for their own and the other group members learning.

This paper critically explores the pedagogy of "Science World" in creating disciplined, birthing patients within the sexuality education BodyWorks gallery on display in Vancouver, Canada. Using Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, I explore the ways in which power/knowledge circulates to regulate and de-agentalise bodies in a science museum encounter. I consider the regimes of truth that emerge regarding the good/right/correct way to give birth and to be a woman: that is, as White, heteronormative, slender, conforming, always a mother, but and mostly a uterus. In exposing regimes of truth within the encountered curriculum of the science museum, the hope is that sexuality educators might (re)consider space for the unruly and awe-ful within pedagogies of childbirth.

The COVID-19 pandemic required adjustments and limitations in university teaching, thereby challenging teaching concepts in anatomy requiring in-person contact, including the gross anatomy course. Therefore, the present study investigates the impact of COVID-19-associated adjustments on students' perception of the gross anatomy course's importance and quality, students' preferred learning setting and outcome, and their motivation to involve themselves in academic activities, including becoming a future peer-teacher of the course. Using paper-based questionnaires in Ulm, Germany, 397 (response rate: 82.3%) students of the winter term of 2020/2021 were surveyed using quantitative and qualitative items, which were compared with cohorts prior to the pandemic. Students reported a higher global rating on course quality during COVID-19 (pre-COVID-19: 5.3 ± 0.9, during-COVID-19: 5.6 ± 0.7, p < 0.001; 1 = very bad, 6 = very good). Students' perceived importance of the gross anatomy course showed a small but significant increase (pre-COVID-19: 4.2 ± 0.6, during-COVID-19: 4.3 ± 0.6, p < 0.001; 1 = strongly disagree, 6 = strongly agree). Students' motivation to apply as a peer-teacher remained stable, nevertheless, they reported less interest in transferring their knowledge to junior students. Finally, students reported that they spent significantly more learning time alone and their examination grades remained unchanged during the pandemic. Astonishingly, despite radical changes of the teaching environment due to COVID-19, students appreciate the offered teaching and highly valued the gross anatomy course.

An understanding of forearm and wrist anatomy is necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of various injuries. Evidence supports the use of peer-assisted learning (PAL) as an effective resource for teaching basic science courses. First-year medical students across three class years participated in an optional PAL kinesthetic workshop wherein participants created anatomically accurate paper models of forearm and wrist muscles. Participants completed pre- and post-workshop surveys. Participant and nonparticipant exam performances were compared. Participation ranged from 17.3% to 33.2% of each class; participants were more likely to identify as women than men (p < 0.001). Participants in cohorts 2 and 3 reported increased comfort with relevant content after the workshop (p < 0.001). Survey responses for cohort 1 were omitted due to low response rates; however, exam performances were assessed for all three cohorts. Cohort 2 participants scored higher than nonparticipants on forearm and wrist questions on the cumulative course exam (p = 0.010), while the opposite was found for cohort 3 (p = 0.051). No other statistically significant differences were observed. This is the first study to examine quantitative and qualitative results for a PAL intervention repeated for three separate cohorts. Although academic performance varied, two cohorts reported increased comfort with relevant course material after the workshop. Results of this study support the need for further exploration of PAL workshops as an instructional method in teaching anatomy and highlight the challenges associated with repeating interventions over multiple years. As more studies attempt replication across multiple years, these challenges may be addressed, thereby informing PAL best practices.

Odontogenic orofacial space infection is an important topic in the dental curriculum. However, dental students do encounter difficulties in identifying the patterns of odontogenic infection spreading through fascial spaces. The implementation of game concepts might allow them to actively learn this topic by engagement. This research aimed to develop a game for learning about the orofacial spaces and to evaluate its implementation whether a competitive or collaborative approach would be more effective for dental undergraduates. 'Trace the Spread' has been developed as a table-top board game, consisting of a main board presenting the anatomical map of a human model and two types of cards (quest and action cards). Eight groups of four students were randomly assigned into either the collaboration or competition group. The students were given pre- and post-knowledge assessments to evaluate knowledge improvement after game completion, where they were asked to rate their satisfaction toward the game using a paper-based questionnaire. The findings demonstrated a significant increase in the knowledge assessment scores after game completion in both collaboration (p < 0.001) and competition groups (p = 0.003). The score improvement of the collaboration group was significantly higher than that of the competition group (p < 0.001). The students tended to show satisfaction with the game, in which the collaboration group rated the game more positively compared to the competitive approach. This game appeared to be effective for learning orofacial space infections, and the learning environment within the collaborative group was found to be more supportive in terms of knowledge improvement and satisfaction.

The concept of excess is often used to exclude or render deviant marginalised individuals and groups, reifying hegemonic structures of control and domination. Feminists and other critical scholars, however, have utilised the concept of excess to resist such normalising efforts. In conversation with these critical scholars, this paper advances the concept of "bodily excess" as a tool for reimagining the project(s) of sexuality education towards capaciousness and curiosity. Specifically, we wonder about the practices, body parts, desires and discourses that exceed formal knowledge production efforts in the sex education arena. We outline five definitional features that serve as touchstones for the pedagogical possibilities of embracing bodily excess: overflow, uncertainty, the sensory, the political, and affective complexity. From our scholar-practitioner positions, we argue that bodily excess is an important conceptual tool for including and centring the fullest range of embodied experiences within a given learning community, and for stretching our politicised and relational bodily imaginaries. In other words, we ask for more.

This paper examines the influence of task and skill level constraints on the generality of proximal-distal control for within-limb movement coordination. Analysis and synthesis of the experimental findings leads to the proposition that proximal-distal is one of several within-limb patterns of coordination, including: the reverse distal-proximal sequence, simultaneous activation of segments, and other sequence variations of this. The probability of particular patterns occurring is induced by task constraints and skill level of the individual, together with their evolving biomechanical consequences, including: open/closed chain, absorption/propulsion of force, magnitude of momentum, and accuracy/timing. We develop the theoretical perspective that classes of task constraints induce particular types of neuromechanical organization to within-arm or within-leg segment coordination. In this task constraint framework, proximal-distal within-limb organization is a particular rather than a general case for within-limb coordination. The limitations of anatomically-based accounts of directional change for within-limb organization are discussed with reference to a general functional degrees of freedom task constraint framework for movement coordination and control.

Embodied learning pedagogy highlights the interconnections between the brain, body, and the concrete environment. As a teaching method, it provides means of engaging the physical body in multimodal learning experiences to develop the students' cognitive process. Based on this perspective, several research studies introduced different interaction modalities to support the implementation of an embodied learning environment. One such case is the use of tangible user interfaces and motion-based technologies. This paper evaluates the impacts of motion-based, tangible-based, and multimodal interaction merging between tangible interfaces and motion-based technology on improving students' learning performance. A controlled study was performed at a primary school with 36 participants (aged 7 to 9), to evaluate the educational potential of embodied interaction modalities compared to tablet-based learning. The results highlighted a significant difference in the learning gains between all groups, as determined by one-way ANOVA [F (3,32) = 6.32, p = 0.017], in favor of the multimodal learning interface. Findings revealed that a multimodal learning interface supporting richer embodied interaction that took advantage of affording the power of body movements and manipulation of physical objects might improve students' understanding of abstract concepts in educational contexts.

Aim: While there is increasing awareness of best practice in LGBT-inclusive education, little is known about the specific educational issues facing intersex individuals, and how the education system could be improved for this marginalised group. Method: This paper reports an empirical study involving semi-structured interviews with two young intersex adults, to understand their retrospective, lived educational experiences and ascertain their views on improving educational practice around intersex issues. Findings: Relevant themes identified were knowledge and understanding, impact of diagnosis, information sharing, journey of identity acceptance, protective factors, and wellbeing. Implications: Recommendations are made regarding how schools and professionals might support intersex children and young people during their education.

This article examines the durability of racial science in the field of anatomy at one of South Africa's oldest universities and its resonance with race essentialist research in other national and transnational contexts. We present a critical assessment of more than 70 published and unpublished papers in anatomy through the lens of the "politics of knowledge"; in this perspective, scientific knowledge is viewed as socially constructed, value-laden, and acting in the service of power. The study finds that racial science thinking in medical science research persists after apartheid, that "race" is a poor proxy for explaining complex patterns of disease, and that by medicalizing health maladies scientists fail to account for their links to racialized inequalities in the broader society. Research on the workings of racial science in the health sciences suggests promising new lines of inquiry into the study of "racial projects" in comparative and international education.

It has been widely claimed that reductions in allocated teaching time and the widespread implementation of short-cut teaching methodologies have led to a shortfall in anatomy knowledge among graduating doctors. This decline in knowledge is evident in the failure of anatomy content to prepare graduates for contemporary clinical practice. The implications for postgraduate surgical training are addressed in the numerous extracurricular anatomy courses available to surgical candidates. This paper focuses on genital diversity and its relevance to non-surgical graduates, thus highlighting another potential impact of this knowledge shortfall on frontline clinic consultations. As the gender revolution and female genital cosmetic surgery industry flourish, nothing in contemporary anatomy textbooks addresses issues of diversification of female genitalia nor gives medical graduates a realistic view of what is normal regarding female genital appearance.

The role of anatomy in modern curricula is under reform due to competency of other rapidly evolving subjects and the rapid evolution of several practical aspects and applications dictating modernization of teaching methods as well as of teaching demands. Moreover, modern practice of medicine has put the arterial and vascular system in the center of numerous minimally invasive techniques. Therefore, regardless of their specialty, most doctors should have a very clear and precise knowledge of the vascular anatomy and the basic access techniques from the early years. This viewpoint commentary reflects the experience of the two authors in applying the principles and content of surgical vascular anatomy in undergraduate anatomy teaching and discusses the rationale of this. Moreover, it is suggested that cadaveric dissections should be modified with emphasis on standard surgical vascular exposures and the multidisciplinary teaching of vascular anatomy as a means not only to gain optimal long-term knowledge retention, but also to emphasize through realistic examples on the practical clinical value of vascular anatomy.

To investigate to what extent the use of a three-dimensional (3D) anatomy computer application can improve the acquisition of anatomical knowledge compared with anatomical atlases, junior and advanced medical students participated in an experiment. Participants were asked to answer anatomical questions with the use of a 3D anatomy application (developed at the University Medical Center in Utrecht, the Netherlands) or anatomy atlases. Every student had to complete two assignments, either with an atlas or with the 3D anatomy application. One assignment consisted of 20 questions about the anatomy of the hand, the other one had 20 questions about the anatomy of the foot. The scores on the assignments and time to complete the assignments were registered and investigated. A total of 76 students participated. Students scored significantly higher and were significantly faster when they used the 3D anatomy application. Junior medical students were significantly faster than advanced medical students and particularly, advanced students who worked with an atlas needed most time. These results suggest that the 3D anatomy application is more effective as a studying tool, when compared to the use of paper atlases, for both junior and advanced medical students. The difference in time could indicate an influence of the increased number of mental steps it takes to convert two-dimensional atlas images to a 3D mental representation compared to using the 3D anatomy application, although practical issues explaining this cannot be ruled out. Future studies should establish whether the application leads to better learning/retention and to more time-efficient studying.

Science and drawing have been paired for hundreds of years, and this synergy is still prevalent in research investigating the role of drawing for developing and assessing understanding. However, despite research at the primary and secondary levels of education, there is limited research on whether drawing facilitates learning at the undergraduate level, particularly in human biology. This subject is specifically important to focus on as it can be a core subject on some multidisciplinary programmes that do not require a science background at entry. The literature reviewed in this paper highlights that drawing tasks are well received by students and that they perceive the tasks to be helpful for their understanding. There is also some evidence that it might improve learning. However, this cannot be concluded with confidence due to some limitations with respect to comparison groups, including such a group being absent, using retrospective cohorts as a control, and not controlling for instruction between groups. Furthermore, some of the reported improvements in tests are practically very small. More work is warranted in this area as there is a risk that misconceptions can be passed on to students and between students using this type of teaching activity.

McGill University has continued to maintain whole body dissection as an integral component of its medical school curriculum. To better explore the factors influencing body procurement at McGill University, records of body receipts were collected from their paper and electronic records and analyzed from 1883 to 2019. The data collected allowed for discussion on the number of bodies received at McGill University each year, the age at death of the bodies, their sex, as well as religious affiliation and language spoken at home. As bodies of the deceased have a long held and unique status in law, this information was considered in light of historical and legislative data and, in the case of religion and language, it was compared to census data for Montréal, Québec, Canada. Overall numbers of bodies procured by McGill University have varied throughout the years, with no discernable target number over time. The current body donor profile at McGill University is likely to be a male in his 70's and likely to speak French at home. However, the strong connection of the University with the Anglophone community of Montréal is reflected by the significantly higher proportion of English-speaking donors when compared to the general population of the city. In regard to legislation, it appears that the most recent legislations did not affect the rate of procurement. However, when legislations were embraced by religious institutions in 1883, there was a 261% increase in bodies sent for dissection, over the following two decades.

Background: The increasing popularity of cosmetic injections using various fillers and neuromodulators for facial rejuvenation has brought both new opportunities and challenges to this field. Aim: Our study was designed to employ bibliometric and visual analysis for a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of facial cosmetic injections, as well as to identify research trends and hotspots in this field. Methods: All publications covering facial cosmetic injection during 2002–2023 were retrieved and extracted from the Web of Science database. The VOSviewer 1.6.18 software and the online tool (http://bibliometric.com/) were applied to analyze the publication trend. Results: A total of 3797 articles related to facial cosmetic injection were identified during the period 2002–2023. The United States had the largest volume of publications (1520, 40.0%), followed by China (333, 8.8%) and Germany (282, 7.3%). Among the institutions and journals, the University of California system and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery accounted for the most papers related to facial cosmetic injection, respectively. Facial anatomy and injection techniques, prevention and management of complications, regenerative medicine, efficacy and safety of various soft‐tissue fillers, as well as botulinum toxin injections for facial rejuvenation were identified as hotspots for facial cosmetic injections. Conclusions: Facial cosmetic injections are showing an increasing trend in terms of both the number of published papers and operations performed. Despite the notable advancements in this field, numerous challenges persist, including safety concerns and the level of research evidence. With the emergence of novel technologies and materials, scholars from diverse countries and institutions should engage in more extensive collaboration, thereby directly expediting the progress of this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching gesture recognition is a technique used to recognize the hand movements of teachers in classroom teaching scenarios. This technology is widely used in education, including for classroom teaching evaluation, enhancing online teaching, and assisting special education. However, current research on gesture recognition in teaching mainly focuses on detecting the static gestures of individual students and analyzing their classroom behavior. To analyze the teacher's gestures and mitigate the difficulty of single-target dynamic gesture recognition in multi-person teaching scenarios, this paper proposes skeleton-based teaching gesture recognition (ST-TGR), which learns through spatio-temporal representation. This method mainly uses the human pose estimation technique RTMPose to extract the coordinates of the keypoints of the teacher's skeleton and then inputs the recognized sequence of the teacher's skeleton into the MoGRU action recognition network for classifying gesture actions. The MoGRU action recognition module mainly learns the spatio-temporal representation of target actions by stacking a multi-scale bidirectional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU) and using improved attention mechanism modules. To validate the generalization of the action recognition network model, we conducted comparative experiments on datasets including NTU RGB+D 60, UT-Kinect Action3D, SBU Kinect Interaction, and Florence 3D. The results indicate that, compared with most existing baseline models, the model proposed in this article exhibits better performance in recognition accuracy and speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narrative abstract: While humans have a similar architecture with a head, torso, two arms and legs, we are as dissimilar as snowflakes. We each carry anatomical variances, all significant to the application of manual care. Similarly, we all have variants in our psychological processing and functioning but there is one thing I have found to be consistent. In the 1970s I explored biofeedback and meditation with Jack Garris, performing various types of meditations, selfhypnosis, and relaxation exercises and monitored their affects on our EEG, EMG, and temperature feedback. We never saw one form of biofeedback not influence the other, which emphasised to me that clearly our mind and body were inseparable. Garris would often say that we can't have a tense body with a relaxed mind and likewise we can't have an anxious mind when we have a relaxed body. This is to be remembered as we look for optimal ways to channel our healing energy. It is important with our chiropractic encounters that we understand all our patients are different, both physically and psychologically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anomalous origin of the middle meningeal artery (MMA) from the basilar artery is a rare congenital neurological variant that has been detected in both children and adults with diagnoses ranging from intracranial haemorrhage to ependymoma. This review aims to investigate the anatomical course of an anomalous basilar-middle meningeal artery and its clinical presentation. Methods: A systematic search was performed in PubMed using the keywords (middle meningeal artery) and (basilar artery). Ninety-four papers were identified, of which seven were included. One paper was further identified through cross-referencing. Results: The average age of presentation was 43 years with a male predominance (7/9). In most cases, the MMA arose between the superior cerebellar artery and the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (8/9) (versus 1 case between the anterior inferior cerebellar artery and the posterior inferior cerebellar artery). The anomaly mostly presented on the left side (6/11), but was bilateral in one case. Most of the cases showed a pontine artery branching from the basilar artery arising 5 mm to 10 mm proximal to the superior cerebellar artery, which would then assume the trajectory of the MMA. In three cases, the vessel increased in calibre near the trigeminal ganglion. Foramen spinosum absence in the anomalous side was noted in 3/6 of the patients. Conclusion: To avoid unexpected complications during neurosurgical and neuroradiointerventional procedures, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the anomalous routes of the MMA. This is especially important when it proves to be the only available route for embolization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild plants are considered promising natural eco-friendly resources for fibers. Leptadenia pyrotechnica is a xerophytic shrub that flourishes in a sandy desert habitat with high biomass production; therefore, it could be a potential resource for fibers. The present study aimed to investigate the vegetation composition of L. pyrotechnica communities and their correlation with soil variables. Additionally, this study aimed to evaluate the anatomical features of the stem as well as fiber characteristics, including chemical, biometry, morphological, and optical properties. The vegetation analysis showed the presence of 60 species belonging to 22 families, with a prevalence of therophytes. Four communities were determined, dominated by L. pyrotechnica and with co-dominance of the shrubs Haloxylon salicornicum, Ochradenus baccatus, and Retama raetam. The soil organic matter, salinity, texture, and cations were parameters that substantially affect the L. pyrotechnica community. The anatomical investigation showed the structural (anatomical) adaptation of L. pyrotechnica to arid habitats. Chemical analysis of the raw plant material revealed satisfactory levels of cellulose and hemicellulose (48.61% and 18.59%), while lignin and ash contents were relatively low, compared to hardwoods and softwoods. The fiber characterization revealed that fibesr length was 0.72 mm, while width and cell wall thickness were 20.46 and 6.48 μm, respectively. The optical properties revealed a birefringence of 0.028, indicating a good refractive index. These fiber characteristics showed that L. pyrotechnica could be used as raw material for the production of good-quality paper. A further feasibility study is recommended for the evaluation of L. pyrotechnica fibers, as a promising resource for papermaking at a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anatomy is one of the oldest medical disciplines and offered over the centuries the morphological explanation for the structure, function and pathology of the body. Learning anatomy was one of the first steps in the accumulation of medical knowledge. Practicing gastroenterology means the approach of pathology presenting with morphological changes. Diagnosis and therapeutical interventions require also precise anatomical knowledge. This is a review of the most important anatomical benchmarks necessary to trainees in gastroenterology. Two teachers of anatomy and one resident of gastroenterology performed a literature survey. They checked the curricula of gastroenterology of continental and national societies of gastroenterology and hepatology. They also checked on Pubmed and Google Scholar pertinent journal papers. They selected and analyzed papers presenting important anatomical benchmarks considered very important for the appropriation of practical skills. A list of recommendations was the outcome of this initiative. These are largely overlapping on the available curricula. The relevant anatomical benchmarks should be used in the training programs of residents in gastroenterology. Good anatomy training enables practitioners to diagnose correctly digestive pathology, to interpret the results of the imaging or endoscopic investigations, to recommend or undertake therapeutic interventions. Although ancient, anatomy is very useful in the training of future gastroenterologists. The trainees should emphasis the learning of the most important anatomical benchmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: To date, there are very few studies of the bony nasal cavity of the domestic cat and even fewer of big felids. A detailed and exhaustive anatomical study of this cavity in the domestic cat is presented in this paper through dissections, trepanations and anatomical sections. This work has allowed to delve deeper into the anatomy of the bony nasal cavity. This study deepens the knowledge of this region through diagnostic imaging techniques, such as computed tomography, three-dimensional reconstruction in maximum-intensity projection and volume rendering, that allow for the spatial visualization of this cavity. These reconstructed images represent an improvement in the anatomical study of the cavity and will help veterinary clinicians in the diagnosis of nasal pathologies. Obtaining molds by three-dimensional printing allows for acquiring models very close to reality that capture these structures in detail. These techniques, which in human medicine have already led to many clinical and therapeutic improvements, are a very useful tool in veterinary medicine that will lead to advances and improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of nasal pathologies, improving the survival of many threatened species. This study aims to develop three-dimensional printing models of the bony nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses of big and domestic cats using reconstructed computed tomographic images. This work included an exhaustive study of the osseous nasal anatomy of the domestic cat carried out through dissections, bone trepanations and sectional anatomy. With the use of OsiriX viewer, the DICOM images were postprocessed to obtaining maximum-intensity projection and volume-rendering reconstructions, which allowed for the visualization of the nasal cavity structures and the paranasal sinuses, providing an improvement in the future anatomical studies and diagnosis of pathologies. DICOM images were also processed with AMIRA software to obtain three-dimensional images using semiautomatic segmentation application. These images were then exported using 3D Slicer software for three-dimensional printing. Molds were printed with the Stratasys 3D printer. In human medicine, three-dimensional printing is already of great importance in the clinical field; however, it has not yet been implemented in veterinary medicine and is a technique that will, in the future, in addition to facilitating the anatomical study and diagnosis of diseases, allow for the development of implants that will improve the treatment of pathologies and the survival of big felids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sternalis muscle is a rare variant of the anterior chest wall musculature. Although its frequency in general population worldwide has been reported from 2% to 8%, its prevalence depends on regions and populations. The aim of this paper is to describe one of the first cases of sternalis muscle found in Central Europe. An anterior chest wall of 64-year-old white male was dissected during a regular anatomy class at Department of Human Anatomy. A right unilateral sternalis muscle was revealed and described. The unilateral sternalis muscle laid between the pectoral and the superficial thoracic fascia. The muscle was long and wide. In addition, it had a massive tendon. According to the Snosek et al. Classification, it was a "simple unilateral" type. This report presents another case of the sternalis muscle among humans. Although the sternalis muscle serves a minor role in body movement, its occurrence gives several clinical implications. The awareness of variability in the thoracic region is important during diagnostic and treatment processes or in surgical operation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African First Ladies are categorised into two: the less powerful First Ladies, the behind-the-scene actors, making positive contributions to their spouses’ regime and the powerful First Ladies whose arbitrary powers and overarching presence pose real threat to the regime. Extant studies concentrate on the former and pay scant attention to the latter. Drawing on the activities of Patience Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s former First Lady, this paper explores the ways Patience and other powerful African First Ladies contribute to regime change in emerging African democracies. In doing so, the paper explores the anatomy of female power and its intricate interface with the Office of the First Lady, the framework for appropriating and exercising the power of the First Lady. The goal is to provide the theoretical basis for understanding the empirical, that is, the practical ways Patience Jonathan and other powerful First Ladies appropriate power and contribute to regime change in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postgraduate Taught study (PGT) students are often assumed to be confident and independent learners, and many possess a strong sense of professional identity and thus are perceived as not requiring support. This paper aims to address these perceptions. This paper presents a qualitative study of the experiences of PGT students at an Australian university who participated in a Transition In program that has been embedded in the curriculum. The primary aim was to explore the effectiveness of the Transition In program, which is the first step in a program-wide employability curriculum strategy. The findings of this study demonstrated that students' levels of confidence and engagement as well as their connection with their profession increased as a direct result of feeling supported. This paper highlights the importance of, and benefits gained by providing PGT students structured support to enable them to successfully transition into their program of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mandibular distraction osteogenesis is a technically challenging procedure due to complex mandibular anatomy, especially in the treatment of Pierre-Robin Sequence due to variable bone thickness in the infant mandible and the presence of tooth buds. Computerized surgical planning (CSP) simplifies the procedure by preoperatively visualizing critical structures, producing cutting guides, and planning distractor placement. This paper describes the process of using CSP to plan mandibular distraction osteogenesis, including discussion of recent advances in the use of custom distractors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Digital teaching in medical education has grown in popularity in the recent years. However, to the best of our knowledge, no bibliometric report to date has been published that analyzes this important literature set to reveal prevailing topics and trends and their impacts reflected in citation counts. Objective: We used a bibliometric approach to unveil and evaluate the scientific literature on digital teaching research in medical education, demonstrating recurring research topics, productive authors, research organizations, countries, and journals. We further aimed to discuss some of the topics and findings reported by specific highly cited works. Methods: The Web of Science electronic database was searched to identify relevant papers on digital teaching research in medical education. Basic bibliographic data were obtained by the "Analyze" and "Create Citation Report" functions of the database. Complete bibliographic data were exported to VOSviewer for further analyses. Visualization maps were generated to display the recurring author keywords and terms mentioned in the titles and abstracts of the publications. Results: The analysis was based on data from 3978 papers that were identified. The literature received worldwide contributions with the most productive countries being the United States and United Kingdom. Reviews were significantly more cited, but the citations between open access vs non--open access papers did not significantly differ. Some themes were cited more often, reflected by terms such as virtual reality, innovation, trial, effectiveness, and anatomy. Different aspects in medical education were experimented for digital teaching, such as gross anatomy education, histology, complementary medicine, medicinal chemistry, and basic life support. Some studies have shown that digital teaching could increase learning satisfaction, knowledge gain, and even cost-effectiveness. More studies were conducted on trainees than on undergraduate students. Conclusions: Digital teaching in medical education is expected to flourish in the future, especially during this era of COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of the impact of the New Coronary Pneumonia epidemic, Schools need to actively engage in online teaching in response to the Ministry of Education's call for "uninterrupted teaching". Ideological and political education is an important way to train socialist successors and is the basis for establishing students' correct outlook on life, values and the world outlook. Therefore, in this paper, sparse neural network algorithm is introduced to complete the construction of ideological and political online education platform for colleges and universities. Through the design of simulation experiments, we can know that the sparse model can still maintain the stability and accuracy of the network under the condition of black box attacks, and even after a certain amount of tailoring, it can still exceed the accuracy of the original network. The experimental results show the superiority of this platform. In this paper, the platform system is roughly divided into three layers: user layer, data storage layer and functional logic layer. The evaluation is carried out from four dimensions: teaching resources, teaching activities, teacher–student interaction and teacher–student evaluation. According to the results, students have higher systematic evaluation than teachers. Among them, the recognition of teaching resources and activities is high, which proves that the platform in this paper is effective. The online teaching platform designed in this paper can make full use of the characteristics of network technology, realizes the reform and innovation development path of the ideological course in schools, and enhances the attraction of the political course and the enthusiasm of students to learn. This paper designs a kind of network education system by introducing sparse neural network into ideological online education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Assessing the level of knowledge of anatomy of undergraduate students four years after their primary anatomy training will give a better indication as to which system of teaching is more effective. We aimed to ascertain which method was more effective at establishing a core of anatomy knowledge that could be recalled after a considerable amount of time. Methods. We tested two groups of medical students in their final year on the key concepts of gross anatomy using a question paper that included true--false type questions and identification of anatomical line diagrams. These two batches of students followed a dissection-based curriculum and a newly introduced prosections-based curriculum at the beginning of their medical education. The prosectionsbased curriculum brought with it a reduction in the in-class teaching and learning activities when compared to the old curriculum. This would in turn reflect how much anatomy knowledge one would possess when they start to practise medicine as a newly qualified doctor and also embark on a postgraduate training programme. The two groups were subjected without prior warning to a question paper that had six questions, each with five true--false statements and four questions on identification and labelling of anatomical line diagrams. Results. There was no statistically significant difference in the marks obtained for the true--false type questions between the two groups (p=0.08), but the prosections group obtained higher marks for the diagram identification questions (p=0.02). Conclusion. A prosection-based curriculum when compared to a dissection-based curriculum was equally effective at establishing a core of gross anatomy knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cyber-criminal compromises end-hosts (bots) to configure a network of bots (botnet). The cyber-criminals are also looking for an evolved architecture that makes their techniques more resilient and stealthier such as Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks. The P2P botnets leverage the privileges of the decentralized nature of P2P networks. Consequently, the P2P botnets exploit the resilience of this architecture to be arduous against take-down procedures. Some P2P botnets are smarter to be stealthy in their Commandand-Control mechanisms (C2) and elude the standard discovery mechanisms. Therefore, the other side of this cyberwar is the monitor. The P2P botnet monitoring is an exacting mission because the monitoring must care about many aspects simultaneously. Some aspects pertain to the existing monitoring approaches, some pertain to the nature of P2P networks, and some to counter the botnets, i.e., the anti-monitoring mechanisms. All these challenges should be considered in P2P botnet monitoring. To begin with, this paper provides an anatomy of P2P botnets. Thereafter, this paper exhaustively reviews the existing monitoring approaches of P2P botnets and thoroughly discusses each to reveal its advantages and disadvantages. In addition, this paper groups the monitoring approaches into three groups: passive, active, and hybrid monitoring approaches. Furthermore, this paper also discusses the functional and non-functional requirements of advanced monitoring. In conclusion, this paper ends by epitomizing the challenges of various aspects and gives future avenues for better monitoring of P2P botnets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The purpose of the current paper is to present our study on the variability in the prostatic artery origin, discuss the less frequent origins, and present the challenges of the prostatic artery embolization (PAE) procedure, thus aiding young interventional radiologists. Materials and Methods: We studied the origins of the prostatic artery on digital subtraction angiography (DSA) examinations from PAE procedures on 35 male pelvises (70 hemi-pelvises). Results: Our study has demonstrated that the most frequent origin of the prostatic artery (PA) is the internal pudendal artery (IPA), 37.1%, followed by the anterior gluteal trunk, 27.1%, and the superior vesical artery (SVA), 21.4%. Less frequent origins are the obturator artery (OBT), 11.4%, and the inferior gluteal artery (IGA), 2.8%. Conclusions: Compared to other studies, we notice some differences in the statistical results, but the most frequent origins remain the same. What is more important for young interventional radiologists is to be aware of all the possible origins of the PA in order to be able to offer a proper treatment to their patients. The important aspect that will ensure the success of the procedure without post-procedural complications is represented by the successful embolization of the targeted prostatic parenchyma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]