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Several alternatives to formalin-stored physical specimens have been described in medical literature, but only a few studies have addressed the issue of learning outcomes when these materials were employed. The aim of this study was to conduct a prospective controlled study to assess student performance in learning anatomic pathology when adding three-dimensional (3D) virtual models as adjunct teaching materials in the study of macroscopic lesions. Third-year medical students (n = 501) enrolled at the Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Timisoara, Romania, were recruited to participate. Student performance was assessed through questionnaires. Students performed worse with new method, with poorer results in terms of overall (mean 77.6% ±SD 11.8% vs. 83.6% ±10.5) and individual question scores (percentage of questions with maximum score 34.6% ±25.6 vs. 47.7 ± 24.6). This decreased performance was generalizable, as it was observed across all language divisions and was independent of the teaching assistant involved in the process. In an open-ended feedback evaluation of the new 3D specimens, most students agreed that the new method was better, bringing arguments both for and against these models. Although subjectively the students found the novel teaching materials to be more helpful, their learning performance decreased. A wider implementation as well as exposure to the technique and use of virtual specimens in medical teaching could improve the students' performance outcome by accommodating the needs for novel teaching materials for digital natives.

The paper presents the implementation of the electronic control for the monopost BS16 built by BlueStreamline team at Transilvania University of Brasov to take part at Formula Student racings in 2016. Two electronic modules have been designed, implemented, tested and integrated in the system: the power module and the steering wheel electronic module. The electronic modules are communicating over CAN bus. The current implementation offers steering wheel interface for the pilot, increased protection functions and increased reliability through the design and verification technologies that have been used and by redesigning the software driving the electronic control.

A new Co II /Co III hexanuclear complex, [Co 4 II Co 2 III (dea) 2 (Hdea) 4 )(piv) 4 ](ClO 4 ) 2 ·H 2 O 1 , has been obtained by reacting cobalt(II) perchlorate, diethanolamine, and pivalic acid (H 2 dea = diethanolamine and piv = pivalato anion). The cobalt ions are held together by four μ 3 and four μ 2 alkoxo bridges as well as by four syn – syn carboxylato groups. The hexanuclear motif contains four Co(II) and two Co(III) ions. The {Co II 4 Co III 2 (μ 2 -O) 4 (μ 3 -O) 4 } core can be described as a four face-sharing monovacant and bivacant distorted heterocubane units. The cobalt(III) ions are hexacoordinated. Two of the cobalt(II) are hexacoordinated, while the two others are pentacoordinated with a bipyramidal stereochemistry. The magnetic properties of 1 have been investigated in the temperature range 1.9–300 K. Compound 1 exhibits an overall antiferromagnetic behaviour with a ground singlet spin state.