Isolated Obesity Is Not Enough to Impair Cardiac Autonomic Modulation in Metabolically Healthy Men

Purpose: To evaluate whether excess body mass influences the heart rate variability (HRV) indexes at rest, and to correlate adiposity indicators and the aerobic fitness with cardiac autonomic variables in metabolically healthy young adults. Method: In all, 41 untrained males (M_age = 21.80, SD = 2.14 years), 14 normal weight (M_BMI = 22.28, SD = 1.86 kg?m^?2), 11 overweight (M_BMI = 26.95, SD = 1.43 kg?m^?2), and 16 obese (M_BMI = 33.58, SD = 3.06 kg?m^?2) metabolically healthy (normal values of blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol), underwent evaluations of the HRV at rest and of the peak oxygen consumption (VO₂ peak) during maximal exercise on a cycle ergometer. Results: Blood pressure, heart rate, HRV indexes, casual blood glucose, oxidative stress, and antioxidant activity did not differ among the groups. The VO₂ peak (mL?kg^?1?min^?1) was lower in the obese group compared with the normal weight and overweight groups. The body mass (r = ?.40 to ?.45) and abdominal circumference (r = ?.39 to ?.52) were slightly to moderately correlated with SD1, SD2, RMSSD, SDNN, pNN50, LF, and HF indexes and total power. The VO₂ peak (mL?kg^?1?min^?1) was slightly to moderately correlated (r = .48 to .51) with SD2, SDNN, and LF indexes in the individuals with excess body mass. Conclusion: Cardiac autonomic modulation at rest was preserved in metabolically healthy obese young men. However, the indicators of adiposity, as well as the aerobic fitness were correlated with cardiac autonomic modulation in the individuals with excess body mass.     

Anatomical knowledge retention in third‐year medical students prior to obstetrics and gynecology and surgery rotations

Surgical anatomy is taught early in medical school training. The literature shows that many physicians, especially surgical specialists, think that anatomical knowledge of medical students is inadequate and nesting of anatomical sciences later in the clinical curriculum may be necessary. Quantitative data concerning this perception of an anatomical knowledge deficit are lacking, as are specifics as to what content should be reinforced. This study identifies baseline areas of strength and weakness in the surgical anatomy knowledge of medical students entering surgical rotations. Third‐year medical students completed a 20–25‐question test at the beginning of the General Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynecology rotations. Knowledge of inguinal anatomy (45.3%), orientation in abdominal cavity (38.8%), colon (27.7%), and esophageal varices (12.8%) was poor. The numbers in parentheses are the percentage of questions answered correctly per topic. In comparing those scores to matched test items from this cohort as first‐year students in the anatomy course, the drop in retention overall was very significant (P = 0.009) from 86.9 to 51.5%. Students also scored lower in questions relating to pelvic organs (46.7%), urogenital development (54.0%), pulmonary development (17.8%), and pregnancy (17.8%). These data showed that indeed, knowledge of surgical anatomy is poor for medical students entering surgical clerkships. These data collected will be utilized to create interactive learning modules, aimed at improving clinically relevant anatomical knowledge retention. These modules, which will be available to students during their inpatient surgical rotations, connect basic anatomy principles to clinical cases, with the ultimate goal of closing the anatomical knowledge gap. Anat Sci Educ 7: 461–468. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.     

Dealing with errors in mathematics classrooms: Structure and relevance of perceived error climate

Errors are often perceived by students as self-threatening and not as learning opportunities. The present work focuses on contextual influences on reactions to errors and learning processes. Based on prior research, a conceptualization of perceived error climate in the classroom with eight subdimensions and one superordinate uniform factor is proposed and a newly developed student questionnaire for its assessment is presented. Results of a study with N = 1116 students from 56 mathematics classrooms in German secondary schools indicated the validity of the error climate conceptualization and the suitability of the questionnaire. Moreover, the results showed that perceived error climate in the classroom predicted the adaptivity of students’ individual reactions to errors above and beyond perceived classroom goal structures and personal achievement motivation (academic self-concept, mastery goal orientation). In addition, the study provided evidence that perceived error climate affects – partially mediated through students’ individual reactions to errors – the quantity and self-regulation of students’ effort.     

The sound of study: Student experiences of listening in the university soundscape

The students from three universities (Groningen, Oldenburg and the University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht) were surveyed on the experience of hearing and listening in their studies. Included in the online survey were established questionnaires on hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis, a subscale on psychosocial strain resulting from impaired hearing and a questionnaire about students’ perceptions of listening ease in study environments. Results from the 10,466 students who completed the survey (13% response rate) are highlighted, with particular attention to listening ease and measures proposed by students for improving it. The number of students having problems with hearing and listening transpires to be substantially larger when research is not constrained to students with a recognised hearing impairment, suggesting that listening is primarily a sociocultural performance and achievement rather than an artefact of physical attributes. One finding from our survey is that classroom practices could be more effective if study soundscapes are improved, while universities might exercise greater inclusive responsibility for study as a high quality sensory experience for the benefit of all students.     

Higher Education as a Range of Educational Activities for Student Teachers

Summary Taking German experience as her point of departure, the author pleads for a practice‐based reform of secondary teacher education in universities by counter‐balancing the traditional overaccentuation of theory and abstract cognitive learning. A broader concept of practice and the suggestion of a ’partial isomorphism’ of universities and schools lead to the definition of higher education courses as practice and as fields of educational activities. In training seminars, student teachers have particular opportunities of profession‐oriented experiences and insights. If they learn, from the very beginning of their studies, to interpret the seminar sessions as learning situations and to organise them deliberately in cooperation with the seminar leaders, they can build the first elements of professional competence. The article reports how this conception of teacher education as field of, and preparation for, practice has been realised in an introductory seminar for freshmen at the Ruhruniversitat Bochum.     

Cognitive maps and the structure of observed learning outcome assessment of physiotherapy students’ ethical reasoning knowledge

Assessment of student learning in complex areas is challenging, particularly when there is interest in students’ deeper understanding and connectivity of concepts. Assessment of ethics learning has been limited by lack of consensus regarding what is effective and an overfocus on quantification at the expense of clinical or ethical relevance. Cognitive maps provide one means to evaluate depth and personal meaning of students’ ethics knowledge. A pre-/post-test design using cognitive maps and the structure of observed learning outcome (SOLO) taxonomy was used to assess student learning on completion of a six-week intensive ethics course. Thirty-seven students completed the research. Student learning was supported by significant changes in component (content, labelling, relationships and structure/visual message), and total pre- and post-test cognitive map scores, and significant change in pre- and post-test SOLO scores. A strong relationship was found between cognitive map improvement and SOLO improvement. Student written commentaries describing their post-test cognitive map provided a richer, more elaborated account of their understanding that qualitatively enhanced their cognitive maps. Cognitive maps offer an alternative to traditional ethics assessment strategies.