Grade-focused interactions in higher education: has the pursuit for good grades replaced learning?

Undergraduate science students face immense pressure, both internally and externally, to achieve certain grades. Grade-focused interactions between students and instructors have anecdotally been reported to be increasing. However, no empirical study has yet evaluated students' grade perceptions or the prevalence of these interactions.

Comparing Flap Advancement and Wound Coverage of Anterograde Homodigital Neurovascular Island Flap Designs: A Cadaveric Model.

Purpose: Anterograde homodigital neurovascular island flaps are a reconstructive option for volar fingertip injuries and confer the advantage of preserving fingertip sensation after surgery. However, the amount of flap advancement and wound coverage provided by stepwise and triangular flap designs remains unknown. This study sought to investigate how incremental proximal dissection of the pedicle influences flap advancement and whether advancement and/or coverage differ between the triangular and stepwise flap designs using 22 paired cadaveric digits.

Characterizing the autonomic neural connections between the abdominal aortic and superior hypogastric plexuses: A multimodal neuroanatomical study.

The aortic plexus serves as the primary gateway for sympathetic fibers innervating the pelvic viscera. Damage to this plexus and/or its associated branches can lead to an assortment of neurogenic complications such as bladder dysregulation or retrograde ejaculation. The neuroanatomy of this autonomic plexus has only recently been clarified in humans; as such, the precise function of its constituent fibers is still not clear.

Anatomical characterization of the inguinal lymph nodes using microcomputed tomography to inform radical inguinal lymph node dissections in penile cancer.

Background & Objectives: Radical inguinal lymph node dissections (rILND) for penile cancer risk significant postoperative lymphocele and lymphedema. However, reducing the risk of lymphatic complications is limited by our understanding of lymphatic anatomy. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the lymphatic anatomy within the current surgical borders of a rILND.

Lateral subvastus approach: A cadaveric examination of its potential for total knee arthroplasty.

Background: Lateral approaches to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) provide good surgical exposure and may provide greater ease of soft tissue balancing in patients with a valgus deformity; however, little is known about the versatility in non-valgus knees. The present study evaluated if a lateral subvastus approach can achieve adequate surgical exposure while maintaining less soft tissue damage compared with the medial parapatellar approach in knees without any significant deformity.

Methods: Using paired fresh-frozen cadaveric knees, the present study provides the first specimen-matched, side-by-side comparison of the lateral subvastus approach to the standard medial parapatellar approach to TKA.

Microcomputed Tomography Is a Precise Method That Allows for Topographical Characterization of Lymph Nodes and Lymphatic Vessels.

Surgical excision and/or radiation targeting of regional lymph nodes are an essential component in the clinical management of cancer. Importantly, a more accurate understanding of lymphatic anatomy could enable refinement of present treatment strategies. Given the spatial resolution limitations of contemporary imaging methods, our group sought to utilize noncontrast-enhanced microcomputed tomography (μCT) imaging to clarify regional lymphatic anatomy.

Accessory right spermatic ganglion: possible embryological basis and clinical significance.

The spermatic ganglia are collections of sympathetic neuron cell bodies located within the cords of the infrarenal aortic plexus, positioned at the origin of the testicular arteries in males. During routine dissection of the aortic plexus at our institution, one specimen exhibited a second (accessory) testicular artery on the right side that coursed retrocaval. Histology was used to confirm the presence of an accessory right spermatic ganglion at the base of the accessory retrocaval testicular artery.

The anatomy of the infrarenal lumbar splanchnic nerves in human cadavers: implications for retroperitoneal nerve-sparing surgery.

Injury to the nerves of the aortic- and superior hypogastric plexuses during retroperitoneal surgery often results in significant post-operative complications, including retrograde ejaculation and/or loss of seminal emission in males. Although previous characterizations of these plexuses have done well to provide a basis for understanding the typical anatomy, additional research into the common variations of these plexuses could further optimize nerve-sparing techniques for retroperitoneal surgery. To achieve this, the present study aimed to document the prevalence and positional variability of the infrarenal lumbar splanchnic nerves (LSNs) through gross dissection of 26 human cadavers.

Fiber type composition of the palmaris brevis muscle: implications for palmar function.

The palmaris brevis (PB) is a small muscle of variant morphology located on the ulnar aspect of the palm, superficial to the hypothenar eminence. Functionally, the PB has been proposed to protect the neurovasculature of the ulnar canal from compressive forces during repetitive or intermittent trauma associated with grasping. Although PB function has been inferred from cadaveric observations, it is unknown whether it has the contractile capacity and fatigue-resistance necessary to withstand these functional demands.

Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection: Anatomical and Technical Considerations from a Cadaveric Study.

Purpose: Metastatic testis cancer in the retroperitoneum presents a technical challenge to urologists in the primary and post-chemotherapy settings. Where possible, bilateral nerve sparing retroperitoneal lymph node dissection should be performed in an effort to preserve ejaculatory function. However, this is often difficult to achieve, given the complex neurovascular anatomy.

Histological verification of the prehypogastric and ovarian ganglia confirms a bilaterally symmetrical organization of the ganglia comprising the aortic plexus in female human cadavers.

The aortic plexus is a network of sympathetic nerves positioned along the infrarenal abdominal aorta. Recently, we characterized the aortic plexus and its ganglia (inferior mesenteric, left/right spermatic, and prehypogastric ganglion) in males; however, the literature minimally describes its anatomy in females. In the present study, we conducted the first histological examination of the left and right ovarian ganglia, while also investigating whether females, like males, exhibit a prehypogastric ganglion.

The lumbar arteries and veins: Quantification of variable anatomical positioning with application to retroperitoneal surgery.

The lumbar arteries and veins are segmentally arranged vessels in the abdomen that supply the vertebrae and posterior abdominal/paravertebral muscles. Recent studies have indicated that these vessels have a tendency to vary from the classical description of bilateral pairing. The objective of this study was to more accurately characterize the anatomy of the lumbar vessels through the dissection of 22 cadaveric specimens and examination of 41 patients' computed tomography angiography scans.

Anatomy of the nerves and ganglia of the aortic plexus in males.

It is well accepted that the aortic plexus is a network of pre- and post-ganglionic nerves overlying the abdominal aorta, which is primarily involved with the sympathetic innervation to the mesenteric, pelvic and urogenital organs. Because a comprehensive anatomical description of the aortic plexus and its connections with adjacent plexuses are lacking, these delicate structures are prone to unintended damage during abdominal surgeries. Through dissection of fresh, frozen human cadavers (n = 7), the present study aimed to provide the first complete mapping of the nerves and ganglia of the aortic plexus in males.