The use of reflective practice to promote pharmacy students’ metacognition in a foundation anatomy course

Students’ ability to characterise their learning approaches has the potential to enhance their overall educational experience and guide educators to tailor their pedagogical approaches. The aim here, through students’ reflective practice, is to promote their metacognition. Also, to gain insights to pharmacy students’ initial approaches to studying anatomy and their perceived value of anatomy as a subject. The study also aimed to contextually capture students’ perceptions on their transition from secondary to tertiary education. This cross-sectional study entailed the use of reflective practice to promote metacognition in first year pharmacy students (Bachelors of Pharmacy students (n = 67)), at the University of Namibia’s School of Pharmacy. Results of this study indicate the initial learning approaches of most students to be haphazard. Students used varied, non-departmental resources to guide their learning whilst a few followed structured learning approaches. Results further indicate that students’ gradual transition and evolving metacognition appear to start during the initial few months of tertiary education. This transition appears to include feelings of apprehension, uncertainty and distress. Reflective practice creates awareness amongst students of possible gaps in their learning approaches and promote the value of anatomy as an  undergraduate subject. Data suggests that the formal incorporation of reflective practice as a metacognitive learning activity promotes students’metacognition by elucidating possible gaps in their learning approaches.Keywords: Learning approaches, anatomy, pharmacy students, reflective practice, metacognitio

Congenital anomalies in the vertebral column associated with thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2017ENGLISH ABSTRACT : According to Byrd & Comiskey (2016), disrupted ossification during development results in abnormal skeletal development. A study conducted on congenital anomalies by Masnicová & Beňuš (2003), stipulated that most skeletal congenital defects are located in the vertebral column. The most common skeletal defects of the vertebral column are neural tube defects (NTD’s), spondylolysis and cranial-caudal border shifts (Masnicová & Beňuš 2003). In reviewed literature, case studies have reported various congenital defects that are simultaneously present within the vertebral column of an individual. There is, however, a lack of evidence to substantiate whether the mutually inclusive observations resulted by chance, or whether an association between the defects is present. The aim of this study was to determine whether associations exist among random congenital defects in the vertebral column. The objective of this study was to identify and determine the frequency of random congenital defects from a subset of defects in the vertebral column. A selection of skeletal remains were taken (n=35) from a subset in the Kirsten Skeletal Collection at Stellenbosch University. The subset comprised specimens from the population (N=±1100) with congenital defects in the vertebral column that has a reviewed prevalence of 0.5/1000 worldwide. This study hypothesised that there is an association between random congenital defects that results from border shifts or disrupted neural arch formation. The congenital defects considered in the study included: lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV), thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae (TLTV), spondylolysis, NTD’s and sacro-coccygeal fusion. Descriptive analysis was performed to determine the frequencies of defects in the selection. The descriptive analyses are illustrated in frequency distribution tables for each type of defect evaluated in the study. This study found that every specimen in the selection had TLTV and one or more additional random congenital defect in the vertebral column. Based on the finding, it can be claimed that an association exists between TLTV and other congenital defects of the vertebral column. TLTV were identified based on intermediary characteristics between the thoracic and lumbar regions present in the vertebra. This study concludes that when TLTV is present, it will be associated with one or more random defect in the vertebral column discussed in this study. The association between TLTV and other congenital defects provides an indirect association between all cases where various congenital defects are simultaneously present.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Volgens Byrd & Comiskey (2016), wanneer ossifisering tydens ontwikkeling ontwrig word, lei dit tot abnormale skelet strukture. 'n Studie wat deur Masnicová & Beňuš (2003) voltooi was het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat meeste van die aangebore skeletgebreke in die vertebrale kolom geleë was. Die mees algemene skeletgebreke van die vertebrale kolom word deur ontwikkelingsagterstande van die vertebrale elemente veroorsaak (Masnicová & Beňuš 2003). In die literatuur meld gevalstuddies verskeie aangebore gebreke aan wat binne die vertebrale kolom van individue teenwoordig is. Daar is egter nie genoeg bewyse om te staaf of die waarnemings met mekaar assosieer kan word en of dit toevalig voorgekom het nie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om gebreke van 'n substel van gebreke in die vertebrale kolom vorm te identifiseer en om te evalueer of die gebreke met mekaar assosieer is. ‘n Seleksie van vertebrale kolomme (n = 35) is geneem uit 'n substel groep van die Kirsten skeletversameling by Stellenbosch Universiteit. Hierdie studie het voorspel dat daar ‘n assosiasie tussen verskeie aangebore gebreke in die vertebrale kolom is. Hierdie studie het bevind dat torakale en lumbale oorgangswerwels in al die skelete van die seleksie beskou kon word. Daar was, boonop, ten minste een ander addisionele aangebore afwyking in die vertebrale kolom van elke individu se skelet. Gebaseer op die bevinding, kom hierdie studie tot die gevolgtrekking dat 'n assosiasie tussen tarokale-lumbale oorgangs werwels en ander verskeie gebreke van die vertebrale kolom bestaan

Quantitative differentiation of thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae : possible embryological origins and associations with other anomalies in the vertebral column

INTRODUCTION: Transitional vertebrae result from overlapping developmental fields in the spine and can be located at any regional junction in the vertebral column. Consequently, transitional vertebrae retain features from the two respective adjacent regions. Based on the current literature, a need to further investigate TLTV with regards to repeatable differentiation, classification and clinical significance had been identified. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Therefore, this project aimed to identify vertebral anomalies and to determine whether TLTV can be quantitatively differentiated from thoracic and lumbar vertebrae using skeletal remains from Pretoria and the Western Cape of South Africa (n=287). This was achieved by measuring the superior zygapophyseal facet angle. This project also evaluated whether the measuring tool can be applied to living persons. Therefore this study additionally aimed to evaluate whether measurements can be used to differentiate vertebrae at the thoracolumbar junction using CT scans (n=175) representative of the Windhoek population in Namibia. This study also aimed to evaluate whether associations exist among congenital malformations of the spine and to explore the embryological events that lead to the formation of various anomalies in the spine. RESULTS: The results show that the prevalence of TLTV ranges between 7.5% (Windhoek), 30% (Western Cape) and 33.2% (Pretoria) in the reference samples. The results also clearly demonstrate that each vertebral type (thoracic, lumbar, TLTV) falls into separate distributions and confidence intervals. The results show that the mean angles and confidence intervals in skeletal remains for T12 is 189 ±9.5o (CI: 188o-190o), 110.6o ±7.88 (CI: 109.7o - 111.6o) for L1, and 137o ± 24.11 (CI: 133.5o - 140.5o) for TLTV. The mean confidence interval in CT-scans for T12 is 182.8 ± 10.4o (CI: 181.6o-183.9o), 112.3 ± 7.27o (CI: 111.5o-113o) for L1, and 136 ± 23.18o (CI: 125o- 147o) for TLTV. These results infer that each type of vertebra has independent measurable criteria to identify it. High correlation coefficients demonstrated the repeatability of the measurements using skeletal remains (0.94 < r < 0.97) and CT-scans (0.978< r < 0.997). CONCLUSION: The results strongly infer that quantitative morphometry from the superior articular facets of vertebrae can differentiate between T12, L1 and TLTV using radio-images or skeletal remains. This study also concludes that individuals with one defect or congenital malformation in the spine are more likely to have at least one other associated anomaly of the spine.Thesis (PhD (Anatomy))--University of Pretoria, 2021.AnatomyPhD (Anatomy)Unrestricte

Retracted: The use of reflective practice to promote pharmacy students’ metacognition in a foundation anatomy course

This article has been retracted.Students’ ability to characterise their learning approaches has the potential to enhance their overall educational experience and guides educators to tailor their pedagogical approaches. The aim here, through students’ reflective practice, is to promote their metacognition. Also, to gain insights to pharmacy students’ initial approaches to studying anatomy and their perceived value of anatomy as a subject. The study also aimed to contextually capture students’ perceptions on their transition from secondary to tertiary education. This cross-sectional study entailed the use of reflective practice to promote metacognition in first year pharmacy students (Bachelors of Pharmacy students (n = 67)), at the University of Namibia’s School of Pharmacy. Results of this study indicate the initial learning approaches of most students to be haphazard. Students used varied, non-departmental resources to guide their learning whilst a few followed structured learning approaches. Results further indicate that students’ gradual transition and evolving metacognition appear to start during the initial few months of tertiary education. This transition appears to include feelings of apprehension, uncertainty and distress. Reflective practice appears creates awareness amongst students of possible gaps in their learning approaches and promote the value of anatomy as an undergraduate subject. Data suggests that the formal incorporation of reflective practice as a metacognitive learning activity promotes students’ metacognition by elucidating possible gaps in their learning approaches.Keywords: Learning approaches, anatomy, pharmacy students, reflective practice, metacognitio

Vertebrae at the thoracolumbar junction : a quantitative assessment using CT scans

The thoracolumbar junction is often associated with traumatic injuries, due to its biomechanical instability. Reasons for this instability are currently still under debate; however, contributing factors such as the rapid change in spinal curvature and facet orientation from the thoracic to lumbar transition have been implicated. Normally, the superior facet orientation in the thoracic region is angled in a coronal plane, whereas vertebrae in the lumbar region have facets angled in the sagittal plane. Distinguishing between thoracic, lumbar, and transitional vertebrae at the thoracolumbar junction based on articular facet angles, using quantitative methods on CT scans has, to the authors' knowledge, not yet been reported in the literature. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate whether quantitative measurements can be clinically applied and used to differentiate vertebrae at the thoracolumbar junction using CT scans and, additionally, to record possible cases of congenital defects or variations observed in the spine. A sample (n = 173) of CT scans representative of the Windhoek population in Namibia was retrospectively assessed using radio-imaging software. Measurements of the angle formed by the superior facets of the vertebrae at the thoracolumbar junction (T11-L1) were recorded. Based on the results of this study, quantitative morphometry of the superior facet of vertebrae can differentiate between thoracic, lumbar,. and transitional vertebrae at the thoracolumbar junction. All individuals with identified thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae (TLTV) in this sample had at least one other congenital anomaly of the spine.http://www.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/joa2022-12-27hj2022Anatom