BackgroundAs preclinical medical students start and/or enter the course, they go through the anatomy curriculum, which involves interaction with cadavers and cadaveric material. The objective of this study was to determine the reactions of preclinical medical students from year two and year three to the dissecting room.MethodsQuestionnaire was distributed to all second and third year medical students. The questionnaire was designed with the objective of identifying specific patterns of attitudes held and problems faced by the students in their first exposure to the human cadaver. The results are analyzed statistically using the SPSS 16.0 software and P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe commonest symptoms experienced were loss of appetite (43.29% year 2 and 34.86 % third year students). The commonest cause of their symptoms was studied and the result shows that it was the smell of the dissection room, as reported by 67.01% of year two students; and 54.12% for year 3 students.ConclusionThe present study findings show that smell of the dissection room, touch and fear of cadaver were the commonest cause of their symptoms experienced while study in dissection room for the majority of students. Thus, instructors are should give awareness raising education before the commencement of the dissection session to the students both mentally and emotionally ready to do their work enthusiastically and confidently. Moreover, it is necessary to make the laboratory tidy for the students so that they develop a love for the dissection room.

Interkinetic nuclear migration (INM) is a cell polarity-based phenomenon in which progenitor cell nuclei migrate along the apico-basal axis of the pseudostratified epithelium in synchrony with the cell cycle. INM is suggested to be at least partially cytoskeleton-dependent and to regulate not only the proliferation/differentiation of stem/progenitor cells but also the localized/overall size and shape of organs/tissues. INM occurs in all three of the germ-layer derived epithelia, including the endoderm-derived gut. However, INM has not been documented in the esophagus and respiratory tube arising from the anterior foregut. Esophageal atresia with or without trachea-esophageal fistula (EA/TEF) is a relatively common developmental defect. Transcription factors and signaling molecules have been implicated in EA/TEF, but the etiology of EA/TEF-which has been suggested to involve cell polarity-related mechanisms-remains highly controversial. In the present study, we first examined whether INM exists in the trachea and esophagus of mouse embryos at embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5), just after separation of the two tubes from the anterior foregut. By labeling the DNA-synthesizing stem cell nuclei with 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, a nucleotide analogue, and statistically analyzing chronological changes in the distribution pattern of the labeled nuclei by using multidimensional scaling, we showed the existence of INM in both the esophagus and trachea, with differences in the INM magnitude and cycle pattern. We further showed morphological changes from the INM-based pseudostratified single layer to the stratified multilayer in the esophageal epithelium in association with a temporal loss/perturbation of AB polarity, suggesting a possible relation with the pathogenesis of EA/TEF.

The apico-basal (AB) polarity of epithelial cells is maintained by organized arrays of the cytoskeleton and adhesion apparatus. We previously reported that mouse embryonic esophageal epithelium exhibits interkinetic nuclear migration (INM), an AB-polarity-based regulatory mechanism of stem-cell proliferation, and suggested that the pseudostratified single columnar epithelium, a hallmark of INM, is converted to stratified squamous epithelium via rearrangement of the cytoskeleton and cell-adhesion apparatus. Here, we chronologically examined morphological changes in the cytoskeleton and adhesion apparatus in the mouse esophageal epithelium at embryonic day (E) 11.5, E13.5, E14.5, and E15.5, during which epithelial conversion has been suggested to occur. We used phalloidin to examine the apical terminal web (ATW), immunofluorescent anti-zonula occludens protein (ZO-1) antibody to reveal ZO-1, and anti-gamma tubulin antibody to detect primary cilia (PC). At E11.5, a thick ATW, apically oriented ZO-1 and apical PC were observed, indicating a pseudostratified single columnar structure. At E13.5 and E14.5, the phalloidin-staining, ZO-1, and PC distribution patterns were not apically localized, and the epithelial cells appeared to have lost the AB polarity, suggesting conversion of the epithelial structure and cessation of INM. At E15.5, light and transmission electron microscope observations revealed the ATW, ZO-1, PC, and tight junction which were localized into two-1ayers: the apical and subapical layers of the epithelium. These findings suggest that dynamic remodeling of the cytoskeleton and adhesion apparatus is involved in the conversion from pseudostratified single columnar to stratified squamous morphology and is closely related with temporal perturbation of the AB-polarity and cessation of INM.

Introduction The basic knowledge about the morphology, variation, diameter, and wall thickness of the radial artery is very important for clinicians to make precise decisions in matters such as performing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using catheterization. Materials and Methods This was a descriptive study involving the dissection of 78 upper limbs (39 right, 39 left) of the cadavers of 18 adult females and 21 adult males in the age range between 25 and 77 years old whose radial artery and its branches were exposed. The measurement of the radial artery was taken at its origin from the brachial artery at the cubital fossa and at the wrist joint. Results The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the internal diameter of the right radial artery at the wrist joint was 2.79 ± 1.10 mm, and the mean ± (SD) of the internal diameter of the left radial artery at the wrist joint was 2.66 ± 0.94 mm. The paired samples t-test showed that this difference was not statistically significant (t-test [t] [degree of freedom (df) = 38] = 1.19; p-value = 0.24). The mean ± SD of the left internal diameter of the radial artery at the wrist joint was 2.56 ± 1.06 mm in males, and 2.77 ± 0.80 mm in females. This difference was also not statistically significant (t [df = 37] = -0.68; p = 0.12). There was also no significant difference in vessel thickness and in the bifurcation angle either between the left and right limbs or between genders. Conclusion The diameter of the radial artery in the Ethiopian population is comparable to that of other populations, and its size is adequate for the most commonly used radial catheters.

Introduction: The present study is to provide comprehensive data concerning the morphology of brachial artery which has a clinical significance for clinicians, orthopedics, vascular surgeons and anatomists. Materials and Methods: Routine dissections of the right and left upper limb of 34 adult cadavers (20 male and 14 female: mean age 78.9 year) were undertaken. It investigates the characteristics of the brachial artery such as the internal diameter, external diameter, wall thickness and distance of bifurcation of brachial artery. Results: The mean of the external and internal diameters of the brachial artery from proximal to distal ranged from 6.87-5.35 mm respectively. The bifurcation of the brachial artery from the head of radius into its terminal branch radial and ulnar artery ranged from 13.49-13.79 mm, while the distance of bifurcation of common interosseous from origin of the ulnar artery ranged from 33.11-33.45 mm. The angle of bifurcation of the radial and ulnar arteries from the brachial artery ranged from 5.79-7.33° and 18.640-19.36° respectively. Due to variability of the brachial artery in the upper limb, the surgical and invasive procedures are performed in the region such as artificial arterial-venous fistula become more difficult and may result in iatrogenic injury. Conclusion: Therefore, it is a clinical significant for surgeons to known the variable morphology and course of brachial artery to minimize surgical complication prior to operation.