In order to improve learning efficiency and memory retention in medical teaching, furthering active learning seems to be an effective alternative to classical teaching. One option to make active exploration of the subject matter possible is the use of virtual reality (VR) technology. The authors developed an immersive anatomy atlas which allows users to explore human anatomical structures interactively through virtual dissection. Thirty-two senior-class students from two German high schools with no prior formal medical training were separated into two groups and tasked with answering an anatomical questionnaire. One group used traditional anatomical textbooks and the other used the immersive virtual reality atlas. The time needed to answer the questions was measured.Several weeks later, the participants answered a similar questionnaire with different anatomical questions in order to test memory retention. The VR group took significantly less time to answer the questionnaire, and participants from the VR group had significantly better results over both tests.Based on the results of this study, VR learning seems to be more efficient and to have better longterm effects for the study of anatomy. The reason for that could lie in the VR environment's high immersion, and the possibility to freely and interactively explore a realistic representation of human anatomy. Immersive VR technology offers many possibilities for medical teaching and training, especially as a support for cadaver dissection courses.

Objectives: Validation of a German version of the ThyPRO-39 questionnaire for quality of life (QoL) in patients with benign thyroid diseases. Design: Internal consistency, retest-reliability and validity were to be assessed in a test-retest study. Methods: The ThyPRO-39 was translated based on standard methodology. A sample of 98 patients with benign thyroid diseases was tested with the ThyPRO-39de and the generic EuroQol 5D-5L. 44 patients with stable symptoms after 2 weeks formed the repeated-measures sample. Cronbach’s alpha was calculated for the ThyPRO-39de composite score and for each disease specific scale. Intraclass correlations between the original and the repeated measures sample were calculated for each scale as well as Pearson correlations between various ThyPRO scales and the EuroQol. T-Tests were used to test for differences in the goiter and hyperthyroid symptom scales between relevant patient groups and other patients. Results: Internal consistency was between satisfactory and good, except for two scales (Tiredness and Cosmetic complaints/appearance). The test-retest correlation was between 0.62 and 0.8 for most scales, but below 0.5 for two scales (Tiredness and Impaired social life). There were significant correlations between the EuroQol index score and most aspects of the ThyPRO-39de. Only hyperthyroid symptoms scale was specific for the relevant patient group (Graves’ disease). Conclusion: The ThyPRO-39de may be recommended for use in clinical and research settings, especially with regards to the composite score. However, the underlying thyroid disease should always be kept in mind when interpreting the test results. A larger sample would be needed to implement further improvements.

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The relationship between political ideology and brain activity has captured the fascination of scientists and the public alike. Using approaches from cognitive neuroscience to provide insights into deeply held and personal beliefs requires careful navigation, with the application of robust methods that generate replicable results. A hallmark study in this area from Amodio et al. (2007) reported that brain components reflective of conflict monitoring and inhibition (namely the ERN [error-related negativity] and N2) are heightened in individuals who self-identify as liberal compared to conservative. While the study is highly influential and well-cited in the scientific literature, no direct replications of their findings exist and as such, this work was selected as a target replication for the #EEGManyLabs initiative. This cross-cultural multi-site study (N=320) will conduct a thorough replication of the Amodio et al. (2007) study, strictly adhering to the original protocol, namely by administering a Go/No-Go task with simultaneous EEG recording and a one-item scale asking participants to rate the extent to which they are liberal or conservative. We will supplement the original study with new measures that may better correspond to political identity in non-US contexts, such as religiosity, dogmatism, and traditionalism. In line with the original study, we will conduct correlational analyses between self-identified liberalism and ERN/N2 amplitudes. In addition, Bayesian linear regressions will be used to provide robust estimates of the strength of association between other components of political ideology and electrophysiological signals.

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