CMV can be demonstrated and quantified in perilymphatic fluid using QRTPCR. Refinements in our technique and sampling of perilymphatic fluid from a large population of children with congenital SNHL and unknown etiology can determine the prevalence of CMV-mediated profound HL.
Introduction
A delay in endogenous biological rhythms is assumed to cause undergraduate students to be “night owls,” but neurodevelopmental effects may only partially explain chronotype (circadian preference). Instead, perceived chronotype in students may result from poor sleep hygiene practices including bedtime social media use, afternoon caffeine consumption, and daytime napping. If so, then chronotype should be malleable in students to the extent that behavioral choices change.
Methods
We surveyed 1,120 undergraduate students who were enrolled in STEM courses across up to 3 time points during the semester. The survey assessed perceived chronotype (morning/evening type), global sleep quality, and daily habits that impact alertness and sleep hygiene (e.g., social media usage and timing, caffeine consumption and timing, and napping behavior).
Results
Relative to Morning Types, students who perceived themselves as being Evening Types showed 23.1% greater bedtime social media usage (t=3.14, p=.002), 35.1% greater daytime napping duration (t=4.44, p<.001), and a 44 minute later average time of caffeine consumption (even though total caffeine consumption was reduced; t=2.30, p=.022). Evening Types also reported lower subjective health (t=3.55, p<.001), with 14.2% of the association between chronotype and subjective health being mediated by bedtime social media use (direct effect: b=0.050, p=.002; indirect effect: b=0.009, p<.05). Ninety-one students reported switching from being Evening Types at baseline to Morning Types at a later survey; those who switched to Morning Types used less social media and consumed less caffeine after 5pm and they showed significant improvements across the semester in sleep duration, sleep quality, and exam scores (ps<.05).
Conclusion
Perceived chronotype is related to social media and caffeine consumption behaviors and is modifiable. Students who perceive themselves as night owls may find better health and academic success if they behave like morning larks.
Support
National Science Foundation (DRL 1920730)
Human anatomy is a challenging subject for undergraduate students due to the volume of structures and associated complex terminology. The weekly anatomy lab component adds a level of complexity due to the time required to complete each cat dissection (24 students/lab). The prosection projects started in the fall of 2016 and have since continued. The anatomy class consists of 4 labs in the fall, followed by 5 labs in the spring semester. To help students engage with the course content, improve their level of understanding and improve the quality of the dissections Baylor University introduced a rotating peer‐to‐peer teaching activity. Each week a group of 4 students completed the required dissection (i.e., brachial plexus) prior to the scheduled lab. Subsequently during the scheduled lab session this group of 4 students became temporary lab assistants by helping the other 20 students with their own dissections. Additionally, the 4 students conducted a formal presentation to their classmates about their dissection and answered functional and structural questions under the guidance of Dr. Parizi‐Robinson. End of course surveys indicated that students enjoyed both the giving and receiving portion of this activity and enjoyed the level of engagement and increased level of understanding. Therefore, this rotational peer‐to‐peer teaching activity seems to be an effective active educational tool for students' and may be beneficial for other institutions to consider.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
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