A novel computerized test for detecting and monitoring visual attentional deficits and delirium in the ICU

Objectives: Delirium in the ICU is associated with poor outcomes but is under-detected. Here we evaluated performance of a novel, graded test for objectively detecting inattention in delirium, implemented on a custom-built computerized device (Edinburgh Delirium Test Box–ICU). Design: A pilot study was conducted, followed by a prospective case-control study. Setting: Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh General ICU. Patients: A pilot study was conducted in an opportunistic sample of 20 patients. This was followed by a validation study in 30 selected patients with and without delirium (median age, 63 yr; range, 23–84) who were assessed with the Edinburgh Delirium Test Box–ICU on up to 5 separate days. Presence of delirium was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU. Measurements and Main Results: The Edinburgh Delirium Test Box–ICU involves a behavioral assessment and a computerized test of attention, requiring patients to count slowly presented lights. Thirty patients were assessed a total of 79 times (n = 31, 23, 15, 8, and 2 for subsequent assessments; 38% delirious). Edinburgh Delirium Test Box–ICU scores (range, 0–11) were lower for patients with delirium than those without at the first (median, 0 vs 9.5), second (median, 3.5 vs 9), and third (median, 0 vs 10.5) assessments (all p < 0.001). An Edinburgh Delirium Test Box–ICU score less than or equal to 5 was 100% sensitive and 92% specific to delirium across assessments. Longitudinally, participants’ Edinburgh Delirium Test Box–ICU performance was associated with delirium status. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the Edinburgh Delirium Test Box–ICU has diagnostic utility in detecting ICU delirium in patients with Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale Score greater than –3. The Edinburgh Delirium Test Box–ICU has potential additional value in longitudinally tracking attentional deficits because it provides a range of scores and is sensitive to change

Systemic restoration of UBA1 ameliorates disease in spinal muscular atrophy

Acknowledgments Blood biochemistry analysis and serum analysis were performed by the Easter Bush Pathology Department, University of Edinburgh. Animal husbandry was performed by Centre for Integrative Physiology bio-research restructure technical staff, University of Edinburgh. Assistance with intravenous injections was provided by Ian Coldicott (University of Sheffield) and Hannah Shorrock (University of Edinburgh). Human blood cDNA was a gift to GH from Kathy Evans, University of Edinburgh. Imaging was performed at the IMPACT imaging facility, University of Edinburgh, with technical assistance from Anisha Kubasik-Thayil. The authors would also like to thank Lyndsay Murray for technical discussions relating to qRT-PCR analysis. This work was supported by funding from the SMA Trust and the Anatomical Society (via grants to THG); the Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research (via grants to THG and SHP); the Wellcome Trust (via grants to EJNG and THG); Muscular Dystrophy UK (via grants to THG and CGB); a Elphinstone Scholarship from the University of Aberdeen (to SHP); and The French Muscular Dystrophy Association (via grants to CM and JC).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Aberdeen's 'Toun College': Marischal College, 1593-1623

While debate has arisen in the past two decades regarding the foundation of Edinburgh University, by contrast the foundation and early development of Marischal College, Aberdeen, has received little attention. This is particularly surprising when one considers it is perhaps the closest Scottish parallel to the Edinburgh foundation. Founded in April 1593 by George Keith, fifth Earl Marischal in the burgh of New Aberdeen ‘to do the utmost good to the Church, the Country and the Commonwealth’,1 like Edinburgh Marischal was a new type of institution that had more in common with the Protestant ‘arts colleges’ springing up across the continent than with the papally sanctioned Scottish universities of St Andrews, Glasgow and King's College in Old Aberdeen.2 James Kirk is the most recent in a long line of historians to argue that the impetus for founding ‘ane college of theologe’ in Edinburgh in 1579 was carried forward by the radical presbyterian James Lawson, which led to the eventual opening on 14 October 1583 of a liberal arts college in the burgh, as part of an educational reform programme devised and rolled out across the Scottish universities by the divine and educational reformer, Andrew Melville.

Probiotic<i> Bacillus subtilis</i> protects against α-synuclein aggregation in <i>C. elegans</i>

How the gut microbiome affects Parkinson's disease remains unclear. Goya et al. show that the probiotic B. subtilis strain PXN21 inhibits and clears α-synuclein aggregation in a C. elegans model. The bacterium acts via metabolites and biofilm formation to activate protective pathways in the host, including DAF-16/FOXO and sphingolipid metabolism.Fil: Goya, María Eugenia. University of Edinburgh; Reino UnidoFil: Xue, Feng. University of Edinburgh; Reino UnidoFil: Sampedro Torres Quevedo, Cristina. University of Edinburgh; Reino UnidoFil: Arnaouteli, Sofia. University Of Dundee; Reino UnidoFil: Riquelme Dominguez, Lourdes. University of Edinburgh; Reino UnidoFil: Romanowski, Andrés. University of Edinburgh; Reino Unido. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Brydon, Jack. University of Edinburgh; Reino UnidoFil: Ball, Kathryn L.. University of Edinburgh; Reino UnidoFil: Stanley-Wall, Nicola R.. University Of Dundee; Reino UnidoFil: Doitsidou, Maria. University of Edinburgh; Reino Unid

Chiral Nonanalytic Behaviour: The Edinburgh Plot

The Edinburgh Plot is a scale independent way of presenting lattice QCD calculations over a wide range of quark masses. In this sense it is appealing as an indicator of how the approach to physical quark masses is progressing. The difficulty remains that even the most state of the art calculations are still at quark masses that are too heavy to apply dimensionally-regulated chiral perturbation theory. We present a method allowing predictions of the behaviour of the Edinburgh plot, in both the continuum, and on the lattice.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, Lattice2002(Spectrum

Historical psychology, utopian dreams and other fool’s errands

Copyright 2008 @ the author. Originally published open access by Birmingham University. Journal now published by Edinburgh University Press.No abstract availabl

Elasticity analysis of sandwich pipes with functionally graded interlayers

Acknowledgements Financial support of this research by the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Italian Academy of Sciences under International Exchanges Bilateral Programme grant is gratefully acknowledged.Peer reviewedPostprin

Red and Dead: Reply to critics

This article is a response to the comments made by Illan Rua Wall, Caroline Holmqvist, Claudia Aradau and Yari Lanci on my book War Power, Police Power (Edinburgh UP, 2014)