Hosting an Educational Careers Day Within the Virtual Paradigm: The Neurology and Neurosurgery Interest Group Experience.

INTRODUCTION:  To explore our experience of hosting the 10th Annual Neurology and Neurosurgery Interest Group-Society of British Neurological Surgeons (NANSIG-SBNS) Neurosurgery Careers Day, held virtually for the first time. METHODS:  Reflective feedback and review of an international, virtual neurosurgery careers day. The authors reflect on the logistics of organizing the event, and the pre- and post-event feedback provided by delegates. Recommendations have been made on how to successfully host a virtual event. The key themes that permeated the event have been outlined and discussed in the context of the feedback received. RESULTS:  The event was attended by 231 delegates from 20 countries worldwide. Knowledge of neurosurgery as a career and the application process increased after attending the careers day (4.27/5 to 4.51/5, p=0.003 and 3.12/5 to 4.31/5, p<0.001 respectively). The key themes identified from the event include attendance, networking, and education. Qualitative feedback was positive and indicated a positive perception of the careers day. CONCLUSIONS:  The future of educational events is unclear, and a hybrid approach is recommended to retain the benefits of the online space when in-person events eventually return

Hosting an Educational Careers Day Within the Virtual Paradigm: The Neurology and Neurosurgery Interest Group Experience.

INTRODUCTION:  To explore our experience of hosting the 10th Annual Neurology and Neurosurgery Interest Group-Society of British Neurological Surgeons (NANSIG-SBNS) Neurosurgery Careers Day, held virtually for the first time. METHODS:  Reflective feedback and review of an international, virtual neurosurgery careers day. The authors reflect on the logistics of organizing the event, and the pre- and post-event feedback provided by delegates. Recommendations have been made on how to successfully host a virtual event. The key themes that permeated the event have been outlined and discussed in the context of the feedback received. RESULTS:  The event was attended by 231 delegates from 20 countries worldwide. Knowledge of neurosurgery as a career and the application process increased after attending the careers day (4.27/5 to 4.51/5, p=0.003 and 3.12/5 to 4.31/5, p<0.001 respectively). The key themes identified from the event include attendance, networking, and education. Qualitative feedback was positive and indicated a positive perception of the careers day. CONCLUSIONS:  The future of educational events is unclear, and a hybrid approach is recommended to retain the benefits of the online space when in-person events eventually return

Social and psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on UK medical and nursing students: protocol for a national medical and nursing student survey

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare students have played a significant role in the National Health Service during the COVID-19 pandemic. We captured data on the well-being of medical students during the acute phase of the pandemic with the Social and Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on medical students: a national survey Evaluation (SPICE-19) study. We will evaluate changes in mental health and well-being of medical and nursing students 1 year after SPICE-19, in a cross-sectional study, to understand the impact of the pandemic, and inform well-being policies. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study will be a national, multi-institution, cross-discipline study. An online 53-item survey of demographics, mental health and well-being will be used to record responses. Students studying for a medical or nursing degree at any UK universities will be eligible to participate. The survey will be advertised through the Neurology and Neurosurgery Interest Group national network. Participation is anonymous and voluntary, with relevant mental health resources made available to participants. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was granted by the University of Oxford Central University Research Ethics Committee (R75719/RE001) on 21 May 2021. Study findings will be presented at national and international meetings, and submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal

Structure of human biliverdin IXβ reductase, an early fetal bilirubin IXβ producing enzyme

Biliverdin IXβ reductase (BVR-B) catalyzes the pyridine nucleotide-dependent production of bilirubin-IXβ, the major home catabolite during early fetal development. BVR-B displays a preference for biliverdin isomers without propionates straddling the C10 position, in contrast to biliverdin IXα reductase (BVR-A), the major form of BVR in adult human liver. In addition to its tetrapyrrole clearance role in the fetus, BVR-B has flavin and ferric reductase activities in the adult. We have solved the structure of human BVR-B in complex with NADP+ at 1.15 Å resolution. Human BVR-B is a monomer displaying an α/β dinucleotide binding fold. The structures of ternary complexes with mesobiliverdin IVα, biliverdin IXα, FMN and lumichrome show that human BVR-B has a single substrate binding site, to which substrates and inhibitors bind primarily through hydrophobic interactions, explaining its broad specificity. The reducible atom of both biliverdin and flavin substrates lies above the reactive CA of the cofactor, an appropriate position for direct hydride transfer. BVR-B discriminates against the biliverdin IXα isomer through steric hindrance at the bilatriene side chain binding pockets. The structure also explains the enzyme's preference for NADP(H) and its B-face stereospecificity.This work was supported by grants from the Ministerio de Educación y Cultura and the Generalitat de Catalunya to M.C. P.J.B.P. was supported in part by a FEBS Long Term fellowship. P.J.B.P. and S.M.R. acknowledge postdoctoral fellowships from Programa Praxis XXI (FCT, Portugal). O.C. was supported by the Health Research Board, IrelandPeer Reviewe