Controlling selective stimulations below a spinal cord hemisection using brain recordings with a neural interface system approach.

In this work we address the use of realtime cortical recordings for the generation of coherent, reliable and robust motor activity in spinal-lesioned animals through selective intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS). The spinal cord of adult rats was hemisectioned and groups of multielectrodes were implanted in both the central nervous system (CNS) and the spinal cord below the lesion level to establish a neural system interface (NSI). To test the reliability of this new NSI connection, highly repeatable neural responses recorded from the CNS were used as a pattern generator of an open-loop control strategy for selective ISMS of the spinal motoneurons. Our experimental procedure avoided the spontaneous non-controlled and non-repeatable neural activity that could have generated spurious ISMS and the consequent undesired muscle contractions. Combinations of complex CNS patterns generated precisely coordinated, reliable and robust motor actions

Quality development in education

The article suggests that people involved in quality development need a specific competence, called quality literacy, in order to successfully improve learning processes. Quality literacy is viewed as a set of competencies that are needed for professional quality development. Quality literacy emphasizes the importance of professionalism as a necessary component for quality development, in addition to structural quality management models. Quality development is a co-production between learners and their learning environment. This means that the educational process can only be influenced and optimized through participation and not steered externally. Quality strategies cannot, therefore, guarantee a high quality of learning processes but rather aim at professionalisation of the educational process. This article suggests participation and negotiation between educational participants (clients and providers) as a main condition for quality development. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg

International Consensus Based Review and Recommendations for Minimum Reporting Standards in Research on Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Version 2020).

Given its non-invasive nature, there is increasing interest in the use of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) across basic, translational and clinical research. Contemporaneously, tVNS can be achieved by stimulating either the auricular branch or the cervical bundle of the vagus nerve, referred to as transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation(VNS) and transcutaneous cervical VNS, respectively. In order to advance the field in a systematic manner, studies using these technologies need to adequately report sufficient methodological detail to enable comparison of results between studies, replication of studies, as well as enhancing study participant safety. We systematically reviewed the existing tVNS literature to evaluate current reporting practices. Based on this review, and consensus among participating authors, we propose a set of minimal reporting items to guide future tVNS studies. The suggested items address specific technical aspects of the device and stimulation parameters. We also cover general recommendations including inclusion and exclusion criteria for participants, outcome parameters and the detailed reporting of side effects. Furthermore, we review strategies used to identify the optimal stimulation parameters for a given research setting and summarize ongoing developments in animal research with potential implications for the application of tVNS in humans. Finally, we discuss the potential of tVNS in future research as well as the associated challenges across several disciplines in research and clinical practice

International Consensus Based Review and Recommendations for Minimum Reporting Standards in Research on Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Version 2020)

Given its non-invasive nature, there is increasing interest in the use of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) across basic, translational and clinical research. Contemporaneously, tVNS can be achieved by stimulating either the auricular branch or the cervical bundle of the vagus nerve, referred to as transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation(VNS) and transcutaneous cervical VNS, respectively. In order to advance the field in a systematic manner, studies using these technologies need to adequately report sufficient methodological detail to enable comparison of results between studies, replication of studies, as well as enhancing study participant safety. We systematically reviewed the existing tVNS literature to evaluate current reporting practices. Based on this review, and consensus among participating authors, we propose a set of minimal reporting items to guide future tVNS studies. The suggested items address specific technical aspects of the device and stimulation parameters. We also cover general recommendations including inclusion and exclusion criteria for participants, outcome parameters and the detailed reporting of side effects. Furthermore, we review strategies used to identify the optimal stimulation parameters for a given research setting and summarize ongoing developments in animal research with potential implications for the application of tVNS in humans. Finally, we discuss the potential of tVNS in future research as well as the associated challenges across several disciplines in research and clinical practice

Quality development in education

The article suggests that people involved in quality development need a specific competence, called quality literacy, in order to successfully improve learning processes. Quality literacy is viewed as a set of competencies that are needed for professional quality development. Quality literacy emphasizes the importance of professionalism as a necessary component for quality development, in addition to structural quality management models. Quality development is a co-production between learners and their learning environment. This means that the educational process can only be influenced and optimized through participation and not steered externally. Quality strategies cannot, therefore, guarantee a high quality of learning processes but rather aim at professionalisation of the educational process. This article suggests participation and negotiation between educational participants (clients and providers) as a main condition for quality development. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Quality development in education

The article suggests that people involved in quality development need a specific competence, called quality literacy, in order to successfully improve learning processes. Quality literacy is viewed as a set of competencies that are needed for professional quality development. Quality literacy emphasizes the importance of professionalism as a necessary component for quality development, in addition to structural quality management models. Quality development is a co-production between learners and their learning environment. This means that the educational process can only be influenced and optimized through participation and not steered externally. Quality strategies cannot, therefore, guarantee a high quality of learning processes but rather aim at professionalisation of the educational process. This article suggests participation and negotiation between educational participants (clients and providers) as a main condition for quality development. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg