Neuroanatomical substrates of generalized brain dysfunction in COVID-19.

Central nervous system involvement is common in COVID-19, and may be driven by many mechanisms [1]. Reports of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in individual patients or small case series have generally focused on discrete pathologies such as stroke or focal abnormalities. However, these reports do not elucidate more generalized abnormalities of central nervous function, such as the alteration of mental status in a third of patients [2], or quantitative imaging correlates of reported brainstem pathology [3].NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. Addenbrooke’s Charities Trust (ACT

Three-dimensional visualization software assists learning in students with diverse spatial intelligence in medical education

This study evaluated effect of mental rotation (MR) training on learning outcomes and explored effectiveness of teaching via three-dimensional (3D) software among medical students with diverse spatial intelligence. Data from n = 67 student volunteers were included. A preliminary test was conducted to obtain baseline level of MR competency and was utilized to assign participants to two experimental conditions, i.e., trained group (n = 25) and untrained group (n = 42). Data on the effectiveness of training were collected to measure participants\u27 speed and accuracy in performing various MR activities. Six weeks later, a large class format (LCF) session was conducted for all students using 3D software. The usefulness of technology-assisted learning at the LCF was evaluated via a pre- and post-test. Students\u27 feedback regarding MR training and use of 3D software was acquired through questionnaires. MR scores of the trainees improved from 25.9±4.6 points to 28.1±4.4 (P = 0.011) while time taken to complete the tasks reduced from 20.9±3.9 to 12.2±4.4 minutes. Males scored higher than females in all components (P = 0.016). Further, higher pre- and post-test scores were observed in trained (9.0±1.9 and 12.3±1.6) versus untrained group (7.8±1.8; 10.8±1.8). Although mixed-design analysis of variance suggested significant difference in their test scores (P \u3c 0.001), both groups reported similar trend in improvement by means of 3D software (P = 0.54). Ninety-seven percent of students reported technology-assisted learning as an effective means of instruction and found use of 3D software superior to plastic models. Software based on 3D technologies could be adopted as an effective teaching pedagogy to support learning across students with diverse levels of mental rotation abilities

High impact = high statistical standards? Not necessarily so.

What are the statistical practices of articles published in journals with a high impact factor? Are there differences compared with articles published in journals with a somewhat lower impact factor that have adopted editorial policies to reduce the impact of limitations of Null Hypothesis Significance Testing? To investigate these questions, the current study analyzed all articles related to psychological, neuropsychological and medical issues, published in 2011 in four journals with high impact factors: Science, Nature, The New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet, and three journals with relatively lower impact factors: Neuropsychology, Journal of Experimental Psychology-Applied and the American Journal of Public Health. Results show that Null Hypothesis Significance Testing without any use of confidence intervals, effect size, prospective power and model estimation, is the prevalent statistical practice used in articles published in Nature, 89%, followed by articles published in Science, 42%. By contrast, in all other journals, both with high and lower impact factors, most articles report confidence intervals and/or effect size measures. We interpreted these differences as consequences of the editorial policies adopted by the journal editors, which are probably the most effective means to improve the statistical practices in journals with high or low impact factors

Machine learning algorithms for systematic review: reducing workload in a preclinical review of animal studies and reducing human screening error

BACKGROUND: Here, we outline a method of applying existing machine learning (ML) approaches to aid citation screening in an on-going broad and shallow systematic review of preclinical animal studies. The aim is to achieve a high-performing algorithm comparable to human screening that can reduce human resources required for carrying out this step of a systematic review. METHODS: We applied ML approaches to a broad systematic review of animal models of depression at the citation screening stage. We tested two independently developed ML approaches which used different classification models and feature sets. We recorded the performance of the ML approaches on an unseen validation set of papers using sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. We aimed to achieve 95% sensitivity and to maximise specificity. The classification model providing the most accurate predictions was applied to the remaining unseen records in the dataset and will be used in the next stage of the preclinical biomedical sciences systematic review. We used a cross-validation technique to assign ML inclusion likelihood scores to the human screened records, to identify potential errors made during the human screening process (error analysis). RESULTS: ML approaches reached 98.7% sensitivity based on learning from a training set of 5749 records, with an inclusion prevalence of 13.2%. The highest level of specificity reached was 86%. Performance was assessed on an independent validation dataset. Human errors in the training and validation sets were successfully identified using the assigned inclusion likelihood from the ML model to highlight discrepancies. Training the ML algorithm on the corrected dataset improved the specificity of the algorithm without compromising sensitivity. Error analysis correction leads to a 3% improvement in sensitivity and specificity, which increases precision and accuracy of the ML algorithm. CONCLUSIONS: This work has confirmed the performance and application of ML algorithms for screening in systematic reviews of preclinical animal studies. It has highlighted the novel use of ML algorithms to identify human error. This needs to be confirmed in other reviews with different inclusion prevalence levels, but represents a promising approach to integrating human decisions and automation in systematic review methodology

Intradermal influenza vaccination of healthy adults using a new microinjection system: a 3-year randomised controlled safety and immunogenicity trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Intradermal vaccination provides direct and potentially more efficient access to the immune system via specialised dendritic cells and draining lymphatic vessels. We investigated the immunogenicity and safety during 3 successive years of different dosages of a trivalent, inactivated, split-virion vaccine against seasonal influenza given intradermally using a microinjection system compared with an intramuscular control vaccine.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In a randomised, partially blinded, controlled study, healthy volunteers (1150 aged 18 to 57 years at enrolment) received three annual vaccinations of intradermal or intramuscular vaccine. In Year 1, subjects were randomised to one of three groups: 3 μg or 6 μg haemagglutinin/strain/dose of inactivated influenza vaccine intradermally, or a licensed inactivated influenza vaccine intramuscularly containing 15 μg/strain/dose. In Year 2 subjects were randomised again to one of two groups: 9 μg/strain/dose intradermally or 15 μg intramuscularly. In Year 3 subjects were randomised a third time to one of two groups: 9 μg intradermally or 15 μg intramuscularly. Randomisation lists in Year 1 were stratified for site. Randomisation lists in Years 2 and 3 were stratified for site and by vaccine received in previous years to ensure the inclusion of a comparable number of subjects in a vaccine group at each centre each year. Immunogenicity was assessed 21 days after each vaccination. Safety was assessed throughout the study.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In Years 2 and 3, 9 μg intradermal was comparably immunogenic to 15 μg intramuscular for all strains, and both vaccines met European requirements for annual licensing of influenza vaccines. The 3 μg and 6 μg intradermal formulations were less immunogenic than intramuscular 15 μg. Safety of the intradermal and intramuscular vaccinations was comparable in each year of the study. Injection site erythema and swelling was more common with the intradermal route.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>An influenza vaccine with 9 μg of haemagglutinin/strain given using an intradermal microinjection system showed comparable immunogenic and safety profiles to a licensed intramuscular vaccine, and presents a promising alternative to intramuscular vaccination for influenza for adults younger than 60 years.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00703651.</p

Motif Minang Kaluak Paku Kacang Balimbiang pada Busana Kasual

Minangkabau sebagai salah satu suku bangsa yang mengisi kekhasan budaya Indonesia memiliki warisan budaya yang terpencar dalam berbagai aspek kehidupannya. Salah satu warisan budaya adalah seni ukir. Seni ukir yang dikembangkan dengan mengambil ide dari alam memiliki makna-makna filosofi bagi kehidupan masyarakat Minangkabau. Semua jenis ukiran yang dipahatkan di Rumah Gadang menunjukkan unsur penting pembentuk budaya Minangkabau bercerminkan kepada apa yang ada di alam. Salah satu ukiran pada rumah gadang yaitu kaluak paku. Kaluak paku adalah nama salah satu motif ukiran dalam adat Minangkabau. Berasal dari motif gulungan (kelukan/kaluak) pada ujung tanaman pakis (paku) yang masih muda. Ukiran kaluak paku rumah gadang melambangkan tanggung jawab seorang lelaki dalam adat Minangkabau kepada generasi penerus, sebagai ayah dari anak-anaknya dan sebagai mamak dari kemenakan (keponakan). Ukiran rumah gadang kaluak paku minangkabau inilah yang menjadi sumber ide penciptaan busana pada tugas akhir ini. Pada Penciptaan karya ini menggunakan beberapa metode, yaitu metode pendekatan estetis dan ergonomis, metode pengumpulan data dengan studi pustaka, dan motode penciptaan dengan teori Gustami Sp 3 tahap 6 Langkah. Dalam proses pembuatan karya dibutuhkan beberapa data, cara pengumpulan data acuan berdasarkan pengumpulan data pustaka yaitu berupa buku, jurnal pada media sosial, serta aplikasi pada smartphone seperti pinterest. Data yang dikumpulkan yang paling utama adalah gambar bentuk visual dari ukiran tanaman kaluak paku minangkabau dan busana kasual. Penciptaan karya yang dihasilkan yaitu berupa 8 busana kasual. Siluet pada kesuluruhan hasil karya yaitu memiliki siluet A yang mengembang pada bagian bawah. Pada penciptaan karya ini menggunakan bahan utama primisima. Perpaduan warna yang diterapkan menggunakan warna khas minangkabau yang diambil dari warna bendera adatnya “marawa” yaitu merah, hitam, dan kuning. Karya- karya yang dihasilkan dengan penggunaan warna tersebut sangat sesuai dengan tema yang mengangkat ukiran rumah gadang kaluak paku minangkabau. Kata Kunci : Minang, Kaluak Paku Kacang Balimbiang, Kasua

Prediction of pre-eclampsia: a protocol for systematic reviews of test accuracy

BACKGROUND: Pre-eclampsia, a syndrome of hypertension and proteinuria, is a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Accurate prediction of pre-eclampsia is important, since high risk women could benefit from intensive monitoring and preventive treatment. However, decision making is currently hampered due to lack of precise and up to date comprehensive evidence summaries on estimates of risk of developing pre-eclampsia. METHODS/DESIGN: A series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses will be undertaken to determine, among women in early pregnancy, the accuracy of various tests (history, examinations and investigations) for predicting pre-eclampsia. We will search Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, MEDION, citation lists of review articles and eligible primary articles and will contact experts in the field. Reviewers working independently will select studies, extract data, and assess study validity according to established criteria. Language restrictions will not be applied. Bivariate meta-analysis of sensitivity and specificity will be considered for tests whose studies allow generation of 2 × 2 tables. DISCUSSION: The results of the test accuracy reviews will be integrated with results of effectiveness reviews of preventive interventions to assess the impact of test-intervention combinations for prevention of pre-eclampsia

Heroin versus cocaine: opposite choice as a function of context but not of drug history in the rat

Rationale Previous studies have shown that rats trained to self-administer heroin and cocaine exhibit opposite preferences, as a function of setting, when tested in a choice paradigm. Rats tested at home prefer heroin to cocaine whereas rats tested outside the home prefer cocaine to heroin. Here we investigated whether drug history would influence subsequent drug preference in distinct settings. Based on a theoretical model of drug-setting interaction, we predicted that regardless of drug history rats would prefer heroin at home and cocaine outside the home. Methods Rats with double-lumen catheters were first trained to self-administer either heroin (25 μg/kg) or cocaine (400 μg/kg) for 12 consecutive sessions. Twenty-six rats were housed in the self-administration chambers (thus, they were tested at home) whereas 30 rats lived in distinct home cages and were transferred to self-administration chambers only for the self-administration session (thus, they were tested outside the home). The rats were then allowed to choose repeatedly between heroin and cocaine within the same session for 7 sessions. Results Regardless of the training drug, the rats tested outside the home preferred cocaine to heroin whereas the rats tested at home preferred heroin to cocaine. There was no correlation between drug preference and drug intake during the training phase. Conclusion Drug preferences were powerfully influenced by the setting but, quite surprisingly, not by drug history. This suggests that, under certain conditions, associative learning processes and drug-induced neuroplastic adaptations play a minor role in shaping individual preferences for one drug or the other