Viewing pre‐lab gross anatomy demonstration videos correlates positively with student performance when total dissection time is limited by Covid‐19 restrictions

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NOMENs Land: The Place of Eponyms in the Anatomy Classroom

The law of Non-Original Malappropriate Eponymous Nomenclature (NOMEN) states that no phenomenon is named after its discoverer (Stigler, 1980; Aresti and Ramachandran, 2012; Aronson, 2014). However, eponymous terms are rife in the anatomical and medical literature. Here the authors support the argument that eponymous terms do not have a firm place and should not be used in anatomy education

Ovarian Hormone Fluctuation, Neurosteroids, and HPA Axis Dysregulation in Perimenopausal Depression: A Novel Heuristic Model

In this conceptual review, we propose a novel mechanistic candidate in the etiology of depression with onset in the menopause transition (a.k.a. perimenopausal depression) involving alterations in stress-responsive pathways, induced by ovarian hormone fluctuation

Clinical phenotypes of perinatal depression and time of symptom onset: analysis of data from an international consortium

Background The perinatal period is a time of high risk for onset of depressive disorders and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, including maternal suicide. Perinatal depression comprises a heterogeneous group of clinical subtypes, and further refinement is needed to improve treatment outcomes. We sought to empirically identify and describe clinically relevant phenotypic subtypes of perinatal depression, and further characterise subtypes by time of symptom onset within pregnancy and three post-partum periods. Methods Data were assembled from a subset of seven of 19 international sites in the Postpartum Depression: Action Towards Causes and Treatment (PACT) Consortium. In this analysis, the cohort was restricted to women aged 19–40 years with information about onset of depressive symptoms in the perinatal period and complete prospective data for the ten-item Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS). Principal components and common factor analysis were used to identify symptom dimensions in the EPDS. The National Institute of Mental Health research domain criteria functional constructs of negative valence and arousal were applied to the EPDS dimensions that reflect states of depressed mood, anhedonia, and anxiety. We used k-means clustering to identify subtypes of women sharing symptom patterns. Univariate and bivariate statistics were used to describe the subtypes. Findings Data for 663 women were included in these analyses. We found evidence for three underlying dimensions measured by the EPDS: depressed mood, anxiety, and anhedonia. On the basis of these dimensions, we identified five distinct subtypes of perinatal depression: severe anxious depression, moderate anxious depression, anxious anhedonia, pure anhedonia, and resolved depression. These subtypes have clear differences in symptom quality and time of onset. Anxiety and anhedonia emerged as prominent symptom dimensions with post-partum onset and were notably severe. Interpretation Our findings show that there might be different types and severity of perinatal depression with varying time of onset throughout pregnancy and post partum. These findings support the need for tailored treatments that improve outcomes for women with perinatal depression

Strategies for conducting situated studies of technology use in hospitals

Ethnographic methods are widely used for understanding situated practices with technology. When authors present their data gathering methods, they almost invariably focus on the bare essentials. These enable the reader to comprehend what was done, but leave the impression that setting up and conducting the study was straightforward. Text books present generic advice, but rarely focus on specific study contexts. In this paper, we focus on lessons learnt by non-clinical researchers studying technology use in hospitals: gaining access; developing good relations with clinicians and patients; being outsiders in healthcare settings; and managing the cultural divide between technology human factors and clinical practice. Drawing on case studies across various hospital settings, we present a repertoire of ways of working with people and technologies in these settings. These include engaging clinicians and patients effectively, taking an iterative approach to data gathering and being responsive to the demands and opportunities provided by the situation. The main contribution of this paper is to make visible many of the lessons we have learnt in conducting technology studies in healthcare, using these lessons to present strategies that other researchers can take up

It is essential to connect: Evaluating a Science Communication Boot Camp

Scientific knowledge has expanded dramatically in the 21st century. Yet, even in science where there is large consensus among the studies-evolution by natural selection, for example, or the human basis of accelerated climate change-the public and policymakers are not always in agreement with the science. To bridge this gap, scientists and educators need to connect and engage with diverse audiences with varying levels of science literacy. Communication scholars have identified several effective tactics to communicate effectively with non-specialist audiences. However, our sometimes-siloed thinking in science and higher education discourages sharing this knowledge across disciplinary lines. Furthermore, many training programs focus on educating about which communication strategies work, but they fail to provide participants with the opportunity to develop the skills required to listen effectively and respond in an engaging way. To that end, we created the Science Communication Boot Camp (SCBC) with support from an American Association for Anatomy innovations grant. The 3-day program engaged and immersed participants in training designed to develop audience-centered communication, distill scientific concepts into meaningful narratives, and connect effectively with the public, collaborators, and policymakers. Based on participant surveys at three timepoints (preworkshop, postworkshop, and 2-year follow-up), the SCBC was effective in helping participants to increase their communication skills and willingness to engage with the public and other non-specialist audiences

Ovarian Hormone Fluctuation, Neurosteroids, and HPA Axis Dysregulation in Perimenopausal Depression: A Novel Heuristic Model

OBJECTIVE: In this conceptual review, we propose a novel mechanistic candidate in the etiology of depression with onset in the menopause transition (a.k.a. perimenopausal depression) involving alterations in stress-responsive pathways, induced by ovarian hormone fluctuation. METHODS: The relevant literature in perimenopausal depression was reviewed, including its prevalence, predictors, and treatment with estrogen therapy. Subsequently, the growing evidence from animal models and clinical research in other reproductive mood disorders was synthesized to describe a heuristic model of perimenopausal depression development. RESULTS: The rate of major depressive disorder and of clinically meaningful elevations in depressive symptoms increases two- to threefold during the menopause transition. While the mechanisms by which ovarian hormone fluctuation might impact mood are poorly understood, growing evidence from basic and clinical research suggests that fluctuations in ovarian hormones and their derived neurosteroids result in altered GABAergic regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Our heuristic model suggests that for some women, failure of the GABA(A) receptor to regulate overall GABAergic tone in the face of shifting levels of these neurosteroids may induce HPA axis dysfunction, thereby increasing sensitivity to stress, and generating a period of greater vulnerability to depression. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed model provides a basis for understanding the mechanisms by which the changing hormonal environment of the menopause transition may interact with the psychosocial environment of mid-life to contribute to perimenopausal depression risk. Future research investigating this model may inform the development of novel pharmacological treatments for perimenopausal depression and related disorders such as postpartum depression and premenstrual dysphoric disorder

Long-Term Neurodevelopmental Follow-up of Children Exposed to Pravastatin in-Utero

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia, especially when preterm, increases risk of child neurodevelopmental adverse outcomes. Biological plausibility, preclinical studies, and pilot clinical trials conducted by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development-Obstetrics Fetal Pharmacology Research Centers Network support the safety and utility of pravastatin to prevent preeclampsia. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of antenatal pravastatin treatment in high-risk pregnant individuals on their child\u27s health, growth, and neurodevelopment. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted an ancillary follow-up cohort study of children born to mothers who participated in the Obstetrics Fetal Pharmacology Research Centers Network pilot trials of pravastatin vs. placebo in individuals at high-risk of preeclampsia. (Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier NCT01717586). After obtaining written informed consent (and assent as appropriate), the parent was instructed to complete the Child Behavior Checklist. To assess the child\u27s motor, cognitive, and developmental outcomes, a certified and blinded study psychologist completed child motor, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral assessment using validated tools. Given the small numbers of individuals in the studies, the 10 and 20mg of pravastatin were combined into one group and compared with those in the placebo group. RESULTS: Out of the 40 children born to mothers in the original trial, 30 (15 exposed in-utero to pravastatin and 15 to placebo) were enrolled in this follow-up study. The time of follow-up, which was 4.7 [2.5-6.9] years, was not different between those in the pravastatin or placebo groups. There were no differences in child\u27s body mass index percentiles per sex and corrected age, rates of extremes of body mass index percentiles or the report of any other medical or developmental complications between the two groups. No child born in the pravastatin group had any limitation in motor assessment compared with two (13.3%) children who walked with difficulty and four (26.7%) children who had reduced manual abilities in the placebo group. Moreover, children born to mothers who received pravastatin had non-significant higher general mean conceptual ability score (98.2 ± 16.7 vs. 89.7 ± 11.0, p=0.13) and a non-significant lower frequency (15.4% vs. 35.7%, p=0.38) of having a score below 85 (i.e., one standard deviation lower than the mean) compared with those in the placebo group. Lastly, there no significant differences in the parents\u27 report on the Child Behavior Checklist between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first report on the long-term neuromotor, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes among children exposed to pravastatin in-utero during the 2 and 3 trimesters of pregnancy. Although the data are limited by the original trial\u27s sample size, no identifiable long-term neurodevelopmental safety signal was evident with the use of pravastatin during pregnancy. This favorable neonatal risk-benefit analysis justifies continued research using pravastatin in clinical trials