Sex differentiation and sexually dimorphic disease

Sexual dimorphism of the central nervous system is a still widely debated and an area of much research. Conclusive evidence that anatomical and physiological differences in the CNS exist has been reported by post-mortem studies and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This present study seeks to contribute to the understanding of the differences in the brain between genders and to ascertain reasons as to why the literature is so varied. A number of structures such as the cerebral cortex, hypothalamic nuclei and the amygdala have proven to be significantly larger within males as opposed to females. The nuclei of the hypothalamus and the amygdala are involved in a variety of functions all closely related to sexual behaviour. The increase in size of these structures within males may contribute to the increase in psychosexual disorders seen more commonly in males. The anterior commissure and corpus callosum, two grey matter structures, have been shown to be larger in females, enabling females to utilise both hemispheres of the cerebrum when unde1iaking certain tasks, whereas males are seen to use one hemisphere. It is known that certain diseases and disorders are more common or appear more severe in one sex compared to the other. Correlations have been found linking disease prevalence and severity with androgens, yet few have reported relationships between brain structure and disease. Neuropsychological disorders such as autism and schizophrenia have been linked to the anatomical differences of the male and female brain, however the pathology of the majority of sexually dimorphic diseases remains largely unknown. Experimental designs need to be reassessed in order to provide significant evidence of sexual dimorphism in these pathologies. Sex must be seen as an important variable that needs to be accounted for in order to contribute to the understanding of the functional differences exhibited by males and females

Green Breakthrough Using Design Thinking - Student Services Center

Describe the product/service. What are the major functions it performs? We propose creating a student services center on campus that will assist in used material sharing, buying and selling, and offer services to inform students of their options beyond the bookstore. One of the center’s major function would include creating a knowledge base for where to buy, rent or sell back textbooks for the best prices. The center would also assist students in attaining used binders, calculators, and other supplies to share or sell. The center would keep copies on hand of current required books for students to use instead of purchasing their own or struggling to use the library’s copies. The most essential function of the center would be to compare old editions of books to current editions and put together electronic update packets to be offered to students free of charge. Electronic update packets would allow students to purchase older editions and still have the current material, which would keep editions in circulation much longer. Who is the customer? The customers are all Boise State University students who wish to save money attaining their required materials for classes. Some students receive funding for their books, which requires them to purchase the edition requested by the instructor. These students would find it difficult to use the student services center, while all other students would be the target demographic. What is/are major the benefit(s) to the customer? The major benefits to the customer are less expensive materials for classes and a place where they can sell the materials they no longer need. Students will have the ability to buy, sell and trade items. Students will have the opportunity to conduct transactions peer-to-peer or from the student services center directly. What is/are the major environmental benefit(s)? The major environmental benefits will be the reduction of air pollution from reduced production, transportation and waste. The net impact of each textbook would be cut in half for each additional edition that does not have to be produced for students in Boise. Less new editions would need to be produced as more students would make use of previous editions that are already produced. Transportation would decrease as less new editions would need to be shipped to Boise, and less previous editions would need to be shipped out of Boise. Waste would be reduced as previous editions would stay in circulation longer before being recycled

Developing a new Governance Approval Process to support federated discovery and meta-analysis of data across the UK through the CO-CONNECT project

Objectives To develop a new approval process for federated data custodians to install and support a new platform which enables researchers to run from one website, instantaneous, aggregate-level queries to determine the number of patients in each dataset which meet their research criteria. To agree security controls across data custodians which protect patient confidentiality whilst also providing this new automated capability for researchers and reducing the burden on each data custodian to manually provide the information. Approach The COVID - Curated and Open aNalysis aNd rEsearCh plaTform (CO-CONNECT) has integrated a Cohort Discovery Tool into the Health Data Research (HDR) UK Innovation Gateway website and is connecting >50 different federated datasets. The underpinning architecture is novel, without precedent at such a scale in the UK. We found that although each data custodian recognised the benefits of the platform, many were unclear of the process to formally approve this new model. We have worked across data custodians to co-develop the required new processes and document the security controls. Results We found vast differences in technical knowledge and infrastructures across different data custodians, especially across small research groups hosting data on consented research cohorts verses larger organisations who host and manage routinely collected data. A model for approvals evolved for these 2 separate groups: Consented research cohorts: a 2-stage process of a pre-assessment for the need for a DPIA and/or completed DPIA. All returned a positive outcome which deemed no personal identifiable information was being used. Unconsented population level data: 4 different documents were required each being approved by different committees within each data custodian: DPIA, Data Access Application, Security Risk Assessment, Disclosure Control Assessment. As the model was novel to many data custodians, we developed many different explainer videos and detailed step by step instructions. Conclusion We recommend a new approvals process for new technologies/models is developed to support initiatives which are not covered by the traditional data access request process. Increased investment in teams which approve data governance and IT security applications which have been overwhelmed by the increased demand for their services to review COVID-19 related projects would be welcomed

The COVID - Curated and Open aNalysis aNd rEsearCh plaTform (CO-CONNECT)

Objectives CO-CONNECT is making UK COVID-19 data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) through a federated platform, which supports secure, anonymised research at scale and pace. This interdisciplinary project, spanning 22 organisations, is connecting data from >50 large research cohorts and data collected through routine healthcare provision across the UK. Approach Across the UK, data has been collected that can help us answer key questions about COVID-19. As the data are in many places with many different processes it is difficult and complex for public health groups, researchers, policymakers, and government to find and access lots of high-quality data quickly and efficiently to make decisions. In collaboration with Health Data Research UK, CO-CONNECT is streamlining processes of accessing data for research. Results 1) Discovering data and meta-analysis: CO-CONNECT enables researchers to determine how many people meet their research criteria within the various datasets across the UK through the Health Data Research Innovation Gateway Cohort Discovery tool e.g. “How many people in each dataset have had a PCR test which was positive and were under the age of 40?” Only summary level, anonymous data are provided so researchers can answer such questions rapidly without requiring multiple data governance permissions and directly contacting each data source. The tool also supports aggregate level meta-analysis of the data. 2) Detailed analysis: With data governance approvals, researchers can analyse detailed level, standardised, linked, pseudonymised data in a Trusted Research Environment. The common format reduces the effort on each research project, supporting rapid research. Conclusion Providing data in this de-identifiable, safe way enables rapid, robust research e.g., COVID-19 results from a test centre can be linked to hospital records along with prescriptions from pharmacies enabling researchers to understand whether people with different existing health conditions are more or less susceptible to COVID-19. If you want to know more visit https://co-connect.ac.uk

Determinants of Fatigue in the Biceps Brachii During Blood Flow Restriction Training

poster abstractTraining loads of 60% - 80% of maximum are traditionally recommended for increasing muscular strength. Lifting lighter loads (~20% of 1RM) with concomitant blood flow restriction (BFR) can also increase muscle strength. It is unknown if adaptation with BFR is limited to the muscle or also due to changes in the nervous system. We examined changes in the output of the motor cortex and the muscle with stimulation, when subjects perform 1.) Training with light loads, 2.) Training with light loads with BFR, and 3.) Training with moderate loads. 5 subjects completed three training sessions with the elbow flexor muscles. Maximal strength was measured before and after each training session. Voluntary activation was tested with cortical stimulation (TMS) and with electrical stimulation of the biceps during additional MVCs. Subjects trained with a block of 4 isometric contractions at 20% MVC (120s, 60s, 60s, 60s durations) or at 60% MVC (40s, 20s, 20s, 20s durations). Fatigue (% decrease in MVC after training) was similar between 20% with BFR and 60% conditions (18.6% and 16%) and less in the 20% without BFR condition (9.7%). Cortical voluntary activation decreased similarly between the 20% BFR and 60% conditions (-3.6% and -3.3%) and showed less change with 20% without BFR (-1.8%). Alternatively, with electrical stimulation of the muscle, both 20% training conditions showed a decline in voluntary activation (-3.1% and -5.15), while voluntary activation increased by 8% after the 60% condition. Similar levels of fatigue occur at different contraction intensities when BFR is applied during the lighter contraction. Both 20% with BFR and 60% loading causes deficits in cortical activation, though the limiting factor in the 20% BFR condition is a decrease in activation of the muscle directly, while in the 60% contraction it is due to an inability to drive the motorneuron pool sufficiently

Next-generation capabilities in trusted research environments:interview study

BACKGROUND: A Trusted Research Environment (TRE; also known as a Safe Haven) is an environment supported by trained staff and agreed processes (principles and standards), providing access to data for research while protecting patient confidentiality. Accessing sensitive data without compromising the privacy and security of the data is a complex process.OBJECTIVE: This paper presents the security measures, administrative procedures, and technical approaches adopted by TREs.METHODS: We contacted 73 TRE operators, 22 (30%) of whom, in the United Kingdom and internationally, agreed to be interviewed remotely under a nondisclosure agreement and to complete a questionnaire about their TRE.RESULTS: We observed many similar processes and standards that TREs follow to adhere to the Seven Safes principles. The security processes and TRE capabilities for supporting observational studies using classical statistical methods were mature, and the requirements were well understood. However, we identified limitations in the security measures and capabilities of TREs to support "next-generation" requirements such as wide ranges of data types, ability to develop artificial intelligence algorithms and software within the environment, handling of big data, and timely import and export of data.CONCLUSIONS: We found a lack of software or other automation tools to support the community and limited knowledge of how to meet the next-generation requirements from the research community. Disclosure control for exporting artificial intelligence algorithms and software was found to be particularly challenging, and there is a clear need for additional controls to support this capability within TREs.</p

SNAPPI-DB: a database and API of Structures, iNterfaces and Alignments for Protein–Protein Interactions

SNAPPI-DB, a high performance database of Structures, iNterfaces and Alignments of Protein–Protein Interactions, and its associated Java Application Programming Interface (API) is described. SNAPPI-DB contains structural data, down to the level of atom co-ordinates, for each structure in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) together with associated data including SCOP, CATH, Pfam, SWISSPROT, InterPro, GO terms, Protein Quaternary Structures (PQS) and secondary structure information. Domain–domain interactions are stored for multiple domain definitions and are classified by their Superfamily/Family pair and interaction interface. Each set of classified domain–domain interactions has an associated multiple structure alignment for each partner. The API facilitates data access via PDB entries, domains and domain–domain interactions. Rapid development, fast database access and the ability to perform advanced queries without the requirement for complex SQL statements are provided via an object oriented database and the Java Data Objects (JDO) API. SNAPPI-DB contains many features which are not available in other databases of structural protein–protein interactions. It has been applied in three studies on the properties of protein–protein interactions and is currently being employed to train a protein–protein interaction predictor and a functional residue predictor. The database, API and manual are available for download at:

Introducing the Academic Discipline of Agricultural Communications to the United Kingdom

Though the academic discipline of agricultural communications is well established in the United States, it does not have a significant presence in the United Kingdom. This is the case in spite of the fact that the profession of agricultural communications is well-established across the country. As administrators at U.K. institutions consider adding curriculum in this discipline, it is important for them to have an understanding of the competencies employers would expect of agricultural communications graduates, as well as an understanding of what students would expect to learn. Empirical data describing such perceptions could further the conceptualization and development of the discipline in the U.K. A total of 22 agricultural communications professionals and 67 agricultural students from land-based institutions in England and Scotland completed the survey. Data demonstrated that agricultural students’ and agricultural communications professionals’ perceptions were generally not statistically different. While many of the competencies that guide agricultural communications curriculum in the U.S. were perceived as important to U.K. professionals and students alike, both groups perceived competencies such as writing skills and general communication skills to be especially important for prospective agricultural communications graduates in the U.K. Future studies should continue to investigate the need for an agricultural communications academic discipline in the communications profession in the United Kingdom and preferences of students, faculty, and potential employers of agricultural communications graduates