Student experiences of practical activities during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic practical activities for undergraduate students have been severely disrupted. Activities in the field of computing, control, electrical and electronic engineering at the University of Sheffield have been taught during the autumn term of 2020/2021 academic year through socially distanced in-lab sessions, remote access to in-lab equipment, take-home kits, and other online methods. Students were asked to leave feedback for each activity using an anonymous online questionnaire, designed to capture their perceptions on their learning experience. Based on the responses received, a number of recommendations have been formulated to help practical educators make decisions on the modes of delivery of certain activities and for certain student cohorts, when pivoting to increased distance learning. Students indicated they would prefer to conduct some activities using take-home kits in the future, paving the way for beneficial long-term changes to the delivery of some practical activities beyond the times of the pandemic

Evolving Identification of Blood Cells Associated with Clinically Isolated Syndrome: Importance of Time since Clinical Presentation and Diagnostic MRI

It is not clear how the profile of immune cells in peripheral blood differs between patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and healthy controls (HC). This study aimed to identify a CIS peripheral blood signature that may provide clues for potential immunomodulatory approaches early in disease. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from 18 people with CIS, 19 HC and 13 individuals with other demyelinating conditions (ODC) including multiple sclerosis (MS). Individuals with CIS separated into two groups, namely those with early (≤14 days post-diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); n = 6) and late (≥27 days; n = 12) blood sampling. Transitional B cells were increased in the blood of CIS patients independently of when blood was taken. However, there were two time-dependent effects found in the late CIS group relative to HC, including decreased CD56bright NK cells, which correlated significantly with time since MRI, and increased CD141+ myeloid dendritic cell (mDC2) frequencies. Higher CD1c+ B cells and lower non-classical monocyte frequencies were characteristic of more recent demyelinating disease activity (ODC and early CIS). Analysing cell populations by time since symptoms (subjective) and diagnostic MRI (objective) may contribute to understanding CIS

IgG 3 + B cells are associated with the development of multiple sclerosis

Objectives Disease‐modifying therapies (DMTs) targeting B cells are amongst the most effective for preventing multiple sclerosis (MS) progression. IgG3 antibodies and their uncharacterised B‐cell clones are predicted to play a pathogenic role in MS. Identifying subsets of IgG3+ B cells involved in MS progression could improve diagnosis, could inform timely disease intervention and may lead to new DMTs that target B cells more specifically. Methods We designed a 31‐parameter B‐cell‐focused mass cytometry panel to interrogate the role of peripheral blood IgG3+ B cells in MS progression of two different patient cohorts: one to investigate the B‐cell subsets involved in conversion from clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) to MS; and another to compare MS patients with inactive or active stages of disease. Each independent cohort included a group of non‐MS controls. Results Nine distinct CD20+IgD−IgG3+ B‐cell subsets were identified. Significant changes in the proportion of CD21+CD24+CD27−CD38− and CD27+CD38hiCD71hi memory B‐cell subsets correlated with changes in serum IgG3 levels and time to conversion from CIS to MS. The same CD38− double‐negative B‐cell subset was significantly elevated in MS patients with active forms of the disease. A third CD21+CD24+CD27+CD38− subset was elevated in patients with active MS, whilst narrowband UVB significantly reduced the proportion of this switched‐memory B‐cell subset. Conclusion We have identified previously uncharacterised subsets of IgG3+ B cells and shown them to correlate with autoimmune attacks on the central nervous system (CNS). These results highlight the potential for therapies that specifically target IgG3+ B cells to impact MS progression

Dura mater-associated Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease:experience from surveillance in the UK

Between 1970 and 2003, seven cases of human dura mater‐associated Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) were identified in the UK. Furthermore, we identified a case of CJD in a porcine dura graft recipient. The mean incubation period of the human dura mater cases was 93 (range 45–177) months. The clinico‐pathological features of the cases are described and compared with cases previously reported in the world literature

Camden active spaces: does the construction of active school playgrounds influence children's physical activity levels? A longitudinal quasi-experiment protocol.

Physical activity is essential for every facet of children's health. However, physical activity levels in British children are low. The school environment is a promising setting to increase children's physical activity but limited empirical evidence exists on how a change in the outdoor physical school environment influences physical activity behaviour. The London Borough of Camden is redesigning seven existing school playgrounds to engage children to become more physically active. The primary aim of this project is to evaluate the impact of the redesigned playgrounds on children's physical activity, well-being and physical function/fitness

Leukocyte populations in human preterm and term breast milk identified by multicolour flow cytometry

Background Extremely preterm infants are highly susceptible to bacterial infections but breast milk provides some protection. It is unknown if leukocyte numbers and subsets in milk differ between term and preterm breast milk. This study serially characterised leukocyte populations in breast milk of mothers of preterm and term infants using multicolour flow cytometry methods for extended differential leukocyte counts in blood. Methods Sixty mothers of extremely preterm (<28 weeks gestational age), very preterm (28–31 wk), and moderately preterm (32–36 wk), as well as term (37–41 wk) infants were recruited. Colostrum (d2–5), transitional (d8–12) and mature milk (d26–30) samples were collected, cells isolated, and leukocyte subsets analysed using flow cytometry. Results The major CD45+ leukocyte populations circulating in blood were also detectable in breast milk but at different frequencies. Progression of lactation was associated with decreasing CD45+ leukocyte concentration, as well as increases in the relative frequencies of neutrophils and immature granulocytes, and decreases in the relative frequencies of eosinophils, myeloid and B cell precursors, and CD16- monocytes. No differences were observed between preterm and term breast milk in leukocyte concentration, though minor differences between preterm groups in some leukocyte frequencies were observed. Conclusions Flow cytometry is a useful tool to identify and quantify leukocyte subsets in breast milk. The stage of lactation is associated with major changes in milk leukocyte composition in this population. Fresh preterm breast milk is not deficient in leukocytes, but shorter gestation may be associated with minor differences in leukocyte subset frequencies in preterm compared to term breast milk

Higher Serum Immunoglobulin G3 Levels May Predict the Development of Multiple Sclerosis in Individuals With Clinically Isolated Syndrome

Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) is a first episode of neurological symptoms that may precede a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Therefore, studying individuals with CIS may lead to breakthroughs in understanding the development and pathogenesis of MS. In this study, serum levels of immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgA, IgM, and IgG1-4 were measured in 20 people with CIS and compared with those in 10 healthy controls (HC) and 8 people with MS. Serum Ig levels in individuals with CIS were compared with (a) the time to their conversion from CIS to MS, (b) serum levels of antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus, (c) frequencies of T regulatory (Treg), T follicular regulatory (Tfr), and B cell subsets, and (d) Treg/Tfr expression of Helios. Serum IgG, IgM, and IgG2 levels were significantly lower in people with CIS than HC, and IgG, IgM, and IgG1 levels were significantly lower in people with CIS than MS. After adjusting for age, sex, and serum 25(OH) vitamin D3 [25(OH)D] levels, CIS was associated with lower serum levels of IgG and IgG2 compared with HC (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). People with MS had lower IgG2 levels (p < 0.001) and IgG2 proportions (%IgG; p = 0.007) compared with HC. After adjusting for age, sex, and 25(OH)D, these outcomes remained, in addition to lower serum IgA levels (p = 0.01) and increased IgG3 levels (p = 0.053) in people with MS compared with HC. Furthermore, serum from people with MS had increased proportions of IgG1 and IgG3 (p = 0.03 and p = 0.02, respectively), decreased proportions of IgG2 (p = 0.007), and greater ratios of "upstream" to "downstream" IgG subclasses (p = 0.001) compared with HC. Serum IgG3 proportions (%IgG) from people with CIS correlated with the frequency of plasmablasts in peripheral blood (p = 0.02). Expression of Helios by Treg and Tfr cell subsets from individuals with CIS correlated with levels of serum IgG2 and IgG4. IgG3 levels and proportions of IgG3 (%IgG) in serum at CIS diagnosis were inversely correlated with the time until conversion to MS (p = 0.018 and p < 0.001, respectively), suggesting they may be useful prognostic markers of individuals with CIS who rapidly convert to MS.ST, AJ, and MF-P are recipients of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Western Australia (MSWA) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. RL is a recipient of a National Health and Medical Research Council Senior Research Fellowship. This work is funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grant (ID 1067209)

Quantifying the profile and progression of impairments, activity, participation, and quality of life in people with Parkinson disease : protocol for a prospective cohort study

Background Despite the finding that Parkinson disease (PD) occurs in more than one in every 1000 people older than 60 years, there have been few attempts to quantify how deficits in impairments, activity, participation, and quality of life progress in this debilitating condition. It is unclear which tools are most appropriate for measuring change over time in PD. Methods and design This protocol describes a prospective analysis of changes in impairments, activity, participation, and quality of life over a 12 month period together with an economic analysis of costs associated with PD. One-hundred participants will be included, provided they have idiopathic PD rated I-IV on the modified Hoehn &amp; Yahr (1967) scale and fulfil the inclusion criteria. The study aims to determine which clinical and economic measures best quantify the natural history and progression of PD in a sample of people receiving services from the Victorian Comprehensive Parkinson\u27s Program, Australia. When the data become available, the results will be expressed as baseline scores and changes over 3 months and 12 months for impairment, activity, participation, and quality of life together with a cost analysis. Discussion This study has the potential to identify baseline characteristics of PD for different Hoehn &amp; Yahr stages, to determine the influence of disease duration on performance, and to calculate the costs associated with idiopathic PD. Valid clinical and economic measures for quantifying the natural history and progression of PD will also be identified