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Keeva Heap, who is undertaking a communications work experience placement at the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences (NDS), shares our words of kindness In honour of Anti-Bullying Week.
Parkinson's disease deficits in time perception to auditory as well as visual stimuli - A large online study.
Cognitive deficits are common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and range from mild cognitive impairment to dementia, often dramatically reducing quality of life. Physiological models have shown that attention and memory are predicated on the brain's ability to process time. Perception has been shown to be increased or decreased by activation or deactivation of dopaminergic neurons respectively. Here we investigate differences in time perception between patients with PD and healthy controls. We have measured differences in sub-second- and second-time intervals. Sensitivity and error in perception as well as the response times are calculated. Additionally, we investigated intra-individual response variability and the effect of participant devices on both reaction time and sensitivity. Patients with PD have impaired sensitivity in discriminating between durations of both visual and auditory stimuli compared to healthy controls. Though initially designed as an in-person study, because of the pandemic the experiment was adapted into an online study. This adaptation provided a unique opportunity to enroll a larger number of international participants and use this study to evaluate the feasibility of future virtual studies focused on cognitive impairment. To our knowledge this is the only time perception study, focusing on PD, which measures the differences in perception using both auditory and visual stimuli. The cohort involved is the largest to date, comprising over 800 participants.
Dynamic changes in rhythmic and arrhythmic neural signatures in the subthalamic nucleus induced by anaesthesia and intubation
AbstractBackgroundSubcortical structures including the basal ganglia have been proposed to be crucial for arousal, consciousness, and behavioural responsiveness. However, how basal ganglia contributes to the loss and recovery of consciousness during anaesthesia has not been well characterized.MethodsIn this study, using local field potentials (LFPs) from subthalamic nucleus (STN) and scalp electroencephalogram in 12 Parkinson’s disease patients, we investigate STN neural signatures during propofol general anaesthesia and during intubation as an arousal intervention in anaesthesia.ResultsPropofol-induced anaesthesia resulted in changes in multiple frequency bands in STN LFPs, including increased low-frequency activities (slow-wave oscillation, delta, theta, and alpha bands) and decreased higher-frequency activities. This was also accompanied by increased STN-frontal cortical coherence in alpha frequency band. Beta and high-gamma activities in the STN temporally increased during intubation compared to the status of loss of consciousness. We also show that the dynamic changes in the high frequency activities (80-180 Hz) in STN LFPs induced by propofol and intubation correlated with power-law exponent in the power spectra between 2 and 80 Hz.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that anaesthesia and intubation induced changes in the STN LFPs in multiple frequency bands. They are also consistent with the hypothesis that the power-law exponent in the power spectra between 2 and 80 Hz reflect the excitation/inhibition balance in the STN, which is modulated by anaesthesia and intubation, and further modulate the high frequency activity.
Department Wide Validation in Digital Pathology-Experience from an Academic Teaching Hospital Using the UK Royal College of Pathologists' Guidance.
AIM: we describe our experience of validating departmental pathologists for digital pathology reporting, based on the UK Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) "Best Practice Recommendations for Implementing Digital Pathology (DP)," at a large academic teaching hospital that scans 100% of its surgical workload. We focus on Stage 2 of validation (prospective experience) prior to full validation sign-off. METHODS AND RESULTS: twenty histopathologists completed Stage 1 of the validation process and subsequently completed Stage 2 validation, prospectively reporting a total of 3777 cases covering eight specialities. All cases were initially viewed on digital whole slide images (WSI) with relevant parameters checked on glass slides, and discordances were reconciled before the case was signed out. Pathologists kept an electronic log of the cases, the preferred reporting modality used, and their experiences. At the end of each validation, a summary was compiled and reviewed with a mentor. This was submitted to the DP Steering Group who assessed the scope of cases and experience before sign-off for full validation. A total of 1.3% (49/3777) of the cases had a discordance between WSI and glass slides. A total of 61% (30/49) of the discordances were categorised as a minor error in a supplementary parameter without clinical impact. The most common reasons for diagnostic discordances across specialities included identification and grading of dysplasia, assessment of tumour invasion, identification of small prognostic or diagnostic objects, interpretation of immunohistochemistry/special stains, and mitotic count assessment. Pathologists showed similar mean diagnostic confidences (on Likert scale from 0 to 7) with a mean of 6.8 on digital and 6.9 on glass slide reporting. CONCLUSION: we describe one of the first real-world experiences of a department-wide effort to implement, validate, and roll out digital pathology reporting by applying the RCPath Recommendations for Implementing DP. We have shown a very low rate of discordance between WSI and glass slides.
Impact of Complete Revascularization in the ISCHEMIA Trial.
BACKGROUND: Anatomic complete revascularization (ACR) and functional complete revascularization (FCR) have been associated with reduced death and myocardial infarction (MI) in some prior studies. The impact of complete revascularization (CR) in patients undergoing an invasive (INV) compared with a conservative (CON) management strategy has not been reported. OBJECTIVES: Among patients with chronic coronary disease without prior coronary artery bypass grafting randomized to INV vs CON management in the ISCHEMIA (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches) trial, we examined the following: 1) the outcomes of ACR and FCR compared with incomplete revascularization; and 2) the potential impact of achieving CR in all INV patients compared with CON management. METHODS: ACR and FCR in the INV group were assessed at an independent core laboratory. Multivariable-adjusted outcomes of CR were examined in INV patients. Inverse probability weighted modeling was then performed to estimate the treatment effect had CR been achieved in all INV patients compared with CON management. RESULTS: ACR and FCR were achieved in 43.4% and 58.4% of 1,824 INV patients. ACR was associated with reduced 4-year rates of cardiovascular death or MI compared with incomplete revascularization. By inverse probability weighted modeling, ACR in all 2,296 INV patients compared with 2,498 CON patients was associated with a lower 4-year rate of cardiovascular death or MI (difference -3.5; 95% CI: -7.2% to 0.0%). In comparison, the event rate difference of cardiovascular death or MI for INV minus CON in the overall ISCHEMIA trial was -2.4%. Results were similar but less pronounced with FCR. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes of an INV strategy may be improved if CR (especially ACR) is achieved. (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness With Medical and Invasive Approaches [ISCHEMIA]; NCT01471522).
The bladder as a readout in neuroscience research
The study of bladder physiology can be used as a tool to investigate the properties of the neural systems, which support its function, both in health and disease. In this chapter, we explore different areas of neuroscience research that have used the bladder as a readout ranging from cellular and molecular neuroscience studies through to work on neurodevelopment, neurodegeneration, and neuroregeneration. We also explore future avenues in which bladder function could be used as a readout in neuroscience research, focusing on affective disorders and trauma.
The safety of telemedicine clinics as an alternative to in-person preoperative assessment for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with benign gallbladder disease: a retrospective cohort study.
BACKGROUND: The telemedicine clinic for follow up after minor surgical procedures in general surgery is now ubiquitously considered a standard of care. However, this method of consultation is not the mainstay for preoperative assessment and counselling of patients for common surgical procedures such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of assessing and counselling patients in the telemedicine clinic without a physical encounter for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who were booked for laparoscopic cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder disease via general surgery telemedicine clinics from March 2020 to November 2021. The primary outcome was the cancellation rate on the day of surgery. The secondary outcomes were complication and readmission rates, with Clavein-Dindo grade III or greater deemed clinically significant. We performed a subgroup analysis on the cases cancelled on the day of surgery in an attempt to identify key reasons for cancellation following virtual clinic assessment. RESULTS: We identified 206 cases booked for laparoscopic cholecystectomy from telemedicine clinics. 7% of patients had a cancellation on the day of surgery. Only one such cancellation was deemed avoidable as it may have been prevented by a face-to-face assessment. Severe postoperative adverse events (equal to or greater than Clavien-Dindo grade III) were observed in 1% of patients, and required re-intervention. 30-day readmission rate was 11%. CONCLUSIONS: Our series showed that it is safe and feasible to assess and counsel patients for laparoscopic cholecystectomy remotely with a minimal cancellation rate on the day of operation. Further work is needed to understand the effect of remote consultations on patient satisfaction, its environmental impact, and possible benefits to healthcare economics to support its routine use in general surgery.
A retrospective analysis of gender parity in scientific authorship in a biomedical research centre
ABSTRACT Objective Scientific authorship is a vital marker of success in academic careers and gender equity is a key performance metric in research. However, there is little understanding of gender equity in publications in biomedical research centres funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). This study assesses the gender parity in scientific authorship of biomedical research. Design A retrospective descriptive study. Setting NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre. Data 2409 publications accepted or published from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2017. Main outcome measures Gender of authors, defined as a binary variable comprising either male or female categories, in six authorship categories: first author, joint first authors, first corresponding author, joint corresponding authors, last author and joint last authors. Results Publications comprised clinical research (39%, n=939), basic research (27%, n=643), and other types of research (34%, n=827). The proportion of female authors as first author (41%), first corresponding authors (34%) and last author (23%) was statistically significantly lower than male authors in these authorship categories. Of total joint first authors (n=458), joint corresponding authors (n=169), and joint last authors (n=229), female only authors comprised statistically significant smaller proportions i.e. 15% (n=69), 29% (n=49) and 10% (n=23) respectively, compared to male only authors in these joint authorship categories. There was a statistically significant association between gender of the last author(s) with gender of the first author(s) (χ 2 33.742, P < 0.001), corresponding author(s) (χ 2 540.774, P < 0.001) and joint last author(s) (χ 2 91.291, P < 0.001). Conclusions Although there are increasing trends of female authors as first authors (41%) and last authors (23%), female authors are underrepresented compared to male authors in all six categories of scientific authorship in biomedical research. Further research is needed to encourage gender parity in different categories of scientific authorship. Strengths and limitations of this study <jats:list list-type="bullet"><jats:list-item> This is the first study to investigate gender parity in six categories of scientific authorship: first authors, first corresponding authors, last authors and three joint authorship categories i.e. joint first authors, joint corresponding authors and joint last authors in biomedical research. <jats:list-item> This study provides an important benchmark on gender equity in scientific authorship for other NIHR funded centres and organisations in England. <jats:list-item> The generalisability of the findings of this study may be limited due to differences in medical specialities, research areas, institutional cultures, and levels of support to individual researchers. <jats:list-item> Using secondary sources for determining the gender of authors may have limitations, which could be avoided by seeking relevant information from original authors and institution affiliation at the time of submission.
Gender parity in scientific authorship in a National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre: a bibliometric analysis.
OBJECTIVE: Scientific authorship is a vital marker of achievement in academic careers and gender equity is a key performance metric in research. However, there is little understanding of gender equity in publications in biomedical research centres funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). This study assesses the gender parity in scientific authorship of biomedical research. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective bibliometric study. SETTING: NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). DATA: Data comprised 2409 publications that were either accepted or published between April 2012 and March 2017. The publications were classified as basic science studies, clinical studies (both trial and non-trial studies) and other studies (comments, editorials, systematic reviews, reviews, opinions, book chapters, meeting reports, guidelines and protocols). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Gender of authors, defined as a binary variable comprising either male or female categories, in six authorship categories: first author, joint first authors, first corresponding author, joint corresponding authors, last author and joint last authors. RESULTS: Publications comprised 39% clinical research (n=939), 27% basic research (n=643) and 34% other types of research (n=827). The proportion of female authors as first author (41%), first corresponding authors (34%) and last author (23%) was statistically significantly lower than male authors in these authorship categories (p<0.001). Of total joint first authors (n=458), joint corresponding authors (n=169) and joint last authors (n=229), female only authors comprised statistically significant (p<0.001) smaller proportions, that is, 15% (n=69), 29% (n=49) and 10% (n=23) respectively, compared with male only authors in these joint authorship categories. There was a statistically significant association between gender of the last author with gender of the first author (p<0.001), first corresponding author (p<0.001) and joint last author (p<0.001). The mean journal impact factor (JIF) was statistically significantly higher when the first corresponding author was male compared with female (Mean JIF: 10.00 vs 8.77, p=0.020); however, the JIF was not statistically different when there were male and female authors as first authors and last authors. CONCLUSIONS: Although the proportion of female authors is significantly lower than the proportion of male authors in all six categories of authorship analysed, the proportions of male and female last authors are comparable to their respective proportions as principal investigators in the BRC. These findings suggest positive trends and the NIHR Oxford BRC doing very well in gender parity in the senior (last) authorship category. Male corresponding authors are more likely to publish articles in prestigious journals with high impact factor while both male and female authors at first and last authorship positions publish articles in equally prestigious journals.
A Novel Automated Calculation of Basal Cistern Effacement Status on Computed Tomographic Imaging in Traumatic Brain Injury.
Introduction To predict patient outcomes in traumatic brain injury (TBI) lesions, various scores have been proposed, which use objective assessments. These scores, however, rely on the observer's ability to determine them. This study presents a comprehensive, reproducible, and more anatomically stratified objective measurement of the degree of basal cistern effacement in brain computed tomographic (CT) scan images. Methods Patients with TBI admitted from August 2015 to February 2016 were included. The control group consisted of non-trauma patients, who had normal brain CT scans. The images were analyzed by an automated volumetric compression ratio (CR) defined as the volume ratio between the parenchymal tissue and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the basal cisterns. This value was compared with the TBI severity recorded at each patient's admission and a consensus score of the basal cisterns' degree of effacement by manual analysis. Results Seventy-three TBI patients were admitted. The mean admission Glasow Coma Scale (GCS) score was 9. In the non-TBI control group, 29 patients were enrolled. The average kappa value for the inter-observer agreement was 0.583. The CR had an inverse linear relationship with the severity of the TBI and the degree of effacement of the basal cisterns. The correlation between the CR value in the midbrain and the specialists' consensus determination was statistically significant (p < 0.01). The CR also showed a difference between the TBI and the control groups (p 0.0001). Conclusions The automated CR is a useful objective variable to determine the degree of basal cistern effacement. The proposed ratio has a good correlation with the classical basal cistern effacement classification and TBI severity.
Beta-cell death and dysfunction drives hyperglycaemia in organ donors.
BACKGROUND: Donor hyperglycaemia following brain death has been attributed to reversible insulin resistance. However, our islet and pancreas transplant data suggest that other mechanisms may be predominant. We aimed to determine the relationships between donor insulin use and markers of beta-cell death and beta-cell function in pancreas donors after brain death. METHODS: In pancreas donors after brain death, we compared clinical and biochemical data in 'insulin-treated' and 'not insulin-treated donors' (IT vs. not-IT). We measured plasma glucose, C-peptide and levels of circulating unmethylated insulin gene promoter cell-free DNA (INS-cfDNA) and microRNA-375 (miR-375), as measures of beta-cell death. Relationships between markers of beta-cell death and islet isolation outcomes and post-transplant function were also evaluated. RESULTS: Of 92 pancreas donors, 40 (43%) required insulin. Glycaemic control and beta-cell function were significantly poorer in IT donors versus not-IT donors [median (IQR) peak glucose: 8 (7-11) vs. 6 (6-8) mmol/L, p = .016; C-peptide: 3280 (3159-3386) vs. 3195 (2868-3386) pmol/L, p = .046]. IT donors had significantly higher levels of INS-cfDNA [35 (18-52) vs. 30 (8-51) copies/ml, p = .035] and miR-375 [1.050 (0.19-1.95) vs. 0.73 (0.32-1.10) copies/nl, p = .05]. Circulating donor miR-375 was highly predictive of recipient islet graft failure at 3 months [adjusted receiver operator curve (SE) = 0.813 (0.149)]. CONCLUSIONS: In pancreas donors, hyperglycaemia requiring IT is strongly associated with beta-cell death. This provides an explanation for the relationship of donor IT with post-transplant beta-cell dysfunction in transplant recipients.