Relational anatomy: Dissecting and memorialising the dead in medical education

Relational dimensions of contemporary anatomy, as a body of knowledge and a field of material practices, are examined in this article, focusing on the treatment and uses of bodies after death in anatomical education. Attending to the intersection of the s

An evaluation of EMBASE within the NHS: findings of the Database Access Project working partnership to extend the knowledge base of healthcare

An earlier article in the Innovations on the Internet Series introduced the Database Access Project (DAPs) at Southmead Health Services NHS Trust, which piloted the introduction and use of EMBASE via the Internet and NHSnet. This follow-up article assesses the results of the Project, and reports on its findings. In particular, it considers the usefulness of EMBASE in terms of coverage and content for different groups of NHS users and aspects of take-up in terms of access arrangements and patterns of usage. It also considers the likely impact on the library and information service in terms of providing training and user support and meeting related demands, for example the acquisition of full-text articles as a result of increased levels of searching. The value of retaining access to EMBASE was recognized by the majority of those who participated in the Project, despite its acknowledged overlap with other databases. The coverage of the database was identified as being relevant by a majority of users; both its expanded European coverage and its coverage of drug-related and mental health literature were identified as important aspects. The project identified a clear preference for remote access to the database, although there was still a need to visit the library for retrieval of full text. Lack of time both for training and for actual database use, and lack of confidence in applying search skills and in appraising research were identified as key challenges to database searching. The authors highlight the special role of information professionals in providing training and support for NHS professionals in the acquisition of search skills and critical appraisal skills in order to encourage effective database use.

Hyperexcitability and translational phenotypes in a preclinical model of SYNGAP1 mutations

SYNGAP1 is a critical gene for neuronal development, synaptic structure, and function. Although rare, the disruption of SYNGAP1 directly causes a genetically identifiable neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) called SYNGAP1 -related intellectual disability. Without functional SynGAP1 protein, patients present with intellectual disability, motor impairments, and epilepsy. Previous work using mouse models with a variety of germline and conditional mutations has helped delineate SynGAP1's critical roles in neuronal structure and function, as well as key biochemical signaling pathways essential to synapse integrity. Homozygous loss of SYNGAP1 is embryonically lethal. Heterozygous mutations of SynGAP1 result in a broad range of phenotypes including increased locomotor activity, impaired working spatial memory, impaired cued fear memory, and increased stereotypic behavior. Our in vivo functional data, using the original germline mutation mouse line from the Huganir laboratory, corroborated robust hyperactivity and learning and memory deficits. Here, we describe impairments in the translational biomarker domain of sleep, characterized using neurophysiological data collected with wireless telemetric electroencephalography (EEG). We discovered Syngap1+/- mice exhibited elevated spike trains in both number and duration, in addition to elevated power, most notably in the delta power band. Primary neurons from Syngap1+/- mice displayed increased network firing activity, greater spikes per burst, and shorter inter-burst intervals between peaks using high density micro-electrode arrays (HD-MEA). This work is translational, innovative, and highly significant as it outlines functional impairments in Syngap1 mutant mice. Simultaneously, the work utilized untethered, wireless neurophysiology that can discover potential biomarkers of Syngap1 RI-D, for clinical trials, as it has done with other NDDs. Our work is substantial forward progress toward translational work for SynGAP1R-ID as it bridges in-vitro electrophysiological neuronal activity and function with in vivo neurophysiological brain activity and function. These data elucidate multiple quantitative, translational biomarkers in vivo and in vitro for the development of treatments for SYNGAP1-related intellectual disability.