Tracking Rats in Operant Conditioning Chambers Using a Versatile Homemade Video Camera and DeepLabCut.

Operant conditioning chambers are used to perform a wide range of behavioral tests in the field of neuroscience. The recorded data is typically based on the triggering of lever and nose-poke sensors present inside the chambers. While this provides a detailed view of when and how animals perform certain responses, it cannot be used to evaluate behaviors that do not trigger any sensors. As such, assessing how animals position themselves and move inside the chamber is rarely possible. To obtain this information, researchers generally have to record and analyze videos. Manufacturers of operant conditioning chambers can typically supply their customers with high-quality camera setups. However, these can be very costly and do not necessarily fit chambers from other manufacturers or other behavioral test setups. The current protocol describes how to build an inexpensive and versatile video camera using hobby electronics components. It further describes how to use the image analysis software package DeepLabCut to track the status of a strong light signal, as well as the position of a rat, in videos gathered from an operant conditioning chamber. The former is a great aid when selecting short segments of interest in videos that cover entire test sessions, and the latter enables analysis of parameters that cannot be obtained from the data logs produced by the operant chambers.

Educational video intervention improves knowledge and self-efficacy in identifying malnutrition among healthcare providers in a cancer center: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the USA, and malnutrition secondary to cancer progression and treatment side effects is common. While abundant evidence indicates that nutrition support improves patient outcomes, it is estimated that up to half of malnutrition cases are misclassified or undiagnosed. The use of a multidisciplinary team to assess nutrition status has been observed previously to reduce delays in nutritional support. Hence, educating all members of the oncology healthcare team to assess nutrition status may encourage earlier diagnosis and lead to improved patient outcomes. Thus, the objective was to perform a pilot study to assess change in knowledge and self-efficacy among oncology team members after watching an educational video about malnutrition. METHODS: A pre-test post-test educational video intervention was given to 77 ambulatory oncology providers during weekly staff meetings at a community ambulatory oncology center in central Illinois. Change in knowledge and self-efficacy in malnutrition assessment and diagnosis was measured and acceptability of the brief educational video format was also observed. RESULTS: Mean test scores improved by 1.95 ± 1.48 points (p < 0.001). Individual occupational groups improved scores significantly (p ≤ 0.005) except for specialty clinical staff. Self-efficacy improved from 38 to 70%. 90.8% of participants indicated the educational video improved their confidence in assessing malnutrition. CONCLUSIONS: The educational video was well accepted and improved knowledge and self-efficacy of malnutrition assessment and diagnosis among ambulatory oncology providers. Wider implementation of such an educational intervention and longitudinal testing of knowledge retention and behaviors change is warranted.

Family environment and preschoolers' sleep: the complementary role of both parents.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate in a sample of low-income families whether the quality of parent-child interactions mediated the association between coparenting and child sleep, and if this association was moderated by parents' anxiety. METHOD: In sum, 81 two-parent families with a preschool child (aged 3 to 5 years) and receiving social security benefits were recruited. Mothers and fathers completed questionnaires assessing coparenting, parental anxiety, and child sleep duration and sleep problems. Quality of mother-child and father-child interactions was evaluated by independent observers from videotaped free play sequences in the home environment. RESULTS: Results showed that preschoolers' sleep duration was unrelated to paternal factors but associated with maternal factors. Specifically, coparenting predicted children's sleep duration through its effect on the quality of mother-child interactions, but only for dyads in which mothers were clinically anxious. Preschoolers' sleep problems were related to coparenting, quality of mother-child and father-child interactions, and mothers' but not fathers' anxiety. CONCLUSION: The current results suggest that both parents play a complementary role in children's sleep. Likewise, different pathways and interactions were found in relation to sleep duration and problems, emphasizing the complexity of the links between family factors and sleep processes. Overall, this study helps to clarify some of the associations between parental characteristics and preschoolers' sleep within a sample of low-income families.

Classification of Processing Damage in Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris) Seeds by Multispectral Image Analysis.

The pericarp of monogerm sugar beet seed is rubbed off during processing in order to produce uniformly sized seeds ready for pelleting. This process can lead to mechanical damage, which may cause quality deterioration of the processed seeds. Identification of the mechanical damage and classification of the severity of the injury is important and currently time consuming, as visual inspections by trained analysts are used. This study aimed to find alternative seed quality assessment methods by evaluating a machine vision technique for the classification of five damage types in monogerm sugar beet seeds. Multispectral imaging (MSI) was employed using the VideometerLab3 instrument and instrument software. Statistical analysis of MSI-derived data produced a model, which had an average of 82% accuracy in classification of 200 seeds in the five damage classes. The first class contained seeds with the potential to produce good seedlings and the model was designed to put more limitations on seeds to be classified in this group. The classification accuracy of class one to five was 59, 100, 77, 77 and 89%, respectively. Based on the results we conclude that MSI-based classification of mechanical damage in sugar beet seeds is a potential tool for future seed quality assessment.

The TotaltrackTM video laryngeal mask: an evaluation in 300 patients.

The TotaltrackTM is a new video laryngeal mask, which combines a supraglottic airway with a videolaryngoscope. We evaluated the performance of this device in an observational study in 300 adult patients. The Totaltrack was inserted at the first attempt and the glottis seen in all cases. In 249 patients (83%; 95%CI 78.7-87.3%) the glottis was seen at the first attempt. Adequate ventilation and tracheal intubation were achieved in all patients. The median time to visualisation of vocal cords, to confirmation of ventilation and to successful tracheal intubation was 5 s, 13 s and 24 s, respectively. Nineteen patients (6.3%; 95%CI 3.55-9.05%) suffered minor complications, such as mucosal lesion or blood staining. The Totaltrack appears effective for airway management.

The Treatment of Metabolic Acidosis: An Interactive Case-Based Learning Activity.

Introduction: Metabolic acidosis is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening condition encountered in the inpatient and emergency department setting. Metabolic acidoses due to renal failure, bicarbonate losses, or lactic acidosis are common conditions, and the appropriate medical management of each is relevant to any inpatient medical provider. Therefore, we created a learning activity that utilizes blackboard-style videos followed by an interactive case-based learning session to help the medical student recognize, diagnose, and manage common causes of metabolic acidosis. Methods: We organized this learning activity by assigning digital videos, followed by application in an interactive team-based format. We created electronic blackboard-style videos and a quiz to assess medical knowledge related to concepts discussed in the videos. Next, we created case resources that facilitate an interactive case-based teaching session so the learners could apply their knowledge and simulate the management of metabolic acidosis. Results: We implemented this activity for 34 medical students. All students viewed the videos prior to the in-class session. In a pre/post assessment of medical knowledge, we observed a significant improvement in quiz scores. Next, we successfully facilitated the case-based active learning session, allowing the assessment of higher-order cognitive skills related to management of patients with metabolic acidosis. Our medical students felt highly satisfied and competent at the completion of our course. Discussion: Our medical students rated this as an excellent learning activity. Others may find this activity useful within the context of any course or rotation related to patients with metabolic acidosis.

Age, Aggression, and Pleasure in Popular Online Pornographic Videos.

This article analyzes the content of 172 popular videos from the pornographic website PornHub.com . Although I found no difference between the levels of aggression in videos featuring teenage performers and those featuring adult performers, the former were more likely to have a title that suggests aggression and to include anal penetration and facial ejaculation. In addition, although all female performers were more likely to express pleasure following aggression, this association was stronger in videos featuring teenage performers. These videos portray aggression and degradation as both consensual- i.e., men dominating willing women-and sensual- i.e., producing pleasure for both men and women.

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos.

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are known to have sensory-perceptual processing deficits that weaken their abilities to attend and perceive social stimuli in daily living contexts. Since daily social episodes consist of subtle dynamic changes in social information, any failure to attend to or process subtle human nonverbal cues, such as facial expression, postures, and gestures, might lead to inappropriate social interaction. Traditional behavioral rating scales or assessment tools based on static social scenes have limitations in capturing the moment-to-moment changes in social scenarios. An eye-tracking assessment, which can be administered in a video-based mode, is therefore preferred, to augment clinical observation. In this study, using the single-case comparison design, the eye-tracking data of three participants, a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), another with comorbid attention deficit-hyperactive disorder (ADHD), and a neurotypical control, are captured while they view a video of social scenarios. The eye-tracking experiment has helped answer the research question: How does social attention differ between the three participants? By predefining areas of interest (AOIs), their visual attention on relevant or irrelevant social stimuli, how fast each participant attends to the first social stimuli appearing in the videos, for how long each participant continues to attend to those stimuli within the AOIs, and the gaze shifts between multiple social stimuli appearing concurrently in the same social scene are captured, compared, and analyzed in a video-based eye-tracking experiment.

The Effect of Swaddling on Pain, Vital Signs, and Crying Duration during Heel Lance in Newborns.

To determine the effect of swaddling on pain, vital signs, and crying duration during heel lance in the newborn. This was a randomized controlled study of 74 (control: 37, experiment: 37) newborns born between December 2013 and February 2014 at the Ministry of Health Bagcilar Training and Research Hospital. An information form, observation form, and Neonatal Infant Pain Scale were used as data collection tools. Data from the pain scores, peak heart rates, oxygen saturation, total crying time, and duration of the procedure were collected using a video camera. Newborns in the control group underwent routine heel lance, whereas newborns in the experimental group underwent routine heel lance while being swaddled by the researcher. The newborns' pain scores, peak heart rates, oxygen saturation values, and crying durations were evaluated using video recordings made before, during, and 1, 2, and 3 minutes after the procedure. Pain was assessed by a nurse and the researcher. No statistically significant difference was found in the characteristics of the two groups (p > .05). The mean pain scores of swaddled newborns during and after the procedure were lower than the nonswaddled newborns (p < .05). In addition, crying duration of swaddled newborns was found to be shorter than the nonswaddled newborns (p < .05). The average preprocedure peak heart rates of swaddled newborns were higher (p < .05); however, the difference was not significant during and after the procedure (p > .05). Although there was no significant difference in oxygen saturation values before and during the procedure (p > .05), oxygen saturation values of swaddled newborns were higher afterward (p < .05). For this study sample, swaddling was an effective nonpharmacologic method to help reduce pain and crying in an effort to soothe newborns. Although pharmacologic pain management is the gold standard, swaddling can be recommended as a complementary therapy for newborns during painful procedures. Swaddling is a quick and simple nonpharmacologic method that can be used by nurses to help reduce heel stick pain in newborns.

Use of baited remote underwater video (BRUV) and motion analysis for studying the impacts of underwater noise upon free ranging fish and implications for marine energy management.

Free-ranging individual fish were observed using a baited remote underwater video (BRUV) system during sound playback experiments. This paper reports on test trials exploring BRUV design parameters, image analysis and practical experimental designs. Three marine species were exposed to playback noise, provided as examples of behavioural responses to impulsive sound at 163-171dB re 1µPa (peak-to-peak SPL) and continuous sound of 142.7dB re 1µPa (RMS, SPL), exhibiting directional changes and accelerations. The methods described here indicate the efficacy of BRUV to examine behaviour of free-ranging species to noise playback, rather than using confinement. Given the increasing concern about the effects of water-borne noise, for example its inclusion within the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and the lack of empirical evidence in setting thresholds, this paper discusses the use of BRUV, and short term behavioural changes, in supporting population level marine noise management.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Auditory communication is central to the social interactions of many animals. In fruit flies, males sing to court females. Coen et al. (2016) demonstrate that males can dynamically adjust the loudness of their songs according to the distance to a female.

Introducing Contactless Blood Pressure Assessment Using a High Speed Video Camera.

Recent studies demonstrated that blood pressure (BP) can be estimated using pulse transit time (PTT). For PTT calculation, photoplethysmogram (PPG) is usually used to detect a time lag in pulse wave propagation which is correlated with BP. Until now, PTT and PPG were registered using a set of body-worn sensors. In this study a new methodology is introduced allowing contactless registration of PTT and PPG using high speed camera resulting in corresponding image-based PTT (iPTT) and image-based PPG (iPPG) generation. The iPTT value can be potentially utilized for blood pressure estimation however extent of correlation between iPTT and BP is unknown. The goal of this preliminary feasibility study was to introduce the methodology for contactless generation of iPPG and iPTT and to make initial estimation of the extent of correlation between iPTT and BP "in vivo." A short cycling exercise was used to generate BP changes in healthy adult volunteers in three consecutive visits. BP was measured by a verified BP monitor simultaneously with iPTT registration at three exercise points: rest, exercise peak, and recovery. iPPG was simultaneously registered at two body locations during the exercise using high speed camera at 420 frames per second. iPTT was calculated as a time lag between pulse waves obtained as two iPPG's registered from simultaneous recoding of head and palm areas. The average inter-person correlation between PTT and iPTT was 0.85 ± 0.08. The range of inter-person correlations between PTT and iPTT was from 0.70 to 0.95 (p < 0.05). The average inter-person coefficient of correlation between SBP and iPTT was -0.80 ± 0.12. The range of correlations between systolic BP and iPTT was from 0.632 to 0.960 with p < 0.05 for most of the participants. Preliminary data indicated that a high speed camera can be potentially utilized for unobtrusive contactless monitoring of abrupt blood pressure changes in a variety of settings. The initial prototype system was able to successfully generate approximation of pulse transit time and showed high intra-individual correlation between iPTT and BP. Further investigation of the proposed approach is warranted.

Neurosurgical Skills Assessment: Measuring Technical Proficiency in Neurosurgery Residents Through Intraoperative Video Evaluations.

OBJECTIVES: Although technical skills are fundamental in neurosurgery, there is little agreement on how to describe, measure, or compare skills among surgeons. The primary goal of this study was to develop a quantitative grading scale for technical surgical performance that distinguishes operator skill when graded by domain experts (residents, attendings, and nonsurgeons). Scores provided by raters should be highly reliable with respect to scores from other observers. METHODS: Neurosurgery residents were fitted with a head-mounted video camera while performing craniotomies under attending supervision. Seven videos, 1 from each postgraduate year (PGY) level (1-7), were anonymized and scored by 16 attendings, 8 residents, and 7 nonsurgeons using a grading scale. Seven skills were graded: incision, efficiency of instrument use, cauterization, tissue handling, drilling/craniotomy, confidence, and training level. RESULTS: A strong correlation was found between skills score and PGY year (P < 0.001, analysis of variance). Junior residents (PGY 1-3) had significantly lower scores than did senior residents (PGY 4-7, P < 0.001, t test). Significant variation among junior residents was observed, and senior residents' scores were not significantly different from one another. Interrater reliability, measured against other observers, was high (r = 0.581 ± 0.245, Spearman), as was assessment of resident training level (r = 0.583 ± 0.278, Spearman). Both variables were strongly correlated (r = 0.90, Pearson). Attendings, residents, and nonsurgeons did not score differently (P = 0.46, analysis of variance). CONCLUSIONS: Technical skills of neurosurgery residents recorded during craniotomy can be measured with high interrater reliability. Surgeons and nonsurgeons alike readily distinguish different skill levels. This type of assessment could be used to coach residents, to track performance over time, and potentially to compare skill levels. Developing an objective tool to evaluate surgical performance would be useful in several areas of neurosurgery education.

First investigations to refine video-based IR thermography as a non-invasive tool to monitor the body temperature of calves.

In this study, a video-based infrared camera (IRC) was investigated as a tool to monitor the body temperature of calves. Body surface temperatures were measured contactless using videos from an IRC fixed at a certain location in the calf feeder. The body surface temperatures were analysed retrospectively at three larger areas: the head area (in front of the forehead), the body area (behind forehead) and the area of the entire animal. The rectal temperature served as a reference temperature and was measured with a digital thermometer at the corresponding time point. A total of nine calves (Holstein-Friesians, 8 to 35 weeks old) were examined. The average maximum temperatures of the area of the entire animal (mean±SD: 37.66±0.90°C) and the head area (37.64±0.86°C) were always higher than that of the body area (36.75±1.06°C). The temperatures of the head area and of the entire animal were very similar. However, the maximum temperatures as measured using IRC increased with an increase in calf rectal temperature. The maximum temperatures of each video picture for the entire visible body area of the calves appeared to be sufficient to measure the superficial body temperature. The advantage of the video-based IRC over conventional IR single-picture cameras is that more than one picture per animal can be analysed in a short period of time. This technique provides more data for analysis. Thus, this system shows potential as an indicator for continuous temperature measurements in calves.

Tap dancing birds: the multimodal mutual courtship display of males and females in a socially monogamous songbird.

According to classical sexual selection theory, complex multimodal courtship displays have evolved in males through female choice. While it is well-known that socially monogamous songbird males sing to attract females, we report here the first example of a multimodal dance display that is not a uniquely male trait in these birds. In the blue-capped cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus cyanocephalus), a socially monogamous songbird, both sexes perform courtship displays that are characterised by singing and simultaneous visual displays. By recording these displays with a high-speed video camera, we discovered that in addition to bobbing, their visual courtship display includes quite rapid step-dancing, which is assumed to produce vibrations and/or presumably non-vocal sounds. Dance performances did not differ between sexes but varied among individuals. Both male and female cordon-bleus intensified their dance performances when their mate was on the same perch. The multimodal (acoustic, visual, tactile) and multicomponent (vocal and non-vocal sounds) courtship display observed was a combination of several motor behaviours (singing, bobbing, stepping). The fact that both sexes of this socially monogamous songbird perform such a complex courtship display is a novel finding and suggests that the evolution of multimodal courtship display as an intersexual communication should be considered.

A Dynamic Image Quality Evaluation of Videofluoroscopy Images: Considerations for Telepractice Applications.

High-quality fluoroscopy images are required for accurate interpretation of videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) by speech pathologists and radiologists. Consequently, integral to developing any system to conduct VFSS remotely via telepractice is ensuring that the quality of the VFSS images transferred via the telepractice system is optimized. This study evaluates the extent of change observed in image quality when videofluoroscopic images are transmitted from a digital fluoroscopy system to (a) current clinical equipment (KayPentax Digital Swallowing Workstation, and b) four different telepractice system configurations. The telepractice system configurations consisted of either a local C20 or C60 Cisco TelePresence System (codec unit) connected to the digital fluoroscopy system and linked to a second remote C20 or C60 Cisco TelePresence System via a network running at speeds of either 2, 4 or 6 megabits per second (Mbit/s). Image quality was tested using the NEMA XR 21 Phantom, and results demonstrated some loss in spatial resolution, low contrast detectability and temporal resolution for all transferred images when compared to the fluoroscopy source. When using higher capacity codec units and/or the highest bandwidths to support data transmission, image quality transmitted through the telepractice system was found to be comparable if not better than the current clinical system. This study confirms that telepractice systems can be designed to support fluoroscopy image transfer and highlights important considerations when developing telepractice systems for VFSS analysis to ensure high-quality radiological image reproduction.

Automatic zebrafish heartbeat detection and analysis for zebrafish embryos.

A fully automatic detection and analysis method of heartbeats in videos of nonfixed and nonanesthetized zebrafish embryos is presented. This method reduces the manual workload and time needed for preparation and imaging of the zebrafish embryos, as well as for evaluating heartbeat parameters such as frequency, beat-to-beat intervals, and arrhythmicity. The method is validated by a comparison of the results from automatic and manual detection of the heart rates of wild-type zebrafish embryos 36-120 h postfertilization and of embryonic hearts with bradycardia and pauses in the cardiac contraction.

Validity of a simple videogrammetric method to measure the movement of all hand segments for clinical purposes.

Hand movement measurement is important in clinical, ergonomics and biomechanical fields. Videogrammetric techniques allow the measurement of hand movement without interfering with the natural hand behaviour. However, an accurate measurement of the hand movement requires the use of a high number of markers, which limits its applicability for the clinical practice (60 markers would be needed for hand and wrist). In this work, a simple method that uses a reduced number of markers (29), based on a simplified kinematic model of the hand, is proposed and evaluated. A set of experiments have been performed to evaluate the errors associated with the kinematic simplification, together with the evaluation of its accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility. The global error attributed to the kinematic simplification was 6.68°. The method has small errors in repeatability and reproducibility (3.43° and 4.23°, respectively) and shows no statistically significant difference with the use of electronic goniometers. The relevance of the work lies in the ability of measuring all degrees of freedom of the hand with a reduced number of markers without interfering with the natural hand behaviour, which makes it suitable for its use in clinical applications, as well as for ergonomic and biomechanical purposes.

Evaluation of pain in rats through facial expression following experimental tooth movement.

This study was carried out to evaluate pain in rats by monitoring their facial expressions following experimental tooth movement. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the following five groups based on the magnitude of orthodontic force applied and administration of analgesics: control; 20 g; 40 g; 80 g; and morphine + 40 g. Closed-coil springs were used to mimic orthodontic forces. The facial expressions of each rat were videotaped, and the resulting rat grimace scale (RGS) coding was employed for pain quantification. The RGS score increased on day 1 but showed no significant change thereafter in the control and 20-g groups. In the 40- and 80-g groups, the RGS scores increased on day 1, peaked on day 3, and started to decrease on day 5. At 14 d, the RGS scores were similar in control and 20-, 40-, and 80-g groups and did not return to baseline. The RGS scores in the morphine + 40-g group were significantly lower than those in the control group. Our results reveal that coding of facial expression is a valid method for evaluation of pain in rats following experimental tooth movement. Inactivated springs (no force) still cause discomfort and result in an increase in the RGS. The threshold force magnitude required to evoke orthodontic pain in rats is between 20 and 40 g.

Digital video technology and production 101: lights, camera, action.

Videos are powerful tools for enhancing the reach and effectiveness of health promotion programs. They can be used for program promotion and recruitment, for training program implementation staff/volunteers, and as elements of an intervention. Although certain brief videos may be produced without technical assistance, others often require collaboration and contracting with professional videographers. To get practitioners started and to facilitate interactions with professional videographers, this Tool includes a guide to the jargon of video production and suggestions for how to integrate videos into health education and promotion work. For each type of video, production principles and issues to consider when working with a professional videographer are provided. The Tool also includes links to examples in each category of video applications to health promotion.