Lab Head Research Articles

Accuracy of ultrasound TIRADS classification for the differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid lesions taking Bethesda classification as gold standard

AbstractBackgroundThe TIRADS classification system is commonly used in ultrasound imaging to evaluate the risk of malignancy in thyroid nodules, but there is still debate about its accuracy. The BSRTC categorizes FNA biopsy results to determine the likelihood of malignancy in thyroid nodules, and this remains the gold standard for diagnosis.MethodologyThis is a cross-sectional study design conducted in the Radiology Department of Chughtai Lab Head Office in Lahore. This study assessed 154 patients with thyroid nodules. The ultrasound equipment used for the study is the Toshiba Applio 500 model, while the equipment for FNAC included topical anesthesia, 21-gauge 10 CC syringes, glass slides, cell block, and the Olympus CX23 microscope. The sampling technique employed is the consecutive sampling technique.ResultsOut of 154 patients, the mean age was 42.0 ± 13.6 years. Majority were female (89%) while 11% are male. The P-value of <0.0001 suggests a statistically significant association between TIRADS and Bethesda categories. The findings suggested that ultrasonography is a highly reliable and effective method for diagnosis, with a superior degree of sensitivity and specificity in addition to invasive cytology tests. Results from the ROC curve analysis showed an impressive area under the curve of 0.972. The sonographic features show significant associations with TIRADS categories (P-value <0.0001). The association between TIRADS suspiciousness and Bethesda diagnosis is statistically significant (P-value <0.0001). Benign nodules were most commonly classified as not suspicious (56.5%), followed by mildly suspicious (9.7%), while malignant nodules were primarily classified as highly suspicious (11.0%). Notably, no malignant nodules were categorized as benign.ConclusionHealthcare professionals may consider utilizing TIRADS as a first-line imaging method and then BETHESDA if needed to provide patients with the most accurate results and minimize unwanted interventional exposure. Combining these two scoring methods appears to yield the most precise outcomes for identifying and distinguishing benign from malignant nodules, which is critical for arriving at a definitive diagnosis in individuals with thyroid malignancies.

Ten simple rules for leading a successful undergraduate-intensive research lab.

Participating in mentored research is an enormous benefit to undergraduate students. These immersive experiences can dramatically improve retention and completion rates, especially for students from traditionally underserved populations in STEM disciplines. Scientists typically do not receive any formal training in management or group dynamics before taking on the role of a lab head. Thus, peer forums and shared wisdom are crucial for developing the vision and skills involved with mentorship and leading a successful research lab. Faculty at any institution can help improve student outcomes and the success of their labs by thoughtfully including undergraduates in their research programs. Moreover, faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions have special challenges that are not often acknowledged or addressed in public discussions about best practices for running a lab. Here, we present 10 simple rules for fostering a successful undergraduate research lab. While much of the advice herein is applicable to mentoring undergraduates in any setting, it is especially tailored to the special circumstances found at primarily undergraduate institutions.

We need to talk

We need to talk

Sistem Pengunci Pintu Dengan Sidik Jari Menggunakan Arduino

The purpose of this research is to create and implement a door lock system with fingerprints using Arduino in the hardware laboratory at the engineering faculty of the informatics engineering study program, Andi Djemma Palopo University. Lab users, in this case the lab head and assistant head of the lab, can put their finger on the sensor if they want to open the door. The door will open if the fingerprint that is pasted is the same as the fingerprint data of the lab user, and with a display on the 16x2 LCD which states that the fingerprint that is attached is suitable / not. The research method in this thesis includes analysis, system design, mechanical manufacturing, prototype simulation and implementation. In designing the Fingerprint Door locking system using Arduino, the At-mega 328 microcontroller is used to control selenoid as a door lock and several components needed in the design of security, including: arduio uno at-mega 328, fingerprint sensor, 16x2 LCD, adapter , solenoid, relay, push button, and breadboard. Based on the tests that have been carried out, it can be concluded as follows: this equipment has been tested and can be used to help the security system at the lab door by using a fingerprint. The fingerprint used to open the solenoid is a fingerprint that has a valid fingerprint pattern that has been registered previously. The results of usability testing are 89.8% of the tests carried out on students who use this locking system, so that it can be said to meet usability standards

Authorship Weightage Algorithm for Academic Publications: A New Calculation and ACES Webserver for Determining Expertise.

Despite the public availability, finding experts in any field when relying on academic publications can be challenging, especially with the use of jargons. Even after overcoming these issues, the discernment of expertise by authorship positions is often also absent in the many publication-based search platforms. Given that it is common in many academic fields for the research group lead or lab head to take the position of the last author, some of the existing authorship scoring systems that assign a decreasing weightage from the first author would not reflect the last author correctly. To address these problems, we incorporated natural language processing (Common Crawl using fastText) to retrieve related keywords when using jargons as well as a modified authorship positional scoring that allows the assignment of greater weightage to the last author. The resulting output is a ranked scoring system of researchers upon every search that we implemented as a webserver for internal use called the APD lab Capability & Expertise Search (ACES).

Finding means to encourage greatness: Words to promote group cohesion

Finding means to encourage greatness: Words to promote group cohesion

Tenth Scientific Biennial Meeting of the Australasian Virology Society-AVS10 2019.

The Australasian Virology Society (AVS) aims to promote, support and advocate for the discipline of virology in the Australasian region. The society was incorporated in 2011 after 10 years operating as the Australian Virology Group (AVG) founded in 2001, coinciding with the inaugural biennial scientific meeting. AVS conferences aim to provide a forum for the dissemination of all aspects of virology, foster collaboration, and encourage participation by students and post-doctoral researchers. The tenth Australasian Virology Society (AVS10) scientific meeting was held on 2–5 December 2019 in Queenstown, New Zealand. This report highlights the latest research presented at the meeting, which included cutting-edge virology presented by our international plenary speakers Ana Fernandez-Sesma and Benjamin tenOever, and keynote Richard Kuhn. AVS10 honoured female pioneers in Australian virology, Lorena Brown and Barbara Coulson. We report outcomes from the AVS10 career development session on “Successfully transitioning from post-doc to lab head”, winners of best presentation awards, and the AVS gender equity policy, initiated in 2013. Plans for the 2021 meeting are underway which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of AVS where it all began, in Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia.

Finding community during a pandemic.

In early March, the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in my city, Boston. Suddenly, our university inundated us with emails encouraging good hygiene practices and social distancing. Then, a few days later, we were informed that all noncritical research should stop and that mandatory work-from-home policies would be implemented. Anxiety spread like wildfire. I had not expected my work life on campus to stop so suddenly. My lab mates and I think of our workspace as a home away from home, where we enjoy interacting at lab meetings and over coffee. I felt a pit in my stomach as I realized all that was over for now. I was afraid of feeling isolated. > “My sense of isolation has faded, and … I feel more connected than ever.” What worried me even more was the extent of the isolation. Within a few days of learning that I'd be working at home for at least 6 weeks, I found out that a conference I was planning to attend in June was canceled. Not only was I going to miss my work environment, but I was also going to lose a great opportunity to meet researchers from around the world, share ideas, and present my work. On the last day we were all in the lab together, my postdoc adviser mentioned he wanted to start an online seminar series. At first I felt relieved, thinking that virtual seminars would at least provide some respite from isolation. But I doubted they would measure up to the experience of in-person seminars. Together with another lab head, my adviser spread the word that they were starting a Slack group, where researchers in our field—the science of aging—could have discussions and sign up to give seminars. The group quickly amassed roughly 600 members, and the speaker list filled up. That seemed promising, but I still wondered how many scientists would actually tune in to the seminars, which were slated to take place once every workday. One week after our university closed, I settled into my makeshift work-from-home desk and logged on to my first virtual seminar. I was pleasantly surprised to see some familiar names online, some from as far away as Brazil and China. Midway through the talk, I noticed that more than 250 researchers were watching. As I took notes, jotting down intriguing experiments and impressive techniques, the unfamiliarity of the experience faded. I realized that despite being alone in my apartment, I was taking part in an event with researchers from around the world, some probably motivated by the same fear of isolation I had felt. We have continued the daily seminars in the weeks since then, hearing from senior scientists, Ph.D. students, postdocs, and others in our field. After each seminar, we ask the speaker questions on Slack and take part in a group discussion about their research. I've found the talks helpful for learning about new lab techniques and identifying researchers whom I might be able to collaborate with in the future. We've also used our Slack group to connect in more personal ways, such as by sharing updates on COVID-19 cases in our respective countries and commiserating about struggles that we're going through. I have been able to reconnect with colleagues whom I met at conferences years ago but had since lost touch with. My sense of isolation has faded, and—perhaps counterintuitively—I feel more connected than ever. I began my work-at-home experience worried about losing the opportunity to connect with my colleagues. But I now realize that I am part of a global research community that can thrive online. I plan to continue my conversations with colleagues via our Slack group long after the pandemic is quelled. That will allow us to connect year-round, not just during our field's annual conference, and to include researchers for whom travel is difficult. If you find yourself lonely working from home, I'd recommend starting your own online community with colleagues in your field. We're facing tough times and an uncertain future. But it's also an opportunity to rethink how we interact with one another, in ways that will benefit the scientific community in the long term.

My trek back to science.

After I finished my Ph.D. studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2012, my career was at a crossroads. I had gone to graduate school with the hope of pursuing a career in academia, but by the time I got my degree, that dream seemed far from reality. I was burned out, and I couldn't even bring myself to look for postdoctoral positions, let alone consider a lifetime in the lab. I also knew I couldn't possibly make an objective decision about what I should do for the rest of my life. I needed a break. ![Figure][1] ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT NEUBECKER > “I was burned out. … I needed a break.” I am often drawn to extremes, so I thought: “What could possibly be further from a Ph.D. in chemistry than to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), traversing the United States from Mexico to Canada?” It was May and the sun was blazing at the California-Mexico border when I began my 2668-mile journey. Just days before I had been working in a chemistry lab, conducting research that I could take in seemingly infinite directions, but now there was just one: north. I started walking. Over the next several weeks, my focus narrowed until my biggest concern was the number of miles to the next water source. I simply wanted to physically survive each day, which was a welcome change from the previous 5 years. In contrast with my experience in graduate school, progress on the trail was well defined and quantifiable: Each step brought me closer to Canada. Occupied with satisfying my immediate physical needs, I didn't spend much time consciously thinking about the future. But after 16 weeks, 4 days, and 7 hours, I reached the Canadian border and my hiking adventure was over. Reality set in: I needed to return home and figure out what I was going to do next. I caught a bus from the trail's northern terminus at the Canadian border to Vancouver, then another bus to Seattle, Washington, then a flight back to Boston. I returned home 45 pounds under my typical healthy weight, as it had been difficult for me to consume all the calories I needed to hike nearly a marathon a day. While I recovered, I needed to eat every few hours and walk several miles each day to prevent leg spasms. It also took time to readjust emotionally to a life where there was no obvious, well-trodden path to follow. I felt bored and detached after my trek, but this only made me more eager to start a new journey. Initially, I wasn't sure I was any closer to making a career decision than I had been before I started my hike, but after a few weeks of rest and recovery, it became clear that the weeks on the trail had refreshed me and renewed my love of science. I wanted to read journal articles to learn of new discoveries that had been reported while I was away. I was eager to embark on independent research. Most importantly, I missed the community of academics I had left behind. So I decided I wanted to do a postdoc after all. I set up a meeting with my graduate school adviser, who then put me in contact with the lab head who would become my postdoctoral adviser. His research team was designing new organic flow battery chemistries, and it was a perfect fit for everyone: They got the synthetic chemist they needed, and I got a chance to work in an applied field with engineers, physical chemists, and theoreticians. After hiking, I began to think much more about big-picture ideas than I had in graduate school. Although my Ph.D. said “Inorganic Chemistry,” to the motley group of hikers I encountered on the trail I was simply a scientist. I took that identity to heart and came back to the lab with fewer inhibitions about learning new fields of research. I had also become more accepting of the messiness of cutting-edge science. Basic research can be slow and in efficient, and sometimes it's not clear if the effort will be worth the reward of discovery. But hiking the PCT helped me learn to celebrate little accomplishments, and to take each day and each experiment one step at a time—lessons that have served me well as I pursue my academic career path. [1]: pending:yes

It's a big world out there. By Caveman.

![Figure][1] We are in science to do science. We live, breathe, eat – and occasionally pass out comatose on the bench tangled up in electrophoresis leads with our head pressed into a stale, half-eaten vending machine sandwich – science. We signed up for science because doing experiments

The “flipped” undergraduate research lab: teaching core molecular biology techniques with descriptive protocols and videos (618.30)

Many researchers at primarily undergraduate institutions face a dilemma—how to balance the teaching, service and research loads. As the size of the research laboratory grows it becomes increasingly necessary to develop efficient strategies to train newer students coming into the lab. Historically, many lab heads have taken the approach where older, more seasoned students introduce new students to methods and techniques. In situations where the lab head is either starting a new laboratory, or is not able to recruit a steady stream of students, continuity between students or cohorts of students coming into the lab may not exist. I am developing two types of assistive tools to introduce undergraduate research students to the core methods and techniques in molecular biology using highly descriptive protocols that include images and narrated videos that demonstrate methods visually. While these tools will never serve as a replacement for mentorship, they will provide students with details about methods that can be reviewed at will and when the mentor is not available. These tools will be made freely available to other researchers through open‐access pipelines such as YouTube and our website.Grant Funding Source: Supported by start up funds from the Dean's Office.

Nurturing the F1

![Figure][1] My mother always used to say that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. So it's little wonder that, when our lab is recruiting PhD students – wide-eyed, fresh-faced, full of a crazy mix of bravado and uncertainty – I tend to clam up. This is a bit of an

Adaptating Organization in Science: How Contextual Environment Affects Task Allocation of Academic Biology Laboratories

This study examines the contingency of organizational design in academic organizations drawing on a survey of biology laboratories in Japanese universities. It investigates the intra-laboratory task allocation between a lab head and members (e.g., junior staff, PhD students) in three research phases (i.e., planning, execution, and writing) and how different patterns of task allocation affect lab-level scientific productivity. Results suggest that organic organizational structure with limited division of labor suits basic research, where exploratory approach is common with high unpredictability, while mechanistic structure is fitter for applied research, which is relatively exploitative and predictable. Thus, academic organizations, just as industrial organizations, need to adapt their organizational design to contextual environment to maximize their performance.

Geraldine Wright

Geraldine Wright

If I were you

![Figure][1] Someone once said that labs are like families: there's a lot of affection and loyalty, but occasionally sparks fly. Just as brothers and sisters might compete for the attention of Mum or Dad, so too can post-docs jockey for favour with their lab head. Usually it's all fun and

Sandra Schmid: Collaring endocytosis

Schmid explores how the dynamin GTPase pinches off endocytic vesicles.

Genetic drift

Genetic drift

Surface tension

Surface tension

Finding a Niche

Finding a Niche

Farming for new opportunities

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has departed from its tradition of primarily funding investigators in their home institutions by developing a brand new campus which it hopes will foster new research possibilities. Heather Dawes reports.