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Non-technical summary It is not well understood how all of the connections among neurons required for the brain to process information are established during development. It has recently become apparent that waves of spontaneous electrical activity spread across large groups of neurons during early brain development and that these waves of activity are crucial for correct development of brain circuitry. In this paper, we show that waves of spontaneous electrical activity propagate across the mouse cerebral cortex, beginning on the day before birth and continuing through the first 12 postnatal days. These waves are initiated at specific locations in the cortex, which do not change during the period of wave generation. Identity of the neurons that initiate the waves, however, does change during this time. This work indicates that even though spontaneous electrical activity occurs during a short contiguous period of development, the mechanisms underlying that activity change.Abstract Waves of spontaneous electrical activity propagate across many regions of the central nervous system during specific stages of early development. The patterns of wave propagation are critical in the activation of many activity-dependent developmental programs. It is not known how the mechanisms that initiate and propagate spontaneous waves operate during periods in which major changes in neuronal structure and function are taking place. We have recently reported that spontaneous waves of activity propagate across the neonatal mouse cerebral cortex and that these waves are initiated at pacemaker sites in the septal nucleus and ventral cortex. Here we show that spontaneous waves occur between embryonic day 18 (E18) and postnatal day 12 (P12), and that during that period they undergo major changes in transmitter dependence and propagation patterns. At early stages, spontaneous waves are largely GABA dependent and are mostly confined to the septum and ventral cortex. As development proceeds, wave initiation depends increasingly on AMPA-type glutamate receptors, and an ever increasing fraction of waves propagate into the dorsal cortex. The initiation sites and restricted propagation of waves at early stages are highly correlated with the position of GABAergic neurons in the cortex. The later switch to a glutamate-based mechanism allows propagation of waves into the dorsal cortex, and appears to be a compensatory mechanism that ensures continued wave generation even as GABA transmission becomes inhibitory. Abbreviations E, embryonic day; P, postnatal day; PFA, paraformaldehyde.

As a global crisis, COVID-19 has underscored the challenge of disseminating evidence-based public health recommendations amidst a rapidly evolving, often uncensored information ecosystem—one fueled in part by an unprecedented degree of connected afforded through social media. In this piece, we explore an underdiscussed intersection between the visual arts and public health, focusing on the use of validated infographics and other forms of visual communication to rapidly disseminate accurate public health information during the COVID-19 pandemic. We illustrate our arguments through our own experience in creating a validated infographic for patients, now disseminated through social media and other outlets across the world in nearly 20 translations. Visual communication offers a creative and practical medium to bridge critical health literacy gaps, empower diverse patient communities through evidence-based information and facilitate public health advocacy during this pandemic and the ‘new normal’ that lies ahead.

Background: Participation in case-based diagnostic reasoning (DR) conferences has previously been limited to those who can attend in-person. Technological advances have enabled these conferences to migrate to virtual platforms, creating an opportunity to improve access and learner participation. We describe the design and evaluation of virtual morning report (VMR), a novel case-based DR conference.Methods: VMR took place on a videoconferencing platform. Participants included health professions students, post-graduate trainees, and practitioners. In designing VMR, we adapted concepts from experience-based learning theory to design opportunities for learner participation. Teaching strategies were informed by information-processing and situativity theories. We evaluated learner experiences in VMR using a survey with open and closed-ended questions. Survey items focused on accessing case-based teaching conferences outside of VMR, participant perceptions of the educational value of VMR, and VMR’s impact on participants’ confidence in performing DR. We used qualitative content analysis to manually code open-ended responses and identify themes. Results: 203 participants (30.2%) completed the survey. 141 respondents (69.5%) did not otherwise have access to a DR conference. The majority of participants reported increased confidence performing DR. Respondents highlighted that VMR supplemented their education, created a supportive learning environment, and offered a sense of community.Conclusions: VMR can expand access to DR education, create new opportunities for learner participation, and improve learner confidence in performing DR.