An updated reference genome sequence and annotation reveals gene losses and gains underlying naked mole-rat biology.

The naked mole-rat (NMR; ) is a eusocial subterranean rodent with a highly unusual set of physiological traits that has attracted great interest amongst the scientific community. However, the genetic basis of most of these traits has not been elucidated. To facilitate our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying NMR physiology and behaviour, we generated a long-read chromosomal-level genome assembly of the NMR.

The development of Vi-Connect: An educational game for the social inclusion at school of students with vision impairment.

Students with vision impairment experience multiple social emotional challenges at school which stem from communication difficulties in the social relationships they develop with teachers and classmates. This study took a multi-method, multi-informant participatory approach to develop "Vi-Connect: A Social School Journey", a digital intervention in the form of an educational game aimed at promoting school social inclusion of students with vision impairment by scaffolding advocacy and social communication skills. The study consisted of three phases: Co-production before developing Vi-Connect (Phase 1), development of the prototype (Phase 2) and assessment of Vi-Connect (Phase 3).

Abandonment of paediatric peripheral intravenous catheter insertion in the emergency department: A retrospective cohort study.

Aim: Children and their families have reported peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) insertion as the most stressful part of their emergency department (ED) encounter, with some enduring multiple attempts without a successful insertion. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with abandonment of paediatric PIVC insertion.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Gold Coast University Hospital.

Implementation of a simulation free palliative Radiation Therapy pathway: An inter-professional collaborative project.

The Western New South Wales Local Health District (WNSWLHD) has a significant footprint within the state of New South Wales (NSW). Due to the significant size of the WNSWLHD, patients residing in the local health district face many barriers to receiving Radiation Therapy. The inter-professional collaboration behind the successful implementation and evaluation of a simulation free pathway for palliative Radiation Therapy in WNSWLHD will be explored within this narrative.

Reintroducing face-to-face support alongside remote support to form a hybrid stop smoking service in England: a formative mixed methods evaluation.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, United Kingdom (UK) stop smoking services had to shift to remote delivery models due to social distancing regulations, later reintroducing face-to-face provision. The "Living Well Smokefree" service in North Yorkshire County Council adopted a hybrid model offering face-to-face, remote, or a mix of both. This evaluation aimed to assess the hybrid approach's strengths and weaknesses and explore potential improvements.

The independent and joint risks of alcohol consumption, smoking, and excess weight on morbidity and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis exploring synergistic associations.

Objective: Alcohol consumption, smoking, and excess weight independently increase the risk of morbidity/mortality. Less is known about how they interact. This research aims to quantify the independent and joint associations of these exposures across health outcomes and identify whether these associations are synergistic.

A qualitative study exploring the effect of communicating with partially intelligible speech.

Few studies have investigated how individuals with partially intelligible speech choose to communicate, including how, when, and why they might use a speech-generating device (SGD). This study aimed to add to the literature by exploring how this group of individuals use different communication strategies. Qualitative interviews were carried out with 10 participants with partially intelligible speech with the aim of investigating participants' perceptions of modes of communication and communication strategies.

Involving young people in sexual health research and service improvement: conceptual analysis of patient and public involvement (PPI) in three projects.

Background: Although increasingly recognised as valuable within sexual and reproductive health (SRH) research and service improvement, examples of patient and public involvement (PPI) are underdocumented, including specific issues relating to young people's involvement. This article aims to contribute to greater transparency about the practical, methodological and ethical considerations of SRH-related PPI with young people, and to offer recommendations for their meaningful involvement.

Methods: Guided by a conceptual tool for evaluating youth participation (the '7P' framework), we analysed learning from PPI within three projects (two academic studies and one service improvement project) that worked young people to shape sexual health research and practice in Scotland.

Policies and interventions to reduce harmful gambling: an international Delphi consensus and implementation rating study.

There is increasing public health concern about harmful gambling, but no consensus on effective policies and interventions to reduce risk and prevent harm has been reached. Focusing on policies and interventions (ie, measures), the aim of this study was to determine if expert consensus could be reached on measures perceived to be effective that could be implemented successfully. Our work involved a pre-registered, three-round, independent Delphi panel consensus study and an implementation rating exercise.

Tutorial: guidelines for annotating single-cell transcriptomic maps using automated and manual methods.

Single-cell transcriptomics can profile thousands of cells in a single experiment and identify novel cell types, states and dynamics in a wide variety of tissues and organisms. Standard experimental protocols and analysis workflows have been developed to create single-cell transcriptomic maps from tissues. This tutorial focuses on how to interpret these data to identify cell types, states and other biologically relevant patterns with the objective of creating an annotated map of cells.

The Importance of a Standardized Screening Tool to Identify Thromboembolic Risk Factors in Pediatric Lower Extremity Arthroscopy Patients.

Introduction: Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are major complications that can occur in common orthopaedic procedures such as knee arthroscopy. The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk factors in adolescent patients undergoing elective lower extremity arthroscopy. A second objective is to determine whether a targeted, standardized screening tool is both cost- and clinically effective in the identification of VTE risk factors in adolescents.

The crystal structures of 3--benzyl-1,2--iso-propyl-idene-5--methane-sulfonyl-6--tri-phenyl-methyl-α-d-gluco-furan-ose and its azide displacement product.

The effect of different leaving groups on the substitution elimination outcomes with C-5 d-glucose derivatives was investigated. The stereochemical configurations of 3--benzyl-1,2--iso-propyl-idene-5--methane-sulfonyl-6--tri-phenyl-methyl-α-d-gluco-furan-ose, CHOS () [systematic name: 1-[(3a,5,6,6a)-6-benz-yloxy-2,2-di-methyl-tetra-hydro-furo[2,3-][1,3]dioxol-5-yl)-2-(trit-yloxy)ethyl methane-sulfonate], a stable inter-mediate, and 5-azido-3--benzyl-5-de-oxy-1,2--iso-propyl-idene-6--tri-phenyl-methyl-β-l-ido-furan-ose, CHNO () [systematic name: (3a,5,6,6a)-5-[1-azido-2-(trit-yloxy)eth-yl]-6-benz-yloxy-2,2-di-methyl-tetra-hydro-furo[2,3-][1,3]dioxole], a substitution product, were examined and the inversion of configuration for the azido group on C-5 in was confirmed. The absolute structures of the mol-ecules in the crystals of both compounds were confirmed by resonant scattering.

Evaluating a novel cervical orthosis, the Sheffield Support Snood, in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease with neck weakness.

Current practice and guidelines recommend the use of neck orthoses for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to compensate for neck weakness and to provide surrogate neck control. However, available options are frequently described by patients as restrictive and unsuitable and there was a need for a new device that addressed the needs of people with ALS. This project utilized a co-design process to develop a new neck orthosis that was more flexible yet supportive.

Head-Up; An interdisciplinary, participatory and co-design process informing the development of a novel head and neck support for people living with progressive neck muscle weakness.

This paper presents the Head-Up project, that aims to provide innovative head support to help improve posture, relieve pain and aid communication for people living with progressive neck muscle weakness. The initial focus is motor neurone disease. The case study illustrates collaborative, interdisciplinary research and new product development underpinned by participatory design.

What things make people with a learning disability happy and satisfied with their lives: an inclusive research project.

Background: We looked at the research that other people have done about what makes people with a learning disability happy and satisfied with their lives. Researchers call being happy and satisfied with your life 'subjective well-being'. They found out that having things like money and good health does not always mean people are happy.

Sumanirole versus placebo or ropinirole for the adjunctive treatment of patients with advanced Parkinson's disease.

The aims of this study were to assess the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of sumanirole, a highly selective D(2) dopamine receptor agonist, versus placebo in subjects with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), and to demonstrate noninferiority of sumanirole to ropinirole. In this flexible-dose, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group study, 948 subjects were treated with sumanirole 1 to 48 mg/day, ropinirole 0.75 to 24 mg/day, or placebo.

Differential effects of low and high dose folic acid on endothelial dysfunction in a murine model of mild hyperhomocysteinaemia.

The exact mechanism(s) by which hyperhomocysteinaemia promotes vascular disease remains unclear. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that the beneficial effect of folic acid on endothelial function is independent of homocysteine-lowering. In the present study the effect of a low (400 microg/70 kg/day) and high (5 mg/70 kg/day) dose folic acid supplement on endothelium-dependent relaxation in the isolated perfused mesenteric bed of heterozygous cystathionine beta-synthase deficient mice was investigated.

Folic acid reverses endothelial dysfunction induced by inhibition of tetrahydrobiopterin biosynthesis.

While folic acid has been shown to reverse endothelial dysfunction, the exact underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, folic acid reversed both the endothelial dysfunction and increased production of superoxide following depletion of rabbit aortic ring tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) levels with 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxy-pyrimidine (DAHP) and N-acetyl-5-hydroxy-tryptamine (NAS). Incubation with l-nitroarginine methyl ester also attenuated the production of superoxide.

Folate, homocysteine, endothelial function and cardiovascular disease.

Evidence reported from numerous clinical studies over the past decade has revealed an association between increased plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In addition, epidemiological studies have identified an inverse association between blood folate concentrations, folate intake and cardiovascular endpoints, that are independent of homocysteine. Folic acid supplementation can lower plasma tHcy concentrations safely and inexpensively.