Publications by authors named "Davies W"

Article Synopsis
  • The paternal environment before conception can affect the physiology and behavior of offspring, with changes in the sperm epigenome playing a key role in non-genetic inheritance.
  • A study on male mice showed that depleting their gut microbiome with antibiotics led to their offspring having lower body weight, altered gut morphology, and significant changes in emotional behaviors like anxiety and depression.
  • The research identified that gut microbiome depletion affected the expression of specific small RNAs in sperm, suggesting that paternal gut health influences epigenetic inheritance and could have implications for other species, including humans.
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The study of the perceived affective qualities (PAQs) in soundscape assessments have increased in recent years, with methods varying from in-situ to laboratory. Through technological advances, virtual reality (VR) has facilitated evaluations of multiple locations in the same experiment. In this paper, VR reproductions of different urban sites were presented in an online and laboratory environment testing three locations in Greater Manchester ('Park', 'Plaza', and pedestrian 'Street') in two population densities (empty and busy) using ISO/TS 12913-2 (2018) soundscape PAQs.

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  • - A 68-year-old man in northern New South Wales experienced severe complications from a taipan snakebite, including neurotoxicity, kidney injury, and blood clotting issues.
  • - He required intubation and ventilation, along with dialysis for acute kidney injury, after being treated with antivenom for brown and tiger snakes.
  • - Due to the confirmed presence of taipan venom in his system and the likelihood of future incidents, the study suggests that polyvalent antivenom should be readily available in the region.
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Background: Helsmoortel-Van der Aa syndrome was officially documented in 2014. Helsmoortel-Van der Aa syndrome is an extremely rare complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by reduced intellectual capacity, motor dysfunction, facial dysmorphism, impaired development, and an increased predisposition to autism spectrum disorder. In addition, many patients also present with neuropsychiatric disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, and various behavioral abnormalities.

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Trichohepatoneurodevelopmental syndrome (THNS) is an ultra-rare and complex disorder affecting multiple organ systems. It is characterized by liver dysfunction, hypotonia, global developmental delay, coarse hair, and dysmorphic features. We describe two cases of THNS of Saudi origin, the fifth and sixth cases in the medical literature.

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Article Synopsis
  • Steroid sulphatase (STS) is linked to mood and cognitive decline, and its deficiency in humans has unclear effects on memory.
  • In a study involving adult males with STS deficiency due to X-linked ichthyosis (XLI) and female carriers, poorer memory performance and increased mood disturbances were observed compared to control groups.
  • Neuroanatomical differences were minimal, indicating that while STS deficiency may impair memory, it operates independently of mood and does not substantially alter brain structures.
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Phenological escape, whereby species alter the timing of life-history events to avoid seasonal antagonists, is usually analyzed either as a potential evolutionary outcome given current selection coefficients, or as a realized outcome in response to known enemies. We here gain mechanistic insights into the evolutionary trajectory of phenological escape in the brassicaceous herb , by comparing the flowering schedules of two sympatric ecotypes in different stages of a disruptive response to egg-laying pressure imposed by the pierid butterfly , whose larvae are pre-dispersal seed predators (reducing realized fecundity by ~70%). When the focal point of highest intensity selection (peak egg-laying) occurs early in the flowering schedule, selection for late flowering dependent on reduced egg-laying combined with selection for early flowering dependent on reduced predator survival results in a symmetrical bimodal flowering curve; when the focal point occurs late, an asymmetrical flowering curve results with a large early flowering mode due to selection for reduced egg-laying augmented by selection for infested plants to outrun larval development and dehisce prior to seed-pod consumption.

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Pancreatic islets of Langerhans play a pivotal role in regulating blood glucose homeostasis, but critical information regarding their mass, distribution and composition is lacking within a whole organ context. Here, we apply a 3D imaging pipeline to generate a complete account of the insulin-producing islets throughout the human pancreas at a microscopic resolution and within a maintained spatial 3D context. These data show that human islets are far more heterogenous than previously accounted for with regards to their size distribution and cellular make up.

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Background: Effective communication with patients and colleagues is key to a pharmacist's ability to provide effective person-centered care. Neurodivergent patients face many barriers when interacting with health professionals; increased awareness and understanding are therefore paramount to the pharmacist's role. This paper describes an innovative teaching partnership between a school of pharmacy and an inclusive theater company which aims to develop awareness and skills of undergraduate pharmacy students in relation to communicating with patients with autism and/or learning disabilities.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Circulating steroids, particularly sex hormones, influence heart development and function, and an important enzyme called steroid sulfatase (STS) plays a crucial role in modifying these steroids.
  • - Genetic deletions or variants associated with the STS enzyme can significantly increase the likelihood of experiencing cardiac arrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation/flutter.
  • - The link between STS activity and structural heart abnormalities, like septal defects, suggests the need for further research into the mechanisms driving this relationship and its potential clinical consequences.
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Background: ProGlide is a percutaneous suture-mediated closure device used in arterial and venous closure following percutaneous intervention. Risk of vascular complications from use, particularly related to failure in hemostasis, or acute vessel closure, remains significant and often related to improper suture deployment. We describe a technique of ultrasound-guided ProGlide deployment in transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TF-TAVI).

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Introduction: This study explores pediatric medical interpreters' perspectives on clinician communication practices in medical encounters characterized by distressing content and difficult discussions.

Method: In this interpretative phenomenological analysis, 13 Spanish-English interpreters at a midwestern pediatric hospital were purposively recruited and, in 2021-2022, completed a demographic survey and semistructured interview on communication in distressing interpreted medical encounters.

Results: Participants described clinician practices for effective cross-cultural interpreted communication.

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Introduction: Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an arthropod-borne that is almost solely transmitted by biting midges and causes a globally important haemorrhagic disease, bluetongue (BT), in susceptible ruminants. Infection with BTV is characterised by immunosuppression and substantial lymphopenia at peak viraemia in the host.

Methods: In this study, the role of cell-mediated immunity and specific T-cell subsets in BTV pathogenesis, clinical outcome, viral dynamics, immune protection, and onwards transmission to a susceptible vector is defined in unprecedented detail for the first time, using an arboviral infection model system that closely mirrors natural infection and transmission of BTV.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aims to identify and describe the challenges faced by parents of children hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), based on insights from family navigators.
  • Data was collected from 224 parents through qualitative analysis of open-response feedback during a randomized controlled trial in two university-affiliated PICUs in the Midwest.
  • Key challenges reported included home life, hospitalization stress, and concerns about diagnosis, with communication difficulties particularly noted by 8% of families, highlighting the need for improved communication strategies and resources.
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Background: Families of children with medical complexity (CMC) have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, experiencing challenges such as decreased access to services, increased financial hardship and increased isolation. However, there are few qualitative studies which explore parental experiences. The aim of the present study was to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families of CMC.

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  • MTL atrophy is linked to Alzheimer's disease risk and cognitive decline, and this study explores how reproductive hormones affect this relationship in postmenopausal women.
  • Data from 10,924 women in the UK Biobank was analyzed, revealing that longer use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and a later natural menopause age are associated with larger volumes in key MTL structures and better memory performance.
  • The study concludes that HRT usage does not harm cognition and suggests that longer exposure to reproductive hormones may be beneficial for brain structure and memory, regardless of genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.
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Objective: To map the range of multidisciplinary palliative care interventions that are available to adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with serious illness.

Methods: Scoping review methodology as outlined by Arksey and O'Malley.

Results: Twenty-two articles describing nine specific AYA-focused, multidisciplinary palliative care interventions were included in this review.

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Objective: The primary objectives of this study are to (1) compare the inter- and intra-observer reliability of thoracic limb circumference measurement methods in sound dogs, and (2) determine the most reliable thoracic limb positioning and location on the thoracic limb for performing circumferential measurements.

Methods: Thoracic limbs of 10 apparently sound dogs (20 limbs) were blindly and independently measured by 3 observers. Triplicate measurements were performed with dogs in lateral recumbency at 50 and 70% brachial (Br) length (length between the greater tubercle and lateral humoral epicondyle) and 25% ABr length (length between the lateral humeral epicondyle and ulnar styloid process), both with the elbow extended and at an approximate weight-bearing (WB) angle.

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Introduction: Parents of children in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) experience substantial stress; a parent's perception of their child's illness severity, more than objective measures, predicts psychological outcomes. No tools exist to assess parents' real-time experiences. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a text-based tool to measure parental experience.

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Context: Deficits in plyometric abilities are common after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Vertical rebound tasks may provide a targeted evaluation of knee function.

Objective: To examine the utility of a vertical hop test for assessing function after ACLR and establishing factors associated with performance.

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Significant advancements have been made in understanding the genetic regulation of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and identifying crucial NUE genes in rice. However, the development of rice genotypes that simultaneously exhibit high yield and NUE has lagged behind these theoretical advancements. The grain yield, NUE, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of newly-bred rice genotypes under reduced nitrogen application remain largely unknown.

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Chronic illness can negatively impact adolescents' and young adults' social support. Social support can buffer the negative impact of living with chronic illness. The purpose of this study was to test the acceptability of a hypothetical message to promote social support after a recent diagnosis of a chronic illness.

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Stress is a commonly reported issue in pediatric populations of chronic and acute pain. Both outpatient and inpatient settings impose time constraints, which decreases opportunities to measure and address patient stress. The aim of these studies was to evaluate the validity of the Stress Numeric Rating Scale-11 (SNRS-11) in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

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