The influence of mode of remote delivery on health-related quality of life outcome measures in British Sign Language: a mixed methods pilot randomised crossover trial.

Objectives: Little is known about the efficacy of remotely delivered outcome measures (psychological/health-related assessments) in a signed language for Deaf people. The objective is to explore the equivalence of two modes of remote delivery of health-related quality of life outcome measures in British Sign Language (BSL): asynchronous online assessment versus synchronous live face-to-face online assessment in sign language.

Methods: Thirty-one participants were recruited through Deaf networks and sign language media.

Assessing the Competence of Nursing Students in Clinical Practice: The Clinical Preceptors' Perspective.

Nursing students' integration of theoretical knowledge and practical abilities is facilitated by their practice of nursing skills in a clinical environment. A key role of preceptors is to assess the learning goals that nursing students must meet while participating in clinical practice. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to explore the current evidence in relation to competency assessment and assessment approaches, and the willingness of preceptors for assessing nursing students' competency in a clinical setting.

Health outcomes in Deaf signing populations: A systematic review.

Objectives: (i) To identify peer reviewed publications reporting the mental and/or physical health outcomes of Deaf adults who are sign language users and to synthesise evidence; (ii) If data available, to analyse how the health of the adult Deaf population compares to that of the general population; (iii) to evaluate the quality of evidence in the identified publications; (iv) to identify limitations of the current evidence base and suggest directions for future research.

Design: Systematic review.

Data Sources: Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, and Web of Science.

Co-design and evaluation of a digital serious game to promote public awareness about pancreatic cancer.

Background: Pancreatic cancer, ranking seventh in global cancer-related deaths, poses a significant public health challenge with increasing incidence and mortality. Most cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, resulting in low survival rates. Early diagnosis significantly impacts prognosis, making symptom awareness crucial.

Analysis of SMAD1/5 target genes in a sea anemone reveals ZSWIM4-6 as a novel BMP signaling modulator.

BMP signaling has a conserved function in patterning the dorsal-ventral body axis in Bilateria and the directive axis in anthozoan cnidarians. So far, cnidarian studies have focused on the role of different BMP signaling network components in regulating pSMAD1/5 gradient formation. Much less is known about the target genes downstream of BMP signaling.

Cultural competence in NHS hearing aid clinics: a mixed-methods case study of services for Deaf British sign language users in the UK.

Background: This study identified and explored how National Health Service (NHS) hearing aid clinics address cultural competence concerning Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users. This was approached by (i) investigating how organisational processes meet the needs of Deaf signers from a hospital and hearing aid clinic perspective, (ii) analysing policies and guidelines to investigate if they equip practitioners to meet the needs of Deaf signers and (iii) exploring with practitioners who work in hearing aid clinics about their experiences of working with Deaf signers.

Methods: This study utilised a mixed-methods multiple case study design, incorporating documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews.

Multivalent Display of Erythropoietin on Quantum Dots Enhances Aquaporin-4 Expression and Water Transport in Human Astrocytes .

In mammalian cells, growth factor-induced intracellular signaling and protein synthesis play a critical role in cellular physiology and homeostasis. In the brain's glymphatic system (GS), the water-conducting activity of aquaporin-4 (AQPN-4) membrane channels (expressed in polarized fashion on astrocyte end-feet) mediates the clearance of wastes through the convective transport of fluid and solutes through the perivascular space. The glycoprotein erythropoietin (EPO) has been shown to induce the astrocyte expression of AQPN-4 via signaling through the EPO receptor and the JAK/STAT signaling pathway.

Optogenetic Signaling Activation in Zebrafish Embryos.

Signaling pathways orchestrate fundamental biological processes, including development, regeneration, homeostasis, and disease. Methods to experimentally manipulate signaling are required to understand how signaling is interpreted in these wide-ranging contexts. Molecular optogenetic tools can provide reversible, tunable manipulations of signaling pathway activity with a high degree of spatiotemporal control and have been applied in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo.

What is the efficacy and effectiveness of telemedicine intervention for deaf signing populations in comparison to face-to-face interventions? A systematic review.

Background: Deaf signing populations face inequality in both access to health services and health outcomes. Telemedicine intervention might offer a potential solution to address these inequalities in mental health and health related services, therefore a systematic review was carried out. The review question was: "What is the efficacy and effectiveness of telemedicine intervention for Deaf signing populations in comparison to face-to-face interventions?".

Introducing the READY Study: DHH Young people's Well-Being and Self-Determination.

READY is a self-report prospective longitudinal study of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) young people aged 16 to 19 years on entry. Its overarching aim is to explore the risk and protective factors for successful transition to adulthood. This article introduces the cohort of 163 DHH young people, background characteristics and study design.

Photothermal-Enhanced Modulation of Cellular Membrane Potential Using Long-Wavelength-Activated Gold Nanoflowers.

In mammalian cells, plasma membrane potential plays vital roles in both physiology and pathology and it is controlled by a network of membrane-resident ion channels. There is considerable interest in the use of nanoparticles (NPs) to control biological functions, including the modulation of membrane potential. The photoexcitation of gold NPs (AuNPs) tethered close to the plasma membrane has been shown to induce membrane depolarization via localized heating of the AuNP surface coupled with the opening of voltage-gated sodium channels.

Deaf signers and hearing aids: motivations, access, competency and service effectiveness.

Objectives: This study concerns culturally Deaf signers in the UK who use hearing aids and (i) explores motivations for hearing aid use (ii) identifies barriers and facilitators to accessing NHS hearing aid services, (iii) examines cultural competency of hearing aid clinics and (iv) identifies factors influencing effective adult hearing aid service provision.

Design: Online survey in British Sign Language and English that was informed by Deaf service users.

Study Sample: 75 Deaf adult BSL users who wear hearing aids and use NHS hearing aid clinics.

Regulation of Nodal signaling propagation by receptor interactions and positive feedback.

During vertebrate embryogenesis, the germ layers are patterned by secreted Nodal signals. In the classical model, Nodals elicit signaling by binding to a complex comprising Type I/II Activin receptors (Acvr) and the co-receptor Tdgf1. However, it is currently unclear whether receptor binding can also affect the distribution of Nodals themselves through the embryo, and it is unknown which of the putative Acvr paralogs mediate Nodal signaling in zebrafish.

Determining the Cytosolic Stability of Small DNA Nanostructures .

DNA nanostructures have proven potential in biomedicine. However, their intracellular interactions─especially cytosolic stability─remain mostly unknown and attempts to discern this are confounded by the complexities of endocytic uptake and entrapment. Here, we bypass the endocytic uptake and evaluate the DNA structural stability directly in live cells.

Sustained impact of an academic-practice partnership.

Academic-practice partnerships foster innovation and transition to nursing practice in healthcare systems. The purpose of this paper is to describe the impact of a public-private academic-practice partnership for Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) education designed to transform a large healthcare system's nursing workforce and model of care. The conceptual framework is organized around Rogers's (2003) principles of diffusion of innovation in organizations.

Sensing Nitric Oxide in Cells: Historical Technologies and Future Outlook.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a critical cell signaling molecule with important roles in both normal cellular physiology and pathology. Over the past 20 years, multiple sensing modalities have been developed for the intracellular synthesis (endogenous) and release (exogenous) of NO. In this review, we survey the historical progression of NO sensing platforms, highlight the current state of the art, and offer a forward-looking view of how we expect the field of NO sensing to develop in the context of recent advances in bio-nanotechnology and nanoscale cellular biosensors.

Design of novel granulopoietic proteins by topological rescaffolding.

Computational protein design is rapidly becoming more powerful, and improving the accuracy of computational methods would greatly streamline protein engineering by eliminating the need for empirical optimization in the laboratory. In this work, we set out to design novel granulopoietic agents using a rescaffolding strategy with the goal of achieving simpler and more stable proteins. All of the 4 experimentally tested designs were folded, monomeric, and stable, while the 2 determined structures agreed with the design models within less than 2.

Recent Progress in Bioconjugation Strategies for Liposome-Mediated Drug Delivery.

In nanoparticle (NP)-mediated drug delivery, liposomes are the most widely used drug carrier, and the only NP system currently approved by the FDA for clinical use, owing to their advantageous physicochemical properties and excellent biocompatibility. Recent advances in liposome technology have been focused on bioconjugation strategies to improve drug loading, targeting, and overall efficacy. In this review, we highlight recent literature reports (covering the last five years) focused on bioconjugation strategies for the enhancement of liposome-mediated drug delivery.

Optogenetic investigation of BMP target gene expression diversity.

Signaling molecules activate distinct patterns of gene expression to coordinate embryogenesis, but how spatiotemporal expression diversity is generated is an open question. In zebrafish, a BMP signaling gradient patterns the dorsal-ventral axis. We systematically identified target genes responding to BMP and found that they have diverse spatiotemporal expression patterns.

The Lived Experience and Legacy of Pragmatics for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children.

In this article, we discuss deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children's pragmatic difficulties and strengths from within the lived experiences of 5 hearing parents of DHH children and 5 DHH adults (one of whom is also a parent of a deaf child). We define lived experience as both a specific form of knowledge (first-hand stories from everyday life) and a unique way of knowing (reflecting and telling from insider perspectives). The parents and DHH adults involved coauthored the article alongside 2 experienced researcher-practitioners.

A strategic approach to social accountability: Bwalo forums within the reproductive maternal and child health accountability ecosystem in Malawi.

Background: The majority of documented social accountability initiatives to date have been 'tactical' in nature, employing single-tool, mostly community-based approaches. This article provides lessons from a 'strategic', multi-tool, multi-level social accountability project: UNICEF's 'Social Accountability for Every Woman Every Child' intervention in Malawi.

Methods: The project targeted the national, district and community levels.

Optogenetic approaches to investigate spatiotemporal signaling during development.

Embryogenesis is coordinated by signaling pathways that pattern the developing organism. Many aspects of this process are not fully understood, including how signaling molecules spread through embryonic tissues, how signaling amplitude and dynamics are decoded, and how multiple signaling pathways cooperate to pattern the body plan. Optogenetic approaches can be used to address these questions by providing precise experimental control over a variety of biological processes.