Perception and utilisation of veterinary services by rodent owners in the United Kingdom.

Background: There is limited research on how rodent owners use and perceive veterinary services and what the demand for pet insurance for these species is.

Methods: An online survey of owners of pet rodents (guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, gerbils and mice) measured owner confidence in recognising signs of illness, their opinions on and use of veterinary services and their willingness to purchase pet insurance.

Results: A total of 1700 respondents completed the survey.

Can fundus features tell us something about 3D eye shape?

Purpose: To determine whether imaging features derived from fundus photographs contain 3D eye shape information beyond that available from spherical equivalent refraction (SER).

Methods: We analysed 99 eyes of 68 normal adults in the UK Biobank. An ellipsoid was fitted to the entire volume of each posterior eye (vitreous chamber without the lens)-segmented from magnetic resonance imaging of the brain.

Super-resolution imaging of proteins inside live mammalian cells with mLIVE-PAINT.

Super-resolution microscopy has revolutionized biological imaging, enabling the visualization of structures at the nanometer length scale. Its application in live cells, however, has remained challenging. To address this, we adapted LIVE-PAINT, an approach we established in yeast, for application in live mammalian cells.

Extreme migratory connectivity and apparent mirroring of non-breeding grounds conditions in a severely declining breeding population of an Afro-Palearctic migratory bird.

Understanding the distribution of breeding populations of migratory animals in the non-breeding period (migratory connectivity) is important for understanding their response to environmental change. High connectivity (low non-breeding population dispersion) may lower resilience to climate change and increase vulnerability to habitat loss within their range. Very high levels of connectivity are reportedly rare, but this conclusion may be limited by methodology.

The global Multidimensional Poverty Index: Harmonised level estimates and their changes over time.

This paper describes the database The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): Harmonised level estimates and their changes over time. The global MPI is an international poverty measure based on ten deprivation indicators in three dimensions: health, education, and living standards. The database contains estimates for the MPI itself (the adjusted headcount ratio); related partial indices such as headcount ratio, intensity, indicator-specific indices, and several auxiliary statistics; and changes over time for most quantities.

The association between adolescents' knowledge and perception of HPV vaccination and parents' characteristics: A cross-sectional study.

Background: In Italy, the anti-Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign began in 2008. To date, despite the effectiveness and safety of HPV vaccines, coverage among Italian adolescents is still suboptimal. Evidence suggests that different factors could influence parents' choices regarding their children's vaccination uptake.

Poor agreement among asthma specialists on the choice and timing of initiation of a biologic treatment for severe asthma patients.

Background: As the number of monoclonal antibodies available for severe asthma is growing, specialists currently choose without clear guidelines. Despite increasing knowledge on treatment response to these monoclonal antibodies, making the optimal choice for each individual patient remains a challenge. However, evidence of this daily challenge is lacking.

Quantifying structural changes in organised biomineralized surfaces using synchrotron Polarisation-induced Contrast X-ray Fluorescence.

The quantitative characterization of the structure of biomineral surfaces is needed for guiding regenerative strategies. Current techniques are compromised by a requirement for extensive sample preparation, limited length-scales, or the inability to repeatedly measure the same surface over time and monitor structural changes. We aim to address these deficiencies by developing Calcium (Ca) K-edge Polarisation Induced Contrast X-ray Fluorescence (PIC-XRF) to quantify hydroxyapatite (HAp) crystallite structural arrangements in high and low textured surfaces.

Efficient Discovery of Robust Prognostic Biomarkers and Signatures in Solid Tumors.

Recent advancements in multi-omics and big-data technologies have facilitated the discovery of numerous cancer prognostic biomarkers and gene signatures. However, their clinical application remains limited due to poor reproducibility and insufficient independent validation. Despite the availability of high-quality datasets, achieving reliable biomarker identification across multiple cohorts continues to be a significant challenge.

Cytoplasmic expression of trans-active response DNA-binding protein-43 in aged mice display hippocampal sclerosis-like degeneration and neuronal loss with reduced lifespan.

Trans-active response DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) is the major pathological protein in motor neuron disease and TDP-43 pathology has been described in the brains of up to 50% of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). Hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-A), an age-related neuropathology characterized by severe neuronal loss and gliosis in CA1 and/or subiculum, is found in ∼80% of cases that are positive for phosphorylated TDP-43. HS-A is seen as a co-pathology in cases with AD, limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy neuropathologic changes (LATE-NC), and frontotemporal degeneration.

Beyond disability: A scientometric review of quality of life in developmental disabilities.

Quality of Life (QoL) is a crucial concept that pertains to an individual's perception of their position in life. In the context of developmental disabilities, QoL is pivotal for improving evidence-based practices, providing support and organizing services for individuals, thereby enabling them to achieve their potential with dignity and equality. Despite its importance, QoL has often not been the primary focus in many studies on developmental disabilities and remains less developed compared to other research areas.

A comparative life cycle analysis of Sol-Char and anaerobic digestion sanitation systems.

In this study, we compared the Sol-Char sanitation system with an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) system using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate their environmental impacts. Since both systems offer opportunities for human waste treatment and resource recovery, understanding their performance is crucial. This comparison aims to determine their environmental impacts while considering diverse factors, such as energy production and nutrient recovery.

The feasibility of using machine learning to predict COVID-19 cases.

Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, emerged as a global health crisis in 2019, resulting in widespread morbidity and mortality. A persistent challenge during the pandemic has been the accuracy of reported epidemic data, particularly in underdeveloped regions with limited access to COVID-19 test kits and healthcare infrastructure. In the post-COVID era, this issue remains crucial.

Testing an Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Platform in the Context of Traumatic Brain Injury: PRiORiTy Usability Study.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant public health issue and a leading cause of death and disability globally. Advances in clinical care have improved survival rates, leading to a growing population living with long-term effects of TBI, which can impact physical, cognitive, and emotional health. These effects often require continuous management and individualized care.

ISCT MSC committee statement on the US FDA approval of allogenic bone-marrow mesenchymal stromal cells.

The December 2024 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Mesoblast's Ryoncil (remestemcel-L-rknd)-allogeneic bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC(M)) therapy-in pediatric acute steroid-refractory graft-versus-host-disease finally ended a long-lasting drought on approved MSC clinical products in the United States. While other jurisdictions-including Europe, Japan, India, and South Korea-have marketed autologous or allogeneic MSC products, the United States has lagged in its approval. The sponsor's significant efforts and investments, working closely with the FDA addressing concerns regarding clinical efficacy and consistent MSC potency through an iterative process that spanned several years, was rewarded with this landmark approval.

Relationship Between Pre- and Post-Orchidectomy Serum Dihydrotestosterone and Prostate Cancer Severity in a Cohort of Nigerian Patients.

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the commonest urologic cancer worldwide and the leading cause of male cancer deaths in Nigeria. In Nigeria, orchidectomy remains the primary androgen deprivation therapy. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the active prostatic androgen, but its relationship with PCa severity has not been extensively studied in Africa.

Pharmacological blocking of microfibrillar-associated protein 4 reduces retinal neoangiogenesis and vascular leakage.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema are leading causes of vision-loss evoked by retinal neovascularization and vascular leakage. The glycoprotein microfibrillar-associated protein 4 (MFAP4) is an integrin αβ ligand present in the extracellular matrix. Single-cell transcriptomics reveal MFAP4 expression in cell-types in close proximity to vascular endothelial cells including choroidal vascular mural cells and retinal astrocytes and Müller cells.

Blood-based epigenome-wide association study and prediction of alcohol consumption.

Alcohol consumption is an important risk factor for multiple diseases. It is typically assessed via self-report, which is open to measurement error through recall bias. Instead, molecular data such as blood-based DNA methylation (DNAm) could be used to derive a more objective measure of alcohol consumption by incorporating information from cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites known to be linked to the trait.

Association of life's essential 8 and inflammatory biomarkers with nutritional anemia in UK adults.

Several modifiable health factors in Life's Essential 8 (LE8) are linked to nutritional anemia and can assess overall cardiovascular health (CVH). This study explored the associations of CVH measured by LE8 score with nutritional anemia and iron deficiency anemia (IDA), including the mediating role of inflammatory biomarkers. This prospective cohort study included 181,069 participants from UK Biobank.

Longitudinal omics data and preclinical treatment suggest the proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib as therapy for ibrutinib-resistant CLL.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a malignant lymphoproliferative disorder for which primary or acquired drug resistance represents a major challenge. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms, we generate a mouse model of ibrutinib resistance, in which, after initial treatment response, relapse under therapy occurrs with an aggressive outgrowth of malignant cells, resembling observations in patients. A comparative analysis of exome, transcriptome and proteome of sorted leukemic murine cells during treatment and after relapse suggests alterations in the proteasome activity as a driver of ibrutinib resistance.

Preoperative anxiety and depression are associated with poorer patient-reported outcomes following total ankle replacements.

Introduction: It is unclear how pre-operative anxiety/depression affects patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) following total ankle replacements (TAR). We investigated the effects of anxiety/depression on PROMs using the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ) following TAR.

Methods: PROMs data for primary TAR patients between 2011 and 2022 were extracted from a single-centre regional registry.