Perceptions of healthcare professionals on optimal delivery of noninvasive ventilation care to people living with motor neuron disease.

Patients with motor neuron disease (MND) often do not experience the full survival and quality of life benefits of noninvasive ventilation (NIV). Successful delivery of NIV is challenging to multiple healthcare professionals involved in the respiratory care patient journey and considering their perspectives is crucial in order to understand how to deliver optimal care. To identify the factors that influence NIV delivery in MND from a healthcare professional perspective and understand how obstacles can be overcome to optimize care.

The challenges of expanding medical student numbers in the UK: A scoping review.

Background: With one of the lowest numbers of doctors per capita in Europe, coupled with an ageing UK population, the NHS faces an unprecedented workforce crisis. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP) outlined how this will be addressed, headlining a proposed doubling of UK medical school places.

Methods: A scoping review utilising the Arksey and O'Malley model searched articles related to increasing UK medical student numbers.

Extreme exercise in males is linked to mTOR signalling and onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is thought to be caused by interaction between genetic and environmental factors leading to motor neuron (MN) degeneration. Physical exercise has been linked to ALS but controversy remains. A key question is to determine which individuals might be at risk of exercise-associated ALS, because unnecessary avoidance of exercise could be harmful.

Integrated Collaborative Care for Youths With Mental Health and Substance Use Challenges: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Research on the integrated collaborative care team (ICCT) model, a version of an integrated youth service, with youths and families is needed to evaluate its effectiveness in improving mental health functioning compared with hospital outpatient treatment as usual (TAU).

Objectives: To test the benefits of the ICCT in improving youth functioning compared with TAU, to assess youths' general psychopathology symptoms and substance use problems, and to quantify health service access, use, and satisfaction.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This 2-group pragmatic randomized clinical trial enrolled youths (14-17 years) and caregivers in Canada from September 2016 to March 2020.

An observational study of pleiotropy and penetrance of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated with CAG-repeat expansion of ATXN2.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are both associated with a CAG-repeat expansion in ATXN2 and with TDP-43-positive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions. The two disorders have been viewed as distinct entities, where an intermediate length expansion of 31-33 CAG-repeats is associated with sporadic ALS and a full length expansion of ≥34 CAG-repeats is associated with SCA2. We report the clinical phenotype of ATXN2-positive patients and their relatives, identified in three specialist ALS clinics, which force a reconsideration of this dichotomy.

How can biodiversity strategy and action plans incorporate genetic diversity and align with global commitments?

National, subnational, and supranational entities are creating biodiversity strategy and action plans (BSAPs) to develop concrete commitments and actions to curb biodiversity loss, meet international obligations, and achieve a society in harmony with nature. In light of policymakers' increasing recognition of genetic diversity in species and ecosystem adaptation and resilience, this article provides an overview of how BSAPs can incorporate species' genetic diversity. We focus on three areas: setting targets; committing to actions, policies, and programs; and monitoring and reporting.

The genome sequence of the European pine marten, (Linnaeus, 1758).

We present a genome assembly from an individual male (the European pine marten; Chordata; Mammalia; Carnivora; Mustelidae). The genome sequence is 2,484.6 megabases in span.

Non-coding genome contribution to ALS.

The majority of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is caused by a complex gene-environment interaction. Despite high estimates of heritability, the genetic basis of disease in the majority of ALS patients are unknown. This limits the development of targeted genetic therapies which require an understanding of patient-specific genetic drivers.

A clinically relevant computed tomography (CT) radiomics strategy for intracranial rodent brain tumour monitoring.

Here, we establish a CT-radiomics based method for application in invasive, orthotopic rodent brain tumour models. Twenty four NOD/SCID mice were implanted with U87R-Luc2 GBM cells and longitudinally imaged via contrast enhanced (CE-CT) imaging. Pyradiomics was employed to extract CT-radiomic features from the tumour-implanted hemisphere and non-tumour-implanted hemisphere of acquired CT-scans.

Evaluation of severe traumatic brain injury referrals to the National Tertiary Neurosurgical Centre in the Republic of Ireland.

Background: Transfer of all severe TBI patients to a neurosurgical unit (NSU) has been advocated irrespective of levels of complexity and prognostic factors. Previous publications have suggested that only 50% of severe TBI patients in Ireland were managed in NSUs.

Aims: This study aims to audit severe TBI referrals to the National Neurosurgical Centre, to evaluate reasons for nonacceptance, assess for differences in the transferred and not transferred cohorts and to analyse observed and expected mortality rates.

Exercise capacity following SARS-CoV-2 infection is related to changes in cardiovascular and lung function in military personnel.

Background: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, post-COVID syndrome (persistent symptoms/complications lasting >12 weeks) continues to pose medical and economic challenges. In military personnel, where optimal fitness is crucial, prolonged limitations affecting their ability to perform duties has occupational and psychological implications, impacting deployability and retention. Research investigating post-COVID syndrome exercise capacity and cardiopulmonary effects in military personnel is limited.

Determining intra-standard-setter inconsistency in the Angoff method using the three-parameter item response theory.

Objectives: To measure intra-standard-setter variability and assess the variations between the pass marks obtained from Angoff ratings, guided by the latent trait theory as the theoretical model.

Methods: A non-experimental cross-sectional study was conducted to achieve the purpose of the study. Two knowledge-based tests were administered to 358 final-year medical students (223 females and 135 males) as part of their normal summative programme of assessments.

Finding "Zombies" in Your Database by Confirming Vital Status.

The Alaska Cancer Registry (ACR) conducted a study to identify and correct the vital status of certain cases in its database. These cases were reported as by the original reporting health care facility but were not identified as being deceased using routine death resources. Cases incorrectly reported as deceased are referred to here as "zombies," as they are the "living dead" in the registry database.

Urbanisation generates multiple trait syndromes for terrestrial animal taxa worldwide.

Cities can host significant biological diversity. Yet, urbanisation leads to the loss of habitats, species, and functional groups. Understanding how multiple taxa respond to urbanisation globally is essential to promote and conserve biodiversity in cities.

Twelve tips to aid interpretation of post-assessment psychometric reports.

Post-assessments psychometric reports are a vital component of the assessment cycle to ensure that assessments are reliable, valid and fair to make appropriate pass-fail decisions. Students' scores can be summarised by examination of frequency distributions, central tendency measures and dispersion measures. Item discrimination indicies to assess the quality of items, and distractors that differentiate between students achieving or not achieving the learning outcomes are key.

The Use and Efficacy of FFR-CT: Real-World Multicenter Audit of Clinical Data With Cost Analysis.

Background: Fractional flow reserve-computed tomography (FFR-CT) is endorsed by UK and U.S. chest pain guidelines, but its clinical effectiveness and cost benefit in real-world practice are unknown.