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We are living in a historic moment in which emerging technology, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the proliferation of Generative AI (Gen AI), are providing new opportunities for governments to [...]

Background/Objectives: Adverse pregnancy outcomes correlate with blood glucose levels in women with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). There is a gap between the glycaemic targets and the blood glucose control achieved in pregnancy. This study aimed to investigate the impact of an intensive weekly service on glycaemic control compared with our previous care model in pregnancies affected by T1DM. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional pre/post study comparing measures of glycaemic control in women with T1DM in each trimester of pregnancy in the 12 months before and the 8 months after the commencement of an intensive weekly insulin stabilisation service (ISS). Results: This study utilised data from Dexcom continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) reports to analyse pregnancy-specific glycaemic data (incorporating time in the range of 3.5–7.8 mmol/L). In total, 16 women provided data for 35 trimesters pre-ISS and 17 women provided data for 38 trimesters post-ISS. There was an improvement in pregnancy-specific time in range in trimester 3 following the commencement of the intensive weekly insulin stabilisation service (pre-ISS mean: 49.6%, post-ISS mean: 61.4%, p = 0.042). Similar results were seen when women using hybrid closed-loop technology were excluded, although statistical significance was not reached. It was not possible to assess the effect of the intervention during the first trimester. There were no statistically significant changes in glycaemia in trimester 2. Conclusions: In a small group of pregnant women with T1DM, a clinically significant improvement in pregnancy-specific time in range occurred in trimester 3, but not in trimester 1 or 2, following the introduction of intensive weekly clinical support.

Abstract Background The assessment of team performance within large-scale Interprofessional Learning (IPL) initiatives is an important but underexplored area. It is essential for demonstrating the effectiveness of collaborative learning outcomes in preparing students for professional practice. Using Kane’s validity framework, we investigated whether peer assessment of student-produced videos depicting collaborative teamwork in an IPL activity was sufficiently valid for decision-making about team performance, and where the sources of error might lie to optimise future iterations of the assessment. Methods A large cohort of health professional students (n = 1218) of 8 differing professions was divided into teams containing 5–6 students. Each team collaborated on producing a short video to evidence their management of one of 12 complex patient cases. Students from two other teams, who had worked on the same case, individually rated each video using a previously developed assessment scale. A generalisability study quantified sources of error that impacted the reliability of peer assessment of collaborative teamwork. A decision study modeled the impact of differing numbers of raters. A modified Angoff determined the pass/fail mark. Results Within a large-scale learning activity, peer assessment of collaborative teamwork was reliable (G = 0.71) based on scoring by students from two teams (n = 10–12) for each video. The main sources of variation were the stringency and subjectivity of fellow student assessors. Whilst professions marked with differing stringency, and individual student assessors had different views of the quality of a particular video, none of that individual assessor variance was attributable to the assessors’ profession. Teams performed similarly across the 12 cases overall, and no particular professions marked differently on any particular case. Conclusion A peer assessment of a student-produced video depicting interprofessional collaborative teamwork around the management of complex patient cases can be valid for decision-making about student team performance. Further refining marking rubrics and student assessor training could potentially modify assessor subjectivity. The impact of professions on assessing individual peers and the case-specificity of team performances in IPL settings need further exploration. This innovative approach to assessment offers a promising avenue for enhancing the measurement of collaborative learning outcomes in large-scale Interprofessional learning initiatives.

In exponential population growth, variability in the timing of individual division events and environmental factors (including stochastic inoculation) compound to produce variable growth trajectories. In several stochastic models of exponential growth we show power-law relationships that relate variability in the time required to reach a threshold population size to growth rate and inoculum size. Population-growth experiments in E. coli and S. aureus with inoculum sizes ranging between 1 and 100 are consistent with these relationships. We quantify how noise accumulates over time, finding that it encodes-and can be used to deduce-information about the early growth rate of a population.

The parasitic nematode Teladorsagia circumcincta is one of the most important pathogens of sheep and goats in temperate climates worldwide and can rapidly evolve resistance to drugs used to control it. To understand the genetics of drug resistance, we have generated a highly contiguous genome assembly for the UK T. circumcincta isolate, MTci2. Assembly using PacBio long-reads and Hi-C long-molecule scaffolding together with manual curation resulted in a 573 Mb assembly (N50 = 84 Mb, total scaffolds = 1,286) with five autosomal and one sex-linked chromosomal-scale scaffolds consistent with its karyotype. The genome resource was further improved via annotation of 22,948 genes, with manual curation of over 3,200 of these, resulting in a robust and near complete resource (96.3% complete protein BUSCOs) to support basic and applied research on this important veterinary pathogen. Genome-wide analyses of drug resistance, combining evidence from three distinct experiments, identified selection around known candidate genes for benzimidazole, levamisole and ivermectin resistance, as well as novel regions associated with ivermectin and moxidectin resistance. These insights into contemporary and historic genetic selection further emphasise the importance of contiguous genome assemblies in interpreting genome-wide genetic variation associated with drug resistance and identifying key loci to prioritise in developing diagnostic markers of anthelmintic resistance to support parasite control.

Soluble programmed death ligand‐1 (sPD‐L1), a pivotal immune checkpoint protein, serves as a biomarker for evaluating the efficacy of cancer therapies. Aptamers, as highly stable and specific recognition elements, play an essential role in emerging point‐of‐care diagnostic technologies. Yet, crucial advancements rely on engineering the intricate interaction between aptamers and sensor substrates to achieve specificity and signal enhancement. Here, a comprehensive physicochemical characterization and performance optimization of a sPD‐L1 aptamer‐based biosensor by a complementary set of state‐of‐the‐art methodologies is presented, including atomic force microscopy‐based infrared spectroscopy and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, providing critical insights on the surface coverage and binding mechanism. The optimal nanoaptasensors detect sPD‐L1 across a wide concentration range (from am to μm) with a detection limit of 0.76 am in both buffer and mouse serum samples. These findings, demonstrating superior selectivity, reproducibility, and stability, pave the way for engineering miniaturized point‐of‐care and portable biosensors for cancer diagnostics.

Reflecting on one's performance is a critical aspect of work integrated learning and professional life in general. This project compared 282 business and tourism students' self-assessment of their workplace performance against their industry supervisor's evaluation. The analysis included possible moderator variables such as gender, residential status, level of study and placement type. Overall, supervisors rated the importance of the competencies to their organization, and the level of attainment of the students on these, higher than the students themselves. Close to half of these ratings, on both measures, were found to be significantly different with no significant interactions revealed. These findings will be used to improve the evaluation form by combining some items, including descriptors, and supporting supervisors and students in its use. This will increase the capacity of students and employers to prepare for, engage in, and extract meaning from their work integrated learning (WIL) experiences.

The frequency of thyrotoxicosis may vary between countries and some laboratory test results may be used in etiology research. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of thyrotoxicosis diagnoses and laboratory test results.

Objectives: Public safety personnel (PSP) are frequently exposed to psychologically traumatic events. The exposures potentiate posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSIs), including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Protocol was designed to mitigate PTSIs using ongoing monitoring and PSP-delivered Emotional Resilience Skills Training (ERST) based on the Unified Protocol for the Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders. The current study pilot-tested ERST effectiveness among diverse PSP. Methods: A 16-month longitudinal design engaged serving PSP (n = 119; 34 % female; firefighters, municipal police, paramedics, public safety communicators) who completed PSP-delivered ERST. Participants were assessed for symptoms of PTSIs, including but not limited to PTSD, at pre- and post-training, and 1-year follow-up using self-report measures and clinical interviews. Results: There were reductions in self-report and clinical diagnostic interview positive screens for PTSD and other PTSI from pre- to post-training (ps

The androgen receptor is a key regulator of prostate cancer and the principal target of current prostate cancer therapies collectively termed androgen deprivation therapies. Insensitivity to these drugs is a hallmark of progression to a terminal disease state termed castration-resistant prostate cancer. Therefore, novel therapeutic options that slow progression of castration-resistant prostate cancer and combine effectively with existing agents are in urgent need. We show that JG-98, an allosteric inhibitor of HSP70, re-sensitizes castration-resistant prostate cancer to androgen deprivation drugs by targeting mitochondrial HSP70 (HSPA9) to suppress aerobic respiration. Rather than impacting androgen receptor stability as previously described, JG-98's primary effect is inhibition of mitochondrial translation, leading to disruption of electron transport chain activity. Although functionally distinct from HSPA9 inhibition, direct inhibition of the electron transport chain with a complex I or II inhibitor creates a similar physiological state capable of re-sensitizing castration-resistant prostate cancer to androgen deprivation therapies. These data identify a significant role for HspA9 in mitochondrial ribosome function and highlight an actionable metabolic vulnerability of castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Allied health clinical placements take place within an increasingly overstretched health care system where demand for services often exceeds availability of resources. Within this environment, student placements are often perceived as an additional burden to an already overwhelmed workforce. This study explored whether the quality of patient care was enhanced when services were re-designed using a collaborative partnership approach to more purposefully integrate students into delivery of care. Using an embedded multiple case study design, data were collected through focus groups and interviews, patient experience surveys, and secondary administrative data sources. Cases were across physiotherapy and occupational therapy in six different hospital settings. Perception of care provided by students was viewed positively by all stakeholders, including patients. Perceived health outcomes of faster improvement of health condition, improved mobility and function identified through our qualitative findings were supported by quantitative service delivery markers such as increased therapy sessions, more patients being discharged home instead of to other care facilities and reduced length of stay. Health care providers and students alike perceived improvements in service efficiencies whilst maintaining high quality care. This study has provided preliminary evidence towards improved patient care when a partnering approach is adopted whereby students are intentionally integrated into services that otherwise might not have been delivered. Furthermore, it has shifted the associated narrative from students as additional burden to students as benefit.

Background Nearly half of active duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers report experiencing current chronic pain (43%; i.e. pain lasting longer than 3 months). Most RCMP officers who report chronic pain indicate that the pain started after working as RCMP officers (91%). Baseline data on chronic pain prevalence among RCMP cadets has not been available.Aims The current study was designed to provide cross-sectional estimates of chronic pain prevalence among RCMP cadets starting the Cadet Training Program and to assess for sociodemographic differences among participants.Methods The RCMP Study uses a longitudinal prospective sequential experimental cohort design to create a clustered randomized trial that engages individual participants for 5.5 years. The current article provides cross-sectional associations between chronic pain prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics. Participants were RCMP cadets starting the Cadet Training Program (n = 770). Location, intensity (on a 0–10 scale and days per week experienced), and duration (number of months) of chronic pain were reported. Differences across sociodemographic characteristics were examined.Results Few RCMP cadets reported experiencing chronic pain (10%); lower back pain was rated as the most severe in terms of intensity and duration and second most frequently reported in number of days experienced per week. Prevalence of chronic pain was lower among RCMP cadets than among RCMP officers.Conclusions Chronic pain prevalence among active duty RCMP officers may result from or be moderated by operational duties, as well as routine aging. Future researchers could examine ways to mitigate chronic pain development during RCMP officer careers.

IntroductionParkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition affecting multiple sensorimotor and cognitive systems. The Pink1−/− rat model exhibits vocal, cognitive, and limb use deficits seen in idiopathic PD. We sought to measure glucose metabolism in brain regions in Pink1−/− and wild type (WT) rats, and to associate these to measures of ultrasonic vocalization, cognition, and limb use behavior.MethodsPink1−/− (n = 12) and WT (n = 14) rats were imaged by [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in a repeated measures design at approximately 10 months of age and 6 weeks later. Relative regional glucose metabolism was indexed by whole brain normalized FDG uptake, which was calculated for 18 regions identified a priori for comparison. Behavioral measures included tests of communication via ultrasonic vocalization, cognition with 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Test (5-CSRTT), and limb use with Cylinder Test and Challenge Beam.ResultsRelative glucose metabolism was significantly different in Pink1−/− rats in prelimbic area, striatum, nucleus ambiguus, globus pallidus, and posterior parietal association cortex compared to WT controls. For behavioral measures, Pink1−/− rats demonstrated quieter vocalizations with a restricted frequency range, and they showed increased number of foot-faults and hindlimb steps (shuffling) in limb motor tests. Significant behavior vs. brain correlations included associations of ultrasonic vocalization parameters with glucose metabolism indices in locus coeruleus and substantia nigra.ConclusionFDG PET reveals abnormalities in relative regional brain glucose metabolism in Pink1−/− rats in brain regions that are important to cognition, vocalization, and limb motor control that are also impacted by Parkinson disease. This method may be useful for mechanistic studies of behavioral deficits and therapeutic interventions in translational studies in the Pink1−/− PD model.