University College Cork

To establish research priorities for Australian Nurse Practitioners and develop a robust research agenda. A descriptive, exploratory approach was used and conducted in two stages. Data were collected over two stages. Data for Stage 1 were collected from 14 December 2023 to 16 February 2024. For the Delphi rounds (Stage 2), data were collected from 11 March to 24 March 2024 for Delphi Round 1 and from 12 June to 26 June 2024 for Delphi Round 2. An exploratory survey was used in Stage 1 to identify clinical challenges and research themes perceived as important for Australian Nurse Practitioners. In Stage 2, a two-phased modified Delphi survey was conducted to prioritise the research themes identified in Stage 1. A total of 315 participants responded to the exploratory survey, with a majority being female (77%), aged between 30 and 75 years. Participants were primarily employed in the public healthcare sector (60%), the private sector (23%), while 17% practised across both sectors. A total of 1335 challenges facing Australian Nurse Practitioners were identified. Sixty-nine participants completed the first Delphi round, and 33 the second, giving response rates of 21% (69/315) and 48% (33/69), respectively. The first Delphi round yielded 11 research themes. Seven of these yielded Content Validity Indices of < 0.90. Four research priority areas remained and were ranked in order of importance. The identified Australian Nurse Practitioner research priorities will play a pivotal role in shaping policies, fostering the efficient integration of Nurse Practitioners into the healthcare system and advancing research capacity. Nurse Practitioners are established providers of high-quality care internationally; however, they face persistent integration challenges in Australia. This study delivers a nationally relevant, consensus-based research agenda that identifies key priorities across clinical, educational and leadership domains. No patient or public contribution.

Poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is a valuable biopolymer with diverse industrial applications, produced naturally by several Bacillus species. The dairy environment is an under-explored niche for identifying efficient, food-grade γ-PGA producers. In this study, four legacy dairy-derived Bacillus licheniformis strains: DPC3803, DPC6338, DPC6339, and DPC6340, producing high γ-PGA titres were examined using whole genome sequencing (WGS) and comparative genomic analysis to evaluate their suitability for future industrial applications. The genomes ranged from 4.19 to 4.29 Mb with an average GC content of 45.8–46.2%. Pangenome analysis of the four strains, together with 51 publicly available B. licheniformis genomes, identified 12,415 gene clusters, of which 18.9% and 81.1% were core and accessory genes respectively. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis demonstrated >99% sequence identity among all 55 B. licheniformis genomes, despite their isolation from diverse environments, indicating strong genomic conservation within the species. Experimental validation confirmed γ-PGA production by all four strains, with maximum titres (g/L) of 43.27 ± 1.49, 59.54 ± 4.33, 27.93 ± 1.87, and 47.74 ± 0.19 for DPC3803, DPC6338, DPC6339, and DPC6340, respectively. Genomic screening revealed multiple γ-PGA metabolism and CAZyme-encoding genes, as well as unique secondary metabolite clusters with potential antimicrobial activity. Although no plasmids or virulence factors were detected, twenty-one prophages were identified, sharing no significant homology with known cultivated phages, and a single β-lactamase gene suggested intrinsic resistance to β-lactams. These findings highlight the genomic and functional potential of these dairy-derived B. licheniformis as efficient, food-grade candidates for industrial γ-PGA production.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of heat treatment and selective thiol blocking using N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) on protein partitioning during microfiltration (MF) of whey. Clarified sweet whey was subjected to five treatments: untreated control (CTRL), pH-adjusted (CTRL pH ), pH+NEM (T NEM ), pH+heat (T Heat ), and pH+NEM+heat (T NEM+Heat ). Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed in protein permeation and retention. Compared to CTRL, protein content in the permeate was 22% and 16% lower in T Heat and T NEM+Heat , respectively. Conversely, protein retention in the retentate was 22% and 16% higher in the same treatments. These results confirm that disulphide bond-mediated aggregation reduces protein permeation during MF. The findings provide new insight into how thiol reactivity and thermal treatment influence protein transmission. This scientific insight supports the development of targeted strategies (e.g., reduced- or non-thermal processing) to increase protein yield and processing sustainability in the production of value-added whey streams and whey protein ingredients.

• We analyzed four new Ediacaran communities from the ca. 567–539 Ma Moldova-Podillia Basin. • Spatial analysis can be used to infer ecological processes from spatial patterns. • A diverse range of dispersal and environmental processes affected Beltanelliformis. • These results contrast to those for Avalonian taxa, which exhibit consistent ecological dynamics. Discoidal fossils are some of the most abundant and widespread Ediacaran taxa found in many different environments throughout the late Ediacaran (580–539 Ma). They have a wide range of suggested affinities including microbial colonies, medusae, and the holdfasts of frondose taxa, including putative algal/bacterial discoidal taxa, such as Beltanelliformis and Nemiana , which are often found in large abundance in monospecific clusters. From their spatial patterns, we can infer the underlying biological and ecological processes governing their community ecology. Here, we analyzed four new Ediacaran communities from the ca. 567–539 Ma Moldova-Podillya Basin, with Vălcineț Area A and B, in the nearshore to shallow-marine environments, Cosăuți in the lower-energy marine environment, and Egoreni in the shallow-marine conditions (2352 specimens over 11.46 m 2 ), as well as previously described two communities (196 specimens over 1.80 m 2 ) from Kolesnikov (2022) data and 121 specimens over 0.46 m 2 from Leonov (2007) data from the Central Urals and the White Sea areas, respectively. These communities exhibited different community dynamics, with strong cluster orientation and dispersal processes in the Vălcineț and South Urals communities, in contrast to the strong association with habitat patchiness for the Cosăuți, Egoreni and White Sea area communities. Our results suggest two alternative drivers for Beltanelliformis communities, those controlled by dispersal in currents and those in a weaker flow by substrate patchiness. The White Sea assemblage Ediacaran biota show variation in environmental and dispersal dynamics and thus contrast with Avalonian assemblage Ediacaran biota, which show consistent drivers across large spatial and temporal scales.

Computed Tomography (CT) is central to modern imaging practice and accounts for over 60% of the collective radiation dose from medical imaging, underscoring the need for optimisation. Adjusting the scan range based on clinical indication is an evidence-based method for dose optimisation. However, the evidence remains dispersed across indications without a concise cross‑domain synthesis; this review consolidates evidence on indication-based scan range optimisation, evaluating its impact on radiation dose, diagnostic accuracy, and implications for missed findings across multiple CT applications. This scoping review followed Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were searched for studies (2010-2025) on indication-driven CT scan range optimisation. Eligible studies evaluated reduced z‑axis coverage based on clinical indications and reported at least one outcome: scan length (mm), radiation dose metrics (mSv), or diagnostic accuracy (%). Data were synthesised narratively with descriptive reporting of key outcomes. Twenty-one studies across six clinical domains were included. Indication-driven protocols reduced radiation exposure proportionally to scan length, achieving reductions of 33-50% in scan length and 10-50% in dose. Organ-specific reductions reached 97% for breast and 81% for testes, with foetal dose reductions exceeding 80% in pregnancy-adapted protocols. Diagnostic sensitivity for the primary indication remained 98-100%. Aggressive truncation increased missed alternative diagnoses in up to 17% of patients, particularly in older or multimorbid cohorts. Clinical indication-driven optimisation of CT scan range achieves substantial radiation-dose reduction without compromising diagnostic accuracy. These findings support evidence-based adoption of landmark-based protocols for focused clinical questions, with selective application in patients with broader differential diagnoses. Future directions include AI-assisted landmark detection and automated planning tools to enhance reproducibility and workflow efficiency.

NaV (voltage-gated sodium) channels drive cardiac excitability. Although NaV1.5 is the primary cardiac isoform, the composition and functional contributions of non-NaV1.5 isoforms in the heart remain unclear. Here, we developed a chemical-genetic mouse model (NaV1.5GX/GX) in which NaV1.5 can be selectively and reversibly inhibited by acyl- and aryl-sulfonamide compounds (GX [acyl- and aryl-sulfonamide compounds typically denoted by the name GX-### and associated items] drugs). Cardiac activity was assessed by electrocardiograms in vivo, and optical mapping was used for imaging of ex vivo hearts. Whole-cell voltage-clamp in tandem with validated toxins and isoform-selective inhibitors were used to examine sodium current composition. NaV1.5GX/GX mice exhibited normal cardiac function at baseline, but acute GX drug administration caused profound conduction defects and arrhythmias. Whole-heart optical mapping revealed dose-dependent chamber-specific sensitivity to NaV1.5 inhibition, with the right ventricle being the most sensitive, followed by the left ventricle, left atrium, and right atrium. Patch-clamp recordings of isolated cardiomyocytes with application of NaV isoform-selective inhibitors showed that NaV1.5 contributed 93% of sodium current in the left ventricle, 79% in the right ventricle, and 78% in the atria. Non-NaV1.5 isoforms were differentially enriched across chambers: NaV1.8 in the left ventricle, NaV1.1/1.3 in the right ventricle, and NaV1.2/1.6/1.7 in the atria. These results reveal a surprising chamber-specific isoform landscape of cardiac sodium currents, which may underlie the right ventricular predominant phenotype of Brugada syndrome. These data highlight non-NaV1.5 isoforms as potential mediators of chamber-specific cardiac pathologies and as pharmacological targets.