The Development and Implementation of a National Veterinary Graduate Development Programme (VetGDP) to Support Veterinarians Entering the UK Workforce.

The UK veterinary profession is facing significant challenges, including high rates of veterinarians leaving the profession amidst workforce shortages, alongside high levels of dissatisfaction, stress, and poor mental health. The highest rates of attrition are associated with veterinarians who have recently graduated and are at an early stage in their careers. Although there may be many contributory factors, a lack of adequate support during the transition from vet school into their first professional role following graduation may be one important cause. Consequently, it has never been more important to develop an effective system for supporting new graduates, which is accessible to all. A new Veterinary Graduate Development Programme (VetGDP) has been developed, using a framework of professional activities that are sufficiently flexible to create a bespoke, individualized program for each graduate depending on the role they enter. Each new graduate is assigned a dedicated coach (Adviser) within their workplace, who has been trained to provide effective support and has committed to doing so throughout the program. VetGDP has been implemented on a national scale in the UK; engagement is assured through the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct and quality assurance is in place. VetGDP has been developed using established educational, sociocultural, and behavioral theories, and the latest research in coaching and feedback within medical education. These methods, which aim to ensure there is the best possible impact on graduates' professional development, and the creation of a positive learning culture within the workplace, are taught to all Advisers via an e-learning package.

Genotyping of the Alzheimer's Disease Genome-Wide Association Study Index Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Brains for Dementia Research Cohort.

The Brains for Dementia Research project is a recently established longitudinal cohort which aims to provide brain tissue for research purposes from neuropathologically defined samples. Here we present the findings from our analysis on the 19 established GWAS index SNPs for Alzheimer's disease, in order to demonstrate if the BDR sample also displays association to these variants. A highly significant association of the APOEɛ4 allele was identified (p = 3.99×10-12). Association tests for the 19 GWAS SNPs found that although no SNPs survive multiple testing, nominal significant findings were detected and concordance with the Lambert et al. GWAS meta-analysis was observed.

Fabrication and characterization of nanostructured Pd hydride pH microelectrodes.

Novel pH microsensors were made by electrodepositing mesoporous Pd films onto Pt microdisks, electrochemically loading the films with hydrogen to form the alpha+beta Pd hydride phase, and then switching to the potentiometric mode to monitor pH. To create a nanostructure, the films were deposited within a molecular template formed by the self-assembly of surfactant molecules, a technique known as true liquid crystal templating. The films retain the micrometer size of the Pt microdisk but offer electroactive areas up to 900 times larger. Optimum hydrogen loading conditions were determined, and the mesoporous Pd microdisks were found to have excellent potentiometric properties. From pH 2 to 12, their potential was Nernstian, highly reproducible, very stable (+/-1.2 mV over 2 h), and without hysteresis. Their response time was better than 1 s. However, the presence of oxygen reduced their lifetime significantly, thereby requiring frequent reloading. These microelectrodes do not require calibration before and after measurements, a procedure normally essential for potentiometric pH microsensors. To our knowledge, these are the first results where nanostructured materials made by the true liquid crystal templating method have been used in the potentiometric mode; moreover, these are the first results demonstrating the application of nanostructured microdisks in the potentiometric mode.