Publications by authors named "Beasley A"

Over the past few decades, the emergence of resistance amongst intestinal parasites of horses to all available anthelmintic classes has emphasised the need for a paradigm shift in parasite control approaches within the Australian equine industry. Findings of a recent Australia-wide research project have provided new insights into intestinal parasites (i.e.

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Background: Pregnant people living in states that banned abortion after the US Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v Wade (Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization -Dobbs decision) may evaluate multiple factors when deciding where to obtain facility-based abortion care in another state. We examine Texans' stated preferences for out-of-state facility-based abortion care and quantify the trade-offs they would make when choosing between out-of-state facilities following a 2022 abortion ban.

Methods: In August 2022, we surveyed Texans ≥ 16 years old seeking abortion at in-state facilities or who were searching online for information about accessing abortion care.

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Aggregated α-synuclein (α-SYN) proteins, encoded by the gene, are hallmarks of Lewy body disease (LBD), affecting multiple brain regions. However, the specific mechanisms underlying α-SYN pathology in cortical neurons, crucial for LBD-associated dementia, remain unclear. Here, we recapitulated α-SYN pathologies in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived cortical organoids generated from patients with LBD with gene triplication.

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Objective: Nearly half of obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) residency programs in the United States lost access to local training in abortion care following the 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Supreme Court decision. We aimed to determine whether OB/GYN residency candidates who desire abortion training apply to programs in states where abortion is restricted/banned.

Study Design: In 2023, we conducted an anonymous electronic survey of residency interviewees at three large academic OB/GYN programs about the importance of various program characteristics in their selection process.

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High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is genetically unstable and characterised by the presence of subclones with distinct genotypes. Intratumoural heterogeneity is linked to recurrence, chemotherapy resistance, and poor prognosis. Here, we use spatial transcriptomics to identify HGSOC subclones and study their association with infiltrating cell populations.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigated the relationship between GBA gene variants and neuropathological features in cases of Lewy body disease (LBD), finding that both rare and common GBA variants are linked to conditions like Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.
  • - Out of 943 LBD cases, researchers identified 42 different GBA variants; the presence of minor alleles for these variants was associated with higher odds of likely dementia and lower stages of key neuropathological markers like Braak neurofibrillary tangles and Thal amyloid levels.
  • - GBA variants were especially prevalent in cases of transitional/diffuse LBD with low Alzheimer's disease-related pathology, suggesting that these genetic factors could influence the severity and
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This study assessed worm control practices used by Australian Thoroughbred farm managers with an online questionnaire survey. The questionnaire comprised 52 questions (close-ended: 44; open-ended: 8) about farm demography and general husbandry practices, farm managers' knowledge of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) and their importance, diagnosis, worm control strategies and anthelmintics, anthelmintic resistance (AR) and grazing management. Following the pilot survey, the link for the questionnaire survey was sent to all (n = 657) registered members of the Thoroughbred Breeders Australia on 12th April 2020.

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Background: Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has been suggested to provide prognostic information in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but consensus relative to treatment outcomes is lacking. We conducted the first comprehensive meta-analysis exploring its potential as a prognostic and predictive marker, and assessed the concordance between PD-L1 + CTCs and paired tumor tissue in NSCLC patients.

Method: A comprehensive search was applied to PubMed and EMBASE to identify 26 studies that evaluated PD-L1 + CTCs and their association with survival outcomes in 1236 NSCLC patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • - This study analyzed the distribution of ascarid and strongylid nematodes in Thoroughbred horses across different age groups and climatic zones in Australia over 18 months, using faecal samples to assess egg counts.
  • - Yearlings had the highest prevalence of strongyle eggs (82%), while foals had the highest prevalence of Parascaris spp. (35%), with varying mean faecal egg counts based on age and climate.
  • - The study identified 26 nematode species, highlighting seasonal and regional variations in prevalence, providing vital information for developing improved parasite management strategies for horses.
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Introduction: Substantial heterogeneity between individual patients in the clinical presentation of Parkinson's disease (PD) has led to the classification of distinct PD subtypes. However, genetic susceptibility factors for specific PD subtypes are not well understood. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the genetics of PD heterogeneity by performing a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of PD subtypes.

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This study quantified the extent of anthelmintic resistance (AR) in ascarid and strongylid nematodes against commonly used anthelmintics in Australian Thoroughbred horses. Faecal egg count reduction tests (FECRTs, n = 86) and egg reappearance period (ERP) tests were conducted on 22 farms across Australia. Faecal egg counts (FECs) were determined using the modified McMaster technique, and percent faecal egg count reduction (%FECR) was calculated using the Bayesian hierarchical model and hybrid Frequentist/Bayesian analysis method.

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This study aimed to assess Australian veterinarians' knowledge, perceptions and treatment strategies for worm control in horses with an online questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised 64 questions covering various aspects of: (i) veterinary practice; (ii) the veterinarian's knowledge of gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) and the importance of parasites in different age groups of horses; (iii) the diagnosis and control of worms; (iv) anthelmintics and anthelmintic resistance (AR); (v) grazing management; and (vi) the means of communication and the discussion between veterinarians and their clients regarding worm control. Following a pilot survey, a link for the questionnaire survey was sent to all ( = 1,148) registered members of Equine Veterinarians Australia in April 2020.

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Background: The circulating T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire is a dynamic representation of overall immune responses in an individual.

Materials And Methods: We prospectively collected baseline blood from patients treated with first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy. TCR repertoire metrics were correlated with clinical benefit rate (CBR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and immune-related adverse events (irAEs).

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence and mortality of conjunctival melanoma in Australia from 1982 to 2014.

Methods: De-identified unit data for all cases of ocular melanoma were extracted from the Australian Cancer Database from 1982 to 2014. Conjunctival melanoma cases were extracted, and the incidence and mortality were analyzed.

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The study presents the results of a cross-sectional survey to describe the epidemiology of ascarid and strongylid nematodes in horses, the impact of diverse climatic conditions on parasite diversity and the levels of faecal egg shedding in different age groups of managed Thoroughbred horses. Individual faecal samples (n = 1377) collected from 62 Thoroughbred farms across four climatic zones in Australia were analysed using the modified McMaster technique for faecal egg counts (FECs) and strongylid nematodes were identified utilising PCR-directed next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the second internal transcribed spacer of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS-2). Across all age groups, the prevalence of ascarid and strongylid nematodes was 12% (95% confidence interval 10-14%) and 72% (70-74%), respectively.

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Objective: To assess pregnant Texans' decisions about where to obtain out-of-state abortion care following the September 2021 implementation of Senate Bill 8 (SB8), which prohibited abortions after detectable embryonic cardiac activity.

Data Source: In-depth telephone interviews with Texas residents ≥15 years of age who obtained out-of-state abortion care after SB8's implementation.

Study Design: This qualitative study explored participants' experiences identifying and contacting abortion facilities and their concerns and considerations about traveling out of state.

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Article Synopsis
  • Around 50% of uveal melanoma patients may experience metastatic disease, necessitating costly and non-specific monthly scans; ctDNA could provide a more effective monitoring solution.
  • The study used droplet-digital PCR to analyze ctDNA in three cohorts: predicting metastases in primary patients, early detection in resolved cases, and treatment response in metastatic patients.
  • Results showed ctDNA was not helpful in predicting metastases in primary patients, but it was a strong survival predictor and showed reduced levels in patients receiving effective immunotherapy.
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Objectives: This study aimed to explore Planned Parenthood Medicaid patients' experiences getting reproductive health care in Texas after the state terminated Planned Parenthood providers from its Medicaid program in 2021.

Study Design: Between January and September 2021, we recruited Medicaid patients who obtained care at Planned Parenthood health centers prior to the state termination using direct mailers, electronic messages, community outreach, and flyers in health centers. We conducted baseline and 2-month follow-up semistructured phone interviews about patients' previous experiences using Medicaid at Planned Parenthood and other providers and how the termination affected their care.

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Current approaches to staging chronic liver diseases have limited utility for predicting liver cancer risk. Here, we employed single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) to characterize the cellular microenvironment of healthy and pre-malignant livers using two distinct mouse models. Downstream analyses unraveled a previously uncharacterized disease-associated hepatocyte (daHep) transcriptional state.

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Objective: To evaluate how Texas health care professionals who care for patients experiencing medically complex pregnancies navigate abortion restrictions.

Methods: We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with health care professionals across Texas who cared for patients with life-limiting fetal diagnoses or who had existing or developed health conditions that adversely affected pregnancy. We conducted the first round of interviews March-June 2021 and the second round of interviews January-May 2022 after the implementation of Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB8), which prohibited most abortions after detection of embryonic cardiac activity.

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Context: Palliative care is guideline-recommended for patients with advanced heart failure (HF). However, studies on how cardiac palliative care is provided in the United States are lacking.

Objectives: To study how cardiac palliative care programs provide services, and to identify challenges and facilitators they encountered in program development.

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Background: Identifying patients at high risk for colorectal cancer recurrence is essential for improving prognosis. In the postoperative period, circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) has been demonstrated as a significant prognostic indicator of recurrence. These results have been obtained under the strict rigours of clinical trials, but not validated in a real-world setting using in-house testing.

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