Publications by authors named "Clarke T"

Article Synopsis
  • The study aims to evaluate the feasibility of an exercise intervention for young people aged 13-17 with mild to moderate depression, comparing high-intensity exercise, low-intensity exercise, and social activities.
  • Participants were recruited through mental health services and schools, with the intervention delivered over 12 weeks by trained professionals.
  • Results showed a 71.4% retention rate and over 67% attendance, although only 14 participants were randomized from the initial referrals, indicating challenges in recruitment.
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Background: Influenza A/Hong Kong/125/2017 (H7N9) virus poses a pandemic risk owing to its evolving nature. This study evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of an AS03-adjuvanted H7N9 vaccine in adults (18-64 years [younger] and ≥65 years [older]).

Methods: Participants (younger, n = 418; older, n = 420) were randomized to receive one of six adjuvanted vaccines (hemagglutinin [1.

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Background: As milder cases of adolescent depression do not meet treatment thresholds for specialist mental health services, young people often receive support from non-qualified professionals in third-sector/voluntary agencies. Early psychological interventions to meet growing demand with limited resources are crucial.

Objectives: The study aimed to explore the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of interpersonal counselling for adolescents by (1) assessing the feasibility and acceptability of trial procedures; (2) exploring the delivery of, and differences between, interpersonal counselling for adolescents and treatment as usual; (3) evaluating the extent of contamination of the control arm and if it should be mitigated against in a future trial; and (4) investigating whether the interval estimate of benefit of interpersonal counselling for adolescents over treatment as usual in depression post treatment includes a clinically significant effect.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) aimed to reduce opioid overdose deaths in 67 affected communities by implementing health campaigns focused on opioid use disorder (OUD), overdose prevention, and stigma reduction, developed with community input.
  • - Surveys conducted via Facebook/Instagram indicated that participants in HCS communities experienced reduced stigma related to OUD and improved beliefs about the efficacy of naloxone, though recognition of campaign messages was not significantly different from control communities.
  • - The study suggests a connection between recognizing campaign messages and achieving positive outcomes, but it also raises concerns about the effectiveness of traditional evaluation methods for social media health campaigns.
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Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of nosocomial implant-associated infections, causing significant morbidity and mortality, underscoring the need for rapid, non-invasive, and cost-effective diagnostics. Here, we optimise the synthesis of renal-clearable gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) for enhanced catalytic activity with the aim of developing a sensitive colourimetric diagnostic for bacterial infection. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations confirm the stability of glutathione-coated AuNCs and surface access for peroxidase-like activity in complex physiological environments.

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The extraordinary chemistry of microdroplets has reshaped how we as a community think about reactivity near multiphase boundaries. Even though interesting physico-chemical properties of microdroplets have been reported, "sessile" droplets' inherent mobility, which has been implicated as a driving force for curious chemistry, has not been well established. This paper seeks to answer the question: Can adsorbed microdroplets be mobile at the nanoscale? This is a tantalizing question, as almost no measurement technique has the spatiotemporal resolution to answer it.

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Decades of research describe myriad redox enzymes that contain cofactors arranged in tightly packed chains facilitating rapid and controlled intra-protein electron transfer. Many such enzymes participate in extracellular electron transfer (EET), a process which allows microorganisms to conserve energy in anoxic environments by exploiting mineral oxides and other extracellular substrates as terminal electron acceptors. In this work, we describe the properties of the triheme cytochrome PgcA from Geobacter sulfurreducens.

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Background: Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions in childhood, but most children with anxiety disorders do not access evidence-based interventions. The delivery of therapeutic interventions via digital technologies has been proposed to significantly increase timely access to evidence-based treatment. Lumi Nova (BfB Labs Limited) is a digital therapeutic intervention designed to deliver evidence-based anxiety treatment for those aged 7-12 years through a mobile app incorporating immersive gaming technology.

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Importance: The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) evaluated the effectiveness of the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention in preventing fatal overdoses amidst the US opioid epidemic.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the CTH intervention on total drug overdose deaths and overdose deaths involving combinations of opioids with psychostimulants or benzodiazepines.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This randomized clinical trial was a parallel-arm, multisite, community-randomized, open, and waitlisted controlled comparison trial of communities in 4 US states between 2020 and 2023.

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Due to their superior optical and electrical properties, gold nanowires are used ubiquitously across industries. Current techniques for fabricating such structures are often expensive, involving multiple steps, cleanroom operation, and limited ability for a user to controllably place a nanowire at a desired location. Here, we introduce the concept of triphasic electrodeposition, where metal salts act as antagonistic salts at the liquid|liquid interface, leading to their increased concentration at this phase boundary.

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To report a case of a patient undergoing GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy in which increased FDG uptake in brown adipose tissue (BAT) mimicked metastatic head and neck cancer on PET/CT imaging. A 61-year-old female with Class III obesity presented with a right-sided neck mass after significant weight loss following the use of the GLP-1 receptor agonist, Semaglutide. PET/CT revealed FDG uptake in the right level II lymph node and extensive BAT uptake throughout the neck and mediastinum, complicating the diagnosis.

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Study Design: Guided by the 4-step process outlined in the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guideline, multiple methodologies were used: Delphi, literature reviews, ratings with consensus, think-aloud, and test-retest.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop and test a spinal cord injury (SCI) peer support evaluation tool that meets the needs of community-based SCI organizations in Canada.

Setting: Peer support programs for people with SCI delivered by community-based SCI organizations.

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Article Synopsis
  • There is a significant lack of understanding regarding how certain Gram-negative bacteria, particularly from the Enterobacterales order, cause severe blood infections (bacteremia) despite their survival strategies being more suited for different environments.
  • Enterobacterales species, such as E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, are prevalent in bacteremia cases, often leading to life-threatening conditions like sepsis due to immune system responses.
  • Researchers identified 18 key genes linked to the bacteria's survival and tested their effects using mutant strains in a mouse model, discovering several genes whose mutations weakened the bacteria, paving the way for potential new treatments for bloodstream infections.
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Genetic code expansion has enabled cellular synthesis of proteins containing unique chemical functional groups to allow the understanding and modulation of biological systems and engineer new biotechnology. Here, we report the development of efficient methods for site-specific incorporation of structurally diverse noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins expressed in the electroactive bacterium MR-1. We demonstrate that the biosynthetic machinery for ncAA incorporation is compatible and orthogonal to the endogenous pathways of MR-1 for protein synthesis, maturation of -type cytochromes, and protein secretion.

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Zinc finger proteins (ZNF), a unique yet diverse group of proteins, play pivotal roles in fundamental cellular mechanisms including transcription regulation, chromatin remodeling, protein/RNA homeostasis, and DNA repair. Consequently, the mis regulation of ZNF proteins can result in a variety of human diseases, ranging from neurodevelopmental disorders to several cancers. Considering the promising results of DNA damage repair (DDR) inhibition in the clinic, as a therapeutic strategy for patients with homologous recombination (HR) deficiency, identifying other potential targetable DDR proteins as emerged vulnerabilities in resistant tumor cells is essential, especially when considering the burden of acquired drug resistance.

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The innate immune system eliminates bloodstream pathogens such as Escherichia coli in part through complement protein deposition and subsequent bacterial death (i.e., "serum killing").

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Article Synopsis
  • Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) face an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), which is heightened for those with low-grade dysplasia (LGD).
  • A study involving 122 patients revealed that the burden of somatic copy number alterations (CNAs) in LGD lesions can significantly predict future cancer development, outperforming traditional clinical risk factors.
  • The research suggests that measuring CNAs in LGD lesions is a cost-effective method for assessing CRC risk, allowing for better management of high-risk patients while reducing unnecessary treatments for those at low risk.
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Glycol sidechains are often used to enhance the performance of organic photoconversion and electrochemical devices. Herein, we study their effects on electronic states and electronic properties. We find that polymer glycolation not only induces more disordered packing, but also results in a higher reorganisation energy due to more localised π-electron density.

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Making a measurement over millions of nanoparticles or exposed crystal facets seldom reports on reactivity of a single nanoparticle or facet, which may depart drastically from ensemble measurements. Within the past 30 years, science has moved toward studying the reactivity of single atoms, molecules, and nanoparticles, one at a time. This shift has been fueled by the realization that everything changes at the nanoscale, especially important industrially relevant properties like those important to electrocatalysis.

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Objectives: Rates of PTSD are up to 12 times higher in care-experienced young people (CEYP) compared to their peers. Trauma-focused CBTs (tf-CBT) are the best-evidenced treatment for youth with PTSD, yet, in practice, CEYP often struggle to access this treatment. We worked alongside services to understand barriers and facilitators of the implementation of cognitive therapy for PTSD (a type of tf-CBT) to CEYP.

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The frequency of unprovoked shark bites is increasing worldwide, leading to a growing pressure for mitigation measures to reduce shark-bite risk while maintaining conservation objectives. Personal shark deterrents are a promising and non-lethal strategy that can protect ocean users, but few have been independently and scientifically tested. In Australia, bull (Carcharhinus leucas), tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier), and white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are responsible for the highest number of bites and fatalities.

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Pediatric hand burns are difficult to treat, with thin tissue with critical structures close to the skin and the small scale of the anatomy of children's hands. Additionally, pediatric burns can be challenging due to the concern for donor-site morbidity and the paucity of donor sites when reconstructing these wounds. In this report, we discuss the successful application of a piscine-derived acellular dermal matrix in a 13-month-old child with deep partial thickness and full-thickness burns to the right upper extremity.

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No-take marine protected areas (MPAs) can mitigate the effects of overfishing, climate change and habitat degradation, which are leading causes of an unprecedented global biodiversity crisis. However, assessing the effectiveness of MPAs, especially in remote oceanic islands, can be logistically challenging and often restricted to relatively shallow and accessible environments. Here, we used a long-term dataset (2010-2019) collected by the DeepSee submersible of the Undersea Hunter Group that operates in Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica, to (1) determine the frequency of occurrence of elasmobranch species at two depth intervals (50-100 m; 300-400 m), and (2) investigate temporal trends in the occurrence of common elasmobranch species between 2010 and 2019, as well as potential drivers of the observed changes.

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A common evolutionary mechanism in biology to drive function is protein oligomerization. In prokaryotes, the symmetrical assembly of repeating protein units to form homomers is widespread, yet consideration in vitro of whether such assemblies have functional or mechanistic consequences is often overlooked. Dye-decolorizing peroxidases (DyPs) are one such example, where their dimeric α + β barrel units can form various oligomeric states, but the oligomer influence, if any, on mechanism and function has received little attention.

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Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a major public health issue, posing harmful consequences for individuals and society. Recent advances in addiction research have highlighted the therapeutic potential of ketamine-assisted therapy for AUD. However, the exact mechanisms underlying its effectiveness remain unknown.

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