Publications by authors named "Dewar E"

Background And Aims: The detection of cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) by reduction of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) during chemotherapy usually triggers the initiation of cardioprotective therapy. This study addressed whether the same approach should be applied to patients with worsening of global longitudinal strain (GLS) without attaining thresholds of LVEF.

Methods: Strain surveillance during chemotherapy for improving cardiovascular outcomes (SUCCOUR-MRI) was a prospective multicentre randomized controlled trial involving 14 sites.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The rise of mRNA as a novel vaccination strategy presents new opportunities to confront global disease. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is an impurity byproduct of the in vitro transcription reaction used to manufacture mRNA that may affect the potency and safety of the mRNA vaccine in patients. Careful quantitation of dsRNA during manufacturing is critical to ensure that residual dsRNA is minimized in purified mRNA drug substances.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A study investigated the effect of 96 weeks of rosuvastatin on pulse wave velocity (PWV) in 55 HIV-positive men with moderate cardiovascular risk.
  • Both the rosuvastatin and placebo groups experienced an increase in PWV, showing no significant difference between the two at the end of the study.
  • The results indicated that rosuvastatin did not have a beneficial effect on PWV compared to the placebo after 96 weeks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Increased demand for mRNA-based therapeutics and improved in vitro transcription (IVT) yields have challenged the mRNA purification platform. Hybridization-affinity chromatography with an immobilized oligo-deoxythymidilic acid (oligodT) ligand is often used to capture mRNA through base pairing with the polyadenylated tail. Commercially available oligodT matrices include perfusive cross-linked poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) 50 µm POROS™ chromatography resin beads and convective polymethacrylate CIMmultus® monolithic columns consisting of 2 µm interconnected channels.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Previous studies have reported impairment in systolic and diastolic function in people with HIV (PWHIV). Our aim was to determine if echocardiographically measured left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) is abnormal in asymptomatic PWHIV.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of PWHIV ( = 98, 89% male, median age 53 years) and HIV-negative people ( = 50, median age 53 years) without known cardiovascular disease were recruited from a single centre.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Objectives: Individuals with hoarding disorder, especially those with problems around acquiring, typically demonstrate a lack of motivation and awareness of their problematic behaviours. Since acquiring behaviours are important targets in interventions for hoarding, effective strategies for increasing motivation in this population are required to enhance the acceptability and efficacy of these interventions.

Methods: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the ability of a brief online motivational intervention to reduce acquiring in a community sample of high acquirers (N = 159).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The purpose of this letter to the editor is to further elucidate the arguments Keates (2022) and Beechey (2022) stated in their letters to the editor. Both Bambara (2022) and Camarata (2022) pose comments that require clarifying the original arguments, particularly regarding power and autistic sociality, which we feel will provide further clarity to this highly significant and growing topic within autism research.

Conclusion: We recommend teaching not autistic people but rather non-autistic individuals about autistic sociality, in order to lower the burden on autistic interlocutors in cross-neurotype interactions and socialization (as per previous literature, Bottema-Beutel et al.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study examined the long-term vascular effects of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) from the Hazelwood coal mine fire, focusing on participants aged 55-89 years, four years post-exposure.
  • It found no significant differences in flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), or ischaemic ECG changes among various levels of PM exposure.
  • However, participants from the exposed town experienced a longer time to reach peak diameter in vascular response, suggesting location may have affected vascular health more than the level of PM exposure itself.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction/aims: Aerobic deconditioning, due to lower levels of physical activity, could impact independence for people with neuromuscular conditions. We report the maximal cardiopulmonary response in a cohort of people with Charcot Marie Tooth disease type 1A (CMT 1A) and inclusion body myositis (IBM). We also explored potential predictors of aerobic capacity with measures of physical impairment and functional performance.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have become increasingly popular in the United States, including among cancer survivors; however, the majority of prior studies do not report frequency of active e-cigarette usage.

Methods: Using data from the National Health Interview Survey (2014-2018), frequency of active e-cigarette usage was estimated among cancer survivors reporting history of e-cigarette usage. Multivariable logistic regression analyses defined adjusted odds of active e-cigarette usage (either every day and some days vs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Little research has examined the effects of high concentration, medium-duration smoke exposure on cardiovascular health. We investigated whether six weeks of exposure to smoke from the 2014 Hazelwood coal mine fire in Victoria (Australia), was associated with long-term clinical or subclinical cardiovascular disease approximately four years later, in adult residents of the towns of Morwell (exposed, = 336) and Sale (unexposed, = 162). The primary outcome was serum high sensitivity (hs) C-reactive protein (CRP).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Patients diagnosed with cancer as adolescent and young adult (AYA) are at risk for a range of long-term psychosocial sequelae, which have been poorly studied. We sought to characterize the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction and psychological distress among long-term AYA cancer survivors.

Methods: Using data from the National Health Interview Survey between 2010 and 2018, multivariable logistic regression analyses defined the association between AYA cancer diagnosis and cognitive dysfunction and psychological distress, as defined by the 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: People living with HIV-1 (PLHIV) are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

Objective: This study aimed to determine if PLHIV would benefit from starting statins at a lower threshold than currently recommended in the general population.

Design: A double-blind multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial was performed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

HIV infection is known to be associated with cardiometabolic abnormalities; here we investigated the progression and causes of these abnormalities. Three groups of participants were recruited: HIV-negative subjects and two groups of treatment-naïve HIV-positive subjects, one group initiating antiretroviral treatment, the other remaining untreated. Intima-media thickness (cIMT) increased in HIV-positive untreated group compared to HIV-negative group, but treatment mitigated the difference.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The aim of this phase 2 trial was to ascertain the feasibility and effect of community-based aerobic exercise training for people with 2 of the more common neuromuscular diseases: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT) and inclusion body myositis (IBM).

Methods: A randomized single-blinded crossover trial design was used to compare a 12-week aerobic training program using recombinant exercise bicycles compared to a control period. The training occurred 3 times per week in community gyms local to the participants.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The ability to detect the incursion of an invasive species or destroy the last individuals during an eradication program are some of the most difficult aspects of invasive species management. The presence of foxes in Tasmania is a contentious issue with recent structured monitoring efforts, involving collection of carnivore scats and testing for fox DNA, failing to detect any evidence of foxes. Understanding the likelihood that monitoring efforts would detect fox presence, given at least one is present, is therefore critical for understanding the role of scat monitoring for informing the response to an incursion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Charcot Marie Tooth disease (CMT) describes a group of hereditary neuropathies that present with distal weakness, wasting and sensory loss. Small studies indicate that people with CMT have reduced daily activity levels. This raises concerns as physical inactivity increases the risk of a range of co- morbidities, an important consideration in the long-term management of this disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Hypertension leads to cardiac structural and functional changes, commonly assessed by echocardiography. In this study, we assessed the predictive performance of different echocardiographic parameters including left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) on future cardiovascular outcomes in elderly hypertensive patients without heart failure.

Methods: Data from LVH substudy of the Second Australian National Blood Pressure trial were used.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: We aimed to determine the accuracy of the echocardiographic assessment of cardiac index (CI) in subjects with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Methods: Thirty-three subjects with LVEF >50%, normal sinus rhythm, and a broad spectrum of hemodynamic profiles underwent echocardiography immediately followed by right heart catheterization. As gold standards, CI was assessed using thermodilution [CI (TD)] and the Fick method [CI (F)].

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Gait analysis of people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease revealed proximal adaptive gait strategies to compensate for foot drop. We previously demonstrated that hip flexor muscle fatigue can limit walking endurance. This pilot study used a single-blinded cross over design to investigate the effect of a 16-week home-based programme of resistance training on hip flexor muscle strength.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Chronic HIV infection is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including in patients with virological suppression. Persistent innate immune activation may contribute to the development of CVD via activation of monocytes in these patients. We investigated whether changes in monocyte phenotype predict subclinical atherosclerosis in virologically suppressed HIV-positive individuals with low cardiovascular risk.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: HIV infection is associated with dyslipidaemia and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The effects of HIV infection and antiretroviral treatment on surrogate markers of atherosclerosis, and lipoprotein metabolism were evaluated in a 12 month prospective study.

Methods And Results: Treatment-naive HIV patients were recruited into one of three groups: untreated HIV infection not likely to require initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for at least 12 months; initiating treatment with non nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-containing ART regimen and initiating treatment with protease inhibitor-containing ART regimen.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Intussusception through loop ileostomy is rare and must be treated without delay to avoid further complications. Retrograde intussusception is even rarer. We report a case of small bowel obstruction caused by retrograde intussusception through the distal limb of loop ileostomy in a male patient.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The accuracy of Doppler echocardiography to estimate key hemodynamic parameters in subjects with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) has not been fully investigated.

Methods And Results: Thirty-six subjects with LVEF >50% (median age 62 years), with a broad clinical profile, underwent Doppler echocardiography immediately followed by right heart catheterization. Correlation coefficients between invasive and noninvasive right atrial pressure (RAP), systolic (sPAP) and mean (mPAP) pulmonary artery pressure, cardiac output (CO), and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) were 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The publication of the BSG guidelines in 2002 provided a framework for the follow up of patients with colorectal polyps. The aim of the present study was to determine whether they had, or were being correctly adhered to in a moderately sized District General Hospital.

Method: A total of 598 patients were on the waiting list for colonoscopy at Airedale General Hospital (AGH) in February 2005.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF