Publications by authors named "Dobbins T"

The neuroendocrine hormone melatonin is associated with circadian rhythms and has antioxidant and vasodilative properties. In cattle, melatonin rescues fetal growth during maternal nutrient restriction in a seasonally dependent manner, but melatonin research in swine is limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary melatonin supplementation during mid to late gestation on circadian rhythm and muscle growth and development of the longissimus dorsi in utero and postnatally.

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  • Australia struggles to effectively monitor the HIV epidemic due to insufficient population data, prompting this study to use incidence prevalence ratios (IPRs) to assess the epidemic trends among specific groups: men who have sex with men, women, and people who inject drugs.
  • The study employed mathematical modeling to create IPRs from various data sources, comparing them against benchmarks based on life expectancy after HIV acquisition, illuminating trends from 2015 to 2022.
  • The findings showed a significant decline in IPRs across all groups, with overall rates dropping by 80%, and many groups surpassing benchmarks, indicating a positive trend in managing HIV transmission in Australia.
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The in utero environment is key to both fetal and postnatal growth and development. The objective of this study was to determine if administration of an acute low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to gestating sows during mid to late gestation and postweaning would alter the offsprings metabolomic profile of the longissimus dorsi (LD) and muscle ultrastructure. Pregnant Camborough sows were randomly assigned to receive LPS (LPS; n = 7) at a dose of 2.

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  • - The study investigates the effects of seminal plasma uterine priming at estrus on various reproductive and developmental outcomes in cattle, focusing on the uterus of the dam and her offspring.
  • - Cows were treated with either seminal plasma or a control, and various measurements including uterine biopsies, embryo size, and calf growth were taken at distinct stages of gestation and post-birth.
  • - Results showed changes in uterine gene expression, with notable differences in embryo size and calf heart girth, but no significant effects on birth weight or liver gene expression in the offspring at 30 days.
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Background: The Medicines Intelligence (MedIntel) Data Platform is an anonymised linked data resource designed to generate real-world evidence on prescribed medicine use, effectiveness, safety, costs and cost-effectiveness in Australia.

Results: The platform comprises Medicare-eligible people who are ≥18 years and residing in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, any time during 2005-2020, with linked administrative data on dispensed prescription medicines (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme), health service use (Medicare Benefits Schedule), emergency department visits (NSW Emergency Department Data Collection), hospitalisations (NSW Admitted Patient Data Collection) plus death (National Death Index) and cancer registrations (NSW Cancer Registry). Data are currently available to 2022, with approval to update the cohort and data collections annually.

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Background: While Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are less likely to drink any alcohol than other Australians, those who drink are more likely to experience adverse alcohol-related health consequences. In a previous study, providing Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) with training and support increased the odds of clients receiving AUDIT-C alcohol screening. A follow-up study found that these results were maintained for at least two years, but there was large variability in the effectiveness of the intervention between services.

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Objective: To identify groups more likely to be referred for HIV testing because of symptomatic presentation rather than as part of asymptomatic screening.

Design: A retrospective analysis of Australian National HIV Registry (NHR) surveillance data including sociodemographic and clinical data, as well as reasons for HIV test.

Methods: Using notification records from 2017 to 2022, we summarised reasons for testing leading to an HIV diagnosis.

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Issues: Although maternal substance use is a known risk factor for child maltreatment, evidence on the scale of substance use is needed to inform prevention responses. This systematic review synthesised prevalence estimates of maternal substance use during pregnancy and early life among children at risk of maltreatment. Ovid, Pubmed, CINAHL, PsychInfo and ProQuest databases were searched.

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  • The study aimed to assess nitric oxide modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP) as a new alternative for preserving the color of ground beef compared to high oxygen (HI-OX) and carbon monoxide (CO) packaging.
  • Throughout a 120-hour display period, various color metrics, myoglobin percentages, and chemical stability indicators were measured to determine the effects of each packaging type.
  • While carbon monoxide showed the best results in maintaining redness and reducing discoloration, nitric oxide demonstrated a distinct color change cycle that suggests potential for future optimization, despite its performance being lower than CO.
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Background: Studies investigating mortality risk associated with use of opioid analgesics, benzodiazepines, gabapentinoids, and opioid agonist treatment (OAT) among people with opioid dependence (PWOD) are lacking. This study addresses this gap using a cohort of 37,994 PWOD initiating opioid analgesics between July 2003 and July 2018 in New South Wales, Australia.

Methods: Linked administrative records provided data on dispensings, sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, OAT, and mortality.

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Introduction: Regular screening for risky drinking is important to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. We explored whether the rate of screening for risky drinking using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) questions was disrupted at Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) during state-wide and territory-wide COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of screening data from 22 ACCHSs located in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.

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  • The study analyzed the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against mortality in older adults using extensive population data from Australia, specifically focusing on two key periods in 2022 amidst the Omicron variant waves.
  • Results showed that the effectiveness of booster doses significantly decreased over time, with a 3rd dose having a 93% effectiveness within 3 months, while a 2nd dose given over 6 months prior had only a 34% effectiveness during the first period.
  • The findings highlight the critical need for ongoing booster vaccinations to protect vulnerable populations, as the vaccines remain highly effective against COVID-19 mortality, but their effectiveness declines with time since the last vaccine dose.
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Importance: There are known risks of using opioids for extended periods. However, less is known about the long-term trajectories of opioid use following initiation.

Objective: To identify 5-year trajectories of prescription opioid use, and to examine the characteristics of each trajectory group.

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Adolescent pregnancy has important health and social implications. Despite the availability of nationally representative household survey data, there are limited studies that analyze factors associated with adolescent pregnancy across countries of South Asia. This study aimed to identify factors associated with adolescent pregnancy across South Asia.

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Introduction: Australia has set the goal for the virtual elimination of HIV transmission by the end of 2022, yet accurate information is lacking on the level of HIV transmission occurring among residents. We developed a method for estimating the timing of HIV acquisition among migrants, relative to their arrival in Australia. We then applied this method to surveillance data from the Australian National HIV Registry with the aim of ascertaining the level of HIV transmission among migrants to Australia occurring before and after migration, and to inform appropriate local public health interventions.

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Purpose: The POPPY II cohort is an Australian state-based cohort linking data for a population of individuals prescribed opioid medicines, constructed to allow a robust examination of the long-term patterns and outcomes of prescription opioid use.

Participants: The cohort includes 3 569 433 adult New South Wales residents who initiated a subsidised prescription opioid medicine between 2003 and 2018, identified through pharmacy dispensing data (Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) and linked to 10 national and state datasets and registries including rich sociodemographic and medical services data.

Findings To Date: Of the 3.

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Introduction: Prescriber behaviour is important for understanding opioid use patterns. We described variations in practitioner-level opioid prescribing in New South Wales, Australia (2013-2018).

Methods: We quantified opioid prescribing patterns among medical practitioners using population-level dispensing claims data, and used partitioning around medoids to identify clusters of practitioners who prescribe opioids based on prescribing patterns and patient characteristics identified from linked dispensing claims, hospitalisations and mortality data.

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Background And Aims: Alcohol consumption is a leading risk factor for premature mortality globally, but there are limited studies of broader cohorts of people presenting with alcohol-related problems outside of alcohol treatment services. We used linked health administrative data to estimate all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals who had an alcohol-related hospital inpatient or emergency department presentation.

Design: Observational study using data from the Data linkage Alcohol Cohort Study (DACS), a state-wide retrospective cohort of individuals with an alcohol-related hospital inpatient or emergency department presentation.

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Objective: To assess the effect of digital health (DH), biomarker feedback (BF) and nurse or midwife-led counselling (NoMC) interventions on abstinence in pregnant smokers during pregnancy and postpartum.

Settings: Any healthcare setting servicing pregnant women, including any country globally.

Participants: Pregnant women of any social, ethnic or geographical background who smoke.

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  • - The research focused on creating and validating the Clinician Experience Measure (CEM) to evaluate clinicians' experiences in value-based healthcare, addressing a gap in current assessment tools.
  • - A collaborative approach involving 12 clinician leaders resulted in a revision of an initial 31-item instrument to a final robust 18-item version, validated through extensive testing with 433 healthcare professionals across New South Wales.
  • - The finalized CEM, which includes four domains related to clinician experience, demonstrates strong reliability and is intended for healthcare leaders to assess and improve value-based care initiatives.
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Background: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is associated with dysregulated endocannabinoid signaling and may therefore respond to cannabidiol therapy.

Design: CONNECT-FX was a double-blind, randomized phase 3 trial assessing efficacy and safety of ZYN002, transdermal cannabidiol gel, for the treatment of behavioral symptoms in children and adolescents with FXS.

Methods: Patients were randomized to 12 weeks of ZYN002 (250 mg or 500 mg daily [weight-based]) or placebo, as add-on to standard of care.

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Adolescent pregnancy is a major health and social concern in South Asia. The aim of this study is to systematically review evidence on the factors associated with adolescent pregnancy in South Asia. This study was conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines.

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Pharmaceutical claims data are often used as the primary information source to define medicine exposure periods in pharmacoepidemiological studies. However, often critical information on directions for use and the intended duration of medicine supply are not available. In the absence of this information, alternative approaches are needed to support the assignment of exposure periods.

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