Publications by authors named "James Boyer"

Background: Mast cells (MCs) respond to an array of allergens that drive allergic and inflammatory diseases. Stem cell factor (SCF), the ligand for the receptor KIT, is required for MC survival and function. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an alarmin that promotes Type 2 inflammation in asthma and other inflammatory diseases.

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The liver lymphatic system plays a critical role in maintaining interstitial fluid balance and immune regulation. Efficient lymphatic drainage is essential for liver homeostasis, but its role in liver disease progression remains poorly understood. In cirrhosis, lymphangiogenesis initially compensates for increased lymph production, but impaired lymphatic drainage in advanced stages may lead to complications such as ascites and portal hypertension.

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Article Synopsis
  • Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are liver diseases that damage bile ducts, leading to bile accumulation, liver injury, and increased risk of liver failure; current treatments are limited, especially for PSC.
  • Ursodeoxycholic acid is the first-line treatment for PBC, but many patients do not respond fully, indicating a need for better therapies; pruritus (itching) is a common and severe symptom due to cholestasis that is often inadequately treated.
  • The review examines the use of PPAR agonists, a type of medication that targets liver metabolism, as potential second-line treatments for PBC and PSC, highlighting recent FDA approvals for
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Article Synopsis
  • * There is a significant need for alternative treatments, particularly for patients who do not respond well to current therapies, as untreated conditions can progress to severe liver damage and potentially require transplants.
  • * Recent research has focused on targeting nuclear hormone receptors, especially the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), as potential adjunct therapies; PPAR agonists have shown promise in alleviating symptoms in PBC and PSC, with
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Background And Aims: Inflammatory response is crucial for bile acid (BA)-induced cholestatic liver injury, but molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Solute Carrier Family 35 Member C1 (SLC35C1) can transport Guanosine diphosphate-fucose into the Golgi to facilitate protein glycosylation. Its mutation leads to the deficiency of leukocyte adhesion and enhances inflammation in humans.

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Introduction: In Australia, only 22% of male and 8% of female adolescents meet the muscle-strengthening physical activity guidelines, and few school-based interventions support participation in resistance training (RT). After promising findings from our effectiveness trial, we conducted a state-wide dissemination of the '' (RT4T) intervention from 2015 to 2020. Despite high estimated reach, we found considerable variability in programme delivery and teachers reported numerous barriers to implementation.

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  • Scientists are studying cholestatic liver diseases like primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) but face challenges due to a lack of good models and difficulty in getting cholangiocytes (the cells in bile ducts).
  • They created a special model called a human vascularized bile duct-on-a-chip (VBDOC) that includes real bile duct cells and blood vessel cells, allowing them to mimic how these structures work in the body.
  • This new model helps researchers understand how diseases progress and how inflammation affects these cells, potentially leading to better treatments for liver diseases.
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Background: Governments internationally have invested hugely in the implementation and scale-up of school-based physical activity interventions, but have little evidence of how to best sustain these interventions once active implementation support ceases. This study will assess the effectiveness of a multi-strategy sustainability intervention on classroom teachers' sustainment of energisers (short 3-5 min physical activity breaks during class-time) scheduled across the school day from baseline to 12 and 24-month follow-up.

Methods: A cluster randomised controlled trial will be conducted in 50 primary schools within the Hunter New England, Illawarra Shoalhaven, Murrumbidgee and Northern New South Wales (NSW) Local Health Districts of NSW Australia.

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Background: Physically Active Children in Education (PACE) is an effective implementation intervention for increasing the number of minutes classroom teachers schedule physical activity each week. To date, evaluations of PACE have included a smaller number of schools from only one region in New South Wales Australia. If PACE is to have population-wide benefits we must be able to deliver this support to a larger number of schools across multiple regions.

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Background & Aims: OATP1B3/SLCO1B3 is a human liver-specific transporter for the clearance of endogenous compounds (eg, bile acid [BA]) and xenobiotics. The functional role of OATP1B3 in humans has not been characterized, as SLCO1B3 is poorly conserved among species without mouse orthologs.

Methods: Slc10a1-knockout (Slc10a1), Slc10a1 (endogenous mouse Slc10a1 promoter-driven human-SLCO1B3 expression in Slc10a1 mice), and human SLCO1B3 liver-specific transgenic (hSLCO1B3-LTG) mice were generated and challenged with 0.

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Cholangiocytes play a crucial role in bile formation. Cholangiocyte injury causes cholestasis, including primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). However, the etiology of PBC remains unclear despite being characterized as an autoimmune disease.

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Background: Leadership is a valuable skill that can be taught in school, and which may have benefits within and beyond the classroom. Learning to Lead (L2L) is a student-led, primary school-based leadership program whereby older 'peer leaders' deliver a fundamental movement skills (FMS) program to younger 'peers' within their own school.

Aim: The aims of the study are to determine the efficacy of a peer-led FMS intervention on: (i) peer leaders' (aged 10 to 12 years) leadership effectiveness (primary outcome), leadership self-efficacy, well-being, and time on-task in the classroom; (ii) peers' (aged 8 to 10 years) physical activity levels, actual and perceived FMS competency, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular power, and executive functioning; and (iii) teachers' (referred to as 'school champions') work-related stress and well-being.

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Background And Aims: Bile acids trigger a hepatic inflammatory response, causing cholestatic liver injury. Runt-related transcription factor-1 (RUNX1), primarily known as a master modulator in hematopoiesis, plays a pivotal role in mediating inflammatory responses. However, RUNX1 in hepatocytes is poorly characterized, and its role in cholestasis is unclear.

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The aim of our systematic review and meta-analysis was to quantitatively synthesise the effects of school-based peer-led interventions on leaders' academic, psychosocial, behavioural, and physical outcomes. Eligible studies were those that: (i) evaluated a school-based peer-led intervention using an experimental or quasi-experimental study design, (ii) included an age-matched control or comparison group, and (iii) evaluated the impact of the intervention on one or more leader outcomes. Medline, Sportdiscus, Psychinfo, Embase, and Scopus online databases were searched on the 24th of October, 2022 which yielded 13,572 results, with 31 included in the narrative synthesis and 12 in the meta-analysis.

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Unlabelled: IntroductionMulticomponent school-based physical activity (PA) interventions can improve students' cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and PA. Due to the complex nature of such interventions when delivered at scale their effect sizes markedly reduce. Modifying student school uniforms, so that they are more PA enabling, may be a simple intervention that could enhance student health.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study examines the impact of a school-based physical activity program, specifically high-intensity interval training (HIIT), on the physical, mental, and cognitive health of older adolescents with disabilities, as physical activity tends to decline during this developmental stage.
  • - A randomized controlled trial will involve 300 adolescents from 30 secondary schools in New South Wales, Australia, with one group participating in the B2La intervention featuring weekly HIIT sessions, while a control group will wait for the program.
  • - Outcomes will be measured at various intervals, focusing on functional capacity, physical activity levels, and other health indicators, while also evaluating the program's cost-effectiveness and sustainability within the school system.
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Genetic polymorphisms are associated with the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Semaphorin7a (Sema7a) deficiency in mouse peritoneal macrophages reduces fatty acid (FA) oxidation. Here, we identified 17 individuals with SEMA7A heterozygous mutations in 470 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD.

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  • This study explored the effects of an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), focusing on quality of life, disease activity, and related cytokines.
  • After participating in MBSR, 71% of patients showed improvements in perceived stress and self-control, which persisted even after 12 months.
  • The program also led to reductions in liver enzyme levels (ALT) and a decrease in the need for immunosuppressants among patients, suggesting that managing stress may positively influence AIH-related outcomes.
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Background: We investigated associations between baseline use of immunosuppressive drugs and severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

Patients And Methods: Data of AIH patients with laboratory confirmed COVID-19 were retrospectively collected from 15 countries. The outcomes of AIH patients who were on immunosuppression at the time of COVID-19 were compared to patients who were not on AIH medication.

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Background: Physical Activity 4 Everyone (PA4E1) is an evidence-based program effective at increasing adolescent physical activity (PA) and improving weight status. This study aimed to determine a) the effectiveness of an adapted implementation intervention to scale-up PA4E1 at 24-month follow-up, b) fidelity and reach, and c) the cost and cost-effectiveness of the implementation support intervention.

Methods: A cluster randomised controlled trial using a type III hybrid implementation-effectiveness design in 49 lower socio-economic secondary schools, randomised to a program (n = 24) or control group (n = 25).

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Semaphorin 7A (SEMA7A) is a membrane-bound protein that involves axon growth and other biological processes. SEMA7A mutations are associated with vertebral fracture and Kallmann syndrome. Here, we report a case with a mutation in SEMA7A that displays familial cholestasis.

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Accumulation of cytotoxic bile acids (BAs) during cholestasis can result in liver failure. Glucuronidation, a phase II metabolism pathway responsible for BA detoxification, is regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα). This study investigates the efficacy of adjunct fenofibrate therapy to up-regulate BA-glucuronidation and reduce serum BA toxicity during cholestasis.

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