Access to gluten-free foods for people with coeliac disease in New Zealand.

Aim: A strict gluten-free (GF) diet is the current mainstay of treatment for coeliac disease (CD). A limited range of GF foods are available on prescription for those with CD. GF foods purchased in shops are typically more expensive than gluten-containing equivalents.

Diagnostic Delay in Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease-A Systematic Investigation.

Diagnostic delays (time from the first symptoms to diagnosis) are common in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and may lead to worse disease progression and treatment outcomes. This study aimed to determine the duration of diagnostic delays (DD) and to explore associated factors in a cohort of children with IBD in New Zealand. In this study, patients with IBD diagnosed as children and their parents/caregivers completed questionnaires on the patients’ medical history, diagnostic experience, and demographic characteristics.

The responsibilities of medical students in providing advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has highlighted the potential roles and responsibilities of medical students in healthcare systems. Senior clinical students may be able to contribute practically, but all medical students, regardless of their level of training have the opportunity to assist public health measures, eg supporting vaccination uptake. Medical students may tread a difficult line in such situations.

Production of highly uniform Pickering emulsions by novel high-intensity ultrasonic tubular reactor (HUTR).

The current work proposed an alternative ultrasound (US) technology, namely the high-intensity ultrasonic tubular reactor (HUTR) for preparing Pickering emulsions. Using the non-toxic and environmentally friendly cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) as a solid stabilizer, Pickering emulsions were produced using the HUTR and the results showed that Pickering emulsions as small as 1.5 µm can be produced using HUTR at the US power and sonication time of 300 W and 15 min respectively.

Coeliac disease: where are we in 2014?

Background: Coeliac disease (CD) is an autoimmune condition affecting at least 1% of the population, many of whom remain undiagnosed. It is characterised by chronic inflammation of the small-intestinal mucosa and triggered by eating gluten. It is challenging to diagnose be-cause of the many and varied ways in which it may present.

The Safe and Effective Clinical Outcomes (SECO) clinic: learning responsibility for patient care through simulation.

Background: This article describes a simulated General Practice clinic for medical students, which incorporates specific features to aid learning of clinical problem solving.

Description: We outline the overall objectives of the simulation, explain the concept, and describe how the clinic works. The clinic is novel in that it utilises clinical outcomes as measures for student success in the consultation.

Teaching the Y generation obstetrics and gynaecology skills: a survey of medical students' thoughts on a new program.

Background: Delivering undergraduate obstetrics and gynaecology teaching to classes of increasing size in ways which will foster student interest in the discipline is becoming increasingly challenging. With major curriculum change implemented at Otago Medical School in 2008, we had the opportunity to rise to this challenge.

Aim: To assess an innovative obstetrics and gynaecology history-taking and examination skills unit, introduced to third-year medical students.

Molecular evidence for transmission of human T-lymphotropic virus type II infection by a human bite.

Investigation of a human T-lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II) infection in a female Australian blood donor identified a human bite as the likely mode of transmission, confirmed by nucleotide sequencing of the proviral tax/rex from both donor and contact. We believe this to be the first report of the transmission of an HTLV by a human bite.

Post-transfusion hepatitis revisited.

Objective: To evaluate the risk of post-transfusion and postoperative non-A non-B hepatitis in Australia immediately before the introduction of screening for hepatitis C.

Design: Retrospective testing of blood samples from a prospective study of cardiac surgery patients. Samples were taken from transfusion recipients and non-transfused controls at regular intervals for 12 months after surgery during 1987-1989.

Hepatitis B in urban Australian schoolchildren. No evidence of horizontal transmission between high-risk and low-risk groups.

Objective: To document the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in urban Australian primary schoolchildren, and to look for evidence of horizontal transmission of HBV in schools between children at high risk of infection and those at low risk. We compared the prevalence of infection in a group of low-risk children attending control schools (less than 5% of students from high-risk groups) with the prevalence in low-risk children attending test schools (more than 20% of students from high-risk groups).

Methods And Results: Venous blood was collected and tested for hepatitis B markers by radioimmunoassay; 2883 children (1431 boys) of mean age 11.

Risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection in blood donors: a case-control study.

Objective: To investigate risk factors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Sydney blood donors.

Design: Blood donors confirmed to be positive for HCV antibodies were compared with blood donors with a positive result of a screening assay, but whose HCV antibody status had not been confirmed. A questionnaire on sexual, parenteral and other potential risk factors was administered to both groups.

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies in Sydney blood donors.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in the Sydney blood donor population.

Design: All blood donations collected from Red Cross blood donors in Sydney from February 1990 until April 1991 were tested for HCV antibodies. For those samples found reactive in an anti-HCV screening test, a confirmatory test was carried out for the presence of HCV antibodies and the alanine aminotransferase level was measured.

Prediction of hepatitis C virus infectivity in seropositive Australian blood donors by supplemental immunoassays and detection of viral RNA.

The prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) enzyme immunoassay (EIA)-positive in 167,511 Australian volunteer blood donors from Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney was 0.78%. One thousand two-hundred and eighteen EIA-positive serum samples were assessed by supplemental tests including a blocking EIA and two peptide EIAs corresponding to major epitopes of the HCV C-100-3 antigen.

An improved assay for human tetanus anti-toxin and its use in the accession of human plasma for the production of high-titre tetanus immunoglobulin.

A simplified passive haemagglutination (PHA) screening test, an improved quantitative PHA assay, and a stable test cell preparation are described, as well as a comprehensive testing strategy which have been used in concert at this Service over the past 10 years for the successful accession of high-titre tetanus anti-toxin (TAT) plasma for fractionation into human tetanus immunoglobulin (HTIG). The sequential deployment of the screening and quantitative assays, has permitted large numbers of donors to be screened quickly and economically, and has helped establish a significant core of regular donors with high TAT levels. The assays have proven to be highly sensitive and specific and relatively simple to perform, while the coated cells are inexpensive and easily prepared.

Antibodies in the intestinal secretions of rats. Primary and secondary responses to polymeric flagellin.

The antibody responses in serum and secretions obtained from the mucosal surfaces of the small intestine of rats immunized by a parenteral and intestinal route have been compared. Though no significant differences in the mean serum titres were found, the responses of animals immunized via the latter route to large doses of antigen were far less uniform. Apart from the first few days of the primary response, antibody activity was found in three major immunoglobulin classes (IgG2, IgA and IgM), irrespective of the route of immunization.