Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA integration into the host cell genome is reportedly a major cause of liver cancer, and a source of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). High HBsAg levels can alter immune responses which therefore contributes to the progression of HBV-related disease. However, to what extent integration leads to the persistent circulating HBsAg is unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Extracting DNA is essential in wildlife genetic studies, and numerous methods are available. However, the process is costly and time-consuming for non-model organisms, including most wildlife species. Therefore, we optimized a cost-efficient protocol to extract DNA from the muscle tissue of White-tailed Deer using the DNAdvance kit (Beckman Coulter), a magnetic-bead-based approach.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Current nursing and midwifery rosters are based on guidelines which may no longer adequately meet the needs of health services or staff and often result in decreased job satisfaction, poor health and wellbeing, and high turnover. Little is known about the rostering needs and preferences of contemporary nurses and midwives in Australia. The aim of this study was to identify the rostering concerns, needs and preferences of nurses and midwives, and co-design acceptable, equitable and feasible rostering principles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Many countries have continued to experience a higher-than-expected number of deaths following the peaks in mortality observed in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. This review aims to identify the different explanations proposed for sustained higher-than-expected mortality beyond the first pandemic year.
Study Design: Scoping review.