The weather determined how 'hot' the tick paralysis season was in eastern Australia: 2018-2024.

The eastern paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, is a tick of much veterinary importance in Australia. Each year, thousands of dogs and cats present to veterinary clinics and hospitals with signs of tick paralysis. In a previous paper, we constructed two models to explain prevalence and temporal distributions of tick paralysis cases presenting to emergency veterinary hospitals in South East Queensland (2009-2020) and the Northern Beaches of Sydney (1999-2017).

A Taq-Man-based multiplex quantitative PCR for the simultaneous detection and quantification of Angiostrongylus vasorum, Crenosoma vulpis, and species of respiratory capillarids in canids.

In recent years, Angiostrongylus vasorum, Crenosoma vulpis, Eucoleus aerophilus (syn. Capillaria aerophila) and Eucoleus boehmi (syn. Capillaria boehmi), commonly referred to as canine lungworms, have gained a growing interest worldwide as the result of their geographical expansion.

The weather determines the number of cases of tick paralysis in dogs and cats in eastern Australia, caused by Ixodes holocyclus, the eastern paralysis tick.

We studied over 222,000 cases of emergency veterinary consultations in four regions along the eastern coast of Australia. We found that cases of tick paralysis (TP) caused by the eastern paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, accounted for 7.5% of these cases: >16,000 cases.

Shallow kinetics induced by a metronome (SKIM): A novel contactless respiratory motion management.

Objectives: As an alternative to conventional compression amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed a contactless motion management strategy. By increasing the patient's breathing rate to induce shallow breathing with the aid of a metronome, our hypothesis is that the motion magnitude of the target may be minimized without physical contact or compression.

Methods: Fourteen lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) patients treated under fast shallow-breathing (FSB) were selected for inclusion in this retrospective study.

Molecular Imaging Investigations of Polymer-Coated Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles as a Radioprotective Therapeutic Candidate.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) have a unique surface redox chemistry that appears to selectively protect normal tissues from radiation induced damage. Our prior research exploring the biocompatibility of polymer-coated CONPs found further study of poly-acrylic acid (PAA)-coated CONPs was warranted due to improved systemic biodistribution and rapid renal clearance. This work further explores PAA-CONPs' radioprotective efficacy and mechanism of action related to tumor microenvironment pH.

Canine gastrointestinal parasites perceptions, practices, and behaviours: A survey of dog owners in Australia.

Many species of canine gastrointestinal (GI) parasites are known to be zoonotic meaning that dog owners' management and practices are key to preventing exposure of humans and dogs as well as contamination of the environment. As Australia has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world, we administered an online questionnaire to dog owners across the nation to assess their perceptions, practices, and behaviours towards canine GI parasites. Descriptive analysis was performed to summarise perceptions and management practices.

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Gallbladder Drainage for Malignant Biliary Obstruction: A Systematic Review.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) is a rescue technique for patients with malignant biliary obstruction who fail conventional treatment with ERCP or EUS-guided biliary drainage. The technique has been successfully employed in the management of acute cholecystitis in patients not fit for surgery. However, the evidence for its use in malignant obstruction is less robust.

Attitudes and practices of veterinarians in Australia to acute pain management in cats.

Objectives: Up-to-date information on the current practices and attitudes of veterinarians in Australia to acute pain management in cats was sought in 2017-2018 in the first nationwide survey in over 20 years.

Methods: An online survey was created, consisting of 54 questions in four sections, with 18 feline-specific questions. Veterinarians throughout Australia were invited to participate in the survey through advertisements in the veterinary press, electronic and regular mail, and through in-clinic visits and promotional materials.

A data-driven architecture using natural language processing to improve phenotyping efficiency and accelerate genetic diagnoses of rare disorders.

Effective genetic diagnosis requires the correlation of genetic variant data with detailed phenotypic information. However, manual encoding of clinical data into machine-readable forms is laborious and subject to observer bias. Natural language processing (NLP) of electronic health records has great potential to enhance reproducibility at scale but suffers from idiosyncrasies in physician notes and other medical records.

Characteristics and outcomes of acute colitis diagnosed on cross-sectional imaging presenting via the emergency department in an Irish academic medical centre.

Background And Aims: A significant proportion of patients presenting to the Emergency Department with gastrointestinal symptoms that result in cross-sectional imaging receive a radiological diagnosis of colitis. We aimed to review the characteristics, outcomes, and final diagnoses of new emergency department presentations with colitis diagnosed on cross-sectional imaging.

Methods: A radiology database was interrogated to identify patients admitted from the Emergency Department of St James's Hospital whose cross-sectional imaging demonstrated colitis.

Diagnosis of genetic diseases in seriously ill children by rapid whole-genome sequencing and automated phenotyping and interpretation.

By informing timely targeted treatments, rapid whole-genome sequencing can improve the outcomes of seriously ill children with genetic diseases, particularly infants in neonatal and pediatric intensive care units (ICUs). The need for highly qualified professionals to decipher results, however, precludes widespread implementation. We describe a platform for population-scale, provisional diagnosis of genetic diseases with automated phenotyping and interpretation.

The long-lasting relationship of distress on radiation oncology-specific clinical outcomes.

Purpose: The diagnosis and treatment of cancer can have significant mental health ramifications. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network currently recommends using a distress screening tool to screen patients for distress and facilitate referrals to social service resources. Its association with radiation oncology-specific clinical outcomes has remained relatively unexplored.

Biodistribution and PET imaging of 89-zirconium labeled cerium oxide nanoparticles synthesized with several surface coatings.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) have unique surface chemistry allowing catalyst-like antioxidant properties, and are being investigated for several disease indications in medicine. Studies have utilized surface modified CONPs toward this application, but have been lacking in comprehensive biodistribution and pharmacokinetic data and a direct comparison to uncoated CONPs. We developed an enhanced single-pot synthesis of several coated CONPs and an efficient intrinsic core labeling of CONPs with the clinical PET isotope, zirconium-89, allowing detailed PET imaging and ex vivo biodistribution.

Emergence of canine parvovirus subtype 2b (CPV-2b) infections in Australian dogs.

Tracing the temporal dynamics of pathogens is crucial for developing strategies to detect and limit disease emergence. Canine parvovirus (CPV-2) is an enteric virus causing morbidity and mortality in dogs around the globe. Previous work in Australia reported that the majority of cases were associated with the CPV-2a subtype, an unexpected finding since CPV-2a was rapidly replaced by another subtype (CPV-2b) in many countries.

A Bayesian mathematical model of motor and cognitive outcomes in Parkinson's disease.

Background: There are few established predictors of the clinical course of PD. Prognostic markers would be useful for clinical care and research.

Objective: To identify predictors of long-term motor and cognitive outcomes and rate of progression in PD.

Seroprevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukaemia virus in Australia: risk factors for infection and geographical influences (2011-2013).

Objectives: Our aim was to: (i) determine the current seroprevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) in three large cohorts of cats from Australia; and (ii) investigate potential risk factors for retroviral infection.

Methods: Cohort 1 (n = 2151 for FIV, n = 2241 for FeLV) consisted of cats surrendered to a shelter on the west coast of Australia (Perth, Western Australia [WA]). Cohort 2 (n = 2083 for FIV, n = 2032 for FeLV) consisted of client-owned cats with outdoor access recruited from around Australia through participating veterinary clinics.

Demographics, lifestyle and veterinary care of cats in Australia and New Zealand.

Objectives The aim of this survey was to provide up-to-date information on the demographics, lifestyle and veterinary care of cats in Australia and New Zealand. Methods An online survey consisting of 19 questions was created using SurveyMonkey. Cat owners were invited to participate through advertisements in veterinary clinics and social media.

Bayesian Network Inference Modeling Identifies TRIB1 as a Novel Regulator of Cell-Cycle Progression and Survival in Cancer Cells.

Molecular networks governing responses to targeted therapies in cancer cells are complex dynamic systems that demonstrate nonintuitive behaviors. We applied a novel computational strategy to infer probabilistic causal relationships between network components based on gene expression. We constructed a model comprised of an ensemble of networks using multidimensional data from cell line models of cell-cycle arrest caused by inhibition of MEK1/2.

In vitro inhibition of field isolates of feline calicivirus with short interfering RNAs (siRNAs).

Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a common infection of domestic cats. Most infections are mild and self-limiting; however more severe disease manifestations, such as FCV-associated virulent systemic disease, may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. There is currently a lack of effective antiviral treatments for these disease manifestations.

Antiviral effect of mefloquine on feline calicivirus in vitro.

Feline calicivirus (FCV) is an important viral pathogen of domestic cats causing clinical signs ranging from mild to severe oral ulceration or upper respiratory tract disease through to a severe fatal systemic disease. Current therapeutic options are limited, with no direct acting antivirals available for treatment. This study screened a panel of 19 compounds for potential antiviral activity against FCV strain F9 and recent field isolates in vitro.

Combination siRNA therapy against feline coronavirus can delay the emergence of antiviral resistance in vitro.

Virulent biotypes of feline coronavirus (FCoV), commonly referred to as feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV), can result in the development of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a typically fatal immune mediated disease for which there is currently no effective antiviral treatment. We previously reported the successful in vitro inhibition of FIPV replication by synthetic siRNA mediated RNA interference (RNAi) in an immortalised cell line (McDonagh et al., 2011).