Publications by authors named "McLennan K"

Aim: Childhood stroke has an estimated incidence of 2-13 per 100 000 children. Limited consensus exists regarding best practice recommendations for childhood stroke rehabilitation. A retrospective study completed at a tertiary institution identified potential associations between factors including type of stroke, functional presentation, muscle strength and length of stay (LOS).

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Refractometric total proteins are commonly used in practice as a quick and inexpensive way to measure total protein concentration in bodily fluids. Little information is available about how the operator performing the measurement affects the results. The aim of our study was to determine the inter- and intra-operator variability of refractometric total proteins measured on canine plasma using a temperature-compensated handheld refractometer.

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Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic nasopharyngeal or nose and/or throat swabs (NTS) have been the primary approach for collecting patient samples for the subsequent detection of viral RNA. However, this procedure, if undertaken correctly, can be unpleasant and therefore deters individuals from providing high quality samples. To overcome these limitations other modes of sample collection have been explored.

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At the convergence of population aging and pet-ownership, community stakeholders are well-positioned to support older adults' relationships with companion animals through age-related transitions in health and living arrangements. In this study's setting, a volunteer-based pet care assistance program launched in 2017 to provide practical assistance with pet care for socially disadvantaged, community-dwelling older adults. This case study explored the impacts and feasibility of this and similar programs via (i) an Internet-based environmental scan to compare similar programs and (ii) qualitative interviews with a sampling of diverse community stakeholders ( = 9).

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Validated assessment protocols have been developed to quantify welfare states for intensively managed sport, pleasure, and working horses. There are few protocols for extensively managed or free-roaming populations. Here, we trialed welfare indicators to ascertain their feasibility, reliability, and repeatability using free-roaming Carneddau Mountain ponies as an example population.

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Article Synopsis
  • A marine dinoflagellate species, known for causing harmful algal blooms (HABs), was isolated from eastern Australia and assessed for its toxin production and abundance.
  • Researchers developed a qPCR assay using ITS rRNA to measure the dinoflagellate's abundance and examined ecological factors affecting it over 14 months in Botany Bay.
  • They found a strong correlation between qPCR and amplicon sequencing for abundance estimates, while traditional microscopy methods were less reliable; the dinoflagellate was associated with lower salinity and higher CO levels in the estuary.
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Introduction: Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is a neurosurgical intervention intended to permanently reduce spasticity in the lower limbs and improve mobility in selected children with cerebral palsy (CP). Despite SDR having been performed worldwide for the past 30 years, there is moderate quality of evidence that SDR is effective in reducing spasticity with low to very low evidence of its effectiveness in improving gait, function and participation, using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) system. Published studies have described outcomes for groups that differ in selection, surgical technique and postoperative rehabilitation making it difficult for clinicians to use this information to advise families on best management.

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The use of technology to optimize the production and management of each individual animal is becoming key to good farming. There is a need for the real-time systematic detection and control of disease in animals in order to limit the impact on animal welfare and food supply. Diseases such as footrot and mastitis cause significant pain in sheep, and so early detection is vital to ensuring effective treatment and preventing the spread across the flock.

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Two experiments investigated positive priming and negative priming effects in a lexical decision task. A priming task was used in which participants were required to make a verbal naming response to a prime target word, flanked by a distractor word, followed by a lexical decision response to a probe target word or nonword, flanked by a distractor word. The longevity of both positive and negative priming was explored in short-lag and long-lag conditions in which stimuli were presented once and only once, except in order to fulfill the priming manipulations.

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Purpose: This study provides data from a paediatric tertiary hospital on the length of stay, functional improvement and allied health workload for children and adolescents on active inpatient rehabilitation programs.

Methods: An audit was conducted of records of patients managed through an inpatient rehabilitation program at a 359 bed tertiary children's hospital in Brisbane, Australia between December 2014 and December 2015. Data relating to diagnosis, length of stay, functional change, occasions of allied health service and hours of patient attributable allied health professional time were collected.

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Objective: To determine safety of intramuscular botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) injections to reduce spasticity and improve care and comfort of nonambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Methods: Nonambulatory children with CP were randomly allocated to receive either BoNT-A (n = 23) or sham procedure (n = 18) in Cycle 1. In Cycle 2, the BoNT-A group received a second episode of BoNT-A (n = 20) and sham group received their first episode of BoNT-A (n = 17).

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Objectives: To examine the efficacy and safety of intramuscular botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) to reduce spasticity and improve comfort and ease of care in nonambulant children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Study Design: Nonambulant children with CP (n = 41; Gross Motor Function Classification System level IV = 3, level V = 38; mean age 7.1 years, range 2.

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Background: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) whom are non-ambulant are at risk of reduced quality of life and poor health status. Severe spasticity leads to discomfort and pain. Carer burden for families is significant.

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This study aims to answer the question whether the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) can be practised to international standards at the Lymphoma Registry (LR) established at the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India. Furthermore, the study aims to identify differences in the distribution of NHL subtypes at this LR (likely to be representative of India) as compared to the rest of the world. A panel of 5 expert hematopathologists from the NHL Classification Project reviewed 200 consecutive NHL cases at the LR in January of 2001.

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Objective: Mutations in the gene for the POU domain transcription factor POU1F1 (human Pit-1) have been reported in patients with GH, TSH and PRL deficiencies. PROP1 (Prophet of Pit-1) gene mutations also cause gonadotrophin deficiencies and in some cases partial ACTH deficiency. This study analyses the POU1F1 and PROP1 genes in a cohort of Australian children with combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD) and correlates results with patient phenotype.

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We investigated the clinical significance and long-term follow-up of detecting minimal residual disease (MRD) in hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) in complete remission (CR) after treatment with deoxycoformycin (DCF). MRD was assessed in 23 patients by immunophenotyping peripheral blood and bone marrow frozen sections using a panel of antibodies, CD11c, CD25, CD103 and HC2, which detect hairy cells. 31 cases with active HCL were used as controls.

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A luminescence-based marker system has been used to follow rotting of potato tubers by Erwinia carotovora. The early stages of infection could be detected by visual observation of areas of luminescence developing from the point of inoculation. During later stages luminescence was limited to peripheral regions and to central regions where the structure of the potato was destroyed.

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Seventeen patients with advanced lymphoma were treated with high-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow rescue. In 11 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) there were 2 complete remissions (CRs) and 2 partial remissions (PRs), and in 6 patients with Hodgkin's disease there were 5 CRs. Three patients remain well in unmaintained remission (days 874, 446 and 351), and a further 2 are alive and still receiving treatment (days 650 and 558).

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Presentation of Hodgkin's disease as an endobronchial lesion is rare. Four such cases are described and nine other previously reported cases are reviewed. The difficulties in diagnosis and management, when the disease presents in this manner, are discussed.

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