Publications by authors named "Nicol D"

This study aimed to identify operating conditions and governance mechanisms that would help to facilitate trust in, and willingness to donate to, a hypothetical Australian national genomic repository for health research where commercial use of data is permitted. Semi-structured telephone interviews with members of the Australian public ( = 39) clarified perceived risks and preferred repository conditions. These insights were subsequently tested experimentally in a national sample ( = 1,117).

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Objectives: To reassess the role of primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) in patients with marker-negative non-seminomatous germ cell tumour (NSGCT) clinical stage (CS) 2a, to explore results in patients with CS 2b and to evaluate surgical methods, recurrence, and adjuvant chemotherapy indications.

Materials And Methods: Data from 17 institutions were collected, comprising 305 men who underwent primary RPLND for CS 2 NSGCT. Regression analyses were conducted to predict histology in the RPLND specimen and disease-free survival (DFS).

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Discourse around ownership of genomic sequence data has proliferated over recent years. There are likely to be few people who don't feel a degree of connectedness to their genomic data. The inclusion of individuals' genomic data in genomic datasets is critical to genomic research, and these datasets are most effective if shared widely.

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Borges and colleagues rightly argue that an international treaty is needed to curtail the profit-driven behaviour of the pharmaceutical industry during pandemics. The Pandemic Agreement currently being negotiated by Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) offers an important opportunity to equip nation states with greater leverage over industry behaviour. In this commentary, we examine the potential of current draft textual proposals for the Pandemic Agreement to redirect pharmaceutical behaviour in future pandemics.

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Background And Objective: The majority of small testicular masses (STMs) are benign and therefore radical orchidectomy (RO) may represent overtreatment. In appropriately selected patients, surveillance or testis-sparing surgery (TSS) is an alternative option to preserve testicular function. Since there are no clear guidelines, we aimed to develop consensus recommendations on the management of STMs.

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A latent class analysis on a nationally representative Australian sample ( = 1000) identified four subgroups (i.e. classes), ranging from high to low concern about, and willingness to donate to, a national genomic repository under different forms of public and commercial management and access.

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Importance: Governments worldwide have become increasingly cognizant of the spread of genetic discrimination (negative treatment or harm on the basis of actual or presumed genetic characteristics). Despite efforts by a number of governments to establish regulations addressing this phenomenon, public concern about genetic discrimination persists.

Objective: To identify key elements of an optimal genetic nondiscrimination policy and inform policymakers as they seek to allay genetic nondiscrimination and related public anxieties.

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One of the most common terms that is used to describe entities responsible for sharing genomic data for research purposes is 'genomic research consortium'. However, there is a lack of clarity around the language used by consortia to describe their data sharing arrangements. Calls have been made for more uniform terminology.

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Article Synopsis
  • Historian Nick Hopwood discusses the fluctuating focus on human developmental biology over time in his companion piece.
  • The article features input from researchers across eight countries who share insights on how various local factors shape the development of this field.
  • This publication celebrates the 10th anniversary of a significant meeting on the topic of stem cells and human development.
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This research identifies the circumstances in which Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs) are trusted by Australians to approve the use of genomic data - without express consent - and considers the impact of genomic data sharing settings, and respondent attributes, on public trust. Survey results ( = 3013) show some circumstances are more conducive to public trust than others, with waivers endorsed when future research is beneficial and when privacy is protected, but receiving less support in other instances. Still, results imply attitudes are influenced by more than these specific circumstances, with different data sharing settings, and participant attributes, affecting views.

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This section explores the challenges involved in translating genomic research into genomic medicine. A number of priorities have been identified in the Australian National Health Genomics Framework for addressing these challenges. Responsible collection, storage, use and management of genomic data is one of these priorities, and is the primary theme of this section.

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The recently issued ISSCR standards in stem cell research recommend registration of human pluripotent stem cell lines (hPSCs). Registration is critical to establishing stem cell provenance and connecting cell lines to data derived on those lines. In this study, we sought to understand common barriers to registration by conducting interviews with forty-eight Australian stem cell stakeholders, including researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals.

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Background: Liver surgery is associated with a significant hospital stay regardless the type of liver resection. A large incision is essential for open liver surgery which is a major factor in the course of the patient's recovery. For patients with small parenchyma liver lesions requiring surgical resection, robotic surgery potentially offers the opportunity to transform the patient's post-operative course.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examines how the timing of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) treatment impacts the amount of time stroke patients spend at home post-treatment, focusing on a Canadian cohort from 2015 to 2022.
  • Faster treatment, specifically when EVT is administered within 4 hours of stroke onset, significantly correlates with increased home-time, with the best outcomes seen when treatment occurs within 2 hours.
  • Analysis shows that quicker onset-to-arterial puncture and door-to-puncture times enhance the odds of achieving more home-time, contributing to better recovery and quality of life after a stroke.
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  • Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and other genome editing technologies have the potential to improve lives affected by genetic disorders, but they also present significant ethical and policy challenges.
  • The article discusses the regulatory hurdles related to these ethical dilemmas and examines key reports from international organizations, especially from the World Health Organization, regarding genome editing.
  • Five main policy themes are identified from the literature and public expert engagement, each suggesting key considerations for policymakers when formulating genome editing policies.
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Objective: To examine the association of co-morbidity with home-time after acute stroke and whether the association is influenced by age.

Methods: We conducted a province-wide study using linked administrative databases to identify all admissions for first acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage between 2007 and 2018 in Alberta, Canada. We used ischemic stroke-weighted Charlson Co-morbidity Index of 3 or more to identify those with severe co-morbidity.

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The tribe Astereae (Asteraceae) includes 36 subtribes and 252 genera, and is distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical regions. One of the subtribes, Celmisiinae Saldivia, has been recently circumscribed to include six genera and ca. 160 species, and is restricted to eastern Australia, New Zealand, and New Guinea.

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Initiatives that collect and share genomic data to advance health research are widespread and accelerating. Commercial interests in these efforts, while vital, may erode public trust and willingness to provide personal genomic data, upon which these initiatives depend. Understanding public attitudes towards providing genomic data for health research in the context of commercial involvement is critical.

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Although Australia has a proud record of health and medical research, it finds less traction when it comes to innovative product development. Patent filings are recognised as one of the measures of national innovation, and this is one measure where Australian innovators are falling short. We examined whether there may be discrete pockets of innovation in particular areas of technology where Australian researchers are making significant contributions.

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Leadership in Veterinary Practice.

Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract

March 2024

Veterinary practice ownership has long been a financially rewarding option. High time it was an emotionally rewarding one for all concerned, too. This is the gift that strong leaders bestow on those lucky enough to work on their team.

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Technical limitations of laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP), in comparison to robotic distal pancreatectomy (RDP), may translate to high conversion rates and morbidity. LDP and RDP procedures performed between December 2008 and January 2023 in our tertiary referral hepatobiliary and pancreatic centres were analysed and compared with regard to short-term outcomes. A total of 62 consecutive LDP cases and 61 RDP cases were performed.

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Renal cell carcinoma is an immunogenic tumour with a prominent dysfunctional immune cell infiltrate, unable to control tumour growth. Although tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunotherapy have improved the outlook for some patients, many individuals are non-responders or relapse despite treatment. The hostile metabolic environment in RCC affects the ability of T-cells to maintain their own metabolic programme constraining T-cell immunity in RCC.

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