Fungus Causing White-Nose Syndrome in Bats Accumulates Genetic Variability in North America with No Sign of Recombination.

Emerging fungal diseases of wildlife are on the rise worldwide, and the white-nose syndrome (WNS) epidemic in North American bats is a catastrophic example. The causal agent of WNS is a single clone of the fungus . Early evolutionary change in this clonal population has major implications for disease ecology and conservation.

Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescent Populations: An Empirical Comparison of the CHU9D and the PedsQL 4.0 Short Form 15.

Objective: The aim was to conduct an empirical assessment of the measurement properties of the preference-based Child Health Utility 9D (CHU9D) versus the non-preference-based Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL)™ 4.0 Short Form 15 Generic Core Scales (referred to as 'PedsQL') in an Australian community-based sample of adolescents.

Methods: An online survey including the CHU9D, the PedsQL, a self-reported general health question, and socio-demographic questions was administered to adolescents (aged 15-17 years).

Predicting EuroQoL 5 Dimensions 5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L) Utilities from Older People's Quality of Life Brief Questionnaire (OPQoL-Brief) Scores.

Background And Objective: Economic evaluation of healthcare treatment and services targeted at older people requires measurement of utility-based quality-of-life outcomes but it is not always possible to collect such outcome data. It may, however, be possible to estimate these outcomes using non-utility measures of quality of life where the latter have been collected. The objective of this study was to develop a regression-based algorithm to map a non-utility-based outcome, the Older People's Quality of Life brief questionnaire (OPQoL-brief), onto a utility-based outcome, the EuroQoL 5 Dimensions 5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L).

Parallel and antiparallel cyclic d/l peptide nanotubes.

Nanotubes made from H-bonded cyclic d/l peptide (CP) subunits have great potential for the construction of nanomaterials of wide chemical and structural diversity but, to date, difficulties in structural characterisation have restricted development of these materials. We present the first crystal structures of continuous CP nanotubes with antiparallel and parallel stacking arrangements, assembled separately from two peptides; cyclo[(Asp-d-Leu-Lys-d-Leu)] and cyclo[(Asp-d-Ala-Lys-d-Ala)].

Oilbirds produce echolocation signals beyond their best hearing range and adjust signal design to natural light conditions.

Oilbirds are active at night, foraging for fruits using keen olfaction and extremely light-sensitive eyes, and echolocate as they leave and return to their cavernous roosts. We recorded the echolocation behaviour of wild oilbirds using a multi-microphone array as they entered and exited their roosts under different natural light conditions. During echolocation, the birds produced click bursts (CBs) lasting less than 10 ms and consisting of a variable number (2-8) of clicks at 2-3 ms intervals.

Understanding what matters: An exploratory study to investigate the views of the general public for priority setting criteria in health care.

Health care policy makers internationally are increasingly expressing commitment to consultation with, and incorporation of, the views of the general public into the formulation of health policy and the process of setting health care priorities. In practice, however, there are relatively few opportunities for the general public to be involved in health care decision-making. In making resource allocation decisions, funders, tasked with managing scarce health care resources, are often faced with difficult decisions in balancing efficiency with equity considerations.

Body Size Predicts Echolocation Call Peak Frequency Better than Gape Height in Vespertilionid Bats.

In most vocalizing vertebrates, lighter animals tend to produce acoustic signals of higher frequency than heavier animals. Two hypotheses propose to explain this negative relationship in vespertilionid bats: (i) mass-signal frequency allometry and (ii) emitter-limited (maximum gape) signal directionality. The first hypothesis, that lighter bats with smaller larynges are constrained to calls with higher frequencies, is supported at the species level.

Where's the evidence? a systematic review of economic analyses of residential aged care infrastructure.

Background: Residential care infrastructure, in terms of the characteristics of the organisation (such as proprietary status, size, and location) and the physical environment, have been found to directly influence resident outcomes. This review aimed to summarise the existing literature of economic evaluations of residential care infrastructure.

Methods: A systematic review of English language articles using AgeLine, CINAHL, Econlit, Informit (databases in Health; Business and Law; Social Sciences), Medline, ProQuest, Scopus, and Web of Science with retrieval up to 14 December 2015.

Cost effectiveness of high-sensitivity troponin compared to conventional troponin among patients presenting with undifferentiated chest pain: A trial based analysis.

Background: Patients with low and intermediate risk chest pain features comprise the greatest proportion presenting to emergency services for evaluation of suspected acute coronary syndromes (ACS). The efficient and timely identification of patients with these features remains a major challenge within clinical practice. Troponin assays are increasingly being used for the determination of risk among patients presenting with chest pain potentially facilitating more appropriate care.

The association between misperceptions around weight status and quality of life in adults in Australia.

Background: Limited evidence supports a possible association between a person's perception of their weight status and their quality of life (QoL). This study evaluates whether misperception around weight status is associated with QoL and the impact of gender on this association.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of Australian adults (n = 1,905 analysed) collected self-reported height and weight (used to estimate BMI), gender and QoL (described using the AQoL-8D).

Controlling self-assembly of diphenylalanine peptides at high pH using heterocyclic capping groups.

Using small angle neutron scattering (SANS), it is shown that the existence of pre-assembled structures at high pH for a capped diphenylalanine hydrogel is controlled by the selection of N-terminal heterocyclic capping group, namely indole or carbazole. At high pH, changing from a somewhat hydrophilic indole capping group to a more hydrophobic carbazole capping group results in a shift from a high proportion of monomers to self-assembled fibers or wormlike micelles. The presence of these different self-assembled structures at high pH is confirmed through NMR and circular dichroism spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy.

Practice change in chronic conditions care: an appraisal of theories.

Background: Management of chronic conditions can be complex and burdensome for patients and complex and costly for health systems. Outcomes could be improved and costs reduced if proven clinical interventions were better implemented, but the complexity of chronic care services appears to make clinical change particularly challenging. Explicit use of theories may improve the success of clinical change in this area of care provision.

Advancing aged care: a systematic review of economic evaluations of workforce structures and care processes in a residential care setting.

Long-term care for older people is provided in both residential and non-residential settings, with residential settings tending to cater for individuals with higher care needs. Evidence relating to the costs and effectiveness of different workforce structures and care processes is important to facilitate the future planning of residential aged care services to promote high quality care and to enhance the quality of life of individuals living in residential care. A systematic review conducted up to December 2015 identified 19 studies containing an economic component; seven included a complete economic evaluation and 12 contained a cost analysis only.

Mapping CHU9D Utility Scores from the PedsQL 4.0 SF-15.

Background: The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 Short Form 15 Generic Core Scales (hereafter the PedsQL) and the Child Health Utility-9 Dimensions (CHU9D) are two generic instruments designed to measure health-related quality of life in children and adolescents in the general population and paediatric patient groups living with specific health conditions. Although the PedsQL is widely used among paediatric patient populations, presently it is not possible to directly use the scores from the instrument to calculate quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) for application in economic evaluation because it produces summary scores which are not preference-based.

An Empirical Comparison of the EQ-5D-5L, DEMQOL-U and DEMQOL-Proxy-U in a Post-Hospitalisation Population of Frail Older People Living in Residential Aged Care.

Objective: To empirically compare the measurement properties of the DEMQOL-U and DEMQOL-Proxy-U instruments to the EQ-5D-5L and its proxy version (CEQ-5D-5L) in a population of frail older people living in residential aged care in the post-hospitalisation period following a hip fracture.

Methods: A battery of instruments to measure health-related quality of life (HRQoL), cognition, and clinical indicators of depression, pain and functioning were administered at baseline and repeated at 4 weeks' follow-up. Descriptive summary statistics were produced and psychometric analyses were conducted to assess the levels of agreement, convergent validity and known group validity between clinical indicators and HRQoL measures.

Is Dimension Order Important when Valuing Health States Using Discrete Choice Experiments Including Duration?

Background: Discrete choice experiments with duration (DCE) can be used to estimate utility values for preference-based measures, such as the EQ-5D-5L. For self-completion, the health dimensions are presented in a standard order. However, for valuation, this may result in order effects.

Adolescent confidence in immunisation: Assessing and comparing attitudes of adolescents and adults.

Introduction: There is limited knowledge of adolescent views and attitudes towards immunisation. Our study investigated adolescent attitudes to immunisation and compared differences in vaccination attitudes between adolescents and adults.

Methods: This study was a cross-sectional, national online survey.

Transpedal approach for iliac artery stenting: A pilot study.

Objective: To demonstrate the safety and feasibility of the transpedal approach as an alternate arterial access site for iliac artery intervention.

Background: The common femoral artery is the traditional access site for the endovascular treatment of iliac artery stenoses. However, this approach is associated with complication rates as high as 2%, including retroperitoneal bleeding which carries high patient morbidity and mortality.

Health-related quality of life measured using the EQ-5D-5L: South Australian population norms.

Background: Although a five level version of the widely-used EuroQol 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) instrument has been developed, population norms are not yet available for Australia to inform the future valuation of health in economic evaluations. The aim of this study was to estimate HrQOL normative values for the EQ-5D-5L preference-based measure in a large, randomly selected, community sample in South Australia.

Methods: The EQ-5D-5L instrument was included in the 2013 South Australian Health Omnibus Survey, an interviewer-administered, face-to-face, cross-sectional survey.

Protocol for a systematic review of preference-based instruments for measuring care-related outcomes and their suitability for the palliative care setting.

Introduction: Despite informal caregivers' integral role in supporting people affected by disease or disability, economic evaluations often ignore the costs and benefits experienced by this group, especially in the palliative setting. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify preference-based instruments for measuring care-related outcomes and provide guidance on the selection of instrument in palliative care economic evaluations.

Methods And Analysis: A comprehensive search of the literature will be conducted from database inception (ASSIA; CINAHL; Cochrane library including DARE, NHS EED, HTA; Econlit; Embase; PsychINFO; PubMed).

Mapping Between the Sydney Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ-S) and Five Multi-Attribute Utility Instruments (MAUIs).

Purpose: Economic evaluation of health services commonly requires information regarding health-state utilities. Sometimes this information is not available but non-utility measures of quality of life may have been collected from which the required utilities can be estimated. This paper examines the possibility of mapping a non-utility-based outcome, the Sydney Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ-S), onto five multi-attribute utility instruments: Assessment of Quality of Life 8 Dimensions (AQoL-8D), EuroQoL 5 Dimensions 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L), Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3), 15 Dimensions (15D), and the Short-Form 6 Dimensions (SF-6D).

Does one size fit all? Assessing the preferences of older and younger people for attributes of quality of life.

Purpose: To systematically compare, via ranking and best worst tasks, the relative importance of key dimensions of quality of life for younger and older people.

Methods: A web-based survey was developed for administration to two Australia-wide community-based samples comprising younger people aged 18-64 years and older people aged 65 years and above. Respondents were asked to rank 12 quality of life dimensions.