Publications by authors named "Wallen M"

Aim: To identify developmental trajectories of impaired hand function in infants aged 3 to 15 months with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP).

Method: Sixty-three infants (37 male; median gestational age 37 weeks [interquartile range 30-39.1 weeks]) recruited as part of a randomized trial with a confirmed diagnosis of unilateral CP were included.

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Aim: To synthesize the experiences of 15- to 34-year-olds with cerebral palsy (CP) as they participate in key life situations of young adulthood.

Method: A mixed-methods scoping review was undertaken and six electronic databases searched (January 2001 to August 2023). Participation foci and thematic outcomes were mapped to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

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Guidelines for implementation of eye-gaze control technology by people with cerebral palsy were published in 2021. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators clinicians perceive exist relating to use of these guidelines for eye-gaze control technology, and to explore potential resources that may be developed to support their implementation. A two-phased mixed methods explanatory sequential design was adopted.

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Paul Farmer, a distinguished physician and anthropologist known by many as a pioneer in global health endeavors, made a profound impact on the landscape of healthcare. Through his innovative approaches to healthcare delivery and his unwavering commitment to social justice and health equity, he changed the landscape of healthcare on a global scale. He was a Kolokotrones University Professor, Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda, and Chief Strategist and Co-founder of Partners In Health (PIH).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of constraint-induced movement therapy (Baby-CIMT) and bimanual therapy (Baby-BIM) in infants at high risk for unilateral cerebral palsy.
  • A total of 96 infants were randomly assigned to either therapy group, with both interventions yielding significant improvements in hand development, though neither was found to be superior to the other.
  • Infants starting therapy before 6 months of corrected age showed greater enhancements in hand function compared to those who began later, indicating the importance of early intervention.
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Aims: Cardiac exercise telerehabilitation is effective and can be cost-effective for managing ischaemic heart disease, but implementation of evidence-based interventions in clinical practice remains a challenge. We aimed to identify factors that cardiac rehabilitation stakeholders perceived could influence the effectiveness of implementing an evidence-based, real-time remotely monitored cardiac exercise telerehabilitation intervention (REMOTE-CR).

Methods And Results: Online interviews and focus groups were conducted with cardiac rehabilitation consumers (n = 16, 5 female, 61.

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Purpose: Pathways and Resources for Engagement and Participation (PREP) is an intervention to optimise individuals' participation by building problem-solving capacity and addressing environmental barriers. We investigated the feasibility of implementing PREP with young adults (18-30 years) with complex disability in Australia.

Materials And Methods: Explanatory sequential mixed methods study in three stages.

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Purpose: Service referrals are required for cancer survivors to access specialist dietary and exercise support. Many system-level factors influence referral practices within the healthcare system. Hence, the aim of this study was to identify system-level factors and their interconnectedness, as well as strategies for optimising dietary and exercise referral practices in Australia.

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Purpose: To explore the perspectives of primary caregivers of children with cerebral palsy (CP) who had spinal surgery for scoliosis.

Materials And Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews and guided by qualitative description methodology. Participants were caregivers of children with CP aged 5-18, who had undergone spinal surgery for scoliosis in Australia.

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Background: Developing strategies to prevent breast cancer-related arm lymphoedema (BCRAL) is a critical unmet need because there are no effective interventions to eradicate it once it reaches a chronic state. Certain strategies such as prospective surveillance programs and prophylactic lymphatic reconstruction have been reported to be effective in clinical trials. However, a large variation exists in practice based on clinician preference, organizational standards, and local resources.

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Article Synopsis
  • The gut microbiome is being recognized for its role in affecting cancer treatment outcomes, prompting interventions to improve it through diet, probiotics, and potentially exercise for better health results in cancer patients.
  • A narrative review highlights the lack of research on the impact of physical activity and exercise on the gut microbiome specifically in cancer survivors, despite evidence that exercise can enhance microbial diversity in healthy populations.
  • Future studies should investigate how different types and amounts of exercise influence gut health in cancer patients, while also considering combined strategies with diet and probiotics for optimal outcomes throughout cancer treatment.
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Hypertension, defined as persistently elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) >140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at least 90 mmHg (International Society of Hypertension guidelines), affects over 1.5 billion people worldwide. Hypertension is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events (e.

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Background And Aims: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a therapeutic option for people with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, the perspectives and experiences of HIIT for people with NASH are unknown, limiting translation of research. We explored the experiences and perspectives of both professionally supervised and self-directed HIIT in people with NASH and evaluated participant-reported knowledge, barriers, and enablers to commencing and sustaining HIIT.

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Article Synopsis
  • Gene therapy has struggled to gain traction in treating various diseases over the past 30 years due to challenges in effectively delivering therapeutic nucleic acids to their targets.
  • * The limitations of current plasmid DNA delivery methods, including naked pDNA and nanoparticles, have prompted the search for more efficient systems that minimize side effects and maximize efficacy.
  • * This review focuses on using exosomes derived from bovine milk and colostrum as a promising delivery platform for plasmid DNA in gene therapy, highlighting their scalability, cost-effectiveness, and ability to target multiple tissues.
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Patient navigation is a strategy for overcoming barriers to reduce disparities and to improve access and outcomes. The aim of this umbrella review was to identify, critically appraise, synthesize, and present the best available evidence to inform policy and planning regarding patient navigation across the cancer continuum. Systematic reviews examining navigation in cancer care were identified in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), Epistemonikos, and Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) databases and in the gray literature from January 1, 2012, to April 19, 2022.

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Aims: To determine the efficacy of two doses of external counterpulsation (ECP) on glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), and any persistent benefits 7 weeks following treatment.

Methods: 50 participants with T2D were randomly assigned to either 1) 20x45-minute ECP sessions over 7 weeks (ECP), 2) 20x30-minute ECP sessions over 7 weeks (ECP) or 3) SHAM control. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, after 7 weeks of the intervention and 7 weeks after the interventions finished.

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Context: Stroke is one of the largest healthcare burdens in the United States and globally. It continues to be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) often present with elevated blood pressure (BP).

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Background: Pregnancy and childbirth are significant events in many women's lives, and the prevalence of depressive symptoms increases during this vulnerable period. Apart from well documented cognitive, affective, and somatic symptoms, stress and depression are associated with physiological changes, such as reduced heart-rate variability (HRV) and activation of the inflammatory response system. Mindfulness Based Interventions may potentially have an effect on both HRV, inflammatory biomarkers, and self-assessed mental health.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Chemotherapy remains a key treatment for various cancers but often causes severe side effects and compromises patients' quality of life; new methods for drug delivery, such as nanoparticles and liposomes, have seen limited success due to various challenges.
  • - Exosomes, particularly those derived from bovine milk, offer a promising alternative for delivering cancer treatments, as they can be engineered for targeted delivery and help reduce toxicity while enhancing drug efficacy.
  • - The article reviews studies on exosomal delivery systems, particularly for small molecules and biologics like siRNA, highlighting the benefits of milk exosomes but also emphasizing the need for further research on their safety and effectiveness compared to existing nanoformulations.
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Efforts to make research environments more inclusive and diverse are beneficial for the next generation of Great Lakes researchers. The global COVID-19 pandemic introduced circumstances that forced graduate programs and academic institutions to re-evaluate and promptly pivot research traditions, such as weekly seminar series, which are critical training grounds and networking opportunities for early career researchers (ECRs). While several studies have established that academics with funded grants and robust networks were better able to weather the abrupt changes in research and closures of institutions, ECRs did not.

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Background: Barth syndrome (BTHS) is a rare X-linked genetic disease that affects multiple systems and leads to complex clinical manifestations. Although a considerable amount of research has focused on the physical aspects of the disease, less has focused on the psychosocial impact and quality of life (QoL) in BTHS.

Methods: The current study investigated caregiver- ( = 10) and self-reported ( = 16) psychological well-being and QoL in a cohort of BTHS-affected patients and families.

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Background: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) involves bursts of high-intensity exercise interspersed with lower-intensity exercise recovery. HIIT may benefit cardiometabolic health in people with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Aims: We aimed to examine the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of 12-weeks of supervised HIIT compared with a sham-exercise control (CON) for improving aerobic fitness and peripheral insulin sensitivity in biopsy-proven NASH.

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