Novel Use of Cell Profiling Technology to Visualize Mitochondrial Responses of Humpback Whale Fibroblasts to Chemical Exposure.

Cetaceans are at elevated risk of accumulating persistent and lipophilic environmental contaminants due to their longevity and high proportion of body fat. Despite this, there is a paucity of taxa-specific chemical effect data, in part due to the ethical and logistical constraints in working with highly mobile aquatic species. Advances in cetacean cell culture have opened the door to the application of mainstream toxicological effect assessment approaches.

Beyond health-related quality of life: initial psychometric validation of a new scale for addressing the gap in assessing the full range of alopecia areata psychosocial burden.

Background: Patients with alopecia areata (AA) report a broad range of psychosocial outcomes beyond those assessed in existing health-related quality of life measures. Yet, to date, no psychometrically validated scale based on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) appears to exist to comprehensively measure these AA-specific psychosocial outcomes.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop such a scale, the Scale of Alopecia Areata Distress (SAAD), and to provide its initial validation evidence.

Multi-omic features of oesophageal adenocarcinoma in patients treated with preoperative neoadjuvant therapy.

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma is a poor prognosis cancer and the molecular features underpinning response to treatment remain unclear. We investigate whole genome, transcriptomic and methylation data from 115 oesophageal adenocarcinoma patients mostly from the DOCTOR phase II clinical trial (Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry-ACTRN12609000665235), with exploratory analysis pre-specified in the study protocol of the trial. We report genomic features associated with poorer overall survival, such as the APOBEC mutational and RS3-like rearrangement signatures.

Childhood trauma is prevalent and associated with co-occurring depression, anxiety, mania and psychosis in young people attending Australian youth mental health services.

Objectives: Childhood trauma is common and associated with mental ill health. While high rates of trauma are observed across individual disorders, there is evidence that trauma is associated with an admixture of affective, anxiety and psychotic symptoms in adults. Given that early onset of mental disorder and trauma exposure herald poor outcomes, it is important to examine trauma prevalence rates in youth mental health services and to determine whether this trauma-related clustering is present in help-seeking young people.

Characterization of Schistosome Sox Genes and Identification of a Flatworm Class of Sox Regulators.

Schistosome helminths infect over 200 million people across 78 countries and are responsible for nearly 300,000 deaths annually. However, our understanding of basic genetic pathways crucial for schistosome development is limited. The sex determining region Y-box 2 (Sox2) protein is a Sox B type transcriptional activator that is expressed prior to blastulation in mammals and is necessary for embryogenesis.

Antibiofilm Efficacies of Flavonoid-Rich Sweet Orange Waste Extract against Dual-Species Biofilms.

The current study evaluated the antibacterial properties of industrial sweet orange waste extracts (ISOWEs), which are a rich source of flavonoids. The ISOWEs exhibited antibacterial activity towards the dental cariogenic pathogens and with 13.0 ± 2.

Demographic reporting and phenotypic exclusion in fNIRS.

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) promises to be a leading non-invasive neuroimaging method due to its portability and low cost. However, concerns are rising over its inclusivity of all skin tones and hair types (Parker and Ricard, 2022, Webb et al., 2022).

The Curious Case of Elevated Tryptase: Workup and Differential in Family of Four.

Elevated basal serum tryptase (BST) levels are markers of both mast cell activation and overall mast cell burden. We present a family of four individuals with elevated tryptase levels greater than or equal to 20 mcg/L, all of whom exhibited signs and symptoms suggestive of mast cell activation. Differential diagnoses included hereditary alpha tryptasemia (HaT), systemic mastocytosis (SM), and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS).

Growth conditions impact particulate absorption and pigment concentrations in two common bloom forming cyanobacterial species.

Remote sensing using satellite imagery has been promoted as a method to broaden the scale and frequency of cyanobacterial monitoring. This relies on the ability to establish relationships between the reflectance spectra of water bodies and the abundance of cyanobacteria. A challenge to achieving this comes from a limited understanding of the extent to which the optical properties of cyanobacteria vary according to their physiological state and growth environment.

Fusion of Rabies Virus Glycoprotein or gh625 to Iduronate-2-Sulfatase for the Treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II.

Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by a mutation in the gene, resulting in deficiency of the enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) causing heparan sulfate (HS) and dermatan sulfate (DS) accumulation in all cells. This leads to skeletal and cardiorespiratory disease with severe neurodegeneration in two thirds of sufferers. Enzyme replacement therapy is ineffective at treating neurological disease, as intravenously delivered IDS is unable to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

Social Deprivation and the Risk of Screening Positive for Glaucoma in the MI-SIGHT Telemedicine-Based Glaucoma Detection Program.

Purpose: To assess whether increased poverty is associated with increased risk of screening positive for glaucoma or suspected glaucoma in a large public screening and intervention program.

Design: Cross-sectional study from 2020 to 2022.

Participants: Adults ≥ 18 years old without acute ocular symptoms.

Cognitive health treatment priorities and preferences among young people with mental illness: The your mind, your choice survey.

Aim: Cognitive impairments negatively impact the everyday functioning of young people with mental illness. However, no previous study has asked young people (1) how much of a priority cognitive functioning is within mental health treatment, and (2) what types of cognition-focused treatments are most appealing. The current study aimed to address these questions.

Activity of osimertinib in a patient with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer harboring exon 19, p.L755P mutation: case report.

Background: Recurrent in-frame insertions within exon 20 causing duplication of amino acids Tyrosine-Valine-Methionine-Alanine (YVMA) represent 80% of all alterations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies and HER2 directed antibody-drug conjugates have been evaluated in patients with mutated NSCLC. Limited data are available regarding the activity of these agents in exon 19 alterations.

Craniosynostosis in Patients With X-Linked Hypophosphatemia: A Review.

Craniosynostosis is a rare condition of skull development, manifesting during fetal and early infant development, and is usually congenital. Craniosynostosis secondary to metabolic disorders, such as X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH), is less common and is typically diagnosed later than congenital craniosynostosis. XLH is a rare, progressive, and lifelong hereditary phosphate-wasting disorder characterized by loss of function of the phosphate-regulating endopeptidase homologue, X-linked gene, which is associated with premature fusion of cranial sutures due to abnormal phosphate metabolism (hypophosphatemia) and altered bone mineralization or elevated levels of fibroblast growth factor 23.

The CDK4/6 Inhibitor Palbociclib Inhibits Estrogen-Positive and Triple Negative Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis In Vivo.

CDK 4/6 inhibitors have demonstrated significant improved survival for patients with estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer (BC). However, the ability of these promising agents to inhibit bone metastasis from either ER+ve or triple negative BC (TNBC) remains to be established. We therefore investigated the effects of the CDK 4/6 inhibitor, palbociclib, using in vivo models of breast cancer bone metastasis.

Discordance of the Urinary and Pleural Fluid Antigen Test and False Positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae in Empyema Secondary to Necrotizing Bacterial Pneumonia.

Empyema is a severe complication of pneumonia with high morbidity and mortality rates. Rapid diagnosis and tailoring of antibiotic therapy are crucial to treatment success for these severe bacterial lung infections. A Streptococcus pneumoniae ( antigen test drawn from the pleural fluid rather than a urine sample has been found to have equivalent diagnostic utility to the urinary antigen test.

The role of cognitive rehabilitation in people with type 2 diabetes: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Today, the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction and the prevalence of diabetes are increasing. Research shows that diabetes increases cognitive impairment risk, and cognitive impairment makes diabetes self-management more challenging. Diabetes self-management, essential to good glycemic control, requires patients to assimilate knowledge about their complex disease and to engage in activities such as glucose self-monitoring and the management of their medications.

Matrix metalloproteinase activity during methamphetamine cued relapse.

Relapse to drug seeking involves transient synaptic remodelling that occurs in response to drug-associated cues. This remodelling includes activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) to initiate catalytic signalling in the extracellular matrix in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcore). We hypothesized that MMP activity would be increased in the NAcore during cue-induced methamphetamine (meth) seeking in a rat model of meth use and relapse.

Dispensing of psychotropic medications to Australian children and adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2013-2021: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To determine longitudinal patterns of dispensing of antidepressant, anxiolytic, antipsychotic, psychostimulant, and hypnotic/sedative medications to children and adolescents in Australia during 2013-2021.

Design: Retrospective cohort study; analysis of 10% random sample of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) dispensing data.

Participants, Setting: People aged 18 years or younger dispensed PBS-subsidised psychotropic medications in Australia, 2013-2021.

Sex differences in risk of cardiovascular events and mortality with sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors versus glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists in Australians with type 2 diabetes: a population-based cohort study.

Background: Sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) reduce major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Despite known sex differences in diabetes-induced cardiovascular disease (CVD), pharmacological treatment recommendations are independent of sex. Our objective was to investigate possible sex differences in rates of MACE with SGLT2i vs.

The Australian Early Psychosis Collaborative Consortium (AEPCC): Improving Clinical Care in Early Psychosis.

Objectives: The field of early psychosis has undergone considerable expansion over the last few decades and has a strong evidence base of effectiveness. Like all areas of healthcare, however, early psychosis services need to more consistently deliver higher quality care to achieve better outcomes for patients and families. A national clinical research infrastructure is urgently required to enable the sector to deliver the highest quality care and expand and translate evidence more quickly and efficiently.

NeoAdjuvant pembrolizumab and STEreotactic radiotherapy prior to nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma (NAPSTER): A phase II randomised clinical trial.

Background: Surgery remains the standard of care for localised renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Nevertheless, nearly 50% of patients with high-risk disease experience relapse after surgery, with distant sites being common. Considering improved outcomes in terms of disease-free survival with adjuvant immunotherapy with pembrolizumab, we hypothesise that neoadjuvant SABR with or without the addition of pembrolizumab before nephrectomy will lead to improved disease outcomes by evoking better immune response in the presence of an extensive reserve of tumor-associated antigens.

The REDUCED trial: a cluster randomized trial for REDucing the utilization of CEsarean delivery for dystocia.

Background: To reduce cesarean delivery rates in nulliparous women, guidelines for diagnosing nonprogressive labor have been developed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. These are mainly based on data from the Consortium for Safe Labor study. The guidelines have not been tested in a clinical trial, so the efficacy and safety of this new approach is uncertain.

Prenatal iodine supplementation and early childhood neurodevelopment: the PoppiE trial - study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Observational studies suggest both low and high iodine intakes in pregnancy are associated with poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. This raises concern that current universal iodine supplement recommendations for pregnant women in populations considered to be iodine sufficient may negatively impact child neurodevelopment. We aim to determine the effect of reducing iodine intake from supplements for women who have adequate iodine intake from food on the cognitive development of children at 24 months of age.