Association of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) rs2070744 variant with advanced retinopathy of prematurity: a case-control study and meta-analysis.

Despite advances in neonatal and ophthalmological care, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) continues to be a leading cause of childhood blindness worldwide. Investigating gene variants associated with vascular responses in ROP may provide valuable insights into its pathogenesis and identify risk or protective factors. Nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) play roles in vascular regulation, influencing processes relevant to ROP development.

A Systems Thinking Approach to Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant global health threat. Due to its complexity, holistic approaches focusing on the interconnected factors influencing AMR across One Health domains are necessary. This study adopts system dynamics with extensive stakeholder engagement to unravel feedback processes between factors driving AMR.

The HOTspots Digital Surveillance: Conceptualisation to Clinical Deployment.

The HOTspots digital surveillance platform (HOTspots) is a critical technology of the HOTspots Surveillance and Response Program. It provides timely point-of-care access to pathology and demographic data from previously underserved regions. Co-designed with clinicians, epidemiologists, and health policy makers, the platform provides the evidence-base to empower efficient clinical management of patients with antimicrobial resistant (AMR) infections and supports national disease surveillance efforts in Australia.

Leveraging existing data to improve antimicrobial resistance-related mortality estimates for Australia.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global pandemic, however, estimating its burden is a complex process. As a result, many countries rely on global estimates to infer burden within their own setting. With a growing number of recent publications quantifying AMR burden in Australia, and an expansion of surveillance programs, enumerating AMR mortality for Australia is feasible.

Human Papillomavirus in Oral Lichen Planus: Is There an Association? A Meta-Analysis.

Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic, recurrent mucocutaneous inflammatory disease with unclearly defined etiology, where a potential role of several viruses has been considered. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the potential association between HPV and oral LP based on case-control and cross-sectional study results. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science (SCI), Google Scholar, and Scopus databases with the last update on 6 March 2024.

Core regions in immunoglobulin heavy chain enhancers essential for survival of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cells are identified by a CRISPR interference screen.

Chromosomal translocations in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) result in activation of oncogenes by placing them under the regulation of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) super-enhancers. Aberrant expression of translocated oncogenes induced by enhancer activity can contribute to lymphomagenesis. The role of the IGH enhancers in normal B-cell development is well established, but knowledge regarding the precise mechanisms of their involvement in control of the translocated oncogenes is limited.

Responding to the AMR threat: data and information needs of stakeholders working in regional and remote Australia.

Our qualitative analysis of interviews with remote Australian healthcare professionals found that they require reliable, local antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data reflecting the geographical diversity of the population they serve. The optimal use of AMR data must consider challenges within this setting, including high staff turnover, limited diagnostic capacity, and antibiotic shortages.

Resonant Raman scattering of few layers CrBr.

We investigate the vibrational and magnetic properties of thin layers of chromium tribromide (CrBr) with a thickness ranging from three to twenty layers (3-20 L) revealed by the Raman scattering (RS) technique. Systematic dependence of the RS process efficiency on the energy of the laser excitation is explored for four different excitation energies: 1.96 eV, 2.

Ex vivo lung perfusion in donation after circulatory death: A post hoc analysis of the Normothermic Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion as an Assessment of Extended/Marginal Donors Lungs trial.

Objective: Donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors offer the ability to expand the lung donor pool and ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) further contributes to this ability by allowing for additional evaluation and resuscitation of these extended criteria donors. We sought to determine the outcomes of recipients receiving organs from DCD EVLP donors in a multicenter setting.

Methods: This was an unplanned post hoc analysis of a multicenter, prospective, nonrandomized trial that took place during 2011 to 2017 with 3 years of follow-up.

Repurposing antibiotic resistance surveillance data to support treatment of recurrent infections in a remote setting.

In northern Australia, a region with limited access to healthcare and a substantial population living remotely, antibiotic resistance adds to the complexity of treating infections. Focussing on Escherichia coli urinary tract infections (UTIs) and Staphylococcus aureus skin & soft tissue infections (SSTIs) captured by a northern Australian antibiotic resistance surveillance system, we used logistic regression to investigate predictors of a subsequent resistant isolate during the same infection episode. We also investigated predictors of recurrent infection.

CRISPR/Cas9 screen for genome-wide interrogation of essential MYC-bound E-boxes in cancer cells.

The transcription factor MYC is a proto-oncogene with a well-documented essential role in the pathogenesis and maintenance of several types of cancer. MYC binds to specific E-box sequences in the genome to regulate gene expression in a cell-type- and developmental-stage-specific manner. To date, a combined analysis of essential MYC-bound E-boxes and their downstream target genes important for growth of different types of cancer is missing.

Evaluation of a Virtual Dance Class for Cancer Patients and Their Partners during the Corona Pandemic-A Real-World Observational Study.

Background: During the corona pandemic, all courses on physical activity for cancer patients were canceled. The aim of our study was to evaluate the feasibility of switching dancing classes for patients and their partners to online classes.

Methods: Patients and partners from courses at four different locations who consented to the online course offer were asked to fill in a pseudonymous questionnaire on access to the training, technical challenges, acceptance and well-being (1-item visual analog scale from 1 to 10) before and after the training.

TransCRISPR-sgRNA design tool for CRISPR/Cas9 experiments targeting specific sequence motifs.

Eukaryotic genomes contain several types of recurrent sequence motifs, e.g. transcription factor motifs, miRNA binding sites, repetitive elements.

In vivo secondary structural analysis of Influenza A virus genomic RNA.

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a respiratory virus that causes epidemics and pandemics. Knowledge of IAV RNA secondary structure in vivo is crucial for a better understanding of virus biology. Moreover, it is a fundament for the development of new RNA-targeting antivirals.

The effect of temperature and excitation energy on Raman scattering in bulkHfS2.

Raman scattering (RS) in bulk hafnium disulfide (HfS2) is investigated as a function of temperature (5 K - 350 K) with polarization resolution and excitation of several laser energies. An unexpected temperature dependence of the energies of the main Raman-active (A1gand E) modes with the temperature-induced blueshift in the low-temperature limit is observed. The low-temperature quenching of a mode(134 cm) and the emergence of a new mode at approx.

Can non-typeable carriage surveillance data infer antimicrobial resistance associated with otitis media?

Importance: In remote communities of the Northern Territory, Australia, children experience high rates of otitis media (OM), commonly caused by non-typeable (NTHi). Few data exist on antibiotic susceptibility of NTHi from OM.

Objective: To determine whether population-level nasopharyngeal NTHi antibiotic susceptibility data could inform antibiotic treatment for OM.

: Development and Pilot Test of a Theory of Planned Behavior Campaign to Combat College Student COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy.

Among college students, evidence of relatively lower levels of concern of COVID-19 infection, rapid rates of transmission, and lagging vaccination rates substantiates a need to combat college student COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. This two-phase study comprised formative research, development, and pilot testing of a campaign to combat COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among college students. In phase one, focus group discussions with college students ( = 48) uncovered their specific attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control toward the COVID-19 vaccine.

Electronic and Excitonic Properties of MSi Z Monolayers.

MA Z monolayers form a new class of hexagonal non-centrosymmetric materials hosting extraordinary spin-valley physics. While only two compounds (MoSi N and WSi N ) are recently synthesized, theory predicts interesting (opto)electronic properties of a whole new family of such two-dimensional (2D) materials. Here, the chemical trends of band gaps and spin-orbit splittings of bands in selected MSi Z (M = Mo, W; Z = N, P, As, Sb) compounds are studied from first-principles.

Distinctive -Factor of Moiré-Confined Excitons in van der Waals Heterostructures.

We investigated the valley Zeeman splitting of excitonic peaks in the microphotoluminescence (μPL) spectra of high-quality hBN/WS/MoSe/hBN heterostructures under perpendicular magnetic fields up to 20 T. We identify two neutral exciton peaks in the μPL spectra; the lower-energy peak exhibits a reduced -factor relative to that of the higher energy peak and much lower than the recently reported values for interlayer excitons in other van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures. We provide evidence that such a discernible -factor stems from the spatial confinement of the exciton in the potential landscape created by the moiré pattern due to lattice mismatch or interlayer twist in heterobilayers.

Stress-Tuned Optical Transitions in Layered 1T-MX (M=Hf, Zr, Sn; X=S, Se) Crystals.

Optical measurements under externally applied stresses allow us to study the materials' electronic structure by comparing the pressure evolution of optical peaks obtained from experiments and theoretical calculations. We examine the stress-induced changes in electronic structure for the thermodynamically stable 1T polytype of selected MX2 compounds (M=Hf, Zr, Sn; X=S, Se), using the density functional theory. We demonstrate that considered 1T-MX2 materials are semiconducting with indirect character of the band gap, irrespective to the employed pressure as predicted using modified Becke-Johnson potential.

Agenda-Setting for COVID-19: A Study of Large-Scale Economic News Coverage Using Natural Language Processing.

Over the past two years, organizations and businesses have been forced to constantly adapt and develop effective responses to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The acuteness, global scale and intense dynamism of the situation make online news and information even more important for making informed management and policy decisions. This paper focuses on the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, using natural language processing (NLP) techniques to examine the news media as the main source of information and agenda-setters of public discourse over an eight-month period.

Temperature induced modulation of resonant Raman scattering in bilayer 2H-MoS.

The temperature evolution of the resonant Raman scattering from high-quality bilayer 2H-MoS[Formula: see text] encapsulated in hexagonal BN flakes is presented. The observed resonant Raman scattering spectrum as initiated by the laser energy of 1.96 eV, close to the A excitonic resonance, shows rich and distinct vibrational features that are otherwise not observed in non-resonant scattering.

Disease burden, associated mortality and economic impact of antimicrobial resistant infections in Australia.

Background: The growing spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is accepted as a threat to humans, animals and the environment. This threat is considered to be both country specific and global, with bacteria resistant to antibiotic treatment geographically dispersed. Despite this, we have very few Australian estimates available that use national surveillance data supplemented with measures of risk, to generate reliable and actionable measures of AMR impact.