Triage gap? Analysis of admission rates, service utilisation and mortality for First Nations patients compared to non-First Nations patients, stratified by ED triage category.

Background: First Nations patients often experience poorer health outcomes than non-First Nations patients. Despite emergency triage primarily focusing on severity, implying comparable outcomes for patients in the same triage group regardless of demographics, the precision of triage for First-Nations Australians may be undermined by multiple factors, although research in this area is scarce.

Objective: To compare admission rates, service utilisation and mortality for First Nations and non-First Nations patients, based on their triage categories.

Hindcasting Farmed Salmon Mortality to Improve Future Health and Production Outcomes.

Intracellular, free-floating and biofilm-forming bacterial pathogens have been implicated in summer mortality of farmed Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, in New Zealand. A mortality event in 2022 in the Pelorus Sound, Marlborough, was linked to high water temperatures (> 18°C), and bacterial skin disease associated with Piscirickettsia spp. (=Rickettsia-like organisms) and Tenacibaculum species.

Effectiveness of Root Canal Irrigation and Dressing for the Treatment of Asymptomatic Apical Periodontitis: A Systematic Review Assessing Complementary Timeframes.

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)) are used in root canal treatment. However, further research is needed to assess their effectiveness at time points not considered in previous guidelines. This review complements the systematic review by Rossi-Fedele and Rödig (2023) by considering time points excluded by the latter.

Differences in the effectiveness of individual-level smoking cessation interventions by socioeconomic status.

Background: People from lower socioeconomic groups are more likely to smoke and less likely to succeed in achieving abstinence, making tobacco smoking a leading driver of health inequalities. Contextual factors affecting subpopulations may moderate the efficacy of individual-level smoking cessation interventions. It is not known whether any intervention performs differently across socioeconomically-diverse populations and contexts.

Increase in IAA levels by EPSPS copy number variation relates to fitness advantage in Eleusine indica.

Background: Long-term use of chemical weed control has led to some weedy species evolving herbicide resistance traits with fitness advantage. Our previous studies revealed glyphosate resistance in an Eleusine indica population due to copy number variation of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) comes with fitness advantage under non-competitive conditions. Here, transcriptomics and targeted metabolomics were used to investigate physiological basis associated with the fitness advantage.

High performance humidity sensor based on a graphene oxide-chitosan composite.

In this study, we have proposed an advanced humidity sensor based on a composite of chitosan (CS) and graphene oxide (GO), prepared by the drop casting method. Graphene oxide-chitosan (GO-CS) films with varying volumetric ratios, along with pure GO and CS films, were prepared and extensively characterized using XRD, Raman, FTIR, SEM, XPS, and water contact angle to study their structural and morphological properties. Comparative analysis of humidity sensing parameters of all prepared films revealed that the film with a volumetric ratio of 4 : 1 (GOCS-2) performs best among all of them, which is attributed to the synergistic interaction between GO and CS.

Quantifying years of life lost in Australia: a multiple cause of death analysis.

Background: Deaths in Australia and other high-income countries increasingly involve multiple conditions. However, key burden of disease measures typically only use the underlying cause of death (UC). We quantified sex and cause-specific years of life lost (YLL) based on UC compared with a method integrating multiple causes of death.

Maintenance of prehospital anaesthesia in trauma patients: inconsistencies and variability in practice.

Background: Literature on prehospital anaesthesia predominantly focuses on preparation and induction, while there is limited guidance on anaesthesia maintenance. The hypothesis of this study was that for prehospital trauma patients, protocols and practice for anaesthesia maintenance may vary considerably between services. Hence, we sought to describe the practice of prehospital anaesthesia maintenance for trauma patients in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

Functional characterization of eicosanoid signaling in development.

20-carbon fatty acid-derived eicosanoids are versatile signaling oxylipins in mammals. In particular, a group of eicosanoids termed prostanoids are involved in multiple physiological processes, such as reproduction and immune responses. Although some eicosanoids such as prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) have been detected in some insect species, molecular mechanisms of eicosanoid synthesis and signal transduction in insects have been poorly investigated.

Permissive central tolerance plus defective peripheral checkpoints licence pathogenic memory B cells in CASPR2-antibody encephalitis.

Autoimmunity affects 10% of the population. Within this umbrella, autoantibody-mediated diseases targeting one autoantigen provide a unique opportunity to comprehensively understand the developmental pathway of disease-causing B cells and autoantibodies. While such autoreactivities are believed to be generated during germinal centre reactions, the roles of earlier immune checkpoints in autoantigen-specific B cell tolerance are poorly understood.

Radiology insights into Petersen's hernia complication of post Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Following gastrojejunostomy in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), the mesentery is susceptible to Petersen's hernia due to a mesenteric gap created between the alimentary limb, transverse mesocolon, and retroperitoneum. Although the Petersen's hernia is a rare complication, it has increased due to the widespread adoption of gastric bypass surgeries for weight management and gastric cancer resections. Computed tomography (CT) is commonly used to evaluate suspected cases.

Cumulative Dispensing of Oral Corticosteroids Over 12 Months in People with COPD.

Purpose: Oral corticosteroids (OCS) are recommended for the treatment of exacerbations in people with COPD; however, high cumulative lifetime doses (≥1000mg prednisolone-equivalent) are associated with adverse health effects. This issue is well defined in asthma but is less well understood in COPD. The aim of this study was to examine cumulative OCS dispensed to people with COPD over 12 months.

The band's encore: scarring causing dysphagia post-gastric band removal.

Placement of a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) is a procedure used in bariatric surgery. Despite its decrease in popularity due to its high reoperation rate and suboptimal clinical response, managing the complications of LAGBs remains an important component of general and bariatric surgeons' work. Only two case studies describe return to theatre to excise scarring, which has continued to cause symptoms after LAGB removal.

A union of two rare pathologies: small bowel diverticula perforation secondary to impacted gallstone ileus.

An 84-year-old lady presented with 1 day history of sudden onset generalized abdominal pain, fevers, and peritonism. Computed tomography was suggestive of a mid-small bowel perforation associated with a distal ovoid soft tissue density structure without pneumobilia. An urgent laparotomy demonstrated two areas of jejunal diverticula necrosis and perforation associated with a 3 cm luminal mass in the proximal ileum, and proximal small bowel dilatation.

Insect farming: A bioeconomy-based opportunity to revalorize plastic wastes.

Managing plastic waste is one of the greatest challenges humanity faces in the coming years. Current strategies-landfilling, incineration, and recycling-remain insufficient or pose significant environmental concerns, failing to address the growing volume of plastic residues discharged into the environment. Recently, increasing attention has focused on the potential of certain insect larvae species to chew, consume, and partially biodegrade synthetic polymers such as polystyrene and polyethylene, offering novel biotechnological opportunities for plastic waste management.

Indications for an antidepressive effect of thymosin alpha-1 in a small open-label proof of concept study in common variable immune deficiency patients with depression.

Background: A considerable proportion (21%) of patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) suffers from depression. These subjects are characterized by reduced naïve T cells and a premature T cell senescence similar to that of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). It is known that T cells are essential for limbic system development/function.

Inflammatory proteins related to depression in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Up to 50% of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience depression. Depression has been accompanied by increases in inflammatory proteins. This meta-analysis summarized the data on inflammatory protein concentrations and level of depression in individuals with MS.

Smaller sizes of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics mainly stimulate heterotrophic NO production in aerobic granular sludge systems.

Widespread polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (PET MPs) have played unintended role in nitrous oxide (NO) turnovers (i.e., production and consumption) at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).

Effectiveness of three machine learning models for prediction of daily streamflow and uncertainty assessment.

This study evaluates three Machine Learning (ML) models-Temporal Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks (TKAN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and Temporal Convolutional Networks (TCN)-focusing on their capabilities to improve prediction accuracy and efficiency in streamflow forecasting. We adopt a data-centric approach, utilizing large, validated datasets to train the models, and apply SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to enhance the interpretability and reliability of the ML models. The results show that TKAN outperforms LSTM but slightly lags behind TCN in streamflow forecasting.

Predicting outcomes with compounding comorbidities - Left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia complicated by pre-viable premature rupture of the membranes: A case report.

This case report describes the difficulty in predicting the outcomes for a fetus affected with both left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia and second-trimester pre-viable rupture of membranes. Despite the reserved prognosis at the time of diagnosis, a favourable outcome was obtained. The case highlights the relevance of established prognosticators such as the observed/expected lung/head ratio and also underscores the importance of balanced counselling and providing parents with realistic expectations and appropriate support.

Contemporary clinical perspectives on chronic low back pain: The biology, mechanics, etc. underpinning clinical and radiological evaluation.

Background: Pain of a chronic nature remains the foremost concern in tertiary spine clinics, yet its elusive nature and quantification challenges persist. Despite extensive research and education on low back pain (LBP), the realm of diagnostic practices lacks a unified approach. Clinically, LBP exhibits a multifaceted character, encompassing conventional assessments of severity and disability, alongside nuanced attributes like pain characterization, duration, and patient expectations.