Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Program, 1 April to 30 June 2024.

The Australian National Neisseria Network (NNN) comprises reference laboratories in each state and territory that report data on antimicrobial susceptibility testing to an agreed group of antimicrobial agents for the Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme (AGSP). The AGSP data are presented quarterly in tabulated form, as well as in the AGSP annual report. This report presents national gonococcal antimicrobial resistance surveillance data from 1 April to 30 June 2024.

Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Program, 1 January to 31 March 2024.

The Australian National Neisseria Network (NNN) comprises reference laboratories in each state and territory that report data on antimicrobial susceptibility testing to an agreed group of antimicrobial agents for the Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme (AGSP). The AGSP data are presented quarterly in tabulated form, as well as in the AGSP annual report. This report presents national gonococcal antimicrobial resistance surveillance data from 1 January to 31 March 2024.

Association of muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness with all-cause and cancer-specific mortality in patients diagnosed with cancer: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Objectives: To examine the association between muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with all-cause and cancer-specific mortality in patients diagnosed with cancer, and whether these associations are affected by type and/or stage of cancer.

Method: A systematic review with meta-analysis was carried out. Five bibliographic databases were searched to August 2023.

The Possibilities of Observational Research in Workplace Learning: The Case of Video-Reflexive Ethnography.

Objective: This paper, using video-reflexive ethnography (VRE) as a case study, explores the prospects for and possibilities of observational research in workplace learning.

Methods: Focusing on VRE methodology and drawing on its principles of care, collaboration, exnovation (paying attention to existing strengths) and reflexivity, we elaborate the prospects for and scope of possibilities for observational research.

Results: VRE's flexibility and participatory nature enable researchers and participants to understand the complexities of learning in situ and the dynamic interactions between learning and work practice.

How to Approach Qualitative Observational Research in Workplace Learning.

Background: Learning in clinical settings occurs through engagement in everyday activities and interactions. Yet, clinical settings are complex, dynamic environments and data collection methods such as interviews and focus groups, although valuable, alone may not capture the complexities of these settings. Qualitative observational research offers an approach to understanding these complexities and enhancing learning in clinical settings.

Risk of bias tools for medication adherence research: RoBIAS and RoBOAS.

Aims: An unbiased means of documenting medication-taking is important to ensure quality evidence about adherence research and to accurately identify individuals at risk of suboptimal adherence for the development of targeted and effective interventions. Guidance to assist researchers in the understanding of risk of bias when conducting or reviewing adherence research is currently not available. To address this gap, tools to identify and gauge the magnitude of important biases that may impact adherence research have been developed.

Tibial Plateau Angle Changes following Repair of Salter-Harris Type 1 and 2 Fractures in Dogs.

Objective:  To determine (1) whether the tibial plateau angle (TPA) in dogs with Salter-Harris type 1 (SH-1) or type 2 (SH-2) fractures of the proximal tibial physis significantly decreases in the time between diagnosis and reevaluation following surgical repair and (2) whether the method of surgical repair influences the change in TPA over time.

Study Design:  This study was a retrospective study. Medical records from 2017 to 2022 were reviewed to identify dogs with SH-1 or SH-2 fractures of the proximal tibial physis that had undergone surgical repair with Kirschner wires (K-wires), with or without a tibial tuberosity tension band.

Australian guidelines for equine internal parasite management.

Over the past few decades, the emergence of resistance amongst intestinal parasites of horses to all available anthelmintic classes has emphasised the need for a paradigm shift in parasite control approaches within the Australian equine industry. Findings of a recent Australia-wide research project have provided new insights into intestinal parasites (i.e.

Factors that influence the decision to release rehabilitated koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) to fire-affected home sites.

This study appraises recent research to critically evaluate knowledge on the factors that influence decisions around the release of rehabilitated koalas to fire-affected home sites. Availability of koala release sites could be compromised at times in the future by the increasing incidence of large and intense bushfires due to climate change. In addition, factors such as the fragmentation of koala habitat and increasing urbanisation impose other threats to the long-term survival of the released koala.

Continuous colonization of the Atlantic coastal rain forests of South America from Amazônia.

The two main extensions of rain forest in South America are the Amazon (Amazônia) and the Atlantic rain forest (Mata Atlântica), which are separated by a wide 'dry diagonal' of seasonal vegetation. We used the species-rich tree genus to test if Amazônia-Mata Atlântica dispersals have been clustered during specific time periods corresponding to past, humid climates. We performed hybrid capture DNA sequencing of 810 nuclear loci for 453 accessions representing 164 species that included 62% of Mata Atlântica species and estimated a dated phylogeny for all accessions using maximum likelihood, and a species-level tree using coalescent methods.

Avian telencephalon and cerebellum volumes can be accurately estimated from digital brain endocasts.

For studies of the evolution of vertebrate brain anatomy and potentially associated behaviours, reconstructions of digital brain endocasts from computed tomography scans have revolutionized our capacity to collect neuroanatomical data. However, measurements from digital endocasts must be validated as reflecting actual brain anatomy, which is difficult because the collection of soft tissue information through histology is laborious and time-consuming. In birds, the reliability of digital endocast measurements as volume proxies for the two largest brain regions-the telencephalon and cerebellum-remains to be validated despite their use as proxies, e.

Effects of maturity status, training background and stereopsis on perceptual-cognitive skills from childhood into adolescence.

Perceptual-cognitive skills are determinant for sports performance in young athletes. The present study aimed to clarify how maturity status influences perceptual-cognitive skills with consideration of training background and stereopsis. One hundred and sixty-six 10- to 16-year-old male participants were divided into eight groups based on their training background (moderately-trained: 1-2 weekly sessions; well-trained: 4-5 weekly sessions) and maturity status (Pre-Pubertal ≤ -2 years from APHV, Pre-Pubertal = -2 to -0.

25 years of Ross operation in adults: the inclusion technique keeps up the expectations.

Background: In adults the Ross procedure provides an excellent alternative to prosthetic valves, but it is underutilised because of concerns about technical complexity, durability, and perceived high late reoperation rates. The inclusion technique stabilizes the aortic root, prevents dilatation, and respects the dynamic root physiology. Long-term outcomes of the Ross procedure with the inclusion cylinder technique (1992-2022) are reported.

Improving the Use of Lifting Velocity to Predict Repetitions to Failure: A Systematic Review.

Background: A recent advancement in velocity-based training involves estimating the maximum number of repetitions to failure (RTF) by analyzing the fastest velocity recorded within a set. A systematic review examining the fundamental characteristics of the RTF-velocity relationship is still lacking.

Purpose: This study aimed to (1) determine the basic properties of the RTF-velocity relationships (goodness of fit, reliability, and accuracy) and (2) offer guidance on implementing various methodological factors that can impact the RTF accuracy prediction.

Physical Activity and Life Expectancy Free of Cancer: Prospective Evidence From the UK Biobank Study.

Background: Life expectancy free of cancer (LEFC) is a novel measure that considers both morbidity and mortality and could be a useful metric for disease surveillance and risk communication. We aimed to examine the association between physical activity and LEFC in British adults.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of 292,559 apparently healthy UK Biobank participants (mean [SD] age, 56.

Squash in Los Angeles: Heat Strain and Performance Considerations at the 2028 Olympic Games.

Background: The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will mark the debut of squash, a high-intensity sport characterized by repeated efforts, posing potential thermoregulatory challenges. The demanding nature of squash results in substantial metabolic heat production, with consequential heat strain exacerbated by the indoor environment of squash courts, where low to moderate evaporative potential limits effective cooling. Players often experience increased body-heat storage and thermal strain, with muscle cramps (an early warning sign of more severe heat-related illnesses) commonly observed during tournaments.

Wildfires: Burning our way to a 'hot house Earth'?

A new global analysis shows that wildfires turn temperate and boreal forests into major emitters of greenhouse gases - instead of storing carbon. Without sustainable forest fire management, forest fires may amplify climate change, leading to irreversible ecological changes.

Agrochemicals: Insect declines in a warming world.

Worldwide declines in the abundance of non-pest insects threaten ecosystems, food production, and human wellbeing. A large-scale study has systematically examined field and environmental levels of 1,024 agrochemicals and the effect of small temperature increases. The results are disturbing.

Phytantriol phase behaviour in deep eutectic solvent-water mixtures.

Deep eutectic solvents are highly tailorable non-aqueous solvents with potential applications ranging from energy catalysis to cryopreservation. Self-assembled lipid structures are already used in a variety of industries including cosmetics, drug delivery and as microreactors. However, most research into lipid self-assembly has been limited to aqueous solvents.

Sociocultural and perinatal health factors associated with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.

While previous research has examined perinatal factors in the context of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), studies focusing on sociocultural factors is limited. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis utilizing data from the Australian Autism Biobank (AAB), which encompasses autistic children aged 2-17, their siblings, parents, and unrelated controls. Employing multivariable regression analyses, we aimed to identify factors associated with ASD across various domains, spanning health and lifestyle, perinatal, and postnatal contexts.

An in-silico investigation of the effect of changing cycling crank power and cadence on muscle energetics and active muscle volume.

This study used musculoskeletal modelling to explore the relationship between cycling conditions (power output and cadence) and muscle activation and metabolic power. We hypothesized that the cadence that minimized the simulated average active muscle volume would be higher than the cadence that minimized the simulated metabolic power. We validated the simulation by comparing the predicted muscle activation and fascicle velocities with experimental electromyography and ultrasound images.

A Systematic Approach to Prioritise Diagnostically Useful Findings for Inclusion in Electronic Health Records as Discrete Data to Improve Clinical Artificial Intelligence Tools and Genomic Research.

Aims: The recent widespread use of electronic health records (EHRs) has opened the possibility for innumerable artificial intelligence (AI) tools to aid in genomics, phenomics, and other research, as well as disease prevention, diagnosis, and therapy. Unfortunately, much of the data contained in EHRs are not optimally structured for even the most sophisticated AI approaches. There are very few published efforts investigating methods for recording discrete data in EHRs that would not slow current clinical workflows or ways to prioritise patient characteristics worth recording.