Is lamotrigine a teratogen?

Aim: To assess whether lamotrigine (Lamictal), when used in antiseizure medication (ASM) monotherapy, is a teratogen.

Materials/methods: Analysis of data from 490 LTG monotherapy treated pregnancies and 214 pregnancies in women with epilepsy not exposed to any antiseizure medications during at least the first half of pregnancy.

Results: The LTG-treated and the untreated pregnancies were well matched in nearly all regards apart from ASM exposure.

Was extinction of New Zealand's avian megafauna an unavoidable consequence of human arrival?

Human overexploitation contributed strongly to the loss of hundreds of bird species across Oceania, including nine giant, flightless birds called moa. The inevitability of anthropogenic moa extinctions in New Zealand has been fiercely debated. However, we can now rigorously evaluate their extinction drivers using spatially explicit demographic models capturing species-specific interactions between moa, natural climates and landscapes, and human colonists.

Outcomes of surgically treated posterior pelvic fractures in an Australian population: A multicenter study.

Background: Unstable posterior pelvic-ring fractures are rare and difficult to manage. There are many injury patterns, they are associated with high morbidity and mortality, and optimal surgical management remains contentions. This study aims to compare outcomes and complications for different surgical management of these injuries.

Are AI chatbots concordant with evidence-based cancer screening recommendations?

Objective: This study aimed to assess whether information from AI chatbots on benefits and harms of breast and prostate cancer screening were concordant with evidence-based cancer screening recommendations.

Methods: Seven unique prompts (four breast cancer; three prostate cancer) were presented to ChatGPT in March 2024. A total of 60 criteria (30 breast; 30 prostate) were used to assess the concordance of information.

Development of mobile educational applications designed for nurses: A narrative review.

Objective: To identify and synthesise existing literature about the use of mobile educational applications (apps) designed to enhance the learning experience of nurses and midwives.

Design: A narrative review using a systematic, structured and comprehensive search of the literature.

Data Sources: Medline Complete (EBSCO), CINAHL (EBSCO), ERIC (EBSCO) and Embase (OVID) electronic databases.

Heterogeneous distribution of the reported prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis infections in Australian canids - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Reports of Dirofilaria immitis infection vary by location in the USA and Europe, with an occurrence gradient increasing towards the equator and warmer climates. In Australia, heartworm preventative guidelines are not climate specific, implying homogenous risk of infection across the continent. We systematically reviewed the published literature to assess if the distribution of D.

Machine-learning based risk prediction of outcomes in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in Australia: the AUS-COVID score.

Objective: We aimed to develop a highly interpretable and effective, machine-learning based risk prediction algorithm to predict in-hospital mortality, intubation and adverse cardiovascular events in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in Australia (AUS-COVID Score).

Materials And Methods: This prospective study across 21 hospitals included 1714 consecutive patients aged ≥ 18 in their index hospitalization with COVID-19. The dataset was separated into training (80%) and test sets (20%).

Trabecular bone deficits predominate in the appendicular skeleton of midlife women living with HIV: findings from a cross-sectional study in Zimbabwe.

HIV-related mortality has fallen due to scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART), so more women living with HIV (WLH) now live to reach menopause. Menopausal estrogen loss causes bone loss, as do HIV and certain ART regimens. However, quantitative bone data from WLH are few in Africa.

Implementation of the I-DECIDED tool for PIVC assessment and decision making: discussion paper.

Highlights: PIVCs often cause pain, irritation, or infection. Regular and careful catheter checks can decrease complications and improve patient outcomes. Implementation of the I-DECIDED® tool led to fewer idle catheters and complications.

Pro-cumulin addition in a biphasic in vitro oocyte maturation system modulates human oocyte and cumulus cell transcriptomes.

Biphasic in vitro oocyte maturation (IVM) can be offered as a patient-friendly alternative to conventional ovarian stimulation in in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients predicted to be hyper-responsive to ovarian stimulation. However, cumulative live birth rates after IVM per cycle are lower than after conventional ovarian stimulation for IVF. In different animal species, supplementation of IVM media with oocyte-secreted factors (OSFs) improves oocyte developmental competence through the expression of pro-ovulatory genes in cumulus cells.

Land use dynamics and their impact on hydrology and water quality of a river catchment: a comprehensive analysis and future scenario.

Land use changes profoundly affect hydrological processes and water quality at various scales, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of sustainable water resource management. This paper investigates the implications of land use alterations in the Gap-Cheon watershed, analyzing data from 2012 and 2022 and predicting changes up to 2052 using the Future Land Use Simulation (FLUS) model. The study employs the Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF) model to assess water quantity and quality dynamics.

Pituitary adenomas: biology, nomenclature and clinical classification.

An 'adenoma' is a benign neoplasm composed of epithelial tissue, and has been standard nomenclature for primary pituitary neoplasms. In 2022, the fifth edition of the WHO Classification of Endocrine Tumours and of Central Nervous System Tumours, renamed pituitary adenomas as neuroendocrine tumours (NETs), assigning an oncology label to pituitary invariably benign neoplasms. Multidisciplinary workshops convened by the Pituitary Society have questioned the process, validity, and merit of this arbitrary change, while addressing the adverse clinical implications of the proposed new nomenclature.

MAPK1IP1L::TFE3-rearranged renal cell carcinoma: a novel fusion adding to the differential diagnosis of oncocytic renal neoplasms.

Beyond the more common TFE3 fusion partners PRCC, ASPSCR1, and SFPQ, additional less common fusion partners of TFE3-rearranged renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have been described. Herein, we present an example of TFE3-rearranged renal cell carcinoma harboring fusion partner MAPK1IP1L, a rare rearrangement with only one other reported tumor found in the literature. The currently reported TFE3-rearranged RCC demonstrates unique histological features compared to the previously reported tumor including dense eosinophilic cytoplasm and nuclear pseudoinclusions (corroborated by electron microscopic evaluation), with features not typically seen in other TFE3-rearranged RCCs.

"When People Reach Out that is When They're Desperate": Understanding Informal and Formal Help-Seeking Practices for Gambling among Aboriginal Peoples in the Northern Territory, Australia.

This study provides an in-depth qualitative exploration of Aboriginal peoples' experiences with seeking help for gambling-related issues in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia. Through semi-structured interviews with 29 participants, including regular and occasional gamblers as well as those affected by others' gambling, the research highlights key barriers to seeking formal help. These barriers included the normalisation of gambling within Aboriginal communities, denial of gambling problems, feelings of shame, privacy concerns, and a lack of trust in mainstream services.

Exploration of Roles and Contribution of Spiritual Care Practitioners in Mental Health: An Australian Study.

Mental health is inherently multidimensional, requiring a holistic approach to intervention that integrates various aspects of an individual's well-being. Spirituality, a vital component of mental health, remains under addressed in Australian mental healthcare. Spiritual care practitioners may play a key role in addressing spiritual needs in mental healthcare; however, their roles and contributions in this context remain unexplored in the extant literature.

T Cell Dysregulation in Rheumatoid Arthritis: from Genetic Susceptibility to Established Disease.

Purpose Of Review: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the synovial tissue, where T cells play a central role in pathogenesis. Recent research has identified T peripheral helper (Tph) cells as critical mediators of local B cell activation in inflamed tissues. This review synthesizes the latest advancements in our understanding the of the role of T cells in RA, from initiation to established disease.

Spectral CT radiomics features of the tumor and perigastric adipose tissue can predict lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer.

Objectives: To develop a nomogram based on the radiomics features of tumour and perigastric adipose tissue adjacent to the tumor in dual-layer spectral detector computed tomography (DLCT) for lymph node metastasis (LNM) prediction in gastric cancer (GC).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 175 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. They were divided into training cohort (n = 125) and validation cohort (n = 50).

Pharmacological, computational, and mechanistic insights into triptolide's role in targeting drug-resistant cancers.

As a promising candidate for tackling drug-resistant cancers, triptolide, a diterpenoid derived from the Chinese medicinal plant Tripterygium wilfordii, has been developed. This review summarizes potential antitumor activities, including the suppression of RNA polymerase II, the suppression of heat shock proteins (HSP70 and HSP90), and the blockade of NF-kB signalling. Triptolide is the first known compound to target cancer cells specifically but spare normal cells, and it has success in treating cancers that are difficult to treat, including pancreatic, breast, and lung cancers.

What Kills Mature Street and Park Trees in Cities? Systematic Quantitative Review of Published Case Studies.

Street and park trees often endure harsher conditions, including increased temperatures and drier soil and air, than those found in urban or natural forests. These conditions can lead to shorter lifespans and a greater vulnerability to dieback. This literature review aimed to identify confirmed causes of street and park tree dieback in urban areas from around the world.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces sclerostin secretion by extracellular vesicle via TLR4/miR-92a-3p/PTEN/NF-κB signalling pathway in murine macrophage.

Background: Sclerostin (SOST) is traditionally regarded as an osteocyte-derived secreted glycoprotein that regulates bone mineralization. Recent studies reported that SOST is also released from non-skeletal sources, especially during inflammation. However, the cellular source and regulatory mechanisms governing SOST generation in inflammation remain unclear.

The Impact of Sleep on Cognitive Function in Youth Athletes.

Objectives: This study sought to characterize the sleep of youth athletes and investigate relationships between sleep measures and cognitive function.

Method: Youth netball athletes ( = 19, age; 16.58 ± 1.

Minimal extra-cardiac atherosclerosis present in young people with sudden cardiac death due to coronary artery disease.

Aim: To define the association between severe coronary artery disease and widespread atherosclerosis in younger individuals.

Methods: Individuals aged 1-50 years with sudden cardiac death (SCD) from 2019-23, autopsy-proven to be due to coronary artery disease, were identified using the state-wide EndUCD registry. Presence of extra-coronary atherosclerosis greater than modified American Heart Association class III was assessed in 5 arterial beds (intra-cerebral vessels, aorta, carotid, renal and femoral arteries).

Opportunities to Digitally Enable Falls Prevention in Older Adults.

Falls are a serious problem confronting older adults. Evidence demonstrates that multifactorial interventions that target multiple risk factors can reduce falls. However, resource and access constraints impact intervention uptake and sustainability.

Distribution of informal caregiving for older adults living with or at risk of cognitive decline within and beyond family in rural South Africa.

Objectives: Aging populations will increasingly need care, much of this provided informally particularly in rural areas and in low and middle-income countries. In rural South Africa, formal support is severely limited, and adult children are frequently unavailable due to morbidity, early mortality, employment and migration. We describe how care is shared within and between households.

Each hour injures, the last one kills.

The haemorrhage of psychiatrists from the NSW state-funded mental health system parallels losses throughout Australia, and internationally. The lack of workforce cripples the capacity to provide adequate care. There has been persistently neglectful under-resourcing of the care of people with severe mental illness.