Weaving the strands together for a stronger future: Responding to the mental health needs of Pacific children and young people.

Objective: The aim of this paper is to summarise the findings of a virtual workshop at the Creating Futures 2023 Conference held on October 18 with 45 participants attending from Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Cook Islands, Australia and New Zealand. Brief presentations about future mental health needs of Pacific children & young people were followed by small group discussions. These focussed on how island nation participants could "make it real" by considering actions to promote mental health and wellbeing in their communities.

Comparison of colorectal cancer surgery patients in intensive care between rural and metropolitan hospitals in Australia: a national cohort study.

Purpose: A small proportion of colorectal cancer (CRC) surgical patients will require an admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) within the early postoperative period. This study aimed to compare the characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to an ICU following CRC surgery per hospital type (metropolitan vs. rural) over a decade in Australia.

The ReAct project: Analysis of data from 23 different laboratories to characterise DNA recovery given two sets of activity level propositions.

The ReAct (Recovery, Activity) project is an ENFSI (European Network of Forensic Science Institutes) supported initiative comprising a large consortium of laboratories. Here, the results from more than 23 laboratories are presented. The primary purpose was to design experiments simulating typical casework circumstances; collect data and to implement Bayesian networks to assess the value (i.

Microbial manganese redox cycling drives co-removal of nitrate and ammonium.

Manganese (Mn), abundant in the Earth's crust, can act as an oxidant or a reductant for diverse nitrogen biotransformation processes. However, the functional microorganisms and their metabolic pathways, as well as interactions, remain largely elusive. Here, a microbial consortium was enriched from a mixture of freshwater sediments and activated sludge by feeding ammonium, nitrate and Mn(II), which established manganese-driven co-removal of nitrate and ammonium with removal rates of 5.

The regulatory mechanism controlling nitrification inhibitors-induced mitigation of nitrification and NO-N leaching in alkaline purple soil.

Nitrification inhibitors (NIs) are critical to reduce nitrogen (N) leaching losses. However, the efficacy of different NIs can be highly variable across soils and crop types, and a deeper understanding of the mechanistic basis of this efficiency variation, especially in purple soil under vegetable production, is lacking. To enrich this knowledge gap, the impact of different NIs amendment (3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate, DMPP; dicyandiamide, DCD; nitrapyrin, NP) on nitrification and the microbial mechanistic basis of controlling nitrate (NO-N) leaching of vegetable purple soil was explored in southwest China.

A cross-country network analysis of disease infodemics: Looking through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Infodemics surrounding pandemics and epidemics have persisted for centuries and continue to impede efforts to promote high vaccination coverage. We explored the complex interplay between COVID-19 vaccination attitudes and COVID-19-related infodemics across Germany, Ghana, India, and New Zealand using the novel network analysis. We conducted an online cross-sectional survey and recruited 1822 participants from the general populations of India (n = 411), New Zealand (n = 413), Ghana (n = 523), and Germany (n = 413) to complete COVID-19 infodemic measures and demographics questions.

Evaluation of adherence to the Preferred Reporting of CasE Series in Surgery (PROCESS) 2020 guideline in case series describing endovascular management of vein of Galen malformation demonstrates suboptimal reporting practices.

Background: Interventional neuroradiology is a dynamic field with technological advancements constantly driving evolution in clinical practice. Case series provide interventional neuroradiologists the opportunity to describe the clinical implications of novel equipment and techniques almost in real-time, informing broader adoption and directing future research. Complete reporting in case series is vital in enabling readers to detect bias, determine the generalizability of results and replicate study methodology.

Quality of life and return to work rates in the first two years following major burn injury.

Background: A better understanding of how major burns patients recover following injury is vital in assessing trauma care and informing healthcare and rehabilitation provision. We aimed to describe the longer-term health and return to work status of major burns patients and identify factors associated with positive outcomes i.e.

Biomechanical analysis of step-up and step-down tasks in knee osteoarthritis: Insights from leading and trailing limbs.

Background: Stair climbing tests are pivotal when assessing physical performance in knee osteoarthritis patients, yet the biomechanical strategies that underpin poor stair climbing ability are heterogeneously reported. Single step tasks emulate a step-by-step gait pattern, an approach associated with knee pain when stair climbing. The objective of this study is to analyse the biomechanics and electromyography activity of both the leading and trailing limbs during single Step-up and Down tasks in knee osteoarthritis patients.

Large language models vs human for classifying clinical documents.

Background: Accurate classification of medical records is crucial for clinical documentation, particularly when using the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) coding system. The use of machine learning algorithms and Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) mapping has shown promise in performing these classifications. However, challenges remain, particularly in reducing false negatives, where certain diagnoses are not correctly identified by either approach.

One-step antifouling coating of polystyrene using engineered polypeptides.

Unwanted nonspecific adsorption caused by biomolecules influences the lifetime of biomedical devices and the sensing performance of biosensors. Previously, we have designed B-M-E triblock proteins that rapidly assemble on inorganic surfaces (gold and silica) and render those surfaces antifouling. The B-M-E triblock proteins have a surface-binding domain B, a multimerization domain M and an antifouling domain E.

Extent of genetic and epigenetic factor reprogramming via a single viral vector construct in deaf adult mice.

In the adult mammalian cochlea, hair cell loss is irreversible and causes deafness. The basic helix-loop transcription factor Atoh1 is essential for normal hair cell development in the embryonic ear. Over-expression of Atoh1 in the adult cochlea by gene therapy can convert supporting cells (cells that underlie hair cells) into a hair cell lineage.

Pembrolizumab in microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair deficient (MSI-H/dMMR) and non-MSI-H/non-dMMR advanced endometrial cancer: Phase 2 KEYNOTE-158 study results.

Objective: We report updated results with longer follow-up in patients with MSI-H/dMMR endometrial cancer (EC) in cohort D (advanced EC of any MSI/dMMR status) and cohort K (any MSI-H/dMMR advanced solid tumor, except colorectal) of the phase 2 KEYNOTE-158 study (NCT02628067) and the first results from patients with non-MSI-H/non-dMMR advanced EC (cohort D).

Methods: Patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg Q3W for ≥35 cycles. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST v1.

Ultraviolet radiation vs air filtration to mitigate virus laden aerosol in an occupied clinical room.

Mitigation measures against infectious aerosols are desperately needed. We aimed to: 1) compare germicidal ultraviolet radiation (GUV) at 254 nm (254-GUV) and 222 nm (222-GUV) with portable high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to inactivate/remove airborne bacteriophage ϕX174, 2) measure the effect of air mixing on the effectiveness of 254-GUV, and 3) determine the relative susceptibility of ϕX174, SARS-CoV-2, and Influenza A(H3N2) to GUV (254 nm, 222 nm). A nebulizer generated ϕX174 laden aerosols in an occupied clinical room (sealed-low flow).

New treatments for adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

Adult T cell leukemia lymphoma (ATL) is a mature T cell neoplasm caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). ATL is endemic in specific geographic regions of the world closely related to areas with high prevalence of HLTV-1 infection, including Southwestern Japan, the Caribbean Basin, Central Africa, South America, Northern and Central Australia. HLTV-1 is primarily transmitted through breastmilk in asymptomatic carriers with a long latency period before transformation into ATL in 3 - 5 % of carriers after acquisition of multiple leukemogenic mutations.

Exploring the decisional needs of patients living with subacromial pain syndrome: A qualitative needs assessment study.

Background: There are a variety of different treatments for patients living with subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS). All treatments have small to moderate effect sizes, and it is challenging when healthcare practitioners and patients need to decide on which treatment options to choose. The aim of this study was to explore and understand the decisional needs of patients with SAPS, to inform and support the decision-making process.

Uptake of Recommended Vaccines During Pregnancy Among Publicly and Privately Insured People in the United States, December 2020-September 2022.

To estimate maternal COVID-19, influenza, and pertussis vaccine uptake during pregnancy by insurance type and identify factors characterizing those vaccinated and unvaccinated. We conducted a US cohort study of pregnant individuals (for pregnancies ending December 11, 2020-September 30, 2022) using insurance claims data. We calculated vaccination probability using Kaplan-Meier methods and identified factors associated with vaccination through binomial regression with inverse probability weights.

Precision Oncology: A Global Perspective on Implementation and Policy Development.

Despite the acknowledged merits of precision oncology (PO) and its increasing global implementation, its full potential for advancing care and prevention remains unrealized. The benefits are currently accessible to only limited patient segments because of multifaceted barriers. Successful implementation hinges on various factors-scientific complexities not limited to technical, clinical, regulatory, economic, administrative, and health care policy-related challenges.

Principles for embedding learning and adaptation into New Zealand health system functioning: the example of the Viable System Model.

This article makes the case for taking a model-based management approach, specifically using the Viable System Model (VSM), to embed learning and adaptation into the New Zealand health system so it can function as a learning health system. We draw on a case study of a specialist clinical service where the VSM was used to guide semi-structured interviews and workshops with clinicians and managers and to guide analysis of the findings. The VSM analysis revealed a lack of clarity of organisational functioning, and of the systems, processes and integrated IT infrastructure necessary to support the fundamental requirements of a learning health system.

Prevalence, impact and management strategies for dysmenorrhea in Aotearoa New Zealand: a scoping review.

Background And Aim: Dysmenorrhea affects the majority of young women worldwide, but geographical and cultural differences can influence the reporting, impact and management of symptoms. Aotearoa New Zealand is a culturally diverse country, with a high proportion of Māori and Pacific peoples. The aim of this scoping review was to assess the current literature on the prevalence, impact and management strategies for dysmenorrhea in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Antarctic krill vertical migrations modulate seasonal carbon export.

Vertical migrations by marine organisms contribute to carbon export by consumption of surface phytoplankton followed by defecation in the deep ocean. However, biogeochemical models lack observational data, leading to oversimplified representation of carbon cycling by migrating organisms, such as Antarctic krill (). Using a numerical model informed by 1 year of acoustic observations in the East Antarctic, we estimated the total particulate organic carbon (POC) flux from krill fecal pellets to be 9.

Health provider perspectives on establishing service linkages for treatment and follow-up from an Australian, web-based STI testing service: a qualitative study.

Background Web-based, testing for sexually transmitted infections (STI) is becoming increasingly available. However, treatment pathways from web-based services are often not well-coordinated, contributing to treatment delays and access gaps. This study investigated clinician perspectives on building service linkages with a new, web-based, STI testing service in Victoria, Australia.

Quality of life disparities among Mexican people with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Higher prevalence and worst outcome have been reported among people with systemic lupus erythematosus with non-European ancestries, with both genetic and socioeconomic variables as contributing factors. In Mexico, studies assessing the inequities related to quality of life for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients remain sparse. This study aims to assess the inequities related to quality of life in a cohort of Mexican people with SLE.

Modes and mechanisms for the inheritance of mitochondria and plastids in pathogenic protists.

Pathogenic protists are responsible for many diseases that significantly impact human and animal health across the globe. Almost all protists possess mitochondria or mitochondrion-related organelles, and many contain plastids. These endosymbiotic organelles are crucial to survival and provide well-validated and widely utilised drug targets in parasitic protists such as Plasmodium and Toxoplasma.