Experiences of Oral Corticosteroid Use and Adverse Effects: A National Cross-Sectional Survey of People with Asthma.

Purpose: Oral corticosteroids (OCS) are an effective treatment for severe uncontrolled asthma or asthma exacerbations, but frequent bursts or long-term use carry serious and sometimes irreversible adverse effects, or complications such as adrenal insufficiency upon discontinuation. Our aim was to survey people with asthma on their experiences of, and attitudes towards, using OCS.

Patients And Methods: This study was a national descriptive cross-sectional survey of people with asthma in Australia.

Percutaneous thrombectomy of fat embolism in-transit.

We report the case of a previously independent 82-year-old female who experienced acute hemodynamic and respiratory deterioration requiring inotropic support due to a fat embolism during revision hip arthroplasty. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography demonstrated fat embolism, and transesophageal echocardiogram showed evidence of right ventricle strain and fat embolism in-transit in the right heart, as well as a moderate patent foramen ovale. Under transesophageal echocardiogram and intravascular ultrasound guidance, the Inari FlowTriever thrombectomy device was used successfully to retrieve the fat embolism with immediate hemodynamic improvement, no complications, and uneventful recovery.

Bibliometric Analysis and ChatGPT-Assisted Identification of Key Strategies for Improving Primary Maternity Care Based on a Decade of Collective Research.

Maternity care within primary health facility settings is critical for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in Indonesia. The aim of this study was to analyze research trends over the past decade to identify key strategies for improving maternity care in primary health care facilities in Indonesia. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using data from the Scopus database to map the research landscape and identify latent research topics in maternal health care.

Metformin for low back pain: Study protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Chronic low back pain is a major cause of pain and disability with limited effective therapies. Metformin is a safe, inexpensive, well-tolerated drug that has pleotropic effects, including effects on pain pathways that may influence low back pain. The aim of this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is to determine whether metformin reduces low back pain over 4 months in individuals with chronic low back pain.

Cumulative blood pressure load and cognitive decline in older adults: An observational analysis of two large cohorts.

Introduction: Cumulative blood pressure metrics may provide greater precision for measuring temporal risk exposure, especially in later life where data are mixed regarding associations of high blood pressure (BP) on cognitive function. We examined the relationship between greater cumulative exposure to high BP in later life and several domains of cognitive function.

Methods: Individual cognitive assessment scores and BP measurements in older adults (age ≥70 years) at baseline and over approximately 8 years of follow-up were available in the population-based Canadian Victoria Longitudinal Study (VLS) and Swedish Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies (H70).

Dorsal penile nerve block complicated by local anaesthetic systemic toxicity.

A 39-year-old man presented with priapism. To facilitate corporal cavernosal aspiration, a dorsal penile nerve block was performed. A dose of 2000mg lignocaine was administered, instead of the intended 200mg.

Repeat expansions in gene in refractory chronic cough.

Introduction: Refractory chronic cough (RCC), persisting despite addressing contributory diagnoses, is likely underpinned by neurally mediated cough hypersensitivity. disorders are genetic neurodegenerative conditions caused by biallelic repeat expansion sequences, commonly presenting with cough, followed by neurological features including cerebellar ataxia with neuropathy and vestibular areflexia syndrome (CANVAS). The prevalence and identifying clinical characteristics of repeat-expansion disorders in patients with RCC are unknown.

Dataset of noise signals generated by smart attackers for disrupting state of health and state of charge estimations of battery energy storage systems.

This dataset is generated from real-time simulations conducted in MATLAB/Simscape, focusing on the impact of smart noise signals on battery energy storage systems (BESS). Using Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) agent known as Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO), noise signals in the form of subtle millivolt and milliampere variations are strategically created to represent realistic cases of False Data Injection Attacks (FDIA). These signals are designed to disrupt the State of Charge (SoC) and State of Health (SoH) estimation blocks within Unscented Kalman Filters (UKF).

Vedolizumab serum trough concentrations with and without thiopurines in ulcerative colitis: The prospective VIEWS pharmacokinetics study.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory condition requiring continuous treatment and monitoring. There is limited pharmacokinetic data on vedolizumab during maintenance therapy and the effect of thiopurines on vedolizumab trough concentrations is unknown.

Aim: To investigate the exposure-response relationship of vedolizumab and the impact of thiopurine withdrawal in UC patients who have achieved sustained clinical and endoscopic remission during maintenance therapy.

Drones delivering automated external defibrillators for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A scoping review.

Unlabelled: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains a critical health concern, where prompt access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) significantly improves survival. This scoping review broadly investigates the feasibility and impact of dronedelivered AEDs for OHCA response.

Methods: PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science were searched from inception to August 6, 2024, with eligibility broadly including empirical data.

Economic cost of not meeting the 24-h movement guidelines in china: Research gaps and recommendations.

It is well-known that not meeting the movement guidelines, including insufficient physical activity (PA), excessive sedentary behavior (SB), inadequate sleep duration, and their combinations, are independent risk factors for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The prevalence of not meeting the guidelines is high across the world, especially in China where has one of the largest population. Some studies have estimated the economic cost of insufficient PA in China, which is useful to guide policymakers to develop and implement effective health actions.

Private equity renewable energy investments in India.

India is anticipated to grow its total energy consumption and CO emissions by more than any other country over the next two decades. India will have to attract around $400 billion in financing to realize its 500 GW target of renewable energy by 2030. Given complex renewable energy sector risks, rapidly scaling-up risk-friendly private equity financing will be critical to achieve India's target.

Developing airport management practices towards net zero emissions: Experiences from the Australian aviation industry.

Emissions from airport sources degrade air quality impacting community health. While some airports assess air pollution, others assess broader environmental effects, including CO emissions and noise. Utilising a transition management approach, this paper examines Australian airport practices and develops key sustainable strategies to reduce environmental impacts.

MOANA: Multi-objective ant nesting algorithm for optimization problems.

This paper presents the Multi-Objective Ant Nesting Algorithm (MOANA), a novel extension of the Ant Nesting Algorithm (ANA), specifically designed to address multi-objective optimization problems (MOPs). MOANA incorporates adaptive mechanisms, such as deposition weight parameters, to balance exploration and exploitation, while a polynomial mutation strategy ensures diverse and high-quality solutions. The algorithm is evaluated on standard benchmark datasets, including ZDT functions and the IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC) 2019 multi-modal benchmarks.

A non-randomised open-label exploratory 'window of opportunity' study of TG02 treatment in patients with locally advanced primary and recurrent mutant colorectal cancer.

Background: TG02 is a peptide-based cancer vaccine eliciting immune responses to oncogenic codon 12/13 mutations. This phase 1 clinical trial (NCT02933944) assessed the safety and immunological efficacy of TG02 adjuvanted by GM-CSF in patients with -mutant colorectal cancer.

Methods: In the interval between completing CRT and pelvic exenteration, patients with resectable mutation-positive, locally advanced primary or current colorectal cancer, received 5-6 doses of TG02/GM-CSF.

Longitudinal Assessment of Structural and Functional Changes in Rod-cone Dystrophy: A 10-year Follow-up Study.

Purpose: Emerging clinical trials for inherited retinal disease (IRD) require an understanding of long-term progression. This longitudinal study investigated the genetic diagnosis and change in retinal structure and function over 10 years in rod-cone dystrophies (RCDs).

Design: Longitudinal observational follow-up study.

35th Australian and New Zealand Society for Neuropathology (ANZSNP) Scientific Meeting 2024: Saturday 31 August - Sunday 1 September 2024, Hotel Crowne Plaza, Queenstown, New Zealand.

The ANZSNP scientific meeting 2024 was held in the scenic city of Queenstown, New Zealand on 31 August and September 1. Dr Fouzia Ziad, President of the ANZSNP and Dr Laveniya Satgunaseelan, Secretary /Treasurer of the ANZSNP were the convenors of the meeting. The meeting was co-badged with the Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research (AWCBR) 2024.

Patient-reported outcome measures for life participation in patients with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review.

Background: The symptoms, comorbidities and treatment burden associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be debilitating and limit life participation in patients with CKD not requiring kidney replacement therapy (KRT). The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics, content and psychometric properties of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) used to assess life participation in patients with CKD.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL from database inception to February 2023 for all studies that reported life participation in patients with CKD (stages 1-5 not requiring kidney replacement therapy).

Re-evaluation of Cyclic Peptide Binding to Neurotensin Receptor 1 by Shifting the Peptide Register during Synthesis.

The head-to-tail cyclic peptide [Arg-Lys-Pro-Tyr-Tle-Leu] (peptide , where Tle is l--Leu) has previously been reported to bind to neurotensin receptor 1 (NTS1) (pKi = 5.97). Upon seeking to reproduce this finding, we found that peptide did not have a measurable affinity for NTS1.

Conducting 24-hour movement behaviour research with preschool children in middle-income countries: Lessons from the SUNRISE pilot study in Mexico.

Objectives: Movement behaviour research among preschoolers is nascent in low- and middle-income countries, where levels of physical activity, sleep, and sedentary behaviour in children are largely unknown. This study aimed to adapt and assess the acceptability and feasibility of the International Study of Movement Behaviours in the Early Years (SUNRISE) in Mexico, and report on challenges and solutions while implementing the protocol.

Study Design: Pilot study of the SUNRISE protocol in Mexico.

Assessing community antibiotic usage and adherence as per standard treatment guidelines: A potential area to enhance awareness at community pharmacy settings.

Background: Antibiotic nonadherence significantly contributes to poor treatment outcomes and antimicrobial resistance. In Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh, community pharmacies are crucial in primary healthcare, and are key sources of over-the-counter antibiotics. However, understanding of adherence to the full course of community-dispensed antibiotics is limited.

Beyond bronchial thermoplasty - where to now?

With the impending 'retirement' of bronchial thermoplasty (BT) for the treatment of patients with asthma, there is much to learn from this real-world experiment that will help us develop more effective future therapies with the same primary target i.e., airway smooth muscle (ASM) remodelling.

Additional dorsal interspinous stabilisation has no advantage after decompression of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis.

Introduction: Interspinous devices are an alternative to instrumented fusion for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) with radiological instability or deformity. The devices claim to improve clinical symptoms by indirect foraminal decompression with fewer complications and similar functional outcomes compared to conventional fusion techniques, and by avoiding a (further) deterioration of the anatomy of the spine while being less invasive than instrumented fusion.

Research Question: Do interspinous devices provide a benefit in combination with a decompression of degenerative LSS?

Material And Methods: In this observational study, 117 patients were treated by decompression surgery alone (n = 37), decompression plus instrumented spinal screw fixation and anterior cage support (n = 41) or decompression plus stabilisation with interspinous devices (n = 39).