Dietary inflammation and childhood adiposity: Analysis of individual participant data from six birth cohorts.

Background & Aims: Childhood adiposity and inflammation impact long-term health. However, associations between dietary inflammation and childhood adiposity are unclear. We investigated if more pro-inflammatory diets are associated with greater adiposity in early-, mid-, and late-childhood.

The moderating effect of diet on the relationship between depressive symptoms and Alzheimer's disease-related blood-based biomarkers.

Associations between mental health, diet, and risk of Alzheimer's disease highlight the need to investigate whether dietary patterns moderate the relationship between symptoms of depression and anxiety, and neurodegeneration-related blood-based biomarkers. Cognitively unimpaired participants (n = 89) were included from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle study (mean age 75.37; 44 % male).

Comparison of the effects of production and processing parameters on the eating quality of lamb.

While many separate research studies have investigated the effect of production and processing factors on eating quality of lamb, the relative impact of these parameters has been difficult to ascertain. In this study, the effect of eighteen production and processing factors on the eating quality of Welsh Lamb was compared, using meat from 624 lambs and assessments by 1920 UK consumers. Four experimental trials provided a balanced assessment of production and processing factors: muscle, breed type, lamb gender, ageing, finishing diet, season, carcase hanging and packaging method.

Clinician views on selective decontamination of the digestive tract in mechanically ventilated patients in intensive care units: A survey.

Objective: Selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) has been investigated as a strategy to reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and other healthcare-associated infections in intensive care unit (ICU) patients receiving mechanical ventilation. There is some evidence to suggest that the use of SDD is associated with a reduction in healthcare-associated infection and mortality; however, the uptake of SDD in ICUs in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) remains low. To better understand the potential reasons, we designed a questionnaire to gather views from specialists in intensive care medicine, infectious diseases, and medical microbiology.

Detection of hypertension and blood pressure phenotypes using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in women with past hypertensive disorders of pregnancies.

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of hypertension and blood pressure (BP) phenotypes using 24-hour ambulatory BP (24hr-ABP) in women with past pregnancy complications who were recruited into a Women's Heart Clinic (WHC).

Study Design: We recruited 156 women aged 30-55 years with past hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and/or gestational diabetes (GDM) to a multidisciplinary six-month WHC that provided cardiovascular risk management in Melbourne, Australia. Women were referred for 24 hr-ABP monitoring if clinic BP was ≥130/80 mmHg.

Assessing the supportive care needs of parents of children with rare diseases in Ireland.

Purpose: Rare diseases are individually uncommon yet collectively prevalent. They affect over 300,000 people in Ireland, with 50-70 % impacting children. This study explores the supportive care needs of parents caring for children with rare diseases in Ireland, utilising a validated Parental Needs Scale for Rare Diseases (PNS-RD).

Effective Utilization of Nanoporosity and Surface Area Guides Electrosynthesis over Soft-Landed Copper Oxide Catalyst Layers.

Porous nanomaterials find wide-ranging applications in modern medicine, optoelectronics, and catalysis, playing a key role in today's effort to build an electrified, sustainable future. Accurate in situ quantification of their structural and surface properties is required to model their performance and improve their design. In this article, we demonstrate how to assess the porosity, surface area and utilization of a model nanoporous soft-landed copper oxide catalyst layer/carbon interface, which is otherwise difficult to resolve using physisorption or capacitance-based methods.

Police Communications Centre Mental Health Liaison Service: Enhancing outcomes for people in mental health crisis.

Objective: To describe the Police Communication Centre Mental Health Liaison Service (PCC MHLS), a novel mental health service embedded in a Queensland Police Service (QPS) communication centre which provides real-time information and advice to police as first responders to people in mental health crisis.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of referrals received from 1st January 2023 to 31st December 2023 was conducted. Descriptive statistics were calculated for consumer and service episode characteristics and reported outcomes.

Antimicrobial proteins from oyster hemolymph improve the efficacy of conventional antibiotics.

Discovering new antibiotics and increasing the efficacy of existing antibiotics are priorities to address antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial proteins and peptides (AMPPs) are considered among the most promising antibiotic alternatives and complementary therapies. Here, we build upon previous work investigating the antibacterial activity of a semi-purified hemolymph protein extract (HPE) of the Australian oyster Saccostrea glomerata.

Impact of Sex on Cardiac Functional Adaptation to Different Modes of Exercise Training: A Randomized Cross-Over Study.

Purpose: We hypothesized that male and female volunteers would exhibit distinct changes in cardiac morphology, systolic, and diastolic function following endurance (END) and resistance (RES) training.

Methods: Thirty-eight females and 26 males participated in a randomized cross-over design trial in which all participants completed 12-weeks END and RES, separated by a 12-week washout. Echocardiograms assessed morphology (left ventricular mass, LVM), systolic function (ejection fraction, EF, and global longitudinal strain, GLS), diastolic function (mitral valve velocities, E, A; tissue Doppler velocities, e', a'), and left atrial volume.

Mortality among 5 to 19-year-olds in rural Mali.

The unique healthcare needs of 5 to 9-year-olds and adolescents (10-19 years) in low- and middle-income countries have been largely neglected. We generated estimates of 5 to 9-year-old and adolescent mortality in rural Mali, a setting with high under-five mortality, and aimed to define associated individual and household risk factors. We analysed cross-sectional baseline household survey data from the ProCCM trial (NCT02694055) conducted in Bankass District, Mali collected in December 2016 and January 2017.

Estimating the impact of school closures on the COVID-19 dynamics in 74 countries: A modelling analysis.

Background: School closures have been a prominent component of the global Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) response. However, their effect on viral transmission, COVID-19 mortality and health care system pressure remains incompletely understood, as traditional observational studies fall short in assessing such population-level impacts.

Methods And Findings: We used a mathematical model to simulate the COVID-19 epidemics of 74 countries, incorporating observed data from 2020 to 2022 and historical school closure timelines.

Survey of pharmacists' perspectives on preparing discharge medicine lists: a cross-sectional single-centre study.

Objectives: This study explored South-East Queensland Australian pharmacists' perspectives on preparing discharge medicine lists, specifically involvement of pharmacy assistants, use of electronic medication management software, and expanding pharmacists' scope during discharge.

Methods: Electronic survey distributed to pharmacists during December 2021 and data collected over 3 weeks.

Key Findings: Pharmacists supported increased involvement of pharmacy assistants (with structured collaborative training), pharmacist-led medication reconciliation, and producing the discharge medicine list directly from the electronic record.

Approach to the Patient: Diagnostic Challenges in the Work Up for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 10-13% of women globally. It is a condition with metabolic, reproductive and psychological features, with health impacts across the lifespan. The aetiology of PCOS is complex, with an interplay of several factors including genetic and epigenetic susceptibility, androgen exposure in early life and adiposity related dysfunction leading to hypothalamic-ovarian disturbance.

Utilizing Image Processing Techniques for Wound Management and Evaluation in Clinical Practice: Establishing the Feasibility of Implementing Artificial Intelligence in Routine Wound Care.

Objective: To develop a generalizable and accurate method for automatically analyzing wound images captured in clinical practice and extracting key wound characteristics such as surface area measurement.

Methods: The authors used image processing techniques to create a robust algorithm for segmenting pressure injuries from digital images captured by nurses during clinical practice. The algorithm also measured the real-world wound surface area.

Functional validation of a novel STAT3 'variant of unknown significance' identifies a new case of STAT3 GOF Syndrome and reveals broad immune cell defects.

Introduction: STAT3 orchestrates crucial immune responses through its pleiotropic functions as a transcription factor. Patients with germline monoallelic dominant negative or hypermorphic STAT3 variants, who present with immunodeficiency and/or immune dysregulation, have revealed the importance of balanced STAT3 signaling in lymphocyte differentiation and function, and immune homeostasis. Here, we report a novel missense variant of unknown significance in the DNA binding domain of STAT3 in a patient who experienced hypogammaglobulinemia, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, immune thrombocytopenia, eczema and enteropathy over a 35-year period.

Biomaterial Surface-Mediated Macrophages Exert Immunomodulatory Roles by Exosomal CCL2-Induced Membrane Integrin β1 Trafficking in Recipient Cells.

The interaction between biomaterials and immune system is a critical area of research, especially in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. A fascinating and less explored aspect involves the immunomodulatory behaviors of macrophage (MΦ)-derived exosomes induced by biomaterial surfaces. Herein, untreated surface, nanostructured surface, and type I collagen (Col-I)-decorated nanostructured surface of titanium implants are chosen to culture MΦs, followed by extraction of MΦ-derived exosomes and investigation of their immunomodulatory functions and mechanisms.

A Continuum From Positive to Negative Interactions Drives Plant Species' Performance in a Diverse Community.

With many species interacting in nature, determining which interactions describe community dynamics is nontrivial. By applying a computational modeling approach to an extensive field survey, we assessed the importance of interactions from plants (both inter- and intra-specific), pollinators and insect herbivores on plant performance (i.e.

Effectiveness of Additional or Standalone Corticosteroid Injections Compared to Physical Therapist Interventions in Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Importance: Rotator cuff tendinopathy represents the most prevalent cause of shoulder pain, the third most common musculoskeletal disorder after low back pain and knee pain.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of corticosteroid injection(s), alone or in combination with anesthetic injection or any other physical therapist interventions, compared to physical therapist interventions alone in adults with rotator cuff tendinopathy.

Design: This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Long-term immunogenicity of a single-dose live recombinant chimeric Japanese encephalitis vaccine in adults.

Background: Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a leading cause of viral encephalitis in Asia, with high case-fatality rate and morbidity. Although the live recombinant Japanese encephalitis chimeric vaccine (Imojev®) offers strong initial immunity, data on long-term efficacy beyond five years remain limited.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on adults vaccinated with Imojev® at a specialist travel clinic in Brisbane, Australia.

Prourokinase vs Standard Care for Patients With Mild Ischemic Stroke: The PUMICE Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Trials have not demonstrated superiority of alteplase or tenecteplase vs standard care in patients with mild stroke and have raised safety concerns. Prourokinase is an alternative fibrinolytic that may have a favorable safety profile, and the benefit-risk profile of prourokinase in mild stroke is unknown.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of prourokinase in mild ischemic stroke within 4.

Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics illuminate bat immunity and barrier tissue evolution.

Bats have adapted to pathogens through diverse mechanisms, including increased resistance - rapid pathogen elimination, and tolerance - limiting tissue damage following infection. In the Egyptian fruit bat (an important model in comparative immunology) several mechanisms conferring disease tolerance were discovered, but mechanisms underpinning resistance remain poorly understood. Previous studies on other species suggested that elevated basal expression of innate immune genes may lead to increased resistance to infection.

Optimising Instrumented Mouthguard Data Analysis: Video Synchronisation Using a Cross-correlation Approach.

Purpose: Head acceleration events (HAEs) are a growing concern in contact sports, prompting two rugby governing bodies to mandate instrumented mouthguards (iMGs). This has resulted in an influx of data imposing financial and time constraints. This study presents two computational methods that leverage a dataset of video-coded match events: cross-correlation synchronisation aligns iMG data to a video recording, by providing playback timestamps for each HAE, enabling analysts to locate them in video footage; and post-synchronisation event matching identifies the coded match event (e.