Increasing Use of Antenatal Magnesium Sulphate Prior to Preterm Birth for Preventing Cerebral Palsy in Australia and New Zealand, 2012-2020: A Binational Registry Study.

We assessed the use of magnesium sulphate prior to preterm birth for preventing cerebral palsy in an Australian and New Zealand registry study. Use increased markedly from 32.3% (2012) to 78.

Promoting effective transitions: Primary school social-emotional competencies predict secondary school reading and numeracy achievement.

Background: The transition from primary to secondary school presents a challenging developmental milestone which often marks a decline in academic performance. Social-emotional skills are recognized as fundamental to academic success but longitudinal research is needed to determine the extent of their association over this transition period.

Aim: This study sought to determine the association between self-reported social-emotional competencies of students in their final year of primary school (Year 6; age ~11 years) and reading and numeracy performance in their first year of secondary school (Year 7; age ~12 years).

Advancements in gene therapies targeting mutant KRAS in cancers.

Mutations in the KRAS gene are well-known tumourigenic drivers of colorectal, pancreatic and lung cancers. Mechanistically, these mutations promote uncontrolled cell proliferation and alter the tumour microenvironment during early carcinoma stages. Given their critical carcinogenic functions, significant progress has been made in developing KRAS inhibitors for cancer treatment.

Antibody responses against influenza A decline with successive years of annual influenza vaccination.

Influenza vaccine effectiveness and immunogenicity can be compromised with repeated vaccination. We assessed immunological markers in a cohort of healthcare workers (HCW) from six public hospitals around Australia during 2020-2021. Sera were collected pre-vaccination and ~14 and ~180 days post-vaccination and assessed in haemagglutination inhibition assay against egg-grown vaccine and equivalent cell-grown viruses.

Cigarette smoke components modulate the MR1-MAIT axis.

Tobacco smoking is prevalent across the world and causes numerous diseases. Cigarette smoke (CS) compromises immunity, yet little is known of the components of CS that impact T cell function. MR1 is a ubiquitous molecule that presents bacterial metabolites to MAIT cells, which are highly abundant in the lungs.

Privacy preserving strategies for electronic health records in the era of large language models.

Electronic health records (EHRs) secondary usage with large language models (LLMs) raise privacy challenges. National regulations like GDPR and HIPAA offer protection frameworks, but specific strategies are needed to mitigate risk in generative AI. Risks can be reduced by using strategies like privacy-preserving locally deployed LLMs, synthetic data generation, differential privacy, and deidentification.

Effectiveness of a physiotherapist-led triage and treatment service on WAITing time for adults with musculoskeletal pain referred to Australian public hospital physiotherapy clinics: a protocol for the WAIT-less trial.

Introduction: Musculoskeletal pain is the second leading cause of disease burden in Australia, and there is a need to investigate new models of care to cope with the increasing demand for health services. This paper describes the protocol for a randomised controlled trial investigating whether a physiotherapist-led triage and treatment service is non-inferior for improving function at 6 months and superior for reducing treatment waiting times, compared with usual care for patients with musculoskeletal pain referred to public hospital outpatient physiotherapy clinics.

Methods And Analysis: A total of 368 participants (184 per arm) will be recruited from six public hospitals located in metropolitan Sydney, Australia.

Eco-anxiety, climate change and the 'bottom billion': a plea for better understanding.

Climate change poses enormous, rapidly increasing risks to human well-being that remain poorly appreciated. The growing understanding of this threat has generated a phenomenon often called 'eco-anxiety'. Eco-anxiety (and its synonyms) is best documented in the Global North, mostly among people who are better educated and whose reasons for concern are both altruistic and self-interested.

Transitioning to high-sensitivity troponin: 1-year mortality outcomes in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome presenting to emergency departments.

Background: Switching from a conventional to a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) assay enables detection of smaller amounts of myocardial damage, but the clinical benefit is unclear. We investigated whether switching to a hs-cTnI assay with a sex-specific 99th centile diagnostic threshold was associated with lower 1-year death or new myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods: This pre-post study included nine tertiary hospitals in Australia.

Enhancing Osteogenesis and Mechanical Properties through Scaffold Design in 3D Printed Bone Substitutes.

In the context of regenerative medicine, the design of scaffolds to possess excellent osteogenesis and appropriate mechanical properties has gained significant attention in bone tissue engineering. In this review, we categorized materials into metallic, inorganic, nonmetallic, organic polymer, and composite materials. This review provides a more integrated and multidimensional analysis of scaffold design for bone tissue engineering.

Clostridioides difficile infection and recurrence in cancer patients (CIRCA): a multicentre, international study.

Objectives: We aimed to describe the characteristics of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in cancer patients, analysing risk factors for 90-day recurrence and attributable mortality.

Methods: Retrospective analysis on all CDI episodes from 2020 to 2022 in three Australian hospitals and one Spanish hospital. Logistic regression analyses were performed.

A Homozygous ATP2A2 Variant Alters Sarcoendoplasmic Reticulum Ca-ATPase 2 Function in Skeletal Muscle and Causes a Novel Vacuolar Myopathy.

Aims: Sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase 2 (SERCA2), encoded by ATP2A2, is a key protein involved in intracellular Ca homeostasis. The SERCA2a isoform is predominantly expressed in cardiomyocytes and type I myofibres. Variants in this gene are related to Darier disease, an autosomal dominant dermatologic disorder, but have never been linked to myopathy.

The influence of continuous improvement and clinical practice on emergency department (ED) operational performance.

Purpose: The study tests the relationships between continuous improvement (CI) and clinical practices (CP) with perceived operational performance in Australian and New Zealand (NZ) emergency departments.

Design/methodology/approach: A survey instrument was designed to collect data from Australian and NZ Emergency Department physicians to test a model developed from the literature, the continuous improvement and clinical practice (CICP) model. Hypotheses were developed and tested using bivariate correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis.

A reference genome for the eastern bettong ( ).

The eastern or Tasmanian bettong ( ) is one of four extant bettong species and is listed as 'Near Threatened' by the IUCN. We sequenced short read data on the 10x system to generate a reference genome 3.46Gb in size and contig N50 of 87.

Inter-assay variability in the measurement of urinary C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type II collagen following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Objective: To compare urinary C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type II collagen (u-CTX-II) concentrations and trends as measured by two different commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in a cohort of patients in the first year following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

Design: 22 ACL-injured patients undergoing reconstructive surgery (mean age 25.2 (SD 8.

Socioeconomic correlates of urban mobility trends in two Australian cities during transitional periods of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, both government-mandated lockdowns and discretionary changes in behaviour combined to produce dramatic and abrupt changes to human mobility patterns. To understand the socioeconomic determinants of intervention compliance and discretionary behavioural responses to epidemic threats, we investigate whether changes in human mobility showed a systematic variation by socioeconomic status during two distinct periods of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. We analyse mobility data from two major urban centres and compare the trends during mandated stay-at-home policies and after the full relaxation of nonpharmaceutical interventions, which coincided with a large surge of COVID-19 cases.

Cancer metastasis to the upper gastrointestinal tract-a case series.

Background: Metastasis of non-gastrointestinal (non-GI) cancers to the upper GI tract is a rare occurrence, with limited cases reported in the literature. Recognising this type of metastasis is crucial, as it presents unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This case series adds to the literature by discussing seven rare cases of non-GI cancer metastasising to the upper GI tract, emphasising the complications and clinical manifestations.

Supporting healthy ageing for people with intellectual disabilities in group homes: Staff experiences.

Background: This study explores the perceptions of supported accommodation staff and their managers of the support needs of residents ageing with intellectual disabilities, and their experiences of adjusting services for this group in the context of individualised funding.

Method: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 21 staff working in Australian supported accommodation services.

Findings: Four themes emerged.

A comparative analysis of the prevalence and predictors of chronic pain in older adults with and without intellectual disability in Australia.

Background: There is little research comparatively assessing prevalence of pain between older people either with or without intellectual disability. This paper explores health and social factors associated with chronic pain in these two groups.

Method: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia.

An Australian online training and support program for caregivers of children and youth with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Families linking with families.

Background: Australia has limited supports to help families where Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) impacts children and young people. National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Australia (NOFASD), in conjunction with the University of Otago, New Zealand, piloted and established a 7-week online program to assist caregivers to develop strategies and supports to help their families live well in a disabling society.

Method: The online program, Families Linking with Families (FLWF), was delivered to 88 caregivers.

Young people with intellectual disability speak out about life after school: "I want to do more in life than just…be a disability person".

Background: The transition from school to adult life is challenging for young people with intellectual disability. The study aimed to explore how young people with intellectual disability themselves experience the transition from school to adult life.

Methods: A co-designed, qualitative study.