Engineering osteoblastic metastases to delineate the adaptive response of androgen-deprived prostate cancer in the bone metastatic microenvironment.

While stromal interactions are essential in cancer adaptation to hormonal therapies, the effects of bone stroma and androgen deprivation on cancer progression in bone are poorly understood. Here, we tissue-engineered and validated an in vitro microtissue model of osteoblastic bone metastases, and used it to study the effects of androgen deprivation in this microenvironment. The model was established by culturing primary human osteoprogenitor cells on melt electrowritten polymer scaffolds, leading to a mineralized osteoblast-derived microtissue containing, in a 3D setting, viable osteoblastic cells, osteocytic cells, and appropriate expression of osteoblast/osteocyte-derived mRNA and proteins, and mineral content.

A clarion call for understanding regulatory processes for additive manufacturing in the health sector.

Introduction: As Additive Manufacturing (AM) in the health sector evolves to the point where products can be translated into the clinic, these manufactured goods need to be assessed by regulators in order for such products to be manufactured, sold, and used in accordance with the law. In this article, the authors argue that if AM products in the health sector are to be regulated in the near future, stakeholders involved in translational research need to understand the challenges faced by both regulators and industry. We portray different points of possible dissonance for AM medical products with existing regulatory frameworks.

Strengthening nursing surveillance in general wards: A practice development approach.

Aims And Objectives: To explore the context and culture of nursing surveillance on an acute care ward.

Background: Prevention of patient deterioration is primarily a nursing responsibility in hospital. Registered nurses make judgements and act on emerging threats to patient safety through a process of nursing surveillance.

Rheological Characterization of Biomaterials Directs Additive Manufacturing of Strontium-Substituted Bioactive Glass/Polycaprolactone Microfibers.

Additive manufacturing via melt electrowriting (MEW) can create ordered microfiber scaffolds relevant for bone tissue engineering; however, there remain limitations in the adoption of new printing materials, especially in MEW of biomaterials. For example, while promising composite formulations of polycaprolactone with strontium-substituted bioactive glass have been processed into large or disordered fibres, from what is known, biologically-relevant concentrations (>10 wt%) have never been printed into ordered microfibers using MEW. In this study, rheological characterization is used in combination with a predictive mathematical model to optimize biomaterial formulations and MEW conditions required to extrude various PCL and PCL/SrBG biomaterials to create ordered scaffolds.

Improving paediatric pain management in the emergency department: An integrative literature review.

Background: Children presenting to the emergency department continue to experience suboptimal pain management. While evidence-based pain management interventions are available to clinicians, effective and sustainable practice change is yet to be achieved. This practice gap requires a collaborative approach to knowledge translation targeting systems of care.

Problematic Use of Mobile Phones in Australia…Is It Getting Worse?

Rapid technological innovations over the past few years have led to dramatic changes in today's mobile phone technology. While such changes can improve the quality of life of its users, problematic mobile phone use can result in its users experiencing a range of negative outcomes such as anxiety or, in some cases, engagement in unsafe behaviors with serious health and safety implications such as mobile phone distracted driving. The aims of the present study are two-fold.

Elements of community-based models for treating hepatitis C virus in supporting HCV elimination in Australia: A Delphi study.

Background: A key to achieving the goal of hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination is the provision of its treatment in community settings. This study aimed to identify the important organisational and operational elements of community-based models for treating HCV and their feasibility in the Australian context.

Methods: A Delphi study was conducted with 33 experts from Australia.

Differential BDNF methylation in combat exposed veterans and the association with exercise.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene is associated with increased risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and plays a role in neuroplasticity, cognition and memory. BDNF has strong potential as a therapeutic target as studies have shown that antidepressants, electroconvulsive treatment and exercise modulate BDNF expression and methylation. In this study we examined the role of BDNF methylation and expression in PTSD and the implications of exercise in mediating these effects.

A Novel Bone Substitute with High Bioactivity, Strength, and Porosity for Repairing Large and Load-Bearing Bone Defects.

Achieving adequate healing in large or load-bearing bone defects is highly challenging even with surgical intervention. The clinical standard of repairing bone defects using autografts or allografts has many drawbacks. A bioactive ceramic scaffold, strontium-hardystonite-gahnite or "Sr-HT-Gahnite" (a multi-component, calcium silicate-based ceramic) is developed, which when 3D-printed combines high strength with outstanding bone regeneration ability.

Integration of Two In-depth Quantitative Proteomics Approaches Determines the Kallikrein-related Peptidase 7 (KLK7) Degradome in Ovarian Cancer Cell Secretome.

Kallikrein-related peptidase 7 (KLK7) is a serine peptidase that is over expressed in ovarian cancer. functional analyses have suggested KLK7 to play a cancer progressive role, although monitoring of KLK7 expression has suggested a contradictory protective role for KLK7 in ovarian cancer patients. In order to help delineate its mechanism of action and thereby the functional roles, information on its substrate repertoire is crucial.

A mixed-methods retrospective study: 10 years of diabetic retinopathy screening in urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary care.

This research applies a mixed-method approach to retrospectively study the history of diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening in an urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander general practice. Data from administrative practice software and publications were extracted and presented as a timeline data visualisation to staff, in six focus groups. Eighteen key staff from the Southern Queensland Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care (CoE) were purposively recruited.

Exploring associations of maternal exposure to ambient temperature with duration of gestation and birth weight: a prospective study.

Background: Evidence suggests the possible impact of ambient high temperature on fetal growth and birth outcomes. However, little is known about the relative impact of exposure to heat and cold and the possible vulnerable window during pregnancy.

Methods: Data on a total of 237,585 pregnant women from January 1st, 2001 to December 31st, 2010 were acquired from the Queensland Health, Australia.

Clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and acceptability of community-based treatment of hepatitis C virus infection: A mixed method systematic review.

Several community-based models for treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have been implemented to improve treatment accessibility and health outcomes. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding how well these models achieve the desired goals. We conducted a mixed-method systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence about clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and acceptability of community-based HCV treatment models.

Effects of an in-vehicle eco-safe driving system on drivers' glance behaviour.

We have designed a new in-vehicle eco-safe driving system and shown its effectiveness in prompting drivers to execute a fuel-saving and safe driving style (Vaezipour et al., 2018, submitted for publication). However, the system could also bring potential negative outcomes, i.

"Mate! I'm running 10 min late": An investigation into the self-regulation of mobile phone tasks while driving.

The adaptive behaviour of mobile phone distracted drivers has been a topic of much discussion in the recent literature, but the mechanisms of behavioural adaptation are still unclear. This study investigated the influence of driving demands, secondary task characteristics, and personal characteristics on behavioural adaptation of mobile phone distracted drivers. In particular, distracted drivers' self-regulation at strategic, tactical, and operational levels was investigated through a driving simulator experiment.

Whole-Exome Sequencing Implicates in Episodic Ataxia, but Multiple Ion Channel Variants May Contribute to Phenotypic Complexity.

Although the clinical use of targeted gene sequencing-based diagnostics is valuable, whole-exome sequencing has also emerged as a successful diagnostic tool in molecular genetics laboratories worldwide. Molecular genetic tests for episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2) usually target only the specific calcium channel gene () that is known to cause EA2. In cases where no mutations are identified in the gene, it is important to identify the causal gene so that more effective treatment can be prioritized for patients.

Support for Australian carers from community pharmacy: Insight into carer perspectives of a novel service.

The feasibility of an individualised carer support service delivered in community pharmacies was assessed from the perspective of carer participants using a pre-post questionnaire and semistructured interviews. Eligible pharmacies were required to offer a medication management service relevant to carers and have a semiprivate space for conversations. Carers were required to self-identify as an unpaid support person for someone with a chronic condition or disability.

Bone marrow-derived stem/stromal cells (BMSC) 3D microtissues cultured in BMP-2 supplemented osteogenic induction medium are prone to adipogenesis.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (BMSC) may facilitate bone repair through secretion of factors that stimulate endogenous repair processes or through direct contribution to new bone through differentiation into osteoblast-like cells. BMSC microtissue culture and differentiation has been widely explored recently, with high-throughput platforms making large-scale manufacture of microtissues increasingly feasible. Bone-like BMSC microtissues could offer an elegant method to enhance bone repair, especially in small-volume non-union defects, where small diameter microtissues could be delivered orthoscopically.

Modulation of serotonin and noradrenaline in the BLA by pindolol reduces long-term ethanol intake.

Repeated cycles of binge-like alcohol consumption and abstinence change the activity of several neurotransmitter systems. Some of these changes are consolidated following prolonged alcohol use and are thought to play an important role in the development of dependence. We have previously shown that systemic administration of the dual beta-adrenergic antagonist and 5-HT partial agonist pindolol selectively reduces long-term but not short-term binge-like consumption of ethanol and alters excitatory postsynaptic currents in basolateral amygdala (BLA) principal neurons.

Red-Light-Running Crashes' Classification, Comparison, and Risk Analysis Based on General Estimates System (GES) Crash Database.

Red-light running (RLR) has been identified as one of the prominent contributing factors involved in signalized intersection crashes. In order to reduce RLR crashes, primarily, a better understanding of RLR behavior and crashes is needed. In this study, three RLR crash types were extracted from the general estimates system (GES), including go-straight (GS) RLR vehicle colliding with go-straight non-RLR vehicle, go-straight RLR vehicle colliding with left-turn (LT) non-RLR vehicle, and left-turn RLR vehicle colliding with go-straight non-RLR vehicle.

Should I Text or Call Here? A Situation-Based Analysis of Drivers' Perceived Likelihood of Engaging in Mobile Phone Multitasking.

This study investigated how situational characteristics typically encountered in the transport system influence drivers' perceived likelihood of engaging in mobile phone multitasking. The impacts of mobile phone tasks, perceived environmental complexity/risk, and drivers' individual differences were evaluated as relevant individual predictors within the behavioral adaptation framework. An innovative questionnaire, which includes randomized textual and visual scenarios, was administered to collect data from a sample of 447 drivers in South East Queensland-Australia (66% females; n = 296).

Comparison of self-report and objective measures of driving behavior and road safety: A systematic review.

Introduction: This research systematically reviewed the existing literature in regards to studies which have used both self-report and objective measures of driving behavior. The objective of the current review was to evaluate disparities or similarities between self-report and objective measures of driving behavior.

Methods: Searches were undertaken in the following electronic databases, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus, for peer-reviewed full-text articles that (1) focused on road safety, and (2) compared both subjective and objective measures of driving performance or driver safety.

Effect of traffic density on drivers' lane change and overtaking maneuvers in freeway situation-A driving simulator-based study.

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of traffic density on drivers' lane change and overtaking maneuvers. The differences between drivers' left and right lane changing/overtaking maneuvers were also investigated.

Method: A driving simulator experiment was conducted and 24 participants took part in this experiment.

Employee characteristics and health belief variables related to smoking cessation engagement attitudes.

Background: Workplace smoking cessation programs can effectively assist employees to quit smoking. However, little is known about employees' attitudes towards engagement in workplace smoking cessation programs.

Objective: This study aimed to address the limited understanding of the interaction between employee characteristics and their health beliefs toward engaging in a workplace smoking cessation program.

Establishing sheep as an experimental species to validate ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier opening for potential therapeutic interventions.

Treating diseases of the brain such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) is challenging as the blood-brain barrier (BBB) effectively restricts access of a large number of potentially useful drugs. A potential solution to this problem is presented by therapeutic ultrasound, a novel treatment modality that can achieve transient BBB opening in species including rodents, facilitated by biologically inert microbubbles that are routinely used in a clinical setting for contrast enhancement. However, in translating rodent studies to the human brain, the presence of a thick cancellous skull that both absorbs and distorts ultrasound presents a challenge.