Australian Meningococcal Surveillance Programme Annual Report, 2023.

In Australia, both probable and laboratory-confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) are reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). When compared to 2022, the number of IMD notifications in 2023 increased by 14% to 143. Laboratory confirmation of IMD occurred in 140/143 (98%) of these cases, with 64% (90/140) diagnosed by bacterial culture and 36% (50/140) by nucleic acid amplification testing.

Perspectives of the medical oncologist regarding adjuvant chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer: An international expert survey and case vignette study.

Introduction: Adjuvant chemotherapy improves survival in patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The decision to initiate chemotherapy involves both patient and physician factors, decision-specific criteria, and contextual considerations. This study aimed to assess medical oncologists' views on adjuvant chemotherapy following pancreatic resection for PDAC.

Variation in initial biopsy technique for primary melanoma diagnosis: A population-based cohort study in New South Wales, Australia.

Background: Factors associated with nonadherence to guideline-recommended complete excision of suspicious cutaneous lesions are unclear.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze patient, melanoma, and clinician factors associated with initial diagnostic biopsy type and determine whether unwarranted variation from guidelines occurred.

Methods: This population-based, cohort study involved the analysis of data from questionnaires completed by clinicians who managed patients with newly diagnosed, histopathologically confirmed primary invasive cutaneous melanomas reported to the New South Wales Cancer Registry between 2006 and 2007.

Changing Epidemiology of Myocarditis in Australia: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

: Myocarditis is a serious disease that has drawn increasing attention due to its association with COVID-19 and vaccination. This study investigates the epidemiology of myocarditis beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, including its incidence and outcomes over time. : We analyzed the population-wide retrospective data from the Admitted-Patient-Data-Collection database of patients admitted to hospitals in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, with a diagnosis of myocarditis from 2001 to 2022.

The Immunomodulatory Effects of Vitamin D on COVID-19 Induced Glioblastoma Recurrence via the PI3K-AKT Signaling Pathway.

Glioma is a highly invasive brain cancer that is difficult to treat due to its complex molecular characteristics and poor prognosis. The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced additional clinical challenges for cancer patients, especially those with glioma. This study explored the molecular interactions between glioma and COVID-19 using integrated bioinformatics methods, including enrichment analysis, survival analysis, and molecular docking, focusing on the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and the immunomodulatory role of vitamin D.

Short-Term Effectiveness of a Stepped-Care Model to Address Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Patients With Early-Stage Melanoma.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of the Melanoma Care Programme when implemented into routine clinical practice coupled with fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) screening and a stepped-care model of intervention delivery.

Methods: Using a Type-I hybrid effectiveness-implementation design, individuals with stage 0-II melanoma and a Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory FCR severity score of ≥ 13 were offered the Melanoma Care Programme. The programme included a psychoeducational booklet and 3 to 5 psychotherapeutic telehealth sessions with a clinical psychologist, timed around routine dermatological appointments.

Designing and Validating a Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia-Specific Quality of Life Rating Scale (HSPQoL).

Patients with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP) report reduced quality of life (QoL) compared to the general population. Generic QoL measures do not address disease-specific aspects such as spasticity, access to specialty HSP clinics, and bladder symptoms. We designed and validated a HSP-specific QoL scale (HSPQoL), intended for use in standard clinical settings and clinical trials.

Cognitive and behavioural therapy for insomnia in the treatment of adolescent insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Insomnia is common in adolescents with associated negative health consequences. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia interventions on insomnia symptoms and subjective sleep quality in adolescents aged 10-19 years. Key electronic databases, including CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Scopus, were systematically searched from inception to October 2024, and five randomised controlled trials met inclusion criteria for qualitative synthesis.

Why Mental Health Clinicians are Not Engaging in Advance Care Planning with Older People with Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Illnesses.

Purpose: To explore mental health clinicians' attitudes, experiences, and perceived barriers regarding Advance Care Planning (ACP) with older people (aged 55+) with schizophrenia/other psychotic illnesses.

Methods: Qualitative analysis of focus group interviews with multidisciplinary mental health clinicians from public mental health services in Sydney, Australia. A senior external clinician facilitated online focus groups exploring clinicians' attitudes, experiences, and perceived barriers to ACP using a semi-structured interview guide.

Consolidated and updated ultrasonographic fetal biometry and estimated fetal weight references for the Hong Kong Chinese population.

Introduction: This study aimed to construct consolidated and updated ultrasonographic fetal biometry and estimated fetal weight (EFW) references for the Hong Kong Chinese population and evaluate the extent of under- and overdiagnosis of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and large-for-gestational-age (LGA) using these new references.

Methods: Fetal biometry and EFW references were constructed using the Generalised Additive Model for Location, Scale, and Shape, based on data from 1679 singleton pregnancies in non-smoking Chinese women. Ultrasound scans were performed at 12 to 40 weeks of gestation to measure biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference (AC), and femur length, following standardised protocols.

Noninvasive assessment of hydroquinidine effect in Brugada syndrome (QUIET BrS).

Background: Hydroquinidine reduces arrhythmic events in patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS). The mechanism by which it exerts antiarrhythmic benefit and its electrophysiological effects on BrS substrate remain incompletely understood.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of hydroquinidine on ventricular depolarization and repolarization in patients with BrS in vivo.

The potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through disease prevention: a secondary analysis of data from the CREDENCE trial.

Background: The health-care sector is responsible for 5·2% of global emissions, however, little data exist regarding the environmental impact of disease management strategies. SGLT2 inhibitors are now widely used to reduce the risk of hospital admission and kidney failure in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. This study aimed to estimate the impact of SGLT2 inhibitors on greenhouse gas emissions using data from the CREDENCE trial.

Peak Oxygen Consumption Scaled to Body Composition Is Associated With Mortality and Morbidity in People With a Fontan Circulation.

Background: Peak oxygen consumption (peak O) is traditionally scaled by body mass, but it is most appropriately scaled by fat-free mass. However, it is unknown whether peak O scaled by fat-free mass is associated with mortality and morbidity in people with a Fontan circulation. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between different expressions of peak O with mortality and morbidity in people with a Fontan circulation.

KBTBD8/RRP15 as a potential novel therapeutic target associates with lenvatinib-inhibited progression in hepatocellular carcinoma both in vitro and in vivo.

Introduction: We have previously demonstrated that RRP15 (Ribosomal RNA Processing 15 Homolog) was significantly elevated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and correlated directly with poor prognosis. RRP15 suppression curtails HCC progression through induction of cellular senescence and apoptosis. However, the impact of RRP15 on the precise therapeutic potential of lenvatinib has remained underexplored.

Prime Editor Gene Therapy and TREX1 Mosaicism in Retinal Vasculopathy with Cerebral Leukoencephalopathy.

TREX1 mutations underlie a variety of human diseases, including retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephalopathy (RVCL or RVCL-S), a catastrophic adult-onset vasculopathy that is often confused with multiple sclerosis, systemic vasculitis, or systemic lupus erythematosus. Patients with RVCL develop brain, retinal, liver, and kidney disease around age 35-55, leading to premature death in 100% of patients expressing an autosomal dominant C-terminally truncated form of TREX1. We previously demonstrated that RVCL is characterized by high levels of DNA damage, premature cellular senescence, and risk of early-onset breast cancer before age 45.

Comparison of 6-lead smartphone ECG and 12-lead ECG in athletes and a genetic heart disease population.

Background: Smartphone electrocardiograms (iECGs) are an innovative method of capturing transient arrhythmias that are occasionally experienced by athletes. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of a 6-lead iECG compared with 12-lead ECG in athletes and those with known genetic heart disease (positive controls).

Research Design And Methods: Each participant had a resting 12-lead ECG (supine) and a 30 s 6-lead iECG (seated) taken within 2 h.

Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair of Common Atrioventricular Valve Regurgitation in the Setting of a Lateral Tunnel Fontan Circulation.

•Percutaneous repair of severely regurgitant atrioventricular valves in the setting of a Fontan circulation utilizing Tri-Clip, even in the setting of an atrioventricular septal defect, is feasible.•Percutaneous options hold promise as a low-risk repair strategy in this highly complex population, which generally has a high surgical risk.

Association Between Articular Incongruence After Trochleoplasty and Long-term Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis.

Background: Trochleoplasty has shown promising results in selected patients with patellar instability. However, concerns persist regarding its potential relationship with long-term osteoarthritis (OA) and the underlying causes.

Purpose: To evaluate the correlation between postoperative patellofemoral incongruence after trochleoplasty and long-term OA.

A multitiered analysis platform for genome sequencing: Design and initial findings of the Australian Genomics Cardiovascular Disorders Flagship.

Purpose: The Australian Genomics Cardiovascular Disorders Flagship was a national multidisciplinary collaboration. It aimed to investigate the feasibility of genome sequencing (GS) and functional genomics to resolve variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in the clinical management of patients and families with cardiomyopathies, primary arrhythmias, and congenital heart disease (CHD).

Methods: Between April 2019 and December 2021, 600 probands meeting cardiovascular disorder criteria from 17 cardiology and genetics clinics across Australia were enrolled in the Flagship and underwent GS.

Association Between Glycemia, Glycemic Variability, and Pregnancy Complications in Early GDM.

Objective: To investigate the association of timing of commencing glucose management with glycemia, glycemic variability, and pregnancy outcomes among women with early gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Research Design And Methods: In this substudy among participants of a trial of immediate vs delayed treatment of early GDM diagnosed by 2013 World Health Organization criteria, all women treated immediately and those with delayed diagnosis at 24-28 weeks' gestation (treated as if late GDM) were instructed to monitor capillary blood glucose (BG) four times a day (fasting and 2-h postprandial) until delivery. Optimal glycemia was defined as ≥95% of BG measurements between 70 and 140 mg/dL (3.

Reducing in-hospital complications in older patients undergoing plastic surgery through a collaborative model of care.

Background: There is increasing evidence to support collaborative care and proactive comprehensive geriatric assessment and management in a number of surgical specialties. Data are lacking in older people under the care of plastic surgeons. This before/after study evaluates the impact of the introduction of a shared care model between geriatric medicine and plastic surgery in an Australian metropolitan teaching hospital.

Comprehensive Overview of Retrograde-Antegrade Connection Techniques Without Externalization in Chronic Total Occlusion PCI: The Portal Techniques.

Background: Advancing the retrograde microcatheter (MC) into the antegrade guide catheter during retrograde chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can be challenging or impossible, preventing guidewire externalization.

Objectives: To detail and evaluate all the techniques focused on wiring to achieve intubation of the distal tip of a microcatheter, balloon, or stent with an antegrade or retrograde guidewire, aiming to reduce complications by minimizing tension on fragile collaterals during externalization and enabling rapid antegrade conversion in various clinical scenarios.

Methods: We describe the two main techniques, tip-in and rendezvous, and their derivatives such a facilitated tip-in, manual MC-tip modification, tip-in the balloon, tip-in the stent, deep dive rendezvous, catch-it and antegrade microcatheter probing.

Human macrophage response to the emerging enteric pathogen : Inflammation, apoptosis, and downregulation of histones.

This study investigated the pathogenic mechanisms of in macrophages. THP-1 derived macrophages were used as a human macrophage model and were treated with strain AS1 isolated from intestinal biopsies of an IBD patient, or strain K-12. RNA was extracted and subjected to RNA sequencing and comparative transcriptomic analyses.