Associations of 24-hr Movement Behaviors With Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Metabolic Syndrome in Adults Receiving Outpatient Rehabilitation: A Compositional Time-Use Analysis.

Background: Research suggests associations between physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep, and metabolic syndrome, but most has focused on healthy populations and individual behaviors. We investigated associations of 24-hr movement behavior compositions with cardiometabolic risk factors and metabolic syndrome in adults receiving rehabilitation for other health conditions.

Method:  This cross-sectional study assessed 24-hr movement behaviors using thigh-worn accelerometers and metabolic outcomes via blood analyses in 145 adults attending outpatient rehabilitation.

Factors associated with placebo response rate in randomized controlled trials of antiseizure medications for focal epilepsy.

Objective: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are necessary to evaluate the efficacy of novel treatments for epilepsy. However, there have been concerning increases in the placebo responder rate over time. To understand these trends, we evaluated features associated with increased placebo responder rate.

Developing nurse and midwife centred rostering principles using co-design: a mixed-methods study.

Background: Current nursing and midwifery rosters are based on guidelines which may no longer adequately meet the needs of health services or staff and often result in decreased job satisfaction, poor health and wellbeing, and high turnover. Little is known about the rostering needs and preferences of contemporary nurses and midwives in Australia. The aim of this study was to identify the rostering concerns, needs and preferences of nurses and midwives, and co-design acceptable, equitable and feasible rostering principles.

Amino Acid Infusion for Kidney Protection in Cardiac Surgery Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Secondary Analysis of the PROTECTION Trial.

Background: In the PROTECTION trial, intravenous amino acids (AA) decreased the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in cardiac surgery patients with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Recruitment of renal functional reserve may be responsible for such protection. However, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have diminished renal functional reserve, and AA may be less protective in such patients.

Management of Osteoporosis in Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the fastest-growing neurological disorder globally. Defining features include tremor, muscular rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability, which in combination with nonmotor symptoms such as cognitive impairment and orthostatic hypotension increase the risk of falls. Along with low bone mineral density, fracture risk is high in PD.

Using cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers to diagnose Alzheimer's disease: an Australian perspective.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers are currently the only clinically validated biofluid diagnostic test for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) available in Australia. Testing of CSF biomarkers via lumbar puncture (LP), including quantification of amyloid-β peptide, total tau protein, and phosphorylated tau, can give insight into underlying pathophysiological changes and provide greater certainty in confirming or excluding the presence of Alzheimer's disease changes compared to standard clinical and radiological assessments. Despite CSF analysis being a safe and cost-effective diagnostic method, the use of CSF biomarkers in the evaluation of potential AD remains limited in Australian clinical practice due to a variety of factors, including regional access challenges, concerns over the perceived invasiveness of LP and a lack of confidence among clinicians in interpreting the results.

Rationale and design of a large trial of perioperative ketamine for prevention of chronic post-surgical pain.

Background: Chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) is recognised as one of the most common and debilitating complications of major surgery. Progression from acute to chronic pain after surgery involves sensitisation of central nervous system pathways with the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor having a central role. Ketamine is a potent, non-selective NMDA antagonist commonly used for management of acute postoperative pain.

Qualitative Content Analysis of Unplanned Readmissions in Patients With Acute Heart Failure.

Background: Unplanned readmissions in patients with acute heart failure generate a substantial burden on healthcare systems and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Heart failure admissions are projected to increase over time with the ageing population. Understanding the factors contributing to readmissions after an index admission for heart failure is important, in order to develop strategies to address this phenomenon.

Olutasidenib demonstrates significant clinical activity in mutated IDH1 acute myeloid leukaemia arising from a prior myeloproliferative neoplasm.

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) arising from a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) is more aggressive and less responsive to therapies compared to de novo AML. Olutasidenib, an oral small-molecule inhibitor of mutated IDH1 (mIDH1), showed encouraging and durable responses in a phase 1/2 study of adults with post-MPN mIDH1 AML. Patients received olutasidenib 150 mg BID monotherapy or in combination with azacitidine.

Hormone-responsive progenitors have a unique identity and exhibit high motility during mammary morphogenesis.

Hormone-receptor-positive (HR) luminal cells largely mediate the response to estrogen and progesterone during mammary gland morphogenesis. However, there remains a lack of consensus on the precise nature of the precursor cells that maintain this essential HR lineage. Here we refine the identification of HR progenitors and demonstrate their unique regenerative capacity compared to mature HR cells.

Emergency department mental health presentations in young children: a retrospective chart review.

Aim: To characterise key features of young people presenting to the emergency department (ED) with a mental health complaint when comparing children (aged 7 to 12 years) and teenagers (13 years and greater).

Methods: Retrospective review of all ED mental health presentations in children aged 7-17 years presenting over a 12-month period in 2018 to a tertiary children's hospital in Victoria, Australia. Univariate analyses were carried out to examine the relationship between children and teenagers and a number of key presentation variables.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital presentations in adults with gastrointestinal infections at a tertiary centre in Australia.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the enactment of substantial public health measures aimed at reducing the transmission of respiratory viruses. The impact of these measures on gastrointestinal (GI) infections remains unexplored.

Aims: To determine whether there was a change in the number of patients presenting to The Royal Melbourne Hospital with GI infections during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the year prior.

Verbal paired associates learning lateralizes left hippocampal sclerosis in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Objective: Left hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is associated with verbal-specific memory impairment. This association is well established for word list learning tasks, and there is some evidence that this may also be relevant to verbal paired associates learning (PAL), though the evidence is limited. We aimed to evaluate the utility of verbal PAL as a marker for left HS, compare this with word list learning, and derive cutoff scores to facilitate clinical application.

Blurring the lines: an empirical examination of the interrelationships among acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility.

Background: Acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility are established implementation outcomes used to understand stakeholders' perceptions of an intervention. Further, they are thought to provide insight into behaviors, such as adoption. To date, measurement instruments for the three outcomes have focused on their individual assessment whilst nodding to the idea that they may interrelate.

Protektem pikinini blong yu trial: protocol for a single arm field trial to assess the effectiveness of treating-all pregnant women with hepatitis B infection with tenofovir prophylaxis to prevent mother-to-child transmission in Vanuatu, 2024-2025.

Background: Hepatitis B infection is a major public health concern in Vanuatu, with approximately 9% of the general population estimated to be living with chronic hepatitis B. Most new infections are due to mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). Hepatitis B vaccination is available in Vanuatu, but coverage rates for first dose within 24 h of birth and third dose are suboptimal.

Lung function may recover after coal mine fire smoke exposure: a longitudinal cohort study.

Background And Objective: The 2014 Hazelwood coal mine fire exposed residents in nearby Morwell to high concentrations of particulate matter <2.5 µm (PM) for approximately 6 weeks. This analysis aimed to evaluate the long-term impact on respiratory health.

Ligand-receptor interactions: A key to understanding microglia and astrocyte roles in epilepsy.

Epilepsy continues to pose significant social and economic challenges on a global scale. Existing therapeutic approaches predominantly revolve around neurocentric mechanisms, and fail to control seizures in approximately one-third of patients. This underscores the pressing need for novel and complementary treatment approaches to address this gap.

Management, outcomes and predictors of mortality of Cryptococcus infection in patients without HIV: a multicentre study in 46 hospitals from Australia and New Zealand.

Background: Limited data exist regarding outcomes of cryptococcosis in patients without HIV with few studies having compared outcomes of Cryptococcus gattii, versus C. neoformans, infection.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in 46 Australian and New Zealand hospitals to determine the outcomes of cryptococcosis in patients without HIV diagnosed between 2015 and 2019, and compared outcomes of C.

Implications of the choroid plexus in Niemann-Pick disease Type C neuropathogenesis.

Background: Niemann-Pick Disease Type C (NPC) is an ultra-rare disorder characterized by progressive psychiatric and neurologic manifestations, with late infantile, juvenile, and adolescent/adult presentations. We examined morphological properties of the choroid plexus, a protective blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, in NPC, and their relationship with neurodegeneration, clinical status, and circulatory markers. This study also determined whether choroid plexus morphology differentiates between NPC and more prevalent illnesses, schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD), which have overlapping psychiatric symptoms with adolescent and adult-onset NPC and are associated with misdiagnosis.

Clinical outcomes of cardiogenic shock among critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units in Australia and New Zealand from 2003 to 2022.

Purpose: Patients with Cardiogenic shock (CS) admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) have high mortality rates. We aimed to investigate the changes patient characteristics and outcomes over time among patients admitted to the ICU with CS.

Methods: Retrospective study utilizing a large bi-national ICU database from 2003 to 2022.

Baseline characteristics of patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy in Australia: analysis from the MYelopathy NAtural History registry.

Background: Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM) is the most common cause of non-traumatic, chronic spinal cord dysfunction worldwide, causing debilitating disability with a diminishing quality of life. The natural history of DCM is poorly understood. This is a preliminary report of the first 60 patients recruited to the MYelopathy NAtural History (MYNAH) Registry.