The world's most venomous spider is a species complex: systematics of the Sydney funnel-web spider (Atracidae: Atrax robustus).

The Sydney funnel-web spider Atrax robustus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1877 is an iconic Australian species and considered among the most dangerously venomous spiders for humans. Originally described in 1877 from a single specimen collected in "New Holland", this spider has a complex taxonomic history.

Maintaining level of modifiable dementia risk scores is associated with better cognitive outcomes than increasing risk scores: A population-based prospective cohort study.

Background: A brain healthy lifestyle, consisting of good cardiometabolic health and being cognitively and socially active in midlife, is associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline years later. However, it is unclear whether lifestyle changes over time also affect the risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI)/dementia, and rate of cognitive decline.

Objectives: To investigate if lifestyle changes over time are associated with incident MCI/dementia risk and rate of cognitive decline.

Blarcamesine for the treatment of Early Alzheimer's Disease: Results from the ANAVEX2-73-AD-004 Phase IIB/III trial.

Background: There are no approved oral disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess efficacy and safety of blarcamesine (ANAVEX®2-73), an orally available small-molecule activator of the sigma-1 receptor (SIGMAR1) in early AD through restoration of cellular homeostasis including autophagy enhancement.

Design: ANAVEX2-73-AD-004 was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 48-week Phase IIb/III trial.

Comparison of cell-scaffold interactions in a biological and a synthetic wound matrix.

Wound healing is a central physiological process that restores the barrier properties of the skin after injury, comprising close coordination between several cell types (including fibroblasts and macrophages) in the wound bed. The complex mechanisms involved are executed and regulated by an equally complex, reciprocal signalling network involving numerous signalling molecules such as catabolic and anabolic inflammatory mediators (e.g.

A comparison of risk factors for canine leptospirosis and seropositivity in New South Wales, Australia.

This study aimed to identify and compare risk factors associated with canine leptospirosis and Leptospira seropositivity in New South Wales, Australia. Seventy-nine canine cases of confirmed leptospirosis (clinical cases) and 16 healthy dogs seropositive to Leptospira (seropositive cases) were included in the study; these were separately compared to 394 healthy dogs seronegative to Leptospira (controls) in at-risk areas. A questionnaire investigated rat contact, stagnant water, dog park access and household number of dogs and cats.

Expanding access to maggot containment dressings through redesign and innovation.

There are two major styles of maggot debridement dressings: (1) confinement dressings that form a cage around the wound, and (2) containment dressings that completely surround the maggots within a sealed porous bag. For producers and clinicians wanting to prepare containment dressings using readily available polyester bags, it is currently difficult to seal these bags without expensive high-temperature plastic welders. This study aimed to identify simple and affordable methods for sealing maggots within polyester net bags.

Degradation of naphthalene in aqueous solution using a microbial symbiotic system founded by degrading and ureolytic bacteria.

Although single bacteria have been applied to the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) remediation, its efficacy is severely restricted by long degradation periods and low efficacy. A microbial symbiotic system founded by two or more bacterial strains may be an alternative to traditional remediation approaches. Its construction is, however, hampered by antagonistic interactions and remains challenging.

Evaluating student understanding of core pharmacokinetic concepts.

Both educators and graduates have expressed concern about a perceived pharmacology knowledge gap that includes difficulty applying fundamental principles to clinical and research problems. Consequently, we sought to determine the extent to which current students can explain the meaning of, and appropriately apply, a subset of core concepts, and to identify any misconceptions arising from the responses. Of the twenty-four pharmacology core concepts arising from the recent international collaboration, four pharmacokinetic concepts were chosen, namely drug bioavailability, drug clearance, volume of distribution, and steady-state concentration.

Personalising glioblastoma medicine: explant organoid applications, challenges and future perspectives.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive adult brain cancer, characterised by poor prognosis and a dismal five-year survival rate. Despite significant knowledge gains in tumour biology, meaningful advances in patient survival remain elusive. The field of neuro-oncology faces many disease obstacles, one being the paucity of faithful models to advance preclinical research and guide personalised medicine approaches.

Combating chemoresistance: Current approaches & nanocarrier mediated targeted delivery.

Chemoresistance, a significant challenge in effective cancer treatment needs clear elucidation of the underlying molecular mechanism for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Alterations in transporter pumps, oncogenes, tumour suppressor genes, mitochondrial function, DNA repair processes, autophagy, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cancer stemness, epigenetic modifications, and exosome secretion lead to chemoresistance. Despite notable advancements in targeted cancer therapies employing both small molecules and macromolecules success rates remain suboptimal due to adverse effects like drug efflux, target mutation, increased mortality of normal cells, defective apoptosis, etc.

Multi-omics analyses of early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease and Sanfilippo syndrome zebrafish models reveal commonalities in disease mechanisms.

Sanfilippo syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis type III, MPSIII) causes childhood dementia, while Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of adult-onset dementia. There is no cure for either of these diseases, and therapeutic options are extremely limited. Increasing evidence suggests commonalities in the pathogenesis of these diseases.

Engineering nanoliposomal tiotropium bromide embedded in a lactose-arginine carrier forming Trojan-particle dry powders for efficient pulmonary drug delivery: A combined approach of in vitro-3D printing and in silico-CFD modeling.

Nanocarrier-based dry powders for lung disease treatment are crucial, with in vitro and in silico research being pivotal to their success. This study introduces a method for creating Tiotropium-bromide liposomal inhalation dry powder, termed "Trojan-particles," utilizing thin-film hydration and spray-drying with lactose-arginine carriers. Encapsulating tiotropium-bromide in nanoliposomes enhances lung treatment via liposomes' unique features.

Durvalumab with or without bevacizumab with transarterial chemoembolisation in hepatocellular carcinoma (EMERALD-1): a multiregional, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study.

Background: Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) is standard of care for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma that is amenable to embolisation; however, median progression-free survival is still approximately 7 months. We aimed to assess whether adding durvalumab, with or without bevacizumab, might improve progression-free survival.

Methods: In this multiregional, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study (EMERALD-1), adults aged 18 years or older with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma amenable to embolisation, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 at enrolment, and at least one measurable intrahepatic lesion per modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST) were enrolled at 157 medical sites including research centres and general and specialist hospitals in 18 countries.

Imageless imagery in aphantasia revealed by early visual cortex decoding.

Activity in the early visual cortex is thought to tightly couple with conscious experience, including feedback-driven mental imagery. However, in aphantasia (a complete lack of visual imagery), the state of mental imagery, what takes its place, or how any activity relates to qualia remains unknown. This study analyzed univariate (amplitude) and multivariate (decoding) blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals in primary visual cortex during imagery attempts.

Cemiplimab in recurrent cervical cancer: Final analysis of overall survival in the phase III EMPOWER-Cervical 1/GOG-3016/ENGOT-cx9 trial.

Aim: Cemiplimab has demonstrated significantly longer survival than physician's choice of chemotherapy in patients with recurrent cervical cancer after first-line platinum-containing chemotherapy. We report the final survival analysis from the phase III randomized study (EMPOWER-Cervical 1/GOG-3016/ENGOT-cx9).

Methods: Cemiplimab (n = 304) or chemotherapy (n = 304) were administered every 3 weeks.

Dietary Salt-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of New Zealand Adults Aged 18-65 Years.

Objective: To explore dietary salt-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of New Zealand (NZ) adults aged 18-65 years and assess differences by demographic subgroups.

Design: Cross-sectional online survey conducted between June 1, 2018 and August 31, 2018.

Setting: Participants were recruited in shopping malls, via social media, and a market research panel.

Measurement of plantar pressure differences in the contralateral limb when using offloading modalities for diabetic foot ulcerations.

Background: This study investigated the effect of various offloading devices commonly used for the management of diabetic foot ulcerations on peak plantar pressure and pressure-time integral of the contralateral limb.

Methods: A quantitative, randomised and within-subject repeated measures study was conducted in an outpatient gait laboratory. Outpatients with unilateral diabetic foot ulcers and adequate perfusion to the lower limb without an intrinsic limb-length discrepancy who were able to walk were recruited for the study.

Six months of hybrid closed-loop therapy improves diabetes-specific positive well-being, and reduces diabetes distress and fear of hypoglycemia: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: This analysis aimed to investigate diabetes-specific psychological outcomes among adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) using hybrid closed-loop (HCL) versus standard therapy.

Research Design And Methods: In this multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled, parallel-group clinical trial, adults with T1D were allocated to 26 weeks of HCL (MiniMed™ 670G) or standard therapy (insulin pump or multiple daily injections without real-time continuous glucose monitoring). Psychological outcomes (awareness and fear of hypoglycemia; and diabetes-specific positive well-being, diabetes distress, diabetes treatment satisfaction, and diabetes-specific quality of life (QoL)) were measured at enrollment, mid-trial and end-trial.

Parallel randomised trial testing community fibrosis assessment for suspected non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: outcomes from LOCATE-NAFLD.

Objective: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is estimated to affect a third of Australian adults, and its prevalence is predicted to rise, increasing the burden on the healthcare system. The LOCal Assessment and Triage Evaluation of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (LOCATE-NAFLD) trialled a community-based fibrosis assessment service using FibroScan to reduce the time to diagnosis of high-risk NAFLD and improve patient outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a 1:1 parallel randomised trial to compare two alternative models of care for NAFLD diagnosis and assessment.

Proposal and exploration of a novel score to quantify patient-perceived burden of inflammatory bowel disease under routine care.

Background: The burden of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is often reported on from a system or cost viewpoint. We created and explored a novel patient-perceived burden of disease (PPBoD) score in a large Australasian cohort.

Aim: To create and explore a novel patient-perceived burden of disease (PPBoD) score in a large Australasian cohort, and correlate PPBoD scores with demographics, disease and treatment factors.

Association between clinical and MRI-detected imaging findings for people with midfoot pain, a cross-sectional study.

Background: Midfoot pain is common but poorly understood, with radiographs often indicating no anomalies. This study aimed to describe bone, joint and soft tissue changes and to explore associations between MRI-detected abnormalities and clinical symptoms (pain and disability) in a group of adults with midfoot pain, but who were radiographically negative for osteoarthritis.

Methods: Community-based participants with midfoot pain underwent an MRI scan of one foot and scored semi-quantitatively using the Foot OsteoArthritis MRI Score (FOAMRIS).