Application of machine learning and genomics for orphan crop improvement.

Orphan crops are important sources of nutrition in developing regions and many are tolerant to biotic and abiotic stressors; however, modern crop improvement technologies have not been widely applied to orphan crops due to the lack of resources available. There are orphan crop representatives across major crop types and the conservation of genes between these related species can be used in crop improvement. Machine learning (ML) has emerged as a promising tool for crop improvement.

Double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of late gestation oral melatonin supplementation in reducing induction of labour rates in nulliparous women: the MyTIME study protocol.

Introduction: Around the world, rates of induction of labour (IOL) among nulliparous mothers have increased in the last 10 years. In Australia, rates have increased over the last decade by 43%, from 32% to 46%. There is growing concern about the rapid rise in IOL before 41 weeks for nulliparous women without medical complications because of the associated increased rates of caesarean section, reduced satisfaction with birth, and birth trauma.

Congenital Titinopathy: Comprehensive Characterization of the Most Severe End of the Disease Spectrum.

Unlabelled: Congenital titinopathy has recently emerged as one of the most common congenital muscle disorders.

Objective: To better understand the presentation and clinical needs of the under-characterized extreme end of the congenital titinopathy severity spectrum.

Methods: We comprehensively analyzed the clinical, imaging, pathology, autopsy, and genetic findings in 15 severely affected individuals from 11 families.

Controlled Capture of Magnetic Nanoparticles from Microfluidic Flows by Ferromagnetic Antidot and Dot Nanostructures.

The capture of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) is essential in the separation and detection of MNPs for applications such as magnetic biosensing. The sensitivity of magnetic biosensors inherently depends upon the distribution of captured MNPs within the sensing area. We previously demonstrated that the distribution of MNPs captured from evaporating droplets by ferromagnetic antidot nanostructures can be controlled via an external magnetic field.

Factors Associated with Adherence to Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Among Patients Attending a Nurse-Led Community Clinic in Australia: A Qualitative Study.

Despite the availability of screening services, the rate of diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening continues to be suboptimal in Australia, necessitating improvement. However, improving DR screening rates requires a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing adherence to the screening recommendations. This study aimed to explore the factors that influence adherence to DR screening among people with diabetes attending a community screening clinic in Australia.

Imaging Flow Cytometric Identification of Chromosomal Defects in Paediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is the most common childhood malignancy that remains a leading cause of death in childhood. It may be characterised by multiple known recurrent genetic aberrations that inform prognosis, the most common being hyperdiploidy and t(12;21) . We aimed to assess the applicability of a new imaging flow cytometry methodology that incorporates cell morphology, immunophenotype, and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) to identify aneuploidy of chromosomes 4 and 21 and the translocation .

Assessing the Efficacy of Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry for Nanoplastic and Microplastic Analysis in Human Blood.

Humans are constantly exposed to micro- and nanosized plastics (MNPs); however, there is still limited understanding of their fate within the body, partially due to limitations with current analytical techniques. The current study assessed the appropriateness of pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) analysis for the quantification of a range of polymers in human blood. An extraction protocol that reduced matrix interferences (false positives) of polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was developed and validated.

A Silent Threat Unveiled: Mycobacterium gordonae Catheter-Related Peritonitis in a Patient on Peritoneal Dialysis.

Infectious complications in peritoneal dialysis (PD) remain a constant challenge, with atypical pathogens posing significant risks. This case from Thailand highlights the rare occurrence of , an often-overlooked non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM), as the causative agent in a catheter-related exit-site infection that progressed to peritonitis. Initially misattributed to  from preceding exit-site infections, was ultimately identified as the primary pathogen through multiple effluent cultures and advance polymerase chain reaction sequencing.

Diverged Populations Admixture Bolsters Genetic Diversity of a New Island Dibbler () Population, but Does Not Prevent Subsequent Loss of Genetic Variation.

Translocating individuals from multiple source populations is one way to bolster genetic variation and avoid inbreeding in newly established populations. However, mixing isolated populations, especially from islands, can potentially lead to outbreeding depression and/or assortative mating, which may limit interbreeding between source populations. Here, we investigated genetic consequences of mixing individuals from two island populations of the dibbler () in an island translocation.

Longitudinal evolution of the transdiagnostic prodrome to severe mental disorders: a dynamic temporal network analysis informed by natural language processing and electronic health records.

Modelling the prodrome to severe mental disorders (SMD), including unipolar mood disorders (UMD), bipolar mood disorders (BMD) and psychotic disorders (PSY), should consider both the evolution and interactions of symptoms and substance use (prodromal features) over time. Temporal network analysis can detect causal dependence between and within prodromal features by representing prodromal features as nodes, with their connections (edges) indicating the likelihood of one feature preceding the other. In SMD, node centrality could reveal insights into important prodromal features and potential intervention targets.

Phage therapy could be key to conquering persistent bacterial lung infections in children.

Persistent bacterial lung infections in children lead to significant morbidity and mortality due to antibiotic resistance. In this paper, we describe how phage therapy has shown remarkable efficacy in preclinical and clinical studies, demonstrating significant therapeutic benefits through various administration routes. Ongoing trials are evaluating its safety and effectiveness against different pathogens.

Life satisfaction around the world: Measurement invariance of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups.

The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) is a widely used self-report measure of subjective well-being, but studies of its measurement invariance across a large number of nations remain limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset-with data collected between 2020 and 2022 -to assess measurement invariance of the SWLS across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups (N = 56,968). All participants completed the SWLS under largely uniform conditions.

Impact of Sex on Cardiac Functional Adaptation to Different Modes of Exercise Training: A Randomized Cross-Over Study.

Purpose: We hypothesized that male and female volunteers would exhibit distinct changes in cardiac morphology, systolic, and diastolic function following endurance (END) and resistance (RES) training.

Methods: Thirty-eight females and 26 males participated in a randomized cross-over design trial in which all participants completed 12-weeks END and RES, separated by a 12-week washout. Echocardiograms assessed morphology (left ventricular mass, LVM), systolic function (ejection fraction, EF, and global longitudinal strain, GLS), diastolic function (mitral valve velocities, E, A; tissue Doppler velocities, e', a'), and left atrial volume.

Prevalence and genomic insights of carbapenem resistant and ESBL producing Multidrug resistant Escherichia coli in urinary tract infections.

Urinary tract infections are a common condition affecting people globally, with multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli (E. coli) being a major causative agent. Antimicrobial susceptibility profiling was performed using the VITEK 2 automated system for 1254 E.

Exploring perceived barriers and attitudes in young adults towards antidepressant pharmacotherapy, including the implementation of pharmacogenetic testing to optimize prescription practices.

Introduction: The field of pharmacogenetics (PGx) is experiencing significant growth, with increasing evidence to support its application in psychiatric care, suggesting its potential to personalize treatment plans, optimize medication efficacy, and reduce adverse drug reactions. However, the perceived utility and practicability of PGx for psychiatric treatment in youth remains underexplored. This study investigated perceived barriers and attitudes in Australian young adults towards the implementation of PGx testing to guide antidepressant treatment in primary care.

Circulating lipocalin-2 across the adult lifespan.

Lipocalin-2 (LCN2), a hormone produced by adipocytes, osteoblasts, and renal tubular cells, is implicated in age-related diseases, including cardio-metabolic disease. To understand the role LCN2 may play in pathological states, we first need to elucidate the relationship between circulating LCN2 with indices of cardio-metabolic health during "normal" aging. This study examined the relationship between serum levels of LCN2, age, and cardio-metabolic measures across the adult lifespan in males and females.

Children exposed to family and domestic violence perpetrated against their mother are at an increased risk of emergency department attendance in childhood.

Objective: To determine the association between family and domestic violence (FDV) exposure and ED attendance in Australian children.

Methods: The present study comprised a population-based retrospective cohort study using deidentified linked administrative data of children born 1987-2010, in Western Australia (n = 58 352). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards modelling was used to estimate the association of FDV exposure with ED attendance.

Fluoxetine and fractures after stroke: an individual patient data meta-analysis of three large randomised controlled trials of fluoxetine for stroke recovery.

Background: Observational studies have shown that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are associated with an increased risk of bone fractures, but the association can be confounded by indication and other sources of systematic bias that can be minimised in randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Aim: Our aim was to report the rate, site, context, and predictors of fractures after stroke, and whether the fractures modified the effect of fluoxetine on modified Rankin score (mRS) at six months in an individual patient data meta-analysis of 5907 patients enrolled in three RCTs of fluoxetine (20mg for six months) for stroke recovery.

Methods: We classified fractures by treatment allocation, site (and thus likelihood of osteoporosis) and context, then performed multivariable analyses to explore independent predictors of fractures.

Enhancing Tolerance to Combined Heat and Drought Stress in Cool-Season Grain Legumes: Mechanisms, Genetic Insights, and Future Directions.

The increasing frequency of concurrent heat and drought stress poses a significant challenge to agricultural productivity, particularly for cool-season grain legumes, including broad bean (Vicia Faba L.), lupin (Lupinus spp.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.

Transcriptional regulation of Rankl by Txnip-Ecd in aging and diabetic related osteoporosis.

Introduction: Bone homeostasis between osteoclast bone resorption and osteoblastic bone formation is tightly regulated by a series of factors such as the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL). Denosumab that neutralizes RANKL is effective and widely applied in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. However, factors that participated in the RANKL-related bone remodeling process in primary and secondary osteoporosis are less known.