Exploring the pathways between depression, anxiety, stress, and quality of life on life satisfaction: a path analysis approach.

Background: Life satisfaction, one promising health asset, is associated with reduced risk of several chronic diseases and mortality. Mental health conditions and quality of life (QoL) are important aspects of well-being in late life and are significantly associated with life satisfaction. Despite the complex interrelationships between mental health, QoL and life satisfaction, the current literature has evaluated the simple association between them and failed to consider the complex pathways among these variables, especially among the older population.

The Acquisition of Cardiovascular Adaptation to Aerobic Exercise: When Does It Begin and How Does It Evolve Depending on Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors?

The acquisition and evolution of cardiovascular (CV) adaptation to physical activity or exercise training are critical in enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and reducing CV disease (CVD) risk. CV adaptations to exercise occur through structural, functional, and molecular changes that enhance cardiac efficiency. These adaptations, such as increased stroke volume, improved blood pressure regulation, and enhanced endothelial function, collectively reduce CVD morbidity and mortality.

The effects of plasma exchange and glucocorticoids on early kidney function among patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis in the PEXIVAS trial.

Therapeutic plasma exchange (PLEX) is an adjunctive treatment for patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis and kidney involvement. Little is known about the effect of PLEX on early changes in kidney function. This post-hoc analysis of the PEXIVAS trial investigated the effects of PLEX on changes in kidney function within 12 months.

Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and antimalarial activity of MMV533: a phase 1a first-in-human, randomised, ascending dose and food effect study, and a phase 1b Plasmodium falciparum volunteer infection study.

Background: Novel antimalarials are needed to address emerging resistance to artemisinin and partner drugs. We did two trials to evaluate safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and activity against blood stage Plasmodium falciparum for the drug candidate MMV533.

Methods: A phase 1a first-in-human (FIH) trial was conducted at Nucleus Network (Melbourne, VIC, Australia).

Ontological pleasure: Exploring eating as enjoyment among people with experience of homelessness.

Amidst globally escalating housing and cost of living crises, more and more people face the double challenge of securing shelter and food in their day-to-day lives. Yet, what meanings people with experience of homelessness attribute to eating is not well understood. We analyse eating as embedded in social relations between individual actors, social institutions, and organisations.

Reallocating Time Between 24-h Movement Behaviors for Obesity Management Across the Lifespan: A Pooled Data Meta-Analysis of More Than 9800 Participants from Seven Countries.

Background: The distribution of time across physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and sleep appears to be essential for the management of obesity. However, the impact of reallocating time among these behaviors, collectively known as 24-h movement behaviors, remains underexplored.

Objective: This study examines the theoretical effects of reallocating time between 24-h movement behaviors on obesity indicators across different age groups.

Acute kidney injury and tacrolimus toxicity in a kidney transplant recipient treated with nirmaltrevir/ritonavir: a case report.

Background: Kidney transplant recipients with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 infection have an increased risk of severe disease and mortality. Nirmaltrevir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) is an effective oral disease-modifying therapy that has been shown to reduce risk of progression to severe disease in high-risk, nonhospitalized adults. However, owing to the potential for serious drug-drug interactions owing to ritonavir-induced inhibition of the CYP3A enzyme, this drug is not suitable option for transplant recipients with mild-moderate severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 infection.

CBL0137 and NKG2A blockade: a novel immuno-oncology combination therapy for Myc-overexpressing triple-negative breast cancers.

The MYC proto-oncogene is upregulated in >60% of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs), it can directly promote tumor cell proliferation, and its overexpression negatively regulates anti-tumor immune responses. For all these reasons, MYC has long been considered as a compelling therapeutic target. However, pharmacological inhibition of MYC function has proven difficult due to a lack of a drug-binding pocket.

Predicting the replicability of social and behavioural science claims in COVID-19 preprints.

Replications are important for assessing the reliability of published findings. However, they are costly, and it is infeasible to replicate everything. Accurate, fast, lower-cost alternatives such as eliciting predictions could accelerate assessment for rapid policy implementation in a crisis and help guide a more efficient allocation of scarce replication resources.

Investigation of choroid plexus variability in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders-insights from a multimodal study.

Previous studies have suggested that choroid plexus (ChP) enlargement occurs in individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD) and is associated with peripheral inflammation. However, it is unclear whether such an enlargement delineates a biologically defined subgroup of SSD. Moreover, it remains elusive how ChP is linked to brain regions associated with peripheral inflammation in SSD.

Language barriers in conservation: consequences and solutions.

Language barriers can severely hinder the advance of conservation science and its contribution to addressing the biodiversity crisis. We build a framework for understanding how language barriers can impede the evidence-based conservation of biodiversity in three ways: barriers to (i) the generation of evidence by non-native English speakers; (ii) the global synthesis of evidence scattered across different languages; and (iii) the application of English-language evidence to local decision making. We provide evidence, building on a growing body of literature, that quantifies the three consequences of language barriers in conservation.

Serial secretoneurin measurement and risk of ventricular arrhythmias and death in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Background: Secretoneurin, a member of the granin protein family, is associated with the risk of mortality in patients with acute and chronic heart failure. Secretoneurin may play an important role in cardiomyocyte calcium handling, suggesting that it may influence cardiac arrhythmia risk. We hypothesized that baseline and serial measurements of circulating secretoneurin are associated with the risk of incident ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VA) and death, and that serial measurement would provide prognostic information beyond baseline values.

A quality improvement program to reduce surgical site infections after cardiac surgery: A 10-year cohort study.

Objectives: To assess trends in surgical site infection (SSI) incidence in cardiosurgery following a quality improvement initiative in infection prevention and control (IP&C).

Methods: This is a historical cohort study encompassing a 10-year surveillance period (2014-2023) in a cardiosurgical department in a multi-organ transplant center. The study encompassed three periods: a baseline period (Phase_1: January 2014-December 2018); an implementation phase covering quality improvement initiatives targeting various aspects of IP&C including organizational factors, pre-operative, intra-operative, post-operative measures, and post-hospitalization care (Phase_2: January 2019-June 2021); a post-implementation phase (Phase_3: July 2021-September 2023).

Disparities in kidney care in vulnerable populations: A multinational study from the ISN-GKHA.

Vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, children, displaced people, and refugees, often encounter challenges in accessing healthcare. In this study, we used data from the third iteration of the International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA) to describe kidney care access and delivery to vulnerable populations across countries and regions. Using data from an international survey of clinicians, policymakers, and patient advocates, we assessed the funding and coverage of vulnerable populations on all aspects of kidney replacement therapies (KRT).

Decades in the Making: The Evolution of Digital Health Research Infrastructure Through Synthetic Data, Common Data Models, and Federated Learning.

Traditionally, medical research is based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for interventions such as drugs and operative procedures. However, increasingly, there is a need for health research to evolve. RCTs are expensive to run, are generally formulated with a single research question in mind, and analyze a limited dataset for a restricted period.

Identifying Paediatric Populations with Increased Risk for Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in Acute and Critical Care Settings: A Scoping Review.

Dysphagia is common in hospitalised children. Clarity regarding its prevalence is required to direct service needs. This review reports oropharyngeal dysphagia prevalence in children admitted to acute and/or critical care, following acute illness, medical or surgical intervention.

Virome assembly reveals draft genomes of native Pseudomonas phages isolated from a paediatric bronchoalveolar lavage sample.

We present lung virome data recovered through shotgun metagenomics in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from an infant with cystic fibrosis, who tested positive for infection. Using a bioinformatic pipeline for virus characterization in shotgun metagenomic data, we identified five viral contigs representing Pseudomonas phages classified as Caudoviricetes.

Clozapine rechallenge following myocarditis: a systematic review of rechallenge cases.

Introduction And Objectives: Clozapine is the antipsychotic medication with the greatest efficacy in treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Unfortunately, clozapine is ceased in approximately 0.2% to 8.

A novel smartphone application for bladder cancer management (BCM App): Design, development, and usability evaluation.

Background: Providing clinical guidelines to clinicians using innovative technologies seems practical and useful. This study aimed to design, develop, and evaluate a smartphone application to assist urologists in managing bladder cancer (BCM App).

Materials And Methods: The study was conducted in three phases, following the user-centered design model, at the urology clinic of Khorshid Hospital (Isfahan, Iran) in 2021.

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.

Feline caudal vena cava to aorta ratio reference interval.

Objectives: The primary objective of this investigation was to ultrasonographically evaluate the caudal vena cava to aorta (CVC:Ao) ratio in healthy, conscious cats and to generate reference intervals. A secondary objective was to identify the site of examination with the least intra- and inter-observer variability. This investigation was undertaken to assess whether the CVC:Ao ratio holds promise as a technique to assess intravascular volume responsiveness in cats.

Evaluation of the Queensland JEV vaccine program response to the 2022 Australian outbreak.

In 2022, the largest ever virgin soil outbreak of Japanese encephalitis (JE) occurred in Australia resulting in 45 reported human cases of JE, with seven fatalities. Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) was detected in 84 piggeries across Australia. In response, states implemented targeted vaccination programs for those individuals at the highest risk of JEV exposure.

Integrating oral health into primary care: a proof-of-concept for dry mouth management in the Australian community pharmacy setting.

Background: Xerostomia (dry mouth) is a common yet severe problem, causing difficulty with eating, speaking, dental caries, and discomfort. Access issues to dental services, including cost and availability of dental practitioners, can delay timely diagnosis and management of dry mouth. Thus, there is a need for innovative approaches to manage xerostomia, involving non-dental primary care health practitioners.