The global prevalence of interstitial lung disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study aims to review the literature and estimate the global pooled prevalence of interstitial lung disease among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA-ILD). The influence of risk factors like geography, socioeconomic status, smoking and DMARD use will be explored. A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA and JBI guidelines.

Associations between bone material strength index and FRAX scores.

Introduction: Impact microindentation (IMI) measures bone material strength index (BMSi) in vivo. However, its ability to predict fractures is still uncertain. This study aimed to determine the association between BMSi and 10 year fracture probability, as calculated by the FRAX algorithm.

The Relationships Between Multidimensional Schizotypy and Metacognitive Beliefs.

There has been a recent surge in schizotypy and metacognition research. Metacognition is an umbrella term for higher-order thought processes. Here, we focussed on maladaptive metacognitive beliefs, which are beliefs related to one's thought processes and often play an important role in the preponderance of psychological disorders.

Definitions and use of tumour bulk in phase 3 lymphoma trials: a comprehensive literature review.

Tumour 'bulk' has historically been considered an important prognostic marker and clinical tool to guide treatment in patients with lymphoma. However, its use and definitions in trial designs varies significantly and it is unclear how this has influenced the relevance of bulk in contemporary practice. This comprehensive literature review evaluated the definitions, applications and prognostic impact of bulk in phase 3 randomised trials in four major lymphoma subtypes.

Combined first-trimester screening for preterm small-for-gestational-age infants: Australian multicenter clinical feasibility study.

Objective: To assess the performance of the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) first-trimester competing-risks screening model for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses requiring delivery at < 37 weeks' gestation, in a large cohort of women receiving maternity care in Australia.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from a cohort of women attending one of two private multicenter fetal medicine practices for first-trimester screening for preterm pre-eclampsia (PE), defined as PE requiring delivery before 37 weeks' gestation. Risk for preterm SGA, defined as SGA requiring delivery before 37 weeks, was calculated but was not disclosed to the patient or referring physician.

Study of Children Aged Under 2 Years Admitted With RSV at Four Australian Hospitals [2021-2022].

Aims: Primary aim was to review severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) hospitalisations caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children aged < 2 years in paediatric hospitals in Australia. Secondary aims included RSV subtyping, assessing RSV seasonality and contributing to the World Health Organisation's RSV surveillance programme.

Methods: We prospectively reviewed the medical records of children (< 2 years of age) with a confirmed SARI who were admitted to one of four major Australian paediatric hospitals and had a respiratory sample analysed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

Evaluation of preventive medicine amongst people living with human immunodeficiency virus attending a hospital-based care setting.

Background: With improved outcomes in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) due to the use of anti-retroviral therapy, ensuring adequate preventative healthcare and management of HIV-related comorbidities is essential.

Aims: To evaluate adherence with recommended guidelines for comorbidity and immunisation status screening amongst people living with HIV within a hospital-based setting across two timepoints.

Methods: A single-centre retrospective case series was conducted at a hospital between 2011 and 2021.

Leaf Photosynthetic and Respiratory Thermal Acclimation in Terrestrial Plants in Response to Warming: A Global Synthesis.

Leaf photosynthesis and respiration are two of the largest carbon fluxes between the atmosphere and biosphere. Although experiments examining the warming effects on photosynthetic and respiratory thermal acclimation have been widely conducted, the sensitivity of various ecosystem and vegetation types to warming remains uncertain. Here we conducted a meta-analysis on experimental observations of thermal acclimation worldwide.

The effect of Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative compliance on the association between mode of birth and breastfeeding initiation in Sri Lanka.

Background: In Sri Lanka, there is some evidence that the likelihood of breastfeeding initiation varies by exposure to Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative [BFHI]-compliant care and mode of birth. Globally, there is some evidence that exposure to mother-baby skin-to-skin contact (BFHI Step 4) is lower in caesarean section births. Therefore, we aimed to determine how breastfeeding initiation varies by mode of birth in Sri Lanka, and the extent to which women's exposure to BFHI practices explains any associations found.

Gambling advertising regulation in Ghana: what do we know and where to next?

In Ghana and many other sub-Saharan African countries gambling advertising has become pervasive due to weak regulations that allow gambling operators to zealously promote their products as a risk-free way to make money. In this commentary, we provide a public health perspective based on document analysis of the Ghana Gaming Commission's guidelines on advertisements, and recommendations for strengthening Ghana's gambling regulatory environment. With the industry intensifying its focus on new markets to grow and sustain profits, and new global players entering Ghana's market, the competition for market share will most likely intensify with an associated and aggressive increase in gambling advertising.

Soil Nitrogen Supply Exerts Largest Influence on Leaf Nitrogen in Environments with the Greatest Leaf Nitrogen Demand.

Accurately representing the relationships between nitrogen supply and photosynthesis is crucial for reliably predicting carbon-nitrogen cycle coupling in Earth System Models (ESMs). Most ESMs assume positive correlations amongst soil nitrogen supply, leaf nitrogen content, and photosynthetic capacity. However, leaf photosynthetic nitrogen demand may influence the leaf nitrogen response to soil nitrogen supply; thus, responses to nitrogen supply are expected to be the largest in environments where demand is the greatest.

Identifying Gaps in Detection of Heart Valve Disease in Australia: A Population Survey.

Background: Untreated severe heart valve disease (HVD) is associated with premature mortality. Research shows low population awareness of when to seek assessment and low focus on cardiac auscultation by physicians in primary care settings. We studied contemporary public knowledge of HVD and assessment by their general practitioner (GP) in Australia.

Quantitative pre-clinical imaging of hypoxia and vascularity using MRI and PET.

During hypoxia, tissues are subjected to an inadequate oxygen supply, disrupting the balance needed to maintain normal function. This deficiency can occur due to reduced oxygen delivery caused by impaired blood flow or a decline in the blood's ability to carry oxygen. In tumors, hypoxia and vascularization play crucial roles, shaping their microenvironments and influencing cancer progression, response to treatment and metastatic potential.

Infantry training outcomes: are they improved with an initial reduction in load carriage mass and additional sprint intensity exercise?

Introduction: Infantry is a physically demanding trade that is associated with elevated rates of musculoskeletal injury. A 17-week longitudinal intervention assessed the effect of a progressive increase in load carriage mass and sprint-intensity intervals on physical performance, physical complaints, medical encounters, physical activity and sleep in infantry trainees.

Methods: 91 infantry trainees from 2 separate platoons, randomly assigned as control (CON) or experimental (EXP), provided written voluntary consent.

Rare Care - Cross-Sector Care Coordination.

Rare and undiagnosed diseases collectively represent a global health priority, presenting distinct challenges for healthcare systems due to their low prevalence, cumulative frequency, and complex care requirements. The impact of rare and undiagnosed diseases on children and their families extends beyond physical and mental health, affecting every aspect of their lives. This paper outlines the development of an innovative Model of Care that emphasises cross-sector care coordination as an approach to enhance the health and well-being of Western Australian children living with rare and undiagnosed diseases.

Aspirin after completion of standard adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer (ASCOLT): an international, multicentre, phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Aspirin is a simple, globally available medication that has been shown to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of aspirin in the secondary prevention of colorectal cancer.

Methods: This phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at 66 centres across 11 countries and territories (ten in Asia-Pacific; one in the Middle East).

Discovery of a DNA methylation profile in individuals with Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome.

Pathogenic heterozygous variants in CHD4 cause Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with brain anomalies, heart defects, macrocephaly, hypogonadism, and additional features with variable expressivity. Most individuals have non-recurrent missense variants, complicating variant interpretation. A few were reported with truncating variants, and their role in disease is unclear.

Antibiotic resistance gene levels within a highly urbanised estuary.

Antibiotic resistant bacteria are increasingly being found in aquatic environments, representing a potential threat to public health. To examine the dynamics and potential sources of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) in urbanised waterways, we performed a six-month temporal study at six locations within the Sydney Harbour estuary. These locations spanned a salinity gradient from seawater at the mouth of the harbour to freshwater at the more urbanised western sites.

Comparative analysis of three methods for estimating the compositions of construction waste.

Determination of the relative compositions of the mixed construction waste is crucial and an important step to enhance resource management. This information influences the design of construction waste recycling and sorting facilities, and aids in formulating effective management strategies for recycled and sorted waste products. However, different methods for waste sorting and composition recognition possess distinct characteristics and only apply to specific practical scenarios.

The utility of routine intraoperative CSF during ventricular shunt insertion: a 10-year retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Ventricular shunt insertion is a common procedure in pediatric neurosurgical practice. In many areas of medicine there is a push toward rationalization of healthcare resources and a reduction in low-value tests or procedures. The intraoperative sampling of CSF at the time of shunt insertion is one traditional aspect of care that has not been rigorously evaluated.

A bridge between worlds: Embedding research in telepractice co-design with disability community.

Introduction: Co-production approaches are increasingly being advocated for as a way of addressing the research translatory gap while including patient and public involvement in development of services they access, and particularly in disability service provision. Embedded research (ER) is a method which integrates the researcher within the target organization to better facilitate both co-production of research outputs and the reduction of the research translation gap. The aim of this reflection is to better understand the commonalities and differences between ER in a disability context to accounts published in academic literature.

Electrostatically tuning radical addition and atom abstraction reactions with distonic radical ions.

Although electrostatic catalysis can enhance the kinetics and selectivity of reactions to produce greener synthetic processes, the highly directional nature of electrostatic interactions has limited widespread application. In this study, the influence of oriented electric fields (OEF) on radical addition and atom abstraction reactions are systematically explored with ion-trap mass spectrometry using structurally diverse distonic radical ions that maintain spatially separated charge and radical moieties. When installed on rigid molecular scaffolds, charged functional groups lock the magnitude and orientation of the internal electric field with respect to the radical site, creating an OEF which tunes the reactivity across the set of gas-phase carbon-centred radical reactions.

The clinical course and outcomes following arthroscopic frozen shoulder 360° release.

Background: Frozen shoulder (FS) is a debilitating inflammatory condition affecting the shoulder capsule that causes significant pain and stiffness. Its etiology, pathophysiology, and treatment remain poorly understood. Although regarded as self-limiting, FS can have profound implications on the activities of daily living and usually takes 1-4 years to resolve on its own accord.

Developing, implementing, and evaluating the first national Memory and Cognition Clinic Guidelines in Australia.

Introduction: A lack of national consensus on the roles and responsibilities of Australian memory and cognition clinics contributes to the large variability seen across services. The introduction of guidelines and a quality assessment framework could facilitate greater harmonization and quality improvements.

Methods: We used a modified Delphi process to develop the guidelines.

Exploring the relationship between melanopsin gene variants, sleep, and markers of brain health.

Introduction: Melanopsin is a photopigment with roles in mediating sleep and circadian-related processes, which are often disrupted in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Melanopsin also impacts cognition and synaptogenesis. This study investigated the associations between melanopsin genetic variants, sleep, and markers of brain health.