Ahmadi, S, Ebrahimi Warkiani, M, Rabiee, M, Iravani, S & Rabiee, N 2023, 'Carbon-based nanomaterials against SARS-CoV-2: Therapeutic and diagnostic applications', OpenNano, vol. 10, pp. 100121-100121.
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An, Y, Lam, H-K & Ling, SH 2023, 'Multi-classification for EEG motor imagery signals using data evaluation-based auto-selected regularized FBCSP and convolutional neural network.', Neural Comput. Appl., vol. 35, no. 16, pp. 12001-12027.
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AbstractIn recent years, there has been a renewal of interest in brain–computer interface (BCI). One of the BCI tasks is to classify the EEG motor imagery (MI). A great deal of effort has been made on MI classification. What seems to be lacking, however, is multiple MI classification. This paper develops a single-channel-based convolutional neural network to tackle multi-classification motor imagery tasks. For multi-classification, a single-channel learning strategy can extract effective information from each independent channel, making the information between adjacent channels not affect each other. A data evaluation method and a mutual information-based regularization parameters auto-selection algorithm are also proposed to generate effective spatial filters. The proposed method can be used to tackle the problem of an inaccurate mixed covariance matrix caused by fixed regularization parameters and invalid training data. To illustrate the merits of the proposed methods, we used the tenfold cross-validation accuracy and kappa as the evaluation measures to test two data sets. BCI4-2a and BCI3a data sets have four mental classes. For the BCI4-2a data set, the average accuracy is 79.01%, and the kappa is 0.7202 using data evaluation-based auto-selected filter bank regularized common spatial pattern voting (D-ACSP-V) and single-channel series convolutional neural network (SCS-CNN). Compared to traditional FBRCSP, the proposed method improved accuracy by 7.14% for the BCI4-2a data set. By using the BCI3a data set, the proposed method improved accuracy by 9.54% compared with traditional FBRCSP, the average accuracy of the proposed method is 83.70%, and the kappa is 0.7827.
Ashique, S, Gupta, K, Gupta, G, Mishra, N, Singh, SK, Wadhwa, S, Gulati, M, Dureja, H, Zacconi, F, Oliver, BG, Paudel, KR, Hansbro, PM, Chellappan, DK & Dua, K 2023, 'Vitamin D—A prominent immunomodulator to prevent COVID‐19 infection', International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 13-30.
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AbstractCOVID‐19 remains a life‐threatening infectious disease worldwide. Several bio‐active agents have been tested and evaluated in an effort to contain this disease. Unfortunately, none of the therapies have been successful, owing to their safety concerns and the presence of various adverse effects. Various countries have developed vaccines as a preventive measure; however, they have not been widely accepted as effective strategies. The virus has proven to be exceedingly contagious and lethal, so finding an effective treatment strategy has been a top priority in medical research. The significance of vitamin D in influencing many components of the innate and adaptive immune systems is examined in this study. This review aims to summarize the research on the use of vitamin D for COVID‐19 treatment and prevention. Vitamin D supplementation has now become an efficient option to boost the immune response for all ages in preventing the spread of infection. Vitamin D is an immunomodulator that treats infected lung tissue by improving innate and adaptive immune responses and downregulating the inflammatory cascades. The preventive action exerted by vitamin D supplementation (at a specific dose) has been accepted by several observational research investigations and clinical trials on the avoidance of viral and acute respiratory dysfunctions. To assess the existing consensus about vitamin D supplementation as a strategy to treat and prevent the development and progression of COVID‐19 disease, this review intends to synthesize the evidence around vitamin D in relation to COVID‐19 infection.
Asmara, AP, Prasansuklab, A, Chiabchalard, A, Chen, H & Ung, AT 2023, 'Antihyperglycemic Properties of Extracts and Isolated Compounds from Australian Acacia saligna on 3T3-L1 Adipocytes', Molecules, vol. 28, no. 10, pp. 4054-4054.
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Our early work indicated that methanolic extracts from the flowers, leaves, bark, and isolated compounds of Acacia saligna exhibited significant antioxidant activities in vitro. The overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mitochondria (mt-ROS) interfered with glucose uptake, metabolism, and its AMPK-dependent pathway, contributing to hyperglycemia and diabetes. This study aimed to screen the ability of these extracts and isolated compounds to attenuate the production of ROS and maintain mitochondrial function via the restoration of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Downstream effects were investigated via an immunoblot analysis of the AMPK signalling pathway and glucose uptake assays. All methanolic extracts effectively reduced cellular ROS and mt-ROS levels, restored the MMP, activated AMPK-α, and enhanced cellular glucose uptake. At 10 µM, (−)-epicatechin-6 (from methanolic leaf and bark extracts) markedly reduced ROS and mt-ROS levels by almost 30% and 50%, respectively, with an MMP potential ratio 2.2-fold higher compared to the vehicle control. (−)-Epicatechin 6 increased the phosphorylation of AMPK-α by 43%, with an 88% higher glucose uptake than the control. Other isolated compounds include naringenin 1, naringenin-7-O-α-L-arabinopyranoside 2, isosalipurposide 3, D-(+)-pinitol 5a, and (−)-pinitol 5b, which also performed relatively well across all assays. Australian A. saligna active extracts and compounds can reduce ROS oxidative stress, improve mitochondrial function, and enhance glucose uptake through AMPK-α activation in adipocytes, supporting its potential antidiabetic application.
Bahrami, H, Sichetti, F, Puppo, E, Vettori, L, Liu Chung Ming, C, Perry, S, Gentile, C & Pietroni, N 2023, 'Physically-based simulation of elastic-plastic fusion of 3D bioprinted spheroids', Biofabrication, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 045021-045021.
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Abstract Spheroids are microtissues containing cells organized in a spherical shape whose diameter is usually less than a millimetre. Depending on the properties of the environment they are placed in, some nearby spheroids spontaneously fuse and generate a tissue. Given their potential to mimic features typical of body parts and their ability to assemble by fusing in permissive hydrogels, they have been used as building blocks to 3D bioprint human tissue parts. Parameters controlling the shape and size of a bioprinted tissue using fusing spheroid cultures include cell composition, hydrogel properties, and their relative initial position. Hence, simulating, anticipating, and then controlling the spheroid fusion process is essential to control the shape and size of the bioprinted tissue. This study presents the first physically-based framework to simulate the fusion process of bioprinted spheroids. The simulation is based on elastic-plastic solid and fluid continuum mechanics models. Both models use the ‘smoothed particle hydrodynamics’ method, which is based on discretizing the continuous medium into a finite number of particles and solving the differential equations related to the physical properties (e.g. Navier–Stokes equation) using a smoothing kernel function. To further investigate the effects of such parameters on spheroid shape and geometry, we performed sensitivity and morphological analysis to validate our simulations with in-vitro spheroids. Through our in-silico simulations by changing the aforementioned parameters, we show that the proposed models appropriately simulate the range of the elastic-plastic behaviours of in-vitro fusing spheroids to generate tissues of desired shapes and sizes. Altogether, this study presented a physically-based simulation that can provide a framework for monitoring and controlling the ...
Broome, ST, Mandwie, M, Gorrie, CA, Musumeci, G, Marzagalli, R & Castorina, A 2023, 'Early Alterations of PACAP and VIP Expression in the Female Rat Brain Following Spinal Cord Injury', Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, vol. 73, no. 9-10, pp. 724-737.
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AbstractPrevious evidence shows that rapid changes occur in the brain following spinal cord injury (SCI). Here, we interrogated the expression of the neuropeptides pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP), vasoactive intestinal peptides (VIP), and their binding receptors in the rat brain 24 h following SCI. Female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent thoracic laminectomy; half of the rats received a mild contusion injury at the level of the T10 vertebrate (SCI group); the other half underwent sham surgery (sham group). Twenty-four hours post-surgery, the hypothalamus, thalamus, amygdala, hippocampus (dorsal and ventral), prefrontal cortex, and periaqueductal gray were collected. PACAP, VIP, PAC1, VPAC1, and VPAC2 mRNA and protein levels were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. In SCI rats, PACAP expression was increased in the hypothalamus (104–141% vs sham) and amygdala (138–350%), but downregulated in the thalamus (35–95%) and periaqueductal gray (58–68%). VIP expression was increased only in the thalamus (175–385%), with a reduction in the amygdala (51–68%), hippocampus (40–75%), and periaqueductal gray (74–76%). The expression of the PAC1 receptor was the least disturbed by SCI, with decrease expression in the ventral hippocampus (63–68%) only. The expression levels of VPAC1 and VPAC2 receptors were globally reduced, with more prominent reductions of VPAC1 vs VPAC2 in the amygdala (21–70%) and ventral hippocampus (72–75%). In addition, VPAC1 downregulation also extended to the dorsal hippocampus (69–70%). These findings demonstrate that as early as 24 h post-SCI, there are region-specific disruptions of PACAP, VIP, and related receptor transcript and protein levels in supraspinal regions controlling higher cognitive functions.
Brown, A, Lamb, E, Deo, A, Pasin, D, Liu, T, Zhang, W, Su, S & Ueland, M 2023, 'The use of novel electronic nose technology to locate missing persons for criminal investigations', iScience, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 106353-106353.
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The search for missing persons is a major challenge for investigations involving presumed deceased individuals. Currently, the most effective tool is the use of cadaver-detection dogs; however, they are limited by their cost, limited operation times, and lack of granular information reported to the handler. Thus, there is a need for discrete, real-time detection methods that provide searchers explicit information as to whether human-decomposition volatiles are present. A novel e-nose (NOS.E) developed in-house was investigated as a tool to detect a surface-deposited individual over time. The NOS.E was able to detect the victim throughout most stages of decomposition and was influenced by wind parameters. The sensor responses from different chemical classes were compared to chemical class abundance confirmed by two-dimensional gas chromatography - time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The NOS.E demonstrated its ability to detect surface-deposited individuals days and weeks since death, demonstrating its utility as a detection tool.
Brown, A, Yim, J, Jones, S, Tan, A, Callander, E, Watt, K, De Abreu Lourenco, R & Pain, T 2023, 'Men’s perceptions and preferences regarding prostate cancer radiation therapy: A systematic scoping review', Clinical and Translational Radiation Oncology, vol. 38, pp. 28-42.
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PURPOSE: To assess the literature on men's preferences and perceptions regarding prostate cancer radiation therapy. METHODS: A scoping review was undertaken as per JBI guidelines. Searches were conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus and Science Direct with search terms including 'prostate cancer,' 'radiotherapy,' 'radiation therapy,' 'radiation oncology,' 'patient preferences,' 'patient perceptions' and 'patient experience.' The resultant studies were mapped and grouped according to the emergent themes and pathway stages. RESULTS: A total of 779 titles and abstracts were screened by two independent reviewers. Fifty-two full-text studies were reviewed, with 27 eligible for inclusion. There were 4 pre-treatment, 13 during treatment and 10 post-treatment studies covering broad themes of information needs (n = 3), preferences and decisions (n = 6), general experiences (n = 8), side effects (n = 6), and support (n = 4). There were a mix of methodologies, including 11 qualitative, 14 quantitative (including four preference studies), one mixed methods and one narrative review. CONCLUSION: There were only four preference studies, with the remaining 23 reporting on perceptions. Overall, there is a paucity of literature regarding patient preferences and perceptions of prostate cancer radiation therapy, particularly when considering how many clinical and technical studies are published in the area. This highlights opportunities for future research.
Brown, DA, Ma, N, Yang, JS, Sutton, N, McAllister, G, Parker, D, Rawlings-Way, O & Lewis, RL 2023, 'The impact of business model workforce configurations on value creation and value appropriation in the Australian aged care sector', Australian Journal of Management, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 495-523.
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This article examines the influence of business model workforce configurations on value creation and capture in a skills-based service setting, extending previous research on business model performance. We investigate workforce configurations (higher versus lower stability and skills) and value creation and appropriation in aged care organisations. More skilled and stable workforces are associated with greater value creation but not appropriation, while less skilled and less stable workforces are associated with lower value creation and higher appropriation. This informs a substantive challenge in delivering value creation while ensuring financially viable business models in a sector with significant consequences for quality failure. JEL Classification: J24 - Human Capital • Skills • Occupational Choice • Labor Productivity; L2 - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior; M12 - Personnel Management; I11 - Analysis of Health Care Markets
Brown, O & Newton-John, TRO 2023, 'The influence of the significant other on treatment adherence in chronic pain management: a qualitative analysis', Psychology & Health, vol. 38, no. 11, pp. 1572-1586.
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Buhalis, D, Leung, XY, Fan, D, Darcy, S, Chen, G, Xu, F, Wei-Han Tan, G, Nunkoo, R & Farmaki, A 2023, 'Editorial: Tourism 2030 and the contribution to the sustainable development goals: the tourism review viewpoint', Tourism Review, vol. 78, no. 2, pp. 293-313.
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Buteau, JP, Moon, D, Fahey, MT, Roberts, MJ, Thompson, J, Murphy, DG, Papa, N, Mitchell, C, De Abreu Lourenco, R, Dhillon, HM, Kasivisvanathan, V, Francis, RJ, Stricker, P, Agrawal, S, O'Brien, J, McVey, A, Sharma, G, Levy, S, Ayati, N, Nguyen, A, Lee, S-F, Pattison, DA, Sivaratnam, D, Frydenberg, M, Du, Y, Titus, J, Lee, S-T, Ischia, J, Jack, G, Hofman, MS & Emmett, L 2023, 'Clinical Trial Protocol for PRIMARY2: A Multicentre, Phase 3, Randomised Controlled Trial Investigating the Additive Diagnostic Value of [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Men with Negative or Equivocal Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the Diagnosis of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer', European Urology Oncology.
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Caperchione, CM, English, M, Sharp, P, Agar, MR, Phillips, JL, Liauw, W, Harris, CA, McCullough, S & Lilian, R 2023, 'Exploring the practicality and acceptability of a brief exercise communication and clinician referral pathway in cancer care: a feasibility study', BMC Health Services Research, vol. 23, no. 1, p. 1023.
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Abstract Background The majority of cancer patients and cancer care clinicians-CCCs (e.g., oncologists) believe that exercise is an important adjunct therapy that should be embedded in standard practice. Yet, CCCs do not routinely discuss exercise with their patients, nor do they regularly refer them to exercise professionals (e.g., exercise physiologists-EPs). This study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of an evidence-based approach to improving exercise communication between CCCs and their patients, including an exercise referral pathway. Methods Implementation and testing of the Exercise Communication and Referral Pathway (ECRP) occurred in Sydney, Australia. The ECRP included a brief oncology-initiated communication exchange with patients, CCC exercise referral to an EP, followed by EP-initiated telephone consultation with patients concerning tailored exercise advice. Participant perceptions concerning the feasibility and applicability of the ECPR were evaluated. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with CCCs (n = 3), cancer patients (n = 21), and an EP (n = 1). Inductive thematic analysis was undertaken. Results Analysis generated three themes: (1) Navigating the role of CCCs in the ECRP, suggesting that oncology-initiated communication is a cue to action, however there was a lack of role clarity regarding exercise referral; (2) Implementing Patient-Orientated Care within a Standardised Pathway, highlighting the need for tailored information and advice for patients that reflects individual disease, socio-cultural, and environmental factors, and; (3) Taking Steps Towards Action, revealing the need for structural (e.g., ...
Carnemolla, P, Darcy, S, Almond, B, Madon, F & Relf, M 2023, 'New UTS research “lifts the lid” on how wheelchair users access public bathrooms', Access Insight - The Magazine for the Association of Consultants in Access Australia, vol. 2023/2024, no. Summer, pp. 8-13.
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Public bathrooms are important places. The provision of accessible public bathrooms helps to ensure health, wellbeing and equitable access to our cities, public spaces, and communities. However, the real risk of falling off the toilet pan while reaching for toilet paper and avoiding public bathrooms altogether are two preliminary findings from a new research project “An Inclusive and Embodied Approach to Accessible Bathroom Design for Powered and Manual Wheelchair Users” by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Disability Research Network and industry collaborators Farah Madon & Mark Relf in partnership with Spinal Cord Injury Australia and Physical Disability Council NSW.The new project explores how accessible bathrooms are used by wheelchair users (both manual and power chair). It also looks at the effects of the Australian Design for Access and Mobility design code (AS1428:1) on public bathroom design. The design code takes a prescriptive approach to public bathroom design while making many assumptions about how wheelchair users access the toilets including how they use, approach and transfer onto the toilet pan. Most often, wheelchair users are considered as a single homogenous user group.
Caruana, A, Bandara, M, Musial, K, Catchpoole, D & Kennedy, PJ 2023, 'Machine Learning for Administrative Health Records: A Systematic Review of Techniques and Applications', Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, vol. 144, pp. 102642-102642.
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Machine learning provides many powerful and effective techniques foranalysing heterogeneous electronic health records (EHR). Administrative HealthRecords (AHR) are a subset of EHR collected for administrative purposes, andthe use of machine learning on AHRs is a growing subfield of EHR analytics.Existing reviews of EHR analytics emphasise that the data-modality of the EHRlimits the breadth of suitable machine learning techniques, and pursuablehealthcare applications. Despite emphasising the importance of data modality,the literature fails to analyse which techniques and applications are relevantto AHRs. AHRs contain uniquely well-structured, categorically encoded recordswhich are distinct from other data-modalities captured by EHRs, and they canprovide valuable information pertaining to how patients interact with thehealthcare system. This paper systematically reviews AHR-based research, analysing 70 relevantstudies and spanning multiple databases. We identify and analyse which machinelearning techniques are applied to AHRs and which health informaticsapplications are pursued in AHR-based research. We also analyse how thesetechniques are applied in pursuit of each application, and identify thelimitations of these approaches. We find that while AHR-based studies aredisconnected from each other, the use of AHRs in health informatics research issubstantial and accelerating. Our synthesis of these studies highlights theutility of AHRs for pursuing increasingly complex and diverse researchobjectives despite a number of pervading data- and technique-based limitations.Finally, through our findings, we propose a set of future research directionsthat can enhance the utility of AHR data and machine learning techniques forhealth informatics research.
Ceballos‐González, CF, Bolívar‐Monsalve, EJ, Quevedo‐Moreno, DA, Chávez‐Madero, C, Velásquez‐Marín, S, Lam‐Aguilar, LL, Solís‐Pérez, ÓE, Cantoral‐Sánchez, A, Neher, M, Yzar‐García, E, Zhang, YS, Gentile, C, Boccaccini, AR, Alvarez, MM & Trujillo‐de Santiago, G 2023, 'Plug‐and‐Play Multimaterial Chaotic Printing/Bioprinting to Produce Radial and Axial Micropatterns in Hydrogel Filaments', Advanced Materials Technologies, vol. 8, no. 17.
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AbstractNature abounds with micro‐architected materials containing layered multi‐material patterns that often transition within the very same monolithic piece. Fabricating these complex materials using current technologies is challenging. Multimaterial chaotic printing is presented—an extrusive printing method based on the use of chaotic advection—that can fabricate microstructured hydrogels with well‐defined multimaterial and multilayered micropatterns. Printheads containing internal Kenics static mixing (KSM) elements and top‐ and lateral‐positioned inlets are used to produce a wide repertoire of multilayered hydrogel filaments. In this plug‐and‐play system, the radial and axial micropatterns can be designed ad hoc by defining the printhead configuration (i.e., the number of KSM elements and inlets, and the inlet positions) and the flow program (i.e., activation/deactivation of the ink‐flow through each inlet). Computational fluid dynamics simulations closely predict the microstructure obtained by a given printhead configuration. The application of this platform is illustrated for easy fabrication of fibers with radial microgradients, bacterial ecosystems, structured emulsions, micro‐channeled hydrogel filaments, a pre‐vascularized tumor niche model, and skeletal muscle‐like tissues with axial and radial transitions of bioactive glass compartments. It is envisioned that multimaterial chaotic printing will be a valuable addition to the toolbox of additive manufacturing for the rational fabrication of advanced materials.
Ceballos‐González, CF, Bolívar‐Monsalve, EJ, Quevedo‐Moreno, DA, Chávez‐Madero, C, Velásquez‐Marín, S, Lam‐Aguilar, LL, Solís‐Pérez, ÓE, Cantoral‐Sánchez, A, Neher, M, Yzar‐García, E, Zhang, YS, Gentile, C, Boccaccini, AR, Alvarez, MM & Trujillo‐de Santiago, G 2023, 'Plug‐and‐Play Multimaterial Chaotic Printing/Bioprinting to Produce Radial and Axial Micropatterns in Hydrogel Filaments (Adv. Mater. Technol. 17/2023)', Advanced Materials Technologies, vol. 8, no. 17.
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Cerdan Chiscano, M & Darcy, S 2023, 'Making cultural and tourist attractions accessible and inclusive for people with disability through value co-creation amidst COVID-19: a critical discourse analysis', Tourism Recreation Research, vol. 48, no. 6, pp. 856-870.
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Chaaya, R, Steele, JR, Oliver, BG, Chen, H & Machaalani, R 2023, 'Effects of e-vapour and high-fat diet on the immunohistochemical staining of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, apoptosis, microglia and astrocytes in the adult male mouse hippocampus', Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy, vol. 132, pp. 102303-102303.
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The use of e-cigarettes/e-vapour, and the consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD), are two popular lifestyle choices associated with alterations in the hippocampus. This study, using a mouse model, investigated the effects of exposure to e-vapour (± nicotine) and HFD (43% fat) consumption, on the expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits α3, α4, α7 and β2, apoptosis markers caspase-3 and TUNEL, microglial marker Iba-1, and astrocyte marker GFAP, in hippocampal subregions of dentate gyrus (DG) and cornu ammonis (CA) 1-3. The major findings included: (1) HFD alone had minimal effect with no consistent pattern or interaction between the markers, (2) E-vapour (± nicotine) predominantly affected the CA2 subregion, decreasing α7 and β2 nAChR subunits and Iba-1, (3) Nicotine e-vapour increased TUNEL across all subregions, and (4) HFD, in the presence of nicotine-free e-vapour, decreased caspase-3 and increased TUNEL across all regions, and decreased Iba-1 in the CA subregions, while HFD and nicotine-containing e-vapour, subregion specifically affected the α3, α4 and α7 nAChR subunits, with a protective effect against change in GFAP in the DG and Iba-1 in the CA1 and CA3. These findings highlight that e-vapour itself alters nAChRs, particularly in the CA2 subregion, associated with a decrease in neuroinflammatory response (Iba-1) across the whole hippocampus, and the addition of nicotine increases cell apoptosis across the whole hippocampus. HFD alone was not detrimental in our model, but in the presence of nicotine-free e-vapour, it differentially affected apoptosis, while the addition of nicotine increased nAChR subunits.
Chan, Y, Raju Allam, VSR, Paudel, KR, Singh, SK, Gulati, M, Dhanasekaran, M, Gupta, PK, Jha, NK, Devkota, HP, Gupta, G, Hansbro, PM, Oliver, BGG, Chellappan, DK & Dua, K 2023, 'Nutraceuticals: unlocking newer paradigms in the mitigation of inflammatory lung diseases', Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, vol. 63, no. 19, pp. 3302-3332.
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Chang, S, Luckett, T, Phillips, J, Agar, M, Lam, L & DiGiacomo, M 2023, 'Factors associated with being an older rather than younger unpaid carer of adults with a chronic health condition: Results from a population-based cross-sectional survey in South Australia', Chronic Illness, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 208-220.
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Objective To examine sociodemographic characteristics and caring experiences associated with being an older rather than younger carer of an adult with a chronic health condition. Methods The population-based cross-sectional South Australian Health Omnibus survey was administered in 2016. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic characteristics and caring experiences associated with being an older (≥65 years) versus younger (<65 years) carer of one or more adult(s) with a chronic health condition. Results Of 988 survey respondents who self-identified as carers, 198(20%) were 65 years or over. Characteristics associated with being an older carer included having a partner, having poor physical health, being born outside Australia, have no formal qualification, living in a household of 1–2 people, have an annual household income ≤$60,000, and owning one's home. Carer experiences associated with older carer status included providing ≥40 h of care per week, perceived control over caring, and caring for someone with a neurological condition, whereas caring for someone with a mental illness, reporting poor mental health of their own, and providing personal care were inversely associated. Discussion Interventions directed at older carers should consider the increased likelihood that they may be investing large amounts of time in caring for someone with a neurological condition, and be culturally and linguistically diverse.
Chen, H, Yang, Y, Odisho, D, Wu, S, Yi, C & Oliver, BG 2023, 'Can biomarkers be used to diagnose attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?', Frontiers in Psychiatry, vol. 14, p. 1026616.
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Currently, the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is solely based on behavioral tests prescribed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5). However, biomarkers can be more objective and accurate for diagnosis and evaluating treatment efficacy. Thus, this review aimed to identify potential biomarkers for ADHD. Search terms “ADHD,” and “biomarker” combined with one of “protein,” “blood/serum,” “gene,” and “neuro” were used to identify human and animal studies in PubMed, Ovid Medline, and Web of Science. Only papers in English were included. Potential biomarkers were categorized into radiographic, molecular, physiologic, or histologic markers. The radiographic analysis can identify specific activity changes in several brain regions in individuals with ADHD. Several molecular biomarkers in peripheral blood cells and some physiologic biomarkers were found in a small number of participants. There were no published histologic biomarkers for ADHD. Overall, most associations between ADHD and potential biomarkers were properly controlled. In conclusion, a series of biomarkers in the literature are promising as objective parameters to more accurately diagnose ADHD, especially in those with comorbidities that prevent the use of DSM-5. However, more research is needed to confirm the reliability of the biomarkers in larger cohort studies.
Chhor, M, Law, W, Pavlovic, M, Aksentijevic, D, McGrath, K & McClements, L 2023, 'Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers reflective of cardiac remodelling in diabetes mellitus: A scoping review', Diabetic Medicine, vol. 40, no. 5.
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AbstractAimsThe aim of this scoping review is to evaluate the current biomarkers used in the assessment of adverse cardiac remodelling in people with diabetes mellitus (DM) and in the diagnosis and prognosis of subsequent cardiovascular disease. We aim to discuss the biomarkers' pathophysiological roles as a reflection of the cardiac remodelling mechanisms in the presence of DM.MethodsWe performed the literature search to include studies from 2003 to 2021 using the following databases: MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane library. Articles that met our inclusion criteria were screened and appraised before being included in this review. The PRISMA guidelines for Scoping Reviews were followed.ResultsOur literature search identified a total of 43 eligible articles, which were included in this scoping review. We identified 15 different biomarkers, each described by at least two studies, that were used to determine signs of cardiac remodelling in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and people with DM. NT‐proBNP was identified as the most frequently employed biomarker in this context; however, we also identified emerging biomarkers including hs‐CRP, hs‐cTnT, and Galectin‐3.ConclusionThere is a complex relationship between DM and cardiovascular health, where more research is needed. Current biomarkers reflective of adverse cardiac remodelling in DM are often used to diagnose other CVDs, such as NT‐proBNP for heart failure. Hence there is a need for identification of specific biomarkers that can detect early signs of cardiac remodelling in the presence of DM. Further research into these biomarkers and mechanisms can deepen our understanding of their role in DM‐associated CVD and lead to better preve...
Clarke, RJ, Lev, B, Chennath, M, Allen, TW, Cranfield, CG, Blayney, E-L & Cornelius, F 2023, 'Involvement of alpha-subunit N-termini in the mechanism and regulation of the Na+,K+- and H+,K+-ATPases', Biophysical Journal, vol. 122, no. 3, pp. 529a-529a.
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Curtis, K, Brown, J, Sharwood, LN, Risi, D, Eager, D, Holland, AJA, Beck, B, Erskine, C, Lockhart, K, Cooke, K, Adams, S, Teague, WJ & Mitchell, R 2023, 'Playground injury prevention: the need for consistent and national implementation of Australian safety standards', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 100023-100023.
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OBJECTIVES: Hospitalisation rates for injury, including at playgrounds, have not changed in the past decade. There are nine Australian Standards specific to playgrounds. The impact (if any) of these standards on playground injury resulting in hospitalisation is unknown. METHODS: Retrospective data for patients under 18 years presenting to emergency departments and/or admitted between October 2015 and December 2019 due to an injury documented as occurring at a playground were retrieved by the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Planning, Information and Performance Department. Maintenance and Australian Standard (AS) compliance data for the 401 local playgrounds were requested from the four Local Governments in Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. Descriptive statistics were used. RESULTS: A total of 548 children were treated in emergency departments and/or admitted following playground injury. There was an overall increase of 39.3% in playground injury across the study period, and expenditure rose from $43,478 in 2011 to $367,259 in 2019 (a 744.7% increase). CONCLUSIONS: Playground injury has not decreased in the Illawarra Shoalhaven. Data regarding maintenance and AS compliance are lacking. This is not unique to our region. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: Without a national approach to adequately resource and monitor playground injury, it is not possible to assess the impact of Australian Standards or any injury prevention program.
Darcy, S, Collins, J & Stronach, M 2023, 'Entrepreneurs with disability: Australian insights through a social ecology lens', Small Enterprise Research, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 24-48.
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Darcy, S, Maxwell, H, Edwards, M & Almond, B 2023, 'Disability inclusion in beach precincts: beach for all abilities – a community development approach through a social relational model of disability lens', Sport Management Review, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 1-23.
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This paper examines a community development approach to including people with disability in a sport context within beach 10 precincts for a project called Beach for All Abilities. The aim of©this research is to investigate innovative and transformative solutionsthat enable inclusion. The research design used multiple methods and data sources across 30 projects and three geographically diverse precincts. The theoretical framework brought together 15 community development and the social relational model of disability to inform the research. The findings show how the funded organisation working in partnership with not-for-profit, commercialand government programs, facilitated processes and practices enabling greater access and inclusion for people with disability in 20 the beach precincts. These included solutions to constraints in the built, outdoor and natural environments across mobility, vision, hearing, intellectual and mental health disability from low to veryhigh support needs. Yet, the overall program had a major short- coming in establishing ongoing©beach-related activities for people 25 with disability. The paper concludes with implications for longevity, limitations, and future research.
Datsyuk, JK, Paudel, KR, Rajput, R, Kokkinis, S, El Sherkawi, T, Singh, SK, Gupta, G, Chellappan, DK, Yeung, S, Hansbro, PM, Oliver, BGG, Santos, HA, Dua, K & De Rubis, G 2023, 'Emerging applications and prospects of NFκB decoy oligodeoxynucleotides in managing respiratory diseases', Chemico-Biological Interactions, vol. 385, pp. 110737-110737.
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Daub, BD, McLean, BD, Heishman, AD & Coutts, AJ 2023, 'The reliability and usefulness of a novel basketball standardized shooting task', International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 1285-1294.
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The purpose of this investigation was to develop a basketball shooting performance test and subsequently assess the tests measurement characteristics and construct validity. The novel standardized shooting task (SST) was comprised of 60 free throw attempts followed by a 4-min spot-to-spot shooting segment (including seven sequential locations either outside the 3-point line or at a 15-foot mark, depending upon player role). After development of the SST, 28 (male = 16, female = 12) NCAA Division I basketball players completed the task on separate days (Part 1; reliability) and then following a standard basketball practice (Part 2; sensitivity). SST performance collected from 13 males was then compared with shots made during live practices and expert ranking's (Part 3; construct validity). Interday reliability (Part 1) measures were: intraclass correlations coefficient = 0.77–0.86; coefficient of variation = 1.9–12.0%. There were no significant differences ( p>0.05) between days for any performance variables. From pre- to post-practice (Part 2) repeated measures analyses of variance showed a significant difference ( p = 0.03) for shots made in 4-min (MAKE4MIN; pre = 51.6 ± 8.8, post practice = 48.7 ± 9.3), while no significant differences were detected for any other variables. Results from Part 3 indicated large correlations for Shooter Rank versus MAKE4MIN ( r = 0.814, p = 0.001) and Shooter Rank versus shooting percentage in live play ( r = 0.815, p = 0.001). These data demonstrate the SST poses sufficient reliability and sensitivity to detect meaningful changes in performance, as well as adequate construct validity. Therefore, offering an ecologically valid measurement which can be incorporated to athlete monitoring strategies in elite basketballers.
Daub, BD, McLean, BD, Heishman, AD, Peak, KM & Coutts, AJ 2023, 'Impacts of mental fatigue and sport specific film sessions on basketball shooting tasks', European Journal of Sport Science, vol. 23, no. 8, pp. 1500-1508.
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ABSTRACTPurposeThe aim of this investigation was to examine the impact of mental fatigue on basketball specific shooting performance, utilising the newly developed basketball Standardized Shooting Task (SST).MethodsFifteen male elite NCAA Division 1 collegiate basketball players (Age 20.2 ± 1.2 y, height 199.3 ± 7.1 cm, body mass 93.1 ± 8.6 kg) volunteered to participate in a randomised, counterbalanced crossover design undergoing three conditions (Control, Stroop, and Film). The task, performed on three consecutive days, was comprised of 60 free throw attempts followed by a 4‐minute spot‐to‐spot shooting.ResultsVisual Analog Scales revealed significantly higher levels of mental fatigue following the Stroop (54.2 ± 24.5) condition compared to the Control (24.5 ± 16.2) and higher levels of mental effort in the Stroop (61.0 ± 31.3) and Film (49.9 ± 27.7) compared to the Control (14.0 ± 18.5). No significant differences were observed for Motivation among groups (p > 0.05). There was a significant decrease (p = 0.006) in number of shots made in 4‐minutes (MAKE4MIN; control = 49.5 ± 10.2, Stroop = 44.0 ± 10.6, and Film = 45.1 ± 11.7) and shots missed in 4‐minutes (MISS4MIN; control = 27.3 ± 7.0, Stroop = 30.9 ± 7.1, and Film = 30.9 ± 7.6). No significant differences were detected for any other performance variables.ConclusionThese data demonstrate that mental fatigue negatively impacts basketball shooting performance in elite collegiate basketball players. We suggest that practitioners and coaches encourage athletes to abstain from cognitively demanding tasks prior to basketball competition.
de Couvreur, LA, Cobo, MJ, Kennedy, PJ & Ellis, JT 2023, 'Bibliometric analysis of parasite vaccine research from 1990 to 2019', Vaccine, vol. 41, no. 44, pp. 6468-6477.
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De Rubis, G, Paudel, KR, Corrie, L, Mehndiratta, S, Patel, VK, Kumbhar, PS, Manjappa, AS, Disouza, J, Patravale, V, Gupta, G, Manandhar, B, Rajput, R, Robinson, AK, Reyes, R-J, Chakraborty, A, Chellappan, DK, Singh, SK, Oliver, BGG, Hansbro, PM & Dua, K 2023, 'Applications and advancements of nanoparticle-based drug delivery in alleviating lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease', Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology.
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Lung cancer (LC) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are among the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Cigarette smoking is among the main aetiologic factors for both ailments. These diseases share common pathogenetic mechanisms including inflammation, oxidative stress, and tissue remodelling. Current therapeutic approaches are limited by low efficacy and adverse effects. Consequentially, LC has a 5-year survival of < 20%, while COPD is incurable, underlining the necessity for innovative treatment strategies. Two promising emerging classes of therapy against these diseases include plant-derived molecules (phytoceuticals) and nucleic acid-based therapies. The clinical application of both is limited by issues including poor solubility, poor permeability, and, in the case of nucleic acids, susceptibility to enzymatic degradation, large size, and electrostatic charge density. Nanoparticle-based advanced drug delivery systems are currently being explored as flexible systems allowing to overcome these limitations. In this review, an updated summary of the most recent studies using nanoparticle-based advanced drug delivery systems to improve the delivery of nucleic acids and phytoceuticals for the treatment of LC and COPD is provided. This review highlights the enormous relevance of these delivery systems as tools that are set to facilitate the clinical application of novel categories of therapeutics with poor pharmacokinetic properties. This picture was generated with BioRender.
De Rubis, G, Paudel, KR, Liu, G, Agarwal, V, MacLoughlin, R, de Jesus Andreoli Pinto, T, Singh, SK, Adams, J, Nammi, S, Chellappan, DK, Oliver, BGG, Hansbro, PM & Dua, K 2023, 'Berberine-loaded engineered nanoparticles attenuate TGF-β-induced remodelling in human bronchial epithelial cells', Toxicology in Vitro, vol. 92, pp. 105660-105660.
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Dickson, TJ, Sharpe, S & Darcy, S 2023, 'Where are the Indigenous and First Nations people in sport event volunteering? Can you be what you can’t see?', Tourism Recreation Research, vol. 48, no. 6, pp. 831-843.
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Mega-sport events (MSE) are frequently cited for their developmental and legacy potentials for host communities, including tourism, sport participation and volunteering. MSE volunteer research has demonstrated the potential to develop volunteers who may contribute to the host community’s social and human capitals. However, little research considers how marginalised groups, such as First Nations or those with disability, may be co-providers of MSE experiences. This paper differs from a dominant quasi-scientific approach to empirical journal articles in that it begins with a reflexive posture drawing upon First nations pedagogy of storytelling. Reflecting upon the volunteers’ social context and drawing upon a dataset of volunteers across 6 MSE in 5 countries (2009–2016), this research explores to what extent First Nations volunteers are considered and included in MSE research and practice, and what differences may exist between First Nations volunteers and others regarding their motivations and future volunteering intentions. The results indicate that significantly more can be done to include First Nations people equitably and respectfully across the design, delivery, and legacy potential of MSE. The results inform a novel framework that provides a map for theory and practice, and thus praxis, for incorporating marginalised groups as full partners across the MSE journey.
Ding, L, Oh, S, Shrestha, J, Lam, A, Wang, Y, Radfar, P & Warkiani, ME 2023, 'Scaling up stem cell production: harnessing the potential of microfluidic devices', Biotechnology Advances, vol. 69, pp. 108271-108271.
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Disalvo, D, Moth, E, Soo, WK, Garcia, MV, Blinman, P, Steer, C, Amgarth-Duff, I, Power, J, Phillips, J & Agar, M 2023, 'The effect of comprehensive geriatric assessment on care received, treatment completion, toxicity, cancer-related and geriatric assessment outcomes, and quality of life for older adults receiving systemic anti-cancer treatment: A systematic review', Journal of Geriatric Oncology, vol. 14, no. 8, pp. 101585-101585.
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Dodd, RH, Sharman, AR, McGregor, D, Stone, E, Donnelly, C, Lourenco, RDA, Marshall, H & Rankin, NM 2023, 'Education messages and strategies to inform the public, potential screening candidates and healthcare providers about lung cancer screening: A systematic review', Preventive Medicine, vol. 169, pp. 107459-107459.
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Dower, A, Mulcahy, M, Maharaj, M, Chen, H, Lim, CED, Li, Y & Sheridan, M 2023, 'Surgical Decompression for Malignant Cerebral Edema After Ischemic Stroke: Cochrane Review', Stroke, vol. 54, no. 12, pp. e500-e502.
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Downing, JD, Appiah, AA, Ash, K, Chante, S, Eves, E, Tysoe, F, Glennon, C, Krishnasamy, M, Milanti, A, Philips, J, Power, J, So, WKW & Yates, P 2023, 'Position Statement on Cancer Nursing Leadership', Cancer Nursing, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 89-91.
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Emery, JD, Jenkins, MA, Saya, S, Chondros, P, Oberoi, J, Milton, S, Novy, K, Habgood, E, Karnchanachari, N, Pirotta, M, Trevena, L, Bickerstaffe, A, De Abreu Lourenço, R, Crothers, A, Ouakrim, DA, Flander, L, Dowty, JG, Walter, FM, Clark, M, Doncovio, S, Etemadmoghadam, D, Fishman, G, Macrae, F, Winship, I & McIntosh, JG 2023, 'The Colorectal cancer RISk Prediction (CRISP) trial: a randomised controlled trial of a decision support tool for risk-stratified colorectal cancer screening', British Journal of General Practice, vol. 73, no. 733, pp. e556-e565.
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BackgroundA risk-stratified approach to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening could result in a more acceptable balance of benefits and harms, and be more cost-effective.AimTo determine the effect of a consultation in general practice using a computerised risk assessment and decision support tool (Colorectal cancer RISk Prediction, CRISP) on risk-appropriate CRC screening.Design and settingRandomised controlled trial in 10 general practices in Melbourne, Australia, from May 2017 to May 2018.MethodParticipants were recruited from a consecutive sample of patients aged 50–74 years attending their GP. Intervention consultations included CRC risk assessment using the CRISP tool and discussion of CRC screening recommendations. Control group consultations focused on lifestyle CRC risk factors. The primary outcome was risk-appropriate CRC screening at 12 months.ResultsA total of 734 participants (65.1% of eligible patients) were randomised (369 intervention, 365 control); the primary outcome was determined for 722 (362 intervention, 360 control). There was a 6.5% absolute increase (95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.28 to 13.2) in risk-appropriate screening in the intervention compared with the control group (71.5% versus 65.0%; odds ratio [OR] 1.36, 95% CI = 0.99 to 1.86,P= 0.057). In those due CRC screening during follow-up, there was a 20.3% (95% CI = 10.3 to 30.4) increase (intervention 59.8% versus control 38.9%; OR 2.31, 95% CI = 1.51 to 3.53,P<0.001) principally by increasing faecal occult blood testing in those at average risk.ConclusionA risk assessm...
Eslami, A, Nassif, NT & Lal, S 2023, 'Evaluating High and Low Heart Rate Variability Response and Neurocognitive Performance in Workers: An Exploratory Study', Behavioral Sciences, vol. 13, no. 9, pp. 742-742.
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Heart rate variability (HRV) has the potential to be a predicting factor of cognitive performance. The present research aimed to explore the differences in neurocognitive performance of workers with high HRV and low HRV. A total of 48 white-collar workers and 53 blue-collar workers were assessed. An electrocardiogram was used to obtain HRV data, whereby a 10 min baseline and an active (neuropsychological task) recording were taken. Median splits were performed on data to obtain high- and low-HRV groups. The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery, specifically, the spatial working memory, attention-switching task, rapid visual processing, and spatial span were used. Higher HRV (RMSSD and HF) was linked to better neurocognitive performance measures. Interestingly, the blue- and white-collar groups exhibited different correlations and, in some cases, showed an inverse relationship with the same variables. The differences observed in the present study demonstrate the importance of assessing task-dependent HRV parameters.
Farhart, P, Beakley, D, Diwan, A, Duffield, R, Rodriguez, EP, Chamoli, U & Watsford, M 2023, 'Intrinsic variables associated with low back pain and lumbar spine injury in fast bowlers in cricket: a systematic review', BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, vol. 15, no. 1, p. 114.
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Abstract Background Lumbar spine injuries in fast bowlers account for the greatest missed playing time in cricket. A range of extrinsic and intrinsic variables are hypothesised to be associated with low back pain and lumbar spine injury in fast bowlers, and an improved understanding of intrinsic variables is necessary as these may alter load tolerance and injury risk associated with fast bowling. This review critically evaluated studies reporting intrinsic variables associated with low back pain and lumbar spine injury in fast bowlers and identified areas for future investigation. Methods OVID Medline, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Web of Science and SCOPUS databases were last searched on 3 June 2022 to identify studies investigating intrinsic variables associated with low back pain and lumbar spine injury in cricket fast bowlers. Terms relevant to cricket fast bowling, and intrinsic variables associated with lumbar spine injury and low back pain in fast bowlers were searched. 1,503 abstracts were screened, and 118 full‐text articles were appraised to determine whether they met inclusion criteria. Two authors independently screened search results and assessed risk of bias using a modified version of the Quality in Prognostic Studies tool. Results Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Overall, no included studies demonstrated a low risk of bias, two studies were identified as moderate risk, and twenty-three studies were identified as high risk. Conflicting results were reported amongst studies investigating associations of fast bowling kinematics and kinetics, trunk and lumbar anatomical features, anthropometric traits, age, and ne...
Farina, E, Loglio, A, Tosetti, G, Degasperi, E, Viganò, M, Gentile, C, Monico, S, Perbellini, R, Borghi, M, Facchetti, F, Uceda Renteria, SC, Ceriotti, F, Cerini, F, Primignani, M & Lampertico, P 2023, 'Long‐term endoscopic surveillance in HBV compensated cirrhotic patients treated with Tenofovir or Entecavir for 11 years', Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, vol. 57, no. 12, pp. 1407-1416.
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SummaryBackgroundLong‐term administration of TDF/ETV in patients with HBV‐related compensated cirrhosis reduces HCC and decompensation events but the effect of this regimen on development/regression of oesophageal varices (EV) is currently unknown.AimTo assess the risk of EV development/progression in this population.MethodsA total of 186 Caucasian HBV‐monoinfected compensated cirrhotics were enrolled in a long‐term cohort study from TDF/ETV introduction. Upper GI endoscopies were performed according to Baveno recommendations. Primary endpoint was development/progression of oesophageal/gastric varices over time.ResultsAt TDF/ETV start, median age was 61 years, 80% males, 60% HBV‐DNA undetectable, 63% NUCs previously exposed, 73% normal ALT, 40% platelets <150,000/mmc and 25 (13%) with low‐risk varices (LRV). During 11 years of antiviral therapy and 666 endoscopies performed, 9 patients either developed or had a progression of oesophageal or gastric varices with an 11‐year cumulative probability of 5.1% (95% CI 3–10%); no patient bled. Out of 161 patients without EV at baseline, the 11‐year probably was 4.5% with all varices developing within the first six years of treatment. In 25 patients with LRV at baseline, the 11‐year probability of progression or regression was 9.3% and 58%, respectively. Only baseline platelet count (HR 0.96, p = 0.028) was associated with LRV development at multivariate analysis: platelet ≤90,000/mmc (AUROC 0.70) had 98.1% specificity, 42.9% sensitivity, 50% PPV for LRV onset.ConclusionsIn compensated cirrhotic patients under long‐term effective TDF/ETV treatment, the 11‐year risk of d...
Farris, M, Goodall, S & De Abreu Lourenco, R 2023, 'A systematic review of economic evaluations for RPE65-mediated inherited retinal disease including HTA assessment of broader value', International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, vol. 39, no. 1.
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Abstract Objective To summarize the key methodological challenges identified by health technology assessment (HTA) agencies assessing gene therapy (GT) and consideration of broad elements of value. Method Economic evaluations (EEs) of voretigene neparvovec (VN) in RPE65-mediated inherited retinal disease (IRD) published in English were selected. HTA evaluations from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, and the United States were reviewed. An existing methodological framework was used to identify the challenges and considerations. Results Eight unique EEs were identified of which six were evaluated by HTA agencies. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios ranged from $68,951 to $643,813 per quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) gained (healthcare perspective) and dominant to $480,130 per QALY gained (societal perspective). The key challenges were the lack of validated surrogate outcome, utility values and indirect costs from IRD patients, and limited evidence of the long-term treatment effect. Two HTA agencies reviewed a range of novel broader elements of value and whether they were associated with VN while other agencies discussed some elements of broader value. Caregiver disutility was included in some, but not all, evaluations. Conclusion The methodological challenges were consistent with innovative interventions for rare diseases and managed using standard methods. Broader value was important to decision-makers but inconsistently a...
Favaloro, J, Bryant, CE, Abadir, E, Gardiner, S, Yang, S, King, T, Nassif, N, Sedger, LM, Boyle, R, Joshua, DE & Ho, PJ 2023, 'Single cell analysis of the CD8<sup>+</sup> T-cell compartment in multiple myeloma reveals disease specific changes are chiefly restricted to a CD69<sup>-</sup> subset suggesting potent cytotoxic effectors exist within the tumor bed.', Haematologica.
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Multiple Myeloma (MM) is an incurable disease of the bone marrow (BM) characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of neoplastic plasma cells. While CD8+ T-cells have an established role in disease control, few studies have focused on these cells within the MM tumor microenvironment (TME). We analyzed CD8+ T-cells in the BM and peripheral blood (PB) of untreated patients with MM and non-myeloma controls using flow cytometry, mass cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing, using several novel bioinformatics workflows. Inter-tissue differences were most evident in the differential expression of granzymes B and K, which were strongly associated with two distinct subsets of CD8+ T-cells delineated by the expression of CD69, accounting for roughly 50% of BM-CD8+ T-cells of all assessed cohorts. While few differences were observable between health and disease in the BM-restricted CD8CD69+ T-cell subset, the CD8+CD69- T-cell subset in the BM of untreated MM patients demonstrated increased representation of highly differentiated effector cells and evident compositional parallels between the PB, absent in age-matched controls, where a marked reduction of effector cells was observed. We demonstrate the transcriptional signature of BM-CD8+ T-cells from patients with MM more closely resembles TCR-activated CD8+ T-cells from age-matched controls than their resting counterparts.
Fleming, CL, Golzan, M, Gunawan, C & McGrath, KC 2023, 'Systematic and Bibliometric Analysis of Magnetite Nanoparticles and Their Applications in (Biomedical) Research', Global Challenges, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 2200009-2200009.
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AbstractRecent reports show air pollutant magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Considering various field applications of MNPs because of developments in nanotechnology, the aim of this study is to identify major trends and data gaps in research on magnetite to allow for relevant environmental and health risk assessment. Herein, a bibliometric and systematic analysis of the published magnetite literature (n = 31 567) between 1990 to 2020 is completed. Following appraisal, publications (n = 244) are grouped into four time periods with the main research theme identified for each as 1990–1997 “oxides,” 1998–2005 “ferric oxide,” 2006–2013 “pathology,” and 2014–2020 “animal model.” Magnetite formation and catalytic activity dominate the first two time periods, with the last two focusing on the exploitation of nanoparticle engineering. Japan and China have the highest number of citations for articles published. Longitudinal analysis indicates that magnetite research for the past 30 years shifted from environmental and industrial applications, to biomedical and its potential toxic effects. Therefore, whilst this study presents the research profile of different countries, the development in research on MNPs, it also reveals that further studies on the effects of MNPs on human health is much needed.
Foley, C, Darcy, S, Hergesell, A, Almond, B, McDonald, M, Nguyen, LT & Morgan-Brett, E 2023, 'Extracurricular activities, graduate attributes and serious leisure: competitive sport versus social-cultural clubs in campus life', Leisure Studies, vol. 42, no. 6, pp. 971-988.
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Research indicates that students’ participation in university-based extracurricular activities contributes to their graduate attributes such as leadership, teamwork, communication and resilience. However, it has yet to be determined which types of extracurricular activities are more impactful. This study inquired if participation in competitive sporting activities compared to social-cultural clubs have a greater impact on graduate attributes. Students attending a large metropolitan university in Sydney, Australia, who participated in extracurricular activities were surveyed (n = 844) with an instrument adapted to measure their degree of club engagement and questions on the skills, knowledge and experience they acquired. The findings indicate that engagement in competitive sport is more effective at contributing to graduate attributes when compared to social-cultural clubs. The study drew on the theories of serious leisure and leisure constraints to interpret this phenomenon. Participation in competitive sport was found to relate to more aspects of serious leisure such as study/work-life balance, stress reduction and skill development such as teamwork, time management and leadership skills. However, there are greater constraints to participating in competitive sport. The study concludes with implications for university administrators and recommendations for facilitating greater student opportunities to participate in all types of extracurricular activities.
Gadde, S, Kleynhans, A, Holien, JK, Bhadbhade, M, Nguyen, PLD, Mittra, R, Yu, TT, Carter, DR, Parker, MW, Marshall, GM, Cheung, BB & Kumar, N 2023, 'Pyrimido[1,2-a]benzimidazoles as inhibitors of oncoproteins ubiquitin specific protease 5 and MYCN in the childhood cancer neuroblastoma', Bioorganic Chemistry, vol. 136, pp. 106462-106462.
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Ghorbanpour, SM, Richards, C, Pienaar, D, Sesperez, K, Aboulkheyr Es., H, Nikolic, VN, Karadzov Orlic, N, Mikovic, Z, Stefanovic, M, Cakic, Z, Alqudah, A, Cole, L, Gorrie, C, McGrath, K, Kavurma, MM, Ebrahimi Warkiani, M & McClements, L 2023, 'A placenta-on-a-chip model to determine the regulation of FKBPL and galectin-3 in preeclampsia', Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, vol. 80, no. 2.
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AbstractPreeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific cardiovascular disorder, involving significant maternal endothelial dysfunction. Although inappropriate placentation due to aberrant angiogenesis, inflammation and shallow trophoblast invasion are the root causes of preeclampsia, pathogenic mechanisms are poorly understood, particularly in early pregnancy. Here, we first confirm the abnormal expression of important vascular and inflammatory proteins, FK506-binding protein-like (FKBPL) and galectin-3 (Gal-3), in human plasma and placental tissues from women with preeclampsia and normotensive controls. We then employ a three-dimensional microfluidic placental model incorporating human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and a first trimester trophoblast cell line (ACH-3P) to investigate FKBPL and Gal-3 signaling in inflammatory conditions. In human samples, both circulating (n = 17 controls; n = 30 preeclampsia) and placental (n ≥ 6) FKBPL and Gal-3 levels were increased in preeclampsia compared to controls (plasma: FKBPL, p < 0.0001; Gal-3, p < 0.01; placenta: FKBPL, p < 0.05; Gal-3, p < 0.01), indicative of vascular dysfunction in preeclampsia. In our placenta-on-a-chip model, we show that endothelial cells are critical for trophoblast-mediated migration and that trophoblasts effectively remodel endothelial vascular networks. Inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor-α (10 ng/mL) modulates both FKBPL and Gal-3 signaling in conjunction with trophoblast migration and impairs vascular network formation (p < 0.005). Our placenta-on-a-chip recapitulates aspects of inappropriate placental development and vascular dysfunction in preeclampsia.
Gomila Pelegri, N, Stanczak, AM, Bottomley, AL, Milthorpe, BK, Gorrie, CA, Padula, MP & Santos, J 2023, 'Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Spontaneously Express Neural Markers When Grown in a PEG-Based 3D Matrix', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 24, no. 15, pp. 12139-12139.
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Neurological diseases are among the leading causes of disability and death worldwide and remain difficult to treat. Tissue engineering offers avenues to test potential treatments; however, the development of biologically accurate models of brain tissues remains challenging. Given their neurogenic potential and availability, adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are of interest for creating neural models. While progress has been made in differentiating ADSCs into neural cells, their differentiation in 3D environments, which are more representative of the in vivo physiological conditions of the nervous system, is crucial. This can be achieved by modulating the 3D matrix composition and stiffness. Human ADSCs were cultured for 14 days in a 1.1 kPa polyethylene glycol-based 3D hydrogel matrix to assess effects on cell morphology, cell viability, proteome changes and spontaneous neural differentiation. Results showed that cells continued to proliferate over the 14-day period and presented a different morphology to 2D cultures, with the cells elongating and aligning with one another. The proteome analysis revealed 439 proteins changed in abundance by >1.5 fold. Cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) markers were identified using immunocytochemistry and confirmed with proteomics. Findings indicate that ADSCs spontaneously increase neural marker expression when grown in an environment with similar mechanical properties to the central nervous system.
Goodswen, SJ, Kennedy, PJ & Ellis, JT 2023, 'A guide to current methodology and usage of reverse vaccinology towardsin silicovaccine discovery', FEMS Microbiology Reviews, vol. 47, no. 2, p. fuad004.
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AbstractReverse vaccinology (RV) was described at its inception in 2000 as an in silico process that starts from the genomic sequence of the pathogen and ends with a list of potential protein and/or peptide candidates to be experimentally validated for vaccine development. Twenty-two years later, this process has evolved from a few steps entailing a handful of bioinformatics tools to a multitude of steps with a plethora of tools. Other in silico related processes with overlapping workflow steps have also emerged with terms such as subtractive proteomics, computational vaccinology, and immunoinformatics. From the perspective of a new RV practitioner, determining the appropriate workflow steps and bioinformatics tools can be a time consuming and overwhelming task, given the number of choices. This review presents the current understanding of RV and its usage in the research community as determined by a comprehensive survey of scientific papers published in the last seven years. We believe the current mainstream workflow steps and tools presented here will be a valuable guideline for all researchers wanting to apply an up-to-date in silico vaccine discovery process.
Goodswen, SJ, Kennedy, PJ & Ellis, JT 2023, 'A state-of-the-art methodology for high-throughput in silico vaccine discovery against protozoan parasites and exemplified with discovered candidates for Toxoplasma gondii', Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, p. 8243.
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AbstractVaccine discovery against eukaryotic parasites is not trivial as highlighted by the limited number of known vaccines compared to the number of protozoal diseases that need one. Only three of 17 priority diseases have commercial vaccines. Live and attenuated vaccines have proved to be more effective than subunit vaccines but adversely pose more unacceptable risks. One promising approach for subunit vaccines is in silico vaccine discovery, which predicts protein vaccine candidates given thousands of target organism protein sequences. This approach, nonetheless, is an overarching concept with no standardised guidebook on implementation. No known subunit vaccines against protozoan parasites exist as a result of this approach, and consequently none to emulate. The study goal was to combine current in silico discovery knowledge specific to protozoan parasites and develop a workflow representing a state-of-the-art approach. This approach reflectively integrates a parasite’s biology, a host's immune system defences, and importantly, bioinformatics programs needed to predict vaccine candidates. To demonstrate the workflow effectiveness, every Toxoplasma gondii protein was ranked in its capacity to provide long-term protective immunity. Although testing in animal models is required to validate these predictions, most of the top ranked candidates are supported by publications reinforcing our confidence in the approach.
Goss, DM, Vasilescu, SA, Sacks, G, Gardner, DK & Warkiani, ME 2023, 'Microfluidics facilitating the use of small extracellular vesicles in innovative approaches to male infertility', Nature Reviews Urology, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 66-95.
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Sperm are transcriptionally and translationally quiescent and, therefore, rely on the seminal plasma microenvironment for function, survival and fertilization of the oocyte in the oviduct. The male reproductive system influences sperm function via the binding and fusion of secreted epididymal (epididymosomes) and prostatic (prostasomes) small extracellular vesicles (S-EVs) that facilitate the transfer of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids to sperm. Seminal plasma S-EVs have important roles in sperm maturation, immune and oxidative stress protection, capacitation, fertilization and endometrial implantation and receptivity. Supplementing asthenozoospermic samples with normospermic-derived S-EVs can improve sperm motility and S-EV microRNAs can be used to predict non-obstructive azoospermia. Thus, S-EV influence on sperm physiology might have both therapeutic and diagnostic potential; however, the isolation of pure populations of S-EVs from bodily fluids with current conventional methods presents a substantial hurdle. Many conventional techniques lack accuracy, effectiveness, and practicality; yet microfluidic technology has the potential to simplify and improve S-EV isolation and detection.
Govind, N, Ferguson, C, Phillips, JL & Hickman, L 2023, 'Palliative care interventions and end-of-life care as reported by patients’ post-stroke and their families: a systematic review', European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 445-453.
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Abstract Aims Internationally, there is an urgent need to implement guidelines supporting integration of palliative care into stroke clinical practice. Despite considerable advances in acute stroke management, ∼20% of all acute stroke patients die within the first 30 days. Palliative care is well established in diseases such as cancer or advanced heart failure, but evidence-based interventions of high quality are limited in stroke populations. This systematic review aims to identify and evaluate quantitative studies that describe palliative care interventions and end-of-life care as reported by patient’s post-stroke and their families. Methods and results A systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines was conducted in Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Ovid, Proquest, and Scopus from 1990 to April 2021. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute standardized quality rating tools for quality assessment were used. Seven studies were identified, and all used descriptive quantitative designs. There were no interventional studies. The results were synthesized narratively according to the elements of palliative care interventions and end-of-life care: symptom burden and satisfaction, loss of autonomy at the end of life, and acknowledging uncertainty. Conclusion This review highlights the limited empirical evidence that describes palliative care interventions and end-of-life care as reported by patient’s post-stroke and their families. Most of the current evidence focuses on ...
Grelewicz, P, Khuat, TT, Czeczot, J, Nowak, P, Klopot, T & Gabrys, B 2023, 'Application of Machine Learning to Performance Assessment for a Class of PID-Based Control Systems', IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems, vol. 53, no. 7, pp. 4226-4238.
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Grelewicz, P, Nowak, P, Khuat, TT, Czeczot, J, Klopot, T & Gabrys, B 2023, 'Practical implementation of computationally-efficient machine learning-based control performance assessment system for a class of closed loop systems', Applied Soft Computing, vol. 146, pp. 110690-110690.
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Gye, A, Goodall, S & De Abreu Lourenco, R 2023, 'Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Tisagenlecleucel Versus Blinatumomab in Children and Young Adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Partitioned Survival Model to Assess the Impact of an Outcome-Based Payment Arrangement', PharmacoEconomics, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 175-186.
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Haghighitalab, A, Dominici, M, Matin, MM, Shekari, F, Ebrahimi Warkiani, M, Lim, R, Ahmadiankia, N, Mirahmadi, M, Bahrami, AR & Bidkhori, HR 2023, 'Extracellular vesicles and their cells of origin: Open issues in autoimmune diseases', Frontiers in Immunology, vol. 14, p. 1090416.
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The conventional therapeutic approaches to treat autoimmune diseases through suppressing the immune system, such as steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are not adequately practical. Moreover, these regimens are associated with considerable complications. Designing tolerogenic therapeutic strategies based on stem cells, immune cells, and their extracellular vesicles (EVs) seems to open a promising path to managing autoimmune diseases’ vast burden. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), dendritic cells, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) are the main cell types applied to restore a tolerogenic immune status; MSCs play a more beneficial role due to their amenable properties and extensive cross-talks with different immune cells. With existing concerns about the employment of cells, new cell-free therapeutic paradigms, such as EV-based therapies, are gaining attention in this field. Additionally, EVs’ unique properties have made them to be known as smart immunomodulators and are considered as a potential substitute for cell therapy. This review provides an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of cell-based and EV-based methods for treating autoimmune diseases. The study also presents an outlook on the future of EVs to be implemented in clinics for autoimmune patients.
Halkett, GKB, Lobb, EA, Phillips, JL, McDougall, E, Clarke, J, Campbell, R, Dhillon, HM, McGeechan, K, Hudson, P, King, A, Wheeler, H, Kastelan, M, Long, A, Nowak, AK, Newton, J, Emery, L, Gilbert, M, Atwood, R, Miller, L, Agar, M, Moorin, R, Shaw, T & Bulsara, M 2023, 'Carer preparedness improved by providing a supportive educational intervention for carers of patients with high-grade glioma: RCT results', Journal of Neuro-Oncology, vol. 161, no. 3, pp. 501-513.
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Abstract Background High-grade glioma (HGG) is a rapidly progressing and debilitating disease. Family carers take on multiple responsibilities and experience high levels of distress. We aimed to deliver a nurse-led intervention (Care-IS) to carers to improve their preparedness to care and reduce distress. Methods We conducted a randomised controlled trial (ACTRN:12612001147875). Carers of HGG patients were recruited during patients’ combined chemoradiation treatment. The complex intervention comprised four components: (1) initial telephone assessment of carer unmet needs; (2) tailored hard-copy resource folder; (3) home visit; and, (4) monthly telephone support for up to 12 months. Primary outcomes included preparedness for caregiving and distress at 2, 4, 6 and 12 months. Intervention effects were estimated using linear mixed models which included a time by group interaction. Secondary outcomes included anxiety, depression, quality of life, carer competence and strain. Results We randomised 188 carers (n = 98 intervention, n = 90 control). The intervention group reported significantly higher preparedness for caregiving at 4 months (model β = 2.85, 95% CI 0.76–4.93) and all follow-up timepoints including 12 months (model β = 4.35, 95% CI 2.08–6.62), compared to the control group. However, there was no difference between groups in carer distress or any secondary outcomes. Conclusions This intervention was effective in improving carer preparedness. However, carer distress was not reduced, potentially due to the debilitating/progressi...
Hazeri, AH, Abouei Mehrizi, A, Mohseni, SS, Ebrahimi Warkiani, M & Razavi Bazaz, S 2023, 'A Novel Strategy for Square-Wave Micromixers: A Survey of RBC Lysis for Further Biological Analysis', Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, vol. 62, no. 40, pp. 16215-16224.
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Hemsley, B, Darcy, S, Given, F, Murray, BR & Balandin, S 2023, 'Going thirsty for the turtles: Plastic straw bans, people with swallowing disability, and Sustainable Development Goal 14, Life Below Water', International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 15-19.
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Ho-Pham, LT, Nguyen, HG, Nguyen-Pham, SQ, Hoang, DK, Tran, TS & Nguyen, TV 2023, 'Longitudinal changes in bone mineral density during perimenopausal transition: the Vietnam Osteoporosis Study', Osteoporosis International, vol. 34, no. 8, pp. 1381-1387.
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Hossain, KR, Turkewitz, DR, Holt, SA, Le Brun, AP & Valenzuela, SM 2023, 'Sterol Structural Features’ Impact on the Spontaneous Membrane Insertion of CLIC1 into Artificial Lipid Membranes', Langmuir, vol. 39, no. 9, pp. 3286-3300.
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Howarth, DJ, McLean, BD, Cohen, DD & Coutts, AJ 2023, 'Sensitivity of Countermovement Jump Variables in Professional Rugby Union Players Within a Playing Season', Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 37, no. 7, pp. 1463-1469.
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Abstract Howarth, DJ, McLean, BD, Cohen, DD, and Coutts, AJ. Sensitivity of countermovement jump variables in professional rugby union players within a playing season. J Strength Cond Res 37(7): 1463–1469, 2023—The aim of this study was to explore the measurement sensitivity of a wide range of countermovement jump (CMJ) variables to a full European professional rugby union season. A secondary purpose was to compare 3 different data treatment methods for the calculation of CMJ variables. Twenty-nine professional rugby union players (mean ± SD; age 24 ± 4 years, height 183.7 ± 8.0 cm, body mass 101.6 ± 10.7 kg) completed a minimum of 12 CMJ testing sessions on Thursdays—a day preceded by a rest day and a minimum of 96 hours after a match—throughout a season. Measurement sensitivity, quantified by signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), was determined for 74 CMJ variables and was calculated by dividing the signal, (week-to-week variation expressed as a coefficient of variation [CV%]) by the noise (interday test/retest reliability expressed as CV%). We also identified variables which had no overlap between the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the signal and the noise. The 3 data treatment methods for comparison were (a) mean output across 3 jump trials (Mean3), (b) single output from the trial with the highest jump (BestJH), and (c) the trial with the highest flight time to contraction time ratio (BestFTCT). Most variables had an SNR >1.0 (Mean3 = 60/74; BestFTCT = 59/74; BestJH = 48/74). Fewer variables displayed a nonoverlap of 95% CIs (Mean3 = 23/60; BestFTCT = 22/59; BestJH = 16/48). Most CMJ variables during a professional rugby season demonstrated a s...
Impellizzeri, FM, Shrier, I, McLaren, SJ, Coutts, AJ, McCall, A, Slattery, K, Jeffries, AC & Kalkhoven, JT 2023, 'Understanding Training Load as Exposure and Dose', Sports Medicine, vol. 53, no. 9, pp. 1667-1679.
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AbstractVarious terms used in sport and exercise science, and medicine, are derived from other fields such as epidemiology, pharmacology and causal inference. Conceptual and nomological frameworks have described training load as a multidimensional construct manifested by two causally related subdimensions: external and internal training load. In this article, we explain how the concepts of training load and its subdimensions can be aligned to classifications used in occupational medicine and epidemiology, where exposure can also be differentiated into external and internal dose. The meanings of terms used in epidemiology such as exposure, external dose, internal dose and dose–response are therefore explored from a causal perspective and their underlying concepts are contextualised to the physical training process. We also explain how these concepts can assist in the validation process of training load measures. Specifically, to optimise training (i.e. within a causal context), a measure of exposure should be reflective of the mediating mechanisms of the primary outcome. Additionally, understanding the difference between intermediate and surrogate outcomes allows for the correct investigation of the effects of exposure measures and their interpretation in research and applied settings. Finally, whilst the dose–response relationship can provide evidence of the validity of a measure, conceptual and computational differentiation between causal (explanatory) and non-causal (descriptive and predictive) dose–response relationships is needed. Regardless of how sophisticated or “advanced” a training load measure (and metric) appears, in a causal context, if it cannot be connected to a plausible mediator of a relevant response (outcome), it is likely of little use in practice to support and optimise the training process.
Jafari, M, Shoeibi, A, Khodatars, M, Ghassemi, N, Moridian, P, Alizadehsani, R, Khosravi, A, Ling, SH, Delfan, N, Zhang, Y, Wang, S-H, Górriz, JM, Alinejad-Rokny, H & Acharya, UR 2023, 'Automated diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging using deep learning models: A review.', Comput. Biol. Medicine, vol. 160, pp. 106998-106998.
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Janssen, A, Shah, K, Rabbets, M, Nagrial, A, Pene, C, Zachulski, C, Phillips, JL, Harnett, P & Shaw, T 2023, 'Feasibility of Microlearning for Improving the Self-Efficacy of Cancer Patients Managing Side Effects of Chemotherapy', Journal of Cancer Education, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 1697-1709.
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AbstractLung cancer patients have a high symptom burden that negatively affects their quality of life. Increasing patient self-efficacy to deal with treatment side effects can ameliorate their symptom burden. Education programs can help enhance patient self-efficacy by giving patients more control over their condition through increased disease literacy. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of microlearning for delivering lung cancer patients’ information on side effects of chemotherapy. Secondary objectives of the program are to understand the acceptability of microlearning for delivery this type of education to lung cancer patients and the potential impact of microlearning on patient self-efficacy, knowledge and confidence managing side effects of chemotherapy. A mixed-methods prepost test (or quasi-experimental) study design was used to better enable patients to identify and manage the side effects of their condition and chemotherapy. Participants were patients diagnosed with stage II to stage IV lung cancer, who had a life expectancy of greater than 3 months and were aged 18 years or older. Multiple validated scales were used to assess patient self-efficacy pre- and post-intervention. The online program was evaluated using quantitative data of completion rates extracted from the online platform. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the impact of the online program on perceived self-efficacy and quality of life. Twenty-three participants agreed to participate in the study and five agreed to complete a semi-structured interview. Participants found the content comprehensive, relevant and engaging. The program improved perceived disease literacy and helped participants develop coping strategies to manage side effects. Participants also found the platform easy to use and navigate. Additional courses and features were requested. Patients with a diagnosis of cancer receive a large amount of information abo...
Jeffries, AC, Novak, AR, Coutts, AJ, McCall, A, McLaren, SJ & Impellizzeri, FM 2023, 'Development and Validation of Single Items for Fatigue and Recovery in Dancers', International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 474-487.
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Purpose: To examine the construct validity and reliability of 2 single items for fatigue and recovery in dancers. The construct validity was assessed using reference instruments: the fatigue items of the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) and the Short Recovery and Stress Scale (SRSS). A secondary aim was to explore the respondent interpretation of these 2 items using a concept identification approach. Methods: Two hundred forty-three (N = 243) dancers completed single-item fatigue and recovery (unipolar and bipolar), BRUMS, and SRSS once for construct validity. For reliability, 49 dancers completed the questionnaires twice, 1 week apart. Using a concept identification approach, 49 dancers were also asked comprehension and interpretation of fatigue and recovery. Results: The fatigue item correlated with SRSS stress items (rs = .37–.51) and BRUMs fatigue items (rs = .63–.66). The recovery item was only partially confirmed in terms of construct validity, when using the SRSS recovery items as reference (rs = .39–.43). Reliability was confirmed for the single items of fatigue (κ = .77–.78) and recovery (κ = .71–.78). Main responses for the concept of fatigue were tiredness (34.7%), muscle soreness (17.3%), and energy (13.0%). Main responses for the concept of recovery were muscle soreness (43.0%), tiredness (27.9%), and fatigue (24.0%). Conclusion: We provide preliminary confirmation of the validity and reliability of the single item fatigue in dancers. The recovery item was only partially confirmed in terms of construct validity, when using the SRSS recovery items as reference, but did display acceptable reliability an...
Jia, M, Gabrys, B & Musial, K 2023, 'A Network Science Perspective of Graph Convolutional Networks: A Survey', IEEE Access, vol. 11, pp. 39083-39122.
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Kaasalainen, S, Wickson-Griffiths, A, Hunter, P, Thompson, G, Kruizinga, J, McCleary, L, Sussman, T, Venturato, L, Shaw, S, Boamah, SA, Bourgeois-Guérin, V, Hadjistavropoulos, T, Macdonald, M, Martin-Misener, R, McClement, S, Parker, D, Penner, J, Ploeg, J, Sinclair, S & Fisher, K 2023, 'Evaluation of the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long Term Care (SPA-LTC) programme: a protocol of a cluster randomised control trial', BMJ Open, vol. 13, no. 10, pp. e073585-e073585.
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IntroductionDespite the high mortality rates in long-term care (LTC) homes, most do not have a formalised palliative programme. Hence, our research team has developed the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long Term Care (SPA-LTC) programme. The goal of the proposed study is to examine the implementation and effectiveness of the SPA-LTC programme.Methods and analysisA cross-jurisdictional, effectiveness-implementation type II hybrid cluster randomised control trial design will be used to assess the SPA-LTC programme for 18 LTC homes (six homes within each of three provinces). Randomisation will occur at the level of the LTC home within each province, using a 1:1 ratio (three homes in the intervention and control groups). Baseline staff surveys will take place over a 3-month period at the beginning for both the intervention and control groups. The intervention group will then receive facilitated training and education for staff, and residents and their family members will participate in the SPA-LTC programme. Postintervention data collection will be conducted in a similar manner as in the baseline period for both groups. The overall target sample size will be 594 (297 per arm, 33 resident/family member participants per home, 18 homes). Data collection and analysis will involve organisational, staff, resident and family measures. The primary outcome will be a binary measure capturing any emergency department use in the last 6 months of life (resident); with secondary outcomes including location of death (resident), satisfaction and decisional conflict (family), knowledge and confidence implementing a palliative approach (staff), along with implementation outcomes (ie, feasibility, reach, fidelity and perceived sustainability of the SPA-LTC programme). The primary outcome will be analysed via multivariable logistic regression using generalised esti...
Kannaujiya, VK, De Rubis, G, Paudel, KR, Manandhar, B, Chellappan, DK, Singh, SK, MacLoughlin, R, Gupta, G, Xenaki, D, Kumar, P, Hansbro, PM, Oliver, BGG, Wich, PR & Dua, K 2023, 'Anticancer activity of NFκB decoy oligonucleotide-loaded nanoparticles against human lung cancer', Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, vol. 82, pp. 104328-104328.
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Kedziora, DJ, Musiał, A, Rudno-Rudziński, W & Gabrys, B 2023, 'Harnessing data augmentation to quantify uncertainty in the early estimation of single-photon source quality', Machine Learning: Science and Technology, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 045042-045042.
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Abstract Novel methods for rapidly estimating single-photon source (SPS) quality have been promoted in recent literature to address the expensive and time-consuming nature of experimental validation via intensity interferometry. However, the frequent lack of uncertainty discussions and reproducible details raises concerns about their reliability. This study investigates the use of data augmentation, a machine learning technique, to supplement experimental data with bootstrapped samples and quantify the uncertainty of such estimates. Eight datasets obtained from measurements involving a single InGaAs/GaAs epitaxial quantum dot serve as a proof-of-principle example. Analysis of one of the SPS quality metrics derived from efficient histogram fitting of the synthetic samples, i.e. the probability of multi-photon emission events, reveals significant uncertainty contributed by stochastic variability in the Poisson processes that describe detection rates. Ignoring this source of error risks severe overconfidence in both early quality estimates and claims for state-of-the-art SPS devices. Additionally, this study finds that standard least-squares fitting is comparable to using a Poisson likelihood, and expanding averages show some promise for early estimation. Also, reducing background counts improves fitting accuracy but does not address the Poisson-process variability. Ultimately, data augmentation demonstrates its value in supplementing physical experiments; its benefit here is to emphasise the need for a cautious assessment of SPS quality.
Khan, TA, Ling, SH & Rizvi, AA 2023, 'Optimisation of electrical Impedance tomography image reconstruction error using heuristic algorithms.', Artif. Intell. Rev., vol. 56, pp. 15079-15099.
Khuat, TT & Gabrys, B 2023, 'An online learning algorithm for a neuro-fuzzy classifier with mixed-attribute data', Applied Soft Computing, vol. 137, pp. 110152-110152.
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Khuat, TT & Gabrys, B 2023, 'hyperbox-brain: A Python toolbox for hyperbox-based machine learning algorithms', SoftwareX, vol. 23, pp. 101425-101425.
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Khuat, TT & Gabrys, B 2023, 'Random Hyperboxes', IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 1008-1022.
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This article proposes a simple yet powerful ensemble classifier, called Random Hyperboxes, constructed from individual hyperbox-based classifiers trained on the random subsets of sample and feature spaces of the training set. We also show a generalization error bound of the proposed classifier based on the strength of the individual hyperbox-based classifiers as well as the correlation among them. The effectiveness of the proposed classifier is analyzed using a carefully selected illustrative example and compared empirically with other popular single and ensemble classifiers via 20 datasets using statistical testing methods. The experimental results confirmed that our proposed method outperformed other fuzzy min-max neural networks (FMNNs), popular learning algorithms, and is competitive with other ensemble methods. Finally, we identify the existing issues related to the generalization error bounds of the real datasets and inform the potential research directions.
Khuat, TT, Kedziora, DJ & Gabrys, B 2023, 'The Roles and Modes of Human Interactions with Automated Machine Learning Systems: A Critical Review and Perspectives', Foundations and Trends® in Human–Computer Interaction, vol. 17, no. 3-4, pp. 195-387.
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Kim, RY & Oliver, B 2023, 'Innate Immune Reprogramming in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: New Mechanisms for Old Questions', American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, vol. 68, no. 5, pp. 470-471.
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Kneebone, II, Munday, I, Van Zanden, BE, Thomas, S & Newton-John, T 2023, 'Psychological interventions for post stroke pain: A systematic review', Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, vol. 33, no. 7, pp. 1304-1324.
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Chronic pain is prevalent after stroke and has a significant impact on quality of life. Research demonstrates the efficacy of psychological interventions for mixed chronic pain conditions. This review aimed to assess evidence on the effectiveness of psychological interventions for chronic pain in people with stroke. PubMed, PsychINFO, Embase, and CINAHL were searched from inception to 31 January 2021 at all levels of evidence. Psychological interventions assessing chronic pain in adults following stroke as a primary outcome were included. All outcomes related to pain quality were included (e.g., intensity, frequency, duration). Study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Reports and Risk of Bias in N-of-1 Trials (RoBiNT) Scale. Three single n case reports were included. A narrative synthesis was performed, indicating that psychological interventions may reduce chronic post-stroke pain; however, overall quality appraisal of the included studies was poor, owing to the low internal validity found in the single-n case report designs. The limited evidence suggests that psychological interventions may have clinical utility in reducing chronic post-stroke pain. However, owing to the paucity and quality of studies found, the results must be treated with caution. More rigorous research is needed.
Koh, E-S, Gan, HK, Senko, C, Francis, RJ, Ebert, M, Lee, ST, Lau, E, Khasraw, M, Nowak, AK, Bailey, DL, Moffat, BA, Fitt, G, Hicks, RJ, Coffey, R, Verhaak, R, Walsh, KM, Barnes, EH, De Abreu Lourenco, R, Rosenthal, M, Adda, L, Foroudi, F, Lasocki, A, Moore, A, Thomas, PA, Roach, P, Back, M, Leonard, R & Scott, AM 2023, '[18F]-fluoroethyl-L-tyrosine (FET) in glioblastoma (FIG) TROG 18.06 study: protocol for a prospective, multicentre PET/CT trial', BMJ Open, vol. 13, no. 8, pp. e071327-e071327.
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IntroductionGlioblastoma is the most common aggressive primary central nervous system cancer in adults characterised by uniformly poor survival. Despite maximal safe resection and postoperative radiotherapy with concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide-based chemotherapy, tumours inevitably recur. Imaging with O-(2-[18F]-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (FET) positron emission tomography (PET) has the potential to impact adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) planning, distinguish between treatment-induced pseudoprogression versus tumour progression as well as prognostication.Methods and analysisThe FET-PET in Glioblastoma (FIG) study is a prospective, multicentre, non-randomised, phase II study across 10 Australian sites and will enrol up to 210 adults aged ≥18 years with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. FET-PET will be performed at up to three time points: (1) following initial surgery and prior to commencement of chemoradiation (FET-PET1); (2) 4 weeks following concurrent chemoradiation (FET-PET2); and (3) within 14 days of suspected clinical and/or radiological progression on MRI (performed at the time of clinical suspicion of tumour recurrence) (FET-PET3). The co-primary outcomes are: (1) to investigate how FET-PET versus standard MRI impacts RT volume delineation and (2) to determine the accuracy and management impact of FET-PET in distinguishing pseudoprogression from true tumour progression. The secondary outcomes are: (1) to investigate the relationships between FET-PET parameters (including dynamic uptake, tumour to background ratio, metabolic tumour volume) and progression-free survival and overall survival; (2) to assess the change in blood and tissue biomarkers determined by serum assay when comparing FET-PET data acquired prior to chemoradiation with other prognostic markers, looking at the relationships of FET-PET versus MRI-determined site/...
Kumar, NN, Chan, YL, Chen, H & Oliver, BG 2023, 'Editorial: Effects of environmental toxins on brain health and development', Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, vol. 16, p. 1149776.
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Kumari, V, Vishwas, S, Kumar, R, Kakoty, V, Khursheed, R, Babu, MR, Harish, V, Mittal, N, Singh, PK, Alharthi, NS, Hakami, MA, Aba Alkhayl, FF, Gupta, G, Rubis, GD, Paudel, KR, Singh, M, Zandi, M, Oliver, BG, Dua, K & Singh, SK 2023, 'An overview of biomedical applications for gold nanoparticles against lung cancer', Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, vol. 86, pp. 104729-104729.
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L I, H, Huang, X, Cai, H, Herok, G, He, J, Su, Y, Li, W, Yi, C, Oliver, BG & Chen, H 2023, 'Mitochondrial dysfunction in a rat model and the related risk of metabolic disorders.', J Tradit Chin Med, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 95-104.
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OBJECTIVE: To explore whether kidney deficiency (KYD) is prone to metabolic disorders may be linked to impaired mitochondrial function in thermogenesis and metabolic tissues. METHODS: A rat model of KYD was used, which was established using Sprague Dawley rat dams with warm preference subjected to herbal treatment that can improve kidney . The human relevance was confirmed by reduced serum corticosterone levels, and increased preference for warm location. RESULTS: KYD Rats were underdeveloped. Adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) production was reduced in the brown fat, but increased in the muscle. However, oxidative phosphorylated complexes to generate ATP and mitochondrial biogenesis marker were reduced in both tissues. When the second insult of high-fat diet (HFD) was introduced, KYD rats gained less weight yet developed more severe lipid and glucose metabolic disorders. This may be driven by disregulated liver gluconeogenesis marker forkhead box protein O1 and lipid metabolic regulator cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase. CONCLUSION: KYD rats exhibited reduced mito-chondrial function in the brown fat, but were partially compensated by skeletal muscle, associated with the phenotype of warm preference and metabolic disorder, which was further exacerbated by additional HFD consumption. Future studies can focus on treatment targetting mitochondria function to reverse this phenotype.
Lankage, UM, Holt, SA, Bridge, S, Cornell, B & Cranfield, CG 2023, 'Triglyceride-Tethered Membrane Lipase Sensor', ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
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Sensors that can quickly measure the lipase activity from biological samples are useful in enzyme production and medical diagnostics. However, current lipase sensors have limitations such as requiring fluorescent labels, pH control of buffer vehicles, or lengthy assay preparation. We introduce a sparsely tethered triglyceride substrate anchored off of a gold electrode for the impedance sensing of real-time lipase activity. The tethered substrate is self-assembled using a rapid solvent exchange technique and can form an anchored bilayer 1 nm off the gold electrode. This allows for an aqueous reservoir region, providing access to ions transported through membrane defects caused by triglyceride enzymatic hydrolysis. Electrical impedance spectroscopy techniques can readily detect the decrease in resistance caused by enzymatically induced defects. This rapid and reliable lipase detection method can have potential applications in disease studies, monitoring of lipase production, and as point-of-care diagnostic devices.
Lee, J, Currow, D, Lovell, M, Phillips, JL, McLachlan, A, Ritchie, M, Brown, L, Fazekas, B, Aggarwal, R, Seah, D, Sheehan, C, Chye, R, Noble, B, McCaffrey, N, Aggarwal, G, George, R, Kow, M, Ayoub, C, Linton, A, Sanderson, C, Mittal, D, Rao, A, Prael, G, Urban, K, Vandersman, P & Agar, M 2023, 'Lidocaine for Neuropathic Cancer Pain (LiCPain): study protocol for a mixed-methods pilot study', BMJ Open, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. e066125-e066125.
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IntroductionMany patients experience unrelieved neuropathic cancer-related pain. Most current analgesic therapies have psychoactive side effects, lack efficacy data for this indication and have potential medication-related harms. The local anaesthetic lidocaine (lignocaine) has the potential to help manage neuropathic cancer-related pain when administered as an extended, continuous subcutaneous infusion. Data support lidocaine as a promising, safe agent in this setting, warranting further evaluation in robust, randomised controlled trials. This protocol describes the design of a pilot study to evaluate this intervention and explains the pharmacokinetic, efficacy and adverse effects evidence informing the design.Methods and analysisA mixed-methods pilot study will determine the feasibility of an international first, definitive phase III trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an extended continuous subcutaneous infusion of lidocaine for neuropathic cancer-related pain. This study will comprise: a phase II double-blind randomised controlled parallel-group pilot of subcutaneous infusion of lidocaine hydrochloride 10% w/v (3000 mg/30 mL) or placebo (sodium chloride 0.9%) over 72 hours for neuropathic cancer-related pain, a pharmacokinetic substudy and a qualitative substudy of patients’ and carers’ experiences. The pilot study will provide important safety data and help inform the methodology of a definitive trial, including testing proposed recruitment strategy, randomisation, outcome measures and patients’ acceptability of the methodology, as well as providing a signal of whether this area should be further investigated.Ethics and disseminationParticipant safety is paramount and standardised assessments for adverse effects are built into the trial protocol. Findings will be published ...
Lev, B, Chennath, M, Cranfield, CG, Cornelius, F, Allen, TW & Clarke, RJ 2023, 'Involvement of the alpha-subunit N-terminus in the mechanism of the Na+,K+-ATPase', Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research, vol. 1870, no. 7, pp. 119539-119539.
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Li, J, Jiang, M, Qin, Y, Zhang, R & Ling, SH 2023, 'Intelligent depression detection with asynchronous federated optimization', Complex & Intelligent Systems, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 115-131.
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AbstractThe growth of population and the various intensive life pressures everyday deepen the competitions among people. Tens of millions of people each year suffer from depression and only a fraction receives adequate treatment. The development of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Weibo, and QQ provides more convenient communication and provides a new emotional vent window. People communicate with their friends, sharing their opinions, and shooting videos to reflect their feelings. It provides an opportunity to detect depression in social networks. Although depression detection using social networks has reflected the established connectivity across users, fewer researchers consider the data security and privacy-preserving schemes. Therefore, we advocate the federated learning technique as an efficient and scalable method, where it enables the handling of a massive number of edge devices in parallel. In this study, we conduct the depression analysis on the basis of an online microblog called Weibo. A novel algorithm termed as CNN Asynchronous Federated optimization (CAFed) is proposed based on federated learning to improve the communication cost and convergence rate. It is shown that our proposed method can effectively protect users' privacy under the premise of ensuring the accuracy of prediction. The proposed method converges faster than the Federated Averaging (FedAvg) for non-convex problems. Federated learning techniques can identify quality solutions of mental health problems among Weibo users.
Liu, L, Liu, Y, Zhang, X, Yuan, YL, Chen, ZH, Chen-Yu Hsu, A, Oliver, BG, Xie, M, Qin, L, Li, WM, Liu, D, Wang, G & Wood, LG 2023, 'Dyslipidemia Is Associated With Worse Asthma Clinical Outcomes: A Prospective Cohort Study', The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 863-872.e8.
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Lobb, EA, Halkett, GKB, McDougall, E, Campbell, R, Dhillon, HM, Phillips, JL & Nowak, AK 2023, 'Bereavement outcomes of carers of patients with high grade glioma: Experiences of support before and after the death', Death Studies, vol. 47, no. 10, pp. 1094-1103.
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Carers of people with High Grade Glioma (HGG) completed a survey assessing their anxiety, depression, and grief in addition to open-ended questions exploring their experiences of support pre- and post-death (N = 25). One-third reported borderline or clinical levels of anxiety, depression, and grief related distress. Given the poor prognosis and rapid deterioration of patients with HGG, the findings highlight the importance of sensitive communication about prognosis early in the disease trajectory, information tailored to disease stage, the initiation of a referral to psychological support services, and timely discussions about the preferred place of care and death.
Logan, J, Kennedy, PJ & Catchpoole, D 2023, 'A review of the machine learning datasets in mammography, their adherence to the FAIR principles and the outlook for the future', Scientific Data, vol. 10, no. 1, p. 595.
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AbstractThe increasing rates of breast cancer, particularly in emerging economies, have led to interest in scalable deep learning-based solutions that improve the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of mammographic screening. However, such tools require large volumes of high-quality training data, which can be challenging to obtain. This paper combines the experience of an AI startup with an analysis of the FAIR principles of the eight available datasets. It demonstrates that the datasets vary considerably, particularly in their interoperability, as each dataset is skewed towards a particular clinical use-case. Additionally, the mix of digital captures and scanned film compounds the problem of variability, along with differences in licensing terms, ease of access, labelling reliability, and file formats. Improving interoperability through adherence to standards such as the BIRADS criteria for labelling and annotation, and a consistent file format, could markedly improve access and use of larger amounts of standardized data. This, in turn, could be increased further by GAN-based synthetic data generation, paving the way towards better health outcomes for breast cancer.
Lotfi, M, Morshedi Rad, D, Mashhadi, SS, Ashouri, A, Mojarrad, M, Mozaffari-Jovin, S, Farrokhi, S, Hashemi, M, Lotfi, M, Ebrahimi Warkiani, M & Abbaszadegan, MR 2023, 'Recent Advances in CRISPR/Cas9 Delivery Approaches for Therapeutic Gene Editing of Stem Cells', Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, vol. 19, no. 8, pp. 2576-2596.
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Abstract Rapid advancement in genome editing technologies has provided new promises for treating neoplasia, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and monogenic disorders. Recently, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system has emerged as a powerful gene editing tool offering advantages, including high editing efficiency and low cost over the conventional approaches. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), with their great proliferation and differentiation potential into different cell types, have been exploited in stem cell-based therapy. The potential of hPSCs and the capabilities of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has been paradigm-shifting in medical genetics for over two decades. Since hPSCs are categorized as hard-to-transfect cells, there is a critical demand to develop an appropriate and effective approach for CRISPR/Cas9 delivery into these cells. This review focuses on various strategies for CRISPR/Cas9 delivery in stem cells. Graphical Abstract
Luckett, T, Pond, D, Mitchell, G, Chenoweth, L, Amgarth-Duff, I, Disalvo, D, Phillips, JL, Beattie, E, Davidson, PM, Luscombe, G, Goodall, S & Agar, M 2023, 'Eating and drinking-related care for persons with advanced dementia in long-term care', Collegian, vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 548-556.
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Luong, NT & Hoang, D 2023, 'BAPRP: a machine learning approach to blackhole attacks prevention routing protocol in vehicular Ad Hoc networks', International Journal of Information Security, vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 1547-1566.
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Ma, N, Sutton, N, Yang, JS, Rawlings‐Way, O, Brown, D, McAllister, G, Parker, D & Lewis, R 2023, 'The quality effects of agency staffing in residential aged care', Australasian Journal on Ageing, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 195-203.
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AbstractObjectivesIn Australia, temporary agency workers are a relatively small but enduring component of the residential aged care workforce. However, evidence from other countries suggests reliance on agency workers has a detrimental effect on the quality of care (QoC). We examined whether QoC outcomes differ for Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs) based on their reliance on agency care staff.MethodsA retrospective observational study was conducted using de‐identified datasets obtained under the legal authority of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. Regression analysis was conducted using data comprising 6221 RACF‐year observations, across 5 years (2015–2019), from 1709 unique RACFs in Australia.ResultsAfter controlling for other determinants of QoC, RACFs with a greater reliance on agency care staff have poorer QoC outcomes, with significantly higher rates of complaints, missing persons, reportable assaults, hospitalisations, and accreditation flags.ConclusionsConsistent with international evidence, we found that the QoC of Australian RACFs is sensitive to the reliance on agency staff in delivering direct care to residents. These findings illustrate the importance of workers' employment conditions, alongside other workforce characteristics, in driving the quality of residential aged care.
MacDermott-Opeskin, H, Clarke, C, Wu, X, Roseblade, A, York, E, Pacchini, E, Roy, R, Cranfield, C, Gale, PA, O'Mara, ML, Murray, M & Rawling, T 2023, 'Protonophoric and mitochondrial uncoupling activity of aryl-carbamate substituted fatty acids', Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 132-139.
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Aryl-carbamate substituted fatty acids are protonophores that uncouple mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. The proton transport cycle requires self-assembly into membrane permeable dimers. The findings demonstrate the anion transport capability of the carbamate group.
Mahmutoglu, G, Topsakal, A, Altan, E, Kuskonmaz, N, Daglilar, S, Oktar, FN, Erdemir, G, Kuruca, SE, Akyol, S, Gunduz, O & Ben-Nissan, B 2023, 'Effects of temperature and pH on the synthesis of nanohydroxyapatite powders by chemical precipitation', Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society, vol. 59, no. 5, pp. 1433-1441.
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Malik, R, Paudel, KR, Manandhar, B, De Rubis, G, Shen, J, Mujwar, S, Singh, TG, Singh, SK, Gupta, G, Adams, J, MacLoughlin, R, Oliver, BGG, Hansbro, PM, Chellappan, DK & Dua, K 2023, 'Agarwood oil nanoemulsion counteracts LPS-induced inflammation and oxidative stress in RAW264.7 mouse macrophages', Pathology - Research and Practice, vol. 251, pp. 154895-154895.
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Marshall, C, Virdun, C & Phillips, JL 2023, 'Evidence-based models of rural palliative care: A systematic review', Palliative Medicine, vol. 37, no. 8, pp. 1129-1143.
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Background: Forty-five percent of the world’s population lives in rural areas, yet their access to palliative care is quite limited. Identifying the care elements rural populations with palliative care needs require is critical to improving care outcomes. Aim: To identify the key care elements that optimise palliative care for people in rural communities. Design and data sources: A systematic review of articles studying the impact of novel rural model of care interventions was undertaken in May 2022. This study is reported using the PRISMA Statement and was registered with Prospero (CRD42020154273). Three databases were searched, and the data analysed according to Popay’s narrative synthesis, and elements classified using the WHO Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions (ICCC) Framework. Results: Of the 9508 identified papers, 15 met the inclusion criteria, reporting on 14 studies involving 1820 rural patients. Care received spanned 12/18 of the WHO ICCC Framework elements, with wide variability in how these elements were operationalised. The five elements that signal improved outcomes were: (1) Promote continuity and coordination; (2) Prepared, informed and motivated health care teams; (3) Prepared, informed and motivated patients and families; (4) Organise and equip health care teams and (5) Promote consistent financing. Conclusions: A well-coordinated multidisciplinary team approach, led by clinicians with specialist palliative care expertise, integrated across local health care settings, using information systems and care planning, is critical to optimising rural palliative care patient outcomes. Rural patients and their families require timely input from specia...
McAllister, G, Sutton, N, Brown, DA, Rawlings-Way, O, Parker, D, Lewis, R, Yin, J & Harrison, B 2023, 'Using Public Inquiries as a Data Source for Accounting Research: A Systematic Review', European Accounting Review, pp. 1-27.
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McCaffrey, N, Cheah, SL, Luckett, T, Phillips, JL, Agar, M, Davidson, PM, Boyle, F, Shaw, T, Currow, DC & Lovell, M 2023, 'Treatment patterns and out-of-hospital healthcare resource utilisation by patients with advanced cancer living with pain: An analysis from the Stop Cancer PAIN trial', PLOS ONE, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. e0282465-e0282465.
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BackgroundAbout 70% of patients with advanced cancer experience pain. Few studies have investigated the use of healthcare in this population and the relationship between pain intensity and costs.MethodsAdults with advanced cancer and scored worst pain ≥ 2/10 on a numeric rating scale (NRS) were recruited from 6 Australian oncology/palliative care outpatient services to the Stop Cancer PAIN trial (08/15-06/19). Out-of-hospital, publicly funded services, prescriptions and costs were estimated for the three months before pain screening. Descriptive statistics summarize the clinico-demographic variables, health services and costs, treatments and pain scores. Relationships with costs were explored using Spearman correlations, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests, and a gamma log-link generalized linear model.ResultsOverall, 212 participants had median worst pain scores of five (inter-quartile range 4). The most frequently prescribed medications were opioids (60.1%) and peptic ulcer/gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) drugs (51.6%). The total average healthcare cost in the three months before the census date was A$6,742 (95% CI $5,637, $7,847), approximately $27,000 annually. Men had higher mean healthcare costs than women, adjusting for age, cancer type and pain levels (men $7,872, women $4,493, p<0.01) and higher expenditure on prescriptions (men $5,559, women $2,034, p<0.01).ConclusionsIn this population with pain and cancer, there was no clear relationship between healthcare costs and pain severity. These treatment patterns requiring further exploration including the prevalence of peptic ulcer/GORD drugs, and lipid lowering agents and the higher healthcare costs for ...
McDonagh, J, Ferguson, C, Prichard, R, Chang, S, Philips, JL, Davidson, PM, Newton, PJ & Macdonald, PS 2023, 'Comparison of six frailty instruments in adults with heart failure: a prospective cohort pilot study', European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 345-354.
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Abstract Aims To compare the frailty prevalence and predictive performance of six frailty instruments in adults with heart failure and determine the feasibility of study methods. Methods and results Prospective cohort pilot study. Adults aged 18 years or older with a confirmed diagnosis of heart failure in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Frailty Phenotype; the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe Frailty Instrument (SHARE-FI); St Vincent’s Frailty instrument; St Vincent’s Frailty instrument plus cognition and mood; The Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illnesses, and Loss of Weight (FRAIL) scale; and the Deficit Accumulation Index (DAI) were compared. Multiple logistic regression was used to develop six frailty instrument models to evaluate the association between each frailty instrument and composite all-cause rehospitalization and mortality at 12 months. One hundred and thirty-one patients were included with a mean age of 54 [± 14(SD)]. Frailty prevalence ranged from 33 to 81%. All instruments except one (the FRAIL scale) appeared to signal an increased odds of rehospitalization and/or mortality, yet these results were non-significant. The six frailty instrument models displayed sensitivity between 88–92% and C-statistic values of 0.71–0.73, suggesting satisfactory discrimination. Conclusion The prevalence of frailty varied across six frailty instruments yet was in the higher range despite a ‘younger’ heart failure cohort. Further research is required to confirm the psychometric properties of these instruments for routine clinical use in an adequately powe...
McErlean, G, Bajel, A, Bhattacharyya, A, Brown, N, De Abreu Lourenco, R, Greenwood, M, Kerridge, I, Kim, N, Kliman, D, Maneze, D, O'Brien, T, Szer, J & Twist, I 2023, 'If we do not count it, it does not count: ethnicity in allogeneic haemopoietic stem cell transplant in Australia', Internal Medicine Journal, vol. 53, no. 12, pp. 2155-2158.
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Mendonca, CJ, Newton-John, TRO, Alperstein, DM, Begley, K, Hennessy, RM & Bulsara, SM 2023, 'Quality of Life of People Living with HIV in Australia: The Role of Stigma, Social Disconnection and Mental Health', AIDS and Behavior, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 545-557.
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AbstractHIV is a manageable chronic illness, due to advances in biomedical management. However, many people living with HIV (PLHIV) continue to experience psychosocial challenges, which have been associated with poorer quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to explore how psychosocial factors contributed to the QoL of PLHIV in Australia; specifically, the relationship between HIV-related stigma, social connectedness, mental health, and QoL. Participants were 122 PLHIV attending The Albion Centre (a tertiary HIV clinic in Sydney, Australia), who completed questionnaires which measured HIV-related stigma, social support, mental health symptomology and QoL. Results indicated that HIV-related stigma predicted poorer QoL, as did mental health symptomology. Conversely, social connectedness improved QoL. Additionally, social connectedness was found to mediate the relationship between HIV-related stigma and QoL, whereas the hypothesized moderating role of mental health symptomology on this model was not significant. These findings provide insight into the impact of psychosocial factors on QoL, offering practitioners various points of clinical intervention.
Mercer, RAJ, Russell, JL, McGuigan, LC, Coutts, AJ, Strack, DS & McLean, BD 2023, 'Finding the Signal in the Noise—Interday Reliability and Seasonal Sensitivity of 84 Countermovement Jump Variables in Professional Basketball Players', Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 394-402.
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Abstract Mercer, RAJ, Russell, JL, McGuigan, LC, Coutts, AJ, Strack, DS, and McLean, BD. Finding the signal in the noise—interday reliability and seasonal sensitivity of 84 countermovement jump variables in professional basketball players. J Strength Cond Res 37(2): 394–402, 2023—This study examined the measurement characteristics of countermovement jump (CMJ) variables in basketball athletes using different variable selection criteria. Test-retest reliability (noise) and seasonal variability (signal) CMJ data were collected from 13 professional basketball athletes playing for the same club throughout 1 competitive season. Interday reliability (coefficient of variation [CV] and intraclass correlation coefficients) were calculated over 3 preseason tests conducted on 3 consecutive days. To evaluate sensitivity, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was calculated by dividing seasonal variability (CV) from 8 in-season CMJ tests (collected from November to February) by preseason reliability (CV). Players performed 3 CMJs each testing day, and 3 data analysis techniques were applied: a single variable from the trial with either the best jump height (BestJH; calculated by flight time) or the best flight time to contraction time (BestFT:CT) and mean output across 3 jumps (Mean3). Mean3 was the most reliable data analysis technique, with 79 and 82 of 84 variables displaying lower interday CVs compared with BestJH and BestFT:CT, respectively. Overall, many CMJ measures display seasonal changes that are greater than the inherent noise, with 77 variables producing SNR of >1.00 for Mean3 compared with 65 and 58 variables for BestJH and BestFT:CT, respectively. To improve reliability and sensitivity, it is...
Milner, KV, French, K, Krix, DW, Valenzuela, SM & Leigh, A 2023, 'The effects of spring versus summer heat events on two arid zone plant species under field conditions', Functional Plant Biology, vol. 50, no. 6, pp. 455-469.
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Heatwaves are increasingly occurring out-of-season, which may affect plants not primed for the event. Further, heat stress often coincides with water and/or nutrient stress, impairing short-term physiological function and potentially causing downstream effects on reproductive fitness. We investigated the response of water-stressed arid-zone Solanum oligacanthum and Solanum orbiculatum to spring vs summer heat stress under differing nutrient conditions. Heat stress events were imposed in open-topped chambers under in situ desert conditions. To assess short-term impacts, we measured leaf photosystem responses (Fv/Fm) and membrane stability; long-term effects were compared via biomass allocation, visible damage, flowering and fruiting. Plants generally fared more poorly following summer than spring heat stress, with the exception of Fv/Fm. Summer heat stress caused greater membrane damage, reduced growth and survival compared with spring. Nutrient availability had a strong influence on downstream effects of heat stress, including species-specific outcomes for reproductive fitness. Overall, high temperatures during spring posed a lower threat to fitness than in severe arid summer conditions of high temperature and low water availability, which were more detrimental to plants in both the short and longer term. Our study highlights the importance of considering ecologically relevant, multiple-stressor events to understand different species responses to extreme heat.
Mirakhorli, F, Razavi Bazaz, S, Warkiani, ME & Ralph, PJ 2023, 'Ultra-high throughput microfluidic concentrator for harvesting of Tetraselmis sp. (Chlorodendrophyceae, Chlorophyta)', Algal Research, vol. 72, pp. 103145-103145.
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Mirzaeipoueinak, M, Mordechai, HS, Bangar, SS, Sharabi, M, Tipper, JL & Tavakoli, J 2023, 'Structure-function characterization of the transition zone in the intervertebral disc', Acta Biomaterialia, vol. 160, pp. 164-175.
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Morshedi Rad, D, Hansen, WP, Zhand, S, Cranfield, C & Ebrahimi Warkiani, M 2023, 'A hybridized mechano-electroporation technique for efficient immune cell engineering', Journal of Advanced Research.
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Munday, I, Newton-John, T & Kneebone, I 2023, 'Clinician experience of metaphor in chronic pain communication', Scandinavian Journal of Pain, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 88-96.
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Abstract Objectives This study investigated clinician experience of patient use of metaphors in chronic pain communication. Methods Interviews were conducted with eighteen Australian clinicians working with chronic pain patients, age range 26–64 years (M=46.6), 50% female, experience working in chronic pain ranging from 2 to 27 years (M=11.16). Results Thematic Analysis yielded four key themes: Metaphor as communicative tool, Metaphor as clue, Metaphor as obstacle, and Metaphor use in treatment. Clinicians identified metaphor as an important tool for patients to communicate their pain experience, whilst acknowledging that it could at times be unhelpful to patients. Metaphor was seen to contain useful information for clinicians and possess utility in assessment and treatment. Conclusions Metaphors play a significant role in chronic pain consultations, enabling clinician insight into pain type, psychopathology, and patient pain understanding. Metaphor in treatment phases may be underutilised. Clinicians should encourage patient metaphor use in chronic pain communication.
Nazari, H, Shrestha, J, Naei, VY, Bazaz, SR, Sabbagh, M, Thiery, JP & Warkiani, ME 2023, 'Advances in TEER measurements of biological barriers in microphysiological systems', Biosensors and Bioelectronics, vol. 234, pp. 115355-115355.
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Nguyen, DT, Ho-Le, TP, Pham, L, Ho-Van, VP, Hoang, TD, Tran, TS, Frost, S & Nguyen, TV 2023, 'BONEcheck: A digital tool for personalized bone health assessment', Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 79-87.
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Ning, X, Liu, R, Wang, N, Xiao, X, Wu, S, Wang, Y, Yi, C, He, Y, Li, D & Chen, H 2023, 'Development of a deep learning-based model to diagnose mixed-type gastric cancer accurately', The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, vol. 162, pp. 106452-106452.
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Oktar, FN, Unal, S, Gunduz, O, Nissan, BB, Macha, IJ, Akyol, S, Duta, L, Ekren, N, Altan, E & Yetmez, M 2023, 'Correction to: Marine-derived bioceramics for orthopedic, reconstructive and dental surgery applications', Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 267-267.
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Oktar, FN, Unal, S, Gunduz, O, Nissan, BB, Macha, IJ, Akyol, S, Duta, L, Ekren, N, Altan, E & Yetmez, M 2023, 'Marine-derived bioceramics for orthopedic, reconstructive and dental surgery applications', Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 57-81.
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Ortega, JS, Corrales-Orovio, R, Ralph, P, Egaña, JT & Gentile, C 2023, 'Photosynthetic microorganisms for the oxygenation of advanced 3D bioprinted tissues', Acta Biomaterialia, vol. 165, pp. 180-196.
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3D bioprinting technology has emerged as a tool that promises to revolutionize the biomedical field, including tissue engineering and regeneration. Despite major technological advancements, several challenges remain to be solved before 3D bioprinted tissues could be fully translated from the bench to the bedside. As oxygen plays a key role in aerobic metabolism, which allows energy production in the mitochondria; as a consequence, the lack of tissue oxygenation is one of the main limitations of current bioprinted tissues and organs. In order to improve tissue oxygenation, recent approaches have been established for a broad range of clinical applications, with some already applied using 3D bioprinting technologies. Among them, the incorporation of photosynthetic microorganisms, such as microalgae and cyanobacteria, is a promising approach that has been recently explored to generate chimerical plant-animal tissues where, upon light exposure, oxygen can be produced and released in a localized and controlled manner. This review will briefly summarize the state-of-the-art approaches to improve tissue oxygenation, as well as studies describing the use of photosynthetic microorganisms in 3D bioprinting technologies. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: 3D bioprinting technology has emerged as a tool for the generation of viable and functional tissues for direct in vitro and in vivo applications, including disease modeling, drug discovery and regenerative medicine. Despite the latest advancements in this field, suboptimal oxygen delivery to cells before, during and after the bioprinting process limits their viability within 3D bioprinted tissues. This review article first highlights state-of-the-art approaches used to improve oxygen delivery in bioengineered tissues to overcome this challenge. Then, it focuses on the emerging roles played by photosynthetic organisms as novel biomaterials for bioink generation. Finally, it provides considerations around current challenges...
Otsuka, Y, Ben-Nissan, B, Kono, H, Sasaki, T & Kikuchi, M 2023, 'Mechanochemical synthesis and characterization of strontium substituted apatite for biomedical application', Open Ceramics, vol. 16, pp. 100459-100459.
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Otsuka, Y, Sasaki, D, Kusamori, K, Nishikawa, M & Ben-Nissan, B 2023, 'Investigation of the crystallinity change after the addition of magnesium hydroxides into the calcium phosphate during mechanochemical synthesis: an FTIR spectroscopy, XRD analysis, chemometrics, and cell culture', Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society, vol. 59, no. 5, pp. 1373-1380.
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Owen, B, Kechagidis, K, Bazaz, SR, Enjalbert, R, Essmann, E, Mallorie, C, Mirghaderi, F, Schaaf, C, Thota, K, Vernekar, R, Zhou, Q, Warkiani, ME, Stark, H & Krüger, T 2023, 'Lattice-Boltzmann modelling for inertial particle microfluidics applications - a tutorial review', Advances in Physics: X, vol. 8, no. 1.
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Parker, D, Reymond, L, Cooper, K, Tieman, J & Ivynian, S 2023, 'An evaluation of an online education programme to improve nurses' ability to support carers to use subcutaneous medicines', International Journal of Palliative Nursing, vol. 29, no. 11, pp. 538-546.
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Background: Most Australians say they wish to die at home, but many are admitted to inpatient facilities for symptom management. Caring@home resources can be used to support informal carers to manage breakthrough symptoms safely using subcutaneous medicines. Nurses require education about how to teach informal carers to use these resources. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness and relevance of an online education programme for registered nurses (RNs) about using the caring@home resources. Methods: Nurses must complete an online survey prior to the commencement of the online education programme and again upon completion to assess their change in skills, knowledge, confidence and attitudes of the RNs. T-tests were conducted to compare average pre- and post-education scores. Findings: The knowledge, skills and confidence of RNs to teach carers improved significantly following the completion of an education programme. There was a significant change in attitude, meaning that the perceived benefit of teaching informal carers to give subcutaneous medicines improved. All reported they would use the resources in their clinical practice. Conclusion: The online education programme is an effective and cost-efficient strategy to educate nurses to support informal carers to help manage breakthrough symptoms using subcutaneous medicines.
Parker, D, Reymond, L, Cooper, K, Tieman, J & Ivynian, S 2023, 'Home symptom management training programme: carer evaluation', BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, vol. 13, no. e3, pp. e1390-e1397.
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ObjectivesMost people say if they had a terminal illness, they would prefer to be cared for at home and, if possible, to die there. Often this is not possible without a carer to assist with on-going practical care and symptom management. If breakthrough symptoms are not treated in a timely manner, symptoms can escalate quickly causing increased suffering resulting in unwanted hospital transfers. Many carers report feeling motivated but uneducated for the task of medicine management, especially if it involves preparation and/or administration of subcutaneous medicines This study assesses the impact of an education and resource package, caring@home, on carers’ confidence, knowledge, and skills in managing palliative symptoms at home using subcutaneous medicines.MethodsNurses trained volunteer carers on the use of the package. Carers were invited to complete a 10 min written evaluation survey and to consider consenting to a 30 min semistructure phone interview.ResultsFifty carers returned surveys and 12 were interviewed. Most carers agreed or strongly agreed that the package provided them with the necessary knowledge, skills and confidence to safely and confidently manage breakthrough symptoms using subcutaneous medicines, further, they would recommend the package to others. Interview analysis revealed three main themes: (1) hesitation and motivation to adopt expanded carer role; (2) the importance of a layered approach to support; and (3) avoiding perceived unnecessary contact with nurses.ConclusionThe programme can be used by clinical services to empower carers to help enable a person to be cared for, and to die at home.
Patel, VK, Vishwas, S, Kumar, R, De Rubis, G, Shukla, SD, Paudel, KR, Manandhar, B, Singh, TG, Chellappan, DK, Gulati, M, Kaur, IP, Allam, VSRR, Hansbro, PM, Oliver, BG, MacLoughlin, R, Singh, SK & Dua, K 2023, 'Tackling the cytokine storm using advanced drug delivery in allergic airway disease', Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, vol. 82, pp. 104366-104366.
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Pluss, MA, Novak, AR, Bennett, KJM, Panchuk, D, Coutts, AJ & Fransen, J 2023, 'The reliability and validity of mobalytics proving ground as a perceptual-motor skill assessment for esports', International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 470-479.
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This study aimed to investigate the test-retest reliability and discriminant validity of the Mobalytics Proving Ground™ assessment for League of Legends. Forty participants (age: 24.15 ± 3.68 y, sex: male = 31, female = 9) were a priori classified into two expertise groups: (1) esports players (age: 22.98 ± 3.64 y, sex: male = 18, female = 2), and (2) controls (age: 25.31 ± 3.42 y, sex: male = 13, female = 7). Participants completed three separate trials (60 s each) online. To assess test-retest reliability, variables displaying normal distributions were analysed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) estimates for two-way mixed-effects models with 95% confidence intervals. The average ICC for all the independent variables in the esports group and control group were moderate (ICC esports = 0.53 and ICC control = 0.72). The average 95% confidence intervals for the independent variables in the esports and control group were ICC = 0.30–0.75 and ICC = 0.55–0.86, respectively. A Friedman test revealed an effect size of 0.11 in the esports group and 0.07 in the control group. In terms of discriminant validity, there were significant differences for 17 variables when comparing the best scores of each group. Overall, the Mobalytics Proving Ground™ assessment used in the current study can, to some extent, distinguish esports players from controls.
Power, T, Kennedy, P, Chen, H, Martinez-Maldonado, R, McGregor, C, Johnson, A, Townsend, L & Hayes, C 2023, 'Learning to Manage De-escalation Through Simulation: An Exploratory Study', Clinical Simulation in Nursing, vol. 77, pp. 23-29.
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Pravadali-Cekic, S, Vojvodic, A, Violi, JP, Mitrovic, SM, Rodgers, KJ & Bishop, DP 2023, 'Simultaneous Analysis of Cyanotoxins β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) and Microcystins-RR, -LR, and -YR Using Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)', Molecules, vol. 28, no. 18, pp. 6733-6733.
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β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) and its isomers, 2,4-diaminobutyric acid (2,4-DAB) and N-(2-aminoethyl)-glycine (AEG), along with microcystins (MCs)-RR, -LR, and -YR (the major MC congeners), are cyanotoxins that can cause detrimental health and environmental impacts during toxic blooms. Currently, there are no reverse-phase (RP) LC-MS/MS methods for the simultaneous detection and quantification of BMAA, its isomers, and the major MCs in a single analysis; therefore, multiple analyses are required to assess the toxic load of a sample. Here, we present a newly developed and validated method for the detection and quantification of BMAA, 2,4-DAB, AEG, MC-LR, MC-RR, and MC-YR using RP LC-MS/MS. Method validation was performed, assessing linearity (r2 > 0.996), accuracy (>90% recovery for spiked samples), precision (7% relative standard deviation), and limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) (ranging from 0.13 to 1.38 ng mL−1). The application of this combined cyanotoxin analysis on a culture of Microcystis aeruginosa resulted in the simultaneous detection of 2,4-DAB (0.249 ng mg−1 dry weight (DW)) and MC-YR (4828 ng mg−1 DW). This study provides a unified method for the quantitative analysis of BMAA, its isomers, and three MC congeners in natural environmental samples.
Quinteros, SL, von Krusenstiern, E, Snyder, NW, Tanaka, A, O’Brien, B & Donnelly, S 2023, 'The helminth derived peptide FhHDM-1 redirects macrophage metabolism towards glutaminolysis to regulate the pro-inflammatory response', Frontiers in Immunology, vol. 14, p. 1018076.
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We have previously identified an immune modulating peptide, termed FhHDM-1, within the secretions of the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, which is sufficiently potent to prevent the progression of type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis in murine models of disease. Here, we have determined that the FhHDM-1 peptide regulates inflammation by reprogramming macrophage metabolism. Specifically, FhHDM-1 switched macrophage metabolism to a dependence on oxidative phosphorylation fuelled by fatty acids and supported by the induction of glutaminolysis. The catabolism of glutamine also resulted in an accumulation of alpha ketoglutarate (α-KG). These changes in metabolic activity were associated with a concomitant reduction in glycolytic flux, and the subsequent decrease in TNF and IL-6 production at the protein level. Interestingly, FhHDM-1 treated macrophages did not express the characteristic genes of an M2 phenotype, thereby indicating the specific regulation of inflammation, as opposed to the induction of an anti-inflammatory phenotype per se. Use of an inactive derivative of FhHDM-1, which did not modulate macrophage responses, revealed that the regulation of immune responses was dependent on the ability of FhHDM-1 to modulate lysosomal pH. These results identify a novel functional association between the lysosome and mitochondrial metabolism in macrophages, and further highlight the significant therapeutic potential of FhHDM-1 to prevent inflammation.
Rabiee, N, Dokmeci, MR, Zarrabi, A, Makvandi, P, Saeb, MR, Karimi-Maleh, H, Jafarzadeh, S, Karaman, C, Yamauchi, Y, Warkiani, ME, Bencherif, SA, Mehta, G, Eguchi, M, Kaushik, A, Shahbazi, M-A, Paiva-Santos, AC, Ryl, J, Lima, EC, Hamblin, MR, Varma, RS, Huh, Y, Vilian, ATE, Gupta, PK, Lakhera, SK, Kesari, KK, Liu, Y-T, Tahriri, M, Rama Raju, GS, Adeli, M, Mohammadi, A, Wang, J, Ansari, MZ, Aminabhavi, T, Savoji, H, Sethi, G, Bączek, T, Kot-Wasik, A, Penoff, ME, Nafchi, AM, Kucinska-Lipka, J, Zargar, M, Asadnia, M, Aref, AR, Safarkhani, M, Ashrafizadeh, M, Umapathi, R, Ghasemi, A & Radisic, M 2023, 'Green Biomaterials : fundamental principles', Green Biomaterials, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-4.
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Radfar, P, Ding, L, de la Fuente, LR, Aboulkheyr, H, Gallego-Ortega, D & Warkiani, ME 2023, 'Rapid metabolomic screening of cancer cells via high-throughput static droplet microfluidics', Biosensors and Bioelectronics, vol. 223, pp. 114966-114966.
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Effective isolation and in-depth analysis of Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs) are greatly needed in diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of the therapeutic response of cancer patients but have not been completely fulfilled by conventional approaches. The rarity of CTCs and the lack of reliable biomarkers to distinguish them from peripheral blood cells have remained outstanding challenges for their clinical implementation. Herein, we developed a high throughput Static Droplet Microfluidic (SDM) device with 38,400 chambers, capable of isolating and classifying the number of metabolically active CTCs in peripheral blood at single-cell resolution. Owing to the miniaturisation and compartmentalisation capability of our device, we first demonstrated the ability to precisely measure the lactate production of different types of cancer cells inside 125 pL droplets at single-cell resolution. Furthermore, we compared the metabolomic activity of leukocytes from healthy donors to cancer cells and showed the ability to differentiate them. To further prove the clinical relevance, we spiked cancer cell lines in human healthy blood and showed the possibility to detect the cancer cells from leukocytes. Lastly, we tested the workflow on 8 preclinical mammary mouse models including syngeneic 67NR (non-metastatic) and 4T1.2 (metastatic) models with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) as well as transgenic mouses (12-week-old MMTV-PyMT). The results have shown the ability to precisely distinguish metabolically active CTCs from the blood using the proposed SDM device. The workflow is simple and robust which can eliminate the need for specialised equipment and expertise required for single-cell analysis of CTCs and facilitate on-site metabolic screening of cancer cells.
Radfar, P, Ding, L, Es, HA & Warkiani, ME 2023, 'A Microfluidic Approach for Enrichment and Single-Cell Characterization of Circulating Tumor Cells from Peripheral Blood', pp. 141-150.
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Ramakrishna, VAS, Chamoli, U, Larosa, AG, Mukhopadhyay, SC, Gangadhara Prusty, B & Diwan, AD 2023, 'A biomechanical comparison of posterior fixation approaches in lumbar fusion using computed tomography based lumbosacral spine modelling', Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine, vol. 237, no. 2, pp. 243-253.
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Extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF) may be performed with a standalone interbody cage, or with the addition of unilateral or bilateral pedicle screws; however, decisions regarding supplemental fixation are predominantly based on clinical indicators. This study examines the impact of posterior supplemental fixation on facet micromotions, cage loads and load-patterns at adjacent levels in a L4-L5 XLIF at early and late fusion stages. CT data from an asymptomatic subject were segmented into anatomical regions and digitally stitched into a surface mesh of the lumbosacral spine (L1-S1). The interbody cage and posterior instrumentation (unilateral and bilateral) were inserted at L4-L5. The volumetric mesh was imported into finite element software for pre-processing, running nonlinear static solves and post-processing. Loads and micromotions at the index-level facets reduced commensurately with the extent of posterior fixation accompanying the XLIF, while load-pattern changes observed at adjacent facets may be anatomically dependent. In flexion at partial fusion, compressive stress on the cage reduced by 54% and 72% in unilateral and bilateral models respectively; in extension the reductions were 58% and 75% compared to standalone XLIF. A similar pattern was observed at full fusion. Unilateral fixation provided similar stability compared to bilateral, however there was a reduction in cage stress-risers with the bilateral instrumentation. No changes were found at adjacent discs. Posterior supplemental fixation alters biomechanics at the index and adjacent levels in a manner that warrants consideration alongside clinical information. Unilateral instrumentation is a more efficient option where the stability requirements and subsidence risk are not excessive.
Ramakrishna, VAS, Chamoli, U, Mukhopadhyay, SC, Diwan, AD & Prusty, BG 2023, 'Measuring compressive loads on a ‘smart’ lumbar interbody fusion cage: Proof of concept', Journal of Biomechanics, vol. 147, pp. 111440-111440.
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Rao, A, Zecchin, R, Newton, PJ, Read, SA, Phillips, JL, DiGiacomo, M, Chang, S, Denniss, AR & Hickman, LD 2023, 'Feasibility of Integrating MEditatioN inTO heaRt Disease (the MENTOR Study)', Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 492-510.
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Background Comorbid depression and/or anxiety symptoms occur in 25% of patients attending cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs and are associated with poorer prognosis. There is a need to evaluate psychological interventions, including meditation, that have potential to improve psychological health in CR programs. Aims The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of integrating a meditation intervention into an existing Australian CR program for the reduction of depression and anxiety symptoms. Methods This was a mixed-methods feasibility randomized controlled trial. Thirty-one patients with CVD and, at a minimum, mild depression and/or anxiety symptoms were randomized to meditation and standard CR or to standard CR alone. A 16-minute guided group meditation was delivered face-to-face once a week for 6 weeks, with daily self-guided meditation practice between sessions. Feasibility outcomes included screening, recruitment, and retention. Semistructured interviews of patients' (n = 10) and health professionals' (n = 18) perspectives of intervention participation and delivery were undertaken to assess acceptability. Between-group differences in depression, anxiety, stress, self-efficacy for mindfulness, and health status at 6 and 12 weeks were also assessed. Results and Conclusion Meditation was considered feasible, with 83% (12/15) of the intervention group completing an average of 3.13 (SD, 2.56) out of 6 group meditation sessions and 5.28 (SD, 8.50) self-guided sessions. Meditation was considered acceptable by patients, clinicians, and he...
Rathnayake, SNH, Ditz, B, van Nijnatten, J, Sadaf, T, Hansbro, PM, Brandsma, CA, Timens, W, van Schadewijk, A, Hiemstra, PS, ten Hacken, NHT, Oliver, B, Kerstjens, HAM, van den Berge, M & Faiz, A 2023, 'Smoking induces shifts in cellular composition and transcriptome within the bronchial mucus barrier', Respirology, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 132-142.
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AbstractBackground and ObjectiveSmoking disturbs the bronchial‐mucus‐barrier. This study assesses the cellular composition and gene expression shifts of the bronchial‐mucus‐barrier with smoking to understand the mechanism of mucosal damage by cigarette smoke exposure. We explore whether single‐cell‐RNA‐sequencing (scRNA‐seq) based cellular deconvolution (CD) can predict cell‐type composition in RNA‐seq data.MethodsRNA‐seq data of bronchial biopsies from three cohorts were analysed using CD. The cohorts included 56 participants with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] (38 smokers; 18 ex‐smokers), 77 participants without COPD (40 never‐smokers; 37 smokers) and 16 participants who stopped smoking for 1 year (11 COPD and 5 non‐COPD‐smokers). Differential gene expression was used to investigate gene expression shifts. The CD‐derived goblet cell ratios were validated by correlating with staining‐derived goblet cell ratios from the COPD cohort. Statistics were done in the R software (false discovery rate p‐value < 0.05).ResultsBoth CD methods indicate a shift in bronchial‐mucus‐barrier cell composition towards goblet cells in COPD and non‐COPD‐smokers compared to ex‐ and never‐smokers. It shows that the effect was reversible within a year of smoking cessation. A reduction of ciliated and basal cells was observed with current smoking, which resolved following smoking cessation. The expression of mucin and sodium channel (ENaC) genes, but not chloride channel genes, were altered in COPD and current smokers compared to never smokers or ex‐smokers. The goblet cell‐derived staining scores correlate with CD‐derived goblet cell ratios.ConclusionSmoking alters bronchial‐mucus‐b...
Rathnayake, SNH, Ditz, B, Willemse, BWM, Timens, W, Kooistra, W, Heijink, IH, Oliver, BGG, van den Berge, M, Faiz, A, Aliee, H, Theis, FJ & Nawijn, MC 2023, 'Longitudinal Effects of 1-Year Smoking Cessation on Human Bronchial Epithelial Transcriptome', CHEST, vol. 164, no. 1, pp. 85-89.
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Rayner, J-A, Fetherstonhaugh, D, Beattie, E, Harrington, A, Jeon, Y-H, Moyle, W & Parker, D 2023, '“Oh, older people, it's boring”: Nurse academics’ reflections on the challenges in teaching older person's care in Australian undergraduate nursing curricula', Collegian, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 141-146.
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Rayner, J-A, Fetherstonhaugh, D, Beattie, E, Harrington, A, Jeon, Y-H, Moyle, W & Parker, D 2023, 'Australian nursing students’ clinical experiences in residential aged care: Reports from nurse academics', Collegian, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 134-140.
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Razavi Bazaz, S, Zhand, S, Salomon, R, Beheshti, EH, Jin, D & Warkiani, ME 2023, 'ImmunoInertial microfluidics: A novel strategy for isolation of small EV subpopulations', Applied Materials Today, vol. 30, pp. 101730-101730.
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Cancer-specific small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), known as exosomes, have shown a great promise to serve as novel biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis in liquid biopsies. However, the high heterogeneity of sEVs posed great technical challenges to acquiring their molecular information. A simple and reproducible method for isolating subpopulations of sEVs can significantly enhance the detection and stratification of these circulating biomarkers and their function. This study used the synergic effects of the immunoaffinity-based approach and inertial microfluidics (ImmunoInertial microfluidics) to isolate specific subpopulations of sEVs. At first, the cancer cell-derived sEVs were captured on microbeads of varying sizes which were functionalized with specific capture antibodies such as epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), facilitating the selective capture of sEVs. The sEVs-bearing microbeads were subsequently introduced to a series of inertial microfluidic channels, called iZExoSub (inertial zigzag microfluidics for exosome subpopulation separation), for size-based bead separation. Results revealed more than 90% efficiency in sEVs subpopulation separation, further proved via flow cytometry analysis data. Our approach is capable of selective isolation and quantitative detection of important biomarkers from sEVs subpopulations with high sensitivity and low cost and has the capacity to process samples of varying volumes, ranging from µL up to mL continuously. This system can outperform FACS machines in terms of sample throughput by orders of magnitudes. In addition, this study emphasized the necessity of using a consistent sEV marker (as capture and detector) across different samples for accurate assessment of subpopulations.
Reddy, KD & Oliver, BGG 2023, 'Sexual dimorphism in chronic respiratory diseases', Cell & Bioscience, vol. 13, no. 1, p. 47.
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AbstractSex differences in susceptibility, severity, and progression are prevalent for various diseases in multiple organ systems. This phenomenon is particularly apparent in respiratory diseases. Asthma demonstrates an age-dependent pattern of sexual dimorphism. However, marked differences between males and females exist in other pervasive conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. The sex hormones estrogen and testosterone are commonly considered the primary factors causing sexual dimorphism in disease. However, how they contribute to differences in disease onset between males and females remains undefined. The sex chromosomes are an under-investigated fundamental form of sexual dimorphism. Recent studies highlight key X and Y-chromosome-linked genes that regulate vital cell processes and can contribute to disease-relevant mechanisms. This review summarises patterns of sex differences in asthma, COPD and lung cancer, highlighting physiological mechanisms causing the observed dimorphism. We also describe the role of the sex hormones and present candidate genes on the sex chromosomes as potential factors contributing to sexual dimorphism in disease.
Richardson, E, McEwen, A, Newton‐John, T & Jacobs, C 2023, 'Defining core outcomes of reproductive genetic carrier screening: A Delphi survey of Australian and New Zealand stakeholders', Prenatal Diagnosis, vol. 43, no. 9, pp. 1150-1165.
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AbstractObjectiveUnderstanding the value, benefits and harms of health interventions is needed to inform best practice and ensure responsible implementation of new approaches to patient care. Such value is demonstrated through the assessment of outcomes; however, which outcomes are assessed is often highly varied across studies and can hinder the ability to draw robust conclusions. The Core Outcome Development for Carrier Screening study aims to understand the outcomes that can meaningfully capture the value of reproductive genetic carrier screening (RGCS).MethodThe authors report an iterative, two‐round online Delphi survey of Australian and New Zealand stakeholders to determine the degree of consensus regarding the core outcomes of RGCS. Panellists ranked 83 outcomes according to their perceived importance on a nine‐point Likert scale. Using the distribution of rankings, outcomes were grouped into tiers representative of their perceived level of importance and agreement between groups.ResultsThe top tier outcomes represent those agreed to be critically important for all future studies of RGCS to assess and were used to define a preliminary core outcome set encompassing the domains (1) primary laboratory outcomes, (2) pregnancy outcomes, (3) resource use and, (4) perceived utility of RGCS.ConclusionThese findings can guide the selection of meaningful outcomes in studies aiming to demonstrate the value of RGCS. A future international consensus process will expand on these findings and guide the inclusion of diverse perspectives across the range of settings in which RGCS is offered.
Ries, N, Johnston, B, Jeon, Y, Mansfield, E, Nay, R, Parker, D, Schnitker, L & Sinclair, C 2023, 'Advance planning for research participation: Time to translate this innovation into practice', Australasian Journal on Ageing, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 225-233.
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AbstractObjectivesAdvance planning for research is a process that involves thinking about, discussing and expressing preferences for taking part in research during future periods of incapacity. The process may include making an advance research directive and naming trusted people to be involved in decisions about research participation. Advance research planning could help to overcome barriers to including people with dementia in research. To encourage innovation in this area, this article presents recommendations informed by a stakeholder workshop that brought together consumer representatives and representatives active in dementia, ageing and health‐related research, policy‐making, advocacy and service delivery in health and aged care.MethodsAn online workshop where 15 stakeholders shared perspectives and suggestions for implementing advance research planning, with a focus on research involving people with dementia.ResultsRaising awareness of advance research planning requires multi‐faceted strategies. Training and resources are needed for researchers, ethics committees and organisations regarding this form of advance planning and the use of research directives. Like any form of advance planning, planning ahead for research must be a voluntary, informed and person‐centred process. There is a lack of uniform legal rules on research involving people who lack the capacity to consent; however, advance research directives could, in principle, inform decisions about research participation.ConclusionsAs a matter of law, policy and practice, people are encouraged to plan ahead in many areas of their life. Research planning has been relatively neglected, and the recommendations offered here aim to encourage ...
Roche, CD, Lin, H, Huang, Y, de Bock, CE, Beck, D, Xue, M & Gentile, C 2023, '3D bioprinted alginate-gelatin hydrogel patches containing cardiac spheroids recover heart function in a mouse model of myocardial infarction', Bioprinting, vol. 30, pp. e00263-e00263.
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Sadeghirad, H, Bahrami, T, Layeghi, SM, Yousefi, H, Rezaei, M, Hosseini‐Fard, SR, Radfar, P, Warkiani, ME, O'Byrne, K & Kulasinghe, A 2023, 'Immunotherapeutic targets in non‐small cell lung cancer', Immunology, vol. 168, no. 2, pp. 256-272.
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AbstractNon‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common types of cancer in the world and has a 5‐year survival rate of ~20%. Immunotherapies have shown promising results leading to durable responses, however, they are only effective for a subset of patients. To determine the best therapeutic approach, a thorough and in‐depth profiling of the tumour microenvironment (TME) is required. The TME is a complex network of cell types that form an interconnected network, promoting tumour cell initiation, growth and dissemination. The stroma, immune cells and endothelial cells that comprise the TME generate a plethora of cytotoxic or cytoprotective signalling pathways. In this review, we discuss immunotherapeutic targets in NSCLC tumours and how the TME may influence patients' response to immunotherapy.
Salis, Z, Gallego, B, Nguyen, TV & Sainsbury, A 2023, 'Association of Decrease in Body Mass Index With Reduced Incidence and Progression of the Structural Defects of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Prospective Multi‐Cohort Study', Arthritis & Rheumatology, vol. 75, no. 4, pp. 533-543.
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ObjectiveTo define the association between change in body mass index (BMI) and the incidence and progression of the structural defects of knee osteoarthritis as assessed by radiography.MethodsRadiographic analyses of knees at baseline and at 4–5 years of follow‐up were obtained from the following 3 independent cohort studies: the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) study, the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST), and the Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee (CHECK) study. Logistic regression analyses using generalized estimating equations, with clustering of both knees within individuals, were used to investigate the association between change in BMI from baseline to 4–5 years of follow‐up and the incidence and progression of knee osteoarthritis.ResultsA total of 9,683 knees (from 5,774 participants) in an “incidence cohort” and 6,075 knees (from 3,988 participants) in a “progression cohort” were investigated. Change in BMI was positively associated with both the incidence and progression of the structural defects of knee osteoarthritis. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for osteoarthritis incidence was 1.05 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.02–1.09), and the adjusted OR for osteoarthritis progression was 1.05 (95% CI 1.01–1.09). Change in BMI was also positively associated with degeneration (i.e., narrowing) of the joint space and with degeneration of the femoral and tibial surfaces (as indicated by osteophytes) on the medial but not on the lateral side of the knee.ConclusionA decrease in BMI was independently associated with lower odds of incidence and progression of the structural defects of knee osteoarthritis and could be a component in preventing the onset or worsening of knee osteoarthritis.
Sasko, LM, Oliver, B & Smith, SM 2023, 'Fit testing of masks worn by frontline healthcare workers', Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 682-684.
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Schaefer, I, Heneka, N, DiGiacomo, M, Panozzo, S & Phillips, JL 2023, 'Correction: The importance of developing palliative care quality indicators for the prison setting: why now, and next steps', BMC Palliative Care, vol. 22, no. 1, p. 89.
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Following the publication of the original article [1], it has been reported that Dr. Jane Phillips should also be affiliated to affiliation 1. Moreover, the following sentences in the Introduction section should be updated from However, the reality of the many barriers to release near the end of life [6–8] necessitates the provision of high quality primary palliative care within prisons…. …While the basic palliative care needs of many of these people are managed internally by correctional healthcare providers, [9] providing care to those with complex or escalating palliative care needs is more challenging in the prison environment [10]. into However, many barriers prevent this from often occuring, [6–8] necessitating the provision of high quality primary palliative care within prisons…. …While the basic palliative care needs of many of these people are managed internally by correctional healthcare providers, [9] providing care to those with more complex or escalating palliative care needs is challenging in the prison environment [10]. The original article has been updated.
Schaefer, I, Heneka, N, DiGiacomo, M, Panozzo, S & Phillips, JL 2023, 'The importance of developing palliative care quality indicators for the prison setting: why now, and next steps', BMC Palliative Care, vol. 22, no. 1, p. 69.
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AbstractPalliative care is increasingly important in the prison setting, but information about the quality and accessibility of this care is extremely limited. Developing and implementing standardised quality indicators will provide transparency, accountability, and a platform for quality improvement at both local and national levels.
Scriven, A, Kedziora, DJ, Musial, K & Gabrys, B 2023, 'The Technological Emergence of AutoML: A Survey of Performant Software and Applications in the Context of Industry', Foundations and Trends® in Information Systems, vol. 7, no. 1-2, pp. 1-252.
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Seneviratne, JA, Carter, DR, Mittra, R, Gifford, A, Kim, PY, Luo, J, Mayoh, C, Salib, A, Rahmanto, AS, Murray, J, Cheng, NC, Nagy, Z, Wang, Q, Kleynhans, A, Tan, O, Sutton, SK, Xue, C, Chung, SA, Zhang, Y, Sun, C, Zhang, L, Haber, M, Norris, MD, Fletcher, JI, Liu, T, Dilda, PJ, Hogg, PJ, Cheung, BB & Marshall, GM 2023, 'Inhibition of mitochondrial translocase SLC25A5 and histone deacetylation is an effective combination therapy in neuroblastoma', International Journal of Cancer, vol. 152, no. 7, pp. 1399-1413.
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AbstractThe mitochondrion is a gatekeeper of apoptotic processes, and mediates drug resistance to several chemotherapy agents used to treat cancer. Neuroblastoma is a common solid cancer in young children with poor clinical outcomes following conventional chemotherapy. We sought druggable mitochondrial protein targets in neuroblastoma cells. Among mitochondria‐associated gene targets, we found that high expression of the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocase 2 (SLC25A5/ANT2), was a strong predictor of poor neuroblastoma patient prognosis and contributed to a more malignant phenotype in pre‐clinical models. Inhibiting this transporter with PENAO reduced cell viability in a panel of neuroblastoma cell lines in a TP53‐status‐dependant manner. We identified the histone deacetylase inhibitor, suberanilohydroxamic acid (SAHA), as the most effective drug in clinical use against mutant TP53 neuroblastoma cells. SAHA and PENAO synergistically reduced cell viability, and induced apoptosis, in neuroblastoma cells independent of TP53‐status. The SAHA and PENAO drug combination significantly delayed tumour progression in pre‐clinical neuroblastoma mouse models, suggesting that these clinically advanced inhibitors may be effective in treating the disease.
Sharon, SE, Aharonov, A, Mordechai, HS, Tavakoli, J & Sharabi, M 2023, 'Collagen-Based Micro/Nano Fibrous Constructs: Step-By-Step Reverse Biomimetics of Structure and Mechanical Function', ACS Applied Polymer Materials, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 2816-2829.
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Shoeibi, A, Khodatars, M, Jafari, M, Ghassemi, N, Moridian, P, Alizadehsani, R, Ling, SH, Khosravi, A, Alinejad-Rokny, H, Lam, H-K, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M, Acharya, UR, Anderson, D, Zhang, Y & Górriz, JM 2023, 'Diagnosis of brain diseases in fusion of neuroimaging modalities using deep learning: A review.', Inf. Fusion, vol. 93, pp. 85-117.
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Shrestha, J, Paudel, KR, Nazari, H, Dharwal, V, Bazaz, SR, Johansen, MD, Dua, K, Hansbro, PM & Warkiani, ME 2023, 'Advanced models for respiratory disease and drug studies', Medicinal Research Reviews, vol. 43, no. 5, pp. 1470-1503.
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AbstractThe global burden of respiratory diseases is enormous, with many millions of people suffering and dying prematurely every year. The global COVID‐19 pandemic witnessed recently, along with increased air pollution and wildfire events, increases the urgency of identifying the most effective therapeutic measures to combat these diseases even further. Despite increasing expenditure and extensive collaborative efforts to identify and develop the most effective and safe treatments, the failure rates of drugs evaluated in human clinical trials are high. To reverse these trends and minimize the cost of drug development, ineffective drug candidates must be eliminated as early as possible by employing new, efficient, and accurate preclinical screening approaches. Animal models have been the mainstay of pulmonary research as they recapitulate the complex physiological processes, Multiorgan interplay, disease phenotypes of disease, and the pharmacokinetic behavior of drugs. Recently, the use of advanced culture technologies such as organoids and lung‐on‐a‐chip models has gained increasing attention because of their potential to reproduce human diseased states and physiology, with clinically relevant responses to drugs and toxins. This review provides an overview of different animal models for studying respiratory diseases and evaluating drugs. We also highlight recent progress in cell culture technologies to advance integrated models and discuss current challenges and present future perspectives.
Simonetti, S, Parker, D, Mack, HA & Wise, S 2023, 'Managers' experiences of providing end‐of‐life care under the Home Care Package Program', Australasian Journal on Ageing, vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 527-534.
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AbstractObjectiveThe study explored the experiences of Australian aged care providers in supporting clients on a home care package to die at home.MethodsSemistructured interviews were conducted with 13 aged care managers responsible for delivering services under the Home Care Package Program. Interviews were analysed thematically.ResultsFour themes emerged that illuminated managers' experiences: struggling to meet a preference to die at home; lack of opportunities to build workforce capacity in end‐of‐life care; challenges in negotiating fragmented funding arrangements between health and aged care providers; and mixed success in collaborating across sectors.ConclusionsAged care providers want to support older Australians who prefer to stay at home at the end of life. However, most clients are admitted to a residential facility when their care needs exceed a home care budget long before a specialist palliative care team will intervene. Budgets for health and aged care providers must be sufficient and flexible to support timely access to end‐of‐life care, to reward collaboration across sectors and to invest in building palliative care skills in the nursing and personal care workforce.
Smith, MAA, Khot, MI, Taccola, S, Fry, NR, Muhonen, PL, Tipper, JL, Jayne, DG, Kay, RW & Harris, RA 2023, 'A digitally driven manufacturing process for high resolution patterning of cell formations', Biomedical Microdevices, vol. 25, no. 2.
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AbstractThis paper presents the engineering and validation of an enabling technology that facilitates new capabilities in in vitro cell models for high-throughput screening and tissue engineering applications. This is conducted through a computerized system that allows the design and deposition of high-fidelity microscale patterned coatings that selectively alter the chemical and topographical properties of cell culturing surfaces. Significantly, compared to alternative methods for microscale surface patterning, this is a digitally controlled and automated process thereby allowing scientists to rapidly create and explore an almost infinite range of cell culture patterns. This new capability is experimentally validated across six different cell lines demonstrating how the precise microscale deposition of these patterned coatings can influence spatiotemporal growth and movement of endothelial, fibroblast, neuronal and macrophage cells. To further demonstrate this platform, more complex patterns are then created and shown to guide the behavioral response of colorectal carcinoma cells. Graphical Abstract
Stratton-Powell, AA, Williams, S, Tipper, JL, Redmond, AC & Brockett, CL 2023, 'Isolation and characterisation of wear debris surrounding failed total ankle replacements', Acta Biomaterialia, vol. 159, pp. 410-422.
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Su, Z, Yao, C, Tipper, J, Yang, L, Xu, X, Chen, X, Bao, G, He, B, Xu, X & Zheng, Y 2023, 'Nanostrategy of Targeting at Embryonic Trophoblast Cells Using CuO Nanoparticles for Female Contraception', ACS Nano, vol. 17, no. 24, pp. 25185-25204.
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Effective contraceptives have been comprehensively adopted by women to prevent the negative consequences of unintended pregnancy for women, families, and societies. With great contributions of traditional hormonal drugs and intrauterine devices (IUDs) to effective female contraception by inhibiting ovulation and deactivating sperm, their long-standing side effects on hormonal homeostasis and reproductive organs for females remain concerns. Herein, we proposed a nanostrategy for female contraceptives, inducing embryonic trophoblast cell death using nanoparticles to prevent embryo implantation. Cupric oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were adopted in this work to verify the feasibility of the nanostrategy and its contraceptive efficacy. We carried out the in vitro assessment on the interaction of CuO NPs with trophoblast cells using the HTR8/SVneo cell line. The results showed that the CuO NPs were able to be preferably uptaken into cells and induced cell damage via a variety of pathways including oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, DNA damage, and cell cycle arrest to induce cell death of apoptosis, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis. Moreover, the key regulatory processes and the key genes for cell damage and cell death caused by CuO NPs were revealed by RNA-Seq. We also conducted in vivo experiments using a rat model to examine the contraceptive efficacy of both the bare CuO NPs and the CuO/thermosensitive hydrogel nanocomposite. The results demonstrated that the CuO NPs were highly effective for contraception. There was no sign of disrupting the homeostasis of copper and hormone, or causing inflammation and organ damage in vivo. In all, this nanostrategy exhibited huge potential for contraceptive development with high biosafety, efficacy, clinical translation, nonhormonal style, and on-demand for women.
Tang, R, Yu, Z & Li, J 2023, 'KINN: An alignment-free accurate phylogeny reconstruction method based on inner distance distributions of k-mer pairs in biological sequences', Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, vol. 179, pp. 107662-107662.
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Tavakoli, J, Diwan, AD & Tipper, JL 2023, 'Intervertebral disc-on-a-chip: a precision engineered toolbox for low back pain studies', Trends in Biotechnology, vol. 41, no. 11, pp. 1339-1342.
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Tieman, J, Hudson, P, Thomas, K, Saward, D & Parker, D 2023, 'Who cares for the carers? carerhelp: development and evaluation of an online resource to support the wellbeing of those caring for family members at the end of their life', BMC Palliative Care, vol. 22, no. 1, p. 98.
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Abstract Background Most people living with a terminal illness and approaching death will need the assistance of a non-professional carer such as a family member, friend, or neighbour to provide physical, emotional, and practical caring supports. A significant portion of these carers can feel overwhelmed, isolated and experience psychological and/or financial distress. Carers can have unmet information needs and information needs can change across the caring period. Methods Guided by an Australian National Reference Group, this project undertook a multiphase set of activities to enable the development of an online carer resource. These activities included a literature review of key issues and considerations for family carers supporting someone with a terminal illness, a scoping scan of existing online resources, and interviews and focus groups with eighteen carers to understand their needs and context of caring. This information formed the basis for potential digital content. A web project team was established to create the information architecture and content pathways. User testing survey and usability assessment of the CarerHelp Website was undertaken to assess/optimise functionality prior to release. An evaluation process was also devised. Results The literature review identified carer needs for practical and psychological support along with better education and strategies to improve communication. The scoping scan of available online resources suggested that while information available to carers is plentiful, much of that which is provided is general, disparately located, inadequately detailed, and disease specific. The eighteen carers...
Torgbenu, E, Luckett, T, Buhagiar, M & Phillips, JL 2023, 'Practice points for lymphoedema care in low- and middle- income countries developed by nominal group technique', BMC Health Services Research, vol. 23, no. 1, p. 740.
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Abstract Background Lymphoedema is a common, distressing, and debilitating condition affecting more than 200 million people globally. There is a small body of evidence to guide lymphoedema care which underpins several lymphoedema clinical practice guidelines developed for high-income countries (HIC). Some of these recommendations are unlikely to be feasible in low-resource settings. Aim To develop practice points for healthcare workers that optimise lymphoedema care in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Methods A nominal group technique (NGT) was undertaken to gain consensus on which content from HIC guidelines was important and feasible to include in practice points for LMIC, and other important advice or recommendations. Participants included experts, clinicians, and volunteers involved in lymphoedema care in LMIC. The NGT followed five key stages: silent ‘ideas’ generation, round-robin rationale, clarification, refinement and verification. The first, fourth and fifth stages were completed via email, and the second and third during a video meeting in order to generate a series of consensus based prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and management of lymphoedema in LMIC practice points. Results Of sixteen participants invited, ten members completed stage 1 of the NGT (ideas generation), of whom six contributed to stages 2 (round-robin) and 3 (clarification). All those who completed stage 1 also completed stages 4 (refinement) and 5 (verification). Practice points unanimously agreed on included Complex Decongestive Therapy (CDT...
Torgbenu, E, Luckett, T, Buhagiar, MA & Phillips, JL 2023, 'Guidelines Relevant to Diagnosis, Assessment, and Management of Lymphedema: A Systematic Review', Advances in Wound Care, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 15-27.
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Tran, T, Ho-Le, T, Bliuc, D, Abrahamsen, B, Hansen, L, Vestergaard, P, Center, JR & Nguyen, TV 2023, '‘Skeletal Age’ for mapping the impact of fracture on mortality', eLife, vol. 12, p. e83888.
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Background:Fragility fracture is associated with an increased risk of mortality, but mortality is not part of doctor-patient communication. Here, we introduce a new concept called ‘Skeletal Age’ as the age of an individual’s skeleton resulting from a fragility fracture to convey the combined risk of fracture and fracture-associated mortality for an individual.Methods:We used the Danish National Hospital Discharge Register which includes the whole-country data of 1,667,339 adults in Denmark born on or before January 1, 1950, who were followed up to December 31, 2016 for incident low-trauma fracture and mortality. Skeletal age is defined as the sum of chronological age and the number of years of life lost (YLL) associated with a fracture. Cox’s proportional hazards model was employed to determine the hazard of mortality associated with a specific fracture for a given risk profile, and the hazard was then transformed into YLL using the Gompertz law of mortality.Results:During the median follow-up period of 16 years, there had been 307,870 fractures and 122,744 post-fracture deaths. A fracture was associated with between 1 and 7 years of life lost, with the loss being greater in men than women. Hip fractures incurred the greatest loss of life years. For instance, a 60-year-old individual with a hip fracture is estimated to have a skeletal age of 66 for men and 65 for women. Skeletal Age was estimated for each age and fracture site stratified by gender.Conclusions:We propose ‘Skeletal Age’ as a new metric to assess the impact of a fragility fracture on an individual’s life expectancy. This approach will enhance doctor-patient risk communication about the risks associated with osteoporosis.
Tran, TS, Ho-Le, TP, Bliuc, D, Center, JR, Blank, RD & Nguyen, TV 2023, 'Prevention of Hip Fractures: Trade-off between Minor Benefits to Individuals and Large Benefits to the Community', Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, vol. 38, no. 11, pp. 1594-1602.
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ABSTRACT Goeffrey Rose postulated that a population-based measure bringing a small benefit to each individual can yield large benefits to the community. We aimed to test this axiom by quantifying the relationship between change in bone mineral density (BMD) and hip fracture incidence between two prospective cohorts separated by ~10 years. In this prospective population-based Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study (DOES), the participants aged 60+ were recruited in two waves: the initial cohort (1311 women, 842 men) in 1989 to 1992 and the second cohort (974 women, 544 men) in 1999 to 2001. The incident hip fracture was radiologically ascertained. Femoral neck BMD was measured biannually. Multivariable-adjusted Cox's proportional hazards models were adjusted for the predefined covariates such as age, BMI, lifestyle factors, falls, and prior fracture. Compared with the initial cohort, the second cohort had a higher femoral neck BMD by ~0.04 g/cm2 in women and 0.03 g/cm2 in men. However, the prevalence of osteoporosis in the second cohort was halved (prevalence ratio 0.51, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.73 in women; 0.45, 0.24 to 0.84 in men), and its hip fracture incidence was significantly reduced (hazard ratio 0.54, 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.78 in women; 0.39, 0.19 to 0.80 in men). Sensitivity analyses indicated that the “effect” was unlikely due to unmeasured confounders. These findings suggest that a population-wide strategy aimed at enhancing BMD across the entire population could lead to a substantial decrease in the incidence of hip fractures. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
Travis, G, McGowan, EM, Simpson, AM, Marsh, DJ & Nassif, NT 2023, 'PTEN, PTENP1, microRNAs, and ceRNA Networks: Precision Targeting in Cancer Therapeutics', Cancers, vol. 15, no. 20, pp. 4954-4954.
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The phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is a well characterised tumour suppressor, playing a critical role in the maintenance of fundamental cellular processes including cell proliferation, migration, metabolism, and survival. Subtle decreases in cellular levels of PTEN result in the development and progression of cancer, hence there is tight regulation of the expression, activity, and cellular half-life of PTEN at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational levels. PTENP1, the processed pseudogene of PTEN, is an important transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulator of PTEN. PTENP1 expression produces sense and antisense transcripts modulating PTEN expression, in conjunction with miRNAs. Due to the high sequence similarity between PTEN and the PTENP1 sense transcript, the transcripts possess common miRNA binding sites with the potential for PTENP1 to compete for the binding, or ‘sponging’, of miRNAs that would otherwise target the PTEN transcript. PTENP1 therefore acts as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA), competing with PTEN for the binding of specific miRNAs to alter the abundance of PTEN. Transcription from the antisense strand produces two functionally independent isoforms (PTENP1-AS-α and PTENP1-AS-β), which can regulate PTEN transcription. In this review, we provide an overview of the post-transcriptional regulation of PTEN through interaction with its pseudogene, the cellular miRNA milieu and operation of the ceRNA network. Furthermore, its importance in maintaining cellular integrity and how disruption of this PTEN–miRNA–PTENP1 axis may lead to cancer but also provide novel therapeutic opportunities, is discussed. Precision targeting of PTENP1-miRNA mediated regulation of PTEN may present as a viable alternative therapy.
Vargas, C, Haeusler, GM, Slavin, MA, Babl, FE, Mechinaud, F, Phillips, R, Thursky, K & Lourenco, RDA 2023, 'An analysis of the resource use and costs of febrile neutropenia events in pediatric cancer patients in Australia', Pediatric Blood & Cancer, vol. 70, no. 11, p. e30633.
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AbstractBackgroundFebrile neutropenia (FN) in children with cancer generally requires in‐hospital care, but low‐risk patients may be successfully managed in an outpatient setting, potentially reducing the overall healthcare costs. Updated data on the costs of FN care are lacking.MethodsA bottom‐up microcosting analysis was conducted from the healthcare system perspective using data collected alongside the Australian PICNICC (Predicting Infectious Complications of Neutropenic sepsis In Children with Cancer) study. Inpatient costs were accessed from hospital administrative records and outpatient costs from Medicare data. Costs were stratified by risk status (low/high risk) according to the PICNICC criteria. Estimated mean costs were obtained through bootstrapping and using a linear model to account for multiple events across individuals and other clinical factors that may impact costs.ResultsThe total costs of FN care were significantly higher for FN events classified as high‐risk ($17,827, 95% confidence interval [CI]: $17,193–$18,461) compared to low‐risk ($10,574, 95% CI: $9818–$11,330). In‐hospital costs were significantly higher for high‐risk compared to low‐risk events, despite no differences in the cost structure, mean cost per day, and pattern of resource use. Hospital length of stay (LOS) was the only modifiable factor significantly associated with total costs of care. Excluding antineoplastics, antimicrobials are the most commonly used medications in the inpatient and outpatient setting for the overall period of analysis.ConclusionThe FN costs are driven by in‐hospital admission and LOS. This suggests that the outpatient management of low‐risk patients is likely to reduce the in‐hospital cost ...
Vasilescu, SA, Ding, L, Parast, FY, Nosrati, R & Warkiani, ME 2023, 'Sperm quality metrics were improved by a biomimetic microfluidic selection platform compared to swim-up methods', Microsystems & Nanoengineering, vol. 9, no. 1, p. 37.
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AbstractSperm selection is an essential component of all assisted reproductive treatments (ARTs) and is by far the most neglected step in the ART workflow in regard to technological innovation. Conventional sperm selection methodologies typically produce a higher total number of sperm with variable motilities, morphologies, and levels of DNA integrity. Gold-standard techniques, including density gradient centrifugation (DGC) and swim-up (SU), have been shown to induce DNA fragmentation through introducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) during centrifugation. Here, we demonstrate a 3D printed, biologically inspired microfluidic sperm selection device (MSSP) that utilizes multiple methods to simulate a sperms journey toward selection. Sperm are first selected based on their motility and boundary-following behavior and then on their expression of apoptotic markers, yielding over 68% more motile sperm than that of previously reported methods with a lower incidence of DNA fragmentation and apoptosis. Sperm from the MSSP also demonstrated higher motile sperm recovery after cryopreservation than that of SU or neat semen. Experiments were conducted side-by-side against conventional SU methods using human semen (n = 33) and showed over an 85% improvement in DNA integrity with an average 90% reduction in sperm apoptosis. These results that the platform is easy-to-use for sperm selection and mimics the biological function of the female reproductive tract during conception.
Violi, JP, Pu, L, Pravadali-Cekic, S, Bishop, DP, Phillips, CR & Rodgers, KJ 2023, 'Effects of the Toxic Non-Protein Amino Acid β-Methylamino-L-Alanine (BMAA) on Intracellular Amino Acid Levels in Neuroblastoma Cells', Toxins, vol. 15, no. 11, pp. 647-647.
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The cyanobacterial non-protein amino acid (AA) β-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is considered to be a neurotoxin. BMAA caused histopathological changes in brains and spinal cords of primates consistent with some of those seen in early motor neuron disease; however, supplementation with L-serine protected against some of those changes. We examined the impact of BMAA on AA concentrations in human neuroblastoma cells in vitro. Cells were treated with 1000 µM BMAA and intracellular free AA concentrations in treated and control cells were compared at six time-points over a 48 h culture period. BMAA had a profound effect on intracellular AA levels at specific time points but in most cases, AA homeostasis was re-established in the cell. The most heavily impacted amino acid was serine which was depleted in BMAA-treated cells from 9 h onwards. Correction of serine depletion could be a factor in the observation that supplementation with L-serine protects against BMAA toxicity in vitro and in vivo. AAs that could potentially be involved in protection against BMAA-induced oxidation such as histidine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine were depleted in cells at later time points.
Virdun, C, Button, E, Phillips, JL, Yates, P & Luckett, T 2023, 'Perspectives of inpatients with palliative care needs, their families, clinicians and key stakeholders on measuring quality of hospital care via patient experience measures: A qualitative study', Palliative Medicine, vol. 37, no. 10, pp. 1498-1508.
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Background: Globally there are high numbers of patients with palliative care needs receiving care in hospitals. Patient reported experience measures (PREMs) provide useful data to guide improvement work. How to implement PREMs within palliative care populations is unclear. Aim: To explore the perspectives of inpatients with palliative care needs, their family members, and the clinical team regarding the use of a generic PREM as compared with a PREM designed for people with palliative care needs and related implementation factors. Design: A qualitative study was undertaken using semi-structured interviews and focus groups and integrated thematic analysis. Setting/participants: Inpatients with palliative care needs, their family members, and clinical team members were recruited from three wards in an Australian metropolitan hospital. Results: Twenty-seven interviews and three focus groups were conducted. Six themes emerged: (1) PREMs for people with palliative care needs ought to be tailored to the needs of this population; (2) PREMs should appraise whether the needs of families have been met in addition to those of patients; (3) PREMs for inpatients with palliative care needs ought to be easy to use, brief and incorporate space for free text alongside each question; (4) Implementation of PREMs for people with palliative care needs ought to consider who administers these, when and how often; (5) PREM data need to be specific enough to inform process change and/or care provision; (6) Patients and families require meaningful feedback to encourage PREM completion. Conclusions: This study provides practical ...
Virdun, C, Garcia, M, Phillips, JL & Luckett, T 2023, 'Description of patient reported experience measures (PREMs) for hospitalised patients with palliative care needs and their families, and how these map to noted areas of importance for quality care: A systematic review', Palliative Medicine, vol. 37, no. 7, pp. 898-914.
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Background: The global need for focused improvements in palliative care within the acute hospital setting is well noted. A large volume of evidence exists detailing what hospitalised patients with palliative care needs and their families note as important for high quality care. Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) are one mechanism that hospitals could use to inform improvement work. To date there has not been a review of PREMs available for hospitalised patients with palliative care needs and/or their family, nor how they align with noted priorities for high quality care. Aim: To identify and describe PREMs designed for hospitalised patients with palliative care needs and their families; and their alignment with patient and family identified domains for high quality care. Design: A systematic review. Data sources: A systematic search of CINAHL, Medline and PsycInfo was conducted up to September 23, 2022 and supplemented by handsearching article reference lists and internet searches. PREMs written in English and designed for patients with palliative care needs in acute hospitals were eligible for inclusion. Included PREMs were described by: summarising key characteristics; and mapping their items to domains noted to be important to hospitalised patients with palliative care needs and their families informed by outcomes from a published study completed in 2021. Evidence for psychometric properties were reviewed. Results: Forty-four PREMs with 827 items were included. Items per PREM varied from 2 to 85 (median 25, IQR 13–42). Two-thirds ( n = 534, 65%) of the items were designed for families and a third ( n = 283, 34%) for hospitalised patients, and very few...
Wang, CY, Wang, J, Zhang, L, Zhang, SW, Wang, L, Zhao, SZ, Chen, ZH, Zhang, X, Xie, M, Wang, T, Chen-Yu Hsu, A, Qin, L, Oliver, BG, Liu, L, Wan, HJ, Liu, D, Luo, FM, Li, WM & Wang, G 2023, 'Self-Reported Insufficient Sleep Is Associated With Clinical and Inflammatory Features of Asthma: A Prospective Cohort Study', The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 1200-1210.e4.
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Wang, J, Zhang, X, Zhang, L, Liu, Y, Wang, G, Zhang, HP, Wang, L, Kang, DY, Oliver, BG, Wan, HJ, McDonald, VM, Chen-Yu Hsu, A, Liu, D, Li, WM, Birring, SS & Wang, G 2023, 'Age-Related Clinical Characteristics, Inflammatory Features, Phenotypes, and Treatment Response in Asthma', The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 210-219.e3.
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Wang, Y, Douville, C, Cohen, JD, Mattox, A, Curtis, S, Silliman, N, Popoli, M, Ptak, J, Dobbyn, L, Nehme, N, Dudley, JC, Summers, M, Zhang, M, Ho-Pham, LT, Tran, BNH, Tran, TS, Nguyen, TV, Bettegowda, C, Papadopoulos, N, Kinzler, KW & Vogelstein, B 2023, 'Detection of rare mutations, copy number alterations, and methylation in the same template DNA molecules', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 120, no. 15.
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The analysis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from plasma offers great promise for the earlier detection of cancer. At present, changes in DNA sequence, methylation, or copy number are the most sensitive ways to detect the presence of cancer. To further increase the sensitivity of such assays with limited amounts of sample, it would be useful to be able to evaluate the same template molecules for all these changes. Here, we report an approach, called MethylSaferSeqS, that achieves this goal, and can be applied to any standard library preparation method suitable for massively parallel sequencing. The innovative step was to copy both strands of each DNA-barcoded molecule with a primer that allows the subsequent separation of the original strands (retaining their 5-methylcytosine residues) from the copied strands (in which the 5-methylcytosine residues are replaced with unmodified cytosine residues). The epigenetic and genetic alterations present in the DNA molecules can then be obtained from the original and copied strands, respectively. We applied this approach to plasma from 265 individuals, including 198 with cancers of the pancreas, ovary, lung, and colon, and found the expected patterns of mutations, copy number alterations, and methylation. Furthermore, we could determine which original template DNA molecules were methylated and/or mutated. MethylSaferSeqS should be useful for addressing a variety of questions relating genetics and epigenetics.
Wen, J, Gabrys, B & Musial, K 2023, 'Review and Assessment of Digital Twin–Oriented Social Network Simulators', IEEE Access, vol. 11, pp. 97503-97521.
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White, S, McErlean, G, Virdun, C, Phillips, JL & Jacobs, C 2023, 'Integrating Genomics into the Care of People with Palliative Needs: A Global Scoping Review of Policy Recommendations', Public Health Genomics, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 1-15.
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<b><i>Background:</i></b> Genomics has growing relevance to palliative care, where testing largely benefits relatives. Integrating genomics into palliative care has not received the critical attention it requires. Health professionals report a lack of policy guidance to support them to overcome practice barriers to identify palliative patients who are eligible for genetic testing, provide genetic counselling, and facilitate genetic testing or DNA storage. <b><i>Summary:</i></b> To identify policy recommendations related to (1) integrating genomics into the care of patients with palliative care needs and their families and (2) care of the family unit, we performed a scoping review of palliative care and genomic policies. Two of 78 policies recommended integrating genomics into palliative care. Six palliative care policies mentioned genomics in background information but were without relevant recommendations. No genomic policies mentioned palliative care in the background information. Across all policies, “delivering family centred care” was the most frequent recommendation related to care of the family unit (<i>n</i> = 62/78, 79.5%). <b><i>Key Messages:</i></b> We identified a policy gap related to integrating genomics into palliative care. Without policy guidance, health services are less likely to commit funding towards supporting health professionals. Without funding, delivering the benefits of genomics to patients and relatives is more difficult for health professionals. Framing recommendations about genomics as family centred care may resonate with genomic and palliative care stakeholders. These findings highlight an opportunity to improve the policy landscape and access to genomic information for patients with palliative care needs. We call for incorporation of appropriate recommendations into palliative care and genomic policy.
White, S, Turbitt, E, Phillips, JL & Jacobs, C 2023, 'Approaching discussions about genetics with palliative patients and their families: a qualitative exploration with genetic health professionals', European Journal of Human Genetics, vol. 31, no. 8, pp. 945-952.
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AbstractGenetic information can provide clinical benefits to families of palliative patients. However, integration of genetics into mainstream medicine has not focused on palliative populations. We explored the views and experiences of genetic health professionals in addressing genetics with palliative patients, and their families. We conducted an interpretive descriptive qualitative study with genetic counsellors and clinical geneticists using interviews and focus groups. Findings were generated using reflexive thematic analysis. Three themes were identified: (1) Focusing on the benefit to the family, (2) The discomfort of addressing genetics near end-of-life and (3) “It’s always on the back-burner”: Challenges to getting genetics on the palliative care agenda. Participants discussed the familial benefit of genetics in palliative care alongside the challenges when patients are near end-of-life. They perceived genetics as low priority for palliative care due to misunderstandings related to the value of genetic information. Acknowledging the challenges in the palliative care context, genetic health professionals want improved service leadership and awareness of the familial benefits of palliative genetic testing. Strong leadership to support genetic health professionals in addressing these barriers is needed for the benefits of genetic information to be realised.
Wilkins-Caruana, A, Bandara, M, Musial, K, Catchpoole, D & Kennedy, PJ 2023, 'Inferring Actual Treatment Pathways from Patient Records', J Biomed Inform. 2023 Nov 22:104554. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38000767.
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Treatment pathways are step-by-step plans outlining the recommended medicalcare for specific diseases; they get revised when different treatments arefound to improve patient outcomes. Examining health records is an importantpart of this revision process, but inferring patients' actual treatments fromhealth data is challenging due to complex event-coding schemes and the absenceof pathway-related annotations. This study aims to infer the actual treatmentsteps for a particular patient group from administrative health records (AHR) -a common form of tabular healthcare data - and address several technique- andmethodology-based gaps in treatment pathway-inference research. We introduceDefrag, a method for examining AHRs to infer the real-world treatment steps fora particular patient group. Defrag learns the semantic and temporal meaning ofhealthcare event sequences, allowing it to reliably infer treatment steps fromcomplex healthcare data. To our knowledge, Defrag is the firstpathway-inference method to utilise a neural network (NN), an approach madepossible by a novel, self-supervised learning objective. We also developed atesting and validation framework for pathway inference, which we use tocharacterise and evaluate Defrag's pathway inference ability and compareagainst baselines. We demonstrate Defrag's effectiveness by identifyingbest-practice pathway fragments for breast cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma inpublic healthcare records. Additionally, we use synthetic data experiments todemonstrate the characteristics of the Defrag method, and to compare Defrag toseveral baselines where it significantly outperforms non-NN-based methods.Defrag significantly outperforms several existing pathway-inference methods andoffers an innovative and effective approach for inferring treatment pathwaysfrom AHRs. Open-source code is provided to encourage further research in thisarea.
Wilkins-Caruana, A, Bandara, M, Musial, K, Catchpoole, D & Kennedy, PJ 2023, 'Inferring actual treatment pathways from patient records', Journal of Biomedical Informatics, vol. 148, pp. 104554-104554.
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OBJECTIVE: Treatment pathways are step-by-step plans outlining the recommended medical care for specific diseases; they get revised when different treatments are found to improve patient outcomes. Examining health records is an important part of this revision process, but inferring patients' actual treatments from health data is challenging due to complex event-coding schemes and the absence of pathway-related annotations. The objective of this study is to develop a method for inferring actual treatment steps for a particular patient group from administrative health records - a common form of tabular healthcare data - and address several technique- and methodology-based gaps in treatment pathway-inference research. METHODS: We introduce Defrag, a method for examining health records to infer the real-world treatment steps for a particular patient group. Defrag learns the semantic and temporal meaning of healthcare event sequences, allowing it to reliably infer treatment steps from complex healthcare data. To our knowledge, Defrag is the first pathway-inference method to utilise a neural network (NN), an approach made possible by a novel, self-supervised learning objective. We also developed a testing and validation framework for pathway inference, which we use to characterise and evaluate Defrag's pathway inference ability, establish benchmarks, and compare against baselines. RESULTS: We demonstrate Defrag's effectiveness by identifying best-practice pathway fragments for breast cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma in public healthcare records. Additionally, we use synthetic data experiments to demonstrate the characteristics of the Defrag inference method, and to compare Defrag to several baselines, where it significantly outperforms non-NN-based methods. CONCLUSIONS: Defrag offers an innovative and effective approach for inferring treatment pathways from complex health data. Defrag significantly outperforms several existing pathway-inference methods, but ...
Wu, Y, Chen, M, Li, Y, Liu, J, Li, Z, Li, J & Wu, X 2023, 'ONP-Miner: One-off Negative Sequential Pattern Mining', ACM Transactions on Knowledge Discovery from Data, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 1-24.
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Negative sequential pattern mining (SPM) is an important SPM research topic. Unlike positive SPM, negative SPM can discover events that should have occurred but have not occurred, and it can be used for financial risk management and fraud detection. However, existing methods generally ignore the repetitions of the pattern and do not consider gap constraints, which can lead to mining results containing a large number of patterns that users are not interested in. To solve this problem, this article discovers frequent one-off negative sequential patterns (ONPs). This problem has the following two characteristics. First, the support is calculated under the one-off condition, which means that any character in the sequence can only be used once at most. Second, the gap constraint can be given by the user. To efficiently mine patterns, this article proposes the ONP-Miner algorithm, which employs depth-first and backtracking strategies to calculate the support. Therefore, ONP-Miner can effectively avoid creating redundant nodes and parent-child relationships. Moreover, to effectively reduce the number of candidate patterns, ONP-Miner uses pattern join and pruning strategies to generate and further prune the candidate patterns, respectively. Experimental results show that ONP-Miner not only improves the mining efficiency but also has better mining performance than the state-of-the-art algorithms. More importantly, ONP mining can find more interesting patterns in traffic volume data to predict future traffic.
Xu, X, Luckett, T, Lovell, M & Phillips, JL 2023, 'Cultural factors affecting Chinese migrants’ perceptions and responses to cancer pain and its pharmacological management: A convergent mixed-method study', Palliative and Supportive Care, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 688-696.
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AbstractIntroductionStudies identified barriers of pain reporting and use of analgesics impeding Chinese cancer patients to achieve optimal pain relief. No research has yet explored these issues in Chinese migrants, where cultural differences may exacerbate the barriers.ObjectivesTo explore cultural factors influencing Chinese migrants’ perspectives to cancer pain and its pharmacological management.MethodInformed by Leininger's Cultural Care Theory, focus groups and a short version of Barrier Questionnaire-Taiwan (S-BQT) were conducted in Mandarin or Cantonese, with 24 Chinese migrants receiving ambulatory cancer and/or palliative care services in Sydney, Australia. Integrated thematic analysis, descriptive statistics, and meta-inference were adopted for data analysis and integration.ResultsParticipants suffered uncontrolled cancer pain negatively affecting their physical and psychosocial well-being. Most experienced moderate to severe pain, but only a third used opioids. Most adopted non-pharmacological approaches and half used Traditional Chinese Medicine. Participants scored a mean S-BQT of 3.28 (standard deviation ± 0.89). Three themes and seven sub-themes contributed to higher barriers of pharmacological pain management: (1) Philosophical health beliefs (cancer pain are self-provoked and body can self-heal); (2) Cultural values and beliefs (cancer pain is inevitable, and Chinese people express pain differently to local people); and (3) Conflicting views on the use of opioids (culture-related negative medication beliefs, Western biomedical mo...
Yaghoubi Naei, V, Bordhan, P, Mirakhorli, F, Khorrami, M, Shrestha, J, Nazari, H, Kulasinghe, A & Ebrahimi Warkiani, M 2023, 'Advances in novel strategies for isolation, characterization, and analysis of CTCs and ctDNA', Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology, vol. 15.
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Over the past decade, the detection and analysis of liquid biopsy biomarkers such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) have advanced significantly. They have received recognition for their clinical usefulness in detecting cancer at an early stage, monitoring disease, and evaluating treatment response. The emergence of liquid biopsy has been a helpful development, as it offers a minimally invasive, rapid, real-time monitoring, and possible alternative to traditional tissue biopsies. In resource-limited settings, the ideal platform for liquid biopsy should not only extract more CTCs or ctDNA from a minimal sample volume but also accurately represent the molecular heterogeneity of the patient’s disease. This review covers novel strategies and advancements in CTC and ctDNA-based liquid biopsy platforms, including microfluidic applications and comprehensive analysis of molecular complexity. We discuss these systems’ operational principles and performance efficiencies, as well as future opportunities and challenges for their implementation in clinical settings. In addition, we emphasize the importance of integrated platforms that incorporate machine learning and artificial intelligence in accurate liquid biopsy detection systems, which can greatly improve cancer management and enable precision diagnostics.
Yang, T, Miro, JV, Nguyen, M, Wang, Y & Xiong, R 2023, 'Template-Free Nonrevisiting Uniform Coverage Path Planning on Curved Surfaces', IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 1853-1861.
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Zhand, S, Zhu, Y, Nazari, H, Sadraeian, M, Warkiani, ME & Jin, D 2023, 'Correction to “Thiolate DNAzymes on Gold Nanoparticles for Isothermal Amplification and Detection of Mesothelioma-derived Exosomal PD-L1 mRNA”', Analytical Chemistry, vol. 95, no. 32, pp. 12193-12193.
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Zhand, S, Zhu, Y, Nazari, H, Sadraeian, M, Warkiani, ME & Jin, D 2023, 'Thiolate DNAzymes on Gold Nanoparticles for Isothermal Amplification and Detection of Mesothelioma-derived Exosomal PD-L1 mRNA', Analytical Chemistry, vol. 95, no. 6, pp. 3228-3237.
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Catalytic DNAzymes have been used for isothermal amplification and rapid detection of nucleic acids, holding the potential for point-of-care testing applications. However, when Subzymes (universal substrate and DNAzyme) are tethered to the polystyrene magnetic microparticles via biotin-streptavidin bonds, the residual free Subzymes are often detached from the microparticle surface, which causes a significant degree of false positives. Here, we attached dithiol-modified Subzyme to gold nanoparticle and improved the limit of detection (LoD) by 200 times compared to that using magnetic microparticles. As a proof of concept, we applied our new method for the detection of exosomal programed cell-death ligand 1 (PD-L1) RNA. As the classical immune checkpoint, molecule PD-L1, found in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs, traditionally called exosomes), can reflect the antitumor immune response for predicting immunotherapy response. We achieved the LoD as low as 50 fM in detecting both the RNA homologous to the PD-L1 gene and exosomal PD-L1 RNAs extracted from epithelioid and nonepithelioid subtypes of mesothelioma cell lines, which only takes 8 min of reaction time. As the first application of isothermal DNAzymes for detecting exosomal PD-L1 RNA, this work suggests new point-of-care testing potentials toward clinical translations.
Zhang, X, Zhao, Z & Li, J 2023, 'ARDE-N-BEATS: An Evolutionary Deep Learning Framework for Urban Traffic Flow Prediction', IEEE Internet of Things Journal, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 2391-2403.
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Zhou, J, Peng, H, Su, S & Song, R 2023, 'Spatiotemporal Compliance Control for a Wearable Lower Limb Rehabilitation Robot', IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 70, no. 6, pp. 1858-1868.
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