Mapping the Burden and Risk Factors of Allergic Diseases and Asthma Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People: A Scoping Review.

Allergic diseases and asthma are significant public health concerns in Australia and globally. However, comprehensive data on the burden among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are scarce. This scoping review aimed to systematically map existing evidence on the burden and risk factors of allergic diseases and asthma among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The impact of child and adolescent health on adult respiratory health: the evidence, gaps and priorities.

Chronic respiratory diseases impart a huge global disease burden. Many cases of adult chronic respiratory disorders are recognised to originate early in life during critical phases of lung growth and development. We therefore reviewed the longitudinal evolution of common childhood respiratory diseases across the lifespan.

The mortality burden attributable to PM and NO from all sources and traffic-related air pollution in Australia.

Background: Fine particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO) are associated with multiple health risks, including death. In Australia, the mortality burden attributable to PM has been estimated, but there are no published estimates for NO or the combined impacts of both pollutants.

Objectives: To estimate the mortality burden attributable to PM and NO from all anthropogenic sources and traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) in Australia.

First results from the international paediatric bronchiectasis registry (Child-BEAR-Net Registry) describing multicountry variations in childhood bronchiectasis and its management: a multicentre, cross-sectional study.

Background: Despite increasing recognition of bronchiectasis worldwide, there are no multicountry data characterising bronchiectasis in children. We aimed to describe clinical features, comparing inter-country and regional variations, and describe indices of overall quality-of-care standards assessed against international consensus statements for children and young people with bronchiectasis.

Methods: Child-BEAR-Net is an international collaborative paediatric bronchiectasis network across several continents.

Optimal timing and mode of planned birth for term, large infants: a retrospective, population-based cohort study.

Background: Large infants (birthweight > 75th centile) are at increased risk of mortality, severe neonatal neurological and non-neurological morbidity. We aimed to ascertain the optimal method and gestation of planned birth (scheduled caesarean section or induction of labor) that were associated with lower odds of adverse outcomes.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of term singleton births with birthweight >75th centile between January 2000 and December 2021 in Queensland, Australia.

Corneal Nerve Morphology in Painful Diabetic Neuropathy: A Meta-Analysis of In Vivo Confocal Microscopy Studies.

Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN) significantly impacts quality of life, yet its diagnosis remains challenging due to reliance on subjective pain reports and limited objective biomarkers. This meta-analysis evaluated corneal nerve morphology parameters; corneal nerve fibre length (CNFL), corneal nerve fibre density (CNFD), and corneal nerve branch density (CNBD), measured through in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM), as potential tools for differentiating painful and painless forms of diabetic neuropathy. A systematic review was performed comparing corneal nerve morphology across four groups: painful diabetic neuropathy (pDPN), non-painful diabetic neuropathy (npDPN), diabetes without neuropathy (DPN-), and healthy controls.

Rates of metabolic syndrome in Queensland adult community mental health consumers with schizophrenia and related disorders: A brief report.

ObjectivePeople with schizophrenia are at increased risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), contributing to excess morbidity and mortality. This study examined MetS monitoring rates and prevalence in people with schizophrenia receiving public mental health care in Queensland.MethodsData from the Consumer Integrated Mental Health and Addiction Application (CIMHA) were extracted for individuals aged 18-64 with a schizophrenia diagnosis.

Critical actions for embedding research evidence into practice: how to get the most out of your implementation scientist.

Abstract: Implementation science has been gaining traction over the last decade to support health care systems in adopting and sustaining evidence-based interventions, programs, and policies. Given the inherent complexity of implementation research and practice, and their associated methodologies, implementation scientists play a central role in translating research into practice. However, many health care system stakeholders often struggle to understand how best to collaborate with implementation scientists.

Guiding practice principles for clinicians who work with Indigenous people.

Culturally safe healthcare approaches are important to improve outcomes of Indigenous people. Non-Indigenous clinicians are often ill-prepared to provide such healthcare. The NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence (CRE) especially for First Nations Children has been studying for several years how to improve clinical care for Indigenous children with respiratory disease in hospital, clinic, urban, rural and remote settings.

Exploring unsupervised feature extraction algorithms: tackling high dimensionality in small datasets.

Small datasets are common in many fields due to factors such as limited data collection opportunities or privacy concerns. These datasets often contain high-dimensional features, yet present significant challenges of dimensionality, wherein the sparsity of data in high-dimensional spaces makes it difficult to extract meaningful information and less accurate predictive models are produced. In this regard, feature extraction algorithms are important in addressing these challenges by reducing dimensionality while retaining essential information.

Assessment of cognition in aphasia: Perspectives from clinicians and researchers.

People with aphasia may present with cognitive impairments beyond language. In this population, reliance on language-based assessments of cognition may lead to unreliable metrics of cognitive performance across clinical and research settings. We investigated the underlying philosophy and practice of assessing cognition in people with aphasia.

Placental biomarker and fetoplacental Doppler abnormalities are strongly associated with placental pathology in pregnancies with small-for-gestational-age fetus: prospective study.

Objective: Placental dysfunction can result in small-for-gestational age (SGA) or fetal growth restriction (FGR). The aim of this prospective cohort study was to assess the association of the cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) and other more conventional fetoplacental Doppler indices, circulating placental growth factor (PlGF) levels and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1)/PlGF ratio, with specific placental abnormalities in a large cohort of pregnancies with an SGA/FGR fetus.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of singleton pregnancies with a SGA/FGR fetus conducted at the Centre for Maternal and Fetal Medicine at the Mater Mother's Hospital, Queensland, Australia.

Preoperative Antibiotics and Mechanical Bowel Preparation Impact the Colonic Mucosa-Associated Microbiota but Not Anastomotic Leak Rate After Colorectal Resection.

Background: Alterations in the GI microbiome have been associated with increased anastomotic leak risk. Oral antibiotics and bowel preparations may both reduce anastomotic leak rates.

Objective: In patients undergoing colorectal surgery, we aimed to examine the impact of oral antibiotic use, bowel preparation, and other perioperative factors on the mucosa-associated microbiota and investigate the association with anastomotic leak rates.

Differences in the clinical presentation of chronic whiplash-associated disorders and nontraumatic neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Health outcomes may be worse for individuals with whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) compared to nontraumatic neck pain (NTNP), and clinical characteristics may differ. This systematic review examined evidence comparing WAD and NTNP in terms of pain, disability, psychological status, quality of life, measures of nociceptive processing, movement, sensorimotor, and muscle function. Studies were identified through electronic database searches and included after screening against predefined eligibility criteria.

Mucolytics for children with chronic suppurative lung disease.

Background: Chronic suppurative lung disease (CSLD) is an umbrella term to define the spectrum of endobronchial suppurative lung disease, including bronchiectasis and protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB), associated with chronic wet or productive cough. Research that explores new therapeutic options in children with CSLD has been identified by clinicians and patients as one of the top research priorities. Mucolytic agents work to improve mucociliary clearance and interrupt the vicious vortex of airway infection and inflammation, hence they have potential as a therapeutic option.

Quantifying the association between pregnancy exposure to biomass-attributable PM and the risk of preterm birth and stillbirth: A case-control study in Sydney, Australia for 2010-2020.

Biomass combustion, including wildfires and residential wood burning, is a significant source of particulate matter (PM) in Australia, with potentially distinct health effects due to its unique chemical composition. This study aimed to quantify the association between exposure to ambient biomass-attributable PM and the risk of preterm birth and stillbirth across pregnancy windows in Sydney, Australia, from 2010 to 2020. We conducted case-control studies nested within a cohort of 578,391 singleton pregnancies, including 29,954 preterm births and 2,928 stillbirths.

FTO suppresses DNA repair by inhibiting PARP1.

Maintaining genomic integrity and faithful transmission of genetic information is essential for the survival and proliferation of cells and organisms. DNA damage, which threatens the integrity of the genome, is rapidly sensed and repaired by mechanisms collectively known as the DNA damage response. The RNA demethylase FTO has been implicated in this process; however, the underlying mechanism by which FTO regulates DNA repair remains unclear.

Cardiovascular disease and stroke prevention educational-behavioural programs for culturally and/or linguistically diverse communities: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: To identify the types of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke prevention educational-behavioural programs for people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds and investigate their effect on CVD risk factors and disease knowledge.

Methods And Results: Four electronic databases were searched from inception to September 2023. Mean difference (MD) and standardised MD was calculated using random-effects model, and heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic.

Colonic Diverticulosis and Uncomplicated Diverticulitis Are Associated With a Lower Not Higher Risk of Mortality When Confounding Factors Are Held Constant.

Background And Aim: The association between colonic diverticulosis, diverticulitis, and mortality is controversial. This study evaluated the association between diverticular disease and mortality over a prolonged period in a GP cohort.

Methods: GP records were sourced from the United Kingdom medical database (THIN).

Assessing the feasibility of breath collection from conscious young children to support volatilome analysis: insights into age limitations and breath sampling requirements.

Breath volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are increasingly under consideration as biomarkers of respiratory disease. Although numerous studies have identified VOCs that distinguish patient groups, a lack of standardisation among published studies has impeded translation into clinical diagnostics. Standardised breath collection protocols have been proposed for adults and children aged >4 years, but optimal methods for collecting breath from younger children remain to be determined.

Early subacute frontal callosal microstructure and language outcomes after stroke.

The integrity of the frontal segment of the corpus callosum, forceps minor, is particularly susceptible to age-related degradation and has been associated with cognitive outcomes in both healthy and pathological ageing. The predictive relevance of forceps minor integrity in relation to cognitive outcomes following a stroke remains unexplored. Our goal was to evaluate whether the heterogeneity of forceps minor integrity, assessed early after stroke onset (2-6 weeks), contributes to explaining variance in longitudinal outcomes in post-stroke aphasia.

The relationship between abnormal fetoplacental Dopplers, angiogenic markers of placental dysfunction and adverse perinatal outcomes in diabetic pregnancies with small fetuses - A prospective study.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in circulating maternal placental biomarkers and fetoplacental Dopplers in women with diabetes mellitus in pregnancy (DIP) with prenatally identified small fetuses (defined as <20th centile for gestational age) compared to women with small fetuses without DIP.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of women with DIP with small infants compared to a non-diabetic cohort with similarly small fetuses. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the effect of DIP on placental biomarkers, fetoplacental Dopplers, and adverse perinatal outcomes.

"I'm still a me:" challenges and changes to the relational-self following the onset of aphasia, a grounded theory study.

Purpose: People with post-stroke aphasia experience relationship changes which can lead to an altered relational self. The aim of this research was to explore the experiences of a group of people with post-stroke aphasia regarding changes to the relational self.

Method: A constructivist grounded theory approach was used.

Experiences of participation in daily life of adolescents and young adults with cerebral palsy: A scoping review.

Aim: To synthesize the experiences of 15- to 34-year-olds with cerebral palsy (CP) as they participate in key life situations of young adulthood.

Method: A mixed-methods scoping review was undertaken and six electronic databases searched (January 2001 to August 2023). Participation foci and thematic outcomes were mapped to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

Glucocorticoid facet joint injection for chronic back or neck pain.

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: The primary objective is to assess the benefits and harms of glucocorticoid facet joint injections in adults with chronic back or neck pain that is presumed to be facet joint-mediated. The secondary objective is to assess whether the effects differ by diagnostic method for facet joint-mediated pain.