19683 research outputs found
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The potential impact of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Prans-Pacific Partnership on Thailand’s hepatitis C treatment program
No full textBackground: Thailand has expressed interest in joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a twelve-country plurilateral trade agreement whose original incarnation included the United States of America (USA). When the USA withdrew from this agreement, key intellectual property clauses relevant to pharmaceuticals were suspended. These could be reinstated should the CPTPP Parties decide to do so. Methods: This study uses two scenarios to cost the impact the CPTPP would have had on Thailand’s 2020 hepatitis C treatment regime if Thailand joined the CPTPP and suspended clauses were reinstated. Results: Joining the CPTPP could have increased the cost more than tenfold if suspended CPTPP clauses were reinstated and Thailand was not willing or able to issue compulsory licenses. Based on the 2020 budget, the price for this possible scenario could have reduced hepatitis C treatment coverage by 90%. Conclusions: Acceding to trade agreements such as the CPTPP that require increasing intellectual property protection, could compromise Thailand’s hepatitis C program and other national treatment programs reliant on affordable generic medicines. The CPTPP could also prevent Thailand from relying on its own pharmaceutical capabilities to manufacture medicines needed to sustain its treatment programs
The role of speech pathology weekend service in stroke inpatient rehabilitation
No full textSubmitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science to the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
The Veils of Death: Understanding Dying in Residential Aged Care - a Discourse Analysis of Policy
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Nursing to the School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
The Contribution of Muslim Women Australia in the Domestic and Family Violence Space: Victim-Survivor Perspectives from the COVID-19 Pandemic
No full textThis article examines the way faith and Islamic values underpin the agency and work of Muslim women in providing domestic and family violence (DFV) support services. Focusing on the role and impact of Muslim Women Australia within the DFV space in the Australian context, this article demonstrates the way Muslim Women Australia utilises faith as a tool for empowerment. It illustrates the way that—despite governmental reforms that required transition from specialised to generalist DFV services—Muslim Women Australia, via their DFV service Linking Hearts, has maintained a strong commitment to providing culturally and religiously appropriate support. Drawing on fieldwork, this article explores the intersection of Muslim women’s agency, faith, and role as DFV service providers, to demonstrate the importance of culturally competent DFV support services within diverse communities. Through interviews with clients (victim-survivors) who accessed Linking Hearts services during the COVID-19 lockdowns, this article highlights the way the Islamic values of advocacy, agency, and dignity underscore the Linking Hearts model to effectively provide culturally and religiously competent support to all clients regardless of their personal beliefs and values
Alcohol screening in 22 Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations: Clinical context and who is screened
No full textIntroduction: Alcohol screening among Indigenous Australians is important to identify individuals needing support to reduce their drinking. Understanding clinical contexts in which clients are screened, and which clients are more or less likely to be screened, could help identify areas of services and communities that might benefit from increased screening. Methods: We analysed routinely collected data from 22 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations Australia-wide. Data collected between February 2016 and February 2021 were analysed using R, and aggregated to describe screening activity per client, within 2-monthly extraction periods. Descriptive analyses were performed to identify contexts in which clients received an Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test consumption (AUDIT-C) screen. Multi-level logistic regression determined demographic factors associated with receiving an AUDIT-C screen. Three models are presented to examine if screening was predicted by: (i) age; (ii) age and gender; (iii) age, gender and service remoteness. Results: We observed 83,931 occasions where AUDIT-C was performed at least once during a 2-monthly extraction period. Most common contexts were adult health check (55.0%), followed by pre-consult examination (18.4%) and standalone item (9.9%). For every 10 years' increase in client age, odds of being screened with AUDIT-C slightly decreased (odds ratio 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.98, 0.99). Women were less likely to be screened with AUDIT-C (odds ratio 0.95; 95% CI 0.93, 0.96) than men. Discussion and Conclusions: This study identified areas where alcohol screening can be increased (e.g., among women). Increasing AUDIT-C screening across entire communities could help reduce or prevent alcohol-related harms. Future Indigenous-led research could help identify strategies to increase screening rates
Evidence Synthesis and Clinical Recommendations for Supporting School Students with Sensory Processing Challenges
No full textAccepted for publication in The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2024, Vol. 78(6)</p
Is the addition of running retraining to best standard care beneficial in runners with medial tibial stress syndrome? Protocol for a randomised controlled trial
No full textBackground: Running retraining is commonly used in the management of medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) but evidence for its effectiveness is lacking. The primary aim of this study is to determine if the addition of running retraining to best standard care is beneficial in the management of runners with MTSS. Methods: This study is an assessor-blinded and participant-blinded, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial. The trial will recruit 64 participants aged between 18 and 45 years, with a clinical diagnosis of MTSS that has affected their running participation for at least four weeks. Participants will be randomised to receive best standard care (control) or running retraining and best standard care (intervention group) over an 8-week period. Best standard care will consist of load management advice, symptom management advice, footwear advice and a strengthening program. Running retraining will consist of a cue to reduce running step length. Outcomes will be measured at weeks 1, 2, 4 and 8. The primary outcome measure will be the University of Wisconsin Running Injury and Recovery Index at week 4. Secondary outcome measures include: (i) Exercise Induced Leg Pain Questionnaire—British Version, (ii) global rating of change scale, (iii) worst pain experienced during a run, (iv) weekly run volume, (v) reactive strength index score, (vi) single leg hop test, (vii) soleus single leg maximum voluntary isometric contraction, (viii) gastrocnemius single leg maximum voluntary isometric contraction, (ix) single leg plantar flexor endurance test, (x) running step length, and (xi) running step rate. Data will be analysed using the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: This randomised controlled trial will evaluate if reducing running step length provides additional benefit to best standard care in the management of runners with MTSS over an 8-week period. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12624000230550
The development of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay to detect American foulbrood in managed honey bee populations
No full textAbstract: Paenibacilluslarvae (American foulbrood) is a lethal and arguably the most destructive and economically important notifiable bacterial disease that severely impacts brood and colonies of the Apis mellifera (Western honey bee) worldwide. Detection in apiaries requires visual inspection of clinically symptomatic hives, which is unreliable, with laboratory confirmation required for definitive diagnosis. These methods can be costly, time-consuming, and require access to specialised equipment operated by experienced personnel. Disease confirmation is essential for notifiable diseases to mitigate spread and economic damages; therefore, rapid, sensitive, and specific point of care diagnostics are critical to prevent misdiagnosis and further outbreaks. To improve diagnostic turnaround, we developed a highly sensitive and specific novel loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the detection of P. larvae (AFB-LAMP), designed to amplify a small region of the DNA gyrase subunit B gene (GyrB) with 100% specificity demonstrated against non-target bacterial species of the honey bee gut microbiome and analytical sensitivity of 5 × 10−7 ng P. larvae with detection times within 20 min. To further reduce diagnostic resources and times, a bead-beating DNA extraction method suitable for field use was optimised which resulted in an AFB-LAMP diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 97 and 98%, respectively. Thus, this AFB-LAMP is applicable for use in the field allowing for improved disease management of an agriculturally important species.</p
Transcriptomic analysis and fusion gene identifications of midbody remnants released from colorectal cancer cells reveals they are molecularly distinct from exosomes and microparticles
No full textAbstract: Previously, we reported that human primary (SW480) and metastatic (SW620) colorectal (CRC) cells release three classes of membrane-encapsulated extracellular vesicles (EVs); midbody remnants (MBRs), exosomes (Exos), and microparticles (MPs). We reported that MBRs were molecularly distinct at the protein level. To gain further biochemical insights into MBRs, Exos, and MPs and their emerging role in CRC, we performed, and report here, for the first time, a comprehensive transcriptome and long noncoding RNA sequencing analysis and fusion gene identification of these three EV classes using the next-generation RNA sequencing technique. Differential transcript expression analysis revealed that MBRs have a distinct transcriptomic profile compared to Exos and MPs with a high enrichment of mitochondrial transcripts lncRNA/pseudogene transcripts that are predicted to bind to ribonucleoprotein complexes, spliceosome, and RNA/stress granule proteins. A salient finding from this study is a high enrichment of several fusion genes in MBRs compared to Exos, MPs, and cell lysates from their parental cells such as MSH2 (gene encoded DNA mismatch repair protein MSH2). This suggests potential EV-liquid biopsy targets for cancer detection. Importantly, the expression of cancer progression-related transcripts found in EV classes derived from SW480 (EGFR) and SW620 (MET and MACCA1) cell lines reflects their parental cell types. Our study is the report of RNA and fusion gene compositions within MBRs (including Exos and MPs) that could have an impact on EV functionality in cancer progression and detection using EV-based RNA/ fusion gene candidates for cancer biomarkers.</p
Finding him among the living
No full textAny mother would die for their child, but how do you live for them?Dr Jessica Revill is a psychologist and parent survivor to the loss of her Autistic son Gregory. She wrote the memoir of his death “Find him Among the Living” in 2020. In her book, her investigations into the mental health system, suicide and Autism revealed not a ‘broken system’ but an absent one. Coming from the perspective of both lived experience and research raises questions about the following: Is the health care’s separation of health from mental health helping or hindering suicide prevention? Doctor education and disability. Public health’s approach to prevention comparing preventing road deaths versus suicide deaths. A mental health curriculum in schools. What would that look like? How does de-institutionalization help or hinder the mental health of people with disabilities and mental illness? Non-clinical support systems. The emergency room.</p