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Can Wearable Inertial Measurement Units Be Used to Measure Sleep Biomechanics? Establishing Initial Feasibility and ValidityWearable motion sensors, specifically, Inertial Measurement Units, are useful tools for the assessment of orientation and movement during sleep. The DOTs platform (Xsens, Enschede, The Netherlands) has shown promise for this purpose. This pilot study aimed to assess its feasibility and validity for recording sleep biomechanics.
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Climate Change is an Emerging Threat to Perinatal Mental HealthIn this discussion, we build the case for why climate change is an emerging threat to perinatal mental health
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Improving compliance with swallowing exercise to decrease radiotherapy-related dysphagia in patients with head and neck cancerDysphagia, one of the most common complications in head and neck cancer (HNC) treated with radiotherapy, can severely affect patients’ quality of life. Currently, because no “gold standard” treatment exists, swallowing exercise remains the main rehabilitation strategy for dysphagia. However, patients’ compliance with long-term swallowing exercise is only 40%, thus, greatly compromising outcomes. This article aims to analyze thefactors influencing swallowing exercise compliance in patients with HNC and explains strategies developed to date for improved rehabilitation outcomes.
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Status and Trends of Physical Activity Surveillance, Policy, and Research in 164 Countries: Findings From the Global Observatory for Physical Activity-GoPA! 2015 and 2020 SurveysPhysical activity (PA) surveillance, policy, and research efforts need to be periodically appraised to gain insight into national and global capacities for PA promotion. The aim of this paper was to assess the status and trends in PA surveillance, policy, and research in 164 countries.
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Techniques and Processes Involved in Nanoencapsulation of Omega-3, -6, and -9 Fatty AcidsOmega fatty acids are essential for young children’s growth and development. They also have essential functions in cell receptors of membranes and regulation of hormones synthesis. Essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and -6 can only be obtained through food mainly fish and other seafood and to a lesser extent through nuts, seeds, and plant oils.
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Developing fit-for-purpose funding models for rural settings: Lessons from the evaluation of a step-up/step-down service in regional AustraliaSub-acute mental health community services provide a bridging service between hospital and community care. There is limited understanding of the local factors that influence success, and of the funding implications of delivering services in rural areas.
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Influenza hospitalizations in Australian children 2010–2019: The impact of medical comorbidities on outcomes, vaccine coverage, and effectivenessChildren with comorbidities are at greater risk of severe influenza outcomes compared with healthy children. In Australia, influenza vaccination was funded for those with comorbidities from 2010 and all children aged <5 years from 2018. Influenza vaccine coverage remains inadequate in children with and without comorbidities.
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Improving clinical trial readiness to accelerate development of new therapeutics for Rett syndromeRett syndrome is associated with severe functional impairments and many comorbidities, each in urgent need of treatments. Mutations in the MECP2 gene were identified as causing Rett syndrome in 1999. Over the past 20 years there has been an abundance of preclinical research with some studies leading to human clinical trials.
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Implementation of a strategy to facilitate effective medical follow-up for Australian First Nations children hospitalised with lower respiratory tract infections: study protocolFirst Nations children hospitalised with acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) are at increased risk of future bronchiectasis (up to 15-19%) within 24-months post-hospitalisation. An identified predictive factor is persistent wet cough a month after hospitalisation and this is likely related to protracted bacterial bronchitis which can progress to bronchiectasis, if untreated.
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Primary Nasal Epithelial Cells as a Surrogate Cell Culture Model for Type-II Alveolar Cells to Study ABCA-3 DeficiencyATP Binding Cassette Subfamily A Member 3 (ABCA-3) is a lipid transporter protein highly expressed in type-II alveolar (AT-II) cells. Mutations in ABCA3 can result in severe respiratory disease in infants and children. To study ABCA-3 deficiency in vitro, primary AT-II cells would be the cell culture of choice although sample accessibility is limited. Our aim was to investigate the suitability of primary nasal epithelial cells, as a surrogate culture model for AT-II cells, to study ABCA-3 deficiency.