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Research

The ORIGINS Project Biobank: A Collaborative Bio Resource for Investigating the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

Early onset Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), including obesity, allergies, and mental ill-health in childhood, present a serious and increasing threat to lifelong health and longevity. The ORIGINS Project (ORIGINS) addresses the urgent need for multidisciplinary efforts to understand the detrimental multisystem impacts of modern environments using well-curated large-scale longitudinal biological sample collections.

Research

PKC activation promotes maturation of cord blood T cells towards a Th1 IFN-γ propensity

A significant number of babies present transiently with low protein kinase C zeta (PKCζ) levels in cord blood T cells, associated with reduced ability to transition from a neonatal Th2 to a mature Th1 cytokine bias, leading to a higher risk of developing allergic sensitisation, compared to neonates whose T cells have 'normal' PKCζ levels. However, the importance of PKCζ signalling in regulating their differentiation from a Th2 to a Th1 cytokine phenotype propensity remains undefined.

Research

Gene dysregulation in acute HIV-1 infection – early transcriptomic analysis reveals the crucial biological functions affected

Transcriptomic analyses from early human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have the potential to reveal how HIV causes widespread and lasting damage to biological functions, especially in the immune system. Previous studies have been limited by difficulties in obtaining early specimens.

Research

Vitality Revisited: The Evolving Concept of Flourishing and Its Relevance to Personal and Public Health

Human flourishing, the state of optimal functioning and well-being across all aspects of an individual's life, has been a topic of philosophical and theological discussion for centuries. In the mid-20th century, social psychologists and health scientists began exploring the concept of flourishing in the context of health and high-level wellness.

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The feasibility of a digital health approach to facilitate remote dental screening among preschool children during COVID-19 and social restrictions

Tele-dentistry can be useful to facilitate screening of children, especially those living in rural and remote communities, and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study evaluated the feasibility of tele-dental screening for the identification of early childhood caries (ECC) in preschoolers using an app operated by their parents with remote review by oral-health therapists.

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Probiotic peanut oral immunotherapy versus oral immunotherapy and placebo in children with peanut allergy in Australia (PPOIT-003): a multicentre, randomised, phase 2b trial

Oral immunotherapy is effective at inducing desensitisation to allergens and induces sustained unresponsiveness (ie, clinical remission) in a subset of patients, but causes frequent reactions. We aimed to investigate whether addition of a probiotic adjuvant improved the efficacy or safety of peanut oral immunotherapy.

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Earth dreams: Reimagining ARPA for health of people, places and planet

Bold new approaches are urgently needed to overcome global health challenges. The proposed Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is intended to provide rapid health breakthroughs.

Research

“Coronavirus Changed the Rules on Everything”: Parent Perspectives on How the COVID‐19 Pandemic Influenced Family Routines, Relationships and Technology Use in Families with Infants

This study explores how the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic influenced family routines, relationships and technology use (smartphones and tablet computers) among families with infants. Infancy is known to be an important period for attachment security and future child development, and a time of being susceptible to changes within and outside of the family unit.

Research

Characterization of the transient deficiency of pkc isozyme levels in immature cord blood t cells and its connection to anti‐allergic cytokine profiles of the matured cells

Cord blood T cells (CBTC) from a proportion of newborns express low/deficient levels of some protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes, with low levels of PKCζ correlating with increased risk of developing allergy and associated decrease in interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) producing T cells.

Research

Comparison of experiences in two birth cohorts comprising young families with children under four years during the initial Covid-19 lockdown in Australia and the UK: A qualitative study

This study aims to understand the experience and impact of the initial COVID-19 lock-down in young families with children aged below 4 years. Free text questions were administered to participants in the ORIGINS (Australia) and Born in Bradford (UK) cohort studies to collect qualitative information on worries, concerns and enjoyable experiences during the pandemic.