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Research

Exploring the evidence on housing and health among Indigenous peoples in high-income countries: A scoping review protocol

The objective of this scoping review is to understand the nature of the published evidence on housing suitability, affordability, insecurity, and homelessness in relation to physical and mental health, domestic violence, and health service use among Indigenous people in high-income countries.

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Effect of methylphenidate exposure on glutamate and glutamate-related metabolites in patients with ADHD: a systematic review

Dysfunctional glutamatergic neurotransmission has been implicated in the underlying pathogenesis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The psychostimulant methylphenidate (MPH), which is used as a first line treatment for ADHD, has been shown to have both acute and chronic effects on prefrontal cortex glutamatergic afferents. Animal studies have also identified an effect of MPH and glutamate in prefrontal areas. Despite this there are ongoing questions as to the extent and direction of this effect, as well as its impact on other neurobiological processes. 

Research

The Use of Alcohol Pharmacotherapies and Prescription Contraceptives among Females of Reproductive Age in Australia

There is no clear clinical guidance on the use of alcohol pharmacotherapies in pregnancy due to insufficient safety information. Contraception should therefore be considered for reproductive-aged females receiving alcohol pharmacotherapies not wishing to become pregnant. This study evaluated the concurrent use of alcohol pharmacotherapies with prescription contraception and other medications in Australian females of reproductive age compared to those not receiving an alcohol pharmacotherapy.

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The human milk microbiome is minimally associated with breastfeeding practices

The human milk microbiome is dominated by typical oral and skin bacteria, suggesting that bacterial communities from the infant mouth and maternal skin contribute to the development of the human milk microbiome. It is postulated that breastfeeding characteristics, such as breastfeeding frequency and duration, could lead to different levels of exposure to oral and skin bacteria, and subsequently, altered bacterial profiles in human milk.  

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Disruption of cotranscriptional splicing suggests that RBM39 is a therapeutic target in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

There are few options for patients with relapse/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, thus this is a major area of unmet medical need. Here, we reveal that inclusion of a poison exon in RBM39, which could be induced both by CDK9 or CDK9 independent CMGC (cyclin-dependent kinases, mitogen-activated protein kinases, glycogen synthase kinases, CDC-like kinases) kinase inhibition, is recognized by the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway for degradation.

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Exploring Sugary Drink Consumption and Perceptions among Primary-School-Aged Children and Parents in Australia

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) account for a significant proportion of sugar in the diet of children and are directly associated with obesity in this group. While there have been many studies on adolescent SSB consumption, few studies have examined the predictors of SSB consumption in primary-school-aged children. The aim of this study was to understand the degree to which a child's consumption across a range of beverages is influenced by their own attitudes and by their parents' attitudes and parents' consumption behaviours.

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B cell epitope mapping: The journey to better vaccines and therapeutic antibodies

B-cell epitope mapping is an approach that can identify and characterise specific antigen binding sites of B-cell receptors and secreted antibodies. The ability to determine the antigenic clusters of amino acids bound by B-cell clones provides unprecedented detail that will aid in developing novel and effective vaccine targets and therapeutic antibodies for various diseases.

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Psychomotor Vigilance Testing on Neonatal Transport: A Western Australian Experience

This study aimed to assess whether undertaking retrieval was associated with fatigue independent of sleep and circadian disruption. It also aimed to assess the feasibility of routinely measuring the psychomotor vigilance test on neonatal transport. Fatigue is associated with impaired clinician performance and safety.

Research

Transcriptional rewiring in CD8+ T cells: implications for CAR-T cell therapy against solid tumours

T cells engineered to express chimeric-antigen receptors (CAR-T cells) can effectively control relapsed and refractory haematological malignancies in the clinic. However, the successes of CAR-T cell therapy have not been recapitulated in solid tumours due to a range of barriers such as immunosuppression, poor infiltration, and tumour heterogeneity.

Research

Mesothelioma survival prediction based on a six-gene transcriptomic signature

Mesothelioma is a lethal cancer. Despite promising outcomes associated with immunotherapy, durable responses remain restricted to a minority of patients, highlighting the need for improved strategies that better predict outcome. Here, we described the development of a mesothelioma-specific gene signature that accurately predicts survival.