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Research
Screening and Management Practices for Polyoma (BK) Viremia and Nephropathy in Kidney Transplant Recipients From the Lands Down Under: Addressing the Unknowns and Rationale for a Multicenter Clinical TrialBK polyomavirus infection in transplanted kidneys that leads to BK virus–associated nephropathy (BKVAN) is an important cause of allograft loss and has limited treatment options. Recent data suggest that BK viremia affects approximately 10% of people within the first 12 months following kidney transplantation. Among recipients with BKVAN, the overall risk of allograft loss is substantially increased, estimated to be 50% within 5 years of diagnosis.
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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Tuberculosis ControlThroughout history, pandemics of viral infections such as HIV, Ebola and Influenza have disrupted health care systems, including the prevention and control of endemic diseases. Such disruption has resulted in an increased burden of endemic diseases in post-pandemic periods.
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Racial discrimination and allostatic load among First Nations Australians: a nationally representative cross-sectional studyIncreased allostatic load is linked with racial discrimination exposure, providing a mechanism for the biological embedding of racism as a psychosocial stressor. We undertook an examination of how racial discrimination interacts with socioecological, environmental, and health conditions to affect multisystem dysregulation in a First Nations population.
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FcgammaRIIb Expression Is Decreased on Naive and Marginal Zone-Like B Cells From Females With Multiple SclerosisB cells are critical to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), but the mechanisms by which they contribute to the disease are poorly defined. We hypothesised that the expression of CD32b (FcγRIIb), a receptor for the Fc region of IgG with inhibitory activities in B cells, is lower on B cell subsets from people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or MS. CD32b expression was highest on post-naive IgM+ B cell subsets in healthy controls. For females with MS or CIS, significantly lower CD32b expression was identified on IgM+ B cell subsets, including naive and IgMhi MZ-like B cells, when compared with control females. Lower CD32b expression on these B cell subsets was associated with detectable anti-Epstein Barr Virus viral capsid antigen IgM antibodies, and higher serum levels of B cell activating factor. To investigate the effects of lower CD32b expression, B cells were polyclonally activated in the presence of IgG immune complexes, with or without a CD32b blocking antibody, and the expression of TNF and IL-10 in B cell subsets was assessed.
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Study protocol of a multicentre, randomised, controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of probiotic and peanut oral immunotherapy in inducing desensitisation or tolerance in children with peanut allergy compared with oral immunotherapyPeanut allergy is the the most common cause of life-threatening food-induced anaphylaxis. There is currently no effective long-term treatment. There is a pressing need for definitive treatments that improve the quality of life and prevent fatalities.
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Fit testing of N95 or P2 masks to protect health care workersCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has many similarities to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). While reported morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 are lower than from SARS and MERS, many health care workers have been infected (up to 15% of health care workers in Victoria).
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Inside the black box of youth participation and engagement: Development and implementation of an organization-wide strategy for Orygen, a national youth mental health organization in AustraliaThe involvement of young people in the development, implementation and evaluation of youth mental health services, policy and research programs is essential to ensure they are appropriate and responsive to the needs of young people. Despite the increasingly central role that youth engagement and participation plays internationally, such activities are rarely described in detail.
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Do Changes in the Local Food Environment Within New Residential Developments Influence the Diets of Residents? Longitudinal Results from RESIDEThere is limited longitudinal evidence supporting a link between food outlet locations and dietary outcomes to inform policy and urban planning. This study examined how longitudinal changes in the local food environment within new residential developments.
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The role of social support in differentiating trajectories of adolescent depressed moodThis study explored the extent to which disaggregated support from family, peers, close friendships, teachers, and schools predicted membership into identified, sex-specific trajectories of depressed mood in 3210 Australian adolescents (49% females) based on self-report data collected at four annual time points from school Grade 6 to 9 (ages 10–16).
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The Challenges of Being Physically Active: A Qualitative Study of Young People With Type 1 Diabetes and Their ParentsBenefits of physical activity are well recognized for youth with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), but being active is challenging. In this study, we aimed to investigate the challenges experienced by adolescents, their parents and young adults with T1DM when they are physically active.