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Can the CHA2 DS2 -VA schema be used to decide on anticoagulant therapy in Aboriginal and other Australians with non-valvular atrial fibrillation?The Australasian guidelines recommend use of the CHA2 DS2 -VA schema to stratify ischaemic stroke risk in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (N-VAF) and determine risk thresholds for recommending oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy. However, the CHA2 DS2 -VA score has not been validated in a representative Australian population cohort with N-VAF, including in Aboriginal people who are known to have a higher age-adjusted stroke risk than other Australians.
Research
Semi-field evaluation of the exposure-free mosquito electrocuting trap and BG-Sentinel trap as an alternative to the human landing catch for measuring the efficacy of transfluthrin emanators against Aedes aegyptiThe human landing catch (HLC) measures human exposure to mosquito bites and evaluates the efficacy of vector control tools. However, it may expose volunteers to potentially infected mosquitoes. The mosquito electrocuting trap (MET) and BG-Sentinel traps (BGS) represent alternative, exposure-free methods for sampling host-seeking mosquitoes. This study investigates whether these methods can be effectively used as alternatives to HLC for measuring the efficacy of transfluthrin emanator against Aedes aegypti.
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Global economic costs due to vivax malaria and the potential impact of its radical cure: A modelling studyAn estimated 14 million cases of Plasmodium vivax malaria were reported from Asia, Central and South America, and the Horn of Africa. The clinical burden of vivax malaria is largely driven by its ability to form dormant liver stages (hypnozoites) that can reactivate to cause recurrent episodes of malaria. Elimination of both the blood and liver stages of the parasites ("radical cure") is required to achieve a sustained clinical response and prevent ongoing transmission of the parasite.
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The role of governance in Indigenous medical education researchThis article considers the role of governance in Indigenous medical education research through the lens of an Australian Aboriginal research project titled Healing Conversations. The Healing Conversations project is developing and testing a targeted educational framework for improved clinical communication between healthcare practitioners and Australian Aboriginal peoples in regional and urban locations. It is proposed that an effective governance approach can support Indigenous and non-Indigenous stakeholders to work together in decision-making structures to enable outcomes that promote and prioritise Indigenous worldviews and values in medical education research.
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Cellulitis in children: A retrospective single centre study from AustraliaTo characterise the epidemiology, clinical features and treatment of paediatric cellulitis. Methods A retrospective study of children presenting to a paediatric tertiary hospital in Western Australia, Australia in 2018.
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Exacerbation of chronic cigarette-smoke induced lung disease by rhinovirus in miceA significant proportion of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations are strongly associated with rhinovirus infection (HRV). In this study, we combined long-term cigarette smoke exposure with HRV infection in a mouse model.
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Brief Report: Facial Asymmetry and Autistic-Like Traits in the General PopulationAtypical facial morphology, particularly increased facial asymmetry, has been identified in some individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC). Many cognitive, behavioural and biological features associated with ASC also occur on a continuum in the general population.
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Factors associated with dental hospitalisations in children with intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder: a Western Australian population-based retrospective cohort studyThis study investigated dental hospitalisations in Western Australian (WA) children with intellectual disability (ID) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged up to 18 years.
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Oral and written communication skills of adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) compared with those with no/low PAE: A systematic reviewPrenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with growth deficits and neurodevelopmental impairment including foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Difficulties with oral and written communication skills are common among children with PAE; however, less is known about how communication skills of adolescents who have PAE compare with those who do not.
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Expression of CYP24A1 and other multiple sclerosis risk genes in peripheral blood indicates response to vitamin D in homeostatic and inflammatory conditionsAlthough genetic and epidemiological evidence indicates vitamin D insufficiency contributes to multiple sclerosis (MS), and serum levels of vitamin D increase on treatment with cholecalciferol, recent metanalyses indicate that this vitamin D form does not ameliorate disease. Genetic variation in genes regulating vitamin D, and regulated by vitamin D, affect MS risk.