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The role of fathers in supporting the development of their NICU infantContemporary models of NICU care emphasize the critical role of parents in supporting their infant's development. Fathers play an important, but underutilized, role throughout their infant's NICU journey. This narrative review describes the main direct and indirect mechanisms through which fathers support the development of their NICU infant, and the barriers and facilitators to this support as described in current research.
Research
Equity, diversity, and inclusion at the Global Alliance for Genomics and HealthA lack of diversity in genomics for health continues to hinder equitable leadership and access to precision medicine approaches for underrepresented populations. To avoid perpetuating biases within the genomics workforce and genomic data collection practices, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) must be addressed.
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Intake of polyphenols from cereal foods and colorectal cancer risk in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort StudyCereal-derived polyphenols have demonstrated protective mechanisms in colorectal cancer (CRC) models; however, confirmation in human studies is lacking. Therefore, this study examined the association between cereal polyphenol intakes and CRC risk in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS), a prospective cohort study in Melbourne, Australia that recruited participants between 1990 and 1994 to investigate diet-disease relationships.
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Airway-associated adipose tissue accumulation is increased in a kisspeptin receptor knockout mouse modelAirway-associated adipose tissue increases with body mass index and is a local source of pro-inflammatory adipokines that may contribute to airway pathology in asthma co-existing with obesity. Genetic susceptibility to airway adiposity was considered in the present study through kisspeptin/kisspeptin receptor signalling, known to modulate systemic adiposity and potentially drive airway remodelling.
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From hype to hope: Considerations in conducting robust microbiome scienceMicrobiome science has been one of the most exciting and rapidly evolving research fields in the past two decades. Breakthroughs in technologies including DNA sequencing have meant that the trillions of microbes (particularly bacteria) inhabiting human biological niches (particularly the gut) can be profiled and analysed in exquisite detail.
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The intensity of a resistance exercise session can be quantified by the work rate of exerciseAthletes regularly perform resistance training, yet it is unknown how best to monitor its intensity. This study compared different resistance exercise intensity metrics to determine their sensitivity to manipulating work rate (via altering inter-set rest and load).
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Development of the Menu Assessment Scoring Tool (MAST) to Assess the Nutritional Quality of Food Service MenusPreventing the rise in obesity is a global public health priority. Neighbourhood environments can help or undermine people's efforts to manage their weight, depending on availability of nutritious and nutrient-poor 'discretionary' foods. The proportion of household food budgets spent on eating outside the home is increasing. To inform nutrition policy at a local level, an objective assessment of the nutritional quality of foods and beverages on food service menus that is context-specific is needed.
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Assessing neutrophil subsets in autoimmune disease: Moving away from relying on density?Neutrophils are the most abundant immune cell in circulation. However, due to a number of technical challenges for researchers, including the neutrophil's short lifespan and difficulties with preservation, they are often discarded during blood processing and thus ignored in cohort studies. As such, the contribution of neutrophils to disease and their involvement in disease mechanisms is less explored compared with other immune cell types.
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Differential DNA methylation of steatosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in adolescenceEpigenetic modifications are associated with hepatic fat accumulation and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, few epigenetic modifications directly implicated in such processes have been identified during adolescence, a critical developmental window where physiological changes could influence future disease trajectory. To investigate the association between DNA methylation and NAFLD in adolescence, we undertook discovery and validation of novel methylation marks, alongside replication of previously reported marks.
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Multiple traces of monkeypox detected in non-sewered wastewater with sparse sampling from a densely populated metropolitan area in AsiaThe monkeypox virus is excreted in the feces of infected individuals. Therefore, there is an interest in using viral load detection in wastewater for sentinel early surveillance at a community level and as a complementary approach to syndromic surveillance.