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Lower Cord Blood IL-17 and IL-25, but Not Other Epithelial Cell-Derived Cytokines Are Associated with Atopic Dermatitis in InfancyThere is a growing need for early biomarkers that may predict the development of atopic dermatitis (AD). As alterations in skin barrier may be a primary event in disease pathogenesis, epithelial cell (EC) cytokines expression patterns may be a potential biomarker in early life to target allergy preventive strategies towards "at-risk" infants. The aim of this longitudinal investigation was to examine from birth over the course of infancy levels of the EC cytokines: thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), interleukin (IL)-33, IL-25, and IL-17 in infants at high-risk of AD due to maternal atopy.
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Genetics, Transcriptomics and Meta-Taxonomics in Visceral LeishmaniasisVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by parasites of the Leishmania donovani complex can be fatal in susceptible individuals. Understanding the interactions between host and pathogen is one way to obtain leads to develop better drugs and for vaccine development. In recent years multiple omics-based approaches have assisted researchers to gain a more global picture of this interaction in leishmaniasis. Here we review results from studies using three omics-based approaches to study VL caused by L. donovani in India.
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Do sex hormones at birth predict later-life economic preferences? Evidence from a pregnancy birth cohort study: Hormones at birth and preferencesEconomic preferences may be shaped by exposure to sex hormones around birth. Prior studies of economic preferences and numerous other phenotypic characteristics use digit ratios (2D : 4D), a purported proxy for prenatal testosterone exposure, whose validity has recently been questioned. We use direct measures of neonatal sex hormones (testosterone and oestrogen), measured from umbilical cord blood (n = 200) to investigate their association with later-life economic preferences (risk preferences, competitiveness, time preferences and social preferences) in an Australian cohort (Raine Study Gen2).
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Whole genome, transcriptome and methylome profiling enhances actionable target discovery in high-risk pediatric cancerThe Zero Childhood Cancer Program is a precision medicine program to benefit children with poor-outcome, rare, relapsed or refractory cancer. Using tumor and germline whole genome sequencing (WGS) and RNA sequencing (RNAseq) across 252 tumors from high-risk pediatric patients with cancer, we identified 968 reportable molecular aberrations.
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Clinician-rated quality of video otoscopy recordings and still images for the asynchronous assessment of middle-ear diseaseVideo otoscopy plays an important role in improving access to ear health services. This study investigated the clinician-rated quality of video otoscopy recordings and still images, and compared their suitability for asynchronous diagnosis of middle-ear disease. Two hundred and eighty video otoscopy image-recording pairs were collected from 150 children (aged six months to 15 years) by an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist, audiologists, and trained research assistants, and independently rated by an audiologist and ENT surgeon.
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Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents across Australia and New Zealand: A 6‐year audit from The Australasian Diabetes Data Network (ADDN)To assess the clinical and demographic characteristics of children and adolescents across Australia and New Zealand (NZ) with type 2 diabetes.
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‘Can you sleep tonight knowing that child is going to be safe?’: Australian community organisation risk work in child protection practiceRisk averse practice has dominated the child protection field for decades, with high-profile child deaths, ever-tightening surveillance, and regulation of families. In this context, the practice of social work as ‘risk work’ including the use of risk assessment tools has been subject to substantial scholarly investigation. Less attention has been paid to the community organisations that play a central role in supporting child protection-involved parents. Based on interviews with Australian community workers, we examine their negotiation of the parent support/parent risk dichotomy.
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10-Valent pneumococcal non-typeable H. influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine versus 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine as a booster dose to broaden and strengthen protection from otitis media in Australian Aboriginal children: study protocol18 months of age infants receiving 10-valent pneumococcal Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine will have higher antibody levels
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Introducing the ORIGINS project: a community-based interventional birth cohortNon-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose the greatest threat to human health globally. The dramatic rise in early onset NCDs - such as childhood obesity, the allergy epidemic and an increasing burden of mental ill health in children and youth - reflect the profound early impact of modern environments on developing systems.
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Clinical protocol for a longitudinal cohort study to identify markers of vaccine immunogenicity in newborn infants in the gambia and papua New GuineaImmunity is distinct in early life and greater precision is required in our understanding of mechanisms of early life protection to inform development of new pediatric vaccines