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Research

The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in Australian children: A crosssectional study

Following reduction of public health and social measures concurrent with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron emergence in late 2021 in Australia, COVID-19 case notification rates rose rapidly. As rates of direct viral testing and reporting dropped, true infection rates were most likely to be underestimated.

Research

Patient-derived xenografts and single-cell sequencing identifies three subtypes of tumor-reactive lymphocytes in uveal melanoma metastases

Uveal melanoma is a rare melanoma originating in the eye's uvea, with 50% of patients experiencing metastasis predominantly in the liver. In contrast to cutaneous melanoma, there is only a limited effectiveness of combined immune checkpoint therapies, and half of patients with uveal melanoma metastases succumb to disease within 2 years.

Research

Hyperactive Nickase Activity Improves Adenine Base Editing

Base editing technologies enable programmable single-nucleotide changes in target DNA without double-stranded DNA breaks. Adenine base editors (ABEs) allow precise conversion of adenine to guanine. However, limited availability of optimized deaminases as well as their variable efficiencies across different target sequences can limit the ability of ABEs to achieve effective adenine editing.

Research

Understanding variations in the built environment over time to inform longitudinal studies of young children's physical activity behaviour - The BEACHES project

We know relatively little about the role the neighbourhood built environment plays in promoting young children's physical activity, particularly its longitudinal effect either through repeated exposure to the same environment or through change in exposure by moving from one neighbourhood to another.

Research

Moort dandjoo kaadadjiny: Growing up aboriginal kids strong in their culture and identity

Community Elders in Boorloo (Perth) identified early childhood education (ECE) as a priority area for Aboriginal children’s research. This is due to a lower number of Aboriginal children attending ECE programs compared to non-Aboriginal children. Attending ECE programs sets children up for school success and is an indicator for positive life outcomes in later life. Therefore, we sought to co-design and implement a program that encourages Aboriginal children and families to attend ECE programs, known as Moort Dandjoo Kaadadjiny.

Research

Characterization and individual-level prediction of cognitive state in the first year after ‘mild’ stroke

Mild stroke affects more than half the stroke population, yet there is limited evidence characterizing cognition over time in this population, especially with predictive approaches applicable at the individual-level. We aimed to identify patterns of recovery and the best combination of demographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors predicting individual-level cognitive state at 3- and 12-months after mild stroke.

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Improving physical activity and screen time in Australian Outside School Hours Care: Study protocol

Children's physical activity and screen time behaviours impact their physical health and well-being. In Australia, less than half of children meet daily physical activity recommendations and only one-third meet daily screen time recommendations.

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Challenges in the case-based surveillance of infectious diseases

To effectively inform infectious disease control strategies, accurate knowledge of the pathogen's transmission dynamics is required. Since the timings of infections are rarely known, estimates of the infection incidence, which is crucial for understanding the transmission dynamics, often rely on measurements of other quantities amenable to surveillance.

Research

The mark of success: The role of vaccine-induced skin scar formation for BCG and smallpox vaccine-associated clinical benefits

Skin scar formation following Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) or smallpox (Vaccinia) vaccination is an established marker of successful vaccination and 'vaccine take'. Potent pathogen-specific (tuberculosis; smallpox) and pathogen-agnostic (protection from diseases unrelated to the intentionally targeted pathogen) effects of BCG and smallpox vaccines hold significant translational potential.

Research

The Development of a Chocolate-Based Chewable Tablet of Prednisolone—Enhancing the Palatability of Steroids for Pediatric Use

Oral liquid prednisolone medications have poor acceptance among paediatric patients due to ineffective masking of the bitterness taste of prednisolone. This study aimed to develop a child-friendly prednisolone tablet using a patented chewable chocolate-based delivery system previously applied successfully to mask the bitterness tastes of midazolam and tramadol.