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The Spectrum, Severity and Outcomes of Rheumatic Mitral Valve Disease in Pregnant Women in Australia and New ZealandRheumatic heart disease (RHD) poses significant perinatal risks. We aimed to describe the spectrum, severity and outcomes of rheumatic mitral valve disease in pregnancy in Australia and New Zealand.
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Research award recipients making great progress in PNGTwo infectious disease researchers from Papua New Guinea (PNG) dedicated to reducing rates of childhood mortality in their home country are making significant advances thanks to support from the Deborah Lehmann Research Award (DLRA).
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Autism-related dietary preferences mediate autism-gut microbiome associationsThere is increasing interest in the potential contribution of the gut microbiome to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, previous studies have been underpowered and have not been designed to address potential confounding factors in a comprehensive way.
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A multi-country investigation of influenza vaccine coverage in pregnant individuals, 2010–2016Many countries recommend influenza vaccination during pregnancy. Despite this recommendation, influenza vaccine among pregnant individuals remains under-utilized and uptake varies by country. Factors associated with influenza vaccine uptake during pregnancy may also vary across countries.
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Climate change, activism, and supporting the mental health of children and young people: Perspectives from Western AustraliaThe climate crisis has detrimental impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Psychological effects include feelings of fear, overwhelm, worry, distress, hopelessness and anger; PTSD; depression; anxiety; phobias; panic disorder; sleep disturbances; attachment disorders; learning difficulties; substance abuse; shock and trauma symptoms; adjustment problems; behavioural problems; and, suicidal thinking.
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World Down Syndrome Day: Building brighter futures through research, inclusion, and advocacyToday, on World Down Syndrome Day, we celebrate the lives, achievements, and invaluable contributions of people with Down syndrome.
Research
Target identification for small-molecule discovery in the FOXO3a tumor-suppressor pathway using a biodiverse peptide libraryGenetic screening technologies to identify and validate macromolecular interactions (MMIs) essential for complex pathways remain an important unmet need for systems biology and therapeutics development. Here, we use a library of peptides from diverse prokaryal genomes to screen MMIs promoting the nuclear relocalization of Forkhead Box O3 (FOXO3a), a tumor suppressor more frequently inactivated by post-translational modification than mutation.
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Finding new treatments for rare brain cancers in infantsThe WA Kids Cancer Centre has secured $1.1 million in funding from the Medical Research Future Fund’s (MRFF) Paediatric Brain Cancer Research Stream 2 to develop more effective and less toxic treatments for rare brain cancers in infants.
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School-based depression and anxiety prevention programs: An updated systematic review and meta-analysisDepression and anxiety are often first experienced during childhood and adolescence, and interest in the prevention of these disorders is growing. The focus of this review was to assess the effectiveness of psychological prevention programs delivered in schools, and to provide an update to our previous review from five years ago (Werner-Seidler, Perry, Calear, Newby, & Christensen, 2017).
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National funding for bright ideas targeting ear infections and dangerous fungiTwo projects led by The Kids Research Institute Australia have been awarded more than $2.5 million to fund innovative ideas focused, respectively, on combating persistent ear infections and investigating how dangerous fungi invade the bodies of immunocompromised people.
Research
The orofacial, oromotor, speech, and voice characteristics of adolescents in youth detention: a comparison of groups with and without prenatal alcohol exposureLanguage disorder is highly prevalent in youth justice; however, orofacial, oromotor, speech, and voice anomalies have been largely overlooked. There has been some documentation of these among individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), and adolescents with PAE are over-represented in youth justice.
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Parents' experiences of children with a rare disease attending a mainstream school: AustraliaTo explore the perceptions of parents who had a child or adolescent (6-18 years) diagnosed with a rare disease who attended a mainstream school in Western Australia. Design and methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 41 parents of children with a rare disease.
Research
Incidence and survival for childhood central nervous system tumours in Australia, 1983–2016To investigate incidence and survival of childhood tumours of the central nervous system (CNS) by histological subtype, tumour behaviour and tumour grade. Methods: National, population-based data on all children under 15 years old diagnosed with a CNS tumour between 1983 and 2016 were sourced from the Australian Childhood Cancer Registry. Incidence rate trends were calculated using Joinpoint regression.
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HPLC-UV assay of tramadol and O-desmethyltramadol in human plasma containing other drugs potentially co-administered to participants in a paediatric population pharmacokinetic studyMultimodal analgesia is employed in paediatric pain management to maximise analgesia and minimise side effects. Tramadol is dosed at 1–1.5 mg/kg to treat severe pain in children but the assay for tramadol in plasma samples for pharmacokinetic and toxicology studies does not often consider concurrently administered medications.
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In memoriam: Vale Emeritus Professor Michael Alpers AO CSM FRS FAAWe honour the memory of Emeritus Professor Michael Alpers, a colleague and friend to many at The Kids Research Institute Australia, who passed away on December 3, 2024.