Portraits of Middle Eastern Gulf female students in Australian universities

This research explores the experiences and insights of ten Middle Eastern Gulf women as they cross international borders to study in Australian universities. The literature indicates that international students in Australia establish their identity within the context of their overseas existence. This is particularly important as Muslims may feel they are being placed in a precarious situation due to, more often than not, terrorism being linked to Islam. Also, when Muslim women wear Islamic or traditional attire, the general public tends to look upon them with curiosity. With this in mind, the complex and changed contexts faced by ten Middle Eastern Gulf female post-graduate students are investigated using qualitative research methods. Utilising a grounded theory approach to interpret data and identify themes from two online questionnaires and personal interviews, individual portraits are created to illuminate their experiences. The research findings reveal new knowledge indicating that education is a structured mechanism for the participants, resulting in the creation of a new hybrid self as a key instrument for survival. This enables them to better understand cultural contexts and barriers arising from class, tradition, religion and learning. The participants indicate that a two-way agreement between educators and learners is paramount to a smooth transition into the Australian education system and a positive return to their home communities

Comparing pharmacologic measures of tenofovir exposure in a U.S. pre-exposure prophylaxis randomized trial

<div><p>It is critical to assess adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in clinical trials. The relationship between pharmacokinetic measures of PrEP adherence and other adherence measures used in PrEP trials requires further characterization. Plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and hair samples were collected from 88 HIV-uninfected men who have sex with men in a placebo-controlled randomized PrEP trial; announced pill counts, medication electronic monitoring (MEMS), and self-report using visual analog scale (VAS) were also collected. Tenofovir (TFV or TFV-DP) in plasma, hair, and PBMCs were quantified. Proportions with drug detection, Spearman correlation coefficients, and univariate and multivariable regression models were used. Drug detection in plasma, PBMC, and hair samples was highly concordant with treatment arm assignment. TFV or TFV-DP levels were detected in most active-arm participants: 44/47 (94%) in plasma, 46/47 (98%) in hair, and 44/47 (94%) in PBMCs and in only 1/41 placebo arm participant. Correlation coefficients were r = 0.59 for plasma and PBMC, r = 0.34 for PBMC and hair and r = 0.36 for plasma and hair. MEMS and announced pill-counts were moderately correlated (r = 0.52) but less so with pharmacologic measures (range of r = 0.12 to 0.38). Self-reported adherence by visual analog scale demonstrated essentially no correlation with drug levels (r = 0.06 for hair, PBMC or plasma) and was a poor indicator of exposure to study product. Indices of drug exposure are important indicators in assessing adherence to PrEP; accounting for variability between measures may improve interpretation and use of adherence measures in future PrEP studies.</p><p>Clinical trial registration</p><p>Clinical Trials.gov <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00131677" target="_blank">NCT00131677</a></p></div

TRACEBACK: Testing of Historical Tubo-Ovarian Cancer Patients for Hereditary Risk Genes as a Cancer Prevention Strategy in Family Members

PURPOSE: Tubo-ovarian cancer (TOC) is a sentinel cancer for BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variants (PVs). Identification of a PV in the first member of a family at increased genetic risk (the proband) provides opportunities for cancer prevention in other at-risk family members. Although Australian testing rates are now high, PVs in patients with TOC whose diagnosis predated revised testing guidelines might have been missed. We assessed the feasibility of detecting PVs in this population to enable genetic risk reduction in relatives. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this pilot study, deceased probands were ascertained from research cohort studies, identification by a relative, and gynecologic oncology clinics. DNA was extracted from archival tissue or stored blood for panel sequencing of 10 risk-associated genes. Testing of deceased probands ascertained through clinic records was performed with a consent waiver. RESULTS: We identified 85 PVs in 84 of 787 (11%) probands. Familial contacts of 39 of 60 (65%) deceased probands with an identified recipient (60 of 84; 71%) have received a written notification of results, with follow-up verbal contact made in 85% (33 of 39). A minority of families (n = 4) were already aware of the PV. For many (29 of 33; 88%), the genetic result provided new information and referral to a genetic service was accepted in most cases (66%; 19 of 29). Those who declined referral (4 of 29) were all male next of kin whose family member had died more than 10 years before. CONCLUSION: We overcame ethical and logistic challenges to demonstrate that retrospective genetic testing to identify PVs in previously untested deceased probands with TOC is feasible. Understanding reasons for a family member's decision to accept or decline a referral will be important for guiding future TRACEBACK projects.</p