Evidence and contemporary opinion about the peopling of Australia, 1890-1911

During the quarter of a century around 1900 there ·were some radical changes in Australia's demographic development . The total annual rate of increase of population, ·which had averaged more than 3 per cent during the 1870s and 1880s, fell to only 1 07 per cent in 1903 before climbing back to 3.78 per cent in 1912. The story was the same in migration: an average net intake of 36,000 per annum in the 1800s gave way to a net outflow of 10,000 in 1903, to be followed by a net intake of 92,000 in 1912. The crude birth rate also collapsed from 35 per 1,000 in 1890 to just over 25 per 1,000 in 1903. Unlike immigration, the birth rate made no spectacular recovery and when it crept up to 28.6 per thousand in 1912 it reached its highest level so far in this century

Gender-specific epidemiology of diabetes: a representative cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Diabetes and its associated complications are part of a chronic disease global epidemic that presents a public health challenge. Epidemiologists examining health differences between men and women are being challenged to recognise the biological and social constructions behind the terms 'sex' and/or 'gender', together with social epidemiology principles and the life course approach. This paper examines the epidemiology of a population with diabetes from the north-west metropolitan region of South Australia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were used from a sub-population with diabetes (n = 263), from 4060 adults aged 18 years and over living in the north-west suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. Eligible respondents were asked to participate in a telephone interview, a self-report questionnaire and a biomedical examination. Diabetes (undiagnosed and diagnosed) was determined using self-reported information and a fasting blood test administered to participants. Data were analysed using SPSS (Version 10.0) and EpiInfo (Version 6.0).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Factors associated with diabetes for both men and women were being aged 40 years and over, and having a low gross annual household income, obesity and a family history of diabetes. In addition, being an ex-smoker and having low cholesterol levels were associated with diabetes among men. Among women, having a high waist-hip ratio, high blood pressure and reporting a previous cardiovascular event or mental health problem were associated with diabetes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results found that men and women with diabetes face different challenges in the management of their condition. Public health implications include a need for quality surveillance data, including epidemiological life course, social, behavioural, genetic and environmental factors. This will enrich the evidence base for health promotion professionals and allow policy makers to draw inferences and conclusions for interventions and planning purposes.</p

Schottky-based band lineups for refractory semiconductors

An overview is presented of band alignments for small-lattice parameter, refractory semiconductors. The band alignments are estimated empirically through the use of available Schottky barrier height data, and are compared to theoretically predicted values. Results for tetrahedrally bonded semiconductors with lattice constant values in the range from C through ZnSe are presented. Based on the estimated band alignments and the recently demonstrated p-type dopability of GaN, we propose three novel heterojunction schemes which seek to address inherent difficulties in doping or electrical contact to wide-gap semiconductors such as ZnO, ZnSe, and ZnS

Saliva microRNA Biomarkers of Cumulative Concussion

Recurrent concussions increase risk for persistent post-concussion symptoms, and may lead to chronic neurocognitive deficits. Little is known about the molecular pathways that contribute to persistent concussion symptoms. We hypothesized that salivary measurement of microribonucleic acids (miRNAs), a class of epitranscriptional molecules implicated in concussion pathophysiology, would provide insights about the molecular cascade resulting from recurrent concussions. This hypothesis was tested in a case-control study involving 13 former professional football athletes with a history of recurrent concussion, and 18 age/sex-matched peers. Molecules of interest were further validated in a cross-sectional study of 310 younger individuals with a history of no concussion (n = 230), a single concussion (n = 56), or recurrent concussions (n = 24). There was no difference in neurocognitive performance between the former professional athletes and their peers, or among younger individuals with varying concussion exposures. However, younger individuals without prior concussion outperformed peers with prior concussion on three balance assessments. Twenty salivary miRNAs differed (adj. p \u3c 0.05) between former professional athletes and their peers. Two of these (miR-28-3p and miR-339-3p) demonstrated relationships (p \u3c 0.05) with the number of prior concussions reported by younger individuals. miR-28-3p and miR-339-5p may play a role in the pathophysiologic mechanism involved in cumulative concussion effects

A qualitative exploration of intentional nursing round models in the emergency department setting: investigating the barriers to their use and success.

Aims and objectives. This research aimed to investigate the use of intentional rounding within in the emergency department setting through exploration of the staff nurse experience. The focus was its implementation at a large teaching hospital in England. Background. Research into the use of intentional rounding in any area of practice is minimal in the UK; however, a broader evidence base comes from America. The majority of this research supports the notion of intentional rounding for improved patient care and outcomes. Research from the UK is generally more contested. There is less literature on using intentional rounding specifically in the emergency department setting. Design. Qualitative methodological approach. Methods. Semi-structured interviews (n = 5) were completed with staff nurses working within an emergency department. A purposive sampling technique was used for recruitment. The data was then analysed using ‘Framework Method of Qualitative Analysis’ (Spencer et al. 2014). Results. The findings were categorised into four headings: (1) Improved patient experience, (2) Current unmanageability, (3) Adapting for the emergency department, (4) Benefits on achieving quality indicators and targets. Conclusion. The findings show that although staff felt the introduction of intentional rounding techniques could lead to improvements in patient safety and overall care experience, they also identified a range of difficulties and adaptations needed to ensure its success within this acute care environment. Relevance to clinical practice. The research offers an insight into the staff’s perceptions of using intentional rounding and also explains the practical difficulties faced by the nursing staff with potential suggestions that may help to address these problems. Benefits include more open communication between staff and patients and potentially more timely response to patient need, which positively impacts levels of safety and satisfaction. Barriers include lack of staff engagement, and the environmental factors and pressures, within the ED setting

Refinement of Saliva MicroRNA Biomarkers for Sports-Related Concussion

Purpose Recognizing sport-related concussion (SRC) is challenging and relies heavily on subjective symptom reports. An objective, biological marker could improve recognition and understanding of SRC. There is emerging evidence that salivary micro-ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) may serve as biomarkers of concussion; however, it remains unclear whether concussion-related miRNAs are impacted by exercise. We sought to determine whether 40 miRNAs previously implicated in concussion pathophysiology were affected by participation in a variety of contact and non-contact sports. Our goal was to refine a miRNA-based tool capable of identifying athletes with SRC without the confounding effects of exercise. Methods This case-control study harmonized data from concussed and non-concussed athletes recruited across 10 sites. Levels of salivary miRNAs within 455 samples from 314 individuals were measured with RNA sequencing. Within-subjects testing was used to identify and exclude miRNAs that changed with either: (a) a single episode of exercise (166 samples from 83 individuals) or (b) season-long participation in contact sports (212 samples from 106 individuals). The miRNAs that were not impacted by exercise were interrogated for SRC diagnostic utility using logistic regression (172 samples from 75 concussed and 97 non-concussed individuals). Results Two miRNAs (miR-532-5p, miR-182-5p) decreased (adjusted p \u3c 0.05) after a single episode of exercise, and 1 miRNA (miR-4510) increased only after contact sports participation. Twenty-three miRNAs changed at the end of a contact sports season. Two of these miRNAs (miR-26b-3p, miR-29c-3p) were associated (R \u3e 0.5; adjusted p \u3c 0.05) with the number of head impacts sustained in a single football practice. Among the 15 miRNAs not confounded by exercise or season-long contact sports participation, 11 demonstrated a significant difference (adjusted p \u3c 0.05) between concussed and non-concussed participants, and 6 displayed moderate ability (AUC \u3e 0.70) to identify concussion. A single ratio (miR-27a-5p/miR-30a-3p) displayed the highest accuracy (AUC = 0.810, sensitivity = 82.4%, specificity = 73.3%) for differentiating concussed and non-concussed participants. Accuracy did not differ between participants with SRC and non-SRC (z = 0.5, p = 0.60). Conclusion Salivary miRNA levels may accurately identify SRC when not confounded by exercise. Refinement of this approach in a large cohort of athletes could eventually lead to a non-invasive, sideline adjunct for SRC assessment

Classification of patient-safety incidents in primary care

Primary care lags behind secondary care in the reporting of, and learning from, incidents that put patient safety at risk. In primary care, there is no universally agreed approach to classifying the severity of harm arising from such patient-safety incidents. This lack of an agreed approach limits learning that could lead to the prevention of injury to patients. In a review of research on patient safety in primary care, we identified 21 existing approaches to the classification of harm severity. Using the World Health Organization's (WHO's) International Classification for Patient Safety as a reference, we undertook a framework analysis of these approaches. We then developed a new system for the classification of harm severity. To assess and classify harm, most existing approaches use measures of symptom duration (11/21), symptom severity (11/21) and/or the level of intervention required to manage the harm (14/21). However, few of these approaches account for the deleterious effects of hospitalization or the psychological stress that may be experienced by patients and/or their relatives. The new classification system we developed builds on WHO's International Classification for Patient Safety and takes account not only of hospitalization and psychological stress but also of so-called near misses and uncertain outcomes. The constructs we have outlined have the potential to be applied internationally, across primary-care settings, to improve both the detection and prevention of incidents that cause the most severe harm to patients

Properties of the cyanobacterial coupling factor ATPase from Spirulina platensis : I. Electrophoretic characterization and reconstitution of photophosphorylation

The coupling factor ATPase (F1) from photosynthetic membranes of the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis was purified to homogeneity by a combination of ion-exchange chromatography and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The ATPase activity of purified Spirulina F1 is latent but can be elicited by trypsin treatment, resulting in specific activities (CaATPase) of 27-37 [mu]mol Pi min-1 mg protein-1. On denaturing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gels, Spirulina F1 is resolved into five subunits with molecular weights of 53,400, 51,600, 36,000, 21,100, and 14,700, similar to the molecular weights of the subunits of spinach chloroplast coupling factor (CF1). As determined by native polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis, the molecular weight of the Spirulina F1 holoenzyme was estimated to be 320,000, somewhat smaller than the estimated molecular weight of spinach CF1 (392,000). Spirulina F1 was shown to be an active coupling factor by its ability to reconstitute phenazine methosulfate-dependent cyclic photophosphorylation in membrane vesicles which had been depleted of coupling factor content by 2 NaBr treatment. We estimate the Spirulina F1 content of membrane vesicles to be 1 F1 per 830 chlorophylls or 0.12 mol F1 mol P700-1, based on the specific ATPase activities of the membrane vesicles and the purified Spirulina F1, the molecular weight of F1, and the P700 content of the vesicles.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/26257/1/0000338.pd

Diagnosing Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Using Saliva RNA Compared to Cognitive and Balance Testing

BACKGROUND: Early, accurate diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can improve clinical outcomes for patients, but mTBI remains difficult to diagnose because of reliance on subjective symptom reports. An objective biomarker could increase diagnostic accuracy and improve clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of salivary noncoding RNA (ncRNA) to serve as a diagnostic adjunct to current clinical tools. We hypothesized that saliva ncRNA levels would demonstrate comparable accuracy for identifying mTBI as measures of symptom burden, neurocognition, and balance. METHODS: This case‐control study involved 538 individuals. Participants included 251 individuals with mTBI, enrolled ≤14 days postinjury, from 11 clinical sites. Saliva samples (n = 679) were collected at five time points (≤3, 4‐7, 8‐14, 15‐30, and 31‐60 days post‐mTBI). Levels of ncRNAs (microRNAs, small nucleolar RNAs, and piwi‐interacting RNAs) were quantified within each sample using RNA sequencing. The first sample from each mTBI participant was compared to saliva samples from 287 controls. Samples were divided into testing (n = 430; mTBI = 201 and control = 239) and training sets (n = 108; mTBI = 50 and control = 58). The test set was used to identify ncRNA diagnostic candidates and create a diagnostic model. Model accuracy was assessed in the naïve test set. RESULTS: A model utilizing seven ncRNA ratios, along with participant age and chronic headache status, differentiated mTBI and control participants with a cross‐validated area under the curve (AUC) of .857 in the training set (95% CI, .816‐.903) and .823 in the naïve test set. In a subset of participants (n = 321; mTBI = 176 and control = 145) assessed for symptom burden (Post‐Concussion Symptom Scale), as well as neurocognition and balance (ClearEdge System), these clinical measures yielded cross‐validated AUC of .835 (95% CI, .782‐.880) and .853 (95% CI, .803‐.899), respectively. A model employing symptom burden and four neurocognitive measures identified mTBI participants with similar AUC (.888; CI, .845‐.925) as symptom burden and four ncRNAs (.932; 95% CI, .890‐.965). CONCLUSION: Salivary ncRNA levels represent a noninvasive, biologic measure that can aid objective, accurate diagnosis of mTBI

New genetic loci implicated in fasting glucose homeostasis and their impact on type 2 diabetes risk.

Levels of circulating glucose are tightly regulated. To identify new loci influencing glycemic traits, we performed meta-analyses of 21 genome-wide association studies informative for fasting glucose, fasting insulin and indices of beta-cell function (HOMA-B) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in up to 46,186 nondiabetic participants. Follow-up of 25 loci in up to 76,558 additional subjects identified 16 loci associated with fasting glucose and HOMA-B and two loci associated with fasting insulin and HOMA-IR. These include nine loci newly associated with fasting glucose (in or near ADCY5, MADD, ADRA2A, CRY2, FADS1, GLIS3, SLC2A2, PROX1 and C2CD4B) and one influencing fasting insulin and HOMA-IR (near IGF1). We also demonstrated association of ADCY5, PROX1, GCK, GCKR and DGKB-TMEM195 with type 2 diabetes. Within these loci, likely biological candidate genes influence signal transduction, cell proliferation, development, glucose-sensing and circadian regulation. Our results demonstrate that genetic studies of glycemic traits can identify type 2 diabetes risk loci, as well as loci containing gene variants that are associated with a modest elevation in glucose levels but are not associated with overt diabetes