The Roman mould of the Australian Catholic Church, 1846-1878

An historical analysis of the Roman Catholic Church in the Australian colonies between 1846-1878 presents a number of questions as to origins, composition and attitudes that as yet remain unanswered. This present work has avoided the general themes and tries to explore one limited problem - what was there in the Church of that period that can now be seen as distinctive and primary? If some headway can be made in answering that question it is possible that other aspects of the Church may thereby be illumined. The Church between those years was already sufficiently well established to have taken on the characteristics that marked the course of her future. Given the origins of the majority of her members it is natural that the most notable quality that has caught the attention of historians has been her Irish heritage and its consequences. But from the vantage point of a century and more, it is now possible to ask what distinctive features remain today as a result of that heritage. And if the answer is that little remains, except lightly worn customs such as an occasional procession on 17 March and an Irish page in the Melbourne Advocate, it is possible that some other attribute of the Church of the past was of even greater significance than the Irish background

Loci influencing blood pressure identified using a cardiovascular gene-centric array

Blood pressure (BP) is a heritable determinant of risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). To investigate genetic associations with systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure (PP), we genotyped 50 000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that capture variation in 2100 candidate genes for cardiovascular phenotypes in 61 619 individuals of European ancestry from cohort studies in the USA and Europe. We identified novel associations between rs347591 and SBP (chromosome 3p25.3, in an intron of HRH1) and between rs2169137 and DBP (chromosome1q32.1 in an intron of MDM4) and between rs2014408 and SBP (chromosome 11p15 in an intron of SOX6), previously reported to be associated with MAP. We also confirmed 10 previously known loci associated with SBP, DBP, MAP or PP (ADRB1, ATP2B1, SH2B3/ATXN2, CSK, CYP17A1, FURIN, HFE, LSP1, MTHFR, SOX6) at array-wide significance (P 2.4 10(6)). We then replicated these associations in an independent set of 65 886 individuals of European ancestry. The findings from expression QTL (eQTL) analysis showed associations of SNPs in the MDM4 region with MDM4 expression. We did not find any evidence of association of the two novel SNPs in MDM4 and HRH1 with sequelae of high BP including coronary artery disease (CAD), left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) or stroke. In summary, we identified two novel loci associated with BP and confirmed multiple previously reported associations. Our findings extend our understanding of genes involved in BP regulation, some of which may eventually provide new targets for therapeutic intervention.</p

Large-Scale Gene-Centric Meta-Analysis across 39 Studies Identifies Type 2 Diabetes Loci

To identify genetic factors contributing to type 2 diabetes (T2D), we performed large-scale meta-analyses by using a custom similar to 50,000 SNP genotyping array (the ITMAT-Broad-CARe array) with similar to 2000 candidate genes in 39 multiethnic population-based studies, case-control studies, and clinical trials totaling 17,418 cases and 70,298 controls. First, meta-analysis of 25 studies comprising 14,073 cases and 57,489 controls of European descent confirmed eight established T2D loci at genome-wide significance. In silico follow-up analysis of putative association signals found in independent genome-wide association studies (including 8,130 cases and 38,987 controls) performed by the DIAGRAM consortium identified a T2D locus at genome-wide significance (GATAD2A/CILP2/PBX4; p = 5.7 x 10(-9)) and two loci exceeding study-wide significance (SREBF1, and TH/INS; p <2.4 x 10(-6)). Second, meta-analyses of 1,986 cases and 7,695 controls from eight African-American studies identified study-wide-significant (p = 2.4 x 10(-7)) variants in HMGA2 and replicated variants in TCF7L2 (p = 5.1 x 10(-15)). Third, conditional analysis revealed multiple known and novel independent signals within five T2D-associated genes in samples of European ancestry and within HMGA2 in African-American samples. Fourth, a multiethnic meta-analysis of all 39 studies identified T2D-associated variants in BCL2 (p = 2.1 x 10(-8)). Finally, a composite genetic score of SNPs from new and established T2D signals was significantly associated with increased risk of diabetes in African-American, Hispanic, and Asian populations. In summary, large-scale meta-analysis involving a dense gene-centric approach has uncovered additional loci and variants that contribute to T2D risk and suggests substantial overlap of T2D association signals across multiple ethnic groups

The Changing Landscape for Stroke\ua0Prevention in AF: Findings From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase 2

Background GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. Phase 2 began when dabigatran, the first non\u2013vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), became available. Objectives This study sought to describe phase 2 baseline data and compare these with the pre-NOAC era collected during phase&nbsp;1. Methods During phase 2, 15,641 consenting patients were enrolled (November 2011 to December 2014); 15,092 were eligible. This pre-specified cross-sectional analysis describes eligible patients\u2019 baseline characteristics. Atrial fibrillation&nbsp;disease characteristics, medical outcomes, and concomitant diseases and medications were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the total patients, 45.5% were female; median age was 71 (interquartile range: 64, 78) years. Patients were from Europe (47.1%), North America (22.5%), Asia (20.3%), Latin America (6.0%), and the Middle East/Africa (4.0%). Most had high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc [Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age&nbsp; 6575 years, Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65 to 74 years, Sex category] score&nbsp; 652; 86.1%); 13.9% had moderate risk (CHA2DS2-VASc&nbsp;= 1). Overall, 79.9% received oral anticoagulants, of whom 47.6% received NOAC and 32.3% vitamin K antagonists (VKA); 12.1% received antiplatelet agents; 7.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. For comparison, the proportion of phase 1 patients (of N&nbsp;= 1,063 all eligible) prescribed VKA was 32.8%, acetylsalicylic acid 41.7%, and no therapy 20.2%. In Europe in phase 2, treatment with NOAC was more common than VKA (52.3% and 37.8%, respectively); 6.0% of patients received antiplatelet treatment; and 3.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. In North America, 52.1%, 26.2%, and 14.0% of patients received NOAC, VKA, and antiplatelet drugs, respectively; 7.5% received no antithrombotic treatment. NOAC use was less common in Asia (27.7%), where 27.5% of patients received VKA, 25.0% antiplatelet drugs, and 19.8% no antithrombotic treatment. Conclusions The baseline data from GLORIA-AF phase 2 demonstrate that in newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, NOAC have been highly adopted into practice, becoming more frequently prescribed than VKA in&nbsp;Europe and North America. Worldwide, however, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated, particularly in&nbsp;Asia&nbsp;and North America. (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [GLORIA-AF]; NCT01468701

An architect of freedom : John Hubert Plunkett in New South Wales, 1832-1869

Irish-born John Hubert Plunkett, descendant of an ancient family and a Trinity College-trained lawyer, came to New South Wales in 1832 to take up the position of Solicitor-General. A quiet, cultivated man, and a Roman Catholic, he was an incongruous figure in the hurly-burly of colonial life. He was an idealist, a man of determination and integrity, a liberal before his time. In the fields of law, government, and education, and particularly as Attorney-General from 1836 to 1856, he played a vital role in the transition period that saw New South Wales shaking free from its penal past and developing into a free society. An Architect of Freedom is more than the study of one man. It is a scholarly and readable account of a so-far much neglected period of colonial history, invaluable to the student of political and social history, and to the lawyer, and fascinating reading for the layman

John Hubert Plunkett in New South Wales, 1832-1869

Prior to 1965 when I began research on a topic dealing with Australian Catholic history in the 19th century X had heard only vaguely of John Hubert Plunkett. I knew that he had been a lawyer in the service of the Crown, that a street in Sydney had been named after him and, more recently, one in the suburb of Chifley in the A.C.T. The period of his service in the Colony of New South Wales threw him into contact, and perhaps contrast, with others whose names have been left to posterity so that they are remembered whilst he has been well-nigh forgotten. Wentworth, Bourke, Forbes, Gipps, Parkes and even Deniehy need no testimonial today. Their times, their lives, their motives and their utterances have been studied and written about at length. It is not possible to pick up a book on Australian history of their period that does not give them recognition. Yet when A.C.V. Melbourne wrote his lasting work on constitutional development up to 1856 he did not find room in his index for a reference to John Hubert Plunkett. John West, in an editorial in the Herald a century ago, wrote that no name would shine brighter than Plunkett's in the pages of Australian history i he was mistaken

Datasheet1_Automated finite element approach to generate anatomical patient-specific biomechanical models of atherosclerotic arteries from virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound.docx

Despite advancements in early detection and treatment, atherosclerosis remains the leading cause of death across all cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Biomechanical analysis of atherosclerotic lesions has the potential to reveal biomechanically instable or rupture-prone regions. Treatment decisions rarely consider the biomechanics of the stenosed lesion due in-part to difficulties in obtaining this information in a clinical setting. Previous 3D FEA approaches have incompletely incorporated the complex curvature of arterial geometry, material heterogeneity, and use of patient-specific data. To address these limitations and clinical need, herein we present a user-friendly fully automated program to reconstruct and simulate the wall mechanics of patient-specific atherosclerotic coronary arteries. The program enables 3D reconstruction from patient-specific data with heterogenous tissue assignment and complex arterial curvature. Eleven arteries with coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent baseline and 6-month follow-up angiographic and virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) imaging. VH-IVUS images were processed to remove background noise, extract VH plaque material data, and luminal and outer contours. Angiography data was used to orient the artery profiles along the 3D centerlines. The resulting surface mesh is then resampled for uniformity and tetrahedralized to generate the volumetric mesh using TetGen. A mesh convergence study revealed edge lengths between 0.04 mm and 0.2 mm produced constituent volumes that were largely unchanged, hence, to save computational resources, a value of 0.2 mm was used throughout. Materials are assigned and finite element analysis (FEA) is then performed to determine stresses and strains across the artery wall. In a representative artery, the highest average effective stress was in calcium elements with 235 kPa while necrotic elements had the lowest average stress, reaching as low as 0.79 kPa. After applying nodal smoothening, the maximum effective stress across 11 arteries remained below 288 kPa, implying biomechanically stable plaques. Indeed, all atherosclerotic plaques remained unruptured at the 6-month longitudinal follow up diagnosis. These results suggest our automated analysis may facilitate assessment of atherosclerotic plaque stability.</p