Digital Commons Network^™

Recent Trends In The Utilization Of Molecular Breast Imaging In The United States, Ria Dave, Lin Gu, Heather V Garrett, Debbie Bennett, Dustin Stwalley, Sydney Singer, Sherwin Chiu, Michelle V Lee

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess trends in Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) utilization among privately insured women in the United States (U.S.) from 2017 to 2022.

METHODS: The utilization of MBI among women aged 25-64 years from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2022, was obtained using the Merative MarketScan Commercial Database. MBI utilization was captured from the outpatient services file using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) or Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes for MBI.

RESULTS: During the 6-year retrospective claims analysis, 3024 study-eligible women underwent 3648 MBI exams. The overall trend in MBI utilization was …

Emerging Options And Future Strategies In Immunotherapy For Advanced Lung Squamous-Cell Carcinoma, Y Wang, R Rosell, F R Hirsch, S Lu, R Govindan, K Park, S Peters, J J Zhang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Advanced-stage lung squamous-cell carcinoma (LUSC) remains a therapeutic challenge. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized LUSC treatment, only a small subset of LUSC patients can achieve durable clinical benefits, underscoring the need for novel strategies. Emerging immunotherapy strategies have demonstrated early evidence of promise for LUSC patients, particularly multi-specific antibodies and fusion proteins, antibody-drug conjugates, adoptive cell therapies, and cancer vaccines. Additionally, advances in multi-omics and artificial intelligence offer potential for precise immunotherapy by deciphering the complex tumor-immune microenvironment and predicting therapeutic responses. The future of LUSC treatment lies in rational multi-target and biological therapies to boost immune cytotoxicity, …

Single-Cell Multi-Omic Techniques Highlight The Diverse Composition And Intercellular Interactions Of The Vestibular Schwannoma Tumor Microenvironment, Shree S Pari, Sangami Pugazenthi, Albert H Kim, Bhuvic Patel

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are tumors arising from Schwann cells of the vestibulocochlear nerve, often leading to hearing loss, gait imbalance, and other neurological complications. Recently, molecular profiling of VS using bulk and single-cell transcriptional and epigenetic approaches has reshaped our understanding of VS pathogenesis and challenged the long-standing view of VS being molecularly homogeneous. These integrative, multi-omic approaches reveal significant differences within VS and highlight diverse Schwann cell subpopulations and their interactions with the tumor microenvironment. Interestingly, these analyses also uncover 2 molecularly distinct groups of VS, one containing Schwann cells with an "Injury-like" phenotype that drives VS progression through …

Finding Significant Hits In Networks: A Network-Based Tool For Analyzing Gene-Level P-Values To Identify Significant Genes Missed By Standard Methods, Sandeep Acharya, Vaha Akbary Moghaddam, Wooseok J Jung, Yu S Kang, Shu Liao, Michael A Province, Michael R Brent

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Finding Significant Hits in Networks (FISHNET) uses prior biological knowledge, represented as gene interaction networks and gene function annotations, to identify genes that do not meet the genome-wide significance threshold but replicate, nonetheless. Its input is gene-level P-values from any source, including omicsWAS, aggregation of genome-wide association studies P-values, CRISPR screens, or differential expression analysis. It is based on the idea that genes whose P-values are low purely by chance are distributed randomly across networks and functions, so genes with suggestive P-values that cluster in densely connected subnetworks and share common functions are less likely to reflect chance and more …

Bacterial Immune Activation Via Supramolecular Assembly With Phage Triggers, Tong Zhang, Yifei Lyu, Christina R Beck, Naseer Iqbal, Renee Barbosa, Alireza Ghanbarpour, Michael T Laub

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Bacteria use diverse mechanisms to protect themselves against phages

Comparison Of Variant Callers Using 60 532 Multi-Ancestry Whole Genome Sequences, Hufeng Zhou, Nathan O Stitziel, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) studies play a pivotal role in studying the genetic underpinnings of human diseases and traits. High quality and reproducible variant calling is the cornerstone for the success of downstream analyses, including WGS association studies and polygenic risk prediction. This paper compares the data quality, performance, and concordance of two widely used WGS variant callers, the Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK) and Variant Tool set that discovers short variants (VT), using 60 532 multi-ancestry whole genomes sequenced by the Centers for Common Disease Genomics (CCDGs) of the NHGRI Genome Sequencing Program. Our findings show that both QCed GATK …

Astrocyte-Specific Deletion Of Lrrc8a Causes Neurological Dysfunction But Not Chronic White Matter Edema, Sven Kerst, Leoni Hoogterp, Marjolein Breur, Gemma M Van Rooijen-Van Leeuwen, Marianna Bugiani, Rajan Sah, Huibert D Mansvelder, Marjo S Van Der Knaap, Rogier Min

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) are central to cell volume homeostasis. They mediate swelling-induced efflux of chloride and organic osmolytes to drive regulatory volume decrease. In the brain, VRACs have been proposed to play a key role in astrocytic volume regulation. Genetic defects in astrocytic VRAC modulating proteins (MLC1, GlialCAM, Aquaporin-4, GPRC5B) cause the leukodystrophy Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC), characterized by chronic white matter edema and myelin vacuolization. Disrupted VRAC activity in MLC-patient-derived lymphoblasts and primary astrocytes from MLC mice further supports a pathogenic link between defective VRAC activity and MLC. Here, we studied the physiological and pathological consequences …

Increased Clinical Frailty Is Associated With Aortic-Related Mortality Following Fenestrated And Branched Endovascular Repair For Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Silvia Chen, Elizabeth Ramirez, Blake E Murphy, Anjali Sribalaskandarajah, Martin Bunker, Joel Kruger, Karina A Newhall, Rebecca A Sorber, Sara L Zettervall, Matthew P Sweet

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Clinical frailty is associated with reduced long-term survival after fenestrated and branched endovascular aortic repair (F/BEVAR). This study assesses the impact of phenotypic clinical frailty on perioperative outcomes and cause of death following F/BEVAR for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm.

METHODS: Patients who underwent F/BEVAR at a single institution from 2012 to 2024 were identified. The clinical frailty scale (CFS) was used to determine phenotypic frailty. Patients with a preoperative CFS of ≥4 (vulnerable) and a CFS of < 4 were compared. We used χ

RESULTS: We included 233 patients; 60 (25.8%) had a CFS of ≥4 and 173 (74.2%) had a CFS of < 4. Patients with a CFS of ≥4 were more likely to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (53% vs 27%) and were treated for slightly larger aneurysms (72 mm vs 68 mm; P = .04). There were no differences in symptomatic presentation, aneurysm extent, or operative complexity between patient groups. Additionally, there were no differences in perioperative complications including 30-day mortality, stroke, and spinal cord ischemia. Patients with a CFS of ≥4 had an increased length of hospitalization (11.3 days vs 6.9 days; P < .01) and were less likely to return to preoperative functional status (62.7% vs 86.1%; P < .01). The 3-year all-cause and aortic-related mortality rates were 35.2% and 5.7%, respectively. Patients with a CFS of ≥4 had a lower survival at 1 year (74% vs 89%), 3 years (39% vs 73%), and 5 years (25% vs 56%), compared with patients with a CFS of < 4 (P < .01). The most common causes of death among both groups were pulmonary comorbidities (14.0%), oncologic conditions (14.0%), cardiovascular comorbidities (11.2%), and procedure-related complications (11.2%). Patients with a CFS of ≥4 were more likely to die from aortic-related mortality (10.3% vs 5.9%; P = .02), pulmonary comorbidities (15.4 vs 13.2%; P = .04), systemic decline (7.7% vs 1.5%; P = .02), and infection (12.8% vs 7.4%; P = .03). Aortic-related mortality for the entire patient cohort was 2.2% and 5.7% at 1 year and 3 years, respectively. Aortic-related deaths among clinically frail patients were often due to an inability to tolerate further aortic operations (eg, arch repair), and secondary to follow-up nonadherence in patients with a CFS of < 4.

CONCLUSIONS: In an expanded …

Piezo Mechanosensitivity In Chondrocytes Is Differentially Modulated By L-Type And T-Type Voltage-Sensitive Ion Channels, Alireza Savadipour, Gabrielle K Marushack, Robert J Nims, Jaquelin M Garcia-Castorena, Wolfgang Liedtke, Farshid Guilak

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: One of the primary factors contributing to OA development is altered or excessive mechanical stress on the joint, which chondrocytes sense in part through the PIEZO mechanosensitive ion channels. These channels activate signaling pathways that result in joint inflammation and cartilage degeneration. In addition to PIEZO channels, voltage-gated calcium (Ca

DESIGN: To better understand the relationship between PIEZO1 and VGCCs, we quantified porcine chondrocytes' intracellular Ca

RESULTS: In primary chondrocytes, nifedipine, an L-type VGCC blocker, reduced PIEZO1 sensitivity to both mechanical compression and pharmacological agonism, while NNC-55, a T-type VGCC blocker, increased PIEZO1 activation in response to both stimuli. …

Synovial Fibroblast Responses To Different Types Of Injury Resulting In Cartilage Repair Or Osteoarthritis, Fraser L Collins, Alexander J Knights, Tristan Maerz, Anke J Roelofs, Cosimo De Bari

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) has advanced our understanding of the heterogeneity of synovial fibroblasts and their roles in tissue repair and osteoarthritis. Here, we compared the fibroblast responses to different types and duration of joint injury in mice.

DESIGN: Published scRNA-seq data of synovial fibroblasts from a model of joint surface injury (JSI, day 6) and two post-traumatic osteoarthritis models, destabilisation of the medial meniscus (DMM, day 7 and 2 months) and anterior cruciate ligament rupture (ACLR, day 7 and day 28), were integrated and analysed using clustering, DEG, gene-set enrichment, regulon, pseudotime trajectory and cell-cycle analyses.

RESULTS: The response …

From Damage Signals To Immune Modulators: Oxidized Lipids In Immunometabolic Inflammation, Neetu Srivastava, Xiaoxiao Wan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Oxidized lipids, once viewed as byproducts of oxidative stress, are now recognized as critical mediators linking metabolism, redox imbalance, and immunity. Generated through enzymatic and nonenzymatic oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, oxidized phospholipids, lipid aldehydes, and oxidized lipoproteins act as context-dependent signals regulating immune activation, resolution, and metabolic adaptation. In metabolic inflammation, these lipids engage scavenger and Toll-like receptors to influence macrophage polarization, dendritic-cell function, and T-cell differentiation. Their context and concentration determine whether oxidized lipids amplify inflammation or promote immune tolerance. Accumulation of these species connects oxidative stress to immune dysfunction, contributing to diseases, such as atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes, …

Patient And Chondral Defect-Specific Characteristics And Associated Matrix-Induced Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation Conversion Rates Following Biopsy, Derrick M Knapik, Daniel C Touhey, S Ryan Pierson, Christopher K Bozorgmehr, Matthew V Smith, Matthew J Matava, Robert H Brophy

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Focal chondral defects in the knee lead to swelling, discomfort, and mechanical symptoms, resulting in disability and loss of function. Matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) has emerged as a viable treatment option, with satisfactory clinical outcomes reported compared with microfracture. Patient and lesion-specific variables associated with MACI after biopsy remain largely underreported.

PURPOSE: To examine patient- and defect-specific characteristics associated with conversion to MACI after biopsy from a single institution.

STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review of prospectively collected data from June 2018 to March 2025 was performed. Inclusion criteria included patients …

Trajectories And Predictors Of Activity Participation Among People With Parkinson Disease: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study, Moon Young Kim, Yejin Lee, Carolyn M Baum, Lisa T Connor, Chih-Hung Chang, Linda Tickle-Degnen, Erin R Foster

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how participation changes over time among individuals with Parkinsondisease (PD) and identify factors influencing these changes, focusing on impairment level and social factors.

DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a 3-year prospective cohort study of social self-management of PD. Data were collected during 4 in-person assessments conducted at baseline and then annually thereafter. Multilevel modeling was used to analyze data from the 4 time points.

SETTING: Department of Occupational Therapy Research Laboratory and Department of Neurology Movement Disorder Clinic.

PARTICIPANTS: A total of 86 individuals (N = 86) with idiopathic PD (Hoehn & Yahr stages I-IV; mean age ± …

Parkinson's Disease As A Somato-Cognitive Action Network Disorder, Jianxun Ren, Evan M Gordon, Nico U F Dosenbach, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an incurable neurological disorder that often begins insidiously with sleep disturbances and somatic symptoms, progressing to whole-body motor and cognitive symptoms

Bach2 Regulates T Cell Lineage State To Enhance Car T Cell Function, Tien-Ching Chang, Amanda Heard, John Lattin, John M Warrington, Amanda Barrett, Jack H Landmann, Yangdon Tenzin, Vishaal Ganesh, Bryant Thompson, Sadia Afrin, Deepesh Kumar Gupta, Ju-Fang Chang, Julie Ritchey, Mehmet Emrah Selli, Yu-Sung Hsu, A J Federico, Avery Horn, Michael P Meers, John F Dipersio, Nathan Singh, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Nearly all chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) signal in the absence of antigen, referred to as 'tonic signaling'. Tonic signaling of CARs containing 41BB domains enhances T cell fitness and function, in contrast to the exhaustion driven by CD28-containing CARs. Here we show that 41BB induces BACH2, a transcriptional regulator that directs stem and memory programs. Overexpression of BACH2 successfully prevented exhaustion but locked CAR T cells in a quiescent state. We linked BACH2 to a degradation domain to tune BACH2, enabling us to prevent exhaustion while enabling potent effector function that broadly enhanced the long-term efficacy of CAR T cells …

Cdk4/6 Inhibition Mitigates Chemotherapy-Induced Expansion Of Tp53-Mutant Clonal Hematopoiesis, Irenaeus C C Chan, Giulia Petrone, J Scott Beeler, Duc Tran, Griffen Mustion, Catrina Fronick, Carlos Cruchaga, Kelly L Bolton, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Therapy-related myeloid neoplasm (tMN) is a fatal consequence of exposure to cytotoxic therapy administered in the treatment of cancer. Individuals with pre-existing TP53 clonal hematopoiesis (CH) are at high risk of tMN, with avoidance of therapy being the only strategy to reduce tMN risk. Here, in four randomized clinical trials, we show that the CDK4/6 inhibitor trilaciclib, given in conjunction with a variety of chemotherapeutic regimens and across diverse populations of patients with cancer, mitigates chemotherapy-related expansion of CH clones with mutations in DNA damage response genes, including TP53. This finding was also observed in a syngeneic mouse model of …

Active Bone Marrow Dose Reconstruction In A Large-Scale Cohort Study Of Cancer Patients Treated With Photon Radiotherapy, Keith T Griffin, Kishan J Pithadia, Yeon Soo Yeom, Lior Braunstein, Kelly L Bolton, Lindsay M Morton, Choonsik Lee

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have investigated the dose-response relationship between external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and leukemia by reconstructing the mean active bone marrow (ABM) dose as part of the exposure assessment. However, no prior study has leveraged electronic medical records (EMR) to reconstruct ABM dose and dose-volume in an EBRT patient population.

PURPOSE: To support future studies on the relationship between radiation exposure and adverse health effects among EBRT patients, we demonstrate methods to retrospectively calculate ABM dose and dose-volume metrics in a large patient cohort using EMR.

METHODS: We retrieved complete EMR for 639 individuals (five pediatric and 634 adult) …

Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) Is An Agonist Of The Alzheimer's Disease-Associated Immune Receptor Trem2, Hunter B Dean, Ryan A Tuckey, Rory A Greer, Jessica A Greven, Shan-Zhong Yang, Daniel S Elston, Gunnar N Eastep, Yuwei Song, Thomas J Brett, Yuhua Song, Erik D Roberson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 2 (TREM2) is one of the strongest genetic risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several TREM2 ligands are known, including charged lipids and AD-associated proteins like apolipoprotein E and amyloid-β, but the full range of endogenous ligands for TREM2 remains unknown. Here we combined virtual screening of the Human Metabolome Database with molecular dynamics simulations, binding free energy estimation, and biolayer interferometry to identify novel TREM2 ligands and map their binding sites. Cholecalciferol, the unmodified parent form of vitamin D3, emerged as a top candidate. Structural modeling indicated that cholecalciferol binds TREM2 at …

Mapping Charge Interactions In Intrinsically Disordered Proteins, Michael Phillips, Andrea Holla, Magdalena Wojtas, Aritra Chowdhury, Andrea Sottini, Sebastian L B König, Natalie Mutter, Nick Lamb, Jonathan Huihui, Monika Lopko, Andrea Soranno, Daniel Nettels, Andrzej Ożyhar, Benjamin Schuler, Kingshuk Ghosh

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are often rich in charged residues, and electrostatic interactions have a pronounced effect on their conformational distributions, interactions and functions. However, attaining quantitative understanding of electrostatics is challenging because of the sequence-specific arrangement of charges in the chain, the long-range nature of electrostatic interactions, charge screening, and the condensation of counterions-effects that all need to be taken into account self-consistently. Here, analytically tractable quantitative models are developed to predict ensemble average distances between any pair of residues in IDPs as a function of sequence and salt concentration, explicitly considering charge patterning. These models are tested systematically …

A Joint Effort: Stakeholders' Perspectives Of Medication Management Reviews In Australian Residential Aged Care, Rajendra Gyawali, Marea O'Donnell, Rachel Jenkins, Amy D. Nguyen, Lalit Yadav, Rosemary Saunders, Fiona J. Clay, Johanna I. Westbrook, Karla Seaman, Magdalena Z. Raban

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Residential Medication Management Review (RMMR) is a government-funded pharmacist-led service to address medication-related problems, such as polypharmacy, which are prevalent in aged care. Despite known benefits, concerns remain about the service's effective implementation to benefit residents. We aimed to explore stakeholders' perspectives of the service and identify challenges and improvement opportunities. Method: A qualitative study was conducted using individual interviews and focus groups with 21 stakeholders, including general practitioners (GPs), a nurse practitioner, registered nurses, pharmacists and consumers. Audio transcripts of the discussions were thematically analysed using inductive coding. Results: Seven interconnected themes were identified, highlighting complexities in RMMR …

Clinical Insights Into The Management Of Sleep Disturbances Within Cancer Care: A Qualitative Analysis, Sam Adams, Timothy D. Clay, Mitchell Turner, Christopher Kueh, Kelly Moes, Travis Cruickshank

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: The present study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of how oncology healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) manage sleep disturbances. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 oncology HCPs (medical oncologists, oncology nurse practitioners, clinical nurse consultants) working in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to understand oncology HCPs’ perspectives on treating sleep disturbances, explore challenges and barriers to their management, as well as opportunities for improvement. Results: Four main themes were developed: (1) sleep disturbances are underreported and underassessed, (2) poor sleep can be difficult to manage, (3) limited capacity to address sleep issues, and (4) opportunities …

Dietary Flavonoid Intake And Psychological Well-Being – A Bidirectional Relationship, Alysha S. Thompson, Nicola P. Bondonno, Yan Lydia Liu, Farah Qureshi, Laura D. Kubzansky, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, Julia K. Boehm, Eric B. Rimm, Aedín Cassidy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and aim: Higher dietary flavonoid intake has been associated with lower risks of mortality and major chronic disease, yet its relationship with psychological well-being (PWB), a key contributor to health and quality of life, remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate bidirectional associations between dietary flavonoid intake and two PWB facets: happiness (positive emotional state) and optimism (generalized expectation of positive outcomes). Specifically, we examined whether (1) overall flavonoid-rich dietary patterns (flavodiet score), (2) intake of specific flavonoid-rich foods, and (3) total flavonoid and subclass intakes were each associated with happiness and optimism over time. Methods: Data were drawn …

Mass Cytometry Workflow To Achieve High-Dimensional Immunophenotyping In Resource-Limited Or Decentralized Environments, Natalie Smith, Michael Cohen, Lauren Tracey, Julie Alipaz, Christina Loh, David King, Neha Pulyani, Rebecca Auzins, Elin Gray, Sandra Taylor, Rajat Rai, Steven Kao, Barbara Fazekas De St Groth, Helen Mcguire

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Globally, regional and remote communities are burdened by both an increased prevalence and worse prognosis of many infectious and chronic diseases. However, largely owing to logistical challenges, these communities are under-represented in clinical trials and research studies. As individuals from rural communities experience unique environmental exposures and risk factors for disease, immune phenotyping data collected from metropolitan populations may not be broadly generalizable. To address this, we present a workflow that enables the inclusion of resource-limited sites in high-parameter mass cytometry studies. In this approach, whole blood (WB) or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are collected, stained fresh for surface …

Optimizing Agility Training In Team Sport Players—The Role Of Perception-Action Coupling: A Systematic Review With Multi-Level Meta-Analysis, Zhiwei Zhao, Yuhang Liu, Kai Xu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Agility, characterized by rapid whole-body movement in response to external stimuli, is a key performance determinant in team sports owing to its reliance on perception-action coupling. Despite its importance, existing evidence on training effects is disproportionately focused on change-of-direction ability, overlooking the perceptual-cognitive demands of true agility. This systematic review therefore sought to quantify the effects of agility-specific training, examine moderators and establish dose-response model in team-sport players, while accounting for perception-action coupling. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, systematic searches were conducted in Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed for peer-reviewed English-language studies. Risk of bias was appraised using a modified …

Oral Ferrous Sulphate Supplementation Has Greater Efficacy, But Lower Tolerance Than Iron (Iii)-Hydroxide Polymaltose Complexes In Exercising Women With Low Iron Stores, Alannah Ka Mckay, Sophie Broome, Nicolin Tee, Kin Lui Yim, Marc Sim, Peter Peeling, Louise M. Burke

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background & Aims: Iron deficiency (ID) is a global health condition that predominately affects women. Although oral iron supplementation is an effective treatment strategy for this issue, gastrointestinal complaints are common, and if persistent, may lead to poor compliance. The efficacy of different iron formulations which claim to improve tolerance is unclear. This study assessed the efficacy and tolerability of ferrous sulphate (FS) and iron (III)-hydroxide polymaltose complex (IPC) supplementation in three different cohorts of women.. Methods: This study implemented a 12-week, single-blind, randomized controlled trial. Eligible participants had a serum ferritin concentration of <50 μg/L and met specific inclusion criteria to be enrolled to either the athlete, pre-menopausal or post-menopausal groups. Participants were randomized to receive FS (equivalent to 105 mg elemental iron) plus sodium ascorbate or IPC (equivalent to 100 mg elemental iron) daily. Venous blood samples were collected at baseline, 4-, 8- and 12-weeks of supplementation. A daily questionnaire was completed throughout the study period, documenting supplement tolerance (number and severity of symptoms), exercise load, menstrual characteristics, and supplement compliance. Results: Fifty-seven participants completed the intervention with a compliance rate of 94.9 % [range: 74.8-100 %]. A significant interaction between supplement and time was evident for ferritin (p < 0.001), where FS increased after 12 weeks (+109 %; p < 0.001) but no change was evident in IPC (+7 %; p = 0.727). No differences were detected between cohorts (p > 0.05). The IPC group had a …

Pleural Metastases From Acral Lentiginous Melanoma Diagnosed By Medical Thoracoscopy, Ad Rian Chong, Khai Lip Ng, Nai-Chien Huan, Nur Husna Mohd Aminudin, Fazilah Hassan, Kasuma Mohamed Nordin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) with pleural metastases is rare and under-recognised. We report an 86-year-old woman with progressive dyspnoea and pleuritic chest pain. 18 months ago, she was diagnosed with stage IIC ALM of the right heel, and was treated with wide local excision, but she declined adjuvant therapy. Imaging demonstrated a large left pleural effusion with diffuse pleural thickening, pulmonary mass, and hepatic metastases. Brownish pleural fluid, along with thoracoscopic identification of multiple pigmented nodules, led to a histologically confirmed diagnosis. Talc pleurodesis was performed for symptom control, and best supportive care was pursued. This case highlights the diagnostic …

Reimagining Peer-Led Support In Doctoral Nursing And Midwifery Education: A Collaborative Autoethnographic Case Study, Gideon U. Johnson, Sachini Thennakoon, Mayumi Kumarage, Emy Toutountzis, Lisa Whitehead

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aim: To explore how peer-led initiatives can enhance connection, belonging and sustainability within higher degree by research (HDR) nursing and midwifery programmes. Background: HDR study can be an isolating experience, often characterised by fragmented support and limited opportunities for structured peer learning. While institutions provide formal mechanisms for supervision and progress, less attention has been given to student-led approaches that cultivate inclusive scholarly communities and sustained peer engagement. Design: Collaborative autoethnographic case study. Methods: HDR student representatives and academic staff at Edith Cowan University, Australia (2022–2024), reflected collaboratively on the design, implementation and impact of peer-led initiatives, including monthly hybrid …

Skeletal Muscle Health In Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Anna Maria Markarian, Dennis R. Taaffe, Daniel A. Galvão, Carolyn J. Peddle-Mcintyre, Jodie Cochrane Wilkie, Francesco Bettariga, Nicholas G. Gottardo, Mayank Dhamija, Santosh Valvi, Catriona M. Buchanan, Kerrie Graham, Robert U. Newton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at risk of long-term skeletal muscle deficits following intensive therapies during critical periods of growth. This review aimed to synthesize approaches for assessing muscle quantity, quality, and function in CCS and to quantify deficits relative to healthy peers. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science from inception to June 2024, with an update in November 2025. Studies including CCS who had completed cancer treatment and reported measures of muscle quantity, quality, or physical function were eligible. A three-level mixed-effects model meta-analysis was conducted. Associations between muscle …

The Relationships Between Social Network Size, Loneliness And Personality In Individuals Living With A Neurological Condition: An Exploratory Study, Isabella Branson, Kate Turner, Mitchell Turner, Manja Laws, Leah Dempsey, Simon Laws, Mandy Stanley, Johnny Lo, Travis Cruickshank

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: People living with a neurological condition often report having smaller social networks and less frequent social contact, leading to greater loneliness and worse quality of life. This study explored the relationships between personality traits, social network size (SNS) and perceived loneliness in this population. Methods: Sixty-eight individuals diagnosed with a neurological condition participated in this study. Perceived loneliness was assessed using the UCLA Loneliness Scale – Version 3, SNS was evaluated by the Social Network Index and personality traits were examined using the NEO Factor Five Inventory. Path analysis was conducted to determine if loneliness was negatively associated with …

Vibostolimab Coformulated With Pembrolizumab Versus Pembrolizumab Alone As Adjuvant Therapy For High-Risk Stage Iib–Iv Melanoma (Keyvibe-010): A Randomised, Double-Blind, Phase 3 Study, Reinhard Dummer, Jun Guo, Jason J. Luke, Matteo S. Carlino, Dirk Schadendorf, Muhammad A. Khattak, Axel Hauschild, Paolo A. Ascierto, Yu Chen, Sang Joon Shin, Piotr Rutkowski, Zhiguo Luo, Jing Chen, Gareth Rivalland, Corlia Coetzee, Antoni Ribas, Karmele Mujika, Gal Markel, Rodrigo U. Villarroel, Omer Dizdar, Christian Caglevic, Dmitri Grebennik, Kevin Donovan, Clemens Krepler, Georgina V. Long

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background Combination therapy with vibostolimab plus pembrolizumab has previously shown promising antitumor activity in melanoma. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of vibostolimab coformulated with pembrolizumab as adjuvant therapy for high-risk resected melanoma. Methods This randomised, double-blind, phase 3 study was done at 205 global sites (hospitals and cancer centres). Participants aged 12 years or older with surgically resected, stage IIB–IV cutaneous melanoma per the American Joint Committee on Cancer Cancer Staging Manual 2017 (8th edition), with no evidence of metastatic disease after resection, were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive vibostolimab 200 mg coformulated with pembrolizumab 200 mg …