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Machine Learning-Based DNA Methylation Score for Fetal Exposure to Maternal SmokingFetal exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with the development of noncommunicable diseases in the offspring. Maternal smoking may induce such long-term effects through persistent changes in the DNA methylome, which therefore hold the potential to be used as a biomarker of this early life exposure. With declining costs for measuring DNA methylation, we aimed to develop a DNA methylation score that can be used on adolescent DNA methylation data and thereby generate a score for in utero cigarette smoke exposure.
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Repair of an Attenuated Low-Passage Murine Cytomegalovirus Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Identifies a Novel Spliced Gene Essential for Salivary Gland TropismThe cloning of herpesviruses as bacterial artificial chromosomes (BAC) has revolutionized the study of herpesvirus biology, allowing rapid and precise manipulation of viral genomes. Several clinical strains of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) have been cloned as BACs; however, no low-passage strains of murine CMV, which provide a model mimicking these isolates, have been cloned. Here, the low-passage G4 strain of was BAC cloned. G4 carries an m157 gene that does not ligate the natural killer cell-activating receptor, Ly49H, meaning that unlike laboratory strains of MCMV, this virus replicates well in C57BL/6 mice.
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Ambient Air Pollution, Extreme Temperatures and Birth Outcomes: A Protocol for an Umbrella Review, Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisPrenatal exposure to ambient air pollution and extreme temperatures are among the major risk factors of adverse birth outcomes and with potential long-term effects during the life course. Although low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are most vulnerable, there is limited synthesis of evidence in such settings. This document describes a protocol for both an umbrella review (Systematic Review 1) and a focused systematic review and meta-analysis of studies from LMICs (Systematic Review 2).
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DETECT Schools Study Protocol: A Prospective Observational Cohort Surveillance Study Investigating the Impact of COVID-19 in Western Australian SchoolsAmidst the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the transmission dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is key to providing peace of mind for the community and informing policy-making decisions. While available data suggest that school-aged children are not significant spreaders of SARS-CoV-2, the possibility of transmission in schools remains an ongoing concern, especially among an aging teaching workforce. Even in low-prevalence settings, communities must balance the potential risk of transmission with the need for students' ongoing education.
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Global, regional, and national progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 for neonatal and child health: all-cause and cause-specific mortality findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 has targeted elimination of preventable child mortality, reduction of neonatal death to less than 12 per 1000 livebirths, and reduction of death of children younger than 5 years to less than 25 per 1000 livebirths, for each country by 2030.
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A Review of Self-Compassion as an Active Ingredient in the Prevention and Treatment of Anxiety and Depression in Young PeoplePrevious meta-analyses have found higher self-compassion is associated with lower anxiety and depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of self-compassion as an active ingredient in the treatment and prevention of anxiety and depression in youth. This was conducted through (i) a systematic review of the literature and (ii) qualitative consultation with young people and researchers in self-compassion.
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Is ‘a little’ too much?: An exploration of women’s beliefs about alcohol use during pregnancyInterventions to address alcohol use during pregnancy need to target underlying determinants of the behaviour. Using the theory of planned behaviour as a theoretical framework, the aim of this study was to identify behavioural, normative and control beliefs regarding alcohol use during pregnancy among a sample of women.
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Continuous Glucose Monitoring Improves Glycemic Outcomes in Children With Type 1 Diabetes: Real-World Data From a Population-Based ClinicAlthough recent clinical trials of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) use have shown positive glycemic benefit, outcomes outside the research setting may differ and real-world studies over a long time period are limited. In April 2017, CGM was fully subsidized in Australia for people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) <21 years. Perth Children’s Hospital is the sole pediatric diabetes center in Western Australia and is where almost all patients <18 years of age are seen.
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Effect of a Hybrid Closed-Loop System on Glycemic and Psychosocial Outcomes in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical TrialHybrid closed-loop (HCL) therapy has improved glycemic control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes; however, the efficacy of HCL on glycemic and psychosocial outcomes has not yet been established in a long-term randomized clinical trial.
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In vitro assessment of biofilm formation by streptococcus pyogenes isolates from invasive and non-invasive samples with diverse emm type profilesBiofilm is one of the important virulence factors that is responsible for the severity and progression of the Streptococcus pyogenes diseases. M-protein is involved in the irreversible attachment of S. pyogenes to surfaces during biofilm development. This study aims to determine the propensity of S. pyogenes to form biofilms and the molecular epidemiology of S. pyogenes isolates by emm typing.