Australian Research Research Articles

Global, regional, and country-level coverage of testing and treatment for HIV and hepatitis C infection among people who inject drugs: a systematic review

People who inject drugs are disproportionately affected by HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, while there is little global data on HIV and HCV testing and treatment coverage of this population. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate country-level, regional, and global coverage of HIV and HCV testing and treatment among people who inject drugs. We did a systematic review, and searched bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO) and grey literature for studies published between Jan 1, 2017, and April 30, 2022, that evaluated the proportion of people who inject drugs who received testing or treatment for HIV or HCV. For each country, we estimated the proportion of people who inject drugs tested for HIV antibodies in the past 12 months (recent), people who inject drugs ever tested for HCV antibodies and HCV RNA, people who inject drugs with HIV currently receiving antiretroviral therapy, and people who inject drugs with HCV ever receiving HCV antiviral treatment. Regional and global estimates, weighted by the population size of people who inject drugs, were generated where sufficient data were available. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020173974). 512 documents reported data eligible for analyses, including 337 peer-reviewed articles, 27 conference abstracts or presentations, and 148 documents from grey literature or supplementary searches. Data of recent HIV antibody testing were available for 67 countries and ever having had HCV antibody testing were available for 49 countries. Globally, an estimated 48·8% of people who inject drugs were recently tested for HIV antibodies (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 43·3-54·2%; range 0·9-86·0%), and 47·1% had ever been tested for HCV antibodies (95% UI 43·4-51·0%; range 0·0-93·3%). HCV RNA testing data were available from three countries. Coverage of HIV antibody testing was high (>75%) in four countries and for HCV antibody testing in 15 countries. The estimated uptake of current HIV treatment (18 countries) ranged from 2·6% to 81·9%, and the estimated uptake of ever having HCV treatment (23 countries) ranged from 1·8% to 88·6% across countries. Uptake of HIV treatment was high in two countries, and of HCV treatment in one country. HIV and HCV testing and treatment uptake among people who inject drugs was highly variable, and suboptimal in most countries. Strategies to improve access to HIV and HCV care among people who inject drugs and the availability of public health surveillance are urgently required. Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and UK National Institute for Health and Care Research Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation.

Interleukin 10 (IL10) promoter region polymorphism is associated with IL10 serum concentrations and processing speed in healthy community-dwelling older adults

Inflammation is repressed by interleukin 10 (IL10), a potent anti-inflammatory cytokine, and unchecked inflammation can have detrimental effects on cognition. In healthy older adults enrolled in the Australian Research Council Longevity Intervention (ARCLI) cohort we explored whether a known functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter region of IL10, −1082 G/A (rs1800896), was associated with reaction times on computerized cognitive testing that included elements of processing speed (i.e., reaction time). Participants were aged 60–75 years (240 females, 158 males), free of dementia and psychiatric disorders, and provide a blood sample. Processing speed was measured using the Swinburne University Computerized Cognitive Assessment Battery (SUCCAB), which includes measures of reaction time (in milliseconds, ms) on six tasks. Blood-derived DNA was genotyped for the IL10 rs1800896 SNP and presence of the APOE E4 allele. General linear models for each SUCCAB subtest were fitted, with age, sex, education (years), APOE E4 carrier status, and IL10 genotype as independent variables. Carriers of the IL10 AA genotype had significantly slower reaction times on multiple tests compared to carriers of the minor allele (AG, GG) and lower IL10 serum levels. Although IL10 SNPs have not been detected in Alzheimer’s disease genome-wide associated studies, these results support further exploration of IL10 mechanisms as a possible resilience factor.

Women on the frontline: exploring the gendered experience for Pacific healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Women comprise 90% of patient-facing global healthcare workers (HCWs), yet remain underpaid, undervalued, and under-represented in leadership and decision-making positions, particularly across the Pacific region. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these health workplace inequalities. We sought to understand Pacific women HCWs experience from the COVID-19 frontline to contribute to policies aimed at addressing gendered gaps in regional health systems. Our interpretative phenomenological study used critical feminist and social theory, and a gendered health systems analytical framework. Data were collected using online focus groups and in-depth interviews with 36 Pacific regional participants between March 2020 and July 2021. Gender-specific content and women's voices were privileged for inductive analysis by Pacific and Australian women researchers with COVID-19 frontline lived experience. Pacific women HCWs have authority and responsibility resulting from their familial, biological, and cultural status, but are often subordinate to men. They were emancipatory leaders during COVID-19, and as HCWs demonstrated compassion, situational awareness, and concern for staff welfare. Pacific women HCWs also faced ethical challenges to prioritise family or work responsibilities, safely negotiate childbearing, and maintain economic security. Despite enhanced gendered power differentials during COVID-19, Pacific women HCWs used their symbolic capital to positively influence health system performance. Gender-transformative policies are urgently required to address disproportionate clinical and community care burdens and to protect and support the Pacific female health workforce. Epidemic Ethics/World Health Organization (WHO), Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office/Wellcome Grant 214711/Z/18/Z. Co-funding: Australasian College for Emergency Medicine Foundation, International Development Fund Grant.

Scientific eminence and scientific hierarchy: bibliometric prediction of fellowship in the Australian Academy of Science

Research metrics are known to predict many markers of scientific eminence, but fellowship in learned academies has not been examined in this context. The present research used Scopus-based citation indices, including a composite index developed by Ioannidis et al., (PLoS Biol 14:e1002501, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1002501) that improves cross-field comparison, to predict fellowship in the Australian Academy of Sciences (AAS). Based on ideas of a hierarchy of the sciences, the study also examined whether researchers from natural science fields were advantaged in achieving AAS fellowship relative to researchers from fields toward the social science end of the hierarchy. In a comprehensive sample of top global researchers, the composite index and its components all strongly differentiated Australian researchers who were elected as AAS fellows from those who were not. As predicted, when composite index scores were statistically controlled, researchers in physical and mathematical sciences were more likely to achieve fellow status than biological scientists, who were much more likely to achieve it than psychological, cognitive, and social scientists. Researchers in basic science fields also had an election advantage over those in more applied and technological fields. These findings suggest that recognition by learned academies may be predicted by citation indices, but may also be influenced by the perceived hardness, prestige, and purity of research fields.

The burden of head trauma in rural and remote North Queensland, Australia

BackgroundHead trauma is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Young males, Indigenous people, and rural/remote residents have been identified as high-risk populations for head trauma, however, Australian research is limited. Our aim was to define and describe the incidence, demographics, causes, prehospital interventions, and outcomes of head trauma patients transported by aeromedical services within North Queensland, Australia. We hypothesized that young, Indigenous males living remotely would be disproportionately affected by head trauma. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study of all head trauma patients transferred by air to or between Townsville, Cairns, Mount Isa and Mackay Hospitals between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2018. Patients were identified from the Trauma Care in the Tropics data registry and followed for a median 30-months post-injury. Primary endpoints were patient and injury characteristics. Secondary outcome measures were hospital stay and mortality. ResultsA total of 981 patients were included and 31.1 % were Indigenous. Sixty-seven percent of injuries occurred remotely and the median time from injury to hospital was 5.8-hours (range 67–3780 min). Eighty percent of severe head injuries occurred in males (p = 0.007). Indigenous and remote patients were more likely to sustain mild injuries. The most common mechanism of injury overall was vehicle accident (37.5 %), compared to assault in the Indigenous subgroup (46.6 %, p<0.001). The overall mortality rate was 4.9 %, with older age and lower initial Glasgow Coma Score significant predictors of in-hospital mortality. Prehospital intubation was associated with a 7-fold increased risk of mortality (p = 0.056), while patients that received tranexamic acid (TXA) were almost 5-times more likely to die. ConclusionsIn North Queensland, young Indigenous males are at highest risk of traumatic head injuries. Vehicle accidents are an important preventable cause of head injury in the region. TXA administration is an important consideration for remote head trauma retrievals, in which time to emergency care is prolonged. Appropriate treatment and risk stratification strategies considering time to definitive care, severity of injury, and other prehospital patient factors require further investigation.

“Very communitas”: Testing a hypothesis in creative writing, methodologically

This paper examines the concept of communitas in practice (as a loanword from cultural anthropology and social sciences), what it is and what it can offer creative writing, to test whether it might apply to different creative practice settings. Specifically for this essay, the setting is WrICE (Writers Immersion and Cultural Exchange program) and the research project examining WrICE as the object of its enquiry (Australian Research Council Discovery Project entitled “Connecting Asia-Pacific Literary Cultures: Grounds, Encounter and Exchange”). If we think of communitas in the way anthropologist and poet Edith “Edie” Turner likes to describe it as (un)structured ritual, a condition for creativity, a space where the intensity of feeling or joy can arise (2012), how might a communitas unfolding look and feel as we practice creative writing? How might we think about communitas and what would it mean to do communitas as creative writing method, as drawing-as-method? Also, how might communitas be performed on the page in an academic context such as this: can we as researchers enact or embody communitas?

Decarbonising the world economy with synthetic biology

Decarbonising the world economy with synthetic biology Macquarie University Distinguished Professor Ian Paulsen, discusses how synthetic biology can be used to decarbonise the global economy. Addressing atmospheric carbon from human activities is paramount to tackling climate change. Synthetic biology offers a likely way to accelerate this decarbonisation of the global economy while simultaneously building new industries and jobs. At the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology (CoESB), our researchers play a pivotal role in creating a pathway for this possible future.

Trial of Vancomycin and Cefazolin as Surgical Prophylaxis in Arthroplasty

BackgroundThe addition of vancomycin to beta-lactam prophylaxis in arthroplasty may reduce surgical-site infections; however, the efficacy and safety are unclear.MethodsIn this multicenter, double-blind, superiority, placebo-controlled trial, we randomly assigned adult patients without known methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization who were undergoing arthroplasty to receive 1.5 g of vancomycin or normal saline placebo, in addition to cefazolin prophylaxis. The primary outcome was surgical-site infection within 90 days after surgery.ResultsA total of 4239 patients underwent randomization. Among 4113 patients in the modified intention-to-treat population (2233 undergoing knee arthroplasty, 1850 undergoing hip arthroplasty, and 30 undergoing shoulder arthroplasty), surgical-site infections occurred in 91 of 2044 patients (4.5%) in the vancomycin group and in 72 of 2069 patients (3.5%) in the placebo group (relative risk, 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94 to 1.73; P=0.11). Among patients undergoing knee arthroplasty, surgical-site infections occurred in 63 of 1109 patients (5.7%) in the vancomyin group and in 42 of 1124 patients (3.7%) in the placebo group (relative risk, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.04 to 2.23). Among patients undergoing hip arthroplasty, surgical-site infections occurred in 28 of 920 patients (3.0%) in the vancomyin group and in 29 of 930 patients (3.1%) in the placebo group (relative risk, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.59 to 1.63). Adverse events occurred in 35 of 2010 patients (1.7%) in the vancomycin group and in 35 of 2030 patients (1.7%) in the placebo group, including hypersensitivity reactions in 24 of 2010 patients (1.2%) and 11 of 2030 patients (0.5%), respectively (relative risk, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.08 to 4.49), and acute kidney injury in 42 of 2010 patients (2.1%) and 74 of 2030 patients (3.6%), respectively (relative risk, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.83).ConclusionsThe addition of vancomycin to cefazolin prophylaxis was not superior to placebo for the prevention of surgical-site infections in arthroplasty among patients without known MRSA colonization. (Funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council; Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number, ACTRN12618000642280.)

Projection of high temperature-related burden of kidney disease in Australia under different climate change, population and adaptation scenarios: population-based study

The dual impacts of a warming climate and population ageing lead to an increasing kidney disease prevalence, highlighting the importance of quantifying the burden of kidney disease (BoKD) attributable to high temperature, yet studies on this subject are limited. The study aims to quantify the BoKD attributable to high temperatures in Australia across all states and territories, and project future BoKD under climatic, population and adaptation scenarios. Data on disability-adjusted-life-years (DALYs) due to kidney disease, including years of life lost (YLL), and years lived with disability (YLD), were collected during 2003-2018 (baseline) across all states and territories in Australia. The temperature-response association was estimated using a meta-regression model. Future temperature projections were calculated using eight downscaled climate models to estimate changes in attributable BoKD centred around 2030s and 2050s, under two greenhouse gas emissions scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5), while considering changes in population size and age structure, and human adaptation to climate change. Over the baseline (2003-2018), high-temperature contributed to 2.7% (Standard Deviation: 0.4%) of the observed BoKD in Australia. The future population attributable fraction and the attributable BoKD, projected using RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, showed a gradually increasing trend when assuming no human adaptation. Future projections were most strongly influenced by the population change, with the high temperature-related BoKD increasing by 18.4-67.4% compared to the baseline under constant population and by 100.2-291.2% when accounting for changes in population size and age structure. However, when human adaptation was adopted (from no to partial to full), the high temperature-related BoKD became smaller. It is expected that increasing high temperature exposure will substantially contribute to higher BoKD across Australia, underscoring the urgent need for public health interventions to mitigate the negative health impacts of a warming climate on BoKD. Australian Research Council Discovery Program.

The role of part-time arrangements in the sustainability of midwifery continuity of care models in Australia: An integrative review.

International maternity care experts have called for expanding midwiferyled continuity of care (MCoC) models. However, the number of models need augmentation as the number of women receiving this care is small. The majority of the midwifery workforce in Australian public health systems comprises women who work part-time. This aspect of the midwifery workforce demands careful consideration when attempting to change a maternity care system and sustain new models of care. Sparse research has been undertaken to explore whether part-time factors could play a role in the growth and sustainability of MCoC in Australia. This integrative review aims to analyze the role of parttime practice arrangements in the sustainability of MCoC models in Australia. Following a systematic search of research databases (CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Proquest) and screening the literature with eligibility criteria including keywords related to midwifery continuity of care, workforce arrangements and full-time equivalent (FTE), eight Australian research articles were identified for evaluation. The articles were appraised for bias using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and data were analyzed using an integrated convergent narrative synthesis method. The resulting themes from the synthesis suggest that part-time MCoC roles may support the sustainability of the MCoC workforce without reducing quality of care to women. In various studies, midwives reported that FTE (full-time equivalent) of 0.5 may not meet the job's demands. However, this is likely influenced by local context and caseload size rather than the quantum of each midwife's FTE. The quality of the studies is limited due to the small scale of the studies; however, the qualitative results give a depth of understanding to the strengths and challenges that part-time arrangements in MCoC add to the midwifery workforce. This review recommends that part-time arrangements in MCoC models in Australia be evaluated in conjunction with other routinely analyzed workforce data. Further considerations should be made by midwifery managers, leaders, stakeholders, and decision makers responsible for developing and supporting part-time job arrangements in caseload models of care in Australia.

Emotional Engagement and Trading Performance

Emotional involvement is known to be necessary but not sufficient for good decision making in the face of uncertainty. It has been conjectured that emotional engagement in anticipation of risky outcomes constitutes “good” emotions. We introduce a new methodology to determine whether anticipatory emotional engagement is beneficial in the context of trading in financial markets. We focus on heart rate changes because they occur at a sufficiently high frequency to discern timing relative to events in the marketplace. After conservatively adjusting for multiple hypothesis testing, we find that participants whose heart rate changes anticipate their order submissions at inflated prices earn significantly more, whereas participants whose heart rate responds to their trades earn significantly less. By investigating cointegration between skin conductance response and the dynamics of individual portfolio values, we confirm the importance of emotional involvement in determining who makes or loses money. This paper was accepted by Bruno Biais, finance. Funding: This work was supported by the Australian Research Council [Grants DP180102284 and LE130100112]. The authors also thank the Monash Business School for funds associated with the Monash Business Behavioural Laboratory facility and equipment used in this study. Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4883 .

Establishing a framework for the ethical and legal use of web scrapers by cybercrime and cybersecurity researchers: learnings from a systematic review of Australian research

Abstract The Internet has become an increasingly attractive location for collecting data about cyber threats, driven by the abundance of quality data available and accessible online. As such, researchers and practitioners have turned to automated data collection technologies (ADCT), including ‘web crawlers’ and ‘web scrapers’, to study these threats. The rapid proliferation of ADCT has meant directions for their ethical and legal operation have been slow to adapt, with no clear guidelines regulating their use for research. This article identifies the relevant ethical and legal frameworks guiding the deployment of ADCT in Australia for cybersecurity research. This is accomplished through a systematic review of research within this context, coupled with ethical and jurisprudential analysis. We argue that the use of ADCT can be both ethical and legal, but only where mitigating measures are implemented. We provide a series of practical directions to guide researchers and practitioners when navigating this novel terrain.

THU596 Heteromerization Of The Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor And The Bradykinin Type 2 Receptor

Abstract Disclosure: E.K. Johnstone: Grant Recipient; Self; Australian Research Council. K.D. Pfleger: Grant Recipient; Self; Australian Research Council. Stock Owner; Self; Dimerix Bioscience Pty Ltd. Background: Receptor heteromerization is the phenomenon whereby two different receptors form a functional complex that attains unique pharmacological properties. Consequently, receptor heteromers can be considered novel drug targets, with the potential to achieve greater therapeutic selectivity and specificity. In a landmark study, the first receptor heteromer to be associated with a disease was the heteromer that forms between the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor and the bradykinin type 2 (B2) receptor (1). The AT1-B2 heteromer reportedly led to increased angiotensin II signalling, which was implicated in the angiotensin II hypersensitivity involved in pre-eclampsia. However, the validity of this study was questioned by a collaboration of several groups who were unable to find any evidence for a physical or a function interaction between the two receptors (2). As a consequence of these conflicting studies, the existence of the AT1-B2 receptor heteromer has remained controversial. Aim: Investigation of evidence for heteromerization of the AT1 receptor and the B2 receptor. Methods: AT1 receptor and B2 receptor pharmacology and potential heteromerization was investigated in HEK293FT cells using various bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-proximity based assays, as well as Dimerix’s Receptor-Heteromer Investigation Technology (Receptor-HIT) (3). Receptor-HIT enables the investigation of receptor heteromers through their specific ligand-induced proximity to interacting proteins. BRET assays, including in the Receptor-HIT configuration, allow real time, live cell monitoring of proximity between biomolecules of interest. Results: Using the Receptor-HIT assay, we confirmed the existence of the AT1-B2 receptor heteromer in HEK293FT cells. We found that the heteromer was able to recruit various GPCR interacting proteins, such as G proteins and arrestin in a bradykinin-dependent manner. Additionally, the heteromer also internalised and trafficked through the cell upon treatment with bradykinin. The close proximity of the two receptors was confirmed using a variation of the Receptor-HIT assay, which monitors receptor-ligand binding rather than protein-protein interactions. Discussion: Our study supports the existence of the AT1-B2 receptor heteromer and identifies various pharmacological properties of the complex. Further studies are required to relate these molecular properties to physiological consequences of heteromerization. (1)AbdAlla et al. Nat Med2001, 7 (9), 1003 1009.(2)Hansen et al. J Biol Chem2009;284(3):1831 1839.(3)Johnstone et al. Biochem Soc T. 2021;49:1555–65. Presentation: Thursday, June 15, 2023

Leader Signals and “Growth Mindset”: A Natural Field Experiment in Attracting Minorities to High-Profile Positions

We conduct a large-scale natural field experiment with a Fortune 500 company to test several light-touch approaches to attract minorities to high-profile positions. A total of 5,000 prospective applicants were randomized into treatments that vary a small portion of recruiting materials. We find that self-selection at two early-career stages exhibits a substantial race gap. We then show that this gap can be strongly influenced by several treatments, with some closing the race gap and increasing application rates of minorities by 40% and others being particularly effective for minority women. These effects are not accompanied by any declines in application rates of majority group job seekers. In addition, we do not find that endorsing the “business case” for diversity reduces the race gap or raises application rates by minorities or women. The heterogeneities we find by gender, race, and career stage shed light on the underlying drivers of self-selection barriers among minorities. This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, behavioral economics and decision analysis. Funding: The authors thank the Brigham Young University College of Family, Home, and Social Science for generous research support. This research was funded in part by the Lowe Institute of Political Economy at Claremont McKenna College as well as the Australian Research Council Future Fellowship grant Nr. 190100252. Christina Rott thanks the School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, for research support through the Hermine Weijland Fellowship. Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4909 .

Taxonomic review of the genus Dasycercus (Dasyuromorphia: Dasyuridae) using modern and subfossil material; and the description of three new species

The genus Dasycercus (Dasyuridae: Dasyuromorphia) has a long and ongoing history of taxonomic uncertainty. Currently two species are recognized: Dasycercus cristicauda and Dasycercus blythi, with the previously named Dasycercus hillieri considered a junior synonym of D. cristicauda. This investigation integrates modern, historical and subfossil material from across Australia to provide the most comprehensive review of the genus to date. Cranial and dental morphological characters that enable phylogenetic and morphometric analysis of taxa are established. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and principal component analysis (PCA) of craniodental measurements, including from the type specimens of named taxa (D. cristicauda, D. hillieri and D. blythi), are used to assess the validity of each taxon. The results confirm the validity of D. cristicauda and D. blythi as species, but also reconfirm the validity of D. hillieri. As a result, much of the modern ‘D. cristicauda’ material is reassigned to D. hillieri. Three new taxa are proposed: Dasycercus woolleyae sp. nov., Dasycercus archeri sp. nov. and Dasycercus marlowi sp. nov. These six Dasycercus species are distributed across Australia’s arid zone and beyond. Based on prior investigations and the results of this taxonomic review, it is likely that only D. hillieri and D. blythi are extant. The identification of four likely extinct taxa marks the first recorded instance of modern extinction within the family Dasyuridae.Jake Newman-Martin [jake.newman-martin@student.curtin.edu.au], School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102 Australia;Kenny J. Travouillon [Kenny.Travouillon@museum.wa.gov.au], Western Australian Museum, Collections and Research, Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, WA, 6986 Australia;Natalie Warburton [N.Warburton@murdoch.edu.au], Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch Western Australia 6150 Australia;Milo Barham [Milo.Barham@curtin.edu.au], School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102 Australia;Alison J. Blyth [Alison.Blyth@curtin.edu.au], School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6102 Australia.

ChatGPT Isn't Magic

ChatGPT Isn't Magic

Building bridges: Doug Cato’s remarkable career spanning underwater acoustics and animal bioacoustics

Doug Cato’s research includes pioneering studies of the underwater acoustic environment surrounding Australia and numerous contributions to our understanding of marine mammal acoustic behavior. Moreover, his relaxed avuncular manner allowed him to assemble collaborations spanning disparate disciplines while mentoring the next generation of acoustics researchers in Australia. Throughout his career, Doug built bridges between underwater acoustics and animal bioacoustics, and between Australian and international researchers. This talk highlights two international collaborations applying signal processing techniques to humpback whale songs and leopard seal calling bouts. These projects estimated the information entropy and structure of the sequences of sounds in these marine mammal vocalizations. Comparing sliding window entropy estimates with Markov models supports Doug’s earlier observations that Australian humpback song follows the hierarchical structure proposed by Payne &amp; McVay for North Atlantic humpbacks [Miksis-Olds et al., JASA, 2008]. The same comparison of entropy estimators for leopard seal calling bouts reveals that most of the sequential structure of in these animals’ calls is captured by Markov models.

Risk for Congenital Anomalies in Children Conceived With Medically Assisted Fertility Treatment : A Population-Based Cohort Study.

More than 2 million children are conceived annually using assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), with a similar number conceived using ovulation induction and intrauterine insemination (OI/IUI). Previous studies suggest that ART-conceived children are at increased risk for congenital anomalies (CAs). However, the role of underlying infertility in this risk remains unclear, and ART clinical and laboratory practices have changed drastically over time, particularly there has been an increase in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and cryopreservation. To investigate the role of underlying infertility and fertility treatment on CA risks in the first 2 years of life. Propensity score-weighted population-based cohort study. New South Wales, Australia. 851 984 infants (828099 singletons and 23885 plural children) delivered between 2009 and 2017. Adjusted risk difference (aRD) in CAs of infants conceived through fertility treatment compared with 2 naturally conceived (NC) control groups-those with and without a parental history of infertility (NC-infertile and NC-fertile). The overall incidence of CAs was 459 per 10 000 singleton births and 757 per 10 000 plural births. Compared with NC-fertile singleton control infants (n= 747 018), ART-conceived singleton infants (n= 31256) had an elevated risk for major genitourinary abnormalities (aRD, 19.0 cases per 10 000 births [95% CI, 2.3 to 35.6]); the risk remained unchanged (aRD, 22 cases per 10 000 births [CI, 4.6 to 39.4]) when compared with NC-infertile singleton control infants (n= 36251) (that is, after accounting for parental infertility), indicating that ART remained an independent risk. After accounting for parental infertility, ICSI in couples without male infertility was associated with an increased risk for major genitourinary abnormalities (aRD, 47.8 cases per 10 000 singleton births [CI, 12.6 to 83.1]). There was some suggestion of increased risk for CAs after fresh embryo transfer, although estimates were imprecise and inconsistent. There were no increased risks for CAs among OI/IUI-conceived infants (n= 13574). This study measured the risk for CAs only in those children who were born at or after 20 weeks' gestation. Observational study design precludes causal inference. Many estimates were imprecise. Patients should be counseled on the small increased risk for genitourinary abnormalities after ART, particularly after ICSI, which should be avoided in couples without problems of male infertility. Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.

Vibrational timber characterization through the use of model updating

The characterization of orthotropic materials has challenged the vibration and acoustics community for quite some time. Complex composite materials such as wooden structures require attention to factors including moisture, grain boundaries in addition to macroscopic features. Here we devise a basic model developed by measuring the vibrational response in two separate axes to determine the material characteristics of a timber dowel. A proposed benchtop procedure utilises vibrometers and accelerometers to gather data before the updating process, for which, FEMtools was used. Based on the input material parameters, uncovered by previous studies, provide a starting point for the model updating procedure where experimental mode shapes and frequency responses are correlated to the finite element model. With the focus on radiata pine, the results show radial and tangential values converge similar to previous literature but with variation in the longitudinal direction and shear planes. Overall, this study provides a solid foundation to the characterization process of orthotropic materials like timber which can be further expanded into fields of structural health monitoring, damage detection and potential use in digital twins. The authors acknowledge the support of the Australian Research Council Linkage Project LP200301196.

Countering 'the moral science of biopolitics': Understanding hepatitis C treatment 'non-compliance' in the antiviral era.

Although new hepatitis C treatments are a vast improvement on older, interferon-based regimens, there are those who have not taken up treatment, as well as those who have begun but not completed treatment. In this article, we analyse 50 interviews conducted for an Australian research project on treatment uptake. We draw on Berlant's (2007, Critical Inquiry, 33) work on 'slow death' to analyse so-called 'non-compliant' cases, that is, those who begin but do not complete treatment or who do not take antiviral treatment as directed. Approached from a biomedical perspective, such activity does not align with the neoliberal values of progress, self-improvement and rational accumulation that pervade health discourses. However, we argue that it is more illuminating to understand them as cases in which sovereignty and agency are neither simplistically individualised nor denied, and where 'modes of incoherence, distractedness, and habituation' are understood to co-exist alongside 'deliberate and deliberative activity […] in the reproduction of predictable life' (Berlant, 2007, p. 754). The analysed accounts highlight multiple direct and indirect forces of attrition and powerfully demonstrate the socially produced character of agency, a capacity that takes shape through the constraining and exhausting dynamics of life in conditions of significant disadvantage.