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Behavior Change Techniques Involved in Physical Activity Interventions for Children with Chronic Conditions: A Systematic Review

Behavior change techniques (BCTs) have been extensively used in physical activity interventions for children, however, no systematic reviews have synthesized their effects.

The 8th International RASopathies Symposium: Expanding research and care practice through global collaboration and advocacy

Germline pathogenic variants in the RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway are the molecular cause of RASopathies, a group of clinically overlapping genetic syndromes. RASopathies constitute a wide clinical spectrum characterized by distinct facial features, short stature, predisposition to cancer, and variable anomalies in nearly all the major body systems. 

A flexible computational pipeline for research analyses of unsolved clinical exome cases

Exome sequencing has enabled molecular diagnoses for rare disease patients but often with initial diagnostic rates of ~25-30%. Here we develop a robust computational pipeline to rank variants for reassessment of unsolved rare disease patients. A comprehensive web-based patient report is generated in which all deleterious variants can be filtered by gene, variant characteristics, OMIM disease and Phenolyzer scores, and all are annotated with an ACMG classification and links to ClinVar.

Tumor Infiltrating Effector Memory Antigen-Specific CD8(+) T Cells Predict Response to Immune Checkpoint Therapy

Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) results in durable responses in individuals with some cancers, but not all patients respond to treatment. ICT improves CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) function, but changes in tumor antigen-specific CTLs post-ICT that correlate with successful responses have not been well characterized. Here, we studied murine tumor models with dichotomous responses to ICT.

Absence of association between maternal adverse events and long-term gut microbiome outcomes in the Australian autism biobank

Maternal immune activation and prenatal maternal stress are well-studied risk factors for psychiatric conditions such as autism and schizophrenia. Animal studies have proposed the gut microbiome as a mechanism underlying this association and have found that risk factor-related gut microbiome alterations persist in the adult offspring.

Pathobiologic Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration in Osteopetrosis Derived From Structural and Functional Analysis of 14 ClC-7 Mutants

ClC-7 is a chloride-proton antiporter of the CLC protein family. In complex with its accessory protein Ostm-1, ClC-7 localizes to lysosomes and to the osteoclasts' ruffled border, where it plays a critical role in acidifying the resorption lacuna during bone resorption. Gene inactivation in mice causes severe osteopetrosis, neurodegeneration, and lysosomal storage disease. Mutations in the human CLCN7 gene are associated with diverse forms of osteopetrosis.

Key elements of Goal-Directed Training for children with cerebral palsy: A qualitative content analysis

Goal-directed training is an evidence-based occupational therapy intervention for children with cerebral palsy targeting motor performance and goal attainment. There is variability and limited description on goal-directed training delivery within the studies who found it a successful intervention. The aim of this study was to establish the who, what, why and how of goal directed training according to practicing occupational therapists.

Efficacy of DYRK1A inhibitors in novel models of Down syndrome acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Despite significant advances, outcomes for children with Down syndrome (DS, trisomy 21) who develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia remain poor. Reports of large DS-ALL cohorts have shown that children with DS have inferior event-free survival and overall survival compared to children without DS.

Assessing the unified airway hypothesis in children via transcriptional profiling of the airway epithelium

Upper and lower airways are conserved in their transcriptional composition, and variations associated with disease are present in both nasal and tracheal epithelium

Intellectual disability and autism prevalence in Western Australia: impact of the NDIS

Estimates of the prevalence of intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder may vary depending on the methodology, geographical location, and sources of ascertainment. The National Disability Insurance Scheme in Australia was introduced progressively from 2016 to provide individualized funding for eligible people with a significant and permanent disability.

Epigenome-wide meta-analysis of blood DNA methylation in newborns and children identifies numerous loci related to gestational age

We identified numerous CpGs differentially methylated in relation to gestational age at birth that appear to reflect fetal developmental processes across tissues

Perspectives on the essential skills of healthcare decision making in children and adolescents with intellectual disability

Involvement in healthcare decisions is associated with better health outcomes for patients. For children and adolescents with intellectual disability, parents and healthcare professionals need to balance listening to a child's wishes with the responsibility of keeping them safe. 

Personalised analytics for rare disease diagnostics

Here we focus on the problem of prioritising variants with respect to the observed disease phenotype

The NDIS at ten years: designing an equitable scheme for the next decade

Jenny Downs BApplSci (physio) MSc PhD Head, Child Disability 08 6319 1763 Jenny.Downs@thekids.org.au Head, Child Disability Areas of research

Sensitization to immune checkpoint blockade through activation of a STAT1/NK axis in the tumor microenvironment

Our results identify a pretreatment tumor microenvironment that predicts response to immune checkpoint blockade, which can be therapeutically attained

Does somatosensory discrimination therapy alter sensorimotor upper limb function differently compared to motor therapy in children and adolescents with unilateral cerebral palsy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Besides motor impairments, up to 90% of the children and adolescents with unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP) present with somatosensory impairments in the upper limb. As somatosensory information is of utmost importance for coordinated movements and motor learning, somatosensory impairments can further compromise the effective use of the impaired upper limb in daily life activities. 

Integration of genetics and miRNA-target gene network identified disease biology implicated in tissue specificity

Our result highlighted that miRNA-target gene network contributes to human disease genetics in a cell type-specific manner

The development, content and response process validation of a caregiver-reported severity measure for CDKL5 deficiency disorder

CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (CDD) is a severe X-linked developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. Existing developmental outcome measures have floor effects and cannot capture incremental changes in symptoms. We modified the caregiver portion of a CDD clinical severity assessment (CCSA) and assessed content and response-process validity. 

Association of maternal prenatal smoking GFI1-locus and cardio-metabolic phenotypes in 18,212 adults

Epigenetic changes at the GFI1 were linked to smoking exposure in-utero/in-adulthood and robustly associated with cardio-metabolic risk factors