The Australian redclaw crayfish has great potential for aquaculture intensification and global market expansion. However, traditional production methods, subfertility, and high embryo mortality could curtail industry growth. Successful embryonic and post-embryonic development also depends on the paternal genetic contribution. Direct assessment of sperm quality can potentially determine the status of male fertility in decapod crustaceans. This study evaluated redclaw crayfish sperm quality using optimized conventional and advanced functional tools. Sexually mature male redclaw (n = 33) were collected from Ross River Dam in North Queensland, Australia, and subjected to electroejaculation to yield spermatophores for sperm quality assessment. Sperm concentration and count (haemocytometer), morphology (phase contrast), viability (Hoechst 33342/PI), DNA fragmentation (TUNEL), and total potential fertile sperm concentration (TPFSC) were determined. Spermatozoa had an elliptical shape of varying sizes and a presumptive fertilization-spike structure. The mean f SEM sperm viability, DNA fragmentation, concentration, and TPFSC were 65.2 f 3.9 %, 17.2 f 2.5 %, 42.5 f 5.1 x 10(4) cells/mL, and 23.6 f 3.4 x 10(4) cells/mL, respectively. Spermatophore weight showed a positive association with sperm concentration (p = 0.001) and total potential fertile sperm concentration (TPFSC; p < 0.001), and a negative association with sperm DNA fragmentation (p = 0.022). Conversely, sperm viability showed no significant relationship with spermatophore weight (p = 0.188) but was negatively associated with body mass (p = 0.010). In conclusion, this study reported the first quantitative data on sperm morphometry and functional traits, validated species-specific diagnostic tools for sperm quality assessment, and provided insight into the relationships between sperm quality parameters and body or spermatophore weights. Our approach may inform the selection of fertile male broodstock and enhanced strategies for sperm harvesting in order to facilitate selective breeding programs for commercial redclaw aquaculture.

Variations in the ecological roles of sea turtle species may lead to differentiations in ocular design and visual sensitivity to the colour spectrum. Behavioural colour preference studies in air and in water on hatchling and post-hatchling green turtles found evidence of a blue hue attractiveness when given a choice between blue, red, and yellow. This paper assessed and compared the colour preferences to singular colours via the behavioural responses of eleven hawksbill turtles and twelve green turtles at 15 months of age and at 22 months of age. Turtles were presented with one coloured water balloon per day (purple (400–450 nm), dark blue (450–490 nm), cyan (490–520 nm), green (520–560 nm), yellow (560–590 nm), orange (590–635 nm), and red (635–700 nm)). Time to contact balloons with beak and behaviours exhibited by turtles were recorded. Hawksbill turtles had the greatest level of interactions across both phases to shorter wavelengths with hue preference being between 450 and 490 nm. Green turtles consistently had the greatest level of interaction to longer wavelengths with a yellow (560–590 nm) hue preference. The results of this study support behavioural differences between two co-occurring turtle species that may reflect an adaptive preference for colour wavelengths associated with the optimal foraging niche for each.

Background Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is the ratio of blood pressure measured distal to a stenosis and pressure proximal to a stenosis. FFR can be estimated noninvasively using computed tomography (CT) although the usefulness of this technique remains controversial. This meta‐analysis evaluated the agreement of FFR estimated by CT (FFR‐CT) with invasively measured FFR. The study also evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of FFR‐CT, defined as the ability of FFR‐CT to classify lesions as hemodynamically significant (invasive FFR ≤0.8) or insignificant (invasive FFR >0.8). Methods and Results Forty‐three studies reporting on 7291 blood vessels from 5236 patients were included. A moderate positive linear relationship between FFR‐CT and invasively measured FFR was observed (Spearman correlation coefficient: 0.67). Agreement between the 2 measures increased as invasively measured FFR values approached 1. The overall diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of FFR‐CT were 82.2%, 80.9%, and 83.1%, respectively. Diagnostic accuracy of 90% could be demonstrated for FFR‐CT values >0.90 and <0.49. The diagnostic accuracy of off‐site tools was 79.4% and the diagnostic accuracy of on‐site tools was 84.1%. Conclusions The agreement between FFR‐CT and invasive FFR is moderate although agreement is highest in vessels with FFR‐CT >0.9. Diagnostic accuracy varies widely with FFR‐CT value but is above 90% for FFR‐CT values >0.90 and <0.49. Furthermore, on‐site and off‐site tools have similar performance. Ultimately, FFR‐CT may be a useful adjunct to CT coronary angiography as a gatekeeper for invasive coronary angiogram.

Importance It is unclear whether counseling to promote walking reduces the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in people with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Objective To test whether a counseling intervention designed to increase walking reduced the risk of MACE in patients with PAD. Design, Setting, and Participants The BIP trial was a randomized clinical trial, with recruitment performed between January 2015 and July 2018 and follow-up concluded in August 2023. Participants with walking impairment due to PAD from vascular departments in the Australian cities of Brisbane, Sydney, and Townsville were randomly allocated 1:1 to the intervention or control group. Data were originally analyzed in March 2024. Intervention Four brief counseling sessions aimed to help patients with the challenges of increasing physical activity. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the between-group difference in risk of MACE, which included myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and cardiovascular death. The relationship between Intermittent Claudication Questionnaire (ICQ) scores, PAD Quality of Life (PADQOL) scores, and MACE was examined with Cox proportional hazard regression analyses. Results A total of 200 participants were included, with 102 allocated to the counseling intervention (51.0%) and 98 to the control group (49.0%).Participants were followed up for a mean (SD) duration of 3.5 (2.6) years. Median (IQR) participant age was 70 (63-76) years, and 56 of 200 participants (28.0%) were female. A total of 31 individuals had a MACE (composed of 19 MIs, 4 strokes, and 8 cardiovascular deaths). Participants allocated to the intervention were significantly less likely to have a MACE than participants in the control group (10 of 102 participants [9.8%] vs 21 of 98 [21.4%]; hazard ratio [HR], 0.43; 95% CI, 0.20-0.91; P = .03). Greater disease-specific quality of life (QOL) scores at 4 months (ICQ: HR per 1–percentage point increase, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-0.99; P &lt; .001; PADQOL factor 3 [symptoms and limitations in physical functioning]: HR per 1-unit increase, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.84-0.98; P = .01) and at 12 months (ICQ: HR per 1–percentage point increase, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-0.99; P = .003; PADQOL factor 3: HR per 1-unit increase, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.84-0.98; P = .02) were associated with a lower risk of MACE. In analyses adjusted for ICQ or PADQOL factor 3 scores at either 4 or 12 months, allocation to the counseling intervention was no longer significantly associated with a lower risk of MACE. Conclusions and Relevance This post hoc exploratory analysis of the BIP randomized clinical trial suggested that the brief counseling intervention designed to increase walking may reduce the risk of MACE, possibly due to improvement in QOL. Trial Registration anzctr.org.au Identifier: ACTRN12614000592640

The Sindhudurg coast in Maharashtra, India, supports diverse fisheries and is a vital habitat for the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin Sousa plumbea , a species found nearshore along the west coast of India. Here, dolphins cause economic losses to fishermen by competing for catch and damaging fishing gear. Dolphins are also affected by entanglement in or ingestion of parts of fishing nets. There is a need for a systematic assessment of the distribution of risks to dolphins and the specific fisheries most impacted by interactions with dolphins. To bridge this information gap, we (1) analysed the behaviour and locations of dolphin groups in the absence and presence of fishing vessels (2012-2015) and (2) mapped the spatial overlap of dolphins and fishing vessels (2014-2015) to determine high-risk areas for dolphins. We observed 175 dolphin groups, of which 75 groups (43%) engaged in foraging behaviours. Dolphins occurred in approximately 50% (164 km 2 ) of the total survey area, and fishing vessels were observed in 100% of the total survey area (333 km 2 ). The proportion of dolphin groups engaged in foraging behaviours was significantly higher when fishing vessels were present compared to when absent. Gillnet (55%) and trawl (32%) accounted for the majority of observed fishing vessels when dolphins were present. Gillnet vessels had a 95% spatial overlap with dolphin habitat, and trawl and purse-seine vessels each had 86%. We identified 8 high-risk areas that were within ~500 m of the coastline, coinciding with high-density dolphin habitat near estuaries. These results have the potential to inform marine mammal conservation and fishery management in Sindhudurg.

BackgroundProvision of a Medication Action Plan (MAP) on admission and a Discharge Medication Record (DMR) are associated with reduced medication-related harm.AimTo report factors associated with the provision of MAPs and DMRs in rural and regional hospitals in Queensland, Australia.MethodA literature search, environmental scan and department consultations were conducted to develop Clinical Pharmacy Key Performance Indicators (cpKPIs) and design a cpKPI dashboard. Two of the five KPIs included in the dashboard, relating to medication action plans on admission and medication records on discharge, were reported for all the hospitals and were included in the study. A retrospective, period-prevalence study was conducted to evaluate the coverage and equity of clinical pharmacy service provision for patients admitted for longer than 24 h. The proportions of patients who received MAPs and DMRs were stratified by age, gender, Indigeneity and hospital type. Statistical analysis used chi-squared tests and logistic regression in R. This project was exempt due to the local policy requirements that constitute research by the Far North Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee (Reference no: EX/2023/QCH/94383-1684QA). The justification for this exemption is as follows: the project was determined to be negligible risk research and involved the use of existing collection of data or records that contain only non-identifiable data about human beings.ResultsIn total, 13 818 patients (37.9% of admissions) received a MAP and 11 631 patients (32.7% of discharges) received a DMR. The proportion of MAPs and DMRs was significantly higher in rural hospitals than in regional hospitals (MAP 50.6% vs 34.6%, DMR 33.1% vs 31.3%) and for male patients than female patients (MAP 42.2% vs 33.7%, DMR 36.4% vs 29.2%). When stratified by age, First Nations patients received a higher proportion of MAPs and DMRs in each age group, except for age 85 years and over. The proportion of First Nations patients aged 50 years and over who received MAP was lower compared to that for non-Indigenous patients aged 65 years and over (56.3% vs 59.8%), whilst the proportion for DMRs was similar (50.4% vs 49.3%).ConclusionThe study defined the clinical pharmacy key performance indicators for measuring equity of clinical pharmacy service provision in Australia. When adjusted for a difference in life expectancy, the proportion of MAPs for First Nations patients was lower compared to the proportion of MAPs for non-Indigenous patients. Further improvements are required to achieve equity of service provision for First Nations patients and female patients.

This systematic review pooled evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on the effectiveness of dietary upregulators of nitric oxide (NO) in improving the walking and quality of life of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). RCTs examining the effect of dietary upregulators of NO in patients with PAD were included. The primary outcome was the maximum walking distance. Secondary outcomes were the initial claudication distance, the six-minute walking distance, quality of life, the ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI), adverse events and risk of mortality, revascularisation or amputation. Meta-analyses were performed using random effects models. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane’s ROB-2 tool. Leave-one-out and subgroup analyses were conducted to assess the effect of individual studies, the risk of bias and intervention type on pooled estimates. Thirty-four RCTs involving 3472 participants were included. Seven trials tested NO donors, nineteen tested antioxidants, three tested NO synthase inducers and five tested enhancers of NO availability. Overall, the dietary supplements significantly improved the initial claudication (SMD 0.34; 95%CI 0.04, 0.64; p = 0.03) but not maximum walking (SMD 0.13; 95%CI −0.17, 0.43; p = 0.39) distances. Antioxidant supplements significantly increased both the maximum walking (SMD 0.36; 95%CI 0.14, 0.59; p = 0.001) and initial claudication (SMD 0.58; 95%CI 0.26, 0.90; p < 0.001) distances. The dietary interventions did not improve the physical function domain of the Short Form-36 (SMD −0.16; 95%CI −0.32, 0.00; p = 0.38), ABI or risk of adverse events, mortality, revascularisation or amputation. Dietary NO upregulators, especially antioxidants, appear to improve the initial claudication distance in patients with PAD. Larger high-quality RCTs are needed to fully examine the benefits and risks of these treatments. PROSPERO Registration: CRD42022256653.

ImportanceIt is unclear how to effectively promote walking in people with peripheral artery disease (PAD).ObjectiveTo test whether brief counseling delivered by allied health professionals increases step count in participants with PAD.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsIn this randomized clinical trial, participants with symptomatic PAD were recruited from sites in Australia and randomly allocated 1:1 to the counseling intervention or an attention control. Data were collected from January 2015 to July 2021, and data were analyzed from March to November 2022.InterventionsTwo 1-hour face-to-face and two 15-minute telephone counseling sessions designed to increase walking.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was the between-group difference in change in daily step count estimated by accelerometer recordings over 7 days at baseline and 4 months, using imputation for missing values. Other outcomes at 4, 12, and 24 months included step count, 6-minute walk distance, and disease-specific and generic measures of health-related quality of life. Risk of major adverse limb events was assessed over 24 months.ResultsOf 200 included participants, 144 (72.0%) were male, and the mean (SD) age was 69.2 (9.3) years. The planned sample of 200 participants was allocated to the counseling intervention group (n = 102) or attention control group (n = 98). Overall, 198 (99.0%), 175 (87.5%), 160 (80.0%) and 143 (71.5%) had step count assessed at entry and 4, 12, and 24 months, respectively. There was no significant between-group difference in the primary outcome of change in daily step count over 4 months (mean steps, 415; 95% CI, −62 to 893; P = .07). Participants in the counseling group had significantly greater improvement in the secondary outcome of disease-specific Intermittent Claudication Questionnaire score at 4 months (3.2 points; 95% CI, 0.1-6.4; P = .04) and 12 months (4.3 points; 95% CI, 0.5-8.1; P = .03) but not at 24 months (1.2 points; 95% CI, −3.1 to 5.6; P = .57). Findings were similar for mean PAD Quality of Life Questionnaire component assessing symptoms and limitations in physical functioning (4 months: 1.5 points; 95% CI, 0.3-2.8; P = .02; 12 months: 1.8 points; 95% CI, 0.3-3.3; P = .02; 24 months: 1.3 points; 95% CI. −0.5 to 3.1; P = .16). There was no significant effect of the intervention on change in mean 6-minute walking distance (4 months: 9.3 m; 95% CI, −3.7 to 22.3; P = .16; 12 months: 13.8 m; 95% CI, −4.2 to 31.7; P = .13; 24 months: 1.2 m; 95% CI, −20.0 to 22.5; P = .91). The counseling intervention did not affect the rate of major adverse limb events over 24 months (12 [11.8%] in the intervention group vs 14 [14.3%] in the control group; P = .68).Conclusions and RelevanceThis randomized clinical trial found no significant effect of brief counseling on step count in people with PAD. Alternate interventions are needed to enable walking.Trial RegistrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Identifier: ACTRN12614000592640

Redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus, a tropical freshwater species, native to Northern Australia and is regarded as a promising species for global expansion of aquaculture. However, poor female fertility is a hin-drance towards the commercial production of redclaw. The present study investigated if dissociated; pre -exposure of female redclaw to males can stimulate spawning and increase reproductive efficiency. The study was conducted in dissociated (111 days) and associated (34 days) phases. Redclaw were held in vertical recir-culating aquaculture systems with each system consisting of 42 individual compartments (45 cm length x 33 cm width x 25 cm height) arranged as six compartments horizontally and seven compartments vertically. The average body weight of females was 66 +/- 2.2 g. In the dissociated phase, females were either kept alone (0M, n = 36) or were exposed to either 1 (1M, n = 36) or 2 (2M, n = 36) males suspended in the uppermost row of the system. During the associated phase, females (n = 108) were maintained at a sex ratio of 1M:1F. During the dissociated phase, the spawning rate was less in the control compared to the male exposed groups (2.8%, 1/36, 18.1%, 13/72 respectively; p = 0.026). However, the moulting rate was greater in the control compared to the male exposed groups (22.2%, 8/36; 5.6%, 4/72 respectively; p = 0.009). During the associated phase, there were no significant differences in spawning rate (22.2%, 8/36 and 33.3%, 24/72), mean days to spawning (21.88 +/- 3.06 and 16.38 +/- 2.35), moulting rate (11.1%, 4/36 and 6.9%, 5/72) and mean days to moulting (24.50 +/- 3.97 and 22.40 +/- 3.93) in the control and male exposed groups, respectively (p > 0.05). However, the mean total number of eggs (670.9 +/- 26.0 and 507.0 +/- 29.36), fecundity (11.00 +/- 0.59 and 6.14 +/- 0.47), the hatching rate (89.70 +/- 1.31% and 77.50 +/- 9.24%) and the total number of juveniles produced (545.70 +/- 42.50 and 343.30 +/- 37.47) during the associated phase were greater in the male exposed groups compared to the control group respectively; p < 0.05). It was concluded that pre-exposure of redclaw females to males in a dissociated recir-culation system, increases spawning rate during a dissociated phase, and after exposure to males improves egg and juvenile production during an associated phase. Such a breeding strategy has potential to increase hatchery productivity.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted the delivery of primary health care internationally, particularly for the most marginalised groups. This project investigated the impact of the initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic on the delivery of primary health care in a remote First Nations community in Far North Queensland with a high chronic disease burden. There were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 circulating in the community at the time of the study. A comparison was conducted of patient numbers presenting to a local primary healthcare centre (PHCC) in the periods before, during and after the initial peak of Australian COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. A significant proportional decrease was observed in the number of patients that presented from the target community during the initial restrictions. A sub-analysis of preventative services delivered to a defined high-risk group found that services delivered did not decrease to this particular group during the periods of interest. This study has highlighted that there is a risk of underutilisation of primary healthcare services during a health pandemic in remote settings. Strengthening the primary care system to adequately provide ongoing services during natural disasters requires further consideration to reduce the risk of long-term impacts of service disengagement.

Past studies suggest that there are changes in peripheral blood cell gene expression in response to ischaemic stroke; however, the specific changes which occur during the acute phase are poorly characterised. The current study aimed to identify peripheral blood cell genes specifically associated with the early response to ischaemic stroke using whole blood samples collected from participants diagnosed with ischaemic stroke (n = 29) or stroke mimics (n = 27) following emergency presentation to hospital. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), mRNA and micro-RNA (miRNA) abundance was measured by RNA-seq, and the consensusDE package was used to identify genes which were differentially expressed between groups. A sensitivity analysis excluding two participants with metastatic disease was also conducted. The mean time from symptom onset to blood collection was 2.6 h. Most strokes were mild (median NIH stroke scale score 2.0). Ten mRNAs (all down-regulated in samples provided by patients experiencing ischaemic stroke) and 30 miRNAs (14 over-expressed and 16 under-expressed in participants with ischaemic stroke) were significantly different between groups in the whole cohort and sensitivity analyses. No significant over-representation of gene ontology categories by the differentially expressed genes was observed. Random forest analysis suggested a panel of differentially expressed genes (ADGRG7 and miRNAs 96, 532, 6766, 6798 and 6804) as potential ischaemic stroke biomarkers, although modelling analyses demonstrated that these genes had poor diagnostic performance. This study provides evidence suggesting that the early response to minor ischaemic stroke is predominantly reflected by changes in the expression of miRNAs in peripheral blood cells. Further work in independent cohorts particularly in patients with more severe stroke is needed to validate these findings and investigate their clinical relevance.

Introduction: In Australia, aeromedical retrieval provides a vital link for rural communities with limited health services to definitive care in urban centers. Yet, there are few studies of aeromedical patient experiences and outcomes, or clear measures of the service quality provided to these patients. Study Objective: This study explores whether a previously developed quality framework could usefully be applied to existing air ambulance patient journeys (ie, the sequences of care that span multiple settings; prehospital and hospital-based pre-flight, flight transport, after-flight hospital in-patient, and disposition). The study aimed to use linked data from aeromedical, emergency department (ED), and hospital sources, and from death registries, to document and analyze patient journeys. Methods: A previously developed air ambulance quality framework was used to place patient, prehospital, and in-hospital service outcomes in relevant quality domains identified from the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) and Dr. Donabedian models. To understand the aeromedical patients' journeys, data from all relevant data sources were linked by unique patient identifiers and the outcomes of the resulting analyses were applied to the air ambulance quality framework. Results: Overall, air ambulance referral pathways could be classified into three categories: Intraregional (those retrievals which stayed within the region), Out of Region, and Into Region. Patient journeys and service outcomes varied markedly between referral pathways. Prehospital and in-hospital service variables and patient outcomes showed that the framework could be used to explore air ambulance service quality. Conclusion: The air ambulance quality framework can usefully be applied to air ambulance patient experiences and outcomes using linked data analysis. The framework can help guide prehospital and in-hospital performance reporting. With variations between regional referral pathways, this knowledge will aid with planning within the local service. The study successfully linked data from aeromedical, ED, in-hospital, and death sources and explored the aeromedical patients' journeys.

Practising health professionals, driven by a desire to see the translation of research knowledge into improved patient outcomes, may wish to improve their research skills via part-time doctoral studies (D’Arrietta et al., 2022). To do so, they must maintain demanding careers within the health sector while studying part-time and externally. Parttime, external research candidates have notoriously poor success rates. To address this issue, a new and innovative program—the Cohort Doctoral Studies Program (CDSP)— was designed for higher degree by research (HDR) candidates studying in a health discipline at a mid-sized, research-intensive Australian university. This paper describes the CDSP and the associated outcomes.

Introduction: The inter and intra-observer reproducibility of measuring the Wound Ischemia foot Infection (WIfI) score is unknown. The aims of this study were to compare the reproducibility, completion times and ability to predict 30-day amputation of the WIfI, University of Texas Wound Classification System (UTWCS), Site, Ischemia, Neuropathy, Bacterial Infection and Depth (SINBAD) and Wagner classifications systems using photographs of diabetes-related foot ulcers. Methods: Three trained observers independently scored the diabetes-related foot ulcers of 45 participants on two separate occasions using photographs. The inter- and intra-observer reproducibility were calculated using Krippendorff’s α. The completion times were compared with Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn’s post-hoc tests. The ability of the scores to predict 30-day amputation rates were assessed using receiver operator characteristic curves and area under the curves. Results: There was excellent intra-observer agreement (α >0.900) and substantial agreement between observers (α=0.788) in WIfI scoring. There was moderate, substantial, or excellent agreement within the three observers (α>0.599 in all instances except one) and fair or moderate agreement between observers (α of UTWCS=0.306, α of SINBAD=0.516, α of Wagner=0.374) for the other three classification systems. The WIfI score took significantly longer (P<.001) to complete compared to the other three scores (medians and inter quartile ranges of the WIfI, UTWCS, SINBAD, and Wagner being 1.00 [0.88-1.00], 0.75 [0.50-0.75], 0.50 [0.50-0.50], and 0.25 [0.25-0.50] minutes). None of the classifications were predictive of 30-day amputation (P>.05 in all instances). Conclusion: The WIfI score can be completed with substantial agreement between trained observers but was not predictive of 30-day amputation.

Objective: The role of atherosclerosis in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) pathogenesis is controversial. The aim of this study was to compare AAA growth in patients who did and did not have concurrent athero-occlusive disease (AOD). Methods: Patients with an AAA measuring 35 - 49 mm in maximum diameter were recruited as part of the TElmisartan in the management of abdominal aortic aneurysm (TEDY) trial. TEDY participants who had infrarenal aortic volume and orthogonal diameter assessed by computed tomography at entry and at least one other time point during the trial (12 and/or 24 months) were included. AOD was defined by prior diagnoses of coronary heart disease, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease or an ankle brachial pressure index < 0.90. The increase in AAA volume and diameter from entry for participants who did and did not have AOD was assessed using linear mixed effects models; 131 of the 210 participants recruited to TEDY were included. Results: In an unadjusted analysis, the mean (95% confidence interval) annual increases in AAA volume and diameter for participants with AOD were 3.26 (0.82 - 5.70) cm(3) and 0.70 (0.19 - 1.22) mm slower than those without AOD, p = .008 and.007 respectively. The association between AOD and significantly slower AAA growth was maintained after adjusting for risk factors and medications, significantly unequally distributed between participants with and without an AOD diagnosis. Conclusion: In an exploratory analysis of a selective cohort from the TEDY trial, AOD was associated with slower AAA growth. Validation of these findings in other cohorts is needed.

AimThe aim of this paper was to try and establish if using a non-contact thermometer would be in agreement with the axilla method of temperature taking.DesignA comparative design used to evaluate level of agreement between Infrared (IR) non-contact thermometer and digital thermometer (via axilla) in term and preterm infants admitted to the neonatal unit.MethodA convenience sample of 150 infants were enrolled in the study, 62 term and 86 preterm. Temperature was taken on admission to the neonatal unit, using both methods. Excluding criteria included any infant with a poor prognosis.ConclusionIn this study limits of agreement with Axilla measurements were wider and it is therefore its use in the neonatal population cannot be recommended.

For institutions intent on improving their research student outcomes, it is important to identify the variables most strongly associated with timely or tardy completions, which the university has the potential to influence or amend. For this to occur the analyses of doctoral completion times need to be conducted at an institution or discipline level. However, conducting meaningful analyses of doctoral completion data is a complex undertaking fraught with potential problems. This paper uses an intra-institution case study to reflect on and illustrate how different meanings can emerge from data analysis, depending on the statistical approach used to analyse the data. The paper outlines the lessons learned during data analysis, and the implications for doctoral education. The findings also point to potential marketing opportunities for research institutions.