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Background: Dengue virus (DENV) is endemic to many parts of the world and has serious health and socioeconomic effects even in high-income countries, especially with rapid changes in the climate globally. We explored the literature on dengue vector control methods used in high-income, city settings and associations with dengue incidence, dengue prevalence, or mosquito vector densities. Methods: Studies of any design or year were included if they reported effects on human DENV infection or Aedes vector indices of dengue-specific vector control interventions in high-income, city settings. Results: Of 24 eligible sources, most reported research in the United States (n = 8) or Australia (n = 5). Biocontrol (n = 12) and chemical control (n = 13) were the most frequently discussed vector control methods. Only 6 sources reported data on the effectiveness of a given method in reducing human DENV incidence or prevalence, 2 described effects of larval and adult control on Aedes DENV positivity, 20 reported effectiveness in reducing vector density, using insecticide, larvicide, source reduction, auto-dissemination of pyriproxyfen and Wolbachia, and only 1 described effects on human-vector contact. Conclusions: As most studies reported reductions in vector densities, rather than any effects on human DENV incidence or prevalence, we can draw no clear conclusions on which interventions might be most effective in reducing dengue in high-income, city areas. More research is needed linking evidence on the effects of different DENV vector control methods with dengue incidence/prevalence or mosquito vector densities in high-income, city settings as this is likely to differ from low-income settings. This is a significant evidence gap as climate changes increase the global reach of DENV. The importance of community involvement was clear in several studies, although it is impossible to tease out the relative contributions of this from other control methods used. Author summary: Dengue virus is present in many parts of the world and has serious health and socioeconomic effects even in high-income countries, especially with rapid changes in the climate globally. In this study, we explored the literature on dengue vector control methods used in high-income, city settings and associations with number of human dengue infections, and the density of mosquitoes. We found 24 papers with relevant results. Most of these described studies in the United States or Australia. Most were about various forms of biological or chemical control of the mosquitoes. Few papers discussed effects on human dengue infection. We were unable to draw any clear conclusions on how effective mosquito control methods were as we could identify little research on this subject in this specific setting. More research is needed on this topic, particularly as climate change will make more areas of the world vulnerable to dengue infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative research about women and birthing people's experiences of fetal monitoring during labour and birth is scant. Labour and birth is often impacted by wearable or invasive monitoring devices, however, most published research about fetal monitoring is focused on the wellbeing of the fetus. This manuscript is derived from a larger mixed methods study, 'WOmen's Experiences of Monitoring Baby (The WOMB Study)', aiming to increase understanding of the experiences of women and birthing people in Australia, of being monitored; and about the information they received about fetal monitoring devices during pregnancy. We constructed a national cross-sectional survey that was distributed via social media in May and June, 2022. Responses were received from 861 participants. As far as we are aware, this is the first survey of the experiences of women and birthing people of intrapartum fetal monitoring conducted in Australia. This paper comprises the analysis of the free text survey responses, using qualitative and inductive content analysis. Two categories were constructed, Tending to the machine, which explores participants' perceptions of the way in which clinicians interacted with fetal monitoring technologies; and Impressions of the machine, which explores the direct impact of fetal monitoring devices upon the labour and birth experience of women and birthing people. The findings suggest that some clinicians need to reflect upon the information they provide to women and birthing people about monitoring. For example, freedom of movement is an important aspect of supporting the physiology of labour and managing pain. If freedom of movement is important, the physical restriction created by a wired cardiotocograph is inappropriate. Many participants noticed that clinicians focused their attention primarily on the technology. Prioritising the individual needs of the woman or birthing person is key to providing high quality woman-centred intrapartum care. Women should be provided with adequate information regarding the risks and benefits of different forms of fetal monitoring including how the form of monitoring might impact her labour experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basic foot care is a real need of people experiencing homelessness. To improve access to foot health for this group, three services structured to provide healthcare support for people experiencing homelessness collaborated in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia: an established nurse-led Homeless Persons Program (HPP), a specialty community health podiatry clinic servicing people experiencing homelessness, and a charity supporting disadvantaged communities providing free socks, foot first aid kits and second-hand footwear for distribution by nurses and podiatrists of participating services. This paper outlines the implementation and evaluation of this collaboration. A four stage implementation approach was used, addressing: 1. Who needs to do what differently? 2. What are the barriers and enablers that need to be addressed? 3. Which intervention components could overcome the modifiable barriers and enhance the enablers? 4. How can the changes be measured? The evaluation prospectively collected information about how HPP nurses referred adults to podiatry, and whether the referred individuals accessed the podiatry clinic, the outcomes of the podiatry visit, and how many received footwear, socks and foot first aid kits provided by the non-profit organisation. Over 1st June 2019 and 31st December 2020, 52 individuals were identified as adults who could potentially benefit from podiatry by the HPP nurses, of which 33 accessed podiatry. Those who did not visit the podiatry clinic were more likely to be born outside of Australia, live in more precarious housing (crisis accommodation and rough sleeping), have slightly more predisposing factors for homelessness, but have fewer medical, psychological and cognitive conditions. A structured approach including processes, education, regular, outreach to youth refuges and formal outcome monitoring enabled foot health care access in people experiencing homelessness. Further research is needed to ascertain how to support participants at risk of foot problems to access podiatry before their foot health issue reaches crisis point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although previous studies of today's globalised and competitive research landscape have mentioned the research collaborations of CANZUK countries (i.e., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom), none have yet studied them in detail. Further, such studies have used different measures of international research collaboration (IRC), resulting in disparate findings. This paper, therefore, analyses the strengths of CANZUK research collaborations, how those collaborations have changed over time, and assesses the effect of three ways of measures on the results (absolute strength, bilateral similarity, and multilateral similarity). We provide a detailed characterisation of the CANZUK research network and its relationships with partner countries, which reveals that the most collaborative CANZUK countries are the UK and Australia, among other findings. We also confirm that many findings differ depending on which measures are used. We offer an explanation of this difference with reference to the nature of the measures (i.e., what they really measure) and make suggestions for suitable measures in future studies depending on their purpose. Finally, we discuss how this study's findings can be used by research policy makers (in CANZUK and elsewhere) in deciding on research strategy and by researchers in appropriately measuring IRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown that there are significant gaps in hepatitis B knowledge among migrant communities who are at risk of hepatitis B, such as Chinese and Vietnamese communities. Many students studying within Australia come from countries with high prevalence of hepatitis B. However, there is very little research examining hepatitis B knowledge, screening, or vaccination among university students in Australia or worldwide. The aim of this paper was to measure both levels of and demographic differences in hepatitis B screening and knowledge among Chinese and Vietnamese students in Australia. Online surveys were completed by 112 Chinese- and 95 Vietnamese-identifying students in Australia, measuring knowledge of hepatitis B, engagement in screening and vaccination, and demographic characteristics. Results show that although engagement in screening and vaccination for hepatitis B was high, there were significant gaps in knowledge around transmission of hepatitis B. There were also some key demographic differences in screening and knowledge. For instance, those born in Australia were more likely to have been screened compared to those born Mainland China, Hong Kong, or Vietnam. Chinese students born in Australia had lower levels of knowledge compared to those born in Mainland China or Hong Kong. Among both samples, knowing someone living with hepatitis B was associated with higher levels of knowledge. Findings underscore the need for education-based interventions to address the significant gaps that exist in knowledge around hepatitis B, with a specific need for culturally appropriate resources in a range of languages to cater to the diverse communities who may be at risk of hepatitis B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Specialist care units cater to targeted cohorts of patients, applying evidence-based practice to people with a specific condition (e.g., dementia) or meeting other specific criteria (e.g., children). This paper aimed to collate perceptions of local consumers and health providers around specialist care units, as a model of care that may be considered for a new local healthcare facility. Methods: This was a qualitative study using two-hour workshops and interviews to collect data. Participants were consumers and health providers in the planned facility's catchment: 49 suburbs in metropolitan Australia. Consumers and health providers were recruited through advertisements and emails. An initial survey collected demographic details. Consumers and health providers participated in separate two-hour workshops in which a scenario around the specialist unit model was presented and discussion on benefits, barriers and enablers of the model was led by researchers. Detailed notes were taken for analysis. Results: Five consumer workshops (n = 22 participants) and five health provider workshops (n = 42) were conducted. Participants were representative of this culturally diverse region. Factors identified by participants as relevant to the specialist unit model of care included: accessibility; a perceived narrow scope of practice; coordination with other services; resources and infrastructure; and awareness and expectations of the units. Some factors identified as risks or barriers when absent were identified as strengths and enablers when present by both groups of participants. Conclusions: Positive views of the model centred on the higher perceived quality of care received in the units. Negative views centred on a perceived narrow scope of care and lack of flexibility. Consumers hinted, and providers stated explicitly, that the model needed to be complemented by an integrated model of care model to enable continuity of care and easy transfer of patients into and out of the specialist unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In many countries, infant vaccination with acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines has replaced use of more reactogenic whole-cell pertussis (wP) vaccines. Based on immunological and epidemiological evidence, we hypothesised that substituting the first aP dose in the routine vaccination schedule with wP vaccine might protect against IgE-mediated food allergy. We aimed to compare reactogenicity, immunogenicity, and IgE-mediated responses of a mixed wP/aP primary schedule versus the standard aP-only schedule., Methods and Findings: OPTIMUM is a Bayesian, 2-stage, double-blind, randomised trial. In stage one, infants were assigned (1:1) to either a first dose of a pentavalent wP combination vaccine (DTwP-Hib-HepB, Pentabio PT Bio Farma, Indonesia) or a hexavalent aP vaccine (DTaP-Hib-HepB-IPV, Infanrix hexa, GlaxoSmithKline, Australia) at approximately 6 weeks old. Subsequently, all infants received the hexavalent aP vaccine at 4 and 6 months old as well as an aP vaccine at 18 months old (DTaP-IPV, Infanrix-IPV, GlaxoSmithKline, Australia). Stage two is ongoing and follows the above randomisation strategy and vaccination schedule. Ahead of ascertainment of the primary clinical outcome of allergist-confirmed IgE-mediated food allergy by 12 months old, here we present the results of secondary immunogenicity, reactogenicity, tetanus toxoid IgE-mediated immune responses, and parental acceptability endpoints. Serum IgG responses to diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis antigens were measured using a multiplex fluorescent bead-based immunoassay; total and specific IgE were measured in plasma by means of the ImmunoCAP assay (Thermo Fisher Scientific). The immunogenicity of the mixed schedule was defined as being noninferior to that of the aP-only schedule using a noninferiority margin of 2/3 on the ratio of the geometric mean concentrations (GMR) of pertussis toxin (PT)-IgG 1 month after the 6-month aP. Solicited adverse reactions were summarised by study arm and included all children who received the first dose of either wP or aP. Parental acceptance was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. The primary analyses were based on intention-to-treat (ITT); secondary per-protocol (PP) analyses were also performed. The trial is registered with ANZCTR (ACTRN12617000065392p). Between March 7, 2018 and January 13, 2020, 150 infants were randomised (75 per arm). PT-IgG responses of the mixed schedule were noninferior to the aP-only schedule at approximately 1 month after the 6-month aP dose [GMR = 0·98, 95% credible interval (0·77 to 1·26); probability (GMR > 2/3) > 0·99; ITT analysis]. At 7 months old, the posterior median probability of quantitation for tetanus toxoid IgE was 0·22 (95% credible interval 0·12 to 0·34) in both the mixed schedule group and in the aP-only group. Despite exclusions, the results were consistent in the PP analysis. At 6 weeks old, irritability was the most common systemic solicited reaction reported in wP (65 [88%] of 74) versus aP (59 [82%] of 72) vaccinees. At the same age, severe systemic reactions were reported among 14 (19%) of 74 infants after wP and 8 (11%) of 72 infants after aP. There were 7 SAEs among 5 participants within the first 6 months of follow-up; on blinded assessment, none were deemed to be related to the study vaccines. Parental acceptance of mixed and aP-only schedules was high (71 [97%] of 73 versus 69 [96%] of 72 would agree to have the same schedule again)., Conclusions: Compared to the aP-only schedule, the mixed schedule evoked noninferior PT-IgG responses, was associated with more severe reactions, but was well accepted by parents. Tetanus toxoid IgE responses did not differ across the study groups., Trial Registration: Trial registered at the Australian and New Zealand Clinical 207 Trial Registry (ACTRN12617000065392p)., Competing Interests: KPP has received research grants from Aravax, DBV Technologies, Novartis and Siolta and consultant fees from Aravax, paid to their institution, outside the submitted work. Unrelated to the work presented in this paper, DEC declared part-time employment in DBV Technologies, stock and stock options of DBV Technologies, and an honorarium for the AllerGenis Advisory Board. Unrelated to the work presented in this paper, MO is the non-remunerated Director of ASCIA, a not-for-profit company and the peak professional body for allergy/immunology specialists in Australia and New Zealand. Unrelated to the work presented in this paper, PCR has served on pertussis vaccine scientific advisory boards for GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi on behalf of his institution. He participated in multicentre vaccine trials of pertussis vaccines sponsored by industry, also unrelated to the work presented in this paper. He has received no personal remuneration for these activities. These organisations/industries had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of this report., (Copyright: © 2024 Pérez Chacón et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The push towards research commercialisation at universities has highlighted the importance of intellectual property (IP) policies in fostering innovation and guiding and managing research commercialisation activities. This paper undertakes a content analysis of intellectual property policies of all (37) Australian public universities, focusing on policy objectives, definition of IP, ownership of IP created by different creators, and distribution of net commercialisation revenues. It is found that all universities assert ownership over staff-created IP, particularly when related to employment or utilisation of university resources. For students, policies tend to balance their rights with university interests, with nuanced approaches for different types of student participation, but the focus of most policies was on postgraduate students engaging in research activities. While some policies had clear arrangements for IP created by visitors and affiliates and Indigenous cultural and intellectual property (ICIP), about a quarter of policies did not specify arrangements for these groups. Revenue sharing arrangements vary but generally award something between a third to a half of net revenue to creators, to both acknowledge their contribution and incentivise further innovation. Policies included a broad spectrum of objectives, from protecting and commercialising IP to fostering innovation and societal benefit, reflecting varying strategies across the higher education sector. Policies could benefit from further clarity in certain areas such as the rights of students or other creator groups. Research is needed to assess the effectiveness of these policies and their influence on innovation and commercialisation activities., Competing Interests: The author has declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Hamid R. Jamali. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Self-harm and suicide behaviours are a major public health concern. Several factors are associated with these behaviours among military communities. Identifying these factors may have important implications for policy and clinical services. The aim of this review was to identify the risk and protective factors associated with self-harm and suicide behaviours among serving and ex-serving personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, Canadian Armed Forces, Australian Defence Force and New Zealand Defence Force., Methods: A systematic search of seven online databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Global Health, PsycINFO, PTSDpubs and CINAHL) was conducted alongside cross-referencing, in October 2022. Following an a priori PROSPERO approved protocol (CRD42022348867), papers were independently screened and assessed for quality. Data were synthesised using a narrative approach., Results: Overall, 28 papers were included: 13 from Canada, 10 from the United Kingdom, five from Australia and none from New Zealand. Identified risk factors included being single/ex-relationship, early service leavers, shorter length of service (but not necessarily early service leavers), junior ranks, exposure to deployment-related traumatic events, physical and mental health diagnoses, and experience of childhood adversity. Protective factors included being married/in a relationship, higher educational attainment, employment, senior ranks, and higher levels of perceived social support., Conclusion: Adequate care and support are a necessity for the military community. Prevention and intervention strategies for self-harm and suicide behaviours may be introduced early and may promote social networks as a key source of support. This review found a paucity of peer-reviewed research within some populations. More peer-reviewed research is needed, particularly among these populations where current work is limited, and regarding modifiable risk and protective factors., Competing Interests: CW is currently in receipt of a funded PhD studentship via Phase 4 of the King’s Centre for Military Health Research Health and Wellbeing Cohort Study funded by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA), Cabinet Office, UK Government. BC is currently in receipt of a funded PhD studentship from The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), UK Government. AS is a full-time member of the British Army seconded to King’s College London. NTF is partly funded by the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MOD). MLS is fully funded by a grant from the OVA. SAMS is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and the National Institute for Health and Care Research, NIHR Advanced Fellowship, Dr Sharon Stevelink, NIHR300592. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the OVA, the ESRC, the British Army, the MOD, the NHS, or the NIHR. All authors have approved the manuscript and agree with its submission to PLOS ONE. Any conflicts of interest have been outlined in the manuscript. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials., (Copyright: © 2024 Williamson et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Resilience is a process of drawing on internal or external strengths to regain, sustain or improve adaptive outcomes despite adversity. Using a child resilience measure co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, we investigate: 1) children's personal, family, school and community strengths; 2) gender differences; and 3) associations between resilience and wellbeing., Methods: 1132 parent/caregivers of children aged 5-12 years were recruited to the Childhood Resilience Study, including through the Aboriginal Families Study. The Aboriginal Families Study is a population-based cohort of 344 mothers of an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child. This paper focuses on the wave 2 survey data on child resilience at age 5-9 years (n = 231). Resilience was assessed with the Child Resilience Questionnaire-parent/caregiver report (CRQ-P/C), categorised into tertiles of low, moderate and high scores. Child emotional/behavioural wellbeing and mental health competence was assessed with the parent-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. All Tobit regression models adjusted for child age., Outcomes: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls had higher resilience scores compared to boys (Adj.β = 0·9, 95%CI 0·9-1·4), with higher School Engagement, Friends and Connectedness to language scale scores. Resilience scores were strongly associated with wellbeing and high mental health competence. A higher proportion of girls with low resilience scores had positive wellbeing than did boys (73.3% versus 49.0%). High resilience scores were associated with lower SDQ total difficulties score after adjusting for child age, gender, maternal age and education and family location (major city, regional, remote) (Adj.β = -3.4, 95%CI -5.1, -1.7). Compared to the Childhood Resilience Study sample, Aboriginal Families Study children had higher mean CRQ-P/C scores in the personal and family domains., Interpretation: High family strengths can support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children at both an individual and cultural level. Boys may benefit from added scaffolding by schools, family and communities to support their social and academic connectedness., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Gartland et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)