Search

Background: People experiencing socio‐economic disadvantage face significantly higher rates of diet‐related health inequities. This study aimed to explore barriers, opportunities and potential solutions in providing food and nutrition services to people experiencing socio‐economic disadvantage from the perspective of services providers. The present study is part of a broad co‐design model to improve service provision for people experiencing socio‐economic disadvantage. Methods: A cross‐sectional online survey involving 33 open and closed‐ended questions was distributed to Australian governmental and non‐governmental organisations providing nutrition‐related support to people experiencing socio‐economic disadvantage aged 16 years and over. Data were analysed using frequency distributions and conceptual content analyses. Results: Sixty‐eight responses were analysed. Services are predominantly offered by charitable organisations (90%), funded through private donations (66%) and reliant on volunteers (100%). Barriers to supporting clients' nutrition needs include financial constraints, limited community engagement, understaffing, insufficient resources and knowledge gaps. Opportunities and solutions for enhancing support include increasing government funding, advocacy initiatives, stronger community collaboration and more holistic, customised services. Proposed recommendations include establishing purpose‐built facilities or wrap‐around services to expand access to health services, life skills, training and educational programs. Conclusions: Services face challenges including volunteer reliance, limited resources and inadequate government support, hindering food provision. Client barriers include transportation costs and lack of social support. With dedicated financial support, services can offer comprehensive assistance, including community spaces, staffing, health and social services and training. Community partnerships can maximise funding impact. Solutions must address overall well‐being and broader social determinants such as income inequality and housing. Highlights: People experiencing socio‐economic disadvantage face significantly higher rates of diet‐related health inequities, which are a major contributor to the global public health burden, resulting in substantial direct financial costs for societies and governments.Charitable services involved in food and nutrition‐related support have the potential to extend their services beyond food provision by offering comprehensive assistance tailored to the specific needs of their clients.Dedicated financial support from government funding or grants can provide community‐specific spaces, staff, health and social services, resources and training.Collaborations with the community and higher education sector can enhance the effectiveness of this funding and political and policy interventions are essential to support these initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Prevention programs for eating disorders (EDs) and high body index mass (BMI) have the potential to reduce the onset of these interconnected public health concerns. However, it remains unclear whether routine implementation of such programs would be cost‐effective. This study aims to determine the cost‐effectiveness of an intervention that aims to prevent both ED and high BMI. Method: A Markov model was developed to evaluate the incremental cost‐effectiveness of a targeted school‐based program, Healthy Weight, that aims to prevent both EDs and high BMI among Australian adolescents with body image concerns (aged 15–18 years), versus a "no intervention" comparator. A cost‐utility analysis was conducted from a "healthcare and education" sector perspective with costs (measured in 2019 Australian dollars) and health impacts modeled over the lifetime of the target population. An incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER), expressed as cost per health‐adjusted life year (HALY) gained, was calculated. Sensitivity analyses were done to test model assumptions. Results: The mean intervention cost and HALYs gained were AUD$2.13 million (95% CI, AUD$1.83–2.43 million) and 146 (95% CI, 90–209), respectively. With healthcare cost‐savings (AUD$3.97 million) included, the intervention was predicted to be cost‐saving (AUD$1.83 million; 95% CI, AUD$0.51–3.21 million). Primary findings were robust to extensive sensitivity analyses. Discussion: The Healthy Weight intervention is likely to represent good value‐for‐money. To ensure the successful implementation of this program at the population level, further research on its feasibility and acceptability among schools and the wider community is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify perceived barriers and enablers for rural women in accessing perinatal care within their own community from the perspective of perinatal health care providers. Design: A qualitative descriptive study design utilising reflexive thematic analysis, using the socioecological framework to organise and articulate findings. Setting: Victoria, Australia. Participants: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with nine perinatal health care providers who provide care to pregnant women or new mothers in rural communities. Participants were recruited across Victoria in 2023. Results: Providers reported multi‐level barriers and enablers that exist for rural women in accessing perinatal care within their communities. Barriers included women's personal circumstances, challenging professional relationships, inequitable service provision, ineffective collaboration between services and clinicians and government funding models and policies. Enablers included strength and resilience of rural women, social capital within rural communities, flexible care delivery and innovative practice, rural culture and continuity of care models. Conclusion: Rural perinatal health care providers perceived that rural women face multiple barriers that are created or sustained by complex interpersonal, organisational, community and policy factors that are intrinsic to rural health care delivery. Several addressable factors were identified that create unnecessary barriers for rural women in engaging with perinatal care. These included education regarding health systems, rights and expectations, equitable distribution of perinatal services, improved interprofessional relationships and collaborative approaches to care and equity‐based funding models for perinatal services regardless of geographical location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: The demand for simplified data collection within trials to increase efficiency and reduce costs has led to broader interest in repurposing routinely collected administrative data for use in clinical trials research. The aim of this scoping review is to describe how and why administrative data have been used in Australian randomised controlled trial conduct and analyses, specifically the advantages and limitations of their use as well as barriers and enablers to accessing administrative data for use alongside randomised controlled trials. Methods: Databases were searched to November 2022. Randomised controlled trials were included if they accessed one or more Australian administrative data sets, where some or all trial participants were enrolled in Australia, and where the article was published between January 2000 and November 2022. Titles and abstracts were independently screened by two reviewers, and the full texts of selected studies were assessed against the eligibility criteria by two independent reviewers. Data were extracted from included articles by two reviewers using a data extraction tool. Results: Forty-one articles from 36 randomised controlled trials were included. Trial characteristics, including the sample size, disease area, population, and intervention, were varied; however, randomised controlled trials most commonly linked to government reimbursed claims data sets, hospital admissions data sets and birth/death registries, and the most common reason for linkage was to ascertain disease outcomes or survival status, and to track health service use. The majority of randomised controlled trials were able to achieve linkage in over 90% of trial participants; however, consent and participant withdrawals were common limitations to participant linkage. Reported advantages were the reliability and accuracy of the data, the ease of long term follow-up, and the use of established data linkage units. Common reported limitations were locating participants who had moved outside the jurisdictional area, missing data where consent was not provided, and unavailability of certain healthcare data. Conclusions: As linked administrative data are not intended for research purposes, detailed knowledge of the data sets is required by researchers, and the time delay in receiving the data is viewed as a barrier to its use. The lack of access to primary care data sets is viewed as a barrier to administrative data use; however, work to expand the number of healthcare data sets that can be linked has made it easier for researchers to access and use these data, which may have implications on how randomised controlled trials will be run in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As trauma survivors, women and girls from refugee backgrounds face significant challenges when settling in host countries; the risk of domestic and family violence (DFV) accentuates these difficulties. Reflecting on findings from a seven-year university and industry research partnership, this article explores the etiology of DFV in women from refugee backgrounds living in non-metropolitan Australia. Drawing on action research principles and intersectional and social ecological theoretical frameworks, this study captured diverse women's views about experiences and strategies for addressing DFV in refugee communities. Having developed trusting relationships with participants over the different study phases, the first author conducted in-depth interviews with women of refugee backgrounds, listening deeply and confirming findings with participants as they emerged. Interviews were also conducted with staff from settlement, health and specialist domestic violence services to offer a broad perspective on how best to support refugee women experiencing DFV. Key findings revealed stressors and support that impact violence, such as employment status and acculturation, and identification of who the women would trust if experiencing violence. By understanding the interweaving factors influencing women's risk of DFV and strategies to address it, global healthcare providers will be better positioned to collaborate with refugee communities and specialist services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Transformational leadership benefits both patients and staff. The objective of this scoping review was to explore personal and organisational attributes that support transformational leadership in acute health care. Methods: A scoping review was undertaken using Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Complete, Medline Complete, PsycInfo and Emerald Insight databases. Search terms were related to transformational leadership and acute care hospitals. Results: A total of 18 studies were included: 14 reported personal attributes and 8 reported organisational attributes supporting transformational leadership. The most common personal attributes were manager educational preparation (n = 5), years of management experience (n = 4), age (n = 3) and emotional intelligence (n = 3). The most common organisational attributes reported were larger organisational size (n = 2) and culture (n = 2). Personal (manager) attributes were synthesised into the following categories: demographics, role characteristics, leadership preparation and traits. Organisational attributes were categorised as manager support, organisational characteristics and organisational processes. Conclusions: Despite the beneficial outcomes of transformational leadership for patients, staff and organisations, the personal and organisational attributes supporting transformation leadership are not well understood. What is known about the topic? Transformational leadership has clear benefits for patients, staff and organisations. What does this paper add? The personal and organisational attributes supporting transformation leadership are not well understood. What are the implications for practitioners? Transformational leadership was unrelated to gender or years of experience but was strongly associated with manager educational preparation and emotional intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To improve diabetes management in primary health care for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples population, training programs that are culturally and contextually relevant to the local context are required. Using a scoping review methodology, the aim of this review was to describe the characteristics of chronic disease management training programs for Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners, their effectiveness on knowledge and skills, and client-related outcomes, and the enablers, barriers to delivery and participation. Methods: Following protocol parameters, a systematic search was conducted in relevant databases and grey literature. Two independent reviewers screened the title and abstract of each paper to determine if the study met the inclusion criteria. Results: Of the 23 included studies, most were developed with stakeholders, profession facilitated and delivered by cultural facilitators. All training programs included content knowledge, two included a professional support network, four provided on-the-job support and six had follow-up support post-training. Modes of delivery ranged from didactic, storytelling and hands-on learning. Two studies reported significant improvement in participants' knowledge and confidence; one reported improvement in knowledge (12.7% increase pre-post training), and an increase in confidence in both clinical and non-clinical skills. Enablers (relevance, modes of learning, power of networking, improved knowledge, confidence and clinical practice) and barriers (adult learning capabilities, competing work-family commitments) were reported. Few studies reported on knowledge transfer into clinical practice and client-related outcomes. Conclusions: Multifaceted training programs for Aboriginal health workers are well received and may improve workforce capability. Limited studies have sought to implement and evaluate novel workforce approaches to reducing differential diabetes-related outcomes in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples populations. This review described the characteristics of the chronic disease management training programs and their effectiveness for Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners. Most included studies reported satisfaction with the training content, whereas some reported improved knowledge, confidence, and clinical and non-clinical skills of the participants. However, few studies reported knowledge transfer into clinical practice and client-related outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Technology, such as telehealth, is increasingly used to support home dialysis patients. The challenges patients and carers face when home dialysis nursing visits are provided via telehealth have yet to be explored. Objectives: To explore patients' and carers' perspectives as they transition to telehealth‐assisted home visits and identify the factors influencing their engagement in this modality. Design: A mixed‐methods approach, guideed by the behaviour change wheel using the capability, opportunity, motivation‐behaviour model to explore individual's perceptions of telehealth. Partcipants: Home dialysis patients and their carers. Measuruements: Suveys and qualitative interviews. Methods: A mixed‐methods approach was undertaken, combining surveys and qualitative interviews. It was guided by the Behaviour Change Wheel using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation‐ Behaviour model to explore individuals' perceptions of telehealth. Results: Thirty‐four surveys and 21 interviews were completed. Of 34 survey participants, 24 (70%) preferred face‐to‐face home visits and 23 (68%) had previously engaged in telehealth. The main perceived barrier identified in the surveys was knowledge of telehealth, but participants believed there were opportunities for them to use telehealth. Interview results revealed that the convenience and flexibility of telehealth were perceived as the main advantages of telehealth. However, challenges such as the ability to conduct virtual assessments and to communicate effectively between clinicians and patients were identified. Patients from non‐English speaking backgrounds and those with disabilities were particularly vulnerable because of the many barriers they faced. These challenges may further entrench the negative view regarding technology, as discussed by interview participants. Conclusion: This study suggested that a blended model combining telehealth and face‐to‐face services would allow patient choice and is important to facilitate equity of care, particularly for those patients who were unwilling or had difficulty adopting technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telerehabilitation is an appealing service delivery option for optimising recovery. Internationally, the equity of telerehabilitation services for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds has been questioned. Using a 31-item survey, our study explored the access, readiness and willingness of 260 patients receiving allied health services from a large tertiary health service located in Sydney, Australia, to use telerehabilitation for adults. Overall, 72% patients reported having access to technology, 38% met our readiness criteria and 53% reported willingness to engage in telerehabilitation. There were no differences in access, readiness and willingness to engage in telerehabilitation between patients from CALD and non-CALD backgrounds. Age was the only factor that influenced access (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.90 to 0.97), readiness (OR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.98) and willingness (OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.00) to engage in telerehabilitation. Past experience of telerehabilitation was related to willingness (OR = 2.73, 95% CI 1.55–4.79) but not access (OR = 1.79, 95% CI 0.87 to 3.68) or readiness (OR = 1.90, 95% CI 0.93 to 3.87). Our findings highlight the importance of ensuring positive patient experiences to promote ongoing willingness to use telerehabilitation. Efforts are needed to improve patients' digital health literacy, especially patients from older age groups, to ensure equitable engagement in telerehabilitation services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an autoethnography of how engaging with my previous autoethnographic article facilitated my recovery and self-growth. I wrote my previous piece (Nguyen-Trung, 2022) while stranded in Australia due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented me from visiting my grandfather one last time before his passing in 2021. If my past autoethnography focused on the themes of death, grief, and loss, the current article's autoethnography revolves around awakening, healing, and self-transformation. In this current article, I reflexively look back on my autoethnographic journey and reflect on how it impacted me as a grandchild and a human being on the one hand, and a qualitative sociologist and a writer on the other. I tell stories of how, since writing my first autoethnography and sharing it with others, whether at an academic conference, a meeting, a social encounter, or via a social media post, I managed to overcome the darkest time of my life and gradually heal my personal crisis and somehow transform myself. There were three key lessons learned from such a journey: the emergence of self-awareness, the significance of empathy and humanity within research communities, and the therapeutic and transformative potential of writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Consumer-centred care is fundamental to high-quality health care, with allied health professionals playing a pivotal role in hospital settings. Allied health typically operates within standard weekday working-hours. Consumer preferences for receiving allied health services are largely unexplored but could inform whether weekend and/or out-of-hours services are required. This study aims to understand consumer preferences for hospital-based inpatient and outpatient allied health services. Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey and convenience sampling approach, consumers of a public health service in Melbourne, Australia were surveyed about preferences for allied health service delivery. Electronic health record reviews compared the accuracy of self-reported service delivery times. Descriptive statistics, concordance and predictive values were calculated. Responses to free-text survey items were analysed using content analysis. Results: Of 120 participants (79% response rate), most (69%) received allied health services, however, almost half of inpatient responders (44%) were unsure of the specific allied health professional involved. Audit results found moderate–high concordance overall (range, 77–96%) between self-reported and audit-identified allied health services by profession. Most inpatient responders had no strong day of week preference, equally selecting weekdays and weekend days, with most preferring services between 8 am and 4 pm. Outpatient responders (81%) preferred a weekday appointment between 8 am and 12 pm or before 8 am (29%) to complete scheduled activities early in the day. Conclusion: While provision of allied health services during standard working-hours was preferred by most consumers, some inpatient and outpatient consumers are receptive to receiving weekend and out-of-hours services, respectively. Decisions about offering these services should consider operational capacity and research evidence. What is known about the topic? Research on consumer acceptance of out-of-hours or weekend allied health services is lacking, with an assumption of consumer willingness and demand for these service models. What does this paper add? Hospital inpatients are generally indifferent to the day of allied health services, preferring weekday or weekend day equally, typically between 8 am and 4 pm, while outpatients favour weekday mornings. Although consumers reported that their needs were met by allied health services, there was a lack of awareness about the specific services they received. What are the implications for practitioners? Results highlight the importance of not only aligning service delivery with consumer preferences for timing, but also enhancing awareness and understanding of the available allied health services for consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella enterica serovar Abortusovis is an ovineadapted pathogen that causes spontaneous abortion. Salmonella Abortusovis was reported in poultry in 2009 and has since been reported in human infections in New South Wales, Australia. Phylogenomic analysis revealed a clade of 51 closely related isolates from Australia originating in 2004. That clade was genetically distinct from ovine-associated isolates. The clade was widespread in New South Wales poultry production facilities but was only responsible for sporadic human infections. Some known virulence factors associated with human infections were only found in the poultry-associated clade, some of which were acquired through prophages and plasmids. Furthermore, the ovine-associated clade showed signs of genome decay, but the poultry-associated clade did not. Those genomic changes most likely led to differences in host range and disease type. Surveillance using the newly identified genetic markers will be vital for tracking Salmonella Abortusovis transmission in animals and to humans and preventing future outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the relative effectiveness of independent online and blended learning approaches for novice analysts' development of videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) analytical skills. The secondary aims were to explore the impact of training on decision-making and to describe learners' perspectives of training outcomes. Undergraduate speech-language pathology students (n = 74) who had completed the dysphagia academic curriculum in an undergraduate speech-language pathology program were recruited for a randomised control trial. The ability to identify swallowing impairments in adults was compared pre- and post-training across three conditions: independent online (n = 23), peer-supported (n = 23), and expert-facilitated training (n = 28). The training comprised online VFSS training and practice with a commercially available digital video disc (DVD). The three training approaches were equal in improving novice analysts' identification of impairments on VFSS. Participants' analysis improved pre- to post-training (p = <.001), with no statistical difference amongst training conditions (p =.280). However, the expert facilitation condition resulted in better decision-making skill for novice analysts, as well as higher levels of confidence and greater engagement in the learning. Well-designed independent online methods are appropriate to prepare novice analysts for VFSS analytical training. Expert facilitation and peer-supported environments may have benefits for more advanced skill development and engagement, and should be investigated in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aphasia Nexus: Connecting Evidence to Practice is a theoretically-based online implementation intervention designed to overcome the barriers related to the implementation of intensive and comprehensive aphasia services. The objective was to establish the feasibility of incorporating Aphasia Nexus within routine clinical practice through an evaluation of: (1) its potential to positively influence the intensity and/or comprehensiveness of aphasia services; (2) the ability of selected outcome measures to capture changes to factors influencing implementation; and (3) the acceptability of the website to on-site speech-language pathologists (SLPs). A single arm pre-post pilot trial was conducted within an Australian health service. The design collected qualitative and quantitative pre-post data in the form of therapy logs, behaviour change questionnaires, and a post-intervention focus group. Data were collected one week prior to, and one week following, a 12 week implementation period where participating SLPs (n = 5) were provided access to the Aphasia Nexus website. Quantitative data revealed improvements in the median time per patient with aphasia from 65 to 115 minutes per week (intensity/dose), an additional 50 minutes per week. SLPs trialled at least one new therapy approach (Attentive Reading and Constrained Summarisation) and service delivery model (group therapy) representing an increase in the comprehensiveness of their services to patients. SLPs perceived a reduction in the barriers associated with the promotion of new aphasia services. Qualitative analysis of focus group discussion revealed that participants considered Aphasia Nexus in the overarching theme of practice efficiency (obtaining the best outcome from the least amount of effort) and the sub-themes of accessible therapy resources and the prioritisation of time. Overall, Aphasia Nexus was considered a useful clinical tool with the potential to positively influence clinical aphasia practice. These results will inform further implementation intervention refinements and will inform the methodology of future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing literature has identified that the death of a partner in later life is often accompanied by changes in the personal circumstances of the bereaved. However, the consequences following the death of a same-gender partner have attracted limited research attention. The present study aimed to investigate the consequent changes caused by the death of a same-gender partner in later life. Six gay men and four lesbians who had lost a same-gender partner shared their experiences during semi-structured interviews at two stages. Participants’ ages ranged between 56 and 82 years and they all resided in Australia. We used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to identify common themes in the interview data. Symbolic losses were the first common theme. In addition to the physical loss of their partners, participants grieved the loss of their relationship status, sense of power and control and friendship networks. The second theme concerned the unsolicited gains they acquired through the experience of bereavement. The positive changes that participants reported included personal growth, new meanings, unique opportunities and mental respite strategies. The contrasting identified themes highlight the range of changes experienced by bereaved same-gender partners. Further research into the impact of grief on subsequent relationships is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): The aim of this paper was to report on qualitative survey responses provided by older Australian adults regarding their preferences for Internet‐based services and content. Methods: Two qualitative questions ('What type of Internet‐based mental health and well‐being (1) services, and (2) content would be of most interest to you?') from a broader survey investigating the mental and physical health of older Australians were thematically analysed for commonly occurring themes. Eighty‐nine participants aged 65 years or older (mean age = 71 years, SD = 5.30) responded to at least one qualitative question. Participants were primarily female (60%, n = 53), born in Australia (65%, n = 58), in a relationship (58%, n = 52), living in the community (79%, n = 70) and relatively well educated, with the majority having completed a university degree (38%, n = 34). Results: Themes indicated that participants were most interested in Facebook‐style services (n = 17), chat groups (n = 16) and email‐based services (n = 4) designed specifically for older adults (n = 14). However, some concerns were raised regarding the trustworthiness of Internet‐based services, with the largest proportion of participants (n = 22) noting that they were unlikely to use Internet‐ or social media‐based services. The primary content‐related themes were mental fitness (n = 34), grief and loss (n = 20), health information (n = 13), socialisation (n = 11) and physical fitness (n = 10). Conclusions: Participants indicated interest in tailor‐made Facebook‐style services for older adults that allow them to communicate with their peers and create new social networks and incorporate content relating to strategies for working on mental and physical fitness, information on coping with grief and loss, as well as health information. These findings can be used by organisations to develop Internet‐based services and content for older Australian adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung cancer referral pathways aim to reduce delays and improve referral patterns of people with suspected lung cancer. Aim: As part of implementing a lung cancer referral pathway at a regional Australian hospital, this study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of people with lung cancer and their carers. Methods: In‐depth interviews were used to elicit data for thematic analysis in this cross‐sectional descriptive qualitative study. Patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer and their carers at a regional academic cancer centre were invited to participate in interviews. Five interviews were conducted face‐to‐face, and 14 interviews were conducted by telephone (as per interviewee preference). Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed and qualitatively analysed. Descriptive phrases were used to generate initial inductive codes and themes. Results: Nineteen participants approached agreed to take part in the study. Factors that positively impacted the care experience were good communication, timeliness and patient advocacy and support. Improper communication, long waiting times for investigations and appointments, uncertainty about the process and inconsistent advice from providers negatively impacted the care experience. Participants preferred face‐to‐face or video‐linked consultations over telephone consultations. Conclusions: Understanding the experiences of rural and regional patients and carers with the lung cancer referral pathway is important to improve quality of care. Implementing changes to the referral pathway to improve patient and carer experiences needs to be an ongoing quality improvement exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mycobacterium ulcerans (MU) causes Buruli ulcer (Buruli), a geographically restricted infection that can result in skin loss, contracture and permanent scarring. Lesion-location maps compiled from more than 640 cases in south eastern Australia suggest biting insects are likely involved in transmission, but it is unclear whether MU is brought by insects to humans or if MU is already on the skin and inoculation is an opportunistic event that need not be insect dependent. Methods: We validated a PCR swab detection assay and defined its dynamic range using laboratory cultured M. ulcerans and fresh pigskin. We invited volunteers in Buruli-endemic and non-endemic areas to sample their skin surfaces with self-collected skin swabs tested by IS2404 quantitative PCR. Results: Pigskin validation experiments established a limit-of-detection of 0.06 CFU/cm2 at a qPCR cycle threshold (Ct) of 35. Fifty-seven volunteers returned their self-collected kits of 4 swabs (bilateral ankles, calves, wrists, forearms), 10 from control areas and 47 from endemic areas. Collection was timed to coincide with the known peak-transmission period of Buruli. All swabs from human volunteers tested negative (Ct ≥35). Conclusions: M. ulcerans was not detected on the skin of humans from highly Buruli endemic areas. Author summary: Buruli ulcer (Buruli) incidence is increasing in temperate south eastern Australia. We have yet to develop public health programs to assist people in avoiding Buruli partly because the precise mode of transmission is contentious. Recent research has shown that environmental contamination with M. ulcerans (the cause of Buruli) is widespread in endemic areas as a result of faecal shedding from infected possums that live close to humans, although direct human-possum contact is rare. We investigated the possibility that the skin of humans in endemic areas could become transiently contaminated with M. ulcerans while outdoors. If this were the case then Buruli prevention programs could be developed around skin protection and regular washing/showering. To study this possibility, we developed a sensitive skin swab PCR-assay that we tested using a pigskin laboratory model so we could be confident in our results. We asked volunteers to collect their own skin swabs after spending at least 4 hours outside during the known period of peak Buruli transmission. Fifty seven volunteers returned swab sets for testing. Our results were negative. We did not find evidence that humans in our endemic zone have M. ulcerans contamination on their skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Treatment with cetuximab provides a survival benefit for patients with RAS wild‐type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Practice‐defining cetuximab studies utilised weekly (q1w) administration. More convenient second weekly (q2w) administration is supported by pharmacokinetic data and a recent meta‐analysis, but large head‐to‐head studies have not been conducted. Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) prescribing information states cetuximab be administered q1w for all indications. Aim: To assess the real‐world use of q1w versus q2w cetuximab schedule and any difference in outcomes. Methods: We analysed data from a prospective mCRC database at seven Melbourne hospitals from January 2010 to August 2019. Characteristics and outcomes for cetuximab‐treated patients were examined, comparing q1w versus q2w schedules. Progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were the primary endpoints. Results: Of 214 eligible patients, 103 (48%) received q1w and 111 (52%) received q2w cetuximab. Q2w cetuximab has been used in >70% of patients from 2015. Q2w was more commonly used in public patients (70% vs 13% in private, P < 0.001), in left‐sided primary tumours (83% vs 68%, P = 0.025) and in combination with chemotherapy (73% q2w vs 40% q1w, P < 0.001). Q2w treatment was less common in BRAFV600E mutated tumours (4% vs 13%, P = 0.001). PFS was similar across all lines of therapy, including when analyses were limited to a left‐sided primary and there was no difference in OS in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: This real‐world analysis shows q2w cetuximab has become the dominant method of administration, despite TGA guidance. Our outcome data adds to other data supporting the use of q2w cetuximab as the standard option. Consideration could be given to modifying current TGA advice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a case in Australia of human neural larva migrans caused by the ascarid Ophidascaris robertsi, for which Australian carpet pythons are definitive hosts. We made the diagnosis after a live nematode was removed from the brain of a 64-year-old woman who was immunosuppressed for a hypereosinophilic syndrome diagnosed 12 months earlier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are a gold-standard method of assessing clinical competence, yet few studies have evaluated their use in speech-language pathology. This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of postgraduate speechlanguage pathology students towards a final-year OSCE. Students' perceptions were captured via an online survey. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively. Qualitative responses were analysed using content analysis. Pass rates across stations are also reported. Over 80% of students passed each OSCE station. Survey respondents (n = 13) agreed that the OSCEs were valuable and well run, despite causing nervousness. Ambiguity was observed for items related to OSCE validity and authenticity, student confidence, preparedness, and overall experience. OSCEs can be feasible way to assess clinical competencies in speech-language pathology. When adopting this method of assessment, it is crucial to consider the students' experiences of, and preparedness for, the OSCE process and their perceptions of task validity and authenticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Comorbid depression and/or anxiety symptoms occur in 25%of patients attending cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs and are associated with poorer prognosis. There is a need to evaluate psychological interventions, including meditation, that have potential to improve psychological health in CR programs. Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of integrating ameditation intervention into an existing Australian CR program for the reduction of depression and anxiety symptoms. Methods: This was a mixed-methods feasibility randomized controlled trial. Thirty-one patientswith CVD and, at aminimum,mild depression and/or anxiety symptoms were randomized to meditation and standard CR or to standard CR alone. A 16-minute guided group meditation was delivered face-to-face once a week for 6 weeks, with daily self-guided meditation practice between sessions. Feasibility outcomes included screening, recruitment, and retention. Semistructured interviews of patients' (n = 10) and health professionals' (n = 18) perspectives of intervention participation and delivery were undertaken to assess acceptability. Between-group differences in depression, anxiety, stress, self-efficacy for mindfulness, and health status at 6 and 12 weeks were also assessed. Results and Conclusion: Meditation was considered feasible, with 83%(12/15) of the intervention group completing an average of 3.13 (SD, 2.56) out of 6 group meditation sessions and 5.28 (SD, 8.50) self-guided sessions. Meditation was considered acceptable by patients, clinicians, and health managers. Between-group differences in the number of CR sessions completed favored the intervention group in per-protocol analyses (intervention group vs control group, 12 vs 9 sessions; P = .014), which suggests thatmeditationmay be useful to improve patients' adherence to exercise-based CR program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores staff work patterns in an Australian residential aged care facility and the implications for high‐quality care. Rarely available minute by minute, time and motion, and ethnographic data demonstrate that nurses and care staff engage in high degrees of multitasking and mental switching between residents. Mental switching occurs up to 18 times per hour (every 3 min); multitasking occurs on average for 37 min/h. Labor process theory is used to examine these outcomes and to explore the concepts of high demand and high commitment as core components of work intensification. These conditions of work result in high levels of cognitive burden and stress on staff in managing the multitasking and mental switching, exacerbated by lack of knowledge about residents associated with labor force casualization. These new interpretations of data in relation to mental and manual labor can contribute to understanding, and, therefore, problem solving, in the aged care sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Care navigation is commonly used to reduce preventable hospitalisation. The use of Electronic Health Record‐derived algorithms may enable better targeting of this intervention for greater impact. Aims: To evaluate if community‐based Targeted Care Navigation, supported by an Electronic Health Record‐derived readmission risk algorithm, is associated with reduced rehospitalisation. Methods: A propensity score matching cohort (5 comparison to 1 intervention cohort ratio) study was conducted in an 850‐bed Victorian public metropolitan health service, Australia, from May to November 2017. Admitted acute care patients with a non‐surgical condition, identified as at‐risk of hospital readmission using an Electronic Health Record‐derived readmission risk algorithm provide by the state health department, were eligible. Targeted Care Navigation involved telephone follow‐up support provided for 30 days post‐discharge by a registered nurse. The hazard ratio for hospital readmission was calculated at 30, 60 and 90 days post‐discharge using multivariable Cox Proportional Hazards regression. Results: Sixty‐five recipients received care navigation and were matched to 262 people who did not receive care navigation. Excellent matching was achieved with standardised differences between groups being <0.1 for all 11 variables included in the propensity score, including the readmission risk score. The Targeted Care Navigation group had a significantly reduced hazard of readmission at 30 days (hazard ratio 0.34; 95% confidence interval: 0.12, 0.94) compared with the comparison group. The effect size was reduced at 60 and 90 days post‐discharge. Conclusion: We provide preliminary evidence that Targeted Care Navigation supported by an Electronic Health Record‐derived readmission risk algorithm may reduce 30‐day hospital readmissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dearq is the property of Universidad de los Andes and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article traces the formalisation of anthropology in Australia from 1880 to 1920, during which time the 'discipline' shifted from a framework of developmental evolution to one of structural functionalism. It argues that this paradigm shift necessitated an elimination of anthropology's once-foundational logic of Aboriginal antiquity: severed, first, from a paired notion of human primitivity, then removed altogether. While historians acknowledge functionalist anthropology's rationale of 'time-less' Aboriginality, this article unpacks how it was uniquely created, tracing antiquity's erasure across the texts central to anthropology's formalisation in Australia. Doing so reveals that the elimination of Aboriginal antiquity was not just part of anthropology's development in Australia but a crucial functioning aspect of it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First evidence of Melo knives in Australia, spanning 46,000 years, discovered at Boodie Cave. • An early Australian shell technology tradition is reported. • Combined analysis using experimental, ethnographic, and archaeological investigations provides valuable insights into Melo shell artefact production and utilization. • Melo shell knives highlight an enduring shell tool industry within the northern Carnarvon bioregion, with Boodie Cave excavations yielding abundant material for studying past marine resource utilisation. • Past reliance on robust shellfish like Melo for tools likely more widespread in northern Australia than previously acknowledged. We investigate archaeological evidence for the early production of Melo (or commonly named 'baler') shell knives recovered from Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene deposits in Boodie Cave, Barrow Island. The site is in the Country of Thalanyji people in northwestern Western Australia. The oldest shell knife fragments were recovered from units dated to 46.2–42.6 ka, making this one of the oldest Homo sapiens sapiens shell tool technologies currently described. We situate this early and ongoing tradition of shell tool manufacture within recent discussions of the early development of shell industries from both Island Southeast Asia and globally. Although shell knives have been previously reported from Pilbara and Gulf of Carpentaria surface middens in northern Australia, systematic analysis of the manufacturing process and associated debris, and especially from pre-Holocene contexts, has not been previously conducted. This research explores the shell knife chaîne opératoire through the integration of three data sets derived from archaeology, ethnography, and experimental archaeology. This study highlights the significance of shell tool industries in the northwest of Australia, and globally, from the Pleistocene and into the Late Holocene in areas with limited access to hard rock geology where shell reduction represents a unique technological strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A favourable nursing practice environment and adequate nurse staffing have been linked to reduced patient mortality. However, the contribution of nursing care processes such as patient surveillance and escalation of care, on patient mortality is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the nursing practice environment, nurse staffing, missed care related to patient surveillance and escalation of care on 30-day inpatient mortality. A multi-source quantitative study including a cross-sectional survey of nurses, and retrospective data extracted from an audit of medical and admission records. A large tertiary teaching hospital (600 beds) in metropolitan Sydney, Australia. Data on the nursing practice environment, nurse staffing and missed care were obtained from the nursing survey. Patient deterioration data and patient outcome data were collected from the medical and admission records respectively. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between the nursing practice environment, patient deterioration and 30-day inpatient mortality accounting for clustering of episodes within patients using generalised estimating equations. Surveys were completed by 304 nurses (84.5 % female, mean age 34.4 years, 93.4 % Registered Nurses) from 16 wards. Patient deterioration data was collected for 30,011 patient deterioration events and 63,847 admitted patient episodes of care. Each additional patient per nurse (OR = 1.22, 95 % CI = 1.04–1.43) and the presence of increased missed care for patient surveillance (OR = 1.13, 95 % CI = 1.03–1.23) were associated with higher risk of 30-day inpatient mortality. The use of a clinical emergency response system reduced the risk of mortality (OR = 0.82, 95 % CI = 0.76–0.89). A sub-group analysis excluding aged care units identified a 38 % increase in 30-day inpatient mortality for each additional patient per nurse (OR = 1.38, 95 % CI = 1.15–1.65). The nursing practice environment was also significantly associated with mortality (OR = 0.79, 95 % CI: 0.72–0.88) when aged care wards were excluded. Patient mortality can be reduced by increasing nurse staffing levels and improving the nursing practice environment. Nurses play a pivotal role in patient safety and improving nursing care processes to minimise missed care related to patient surveillance and ensuring timely clinical review for deteriorating patients reduces inpatient mortality. Patient mortality can be reduced by improving the nursing practice environment & increasing the number of nurses so that nurses have more time to monitor patients. Investing in nurses results in lower mortality and better outcomes. #PatientSafety #NurseStaffing #WorkEnvironment #Mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The aim of this article is to analyse Aboriginal myths and discover the relationship between animals and humans in the beliefs of the indigenous Australians. The article attempts to explain how animals are described when compared to people and vice. Furthermore, the author endeavours to establish what the relationship looks like and how it is presented. Methods. As Aboriginal myths and mythologies have been evolving for hundreds and thousands of years, it is not possible to analyse every single myth. Hence, in order to narrow them down, only the myths presented by Alexander Wyclif Reed will be analysed. The analysis will be conducted from the perspective of Animals Studies, with a particular focus on the contemporary ecological views presented by a contemporary representative of an ecological turn and animal rights scholar, Peter Wohlleben. The analysis will focus on three main aspects: parenting/motherly love, instincts, feelings and emotions. Results. The analysis shows that animals were of the utmost importance in the Aboriginal everyday life and most of the time were treated on a par with humans. Just like the Aboriginal point of view, contemporary attitude to Animal Studies attempts to alter the view according to which animals are devoid of feelings and intelligence. Conclusions. Animals seem to have a crucial role in every aspect of Aboriginal everyday life, including religious and social. They were not perceived as lesser or worse; conversely, Aboriginals considered them to be as intelligent and significant as the Aboriginal people themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One hundred thousand years ago, give or take, the forebears of some of Australia’s First Nations— by some accounts as few as 150 people—left Africa on an immense journey. After some 2,000 generations, the passage through new and unfamiliar territories of these first modern human beings terminated in a supercontinent that included Australia, Papua, and Tasmania. By some estimates, no more than 150 people—the same number that had originally left Africa—made the final sea crossing that separates Indonesia and Australia. Research on such ancient migrations emphasises population growth, the ‘selfish gene,’ and the territorial imperative, as key drivers of mobility. This working paper speculates that the numinous was the equal to any other factor in migration, which is why this vast trek is called an inspired journey or the very first pilgrimage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Early human occupation of Australia's eastern seaboard" published in Scientific Reports. The correction acknowledges that Thomas Dooley was omitted from the author list in the original version of the article. The correction also includes an updated acknowledgement section, recognizing the Quandamooka People for their dedication to preserving their cultural heritage and providing financial support for the research. The document also provides a revised author contributions section, outlining the specific roles and contributions of each author. The article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. [Extracted from the article]

Scavenging and predatory wildlife can ingest lead (Pb) from lead-based ammunition and become poisoned when feeding on shot game animals. Humans can similarly be exposed to ammunition-derived lead when consuming wild-shot game animals. Studies have assessed the degree of lead contamination in the carcasses of game animals but this scrutiny has not so far extended to Australia. Stubble quail (Coturnix pectoralis) are one of the only native non-waterfowl bird species that can be legally hunted in Australia, where it is commonly hunted with lead shot. The aim of this study was to characterize lead contamination in quail harvested with lead-based ammunition. The frequency, dimensions, and number of lead fragments embedded in carcasses were assessed through use of radiography (X-ray). From these data, the average quantity of lead available to scavenging wildlife was estimated along with potential risks to human consumers. We radiographed 37 stubble quail harvested by hunters using 12-gauge (2.75") shotguns to fire shells containing 28 g (1 oz) of #9 (2 mm or 0.08" diameter) lead shot in western Victoria, Australia, in Autumn 2021. Radiographs revealed that 81% of carcasses contained embedded pellets and/or fragments with an average of 1.62 embedded pellets detected per bird. By excising and weighing a sample of 30 shotgun pellets (all had a mass of 0.75 grain or 48.6 mg), we calculated an average lead load of 78 mg/100 g of body mass. This was a conservative estimate, because fragments were not considered. This level of lead contamination was comparable to hunted bird species examined using similar methods in Europe. The quantity and characteristics of lead ammunition residues found suggest that predatory and scavenging wildlife and some groups of human consumers will be at risk of negative health impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Trip to the Dominions: The Scientific Event That Changed Australia: Edited by Lynette Russell. In July 1914 a large delegation from the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS) disembarked at Fremantle to attend a BAAS annual congress in Australia, the remotest of imperial outposts. Boucher is interested in settlers' reactions to frontier violence in the mid-nineteenth century and offers some thoughtful reflections about the interface between amateur anthropology and settler colonialism. [Extracted from the article]

Human genetic and genomic information (HGI) is being generated, utilized and accessed across a wide range of healthcare settings. While traditionally clinical genetics services have maintained guardianship and enforced rigid protections of human genetic information, this is no longer practical or feasible as genetic knowledge continues to evolve, expand and inform various aspects of healthcare. Today, many healthcare professionals of varied backgrounds and areas of expertise are looking to genetic and genomic information to screen and/or diagnose genetic conditions and to guide medical management and treatment options. This position statement provides guidance for all healthcare professionals who may be handling human genetic and/or genomic information as part of their practice and outlines considerations relevant to protection, storage, access and sharing of HGI in Australasia. Illustrative cases are used to highlight various sensitivities of genetic and genomic information and challenges these may pose in modern healthcare settings. In essence, this position statement seeks to highlight and advocate for both individual interests as well as the interests of the broader family network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human source management (HSM) is an area of policing that is fraught with ethical and legal risks, and yet until relatively recently has received limited attention in policing literature. This article explores several areas critical to HSM in Australian policing, albeit with global implications. It explores the potential risks of creating arbitrary definitional distinctions in the registration of informants. It also explores the implementation of 'sterile corridor' policies separating source handling from operational police, as well as why some police services continue to reject the need for specialist HSM units. Finally, the article looks to the contentious legislative framework around 'cleansing' informants before using them as witnesses, requiring them to confess to all criminality (minor or major) before being offered a 'deal' by prosecutors. It questions whether this is the future for HSM reform in Australia, and whether or not this is a positive move forward on the road to professionalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the effects of globalisation has been population mobility as a result of famine, climate warming and war conflicts, among other things. This flow of refugees, however, is often seen as a menace to the rule of law and human rights concomitant with the Western lifestyle. Refugees are no longer regarded as human beings and victims, but rather as danger, even as potential terrorists, which has led many governments, including the Australian, to detain them indefinitely in detention centres where they are confined in inhuman conditions. The main aim of this paper will be to describe Australian immigration policies and how contemporary Australian narratives on and by refugees are reflecting this situation, mainly by analysing a selection of texts from three recently published collections, namely, A Country Too Far (2013), They Cannot Take the Sky (2017) and Seabirds Crying in the Harbour Dark (2017), and Behrouz Boochani's No Friend but the Mountains (2018). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: Task sharing-or training of nonspecialist providers with no formal training in counseling-is an effective strategy to improve access to evidence-based counseling interventions and has the potential to address the burden of perinatal depression and anxiety.Objectives: To identify the relevant implementation processes (who, what, where, and how) and to assess the effectiveness of counseling interventions delivered by nonspecialist providers for perinatal depression and anxiety in high-income countries.Data Sources: CINAHL, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE In-Process, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Embase through December 31, 2019. Relevant systematic reviews were also considered.Study Selection: Randomized clinical trials of counseling interventions that assessed depression or anxiety after intervention, delivered by a nonspecialist provider for adults, and that targeted perinatal populations in a high-income country were included. Self-help interventions that did not include a provider component were excluded.Data Extraction and Synthesis: Four researchers independently reviewed abstracts and full-text articles, and 2 independently rated the quality of included studies. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the benefits of the interventions. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses reporting guideline was followed.Main Outcomes and Measures: For implementation processes, the frequencies represented by a total or percentage were estimated, where the denominator is the total number of eligible trials, unless otherwise indicated. For effectiveness, primary and secondary outcome data of depression, anxiety, or both symptoms were used, with separate analyses for prevention and treatment, stratified by depression or anxiety. Subgroup analyses compared outcome types (anxiety vs depression) and study objectives (treatment vs prevention).Results: In total, 46 trials (18 321 participants) were included in the systematic review; 44 trials (18 101 participants) were included in the meta-analysis. Interventions were implemented across 11 countries, with the majority in Australia, UK, and US. Two-thirds (65%) of counseling interventions were provided by nurses and midwives, lasted a mean of 11.2 weeks (95% CI, 6.4-16.0 weeks), and most were delivered face to face (31 [67.4%]). Only 2 interventions were delivered online. A dearth of information related to important implementation processes, such as supervision, fidelity, and participant sociodemographic characteristics, was observed in many articles. Compared with controls, counseling interventions were associated with lower depressive symptoms (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.24 [95% CI, 0.14-0.34]; 43 trials; I2 = 81%) and anxiety scores (SMD, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.11-0.50]; 11 trials; I2 = 80%). Treatment interventions were reported to be effective for both depressive symptoms (SMD, 0.38 [95% CI, 0.17-0.59]; 15 trials; I2 = 69%) and anxiety symptoms (SMD, 0.34 [95% CI, 0.09-0.58]; 6 trials; I2 = 71%). However, heterogeneity was high among the trials included in this analysis.Conclusions and Relevance: This study found evidence in high-income countries indicating that nonspecialist providers may be effective in delivering counseling interventions. Additional studies are needed to assess digital interventions and ensure the reporting of implementation processes to inform the optimal delivery and scale-up of these services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health is known as one of the important rights of every human being. Therefore, access to health care should be possible for all people based on their needs, as such; this protects, maintains and promotes their health without risk of financial hardship. This article comprehensively analyses healthcare systems of three selected countries. Objective: In this study, we sought to compare the healthcare system of Afghanistan with Iran and Australia. Method: Descriptive-comparative study was used to compare the health system of Afghanistan with that of Iran and Australia based on the conceptual framework for healthcare system comparison by Wendt. According to Wendt’s conceptual framework, comparison focuses on the contribution of three actors in health system that is: the government, private sectors and societal scheme in three dimensions of health system financing, provision and regulation. Results: The result of this study showed that the Afghanistan health care system is state based mixed type which is similar with that of Iran and Australia in some aspects. But difference exists in the contribution of each of three actors in dimensions of health care system. In Afghanistan, regulation dimension of health care system is highly centralized; all decisions related to goals, monitoring, evaluation, policies and finance are made in Ministry of Public Health (MOPH). This aspect is quit similar with that observed in the Iranian Healthcare system outlook. Conclusion: Findings of this study showed that the success of health system in two other countries, it seems that the applying the decentralization of regulation and contribution of private and societal scheme in financing and provision of health care is the best choice for improving the health care system in Afghanistan. Also, government should decrease dependency in donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative human-wildlife interactions can be better managed by early detection of the wildlife species involved. However, many animals that pose a threat to humans are highly cryptic, and detecting their presence before the interaction occurs can be challenging. We describe a method whereby the presence of the estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), a cryptic and potentially dangerous predator of humans, was detected using traces of DNA shed into the water, known as environmental DNA (eDNA). The estuarine crocodile is present in waterways throughout southeast Asia and Oceania and has been responsible for >1,000 attacks upon humans in the past decade. A critical factor in the crocodile's capability to attack humans is their ability to remain hidden in turbid waters for extended periods, ambushing humans that enter the water or undertake activities around the waterline. In northern Australia, we sampled water from aquariums where crocodiles were present or absent, and we were able to discriminate the presence of estuarine crocodile from the freshwater crocodile (C. johnstoni), a closely related sympatric species that does not pose a threat to humans. Further, we could detect the presence of estuarine crocodiles within an hour of its entry and up to 72 hours after the crocodiles were removed from aquariums. We conclude that eDNA could be a valuable tool for reducing human-wildlife conflict through early detection of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay discusses two waves of settlement by Homo sapiens of continental Australia; the first over 60 000 years ago, and the second less than 250 years ago. The failure of the second wave of Homo sapiens to understand the way the first wave had changed the biotic composition has led to major environmental problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents glimpses of the life and fieldwork of Grant Evans, the foremost anthropologist and historian to work on Laos in recent decades. It explores his youth in rural Australia, his tumultuous student years, and the challenges he faced as a professional scholar negotiating the Lao PDR bureaucracy. It draws insights from some of his early writing for alternative publications in Australia, as well as extensive discussions and correspondence with family, friends, professional counterparts and former students. It identifies factors in Grant's early life that were instrumental in his ability to research the Lao PDR. Ultimately, Grant possessed wide‐ranging academic and non‐academic interests. He was highly respected as a scholar and was a very decent human being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although recently the internal structure of the non-supranuchal fossa of Homo sapiens has been described and compared to that observed in the Neandertal suprainiac fossa, until now it has not been examined in any modern human children. In this study, the internal structure of this fossa in the occipital bones of three children (two aged 3‒4 years and one aged 5 years ± 16 months) and one adult individual representing recent Homo sapiens from Australia was analysed and compared to that of the Neandertal suprainiac fossa. In order to analyse the internal composition of the fossae of the examined specimens, initially, high-resolution micro-CT datasets were obtained for their occipital bones; next, 3D topographic maps of the variation in thickness of structural layers of the occipital bones were made and 2D virtual sections in the median region of these fossae were prepared. In the fossa of one immature individual, the thinning of the diploic layer characteristic of a Neandertal suprainiac fossa was firmly diagnosed. The other Neandertal-like trait, concerning the lack of substantial thinning of the external table of the bone in the region of the fossa, was established in two individuals (one child and one adult) due to the observation of an irregular pattern of the thickness of this table in the other specimens, suggesting the presence of an inflammatory process. Our study presents, for the first time, Neandertal-like traits (but not the whole set of features that justifies the autapomorphic status of the Neandertal supraniac fossa) in the internal structure of non-supranuchal fossae of some recent Homo sapiens. We discuss the phylogenetic implications of the results of our analysis and stress the reasons that use of the 3D topographic mapping method is important for the correct diagnosis of Neandertal traits of the internal structure of occipital fossae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]