ANU Research Publications

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/1885/26

The Australian National University's Research Publications collection is an online location for collecting, preserving and disseminating the scholarly output of the University. This service allows members of the University to share their research with the wider community. ANU Open Research accepts journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, working or technical papers and other forms of scholarly communication.

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 117555

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Complications in silane-assisted GaN nanowire growth
(2023-04-20) Jiang, Nian; Ghosh, Saptarsi; Frentrup, Martin; Fairclough, Simon M.; Loeto, Kagiso; Kusch, Gunnar; Oliver, Rachel A.; Joyce, Hannah J.
Understanding the growth mechanisms of III-nitride nanowires is of great importance to realise their full potential. We present a systematic study of silane-assisted GaN nanowire growth on c-sapphire substrates by investigating the surface evolution of the sapphire substrates during the high temperature annealing, nitridation and nucleation steps, and the growth of GaN nanowires. The nucleation step - which transforms the AlN layer formed during the nitridation step to AlGaN - is critical for subsequent silane-assisted GaN nanowire growth. Both Ga-polar and N-polar GaN nanowires were grown with N-polar nanowires growing much faster than the Ga-polar nanowires. On the top surface of the N-polar GaN nanowires protuberance structures were found, which relates to the presence of Ga-polar domains within the nanowires. Detailed morphology studies revealed ring-like features concentric with the protuberance structures, indicating energetically favourable nucleation sites at inversion domain boundaries. Cathodoluminescence studies showed quenching of emission intensity at the protuberance structures, but the impact is limited to the protuberance structure area only and does not extend to the surrounding areas. Hence it should minimally affect the performance of devices whose functions are based on radial heterostructures, suggesting that radial heterostructures remain a promising device structure.
Embargo
The Enforceability of Ombudsman Remedies and Competition with Judicial Review
(Hart Publishing, 2022) Thomson, Stephen; Groves, Matthew; Stuhmcke, Anita
The very title of this book – The Ombudsman in the Modern State – presumes that the ombuds institution will continue to exist, but in so doing it must continue to evolve. That is because we proceed on the assumption that government and its individual elements will continue to develop relentlessly. This book examines one part of government that is as dynamic as it is static – dealing with complaints about bad government. As much as government evolves, one constant feature of government remains: mistakes. The form of those mistakes might change, so the error previously made by a person standing behind a counter might now be made through an automated decision-making process, but their substantive nature remains eerily familiar. Public agencies and their staff make decisions or devise policies that are unfair or wrong, or perhaps explain or implement their decisions in a clumsy manner. The people affected by those decisions and policies have a grievance and want to be heard, preferably by an office independent of the agency or official that caused the problem. Ombuds[1] assume a central role in meeting that need.
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A Comprehensive Review of Optimal Approaches to Co-Design in Health with First Nations Australians
(2022) Butler, Tamara; Gall, Alana; Garvey, Gail; Ngampromwongse, Khwanruethai; Hector, Debra; Turnbull, Scott; Lucas, Kerri; Nehill, Caroline; Boltong, Anna; Keefe, Dorothy; Anderson, Kate
Background: Australia’s social, structural, and political context, together with the continuing impact of colonisation, perpetuates health care and outcome disparities for First Nations Australians. A new approach led by First Nations Australians is required to address these disparities. Co-design is emerging as a valued method for First Nations Australian communities to drive change in health policy and practice to better meet their needs and priorities. However, it is critical that co-design processes and outcomes are culturally safe and effective. Aims: This project aimed to identify the current evidence around optimal approaches to co-design in health with First Nations Australians. Methods: First Nations Australian co-led team conducted a comprehensive review to identify peer-reviewed and grey literature reporting the application of co-design in health-related areas by and with First Nations Australians. A First Nations Co-Design Working Group (FNCDWG) was established to guide this work and team.A Collaborative Yarning Methodology (CYM) was used to conduct a thematic analysis of the included literature. Results: After full-text screening, 99 studies were included. Thematic analysis elicited the following six key themes, which included 28 practical sub-themes, relevant to co-design in health with First Nations Australians: First Nations Australians leadership; Culturally grounded approach; Respect; Benefit to First Nations communities; Inclusive partnerships; and Evidence-based decision making. Conclusion: The findings of this review provide a valuable snapshot of the existing evidence to be used as a starting point to guide appropriate and effective applications of co-design in health with First Nations Australians.
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Negative Liberty, Liberal and Republican
(1993) Pettit, Philip
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Standardized practices for RNA diagnostics using clinically accessible specimens reclassifies 75% of putative splicing variants
(2021-11-30) Bournazos, Adam M.; Riley, Lisa G.; Bommireddipalli, Shobhana; Ades, Lesley; Akesson, Lauren S.; Al-Shinnag, Mohammad; Alexander, Stephen I.; Archibald, Alison D.; Balasubramaniam, Shanti; Berman, Yemima; Beshay, Victoria; Boggs, Kirsten; Bojadzieva, Jasmina; Brown, Natasha J.; Bryen, Samantha J.; Buckley, Michael F.; Chong, Belinda; Davis, Mark R.; Dawes, Ruebena; Delatycki, Martin; Donaldson, Liz; Downie, Lilian; Edwards, Caitlin; Edwards, Matthew; Engel, Amanda; Ewans, Lisa J.; Faiz, Fathimath; Fennell, Andrew; Field, Michael; Freckmann, Mary Louise; Gallacher, Lyndon; Gear, Russell; Goel, Himanshu; Goh, Shuxiang; Goodwin, Linda; Hanna, Bernadette; Harraway, James; Higgins, Megan; Ho, Gladys; Hopper, Bruce K.; Horton, Ari E.; Hunter, Matthew F.; Huq, Aamira J.; Josephi-Taylor, Sarah; Joshi, Himanshu; Kirk, Edwin; Krzesinski, Emma; Breen, Jimmy; Eyras, Eduardo; Hayashi, Rippei
Purpose: Genetic variants causing aberrant premessenger RNA splicing are increasingly being recognized as causal variants in genetic disorders. In this study, we devise standardized practices for polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based RNA diagnostics using clinically accessible specimens (blood, fibroblasts, urothelia, biopsy). Methods: A total of 74 families with diverse monogenic conditions (31% prenatal-congenital onset, 47% early childhood, and 22% teenage-adult onset) were triaged into PCR-based RNA testing, with comparative RNA sequencing for 19 cases. Results: Informative RNA assay data were obtained for 96% of cases, enabling variant reclassification for 75% variants that can be used for genetic counseling (71%), to inform clinical care (32%) and prenatal counseling (41%). Variant-associated mis-splicing was highly reproducible for 28 cases with samples from ≥2 affected individuals or heterozygotes and 10 cases with ≥2 biospecimens. PCR amplicons encompassing another segregated heterozygous variant was vital for clinical interpretation of 22 of 79 variants to phase RNA splicing events and discern complete from partial mis-splicing. Conclusion: RNA diagnostics enabled provision of a genetic diagnosis for 64% of recruited cases. PCR-based RNA diagnostics has capacity to analyze 81.3% of clinically significant genes, with long amplicons providing an advantage over RNA sequencing to phase RNA splicing events. The Australasian Consortium for RNA Diagnostics (SpliceACORD) provide clinically-endorsed, standardized protocols and recommendations for interpreting RNA assay data.
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Initial sequencing and comparative analysis of the mouse genome
(2002-12-05) Waterston, Robert H.; Lindblad-Toh, Kerstin; Birney, Ewan; Rogers, Jane; Abril, Josep F.; Agarwal, Pankaj; Agarwala, Richa; Ainscough, Rachel; Alexandersson, Marina; An, Peter; Antonarakis, Stylianos E.; Attwood, John; Baertsch, Robert; Bailey, Jonathon; Barlow, Karen; Beck, Stephan; Berry, Eric; Birren, Bruce; Bloom, Toby; Bork, Peer; Botcherby, Marc; Bray, Nicolas; Brent, Michael R.; Brown, Daniel G.; Brown, Stephen D.; Bult, Carol; Burton, John; Butler, Jonathan; Campbell, Robert D.; Carninci, Piero; Cawley, Simon; Chiaromonte, Francesca; Chinwalla, Asif T.; Church, Deanna M.; Clamp, Michele; Clee, Christopher; Collins, Francis S.; Cook, Lisa L.; Copley, Richard R.; Coulson, Alan; Couronne, Olivier; Cuff, James; Curwen, Val; Cutts, Tim; Daly, Mark; David, Robert; Davies, Joy; Delehaunty, Kimberly D.; Deri, Justin; Dermitzakis, Emmanouil T.; Dewey, Colin; Dickens, Nicholas J.; Diekhans, Mark; Dodge, Sheila; Dubchak, Inna; Dunn, Diane M.; Eddy, Sean R.; Elnitski, Laura; Emes, Richard D.; Eswara, Pallavi; Eyras, Eduardo; Felsenfeld, Adam; Fewell, Ginger A.; Flicek, Paul; Foley, Karen; Frankel, Wayne N.; Fulton, Lucinda A.; Fulton, Robert S.; Furey, Terrence S.; Gage, Diane; Gibbs, Richard A.; Glusman, Gustavo; Gnerre, Sante; Goldman, Nick; Goodstadt, Leo; Grafham, Darren; Graves, Tina A.; Green, Eric D.; Gregory, Simon; Guigó, Roderic; Guyer, Mark; Hardison, Ross C.; Haussler, David; Hayashizaki, Yoshihide; LaHillier, Deana W.; Hinrichs, Angela; Hlavina, Wratko; Holzer, Timothy; Hsu, Fan; Hua, Axin; Hubbard, Tim; Hunt, Adrienne; Jackson, Ian; Jaffe, David B.; Johnson, L. Steven; Jones, Matthew; Jones, Thomas A.; Joy, Ann; Kamal, Michael; Karlsson, Elinor K.; Karolchik, Donna; Kasprzyk, Arkadiusz; Kawai, Jun; Keibler, Evan; Kells, Cristyn; Kent, W. James; Kirby, Andrew; Kolbe, Diana L.; Korf, Ian; Kucherlapati, Raju S.; Kulbokas, Edward J.; Kulp, David; Landers, Tom; Leger, J. P.; Leonard, Steven; Letunic, Ivica; Levine, Rosie; Li, Jia; Li, Ming; Lloyd, Christine; Lucas, Susan; Ma, Bin; Maglott, Donna R.; Mardis, Elaine R.; Matthews, Lucy; Mauceli, Evan; Mayer, John H.; McCarthy, Megan; McCombie, W. Richard; McLaren, Stuart; McLay, Kirsten; McPherson, John D.; Meldrim, Jim; Meredith, Beverley; Mesirov, Jill P.; Miller, Webb; Miner, Tracie L.; Mongin, Emmanuel; Montgomery, Kate T.; Morgan, Michael; Mott, Richard; Mullikin, James C.; Muzny, Donna M.; Nash, William E.; Nelson, Joanne O.; Nhan, Michael N.; Nicol, Robert; Ning, Zemin; Nusbaum, Chad; O'Connor, Michael J.; Okazaki, Yasushi; Oliver, Karen; Overton-Larty, Emma; Pachter, Lior; Parra, Genís; Pepin, Kymberlie H.; Peterson, Jane; Pevzner, Pavel; Plumb, Robert; Pohl, Craig S.; Poliakov, Alex; Ponce, Tracy C.; Ponting, Chris P.; Potter, Simon; Quail, Michael; Reymond, Alexandre; Roe, Bruce A.; Roskin, Krishna M.; Rubin, Edward M.; Rust, Alistair G.; Santos, Ralph; Sapojnikov, Victor; Schultz, Brian; Schultz, Jorg; Schwartz, Matthias S.; Schwartz, Scott; Scott, Carol; Seaman, Steven; Searle, Steve; Sharpe, Ted; Sheridan, Andrew; Shownkeen, Ratna; Sims, Sarah; Singer, Jonathan B.; Slater, Guy; Smit, Arian; Smith, Douglas R.; Spencer, Brian; Stabenau, Arne; Stange-Thomann, Nicole; Sugnet, Charles; Suyama, Mikita; Tesler, Glenn; Thompson, Johanna; Torrents, David; Trevaskis, Evanne; Tromp, John; Ucla, Catherine; Ureta-Vidal, Abel; Vinson, Jade P.; von Niederhausern, Andrew C.; Wade, Claire M.; Wall, Melanie; Weber, Ryan J.; Weiss, Robert B.; Wendl, Michael C.; West, Anthony P.; Wetterstrand, Kris; Wheeler, Raymond; Whelan, Simon; Wierzbowski, Jamey; Willey, David; Williams, Sophie; Wilson, Richard K.; Winter, Eitan; Worley, Kim C.; Wyman, Dudley; Yang, Shan; Yang, Shiaw Pyng; Zdobnov, Evgeny M.; Zody, Michael C.; Lander, Eric S.
The sequence of the mouse genome is a key informational tool for understanding the contents of the human genome and a key experimental tool for biomedical research. Here, we report the results of an international collaboration to produce a high-quality draft sequence of the mouse genome. We also present an initial comparative analysis of the mouse and human genomes, describing some of the insights that can be gleaned from the two sequences. We discuss topics including the analysis of the evolutionary forces shaping the size, structure and sequence of the genomes; the conservation of large-scale synteny across most of the genomes; the much lower extent of sequence orthology covering less than half of the genomes; the proportions of the genomes under selection; the number of protein-coding genes; the expansion of gene families related to reproduction and immunity; the evolution of proteins; and the identification of intraspecies polymorphism.
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Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome
(2004-10-21) Abdellah, Zahra; Ahmadi, Alireza; Ahmed, Shahana; Aimable, Matthew; Ainscough, Rachael; Almeida, Jeff; Almond, Claire; Ambler, Andrew; Ambrose, Karen; Ambrose, Kerrie; Andrew, Robert; Andrews, Daniel; Andrews, Neil; Andrews, Dan; Apweiler, Eva; Arbery, Hazel; Archer, Beth; Ash, Gareth; Ashcroft, Kevin; Ashurst, Jennifer; Ashwell, Robert; Atkin, Deborah; Atkinson, Andrea; Atkinson, Barry; Attwood, John; Aubin, Keith; Auger, Katherine; Avis, Terry; Babbage, Anne; Babbage, Sarah; Bacon, Joanne; Bagguley, Claire; Bailey, Jonathan; Baker, Andrew; Banerjee, Ruby; Bardill, Simon; Barker, Darren; Barker, Gary; Barker, Daniel; Barlow, Karen; Baron, Laurent; Barrett, Anika; Bartlett, Rebecca; Basham, David; Basham, Victoria; Bateman, Alex; Bates, Karen; Baynes, Caroline; Beard, Lisa; Eyras, Eduardo
The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead.
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Sequence and comparative analysis of the chicken genome provide unique perspectives on vertebrate evolution
(2004-12-09) Hillier, LW; Miller, W; Birney, E; Warren, W; Hardison, RC; Ponting, CP; Bork, P; Burt, DW; Groenen, MAM; Delany, ME; Dodgson, JB; Chinwalla, AT; Cliften, PF; Clifton, SW; Delehaunty, KD; Fronick, C; Fulton, RS; Graves, TA; Kremitzki, C; Layman, D; Magrini, V; McPherson, JD; Miner, TL; Minx, P; Nash, WE; Nhan, MN; Nelson, JO; Oddy, LG; Pohl, CS; Randall-Maher, J; Smith, SM; Wallis, JW; Yang, S; Romanov, MN; Rondelli, CM; Paton, B; Smith, J; Morrice, D; Daniels, L; Tempest, HG; Robertson, L; Masabanda, JS; Griffin, DK; Vignal, A; Fillon, V; Jacobbson, L; Kerje, S; Andersson, L; Crooijmans, RPM; Aerts, J; van der Poel, JJ; Ellegren, H; Caldwell, RB; Hubbard, SJ; Grafham, DV; Kierzek, AM; McLaren, SR; Overton, IM; Arakawa, H; Beattie, KJ; Bezzubov, Y; Boardman, PE; Bonfield, JK; Croning, MDR; Davies, RM; Francis, MD; Humphray, SJ; Scott, CE; Taylor, RG; Tickle, C; Brown, WRA; Rogers, J; Buerstedde, JM; Wilson, SA; Stubbs, L; Ovcharenko, I; Gordon, L; Lucas, S; Miller, MM; Inoko, H; Shiina, T; Kaufman, J; Salomonsen, J; Skjoedt, K; Wong, GKS; Wang, J; Liu, B; Wang, J; Yu, J; Yang, HM; Nefedov, M; Koriabine, M; deJong, PJ; Goodstadt, L; Webber, C; Dickens, NJ; Letunic, I; Suyama, M; Torrents, D; von Mering, C; Zdobnov, EM; Makova, K; Nekrutenko, A; Elnitski, L; Eswara, P; King, DC; Yang, S; Tyekucheva, S; Radakrishnan, A; Harris, RS; Chiaromonte, F; Taylor, J; He, JB; Rijnkels, M; Griffiths-Jones, S; Ureta-Vidal, A; Hoffman, MM; Severin, J; Searle, SMJ; Law, AS; Speed, D; Waddington, D; Cheng, Z; Tuzun, E; Eichler, E; Bao, ZR; Flicek, P; Shteynberg, DD; Brent, MR; Bye, JM; Huckle, EJ; Chatterji, S; Dewey, C; Pachter, L; Kouranov, A; Mourelatos, Z; Hatzigeorgiou, AG; Paterson, AH; Ivarie, R; Brandstrom, M; Axelsson, E; Backstrom, N; Berlin, S; Webster, MT; Pourquie, O; Reymond, A; Ucla, C; Antonarakis, SE; Long, MY; Emerson, JJ; Betrán, E; Dupanloup, I; Kaessmann, H; Hinrichs, AS; Bejerano, G; Furey, TS; Harte, RA; Raney, B; Siepel, A; Kent, WJ; Haussler, D; Eyras, E; Castelo, R; Abril, JF; Castellano, S; Camara, F; Parra, G; Guigo, R; Bourque, G; Tesler, G; Pevzner, PA; Smit, A; Fulton, LA; Mardis, ER; Wilson, RK
We present here a draft genome sequence of the red jungle fowl, Gallus gallus. Because the chicken is a modern descendant of the dinosaurs and the first non-mammalian amniote to have its genome sequenced, the draft sequence of its genome - composed of approximately one billion base pairs of sequence and an estimated 20,000 - 23,000 genes - provides a new perspective on vertebrate genome evolution, while also improving the annotation of mammalian genomes. For example, the evolutionary distance between chicken and human provides high specificity in detecting functional elements, both non-coding and coding. Notably, many conserved non-coding sequences are far from genes and cannot be assigned to defined functional classes. In coding regions the evolutionary dynamics of protein domains and orthologous groups illustrate processes that distinguish the lineages leading to birds and mammals. The distinctive properties of avian microchromosomes, together with the inferred patterns of conserved synteny, provide additional insights into vertebrate chromosome architecture.
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pathfinder
(2024-12-01) Iyer, Kartheik G.; Yunus, Mikaeel; O’Neill, Charles; Ye, Christine; Hyk, Alina; McCormick, Kiera; Ciucă, Ioana; Wu, John F.; Accomazzi, Alberto; Astarita, Simone; Chakrabarty, Rishabh; Cranney, Jesse; Field, Anjalie; Ghosal, Tirthankar; Ginolfi, Michele; Huertas-Company, Marc; Jabłońska, Maja; Kruk, Sandor; Liu, Huiling; Marchidan, Gabriel; Mistry, Rohit; Naiman, J. P.; Peek, J. E.G.; Polimera, Mugdha; Rodríguez Méndez, Sergio J.; Schawinski, Kevin; Sharma, Sanjib; Smith, Michael J.; Ting, Yuan Sen; Walmsley, Mike
The exponential growth of astronomical literature poses significant challenges for researchers navigating and synthesizing general insights or even domain-specific knowledge. We present pathfinder, a machine learning framework designed to enable literature review and knowledge discovery in astronomy, focusing on semantic searching with natural language instead of syntactic searches with keywords. Utilizing state-of-the-art large language models (LLMs) and a corpus of 385,166 peer-reviewed papers from the Astrophysics Data System, pathfinder offers an innovative approach to scientific inquiry and literature exploration. Our framework couples advanced retrieval techniques with LLM-based synthesis to search astronomical literature by semantic context as a complement to currently existing methods that use keywords or citation graphs. It addresses complexities of jargon, named entities, and temporal aspects through time-based and citation-based weighting schemes. We demonstrate the tool’s versatility through case studies, showcasing its application in various research scenarios. The system’s performance is evaluated using custom benchmarks, including single-paper and multipaper tasks. Beyond literature review, pathfinder offers unique capabilities for reformatting answers in ways that are accessible to various audiences (e.g., in a different language or as simplified text), visualizing research landscapes, and tracking the impact of observatories and methodologies. This tool represents a significant advancement in applying artificial intelligence to astronomical research, aiding researchers at all career stages in navigating modern astronomy literature.
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The Genome Sequence of Taurine Cattle
(2009-04-24) Elsik, Christine G.; Tellam, Ross L.; Worley, Kim C.; Gibbs, Richard A.; Abatepaulo, Antonio R. R.; Abbey, Colette A.; Adelson, David L.; Aerts, Jan; Ahola, Virpi; Alexander, Lee; Alioto, Tyler; Almeida, Iassudara G.; Amadio, Ariel F.; Anatriello, Elen; Antonarakis, Stylianos E.; Anzola, Juan M.; Astashyn, Alex; Bahadue, Suria M.; Baldwin, Cynthia L.; Barris, Wes; Baxter, Rebecca; Bell, Stephanie Nicole; Bennett, Anna K.; Bennett, Gary L.; Biase, Fernando H.; Boldt, Clayton R.; Bradley, Daniel G.; Brinkman, Fiona S. L.; Brinkmeyer-Langford, Candice L.; Brown, Wendy C.; Brownstein, Michael J.; Buhay, Christian; Caetano, Alexandre R.; Camara, Francisco; Carroll, Jeffrey A.; Carvalho, Wanessa A.; Casey, Theresa; Cervelatti, Elaine P.; Chack, Joseph; Chacko, Elsa; Chandrabose, Mimi M.; Chen, Lin; Eyras, Eduardo; Garcia, Gustavo R.; Gilbert, James G. R.; Jones, Steven J. M.; Moore, Richard; Taylor, Jeremy F.; Ward, Robert; Williams, John L.
To understand the biology and evolution of ruminants, the cattle genome was sequenced to about sevenfold coverage. The cattle genome contains a minimum of 22,000 genes, with a core set of 14,345 orthologs shared among seven mammalian species of which 1217 are absent or undetected in noneutherian (marsupial or monotreme) genomes. Cattle-specific evolutionary breakpoint regions in chromosomes have a higher density of segmental duplications, enrichment of repetitive elements, and species-specific variations in genes associated with lactation and immune responsiveness. Genes involved in metabolism are generally highly conserved, although five metabolic genes are deleted or extensively diverged from their human orthologs. The cattle genome sequence thus provides a resource for understanding mammalian evolution and accelerating livestock genetic improvement for milk and meat production.
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Trust in science and scientists: Effects of social attitudes and motivations on views regarding climate change, vaccines and gene drive technology
(2022) Dixson, Henry GW; Komugabe-Dixson, Aimée F; Medvecky, Fabien; Balanovic, Jovana; Thygesen, Helene; MacDonald, Edith A
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Examining the mental health services among people with mental disorders
(2024) Gao, Yunqi; Burns, Richard; Leach, Liana; Chilver, Miranda R.; Butterworth, Peter
Background: Mental disorders are a significant contributor to disease burden. However, there is a large treatment gap for common mental disorders worldwide. This systematic review summarizes the factors associated with mental health service use. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and the Web of Science were searched for articles describing the predictors of and barriers to mental health service use among people with mental disorders from January 2012 to August 2023. The initial search yielded 3230 articles, 2366 remained after removing duplicates, and 237 studies remained after the title and abstract screening. In total, 40 studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Middle-aged participants, females, Caucasian ethnicity, and higher household income were more likely to access mental health services. The use of services was also associated with the severity of mental symptoms. The association between employment, marital status, and mental health services was inconclusive due to limited studies. High financial costs, lack of transportation, and scarcity of mental health services were structural factors found to be associated with lower rates of mental health service use. Attitudinal barriers, mental health stigma, and cultural beliefs also contributed to the lower rates of mental health service use. Conclusion: This systematic review found that several socio-demographic characteristics were strongly associated with using mental health services. Policymakers and those providing mental health services can use this information to better understand and respond to inequalities in mental health service use and improve access to mental health treatment.
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Estimation of the global prevalence of dementia in 2019 and forecasted prevalence in 2050
(2022) Nichols, Emma; Steinmetz, Jaimie D.; Vollset, Stein Emil; Fukutaki, Kai; Chalek, Julian; Abd-Allah, Foad; Abdoli, Amir; Abualhasan, Ahmed; Abu-Gharbieh, Eman; Akram, Tayyaba Tayyaba; Al Hamad, Hanadi; Alahdab, Fares; Alanezi, Fahad Mashhour; Alipour, Vahid; Almustanyir, Sami; Amu, Hubert; Ansari, Iman; Arabloo, Jalal; Ashraf, Tahira; Astell-Burt, Thomas; Ayano, Getinet; Ayuso-Mateos, Jose L.; Baig, Atif Amin; Barnett, Anthony; Barrow, Amadou; Baune, Bernhard T.; Béjot, Yannick; Mequanint Bezabhe, Woldesellassie M.; Bezabih, Yihienew Mequanint; Bhagavathula, Akshaya Srikanth; Bhaskar, Sonu; Bhattacharyya, Krittika; Bijani, Ali; Biswas, Atanu; Bolla, Srinivasa Rao; Boloor, Archith; Brayne, Carol; Brenner, Hermann; Burkart, Katrin; Burns, Richard A.; Cámera, Luis Alberto; Cao, Chao; Carvalho, Felix; Castro-De-Araujo, Luis F.S.; Catalá-López, Ferrán; Cerin, Ester; Chavan, Prachi P.; Cherbuin, Nicolas; Chu, Dinh Toi; Costa, Vera Marisa
Background: Given the projected trends in population ageing and population growth, the number of people with dementia is expected to increase. In addition, strong evidence has emerged supporting the importance of potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia. Characterising the distribution and magnitude of anticipated growth is crucial for public health planning and resource prioritisation. This study aimed to improve on previous forecasts of dementia prevalence by producing country-level estimates and incorporating information on selected risk factors. Methods: We forecasted the prevalence of dementia attributable to the three dementia risk factors included in the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 (high body-mass index, high fasting plasma glucose, and smoking) from 2019 to 2050, using relative risks and forecasted risk factor prevalence to predict GBD risk-attributable prevalence in 2050 globally and by world region and country. Using linear regression models with education included as an additional predictor, we then forecasted the prevalence of dementia not attributable to GBD risks. To assess the relative contribution of future trends in GBD risk factors, education, population growth, and population ageing, we did a decomposition analysis. Findings: We estimated that the number of people with dementia would increase from 57·4 (95% uncertainty interval 50·4–65·1) million cases globally in 2019 to 152·8 (130·8–175·9) million cases in 2050. Despite large increases in the projected number of people living with dementia, age-standardised both-sex prevalence remained stable between 2019 and 2050 (global percentage change of 0·1% [–7·5 to 10·8]). We estimated that there were more women with dementia than men with dementia globally in 2019 (female-to-male ratio of 1·69 [1·64–1·73]), and we expect this pattern to continue to 2050 (female-to-male ratio of 1·67 [1·52–1·85]). There was geographical heterogeneity in the projected increases across countries and regions, with the smallest percentage changes in the number of projected dementia cases in high-income Asia Pacific (53% [41–67]) and western Europe (74% [58–90]), and the largest in north Africa and the Middle East (367% [329–403]) and eastern sub-Saharan Africa (357% [323–395]). Projected increases in cases could largely be attributed to population growth and population ageing, although their relative importance varied by world region, with population growth contributing most to the increases in sub-Saharan Africa and population ageing contributing most to the increases in east Asia. Interpretation: Growth in the number of individuals living with dementia underscores the need for public health planning efforts and policy to address the needs of this group. Country-level estimates can be used to inform national planning efforts and decisions. Multifaceted approaches, including scaling up interventions to address modifiable risk factors and investing in research on biological mechanisms, will be key in addressing the expected increases in the number of individuals affected by dementia. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gates Ventures.
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Pre-COVID life expectancy, mortality, and burden of diseases for adults 70 years and older in Australia
(2024) Ciobanu, Liliana G.; Baryshnikova, Nadezhda V.; Jawahar, Magdalene Catharine; Toben, Catherine G.; Sokolenko, Elysia; Arnet, Victoria Kiriaki; Addo, Isaac Yeboah; Adegboye, Oyelola A.; Ahinkorah, Bright Opoku; Alam, Khurshid; Alif, Sheikh Mohammad; Ameyaw, Edward Kwabena; Anderlini, Deanna; Angell, Blake; Ansar, Adnan; Anyasodor, Anayochukwu Edward; Astell-Burt, Thomas; Atorkey, Prince; Ayala Quintanilla, Beatriz Paulina; Ayano, Getinet; Babu, Abraham Samuel; Bagheri, Nasser; Baune, Bernhard T.; Bhandari, Dinesh; Bhaskar, Sonu; Boufous, Soufiane; Briggs, Andrew M.; Bulamu, Norma B.; Burns, Richard A.; Carvalho, Andre F.; Cerin, Ester; Cherbuin, Nicolas; Chowdhury, Enayet Karim; Cross, Marita; De Leo, Diego; Driscoll, Tim Robert; Du, Mi; Edvardsson, David; Edvardsson, Kristina; Efendi, Ferry; Endalamaw, Aklilu; Fauk, Nelsensius Klau; Flavel, Joanne; Franklin, Richard Charles; Gill, Tiffany K.; Gupta, Bhawna; Gupta, Vivek Kumar; Hamiduzzaman, Mohammad; Hankey, Graeme J.; Hay, Simon I.
Background: The Australian population aged 70 and above is increasing and imposing new challenges for policy makers and providers to deliver accessible, appropriate and affordable health care. We examine pre-COVID patterns of health loss between 1990 and 2019 to inform policies and practices. Methods: Using the standardised methodology framework and analytical strategies from GBD 2019 methodologies, we estimated mortality, causes of death, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), life expectancy at age 70 and above (LE-70), and healthy life expectancy (HALE-70) in Australia comparing them globally and with high socio-demographic index (SDI) groups. Findings: DALY rates have been improving steadily over the past 30 years among Australians aged 70 and above. Decreases in DALY rates were primarily attributed to a fall in YLLs attributable to cardiovascular diseases (60%) and chronic respiratory disorders (30.2%) and transport injuries (56.9%), while the non-fatal burden remained stable from 1990 to 2019. According to the DALY rates, the top five leading causes are ischemic heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, COPD, stroke, and falls, where falls exhibited the largest increase since 1990. Interpretation: This study provides an in-depth report on the main causes of mortality and disability in Australia's population aged 70 and above. It sheds light on the shifts in burden over three decades, emphasising the need for the Australian health system to enhance its readiness in addressing the escalating demands of an ageing population. These findings establish pre-COVID baseline estimates for Australia's population aged 70 and above, informing healthcare preparedness. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Burden of disease scenarios for 204 countries and territories, 2022–2050
(2024-05-18) Vollset, Stein Emil; Ababneh, Hazim S.; Abate, Yohannes Habtegiorgis; Abbafati, Cristiana; Abbasgholizadeh, Rouzbeh; Abbasian, Mohammadreza; Abbastabar, Hedayat; Abd Al Magied, Abdallah H.A.; ElHafeez, Samar Abd; Abdelkader, Atef; Abdelmasseh, Michael; Abd-Elsalam, Sherief; Abdi, Parsa; Abdollahi, Mohammad; Abdoun, Meriem; Abdullahi, Auwal; Abebe, Mesfin; Abiodun, Olumide; Aboagye, Richard Gyan; Abolhassani, Hassan; Abouzid, Mohamed; Aboye, Girma Beressa; Abreu, Lucas Guimarães; Absalan, Abdorrahim; Abualruz, Hasan; Abubakar, Bilyaminu; Abukhadijah, Hana Jihad Jihad; Addolorato, Giovanni; Adekanmbi, Victor; Adetunji, Charles Oluwaseun; Adetunji, Juliana Bunmi; Adeyeoluwa, Temitayo Esther; Adha, Rishan; Adhikary, Ripon Kumar; Adnani, Qorinah Estiningtyas Sakilah; Adzigbli, Leticia Akua; Afrashteh, Fatemeh; Afzal, Muhammad Sohail; Afzal, Saira; Agbozo, Faith; Agodi, Antonella; Agrawal, Anurag; Agyemang-Duah, Williams; Ahinkorah, Bright Opoku; Ahlstrom, Austin J.; Ahmad, Aqeel; Bagheri, Nasser; Burns, Richard A.; Cherbuin, Nicolas; Hunt, Aliza J.
Background: Future trends in disease burden and drivers of health are of great interest to policy makers and the public at large. This information can be used for policy and long-term health investment, planning, and prioritisation. We have expanded and improved upon previous forecasts produced as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) and provide a reference forecast (the most likely future), and alternative scenarios assessing disease burden trajectories if selected sets of risk factors were eliminated from current levels by 2050. Methods: Using forecasts of major drivers of health such as the Socio-demographic Index (SDI; a composite measure of lag-distributed income per capita, mean years of education, and total fertility under 25 years of age) and the full set of risk factor exposures captured by GBD, we provide cause-specific forecasts of mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) by age and sex from 2022 to 2050 for 204 countries and territories, 21 GBD regions, seven super-regions, and the world. All analyses were done at the cause-specific level so that only risk factors deemed causal by the GBD comparative risk assessment influenced future trajectories of mortality for each disease. Cause-specific mortality was modelled using mixed-effects models with SDI and time as the main covariates, and the combined impact of causal risk factors as an offset in the model. At the all-cause mortality level, we captured unexplained variation by modelling residuals with an autoregressive integrated moving average model with drift attenuation. These all-cause forecasts constrained the cause-specific forecasts at successively deeper levels of the GBD cause hierarchy using cascading mortality models, thus ensuring a robust estimate of cause-specific mortality. For non-fatal measures (eg, low back pain), incidence and prevalence were forecasted from mixed-effects models with SDI as the main covariate, and YLDs were computed from the resulting prevalence forecasts and average disability weights from GBD. Alternative future scenarios were constructed by replacing appropriate reference trajectories for risk factors with hypothetical trajectories of gradual elimination of risk factor exposure from current levels to 2050. The scenarios were constructed from various sets of risk factors: environmental risks (Safer Environment scenario), risks associated with communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases (CMNNs; Improved Childhood Nutrition and Vaccination scenario), risks associated with major non-communicable diseases (NCDs; Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenario), and the combined effects of these three scenarios. Using the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways climate scenarios SSP2-4.5 as reference and SSP1-1.9 as an optimistic alternative in the Safer Environment scenario, we accounted for climate change impact on health by using the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change temperature forecasts and published trajectories of ambient air pollution for the same two scenarios. Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy were computed using standard methods. The forecasting framework includes computing the age-sex-specific future population for each location and separately for each scenario. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for each individual future estimate were derived from the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles of distributions generated from propagating 500 draws through the multistage computational pipeline. Findings: In the reference scenario forecast, global and super-regional life expectancy increased from 2022 to 2050, but improvement was at a slower pace than in the three decades preceding the COVID-19 pandemic (beginning in 2020). Gains in future life expectancy were forecasted to be greatest in super-regions with comparatively low life expectancies (such as sub-Saharan Africa) compared with super-regions with higher life expectancies (such as the high-income super-region), leading to a trend towards convergence in life expectancy across locations between now and 2050. At the super-region level, forecasted healthy life expectancy patterns were similar to those of life expectancies. Forecasts for the reference scenario found that health will improve in the coming decades, with all-cause age-standardised DALY rates decreasing in every GBD super-region. The total DALY burden measured in counts, however, will increase in every super-region, largely a function of population ageing and growth. We also forecasted that both DALY counts and age-standardised DALY rates will continue to shift from CMNNs to NCDs, with the most pronounced shifts occurring in sub-Saharan Africa (60·1% [95% UI 56·8–63·1] of DALYs were from CMNNs in 2022 compared with 35·8% [31·0–45·0] in 2050) and south Asia (31·7% [29·2–34·1] to 15·5% [13·7–17·5]). This shift is reflected in the leading global causes of DALYs, with the top four causes in 2050 being ischaemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, compared with 2022, with ischaemic heart disease, neonatal disorders, stroke, and lower respiratory infections at the top. The global proportion of DALYs due to YLDs likewise increased from 33·8% (27·4–40·3) to 41·1% (33·9–48·1) from 2022 to 2050, demonstrating an important shift in overall disease burden towards morbidity and away from premature death. The largest shift of this kind was forecasted for sub-Saharan Africa, from 20·1% (15·6–25·3) of DALYs due to YLDs in 2022 to 35·6% (26·5–43·0) in 2050. In the assessment of alternative future scenarios, the combined effects of the scenarios (Safer Environment, Improved Childhood Nutrition and Vaccination, and Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenarios) demonstrated an important decrease in the global burden of DALYs in 2050 of 15·4% (13·5–17·5) compared with the reference scenario, with decreases across super-regions ranging from 10·4% (9·7–11·3) in the high-income super-region to 23·9% (20·7–27·3) in north Africa and the Middle East. The Safer Environment scenario had its largest decrease in sub-Saharan Africa (5·2% [3·5–6·8]), the Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenario in north Africa and the Middle East (23·2% [20·2–26·5]), and the Improved Nutrition and Vaccination scenario in sub-Saharan Africa (2·0% [–0·6 to 3·6]). Interpretation: Globally, life expectancy and age-standardised disease burden were forecasted to improve between 2022 and 2050, with the majority of the burden continuing to shift from CMNNs to NCDs. That said, continued progress on reducing the CMNN disease burden will be dependent on maintaining investment in and policy emphasis on CMNN disease prevention and treatment. Mostly due to growth and ageing of populations, the number of deaths and DALYs due to all causes combined will generally increase. By constructing alternative future scenarios wherein certain risk exposures are eliminated by 2050, we have shown that opportunities exist to substantially improve health outcomes in the future through concerted efforts to prevent exposure to well established risk factors and to expand access to key health interventions. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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The complex genetics of gait speed
(2017) Ben-Avraham, Dan; Karasik, David; Verghese, Joe; Lunetta, Kathryn L.; Smith, Jennifer A.; Eicher, John D.; Vered, Rotem; Deelen, Joris; Arnold, Alice M.; Buchman, Aron S.; Tanaka, Toshiko; Faul, Jessica D.; Nethander, Maria; Fornage, Myriam; Adams, Hieab H.; Matteini, Amy M.; Callisaya, Michele L.; Smith, Albert V.; Yu, Lei; De Jager, Philip L.; Evans, Denis A.; Gudnason, Vilmundur; Hofman, Albert; Pattie, Alison; Corley, Janie; Launer, Lenore J.; Knopman, Davis S.; Parimi, Neeta; Turner, Stephen T.; Bandinelli, Stefania; Beekman, Marian; Gutman, Danielle; Sharvit, Lital; Mooijaart, Simon P.; Liewald, David C.; Houwing-Duistermaat, Jeanine J.; Ohlsson, Claes; Moed, Matthijs; Verlinden, Vincent J.; Mellström, Dan; van der Geest, Jos N.; Karlsson, Magnus; Hernandez, Dena; McWhirter, Rebekah; Liu, Yongmei; Thomson, Russell; Tranah, Gregory J.; Uitterlinden, Andre G.; Weir, David R.; Zhao, Wei
Emerging evidence suggests that the basis for variation in late-life mobility is attributable, in part, to genetic factors, which may become increasingly important with age. Our objective was to systematically assess the contribution of genetic variation to gait speed in older individuals. We conducted a meta-analysis of gait speed GWASs in 31,478 older adults from 17 cohorts of the CHARGE consortium, and validated our results in 2,588 older adults from 4 independent studies. We followed our initial discoveries with network and eQTL analysis of candidate signals in tissues. The meta-analysis resulted in a list of 536 suggestive genome wide significant SNPs in or near 69 genes. Further interrogation with Pathway Analysis placed gait speed as a polygenic complex trait in five major networks. Subsequent eQTL analysis revealed several SNPs significantly associated with the expression of PRSS16, WDSUB1 and PTPRT, which in addition to the meta-analysis and pathway suggested that genetic effects on gait speed may occur through synaptic function and neuronal development pathways. No genome-wide significant signals for gait speed were identified from this moderately large sample of older adults, suggesting that more refined physical function phenotypes will be needed to identify the genetic basis of gait speed in aging.
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Doing (and undoing) privilege: evaluating how public policy drives health inequities
(2025) Schram, Ashley; Carrad, Amy; Townsend, Belinda; Harris, Patrick; Baum, Fran; Rychetnik, Lucie; Allender, Steven; Pescud, Melanie; Frank, Nicholas; Arthur, Megan; Friel, Sharon
In an era marked by persistent health inequities, this commentary moves beyond the conventional focus on disadvantage and individual-level interventions to present novel conceptual and analytical thinking that illuminates the role of structurally entrenched advantage. We present a multi-level conceptualisation of privilege through which the structural drivers of health inequities can be examined and the reciprocal relationship between privilege and public policy explored, shedding light on how these forces shape and reinforce one another. Building on that foundation, we propose an innovative research agenda that scrutinises the ideas, mechanisms, and outcomes of resource accumulation and distribution in public policy. We aim to lay the groundwork for developing and evaluating policy interventions through a new lens to address the root causes of inequities in health, paving the way for more equitable and healthy societies.
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Cloud computing adoption model for universities to increase ICT proficiency
(2014-08-12) Okai-Ugbaje, Safiya; Uddin, Mueen; Arshad, Amad; Alsaqour, Raed; Shah, Asadullah
Universities around the world especially those in developing countries are faced with the problem of delivering the level of information and communications technology (ICT) needed to facilitate teaching, learning, research, and development activities ideal in a typical university, which is needed to meet educational needs in-line with advancement in technology and the growing dependence on IT. This is mainly due to the high cost involved in providing and maintaining the needed hardware and software. A technology such as cloud computing that delivers on demand provisioning of IT resources on a pay per use basis can be used to address this problem. Cloud computing promises better delivery of IT services as well as availability whenever and wherever needed at reduced costs with users paying only as much as they consume through the services of cloud service providers. The cloud technology reduces complexity while increasing speed and quality of IT services provided; however, despite these benefits the challenges that come with its adoption have left many sectors especially the higher education skeptical in committing to this technology. This article identifies the reasons for the slow rate of adoption of cloud computing at university level, discusses the challenges faced and proposes a cloud computing adoption model that contains strategic guidelines to overcome the major challenges identified and a roadmap for the successful adoption of cloud computing by universities. The model was tested in one of the universities and found to be both useful and appropriate for adopting cloud computing at university level.
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Student outcomes of the physical education and physical literacy (PEPL) approach
(2020-08-03) Telford, Rohan M.; Olive, Lisa S.; Keegan, Richard J.; Keegan, Sarah; Barnett, Lisa M.; Telford, Richard D.
Background: Health organisations such as the United Nations continue to place an expectation on school physical education (PE) programmes and wider school strategies to ensure students develop physical literacy and receive the well-established benefits of meeting physical activity guidelines. Barriers to meet this expectation such as lack of trained PE teachers, lack of time and greater emphasis on academic achievement are ongoing challenges to schools. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the multi-component Physical Education Physical Literacy (PEPL) intervention, designed to improve students’ fundamental movement skill, perceived physical abilities and level of physical activity. Method: A qualified PE teacher implemented the PEPL intervention across seven schools, and another seven schools formed a control group as part of a randomised cluster-based trial. Grade 5 students (N = 318, age 10.4 years ± SD 0.4) completed assessments of physical activity, fundamental movement skill, attitudes towards PE, and self-perceptions of physical abilities before and after a 33-week intervention. Intervention effects were examined using general linear mixed models. Post-intervention focus groups with students were used to develop insights into experiences and outcomes. Results: With no significant gender interactions, the PEPL approach led to enhanced object control skills (β = 1.62; SE = 0.61; p = 0.008), with little evidence of any other fundamental movement skill improvements in excess of those in the control group. There was also modest evidence for an effect on accelerometer measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during school time (β = 4.50; SE = 2.39; p = 0.058), but this was not accompanied by any significant intervention effect over the entire week. Questionnaires indicated students in the PEPL programme became less satisfied with their own sporting ability (β = −0.20; SE = 0.08; p = 0.013) but qualitative data analyses suggested that they enjoyed the PEPL approach experience, becoming more motivated and confident in their physical abilities. Conclusions: Evidence of enhanced object control skill, increased confidence and motivation to be physically active, and moderate evidence of more MVPA during school time, indicate that the introduction of the PEPL approach contributed to the development of student physical literacy. A decrease in perceived sporting competence warrants greater attention on student’s self-perceptions in future iterations of the intervention. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry identifier: ACTRN12615000066583.
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Determination of intratest variability of trace elements in foraminifera by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry
(2003-12-05) Hathorne, EC; Alard, O; James, RH; Rogers, NW
[1] We have developed a technique to determine the variability of trace elements (including Li, B, Na, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Sr and Ba) within foraminifera tests using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). This technique has a high spatial resolution (width 40-80 mum, depth > 0.5 mum), is reproducible (< 8% external reproducibility) and has low detection limits (generally < 0.05 mug g(-1)). We demonstrate that normalization of data to a calcite standard usually gives results that are more consistent with solution ICP-MS data than normalization to NIST 612. Rastering into the wall of the final chamber of Globigerinoides sacculifer shows that the outermost -1.5 mum of the test is enriched in trace elements, including Mn, relative to the interior, indicating the presence of a contaminant surface phase. Pustule calcite close to the aperture of Globorotalia tumida has different Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca compared to other parts of the test. Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca partition coefficients suggest that the pustule calcite is diagenetic and/or formed in a more open system. Multiple analyses of Orbulina universa tests recovered from a latitudinal transect in the North Atlantic give a relationship between Mg/Ca and sea surface temperature similar to that reported elsewhere in the literature. These initial data demonstrate the validity of this technique, and show that it is potentially an extremely powerful microanalytical tool for palaeoceanographic and palaeontological studies.

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