University of Queensland

About: University of Queensland is a education organization based out in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 51138 authors who have published 155721 publications receiving 5717659 citations. The organization is also known as: UQ & The University of Queensland.

Pathogenesis of group A streptococcal infections.

Abstract: Group A Streptococcus (GAS; Streptococcus pyogenes) is a human pathogen which causes significant morbidity and mortality globally. GAS typically infects the throat and skin of the host, causing mild infections such as pharyngitis and impetigo, in addition to life threatening conditions including necrotizing fasciitis, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), and bacteremia. Repeated infection with GAS may result in the non-suppurative sequelae, acute rheumatic fever, and acute glomerulonephritis. GAS remains sensitive to the antibiotic penicillin which can be administered as a means to treat infection or as prophylaxis. However, issues with patient compliance and a growing concern over the possible emergence of resistant GAS strains may limit the usefulness of antibiotics in the future. A vaccine capable of preventing GAS infection may be the only effective way to control and eliminate GAS infection and disease.

Agenesis of the corpus callosum: genetic, developmental and functional aspects of connectivity

Abstract: Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC), a failure to develop the large bundle of fibres that connect the cerebral hemispheres, occurs in 1:4000 individuals. Genetics, animal models and detailed structural neuroimaging are now providing insights into the developmental and molecular bases of AgCC. Studies using neuropsychological, electroencephalogram and functional MRI approaches are examining the resulting impairments in emotional and social functioning, and have begun to explore the functional neuroanatomy underlying impaired higher-order cognition. The study of AgCC could provide insight into the integrated cerebral functioning of healthy brains, and may offer a model for understanding certain psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia and autism.

Sedentary Behavior: Emerging Evidence for a New Health Risk

Abstract: Compared with our parents or grandparents, we are spending increasing amounts of time in environments that not only limit physical activity but require prolonged sitting—at work, at home, and in our cars and communities.1 Work sites, schools, homes, and public spaces have been (and continue to be) re-engineered in ways that minimize human movement and muscular activity. These changes have a dual effect on human behavior: people move less and sit more. From an evolutionary perspective, humans were designed to move—to locomote and engage in all manner of manual labor throughout the day. This was essential to our survival as a species. The recent shift from a physically demanding life to one with few physical challenges has been sudden, occurring during a tiny fraction of human existence. Societal indicators of reductions in human energy expenditure and increases in sedentary behavior during the past several decades are particularly striking. In 1970, 2 in 10 working Americans were in jobs requiring only light activity (predominantly sitting at a desk), whereas 3 in 10 were in jobs requiring high-energy output (eg, construction, manufacturing, farming).2 By 2000, more than 4 in 10 adults were in light-activity jobs, whereas 2 in 10 were in high-activity jobs.2 Moreover, during the past 20 years, total screen time (ie, using computers, watching television, playing video games) has increased dramatically. In 2003, nearly 6 in 10 working adults used a computer on the job and more than 9 in 10 children used computers in school (kindergarten through grade 12).3 Between 1989 and 2009, the number of households with a computer and Internet access increased from 15% to 69%.3 Other significant contributors to daily sitting time—watching television and driving personal vehicles—are at all-time highs, with estimates of nearly 4 hours and 1 hour, respectively.4,5 Scientists studying the ill effects of this decrease in physical activity have revealed a complex, multifaceted relationship among physical work, energy expenditure, and health.6,7 Clinical and basic research has focused on the benefits of incorporating regular bouts of exercise into modern life to adjust to some extent for the loss of the physically active life led by our ancestors.6 Current public health recommendations propose engaging in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous activity to help prevent and manage multiple chronic conditions, notably cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some cancers.7 The evidence base that supports this exercise recommendation is substantial. (Here, we use the terms exercise and moderate-to-vigorous activity interchangeably, recognizing that, by some definitions, exercise refers specifically to intentional activity carried out for health/fitness purposes.7) Those who do not exercise have by convention been termed sedentary. However, this is no longer an adequate perspective. Recent epidemiologic evidence suggests that the metabolic and long-term health consequences of habitual sedentary behavior (too much sitting) are distinct from those associated with a lack of moderate-to-vigorous activity (too little exercise).8,9 This shift in perspective is being clarified through innovations in technology used to characterize movement patterns in populations.