ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5524-506X
Current Organisation
Federation University Australia
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Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-04-2016
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-2012
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 24-04-2007
DOI: 10.1108/10610420710740007
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance within the reference price literature by investigating which is the best measure of reference price for the, as yet, unstudied context of new product categories. The paper also intends to examine another reference price issue for the new product category context: whether greater price uncertainty in this context makes it worthwhile to measure consumer confidence in reference price perceptions. This research uses the experimental method to determine which measures of reference price are best suited to the new product context, by removing all other confounding influences. The findings confirm that consumers tend to evoke the fair price concept for new product categories and the expected price concept for existing categories. The paper also finds that confidence in reference price measures, while theoretically useful, does not add to the understanding of reference price effects in new product categories, probably because respondents tended to be overly confident in their perceptions, despite lacking in more objective measures of product category knowledge. Several studies in the literature have commented on the issue of fragmented measurement in the reference price domain. Some studies have offered theoretical guidance on measures to use. This is the first study to provide empirically tested theory on which measures to use and is the first study to examine reference price effects in new product categories including testing the usefulness of the confidence measure.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 12-10-2011
Publisher: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Date: 06-03-2019
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 24-10-2014
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 02-2014
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.02738-13
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 21-01-2021
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.01308-20
Abstract: The taxonomy of parasites of medical and public health importance is rapidly evolving. This minireview provides an update of taxonomic revisions and additions in the field of medical parasitology from January 2018 to May 2020. Several established human parasites have been reassigned to different genera over the past 2 years, while a number of novel parasites of humans have been identified. A comprehensive summary of these changes is provided here, and Taenia suihominis is proposed as a replacement name for Taenia asiaticus Eom et al.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 10-03-2015
Abstract: Ongoing surveillance of enteric pathogens of public health significance among casual food sellers is undertaken in many resource-limited countries. We report the results of a survey in Kiang West province, The Gambia, and provide an exemplar methodology for such surveys in resource-limited laboratories. Unpreserved, unrefrigerated stool s les were subjected to Salmonella, Shigella and agar plate culture for rhabditoid nematodes. Direct microscopy, formalin-ethyl acetate concentration and iron-hematoxylin staining was performed later, following preservation. Of 128 specimens received, no Shigella spp. was recovered, while four serovars of non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica, including Chandans, were isolated. Pathogenic parasitic infections were Necator americanus 10/128 (7.8%), Strongyloides stercoralis 3/128 (2.8%), Blastocystis species 45/128 (35.1%), Entamoeba histolytica complex 19/128 (14.8%) and Giardia intestinalis 4/128 (3.1%). A single case each of Hymenolepis diminuta and S. mansoni infection were detected. In one participant, myxozoan spores identical to those of Myxobolus species were found. Rare parasitoses and serovars of Salmonella enterica may occur relatively commonly in rural Africa. This paper describes intestinal pathogens found in a cohort of food sellers in such a setting. Furthermore, it describes two parasites rarely recovered from humans and demonstrates the need for methods other than microscopy to detect S. stercoralis infections.
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 16-11-2022
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00986-22
Abstract: Advances in laboratory techniques have revolutionized parasitology diagnostics over the past several decades. Widespread implementation of rapid antigen detection tests has greatly expanded access to tests for global parasitic threats such as malaria, while next-generation lification and sequencing methods allow for sensitive and specific detection of human and animal parasites in complex specimen matrices.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1080/09674845.2011.11732833
Abstract: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important pathogen in humans, particularly in the context of nosocomial infection and infections of the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung. In order to provide clinicians with information about the likely effectiveness of specific antimicrobial treatment for P. aeruginosa infections, clinical laboratories employ in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Two commonly employed methods are the CLSI disc-diffusion and Etest methods. The purpose of this study is to compare the accuracy of susceptibility results generated by these two methods against agar dilution as the reference method. Susceptible or nonsusceptible (resistant and intermediate) results of the Etest and CLSI disc-diffusion methods are compared with CLSI agar dilution results for a large cohort of clinical cystic fibrosis (n = 71) and non-cystic fibrosis (n = 83) isolates using CLSI interpretive criteria. An unacceptable number of major and very major errors were observed for various antimicrobials tested against both CF and non-CF isolates when using the Etest and CLSI disc-diffusion methods. The potential for error in standard laboratory antimicrobial susceptibility testing should be considered by clinicians when being guided by the results of such tests in the prescription of antimicrobial agents for P. aeruginosa infection.
Publisher: Korean Society for Parasitology
Date: 31-08-2016
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 25-05-2018
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 20-04-2021
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00525-21
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2013
DOI: 10.1002/CB.1444
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 28-04-2016
DOI: 10.1080/09674845.2016.1157249
Abstract: To develop and determine the feasibility of using a liquid matrix adaptation of the Dictyostelium discoideum bacterial virulence assay by testing on well-characterised clinical and environmental isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Axenic AX2 D. discoideum were co-cultured with clinical and environmental isolates of P. aeruginosa in costar 24-well tissue culture plates for 24 h. A P. aeruginosa PAO1 positive control was tested in biological quintuplicate. Wells were then inspected using an inverted microscope and the degree of cytotoxic changes (sparse growth compared to control combined with rounding of cells and cytoplasmic shrinkage) on the D. discoideum cells was observed. A Klebsiella aerogenes negative control was included with each assay series. Sixty-five clinical and 20 environmental P. aeruginosa isolates were tested in the model. Cystic fibrosis respiratory isolates were found to be significantly (P < 0.05) less cytotoxic than P. aeruginosa from other sources. Limitations attached to the funding of this paper did not allow validation against previously employed models or animal models. A liquid matrix D. discoideum model for the analysis of P. aeruginosa virulence in a eukaryotic host is feasible, but further validation of the model is required before it may be employed in routine setting.
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 30-10-2023
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00845-23
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEEGID.2016.06.026
Abstract: Since 1998, there have been six reported human cases of myositis in Australia, attributable to infection with the nematode Haycocknema perplexum. However, an unequivocal diagnosis of H. perplexum infection and associated disease has been seriously compromised by a lack of molecular markers for this nematode. Here, we report new cases of disseminated myositis in two male patients from the states of Queensland and Tasmania in Australia, respectively genetically characterize the causative agent from each case and, also establish a PCR-based sequencing approach as a tool to support the diagnosis of future cases and to underpin epidemiological studies.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-2014
DOI: 10.5694/MJA14.00313
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 30-10-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEEGID.2015.08.034
Abstract: To date, there has been limited genetic study of the gastrointestinal pathogens Giardia and Cryptosporidium in northern parts of Australia. Here, PCR-based methods were used for the genetic characterization of Giardia and Cryptosporidium from 695 people with histories of gastrointestinal disorders from the tropical North of Australia. Genomic DNAs from fecal s les were subjected to PCR-based analyses of regions from the triose phosphate isomerase (tpi), small subunit (SSU) of the nuclear ribosomal RNA and/or the glycoprotein (gp60) genes. Giardia and Cryptosporidium were detected in 13 and four of the 695 s les, respectively. Giardia duodenalis assemblages A and B were found in 4 (31%) and 9 (69%) of the 13 s les in persons of <9 years of age. Cryptosporidium hominis (subgenotype IdA18), Cryptosporidium mink genotype (subgenotype IIA16R1) and C. felis were also identified in single patients of 11-21 years of age. Future studies might focus on a comparative study of these and other protists in rural communities in Northern Australia.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2011
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 04-2019
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.01173-18
Abstract: Strongyloides stercoralis can cause disease that ranges from asymptomatic chronic infection to fatal hyperinfection. Diagnosis from stool can be challenging because the most sensitive conventional tests require live larvae to be effective and there can be low larval output in chronic infection.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-06-2021
DOI: 10.1002/CB.1959
Abstract: This research provides insight into how touch effects differ by brand familiarity and brand status. Using schema theory and contagion theory, hypotheses were tested in two between subject experiments. A sweater and pillowcase served as product stimuli and consumers were exposed to a known and unknown brand for the brand stimuli. Findings provide support for a brand contagion effect where a luxury branded product is concerned and suggest that this effect is activated through product touch. Interestingly, brand familiarity did not seem to influence the relationship between touch and product evaluation. This paper finds brand status to be a moderator of touch effects on product evaluation while brand familiarity is not. Additionally, a brand contagion effect activated through product touch is shown. The results of this paper provide insight for marketers and retailers regarding marketing strategies for different levels of the product life cycle (where familiarity differs), brand extension strategies (where familiarity and brand status may differ) and, most crucially, design of in‐store layout and product displays. It advances knowledge in the field of sensory marketing by integrating and conceptualizing previously unexplored relationships between three key areas of literature, namely product touch, brand familiarity, and brand status.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 30-10-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.10.30.316588
Abstract: Non-typhoidal Salmonella associated with multidrug resistance cause invasive disease in sub-Saharan African. Specific lineages of serovars S . Typhimurium and S . Enteritidis are implicated. We characterised the genomic ersity of 100 clinical Non-typhoidal Salmonella collected from 93 patients in 2001 from the eastern and 2006 to 2018 in the western regions of The Gambia respectively. Phenotypic susceptibility applied Kirby Baur disk diffusion and whole genome sequencing utilized Illumina platforms. The predominant serovars were S. Typhimurium ST19 (31/100) and S. Enteritidis ST11 (18/100) restricted to invasive disease with the notable absence of S. Typhimurium ST313. Phylogenetic analysis performed in the context of 495 African strains from the European Nucleotide Archive confirmed the presence of the S . Enteritidis virulent epidemic invasive multidrug resistant West African clade. Multidrug resistance including chlor henicol and azithromycin has emerged among the West African S. Enteritidis clade 7/9 (78%) with potential for spread, thus having important implications for patient management warranting systematic surveillance and epidemiologic investigations to inform control. Sequences are deposited in the NCBI sequence reads archive (SRA) under BioProject ID:PRJEB38968. The genomic assemblies are available for download from the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA): www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/data/view/ . Accession numbers SAMEA6991082 to SAME6991180
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 20-08-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2016
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 03-2018
Abstract: Central Queensland (CQ) is a large and isolated, low population density, remote tropical region of Australia with a varied environment. The region has a erse fauna and several species of ticks that feed upon that fauna. This study examined 518 in idual ticks: 177 Rhipicephalus sanguineus (brown dog tick), 123 Haemaphysalis bancrofti (wallaby tick), 102 Rhipicephalus australis (Australian cattle tick), 47 Amblyomma triguttatum (ornate kangaroo tick), 57 Ixodes holocyclus (paralysis tick), 9 Bothriocroton tachyglossi (CQ short-beaked echidna tick), and 3 Ornithodoros capensis (seabird soft tick). Tick midguts were pooled by common host or environment and screened for four genera of tick-borne zoonoses by PCR and sequencing. The study examined a total of 157 midgut pools of which 3 contained DNA of Coxiella burnetii, 13 Rickettsia gravesii, 1 Rickettsia felis, and 4 other Rickettsia spp. No Borrelia spp. or Babesia spp. DNA were recovered.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 08-09-2016
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-08-2016
DOI: 10.1093/CID/CIW543
Abstract: A case of acanthocephaliasis in an 18-month-old child caused by Macracanthorhynchus ingens is reported from Florida. This represents only the third documented case of this species in a human host. An overview of human cases of acanthocephaliasis in the literature is presented, along with a review of the biology, clinical manifestations and pathology in the human host, morphology, and diagnosis.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 28-04-2006
Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Date: 02-2017
Publisher: FapUNIFESP (SciELO)
Date: 29-10-2018
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-07-2019
DOI: 10.3390/TROPICALMED4030106
Abstract: Ternidens deminutus, the false hookworm of humans and non-human primates, represents a truly neglected intestinal helminth infection. The similarity of the eggs of this nematode to those of hookworm both presents a diagnostic challenge and a potential confounder in prevalence surveys of soil transmitted helminths (STH) in regions where T. deminutus is found. The helminth infects non-human primates throughout Africa and Asia, but reports of human infection are almost exclusively found in eastern and southern Africa. Historically, an infection prevalence up to 87% has been reported from some parts of Zimbabwe. Scarce reports of ternidensiasis have also been made in in iduals in Suriname and one from Thailand. Little work has been performed on this parasite since the 1970s and it not known why human infection has not been reported more widely or what the current prevalence in humans from historically endemic areas is. This review serves to revisit this enigmatic parasite and provide detail to a modern audience of parasitologists on its history, clinical presentation, geographic distribution, life cycle, biology, morphology, diagnosis and treatment.
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 22-12-2021
DOI: 10.1128/SPECTRUM.01828-21
Abstract: This study systematically evaluates common laboratory disinfectants and storage conditions for their effectiveness in inactivating the infective stages of soil-transmitted helminths (STH). Animal-infecting proxy species were chosen to represent three major groups of STH that infect humans: roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms.
Publisher: Microbiology Society
Date: 03-2010
Abstract: A 29-year-old pregnant woman was admitted to hospital with signs of sepsis and threatened pre-term labour. The premature neonate also showed signs of sepsis. Haemophilus influenzae biotype III was cultured from a midstream urine s le taken from the mother, maternal placental swabs and neonatal blood cultures. The placental and neonatal isolates were both found to be serotype d by PCR, and were indistinguishable by PFGE.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 24-10-2017
DOI: 10.1093/CID/CIX908
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-08-2010
DOI: 10.1002/CB.325
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 05-2015
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00032-15
Abstract: Halicephalobus gingivalis (previously Micronema deletrix ) is a free-living nematode known to cause opportunistic infections, mainly in horses. Human infections are very rare, but all cases described to date involved fatal meningoencephalitis. Here we report the first case of H. gingivalis infection in an Australian human patient, confirmed by nematode morphology and sequencing of ribosomal DNA. The implications of this case are discussed, particularly, the need to evaluate real-time PCR as a diagnostic tool.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-05-2019
Publisher: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Date: 07-09-2016
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 27-07-2018
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 07-11-2017
Publisher: Microbiology Society
Date: 18-03-2022
Abstract: Non-typhoidal Salmonella associated with multidrug resistance cause invasive disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Specific lineages of serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis have been implicated. Here we characterized the genomic ersity of 100 clinical non-typhoidal Salmonella collected from 93 patients in 2001 from the eastern, and in 2006–2018 from the western regions of The Gambia respectively. A total of 93 isolates (64 invasive, 23 gastroenteritis and six other sites) representing a single infection episode were phenotypically tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion technique. Whole genome sequencing of 100 isolates was performed using Illumina, and the reads were assembled and analysed using SPAdes. The Salmonella in Silico Typing Resource (SISTR) was used for serotyping. SNP differences among the 93 isolates were determined using Roary, and phylogenetic analysis was performed in the context of 495 African strains from the European Nucleotide Archive. Salmonella serovars Typhimurium (26/64 30.6 %) and Enteritidis (13/64 20.3 %) were associated with invasive disease, whilst other serovars were mainly responsible for gastroenteritis (17/23 73.9 %). The presence of three major serovar Enteritidis clades was confirmed, including the invasive West African clade, which made up more than half (11/16 68.8 %) of the genomes. Multidrug resistance was confined among the serovar Enteritidis West African clade. The presence of this epidemic virulent clade has potential for spread of resistance and thus important implications for systematic patient management. Surveillance and epidemiological investigations to inform control are warranted.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 12-11-2018
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 10-04-2017
Abstract: This paper aims to explore how visual comprehensibility of a product can affect innovation adoption among the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) consumers in Bangladesh. This is an exploratory qualitative study based on interviews with eight managerial respondents involved in the design and marketing of innovative products targeted at BOP consumers in Bangladesh and three respondents who are consumers of these products. One key finding from this research, in comparison to innovation adoption research in developed contexts, is the distinct importance that BOP consumers attach to visual cues in learning about and understanding a new product. This research provides guidance for private and public sector organisations selling products and services to BOP consumers explaining the role of visual cues in generating better product comprehension. It also identifies the role of social relations in facilitating the adoption of new products within this segment. By enhancing the adoption of so-called pro-poor innovations, this research can assist in bringing about positive social change and developmental benefits in this burgeoning segment of the market. This is one of the first studies to consider innovation adoption of pro-poor innovations in BOP markets and one of the first studies to collect data on the role of visual comprehensibility for consumers in BOP markets.
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 20-04-2021
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00357-21
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 17-08-2022
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00134-22
Abstract: The serologic diagnosis of chronic Chagas disease, caused by infection with the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi , is challenging and lacks a gold-standard assay. To overcome the problem, CDC uses an algorithm that uses two tests on different platforms and applies a third test as a tiebreaker.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-02-2012
DOI: 10.1002/MAR.20511
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2016
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 04-2018
Abstract: There is a deficiency in up-to-date soil-transmitted helminth (STH) prevalence data for many regions, including Oceania. This study investigated the prevalence of STH in two closely associated coral atoll communities in East Kwaio, Solomon Islands, reflective of many similar island communities throughout the Oceania region. An STH survey, using the Kato-Katz technique, was conducted on human subjects living on two coral atolls in the Eastern Solomon Islands. The capacity of Ascaris lumbricoides eggs to float in seawater was also evaluated by passive flotation. Of 583 people tested on both islands, 311 (53.3%) harboured A. lumbricoides, with 51.7% (n=161) of those having moderate to high-intensity infections. Hookworm was detected in 139 (23.7%) participants and Trichuris trichiura infection in 18 (3.1%). A. lumbricoides eggs were not found to float in seawater. The high prevalence and intensity of ascariasis on these two atolls was contrasted with previously described STH studies in mainland East Kwaio villages, where hookworm predominates and ascariasis is almost absent. This led to a preliminary consideration that transmission of A. lumbricoides on densely populated coral atolls might be associated with defecation into the sea and transmission in seawater, although further work is required to investigate this hypothesis.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-06-2017
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-11-2017
DOI: 10.3390/TROPICALMED2040060
Abstract: Australia has a very high rate of dog ownership, which in some circumstances may lead to exposure to zoonotic parasitic diseases from those companion animals. Domestic dog faecal s les (n = 300) were collected from public spaces and private property in the greater Rockh ton (Central Queensland) region and tested for intestinal helminths and protozoa by direct microscopy, two flotation methods and a modified acid-fast stain for cryptosporidia. Intestinal parasites detected included hookworms (25%), Cystoisospora ohioensis complex (9%), Blastocystis hominis (3%), Giardia duodenalis (3%), Spirometra erinacei (1%) and Toxocara canis (1%), Sarcocystis spp. (2%), Cryptosporidium spp. (2%) and Cystoisospora canis (1%). One infection each with Trichuris vulpis, Dipylidium caninum and a protozoa belonging to the Entamoeba histolytica complex were identified. Sheather’s sucrose centrifugal flotation was more sensitive than saturated salt passive flotation, but no single test detected all cases of parasitic infection identified. The test methodologies employed are poor at recovering larva of Strongyloides stercoralis, Aleurostrongylus abstrussis and eggs of cestodes such as Echinococcus granulosis, so the potential presence of these parasites in Central Queensland domestic dogs cannot be excluded by this survey alone.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 16-06-2020
Publisher: World Health Organization, Western Pacific Regional Office
Date: 10-08-2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-07-2013
Abstract: Lymphatic filariasis (LF) due to Wuchereria bancrofti is being eliminated from Oceania under the Pacific Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis Programme. LF was endemic in Solomon Islands but in the 2010-2020 Strategic Plan of the Global Programme to Eliminate LF, Solomon Islands was listed as non-endemic for LF. In countries now declared free of LF an important question is what monitoring strategy should be used to detect any residual foci of LF? This paper describes how a new case of elephantiasis in a post-elimination setting may be used as a trigger to initiate a local survey for LF. The index case, a 44 year old male, presented to Atoifi Adventist Hospital, Malaita, Solomon Islands in April 2011 with elephantiasis of the lower leg. Persistent swelling had commenced 16 months previously. He was negative for antigen by TropBio Og4C3 ELISA and for microfilaria. A week later a survey of 197 people aged from 1 year to 68 years was conducted at Alasi, the index case’s village, by a research team from Atoifi Adventist Hospital and Atoifi College of Nursing. This represented 66.3% of the village population. Blood was collected between 22:00 and 03:00 by finger-prick and made into thick smears to detect microfilaria and collected onto filter paper for W. bancrofti antigen tests. A second group of 110 specimens was similarly collected from residents of the Hospital c us and inpatients. W. bancrofti antigen was tested for using the Trop-Bio Og4C3 test. One s le (1/307) from an 18 year old male from Alsai was positive for W. bancrofti antigen. No s les were positive for microfilaria. Although antigen-positivity indicated a live worm, the case was regarded as having been acquired some years previously. We propose that when LF has been eliminated from a country, a case of elephantiasis should be a trigger to conduct a survey of the case’s community using a decision pathway. W. bancrofti antigen should be tested for with screening for microfilariae in antigen positive cases. The field survey was designed and conducted by local researchers, highlighting the value of local research capacity in remote areas.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 08-12-2017
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 02-11-2010
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-11-2015
DOI: 10.1038/SREP16670
Abstract: Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency worldwide and routine supplementation is standard policy for pregnant mothers and children in most low-income countries. However, iron lies at the center of host-pathogen competition for nutritional resources and recent trials of iron administration in African and Asian children have resulted in significant excesses of serious adverse events including hospitalizations and deaths. Increased rates of malaria, respiratory infections, severe diarrhea and febrile illnesses of unknown origin have all been reported, but the mechanisms are unclear. We here investigated the ex vivo growth characteristics of exemplar sentinel bacteria in adult sera collected before and 4 h after oral supplementation with 2 mg/kg iron as ferrous sulfate. Escherichia coli, Yersinia enterocolitica and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (all gram-negative bacteria) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (gram-positive) showed markedly elevated growth in serum collected after iron supplementation. Growth rates were very strongly correlated with transferrin saturation (p 0.0001 in all cases). Growth of Staphylococcus aureus , which preferentially scavenges heme iron, was unaffected. These data suggest that even modest oral supplements with highly soluble (non-physiological) iron, as typically used in low-income settings, could promote bacteremia by accelerating early phase bacterial growth prior to the induction of immune defenses.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 22-05-2019
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 23-05-2023
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00286-22
Abstract: The taxonomy of medically important parasites continues to evolve. This minireview provides an update of additions and updates in the field of human parasitology from June 2020 through June 2022. A list of previously reported nomenclatural changes that have not been broadly adapted by the medical community is also included.
Publisher: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Date: 05-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2021
Publisher: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Date: 06-02-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.MICINF.2017.05.002
Abstract: At least 75 arboviruses have been identified from Australia. Most have a zoonotic transmission cycle, maintained in the environment by cycling between arthropod vectors and susceptible mammalian or avian hosts. The primary arboviruses that cause human disease in Australia are Ross River, Barmah Forest, Murray Valley encephalitis, Kunjin and dengue. Several other arboviruses are associated with human disease but little is known about their clinical course and diagnostic testing is not routinely available. Given the significant prevalence of undifferentiated febrile illness in Australia, investigation of the potential threat to public health presented by these viruses is required.
Publisher: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Date: 04-04-2018
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 31-05-2011
Abstract: Recent years have seen unprecedented possibilities for the use of different technologies to enhance learning in marketing courses. Given the rapid and widespread diffusion of these technologies, particularly within the demographic of the student population, it is pertinent to explore and examine how such technologies can benefit student learning. This article discusses and empirically evaluates students’ experiences of using Twitter as a tool to facilitate learning in marketing courses. Although Twitter’s unique characteristics were used to enhance and facilitate the learning of marketing concepts, the use of Twitter also helped illustrate marketers’ use of innovative technologies and, therefore, added valuable contemporary curriculum content. Using in-depth interviews, and a questionnaire to evaluate learning outcomes, this research concludes that students’ perceptions of using Twitter were largely positive, though some anticipated and unanticipated barriers emerged to incorporating Twitter into marketing courses. Recommendations for adopting Twitter into the marketing curriculum are made, and future areas for research are identified.
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 04-2015
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.03384-14
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-08-2010
DOI: 10.1002/MAR.20361
Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Date: 08-2018
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEEGID.2018.08.006
Abstract: Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the commonest pathogenic microsporidian found in humans and animals in many countries, but there is scant information on this pathogen in Australia. Here, we conducted the first molecular epidemiological investigation of E. bieneusi in humans with gastrointestinal disorders in Queensland and Western Australia. Genomic DNAs derived from 605 in idual faecal s les from children (n = 279) and adults (n = 326) were extracted, and then subjected to nested PCR-based sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA to detect and characterise E. bieneusi. Enterocytozoon bieneusi was detected in eight of 605 human faecal s les (1.3%), including five children (≤3 years of age) and one adult (58 years) in Queensland, and two children (≤3 years) in Western Australia. Analysis of ITS sequence data revealed two known zoonotic (ALP1 and Ind4) and three novel (Hum_q1-3) genotypes of E. bieneusi. Genotype ALP1 identified here in humans has been found previously in farmed alpacas in Australia. Phylogenetic analysis showed that genotypes ALP1, Hum_q1-2 and Ind4 belonged to E. bieneusi Group 1 (with zoonotic potential), whereas genotype Hum_q3 clustered within E. bieneusi Group 10, suggesting that some genotypes within Group 10 might have zoonotic potential. Further investigations of humans, alpacas, marsupials and other animals in Australia will be significant to understand the epidemiology of E. bieneusi in Australia, to identify possible reservoirs of human infection, and to assist in the prevention and control of human microsporidiosis.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 02-11-2010
DOI: 10.1108/10610421011086928
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to integrate literature in the pioneer brand advantage area with the literature on reference prices to examine how reference prices work in a pioneer and follower brand context. There is evidence to suggest that pioneers have a psychological advantage over follower brands, yet how that manifests in terms of reference price effects is not fully understood. The study tests whether the pioneer price and follower price have equal influence on reference prices, or whether the pioneer has a stronger influence. This research uses a longitudinal experiment to simulate a market of a pioneer brand followed by follower brand, and measures the relative effects of pioneer and follower prices on reference price, value perceptions and purchase intentions. This approach allows greater confidence in the causal nature of the findings. The results indicate a clear and strong causal effect for the pioneer's price on price and value perceptions of the pioneer and follower, whereas the follower's price only seems to influence perceptions of the follower, not the pioneer. This suggests that consumers overweight the price of the pioneer brand (as exemplar) in the category, and reference price perceptions are systematically biased in its direction. However, these effects were stronger for the more innovative product category being examined. For a less innovative pioneer this effect was not so strong. These findings imply that reference price is brand specific but the more innovative the pioneer brand the more influence it has on reference prices. These findings are consistent with and extend the literature on pioneer advantage by suggesting that the pioneer can define ideal levels of objective attributes such as price, rather than just defining the ideal attribute combination of subjective, less discernible attributes. This highlights and presents a more complete picture of the natural advantages to product innovation. It also implies the need to consider the multi‐faceted nature of reference price in measurement and research. A number of studies have examined reference price effects in existing and established product categories. Yet few studies have examined reference price effects in new product categories despite calls in the literature to do so. This study is one of the first studies to examine reference price effects in new product categories and contributes by integrating the literature on pioneer brand advantage with the literature on reference price by examining asymmetric pricing effects between pioneer and follower brands in new product categories.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 17-09-2022
DOI: 10.1093/CID/CIV781
Abstract: There are large data gaps in the epidemiology of diseases caused by Salmonella enterica in West Africa. Regional surveillance of Salmonella infections is necessary, especially with the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant clones. Data on Salmonella isolated from various clinical specimens from patients from across The Gambia were collected and analyzed retrospectively from 2005 to April 2015. Antibiotic sensitivity testing of Salmonella isolates was performed by disk diffusion method. Serotyping and serogrouping of Salmonella isolates was performed using standard microbiology techniques. Two hundred three Salmonella isolates were isolated from 190 patients: 52% (106/203) from blood and 39% (79/203) from stool specimens. Salmonella was also isolated from urine, aspirates, cerebrospinal fluid, wounds, and abscesses. The prevalence of Salmonella in blood cultures was 0.8% (106/13,905). Of the serotyped salmonellae, 14% (21/152) were Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, whereas 86% (131/152) were serovars other than Typhi (nontyphoidal Salmonella). Of the 102 typed NTS isolates, 40% (41) were Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, 10% (10) were Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis, and 3% (3) were Salmonella enterica serovar Arizonae. Overall, 70% (142/203) of the salmonellae were pansusceptible. Multidrug resistance was found in 4% (9/203) of the isolates, 3 of which were Salmonella Enteritidis. Salmonellae are associated with a wide spectrum of invasive and noninvasive infections across all ages in The Gambia. There is evidence of multidrug resistance in salmonellae that warrants vigilant monitoring and surveillance.
Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Date: 08-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-03-2011
DOI: 10.1111/J.1348-0421.2011.00314.X
Abstract: The characteristics of clinical and environmental isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from both hospital and community settings were analyzed in a eukaryotic virulence model employing the AX2 and X22 mutants of Dictyostelium discoideum. Thirty-one strains, including two Australian epidemic strains, of P. aeruginosa were analyzed, five from environmental sources, six from clinical sources other than cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and nineteen from CF patients' respiratory secretions. The majority of CF isolates almost uniquely supported the growth of D. discoideum. CF isolates of P. aeruginosa were found to be less virulent than isolates from other sources. Varying degrees of inhibition of the developmental cycle of D. discoideum when growing on CF isolates were also noted. This is the first description of P. aeruginosa isolates from clinical and environmental sources supporting the growth of D. discoideum.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2008
DOI: 10.1111/J.1440-1843.2008.01383.X
Abstract: Clonal strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been identified in large cystic fibrosis (CF) centres. Whether such strains are more virulent or whether cross-infection between patients explains their widespread prevalence is unknown. This study described the epidemiology of P. aeruginosa infection in CF patients in Tasmania, Australia, an area with a high CF birth incidence. Patients in Tasmania are geographically dispersed and when this study was conducted (2003) there was no central CF clinic, with patients receiving treatment in regional hospitals. P. aeruginosa isolates from CF adults aged 15 years and over in Tasmania were genotyped using random lified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR and clonal strains confirmed with pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Airway s les were obtained from 41 patients (82% of the adult CF population). P. aeruginosa was isolated from 34 patients and nine (26%) of these in iduals harboured P. aeruginosa strains with identical RAPD-PCR and pulsed field gel electrophoresis patterns (Australian Epidemic Strain III--AES III). AES III was isolated from patients in all regions of Tasmania and was distinct from the epidemic CF strains described on mainland Australia (AES I and II). The possible link between CF adults infected with AES III was attendance at family c s more than 12 years previously. Patients harbouring AES III had suffered significantly more exacerbations requiring hospitalisation during the 2 years prior to the study compared with patients infected with unique strains (P < 0.01). AES III displayed increased multi-antibiotic resistance compared with other strains (P < 0.001). Clonal strains of P. aeruginosa may arise even in isolated CF populations. The increased exacerbation rate in patients infected with AES III and its antibiotic resistance profile strongly suggest increased virulence.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-06-2020
DOI: 10.3390/TROPICALMED5020103
Abstract: This Special Issue of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease is dedicated to the life and work of Emeritus Professor John Marsden Goldsmid [...]
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 14-12-2019
DOI: 10.3390/TROPICALMED4040145
Abstract: A Bangladeshi patient with prior travel to Saudi Arabia was hospitalized in the United States for a presumptive liver abscess. Praziquantel was administered following a positive Schistosoma antibody test. Ten days later, a subadult worm migrated to the skin surface and was identified morphologically as Gnathostoma spinigerum. This case highlights the challenges of gnathostomiasis diagnosis, raising questions on potential serologic cross-reactivity and the possible role of praziquantel in stimulating outward migration of Gnathostoma larvae/subadults.
Publisher: Practical Action Publishing
Date: 03-2010
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 20-06-2019
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182019000581
Abstract: Sexually reproducing pathogens such as Cyclospora cayetanensis often produce genetically heterogeneous infections where the number of unique sequence types detected at any given locus varies depending on which locus is sequenced. The genotypes assigned to these infections quickly become complex when additional loci are analysed. This genetic heterogeneity confounds the utility of traditional sequence-typing and phylogenetic approaches for aiding epidemiological trace-back, and requires new methods to address this complexity. Here, we describe an ensemble of two similarity-based classification algorithms, including a Bayesian and heuristic component that infer the relatedness of C. cayetanensis infections. The ensemble requires a set of haplotypes as input and assigns arbitrary distances to specimen pairs reflecting their most likely relationships. The approach was applied to data generated from a test cohort of 88 human fecal specimens containing C. cayetanensis , including 30 from patients whose infections were associated with epidemiologically defined outbreak clusters of cyclosporiasis. The ensemble assigned specimens to plausible clusters of genetically related infections despite their complex haplotype composition. These relationships were corroborated by a significant number of epidemiological linkages ( P 0.0001) suggesting the ensemble's utility for aiding epidemiological trace-back investigations of cyclosporiasis.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.JHIN.2010.01.026
Abstract: Multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPa) has been isolated from patients in a Western Australian teaching hospital with increasing frequency since first encountered in 2006. Between 2006 and 2008 the number of patients with MRPa increased from three to nine per annum, and their location shifted from intensive care to a high dependency unit. A novel water-saving device (aerator) in a staff hand basin was identified as a likely disseminator, with MRPa being isolated from biofilm in the basin's plumbing. The disposal of patient waste, surplus intravenous antibiotic infusions and solid items via hand basins were possible contributory factors. Genotyping of MRPa from patients in other hospitals showed distinct genotypic lineages. The third seasonal cluster persisted for longer, indicating adaption to environment. More effective environmental control of P. aeruginosa is urgently needed.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-05-2013
Abstract: A SSCP analysis and targeted sequencing approach was used for the genetic characterization of some major pathogens from a cohort of 227 people with histories of gastrointestinal disorders. Genomic DNAs from fecal s les were subjected to PCR- lification of regions in the glycoprotein (gp60) or triose phosphate isomerase (tpi) gene, or the second internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS-2). Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and strongylid nematodes were detected in 94, 132 and 12 s les. Cryptosporidium hominis subgenotypes IbA10G2, IdA15G1, IgA17, IgA18, and IfA13G1 were identified in 74.6, 16.9, 5.6, 1.4, and 1.4% of 71 s les, respectively. For Cryptosporidium parvum, subgenotypes IIaA17G2R1 (47.6%) and IIaA18G3R1 (23.8%) were identified in 23 s les. Giardia duodenalis assemblage B (78%) was more common than assemblage A (22%). In addition, DNA of the nematodes Ancylostoma ceylanicum (n = 2), Ancylostoma duodenale (4), Necator americanus (5), and Haemonchus contortus (1) was specifically detected. This is the first report of A. ceylanicum in two persons in Australia and, we provide molecular evidence of H. contortus in a child. This SSCP-based approach should provide a useful diagnostic and analytical tool for a wide range of pathogens.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.JHIN.2009.05.021
Abstract: A genotypically indistinguishable strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Australian epidemic strain III: AES III) has previously been found in a proportion of adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) in Tasmania, Australia. The aim of this study was to identify a source of these infections within the major tertiary referral hospital for the State of Tasmania, and to determine if this strain could be isolated from settings other than the CF lung. A total of 120 isolates of P. aeruginosa were collected from clinical and environmental sources within the hospital and from environmental locations in the hospital vicinity. These isolates were genotyped by random lification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute method. Confirmation of similar genotypes identified by RAPD-PCR was performed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis with restriction enzyme SpeI. AES III was not recovered from any source other than the respiratory secretions of CF patients. P. aeruginosa in the non-CF settings was found to be panmictic, and no cross-infection or acquisition of hospital environment strains by patients was observed.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2023
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 04-2018
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 11-2010
DOI: 10.1128/AAC.00263-10
Abstract: Plasmid pB1000 is a small replicon recently identified as bearing bla ROB-1 in animal and human Pasteurellaceae in Spain. We identified pB1000 in 11 bla ROB-1 -positive Australian and North American Haemophilus influenzae isolates, suggesting a wider role for pB1000 in disseminating bla ROB-1 . Native H. influenzae conjugative elements can mobilize plasmids similar to pB1000 at a low frequency of 10 −8 , and this might account for the infrequency of bla ROB-1 compared to the rate of occurrence of bla TEM-1 . Altered penicillin-binding protein 3 was associated with an increased cefaclor MIC in 3 isolates.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 16-09-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2020
Publisher: Medknow
Date: 04-2016
Publisher: Microbiology Society
Date: 08-2010
Abstract: The virulence factor genotypes of a large cohort of clinical, nosocomial environment and community environment isolates (184 in total) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Tasmania, Australia, were determined by PCR. The virulence factor genotype of the majority of isolates was highly conserved, with the exception of the virulence gene exoU , which demonstrated low prevalence (33 isolates 18 %) in the population tested. Isolates collected from the environment of intensive therapy wards (intensive care unit and neurosurgical units) of the major tertiary referral hospital in Tasmania were found to be more likely ( P .001 and P .05, respectively) to possess the virulence factor gene exoU than all other isolates. Adult cystic fibrosis isolates showed a decreased prevalence of the exoU gene ( P .01) when compared to other clinical isolates ( P .01), which may indicate decreased virulence. No specific virulence factor genotype was associated with the cystic fibrosis epidemic strains tested.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-09-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-08-2012
DOI: 10.1002/MAR.20552
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.JHIN.2013.12.009
Abstract: Acanthamoebae are ubiquitous free-living environmental amoebae that may occasionally cause keratitis, granulomatous encephalitis, cutaneous lesions and systemic disease in humans. Acanthamoeba spp. have been implicated as a vehicle by which a number of common bacterial causes of healthcare-associated pneumonia may enter the lungs. Limited evidence has been found implicating Acanthamoeba spp. as a primary cause of pneumonia and urinary catheter colonization in intensive care patients. To explore the possibility of colonization of the respiratory and urinary tracts of intensive care patients with free-living amoebae. Thirty-nine catheter urines, 50 endotracheal trap sputa and one general ward sputum s le from 45 patients and nine intensive care unit (ICU) environmental water s les were collected during a four-and-half-month period in the Royal Hobart Hospital from August 2011. Acanthamoebae were isolated by culture and detected by polymerase chain reaction in two sputum s les from a single patient, taken one week apart. A single Acanthamoeba species isolate was detected by culture only from the ICU environment. Colonization of ICU patients' respiratory tracts with Acanthamoeba spp. does occur. This may have significance for the role of acanthamoebae as a source of bacterial pathogens in intensive therapy patients' respiratory tracts.
Location: United States of America
Location: Slovakia
No related grants have been discovered for Richard Bradbury.