ORCID Profile
0000-0003-0354-6810
Current Organisations
University of Pittsburgh
,
Monash University
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2015
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 03-1991
DOI: 10.1136/JME.17.1.46
Abstract: Dyspepsia is a common clinical condition, and its diagnostic evaluation and treatment result in the expenditure of enormous healthcare resources each year. Studies indicate that the omeprazole test is the most sensitive and cost effective test for diagnosing gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) in patients with extra-oesophageal or more "classic" symptoms suggestive of GORD. Studies also indicate that a therapeutic trial of omeprazole in patients with dyspepsia results in greater symptom improvement and lower costs than treatment with less potent acid suppression.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-1987
DOI: 10.1016/0166-6851(87)90079-X
Abstract: cDNA and genomic DNA of Giardia intestinalis have been cloned in pUC vectors and used to express Giardia antigens in Escherichia coli. Several expression libraries have been produced and positive clones identified by immuno-colony assays with antisera raised against whole parasites and partially purified antigen(s). Those clones which express G. intestinalis antigens have been used to raise antisera in mice and the antisera used in immunofluorescence assays. The proteins expressed by the clones have been shown to represent a 32 kDa protein of the flagellae and axonemes, a protein associated with the spiral part of the ventral disc, proteins covering the surface of the trophozoite or associated with the coat, and other proteins associated with axonemes of posterolateral flagellae, kinetosomes and funis, and the anterolateral axonemes. mRNA was purified from G. intestinalis and translated in a cell free lysate. A rabbit antiserum raised against trophozoites immunoprecipitated several translation products while an antiserum raised against a purified 32 kDa protein only immunoprecipitated this protein. G. intestinalis rRNA subunits also were examined in the course of mRNA purification. Two rRNA species were evident, the small rRNA and the post-transcriptionally processed large rRNA.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 04-1996
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268800052420
Abstract: An outbreak of legionellosis associated with a hotel in Sydney, Australia, and the subsequent epidemiological and environmental investigations are described. Four cases of Legionnaires' disease were notified to the Public Health Unit. A cross-sectional study of 184 people who attended a seminar at the hotel was carried out. Serological and questionnaire data were obtained for 152 (83%) of these. Twenty-eight (18%) respondents reported symptoms compatible with legionellosis. Thirty-three subjects (22%) had indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) titres to Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (Lp-1) of 128 or higher. The only site which those with symptoms of legionellosis and IFA titre ≥128 were more likely to have visited than controls was the hotel car park (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 14·7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1·8–123·1). Those with symptoms compatible with legionellosis, but whose IFA titres were 128 were also more likely to have visited the hotel car park (adjusted OR 4·4, 95% CI: 1·5–12·9). Seroprevalence of Lp-1 antibodies was higher in those who attended the seminar than in a population s le of similar age. Findings suggested that the 4 cases represented a small fraction of all those infected, and highlighted difficulties in defining illness caused by Lp-1 and in interpreting serology.
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 09-2011
DOI: 10.5694/MJA11.10871
Publisher: College Publishing
Date: 05-2008
DOI: 10.3992/JGB.3.2.41
Abstract: This paper describes a 10-point checklist for the planning and development of healthy and sustainable communities. The 10 domains in the checklist are essentially physical characteristics of places. Each domain has relevance to the health of people living in the place, and to the sustainability of the environment. The checklist is intended as a tool for those who plan, develop and manage urban environments. Such tools can be valuable for assessing the health and environmental impacts of decisions made by urban and transport planners, and businesses engaged in land development and infrastructure projects.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 06-1998
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268898008681
Abstract: Fourteen cases of meningococcal disease (MD) occurred in August–September 1996 in western Sydney, Australia. Seven of the 10 young adults affected had a direct or indirect link with a local nightclub. Ten of 11 systemic meningococcal isolates had the phenotype C[ratio ]2a[ratio ]P1.5 and showed close genetic relationship by pulsed-fleld gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Organisms of this phenotype have not previously caused outbreaks in Australia, but have been associated with outbreaks and hyperendemic serogroup C MD in Europe, Canada, and the United States. This is the largest cluster of serogroup C MD reported in urban Australia, and the first involving a nightclub. The strain differentiation results were available rapidly enough to augment epidemiological investigations on a daily basis. Public health staff could thus establish links between cases quickly, follow the spread of new cases in the community, give accurate information to health officials and the press, and utilize existing knowledge about the characteristics of this phenotype to predict likely developments during the outbreak and afterwards. The strain differentiation data was also very helpful when the role of vaccination was considered, and existing guidelines on the management of outbreaks of MD could be used effectively for the first time in western Sydney.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2019
DOI: 10.1002/HPJA.278
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 25-10-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-02-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-11-2019
DOI: 10.5694/MJA2.50405
Abstract: The MJA-Lancet Countdown on health and climate change was established in 2017 and produced its first Australian national assessment in 2018. It examined 41 indicators across five broad domains: climate change impacts, exposures and vulnerability adaptation, planning and resilience for health mitigation actions and health co-benefits economics and finance and public and political engagement. It found that, overall, Australia is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change on health, and that policy inaction in this regard threatens Australian lives. In this report we present the 2019 update. We track progress on health and climate change in Australia across the same five broad domains and many of the same indicators as in 2018. A number of new indicators are introduced this year, including one focused on wildfire exposure, and another on engagement in health and climate change in the corporate sector. Several of the previously reported indicators are not included this year, either due to their discontinuation by the parent project, the Lancet Countdown, or because insufficient new data were available for us to meaningfully provide an update to the indicator. In a year marked by an Australian federal election in which climate change featured prominently, we find mixed progress on health and climate change in this country. There has been progress in renewable energy generation, including substantial employment increases in this sector. There has also been some progress at state and local government level. However, there continues to be no engagement on health and climate change in the Australian federal Parliament, and Australia performs poorly across many of the indicators in comparison to other developed countries for ex le, it is one of the world's largest net exporters of coal and its electricity generation from low carbon sources is low. We also find significantly increasing exposure of Australians to heatwaves and, in most states and territories, continuing elevated suicide rates at higher temperatures. We conclude that Australia remains at significant risk of declines in health due to climate change, and that substantial and sustained national action is urgently required in order to prevent this.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2020
DOI: 10.1016/J.SAPHARM.2019.06.001
Abstract: Adherence to prescribed medication is a dynamic process that changes over time. Whilst several measures have been used to examine adherence in patients with ADHD, it is not clear how these measures have been used to measure adherence in the context of its three phases (initiation, implementation, discontinuation). To examine measures used to assess medication adherence at its three phases in people with ADHD. The PRISMA guidelines were followed for this review. Six databases (Medline, PubMed, IPA, CINAHL, Embase, and PsycINFO) were systematically searched in October 2018, without any limitations on the start dates. Keywords reflecting three broad concepts (adherence, ADHD and measures) were used as part of the search strategy. Studies that assessed medication adherence in people with ADHD and described methods used to assess adherence were selected for this review. Forty-nine studies were included. Most (69.3%) examined adherence at the implementation phase. Claims databases, self-reported questionnaires, and prescription-refill records were used to measure adherence at the initiation, implementation, and discontinuation phase, respectively. Overall, self-reported questionnaires were the most frequently used measure at the implementation phase, but the psychometric properties were not reported in almost half of the studies that used these measures. Initiation and discontinuation phases of adherence have been relatively less examined in people with ADHD. Although self-reported questionnaires were the commonly used measures, the validity and reliability of these measures are of concern in guiding evidence-based practice. Measures with improved psychometric properties are needed that can examine adherence across its three phases.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2018
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 05-09-2022
DOI: 10.1101/2022.09.05.506587
Abstract: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified thousands of genetic variants linked to phenotypic traits and disease risk. However, mechanistic understanding of how GWAS variants influence complex morphological traits and can, in certain cases, simultaneously confer normal-range phenotypic variation and disease predisposition, is still largely lacking. Here, we focus on rs6740960 , a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the 2p21 locus, which in GWAS studies has been associated both with normal-range variation in jaw shape and with an increased risk of non-syndromic orofacial clefting. Using in vitro derived embryonic cell types relevant for human facial morphogenesis, we show that this SNP resides in an enhancer that regulates chondrocytic expression of PKDCC - a gene encoding a tyrosine kinase involved in chondrogenesis and skeletal development. In agreement, rs6740960 SNP is sufficient to confer a large difference in acetylation of its cognate enhancer preferentially in chondrocytes. By deploying dense landmark morphometric analysis of skull elements in mice, we show that changes in Pkdcc dosage are associated with quantitative changes in maxilla, mandible, and palatine bone shape that are concordant with the facial phenotypes and disease predisposition seen in humans. We further demonstrate that the frequency of the rs6740960 variant strongly deviated among different human populations, and that the activity of its cognate enhancer erged in hominids. Our study provides a mechanistic explanation of how a common SNP can mediate normal-range and disease-associated morphological variation, with implications for the evolution of human facial features.
Publisher: The Sax Institute
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.17061/PHRP2841831
Abstract: Human-generated climate change is causing adverse health effects through multiple direct pathways (e.g. heatwaves, sea-level rise, storm frequency and intensity) and indirect pathways (e.g. food and water insecurity, social instability). Although the health system has a key role to play in addressing these health effects, so too do those professions tasked with the development of the built environment (urban and regional planners, urban designers, landscapers and architects), through improvements to buildings, streets, neighbourhoods, suburbs and cities. This article reports on the ways in which urban planning and design, and architectural interventions, can address the health effects of climate change and the scope of climate change adaptation and mitigation approaches being implemented by the built environment professions. Type of program or service: Built environment adaptations and mitigations and their connections to the ways in which urban planning, urban design and architectural practices are addressing the health effects of climate change. Our reflections draw on the findings of a recent review of existing health and planning literature. First, we explore the ways in which 'adaptation' and 'mitigation' relate to the notion of human and planetary health. We then outline the broad scope of adaptation and mitigation interventions being envisioned, and in some instances actioned, by built environment professionals. Analysis of the review's findings reveals that adaptations developed by built environment professions predominantly focus on protecting human health and wellbeing from the effects of climate change. In contrast, built environment mitigations address climate change by embracing a deeper understanding of the co-benefits inherent in the interconnectedness of human health and wellbeing and the health of the ecosystem on which it depends. In the final section, we highlight the ethical transition that these approaches demand of built environment professions. Built environment interventions must move beyond simple ecological sustainability to encouraging ways of life that are healthy for both humans and the planet. There are key challenges facing this new approach.
Publisher: The Sax Institute
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/NB10020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-1989
DOI: 10.1016/0020-7519(89)90026-X
Abstract: A total of 37 Giardia stocks isolated from humans and 14 stocks derived from animal sources have been analysed for antigenic differences. Separation of the proteins of the stocks by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed no major differences among the stocks. Immunoblotting of these antigens demonstrated some minor differences which were not correlated with geographic location, allozyme type, virulence or any other distinguishing characteristic of the stocks. Immunofluorescence tests using monoclonal antibodies revealed some differences between stocks but the monoclonal antibodies did not significantly inhibit growth in inhibition assays.
Publisher: Massachusetts Medical Society
Date: 22-08-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2013
DOI: 10.1002/GEPI.21760
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 14-05-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.12.090555
Abstract: The human face is complex and multipartite, and characterization of its genetic architecture remains intriguingly challenging. Applying GWAS to multivariate shape phenotypes, we identified 203 genomic regions associated with normal-range facial variation, 117 of which are novel. The associated regions are enriched for both genes relevant to craniofacial and limb morphogenesis and enhancer activity in cranial neural crest cells and craniofacial tissues. Genetic variants grouped by their contribution to similar aspects of facial variation show high within-group correlation of enhancer activity, and four SNP pairs display evidence of epistasis, indicating potentially coordinated actions of variants within the same cell types or tissues. In sum, our analyses provide new insights for understanding how complex morphological traits are shaped by both in idual and coordinated genetic actions.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-1994
DOI: 10.1111/J.1440-1754.1994.TB00600.X
Abstract: We surveyed the directors of all 92 long day care centres in western Sydney to document the occurrence of communicable disease outbreaks during 1992 and to identify risk factors for the occurrence of these outbreaks. A total of 6092 children were enrolled at the centres, of whom 530 (8.7%) were less than 3 years old. Most centres (80.4%) reported at least one outbreak of communicable disease. Diarrhoea was the most commonly reported outbreak type (60 outbreaks), followed by conjunctivitis, head louse infestation and chicken pox (46, 44 and 24 outbreaks, respectively). Chicken pox outbreaks had the largest mean number of cases per outbreak (9.6) and the longest mean outbreak duration (4.4 weeks). Centres with a large total enrollment (50 or more children), those that were open for 12 or more hours each day and those which had commenced operating in 1990 or more recently were generally more likely to report outbreaks, particularly of diarrhoea. The vast majority of communicable disease outbreaks (92.1%) were handled by day-care staff without seeking outside assistance. Day-care centre directors may be unaware of the health services that could help them. We need to work more closely with long day care centres, and to focus preventative efforts on large centres, those open for long hours, and newly opened centres.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2019
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 08-10-2019
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 22-07-2018
Abstract: A move towards more compact and climate-resilient cities is being encouraged around the world. As part of these plans, there is a need to manage the potential conflict between increasing urban densities and the extent of tree canopy in cities. Reductions in tree canopy are a major contributor to the urban heat island (UHI) effect, which will act to reduce rather than increase climate resilience in many cities. A systems thinking approach called Collaborative Conceptual Modelling was used to study the interaction between urban infill, tree canopy, and human health in Perth, Australia. The results indicated that under current planning policies and development practices, the behaviour of the system is dominated by the drive towards higher housing densities. While this may result in the attainment of urban infill targets, it is likely to lead to a reduction in tree canopy, higher temperatures, and a decrease in a range of other benefits provided by trees. Recommended actions to overcome this behaviour were determined by the identification of leverage points in the system. These included a shift to a sustainable development paradigm that places greater value on the environmental and social benefits provided by trees and a greater emphasis on a climate-resilient future. Market and legislative mechanisms should be integrated into the city’s greening strategy and development plans to ensure the protection of existing trees and the inclusion of new trees on public and private land.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-10-2013
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 22-02-2021
DOI: 10.3389/FGENE.2021.626403
Abstract: Unaffected relatives of in iduals with non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) show distinctive facial features. The presence of this facial endophenotype is potentially an expression of underlying genetic susceptibility to NSCL/P in the larger unselected population. To explore this hypothesis, we first partitioned the face into 63 partially overlapping regions representing global-to-local facial morphology and then defined endophenotypic traits by contrasting the 3D facial images from 264 unaffected parents of in iduals with NSCL/P versus 3,171 controls. We observed distinct facial features between parents and controls across 59 global-to-local facial segments at nominal significance ( p ≤ 0.05) and 52 segments at Bonferroni corrected significance ( p & 1.2 × 10 –3 ), respectively. Next, we quantified these distinct facial features as univariate traits in another dataset of 8,246 unaffected European in iduals and performed a genome-wide association study. We identified 29 independent genetic loci that were associated ( p & 5 × 10 –8 ) with at least one of the tested endophenotypic traits, and nine genetic loci also passed the study-wide threshold ( p & 8.47 × 10 –10 ). Of the 29 loci, 22 were in proximity of loci previously associated with normal facial variation, 18 were near genes that show strong evidence in orofacial clefting (OFC), and another 10 showed some evidence in OFC. Additionally, polygenic risk scores for NSCL/P showed associations with the endophenotypic traits. This study thus supports the hypothesis of a shared genetic architecture of normal facial development and OFC.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2012
Publisher: American College of Physicians
Date: 06-08-2019
DOI: 10.7326/M19-0512
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2021
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2004
DOI: 10.1258/135581904322716067
Abstract: Objectives: To conduct an holistic economic evaluation of an Aboriginal community (Daruk)-controlled midwifery service in Western Sydney. Methods: The study estimated direct programme costs and downstream savings to the health sector. Measures of antenatal attendance and perinatal outcome were compared between Aboriginal women with and without experiences of the antenatal programme through examination of antenatal clinic records and the New South Wales Midwives Data Collection for the period 1991–1996. Qualitative outcomes were analysed through interviews and focus groups. Results: The net cost to the health sector was estimated to be $A1200 per client. Compared with Aboriginal women who received antenatal care in two conventional settings, there were no statistically significant differences in birthweight and perinatal survival. Gestational age at first visit was lower (17.2 vs 21.2 and 19.9 weeks), mean number of antenatal visits was higher (10.5 vs 5.5 and 9.5) and attendance for routine antenatal tests was better (94% vs 71% and 84%). Aboriginal clients were strongly positive about their experience of the Daruk service in terms of relationship and trust, accessibility, flexibility, provision of clear and appropriate information, continuity of care, empowerment and family-centred care. Conclusions: Net per client costs to the health service were modest. Quantitative evidence of improved antenatal outcomes was limited, but qualitative evaluation suggested the service was strongly valued. The outcomes examined in this study were broader than those used in conventional forms of economic evaluation and this enabled identification and analysis of more erse sources of value from this programme.
Publisher: The Sax Institute
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.17061/PHRP2841826
Abstract: Changes in natural hazards related to climate change are evident in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and are projected to become more frequent and intense. The impacts of climate change may adversely affect health and wellbeing, directly via extreme weather events such as heatwaves, storms and floods, and indirectly via impacts on food security, air and water quality, and other environmental amenities. The NSW Government's Climate Change Policy Framework recognises the need to reduce the effects of climate change on health and wellbeing. A conceptual framework can support the aims and objectives of the policy framework by depicting the effects of climate change on health, and in idual and social wellbeing, and areas for policy actions and responses. A proposed conceptual framework has been developed, modelled on the Driving force, Pressure, State, Exposure, Effect and Action (DPSEEA) framework of the World Health Organization - a framework which shows the link between exposures and health effects as well as entry points for interventions. The proposed framework presented in this paper was developed in consultation with researchers and policy makers. The framework is guiding current research examining vulnerabilities to climate change and the effects of a range of exposures on health and wellbeing.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-01-2021
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-020-80661-Y
Abstract: The contribution of low-frequency variants to the genetic architecture of normal-range facial traits is unknown. We studied the influence of low-frequency coding variants (MAF 1%) in 8091 genes on multi-dimensional facial shape phenotypes in a European cohort of 2329 healthy in iduals. Using three-dimensional images, we partitioned the full face into 31 hierarchically arranged segments to model facial morphology at multiple levels, and generated multi-dimensional phenotypes representing the shape variation within each segment. We used MultiSKAT, a multivariate kernel regression approach to scan the exome for face-associated low-frequency variants in a gene-based manner. After accounting for multiple tests, seven genes ( AR , CARS2 , FTSJ1 , HFE , LTB4R , TELO2 , NECTIN1 ) were significantly associated with shape variation of the cheek, chin, nose and mouth areas. These genes displayed a wide range of phenotypic effects, with some impacting the full face and others affecting localized regions. The missense variant rs142863092 in NECTIN1 had a significant effect on chin morphology and was predicted bioinformatically to have a deleterious effect on protein function. Notably, NECTIN1 is an established craniofacial gene that underlies a human syndrome that includes a mandibular phenotype. We further showed that nectin1a mutations can affect zebrafish craniofacial development, with the size and shape of the mandibular cartilage altered in mutant animals. Findings from this study expanded our understanding of the genetic basis of normal-range facial shape by highlighting the role of low-frequency coding variants in several novel genes.
Publisher: The Sax Institute
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1071/NB12097
Publisher: The Sax Institute
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.17061/PHRP2841823
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-1998
DOI: 10.1111/J.1467-842X.1998.TB01408.X
Abstract: This investigation used DNA profiling in an attempt to identify the environmental source of a community outbreak of 11 cases of Legionnaires' disease. Nine of these cases were culture positive and a single strain (DNA profile) of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 was isolated from eight cases. Spot water s les were collected from 51 cooling towers implicated by case exposure histories this same strain was isolated from four towers at three separate locations up to 6 km apart. None of these locations had been frequently implicated by case histories. Because we did not perform an analytic epidemiological investigation, we were unable to identify a single environmental source for the outbreak. It is also possible that this outbreak was multifocal. The use of molecular profiling should not overshadow the importance of epidemiological methods in these environmental investigations. More data is needed regarding the prevalence, distribution, and clinical significance (virulence) of environmental L. pneumophila strains. This would aid interpretation of molecular profiling used in investigations of community legionellosis outbreaks.
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 29-11-2018
DOI: 10.5694/MJA18.00789
Abstract: Climate plays an important role in human health and it is well established that climate change can have very significant impacts in this regard. In partnership with The Lancet and the MJA, we present the inaugural Australian Countdown assessment of progress on climate change and health. This comprehensive assessment examines 41 indicators across five broad sections: climate change impacts, exposures and vulnerability adaptation, planning and resilience for health mitigation actions and health co-benefits economics and finance and public and political engagement. These indicators and the methods used for each are largely consistent with those of the Lancet Countdown global assessment published in October 2017, but with an Australian focus. Significant developments include the addition of a new indicator on mental health. Overall, we find that Australia is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change on health, and that policy inaction in this regard threatens Australian lives. In a number of respects, Australia has gone backwards and now lags behind other high income countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom. Ex les include the persistence of a very high carbon-intensive energy system in Australia, and its slow transition to renewables and low carbon electricity generation. However, we also find some ex les of good progress, such as heatwave response planning. Given the overall poor state of progress on climate change and health in Australia, this country now has an enormous opportunity to take action and protect human health and lives. Australia has the technical knowhow and intellect to do this, and our annual updates of this assessment will track Australia's engagement with and progress on this vitally important issue.
Publisher: The Sax Institute
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/NB10032
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-12-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-04-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2018
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 04-2019
DOI: 10.1136/BMJGH-2018-001283
Abstract: With rising population numbers, anthropogenic changes to our environment and unprecedented global connectivity, the World Economic Forum ranks the spread of infectious diseases second only to water crises in terms of potential global impact. Addressing the erse challenges to human health and well-being in the 21st century requires an overarching focus on ‘Planetary Health’, with input from all sectors of government, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions and industry. To clarify and advance the Planetary Health agenda within Australia, specifically in relation to emerging infectious diseases (EID) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), national experts and key stakeholders were invited to a facilitated workshop. EID themes identified included animal reservoirs, targeted surveillance, mechanisms of emergence and the role of unrecognised human vectors (the ‘invisible man’) in the spread of infection. Themes related to AMR included antimicrobial use in production and companion animals, antimicrobial stewardship, novel treatment approaches and education of professionals, politicians and the general public. Effective infection control strategies are important in both EID and AMR. We provide an overview of key discussion points, as well as important barriers identified and solutions proposed.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2001
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 05-12-2016
DOI: 10.1108/IJHG-08-2016-0041
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to explore the pressing issues facing health and health systems governance in the Anthropocene – a new geological time period that marks the age of colossal and rapid human impacts on Earth’s systems. The viewpoint illustrates the extent of various human induced global ecological changes such as climate change and bio ersity loss and explores the social forces behind the new epoch. It draws together current scientific evidence and expert opinion on the Anthropocene’s health and health system impacts and warns that many these are yet unknown and likely to interact and compound each other. Despite this uncertainty, health systems have four essential roles in the Anthropocene from adapting operations and preparing for future challenges to reducing their own contribution to global ecological changes and an advocacy role for social and economic changes for a healthier and more sustainable future. To live up to this challenge, health services will need to expand from a focus on health governance to one on governance for health with a purpose of achieving equitable and sustainable human development. As cities and local governments work to create more healthy, just and sustainable communities in the years ahead, health systems need to join with them as partners in that process, both as advocates and supporters and – through their own action within the health sector – as leading proponents and models of good practice.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-01-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-08-2015
DOI: 10.1007/S10653-015-9759-Z
Abstract: To evaluate the current status of arsenic exposure in the Mekong River basin of Cambodia, field interview along with urine s le collection was conducted in the arsenic-affected area of Kandal Province, Cambodia. Urine s les were analyzed for total arsenic concentrations by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. As a result, arsenicosis patients (n = 127) had As in urine (UAs) ranging from 3.76 to 373 µg L(-1) (mean = 78.7 ± 69.8 µg L(-1) median = 60.2 µg L(-1)). Asymptomatic villagers (n = 108) had UAs ranging from 5.93 to 312 µg L(-1) (mean = 73.0 ± 52.2 µg L(-1) median = 60.5 µg L(-1)). About 24.7 % of all participants had UAs greater than 100 µg L(-1) which indicated a recent arsenic exposure. A survey found that females and adults were more likely to be diagnosed with skin sign of arsenicosis than males and children, respectively. Education level, age, gender, groundwater drinking period, residence time in the village and amount of water drunk per day may influence the incidence of skin signs of arsenicosis. This study suggests that residents in Kandal study area are currently at risk of arsenic although some mitigation has been implemented. More commitment should be made to address this public health concern in rural Cambodia.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2019
DOI: 10.1111/OCR.12268
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2012
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 13-05-2021
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PGEN.1009528
Abstract: The analysis of contemporary genomic data typically operates on one-dimensional phenotypic measurements (e.g. standing height). Here we report on a data-driven, family-informed strategy to facial phenotyping that searches for biologically relevant traits and reduces multivariate 3D facial shape variability into amendable univariate measurements, while preserving its structurally complex nature. We performed a biometric identification of siblings in a s le of 424 children, defining 1,048 sib-shared facial traits. Subsequent quantification and analyses in an independent European cohort (n = 8,246) demonstrated significant heritability for a subset of traits (0.17–0.53) and highlighted 218 genome-wide significant loci (38 also study-wide) associated with facial variation shared by siblings. These loci showed preferential enrichment for active chromatin marks in cranial neural crest cells and embryonic craniofacial tissues and several regions harbor putative craniofacial genes, thereby enhancing our knowledge on the genetic architecture of normal-range facial variation.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-03-2019
DOI: 10.5694/MJA2.50115
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2010
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-1994
DOI: 10.1111/J.1445-5994.1994.TB01462.X
Abstract: In February 1993, 11 cases of hepatitis A virus (HAV) were identified in permanent residents of a centre for young people with developmental disabilities. To define the extent of the outbreak in the centre, to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis A antibodies (anti-HAV) in permanent residents, and to ascertain risk factors for serological evidence of HAV infection. A cross-sectional serological survey of 270 permanent residents, aged eight to 40 years, in a centre for people with developmental disabilities, was conducted in western Sydney. Using a radioimmunoassay technique, sera were tested for anti-HAV (IgM and total antibody). We used logistic regression to determine risk factors for presence of anti-HAV. Blood s les were collected from 259 permanent residents (96%). Serological testing revealed anti-HAV in 128 residents tested (49%). Presence of anti-HAV was associated with living in specific residential units, and with residents' age and length of stay at the centre, but was not associated with reported behavioural factors. More than half of the residents of the centre were susceptible to HAV infection. Behavioural characteristics of the residents and their close contact with each other make HAV transmission difficult to control. HAV vaccine should be promoted in communities at risk, such as those with developmental disabilities.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 23-10-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Date: 06-1997
Abstract: We investigated two fatal cases of invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infection in a community nursing home in western Sydney, Australia. Two elderly women had lived in the same room, and the onset of their illness was 5 days apart. Hib isolates from blood cultures showed identical profiles by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. These findings suggest that Hib infection was transmitted within this nursing home. Serious Hib disease may be underrecognized in this setting. Continued surveillance and serotyping of invasive H. influenzae disease is essential for identifying groups at increasing risk that may benefit from immunization against Hib.
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2016.04.014
Abstract: Understanding cities comprehensively as systems is a costly challenge and is typically not feasible for policy makers. Nevertheless, focusing on some key systemic characteristics of cities can give useful insights for policy to advance health and well-being outcomes. Moreover, if we take a coevolutionary systems view of cities, some conventional assumptions about the nature of urban development (e.g. the growth in private vehicle use with income) may not stand up. We illustrate this by examining the coevolution of urban transport and land use systems, and institutional change, giving ex les of policy implications. At a high level, our concern derives from the need to better understand the dynamics of urban change, and its implications for health and well-being. At a practical level, we see opportunities to use stylised findings about urban systems to underpin policy experiments. While it is now not uncommon to view cities as systems, policy makers appear to have made little use so far of a systems approach to inform choice of policies with consequences for health and well-being. System insights can be applied to intelligently anticipate change - for ex le, as cities are subjected to increasing natural system reactions to climate change, they must find ways to mitigate and adapt to it. Secondly, systems insights around policy cobenefits are vital for better informing horizontal policy integration. Lastly, an implication of system complexity is that rather than seeking detailed, 'full' knowledge about urban issues and policies, cities would be well advised to engage in policy experimentation to address increasingly urgent health and climate change issues.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2019.105059
Abstract: The concept of planetary health acknowledges the links between ecosystems, bio ersity and human health and well-being. Soil, the critical component of the interconnected ecosystem, is the most bio erse habitat on Earth, and soil microbiomes play a major role in human health and well-being through ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, pollutant remediation and synthesis of bioactive compounds such as antimicrobials. Soil is also a natural source of antimicrobial resistance, which is often termed intrinsic resistance. However, increasing use and misuse of antimicrobials in humans and animals in recent decades has increased both the ersity and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in soils, particularly in areas affected by human and animal wastes, such as organic manures and reclaimed wastewater, and also by air transmission. Antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance are two sides of the sword, while antimicrobials are essential in health care globally, antimicrobial resistance is jeopardizing the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs, thus threatening human health. Soil is a crucial pathway through which humans are exposed to antimicrobial resistance determinants, including those harbored by human pathogens. In this review, we use the nexus of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance as a focus to discuss the role of soil in planetary health and illustrate the impacts of soil microbiomes on human health and well-being. This review examines the sources and dynamics of antimicrobial resistance in soils and uses the perspective of planetary health to track the movement of antimicrobial-resistance genes between environmental compartments, including soil, water, food and air.
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 04-2018
DOI: 10.5694/MJA18.00219
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 24-02-2017
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 17-01-2011
Abstract: Urban populations are growing rapidly throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Cities are vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change because of their concentration of people and infrastructure, the physical (geographical, material, and structural) attributes of the built environment, and the ecological interdependence with the urban ecosystem. Australia is one of the most highly urbanized countries in the region and its already variable climate is set to become hotter and drier with climate change. Climate change in Australia is expected to increase morbidity and mortality from thermal stress, bacterial gastroenteritis, vector-borne disease, air pollution, flooding, and bushfires. The cost and availability of fresh water, food, and energy will also likely be affected. The more vulnerable urban populations, including the elderly, socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, and those with underlying chronic disease, will be most affected. Adaptation strategies need to address this underlying burden of disease and inequity as well as implement broad structural changes to building codes and urban design, and infrastructure capacity. In doing so, cities provide opportunities to realize “co-benefits” for health (eg, from increased levels of physical activity and improved air quality). With evidence that climate change is underway, the need for cities to be a focus in the development of climate adaptation strategies is becoming more urgent.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-1993
Abstract: The suitability of urine specimens for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis infections in men was assessed. Urethral swabs from 301 patients were cultured for C. trachomatis, and the results were compared with results obtained from Chlamydiazyme. The results of 298 specimens were also compared with results obtained from PCR analysis of first-void urine specimens. The sensitivity of confirmed Chlamydiazyme analysis was 93% and the specificity was greater than 99% compared with culture. The sensitivity of the PCR method was 100% compared with culture. Chlamydia trachomatis was detected by PCR in an additional three specimens from which C. trachomatis could not be cultured. Urine appears to be an appropriate specimen for the detection of C. trachomatis antigens and nucleic acids.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 19-08-2021
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PGEN.1009695
Abstract: Facial morphology is highly variable, both within and among human populations, and a sizable portion of this variation is attributable to genetics. Previous genome scans have revealed more than 100 genetic loci associated with different aspects of normal-range facial variation. Most of these loci have been detected in Europeans, with few studies focusing on other ancestral groups. Consequently, the degree to which facial traits share a common genetic basis across erse sets of humans remains largely unknown. We therefore investigated the genetic basis of facial morphology in an East African cohort. We applied an open-ended data-driven phenotyping approach to a s le of 2,595 3D facial images collected on Tanzanian children. This approach segments the face into hierarchically arranged, multivariate features that capture the shape variation after adjusting for age, sex, height, weight, facial size and population stratification. Genome scans of these multivariate shape phenotypes revealed significant (p 2.5 × 10 −8 ) signals at 20 loci, which were enriched for active chromatin elements in human cranial neural crest cells and embryonic craniofacial tissue, consistent with an early developmental origin of the facial variation. Two of these associations were in highly conserved regions showing craniofacial-specific enhancer activity during embryological development (5q31.1 and 12q21.31). Six of the 20 loci surpassed a stricter threshold accounting for multiple phenotypes with study-wide significance (p 6.25 × 10 −10 ). Cross-population comparisons indicated 10 association signals were shared with Europeans (seven sharing the same associated SNP), and facilitated fine-mapping of causal variants at previously reported loci. Taken together, these results may point to both shared and population-specific components to the genetic architecture of facial variation.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
Publisher: FapUNIFESP (SciELO)
Date: 11-2015
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/AH09829
Abstract: Climate change will affect human health, mostly adversely, resulting in a greater burden on the health care system, in addition to any other coexistent increases in demand (e.g. from Australia’s increasingly ageing population). Understanding the extent to which health is likely to be affected by climate change will enable policy makers and practitioners to prepare for changing demands on the health care system. This will require prioritisation of key research questions and building research capacity in the field. There is an urgent need to better understand the implications of climate change for the distribution and prevalence of diseases, disaster preparedness and multidisciplinary service planning. Research is needed to understand the relationship of climate change to health promotion, policy evaluation and strategic financing of health services. Training of health care professionals about climate change and its effects will also be important in meeting long-term workforce demands.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-1996
DOI: 10.1111/J.1467-842X.1996.TB01087.X
Abstract: Despite advances in diagnosis of congenital heart defects, there is no non-invasive biomarker clinically available for the early detection of fetal ventricular septal defects (VSD). This study was to profile differentially expressed proteins (DEP) in the first trimester maternal plasma s les that were collected in the 12th-14th week of gestation and identify potential biomarkers for VSD. Maternal plasma s les of ten case-control pairs of women (who had given birth to an isolated VSD infant or not) were selected from a birth cohort biospecimen bank for identifying DEPs by using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based comparative proteomics. There were 35 proteins with significantly different levels between cases and controls, including 9 upregulated and 26 downregulated proteins. With Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment, and protein-protein interaction analyses, most of the DEPs were clustered in pathways related to B cell-mediated immune responses, complement activation, and phagocytosis. Three DEPs were validated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in another set of s les consisting of 31 cases and 33 controls. And CFHR4, a key regulator in complement cascades, was found to be significantly upregulated in cases as compared to controls. Subsequent logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analysis suggested maternal serum CFHR4 as a promising biomarker of fetal VSD. Further studies are warranted to verify the findings.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2019
DOI: 10.1111/IMJ.14380
Abstract: The visit to Australia by Dr David Pencheon, Founding Director of the National Health Service (NHS) Sustainable Development Unit, in April-May 2018 generated considerable interest and engagement. Dr Pencheon's overarching messages were that climate change is a health issue and that doctors and health systems have an opportunity, and responsibility, to lead climate action. This article distils Dr Pencheon's presentations into three themes: (i) carbon accounting (ii) transformational change in our systems of healthcare and (iii) a health system fit for the future. For each theme, we highlight promising initiatives that are already underway in Australia that are starting to transform our health system into one fit for a future environmentally sustainable world. We suggest practical ways in which doctors can lead the transformation through personal action and influence broader systems.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 08-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-0003
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 28-07-2015
Abstract: Extreme events, both natural and anthropogenic, increasingly affect cities in terms of economic losses and impacts on health and well-being. Most people now live in cities, and Asian cities, in particular, are experiencing growth on unprecedented scales. Meanwhile, the economic and health consequences of climate-related events are worsening, a trend projected to continue. Urbanization, climate change and other geophysical and social forces interact with urban systems in ways that give rise to complex and in many cases synergistic relationships. Such effects may be mediated by location, scale, density, or connectivity, and also involve feedbacks and cascading outcomes. In this context, traditional, siloed, reductionist approaches to understanding and dealing with extreme events are unlikely to be adequate. Systems approaches to mitigation, management and response for extreme events offer a more effective way forward. Well-managed urban systems can decrease risk and increase resilience in the face of such events.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-1993
DOI: 10.1111/J.1440-1754.1993.TB00540.X
Abstract: We surveyed parents of children enrolled in kindergarten in 1992 in outer western Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Using parents' reports, we determined the prevalence of immunization uptake for children starting school, compared the prevalence of immunization uptake among Catholic, government and independent schools, and identified immunization providers. We also documented parental beliefs about immunization and their influence on immunization status, and identified risk factors for incomplete immunization. Nearly 89% of children were reported to be fully immunized. Immunization status did not vary significantly among the different types of school. General practitioners provided 84% of all immunizations and local councils 11%. Incomplete immunization was associated with more negative beliefs in immunization, with post-secondary education and with families who do not speak English at home. Reminder letters had little effect on immunization status.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 06-06-2012
Publisher: FapUNIFESP (SciELO)
Date: 11-2015
DOI: 10.1590/0102-311X00010015
Abstract: Abstract The term “co-benefits” refers to positive outcomes accruing from a policy beyond the intended outcome, often or usually in other sectors. In the urban context, policies implemented in particular sectors (such as transport, energy or waste) often generate multiple co-benefits in other areas. Such benefits may be related to the reduction of local or global environmental impacts and also extend into the area of public health. A key to identifying and realising co-benefits is the adoption of systems approaches to understand inter-sectoral linkages and, in particular, the translation of this understanding to improved sector-specific and city governance. This paper reviews a range of policies which can yield health and climate co-benefits across different urban sectors and illustrates, through a series of cases, how taking a systems approach can lead to innovations in urban governance which aid the development of healthy and sustainable cities.
No related grants have been discovered for Anthony Capon.