Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Patrick Harris, Matt Fisher, Sharon Friel, Peter Sainsbury, Elizabeth Harris, Evelyne De Leeuw, Fran Baum
Summary: The research focuses on the Western Sydney City Deal in Australia and finds that the discourse of 'pro-growth' dominates urban investment, with limited attention to disadvantaged areas. While the purpose of the City Deal is to rebalance investment towards historically disadvantaged regions, there is little mention of health and equity.
Article
Microbiology
Miguel A. Bedoya-Perez, Mark E. Westman, Max Loomes, Nga Yee Natalie Chung, Benjamin Knobel, Michael P. Ward
Summary: Leptospirosis is an emerging disease in Sydney, Australia, affecting both humans and dogs, and the role of rats as reservoirs of infection is still unknown. In this study, rats were collected from the City of Sydney Council area and tested for pathogenic Leptospira DNA. The results showed that 8.1% of the rats had Leptospira DNA in their kidneys. However, further testing and investigation into other wildlife reservoirs and environmental sources of leptospires are needed.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Danielle Marie Muscat, Julie Ayre, Olivia Mac, Carys Batcup, Erin Cvejic, Kristen Pickles, Hankiz Dolan, Carissa Bonner, Dana Mouwad, Dipti Zachariah, Una Turalic, Yvonne Santalucia, Tingting Chen, Gordana Vasic, Kirsten J. McCaffery
Summary: This study explored the psychological, social, and financial outcomes of culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Sydney, Australia during COVID-19, as well as the sociodemographic predictors of these outcomes. The findings showed significant impacts on the psychological, social, and financial well-being of these communities, with differences observed across language groups. A comprehensive government approach is needed to rapidly co-design culturally safe support packages, tailored to specific language groups and considering pre-existing health disparities, in response to COVID-19 and other health emergencies.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Allison Marie Grech, Nathalie Kizirian, Ravin Lal, Angelika Zankl, Karin Birkner, Reeja Nasir, Roslyn Muirhead, Rachelle Sau-Harvey, Marjan Mosalman Haghighi, Clare Collins, Andrew Holmes, Michael Skilton, Stephen Simpson, Adrienne Gordon
Summary: The "BABY1000" study is a pilot prospective longitudinal birth cohort study that aims to understand the effects of parents' health before conception, a woman's health during pregnancy, and the infant's environment on the child's long-term health. It also aims to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the study design. The study has recruited 225 participants in Sydney, Australia, and data analysis and follow-up assessments are ongoing.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bin Jalaludin, Farhad Salimi, Mahsan Sadeghi, Laura Collie, Geoffrey Morgan
Summary: This study did not find consistent evidence of associations between PM and O-3 and stillbirths in Sydney, Australia. However, there was potential effect modification of the association between PM10 and O-3 by maternal age. More high quality birth cohort studies are required to clarify associations between air pollution and stillbirths.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Stephanie M. Topp, Fintan Thompson, Karen Johnston, Deborah Smith, Alexandra Edelman, Maxine Whittaker, Christopher Rouen, Nishila Moodley, Malcolm McDonald, Ruth Barker, Sarah Larkins
Summary: Understanding the health status of a population or community is crucial for equitable service planning. This paper focuses on the challenges of health data in Australia and calls for greater democratization of health data to address health system inequities. Improved data quality and usability are needed to enable health planners and researchers to effectively respond to health and service disparities. Attention and investment in data quality and usability for all levels of health, disability, and service delivery in Australia are urgently needed.
Article
Nursing
Christine Catling, Chris Rossiter, Allison Cummins, Erica McIntyre
Summary: This study assessed midwives' perceptions of workplace culture in two maternity units in Sydney, Australia, and compared the results with a national study using the same validated instrument. The findings showed that participants rated their workplace more favorably compared to the national sample, but had more negative ratings on time constraints, staff resources, and limited autonomy. The highly medicalized workplaces impacted their philosophy of woman-centered care and their ability to work autonomously.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Sunny Behal, Krishan Kumar, Monika Sachdeva
Summary: This paper presents D-FAC, an anomaly-based distributed defense system that effectively detects and distinguishes various types of DDoS attacks with superior performance on various detection metrics.
JOURNAL OF KING SAUD UNIVERSITY-COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Urban Studies
Jessica McLean, Sophia Maalsen, Lisa Lake
Summary: This research examines the lack of consideration of digital technologies in sustainability and urban planning within institutions. It focuses on a case study of the University of Sydney in Australia and reveals the lack of visibility and assumptions regarding the inclusion of digital technologies in sustainability strategies. The findings suggest the need for addressing partial sustainability strategies and better management of digital technological usage.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Laura-Anne Aitken, Syeda Zakia Hossan
Summary: This study examines the journey of breast cancer survivors, focusing on their experience of psychological distress and changes in quality of life. The findings reveal high levels of psychological distress and a reduction in quality of life among the participants, highlighting the need for effective healthcare interventions and policy changes.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Edward Jegasothy, Ivan C. Hanigan, Joe Van Buskirk, Geoffrey G. Morgan, Bin Jalaludin, Fay H. Johnston, Yuming Guo, Richard A. Broome
Summary: This study aimed to estimate the effect of bushfire-related PM2.5 on mortality risk in Sydney, Australia from 2010 to 2020. The results showed that exposure to bushfire PM2.5 was associated with an increased risk of mortality, particularly in those aged 65 years and over.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
J. Ayre, D. M. Muscat, O. Mac, C. Batcup, E. Cvejic, K. Pickles, H. Dolan, C. Bonner, D. Mouwad, D. Zachariah, U. Turalic, Y. Santalucia, T. Chen, G. Vasic, K. J. McCaffery
Summary: This study aimed to describe the COVID-19 information-seeking experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse groups in Sydney, Australia. The results showed that older individuals, those with inadequate health literacy, and those with poor English proficiency had more difficulty finding easy-to-understand COVID-19 information in English. Additionally, younger individuals, those with poor English proficiency, higher education levels, and longer residency in Australia had more difficulty finding easy-to-understand non-English COVID-19 information. Furthermore, there were significant variations in information-seeking experiences among different language groups.
PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Bethany Miriam Stavert, Susan Monaro, Lisa Tienstra, Vasi Naganathan, Sarah Joy Aitken
Summary: This study aims to investigate the experiences, values, and concerns of patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, with chronic mental illness, disabilities, or who identify as sexual or religious minorities, regarding arteriovenous fistula (AVF) care for hemodialysis. By conducting semistructured interviews and thematic analysis, this study will provide an in-depth understanding of AVF-related experiences among hemodialysis patients.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Prakash Poudel, Rhonda Griffiths, Amit Arora, Vincent W. Wong, Jeff R. Flack, George Barker, Ajesh George
Summary: This study found that more than half of people living with diabetes reported having dental problems, yet less than half had adequate oral health knowledge. Only 10.8% received oral health information in diabetes care settings, and the main barrier to dental visits was dental costs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Robert G. Ryan, Jeremy D. Silver, Robyn Schofield
Summary: Poor air quality in Australia is mainly due to ozone pollution events and worsening wildfires. During the Black Summer from November 2019 to February 2020, major cities like Melbourne and Sydney experienced significant deterioration in air quality. Measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 were then implemented, affecting social, mobility and economic activities. The study quantified the impact of contrasting periods on air quality in Victoria and New South Wales, highlighting the importance of meteorological normalization in attributing pollution changes to specific events.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Immunology
C. Raina MacIntyre, Valentina Costantino, Mallory Trent
Summary: Several vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 are expected to be available in Australia in 2021. Initial supply is limited and will require a judicious vaccination strategy until supply is unrestricted. If vaccines have efficacy as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in contacts, this provides more policy options. Ring vaccination may be the most efficient way to control COVID-19 if there is efficacy as PEP.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Ali Najmi, Sahar Nazari, Farshid Safarighouzhdi, Eric J. Miller, Raina MacIntyre, Taha H. Rashidi
Summary: The research introduces a mathematical structure to determine parameters of agent-based models and evaluates the roles of different control strategies in intervening the spread of COVID-19. It estimates the level of social distancing compliance in the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, and discusses in detail the complementary nature of social distancing and facemask usage along with their interactive effects.
Article
Immunology
Mallory Trent, Holly Seale, Abrar Ahmad Chughtai, Daniel Salmon, C. Raina MacIntyre
Summary: There is widespread hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Age is the only sociodemographic characteristic that predicted willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in all five cities. Confidence in the current government was associated with willingness to vaccinate in Sydney and Melbourne, but was associated with lower willingness in NYC and Phoenix.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ashley Quigley, Phi Yen Nguyen, Haley Stone, David J. Heslop, Abrar Ahmad Chughtai, C. Raina MacIntyre
Summary: Most cities' Black Lives Matter protests did not increase the incidence of COVID-19 in 2020, with high levels of mask use observed among protesters. Only Miami, which had high protest intensity and the use of tear gas, showed an increase in COVID-19 cases after one incubation period post-protest. The absence of a major epidemic surge within two incubation periods of a protest indicates that the protests did not have a significant influence on epidemic activity, except in Miami.
JOURNAL OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC HEALTH DISPARITIES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Mallory J. Trent, Aye Moa, C. Raina MacIntyre
BMJ-BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Valentina Costantino, Prateek Bahl, Con Doolan, Charitha de Silva, David Heslop, Xin Chen, Samsung Lim, Chandini Raina MacIntyre
Summary: This study aimed to determine the optimal mitigation strategies for an aerosolized attack with Bacillus anthracis. A plume dispersion model was used to simulate the effects of an anthrax attack in Sydney, Australia, considering weather conditions. The study found that vaccination as postexposure prophylaxis in conjunction with antibiotics is the most effective strategy to reduce deaths, especially when started early and with high adherence.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Zubair Akhtar, Mallory Trent, Aye Moa, Timothy C. Tan, Ole Froebert, C. Raina MacIntyre
Summary: COVID-19 is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but its vaccination can prevent it. However, COVID-19 vaccination may also cause myocarditis or pericarditis. Non-specific symptoms of COVID-19 infection may originate from the heart. This review focuses on the cardiovascular complications of COVID-19 and the impact of COVID-19 vaccination.
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL SUPPLEMENTS
(2023)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Chandini Raina MacIntyre, Xin Chen, Mohana Kunasekaran, Ashley Quigley, Samsung Lim, Haley Stone, Hye-young Paik, Lina Yao, David Heslop, Wenzhao Wei, Ines Sarmiento, Deepti Gurdasani
Summary: The use of AI in epidemic surveillance through automated early warnings generated from vast open-source data with minimal human intervention has the potential to bring about revolutionary and sustainable changes. AI can overcome challenges faced by weak health systems by detecting epidemic signals earlier than traditional surveillance methods, triggering early investigation and response at the regional level. However, the uptake of AI-based epidemic intelligence systems by public health authorities is low compared to clinical counterparts, highlighting the need for widespread adoption of digital open-source surveillance and AI technology for effective prevention of serious epidemics.
JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rebecca Grant, Jilian A. Sacks, Priya Abraham, Supamit Chunsuttiwat, Cheryl Cohen, J. Peter Figueroa, Thomas Fleming, Paul Fine, David Goldblatt, Hideki Hasegawa, C. Raina MacIntrye, Ziad A. Memish, Elizabeth Miller, Sergio Nishioka, Amadou A. Sall, Samba Sow, Oyewale Tomori, Youchun Wang, Maria D. Van Kerkhove, Marie-Ange Wambo, Homa Attar Cohen, Samuel Mesfin, James R. Otieno, Lorenzo Subissi, Sylvie Briand, David E. Wentworth, Kanta Subbarao
Summary: Vaccines for different SARS-CoV-2 variants have been authorized, but continuous monitoring is necessary to decide when vaccine antigen composition should be revised, along with clinical studies to assess vaccine effectiveness.
Article
Immunology
Elizabeth Benedict Kpozehouen, Bravien Arrudsivah, Timothy C. Tan, C. Raina Macintyre
Summary: Background: Influenza vaccination has been shown to be effective in preventing myocardial infarction, but vaccination rates are low in both adults and healthcare workers. This study aimed to understand the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare workers in a cardiology ward regarding influenza vaccination. Results revealed a lack of awareness among healthcare workers regarding the associations between influenza, vaccination, and cardiovascular health. They did not routinely discuss the benefits of influenza vaccination or recommend it to patients, possibly due to a lack of awareness, not considering it part of their job, and workload issues. Improving healthcare workers' health literacy and awareness of the benefits of vaccination may lead to better healthcare outcomes for cardiac patients.
Article
Immunology
Elizabeth B. Kpozehouen, Robert Menzies, Holly Seale, Julia Brotherton, C. Raina Macintyre
Summary: In 2016, Australia launched the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR), a national immunisation system covering all age groups. Recommendations from a national workshop have been integrated into the current version of AIR, improving the accuracy and validity of data. However, access to AIR data for research purposes remains limited.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
D. Hutchinson, M. Kunasekaran, A. Quigley, A. Moa, C. R. MacIntyre
Summary: The objective of this study was to use the EPIWATCH AI system to scan open-source data and detect early warnings of infectious disease outbreaks. By analyzing a multicountry outbreak of Mpox in non-endemic countries confirmed by the World Health Organization in May 2022, the study aimed to identify signals of fever and rash-like illness and determine if they represented potential Mpox outbreaks. The EPIWATCH AI system was used to detect global signals for syndromes of rash and fever from 1 month prior to the initial case confirmation in the United Kingdom to 2 months following.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Aye Moa, Mohana Kunasekaran, Zubair Akhtar, Valentina Costantino, C. Raina Macintyre
Summary: We estimated the effectiveness of influenza vaccines in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza among older adults in aged care. Fourteen studies were included for final review and showed considerable variation in reported vaccine effectiveness. Observational studies demonstrated VE ranging from 7.2% to 89.8%, while randomized clinical trials showed a 17% reduction in infection rates with the adjuvanted trivalent vaccine. Limitations included the small number of included studies, variations in seasons and diagnostic testing methods, and limited research on enhanced influenza vaccines in aged care settings.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Nursing
Danielle Hutchinson, Mohana Kunasekaran, Haley Stone, Xin Chen, Ashley Quigley, Aye Moa, C. Raina Macintyre
Summary: The use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as respirators, plays a significant role in reducing the risk of healthcare workers (HCWs) acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, differences in PPE guidelines across different clinical settings may leave HCWs vulnerable to infection. During periods of high community transmission, it is crucial to provide respirators to protect hospital staff.
NURSING RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Mark Raphael, Angela Kelly-Hanku, David Heslop, Danielle Hutchinson, Mohana Kunasekaran, Ashley Quigley, Raina Macintyred
Summary: Compliance with face mask mandates in Papua New Guinea was found to be very low, especially in outdoor settings. Individuals without face coverings and not following physical distancing guidelines are at a higher risk for COVID-19 transmission, particularly in medium- and large-sized gatherings. A new strategy is needed to enforce public health mandates and should be clearly promoted to the public.
WESTERN PACIFIC SURVEILLANCE AND RESPONSE
(2023)