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University-led STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) outreach forms one potential avenue to address the continuing decline of tertiary student enrollments. Yet to-date the impact of these programs is not well understood, due to an historical emphasis on "delivering the goods" that obscures debate on which outreach programs to deliver, why and to whom. At a time in which the academy faces growing pressures to "perform," it is argued that explicit consideration of program purposes and efforts to assess efficacy may facilitate discussions about the possible role of university-led outreach in attracting school students to STEM careers. This article reports on findings from a study of the outreach efforts at nine Australian universities, revealing two key barriers: limited institutional support structures; and limited explicit consideration of disparate, and at times, competing outreach stakeholder needs. These barriers problematize the contribution that universities can currently make toward raising future STEM aspirations.

This paper addresses the positioning of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach programmes within universities' operations. Though universities in many respects form a rather homogenous international community, there is wide diversity in regard to the provision of STEM outreach by different institutions. To explain this diversity, a conceptual framework was developed by using the Theory of Legitimacy as an organising concept. The framework considers two opposing scenarios that form a continuum between them, namely: "top-down" initiative by the university governance "versus" "bottom-up" grass-roots initiative. Using the Theory of Legitimacy, internal and external outreach relationships are characterised and explained under the two scenarios. The framework was applied to two settings chosen due to their essential differences in outreach provision, namely, Australia and Israel. The differences that were found in internal and external legitimacy provide a useful lens for examining the low-performing, fragile system in Australia as compared with the high-performing, thriving system in Israel.

HIV testing rates among recently arrived (≤5 years) Asian-born men who have sex with men (MSM) in Australia remain suboptimal. Research indicates that belief in supernatural determinants of health (supernatural beliefs) may be an important barrier to greater HIV test uptake. We examined potential associations between supernatural beliefs and HIV testing among recently arrived Asian-born MSM in Australia. In 2019, an online survey was completed by 186 self-identified MSM born in Asia, and who arrived in Australia within the past five years and were never diagnosed with HIV. Supernatural belief was measured as the extent to which one felt that health was influenced by supernatural forces. Measures of association were estimated with multiple logistic regression. Participants with supernatural beliefs were significantly less likely to have tested for HIV in the past year. The adjusted predicted probability of not testing for HIV in the past year was 44.8% among those who held supernatural beliefs (95% CI: 30.5–59.2%), but only 5.2% among those who did not hold supernatural beliefs (95% CI: 1.9–8.6%). Religious affiliation was not significantly associated with testing for HIV. Supernatural beliefs may be an important but underappreciated barrier to HIV testing among recently arrived Asian-born MSM in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, some classroom experiments are described for correcting the common misconception that the operation of a siphon depends on atmospheric pressure. One experiment makes use of a chain model of a siphon and another demonstrates that flow rate is dependent on the height difference between the inflow and outflow of a siphon and not atmospheric pressure. A real-life example of the use of a siphon to refill a lake in South Australia is described, demonstrating that the siphon is not only of academic interest but has practical applications. (Contains 6 figures.)

A day hospital program for the treatment of patients with long-term anorexia nervosa (AN) is described. This program forms part of a comprehensive system of day programs that reflect and incorporate patients' varying degrees of readiness for change and attempt to match patients' readiness for change to the interventions offered in treatment. Preliminary outcome data are presented, showing clinically valuable changes of motivation in this group. (Contains 1 table.)

Forty-eight incarcerated sex offenders were compared with 16 property offenders and 16 nonoffenders on self-report measures of childhood maternal and paternal attachment and adult attachment. Results suggest that insecure childhood attachments may be related to offending behavior generally and that certain combinations of childhood attachment experiences may relate more specifically to different kinds of sexual offending. (Author/GCP)

Background: Otitis externa is a commonly diagnosed dermatological disorder in canines. The pathogens primarily involved in canine otitis externa (COE) include Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, and Malassezia pachydermatis. As COE tends to be superficial, medications delivered topically are often effective and practical in managing the condition. As such, there is a wide variety of approved topical products currently available in the market. The efficacy of topical dosage forms can be dependent on various factors such as the pharmacology of active constituents and the physicochemical properties of the formulation, including pH, viscosity, spreadability, and bio-adhesion. Currently, there is a lack of published literature available on the optimal properties of topical COE products. In this study, we compared the physicochemical properties of nine commercially available otic veterinarian products in Australia used clinically to manage COE. Results: Based on our comparative analysis, the pH (6.26 ± 0.04) of an aqueous-based product was similar to a healthy dog's external auditory canal. Products containing polymers exhibited higher viscosity and bio-adhesion. Spreadability was inversely related to viscosity and Osurnia ® a product with high viscosity demonstrated the lowest spreadability. Aqueous-based otic products showed better syringebility whereas oil-based systems required higher force to expel the products. Variability in droplet size was noted. Derm Otic, Baytril Otic, and Aurizon Ear Drops had the lower standard deviation which indicates they would give a more consistent dose. Conclusions: Findings from this work provide considerations for industry researchers or formulation scientists working in the area of otic dosage formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind dispersal is considered to be a potentially important mode of spread for parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.), an invasive Asteraceae herb of worldwide significance. However, empirical evidence of the role of wind dispersal on the seeds (achenes) of parthenium weed in natural landscapes is lacking. The results of a simulation study undertaken at a wind tunnel facility, Australia, indicated that the dispersal distance of parthenium weed achenes is largely determined by wind velocity (109–131% increase in distance where wind velocity is doubled) and plant release height (75–80% increase when release height is doubled). Glasshouse harvested achenes released from 1 m in height could travel up to 2 m under a 2 m s−1 wind velocity, with the majority of achenes reaching more than 1 m. Smaller‐sized achenes travelled 5% further than larger‐sized achenes. The terminal velocity was calculated to be 1.256 ± 0.006 m s−1, indicating a moderate wind dispersal ability for the weed. A complementary field study in Southeast Queensland, Australia, indicated that the cumulative wind velocity and wind direction, instead of the mean wind velocity, determined the direction of dispersal of the achenes. Further post‐dispersal surveys suggested the number of achenes outside of a standing population declined rapidly as distance from the population increased. Most achenes were dispersed less than 2 m from their parent plant, while the maximum distance achieved was less than 5 m under natural conditions in North Queensland. In conclusion, the natural wind dispersal of parthenium weed consists of small, but measurable increments each year, thus contributing to the weed proliferation and spread at the landscape scale level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culicoides are one of the smallest hematophagous flies measuring 1–5 mm in size with only females seeking blood for egg development. The present study investigated spatio-temporal distribution of Culicoides species trapped between 1990 and 2018 at 13 sites in the New England region of NSW, Australia using automated light traps. Trapping locations were divided into three subregions (tablelands, slopes and plains). Nineteen Culicoides species were identified. Culicoides marksi and C. austropalpalis were the most abundant and widespread species. Culicoides brevitarsis, the principal vector of livestock diseases in New South Wales comprised 2.9% of the total catch and was detected in 12 of the 13 locations in the study. Abundance as determined by Log10Culicoides count per trapping event for the eight most abundant species did not vary significantly with season but trended towards higher counts in summer for C. marksi (P = 0.09) and C. austropalpalis (P = 0.05). Significant geographic variation in abundance was observed for C. marksi, C. austropalpalis and C. dycei with counts decreasing with increasing altitude from the plains to the slopes and tablelands. Culicoides victoriae exhibited the reverse trend in abundance (P = 0.08). Greater abundance during the warmer seasons and at lower altitudes for C. marksi and C. austropalpalis was indicative of temperature and rainfall dependence in this region with moderate summer dominance in rainfall. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index of species was higher on the tablelands (H = 1.59) than the slopes (H = 1.33) and plains (H = 1.08) with evenness indices of 0.62, 0.46 and 0.39 respectively. Culicoides species on the tablelands were more diverse than on the slopes and plains where C. marksi and C. austropalpalis dominated. The temporal and spatial variation in abundance, diversity and evenness of species reported in this diverse region of Australia provides additional insight into Culicoides as pests and disease vectors and may contribute to future modelling studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia, free-range layer pullets are typically reared indoors, but adult layers go outdoors, and this mismatch might reduce adaptation in laying environments. Enrichments during rearing may optimise pullet development and subsequent welfare as adult free-range hens. In the outdoor environment, hens may have greater opportunities for exercise and natural behaviours which might contribute to improved health and welfare. However, the outdoor environment may also result in potential exposure to parasites and pathogens. Individual variation in range use may thus dictate individual health and welfare. This study was conducted to evaluate whether adult hens varied in their external and internal health due to rearing enrichments and following variation in range use. A total of 1386 Hy-Line Brown R chicks were reared indoors across 16 weeks with three enrichment treatments including a control group with standard housing conditions, a novelty group providing novel objects that changed weekly, and a structural group with custom-designed structures to increase spatial navigation and perching. At 16 weeks of age the pullets were moved to a free-range system and housed in nine identical pens within their rearing treatments. All hens were leg-banded with microchips and daily ranging was assessed from 25 to 64 weeks via radio-frequency identification technology. At 64-65 weeks of age, 307 hens were selected based on their range use patterns across 54 days up to 64 weeks: indoor (no ranging), low outdoor (1.4 h or less daily), and high outdoor (5.2-9 h daily). The external and internal health and welfare parameters were evaluated via external assessment of body weight, plumage, toenails, pecking wounds, illness, and post-mortem assessment of internal organs and keel bones including whole-body CT scanning for body composition. The control hens had the lowest feather coverage (p < 0.0001) and a higher number of comb wounds (P = 0.03) than the novelty hens. The high outdoor rangers had fewer comb wounds than the indoor hens (P = 0.04), the shortest toenails (p < 0.0001) and the most feather coverage (p < 0.0001), but lower body weight (p < 0.0001) than the indoor hens. High outdoor ranging decreased both body fat and muscle (both p < 0.0001). The novelty group had lower spleen weights than the control hens (P = 0.01) but neither group differed from the structural hens. The high outdoor hens showed the highest spleen (P = 0.01) and empty gizzard weights (P = 0.04). Both the rearing enrichments and ranging had no effect on keel bone damage (all P ≥ 0.19). There were no significant interactions between rearing treatments and ranging patterns for any of the health and welfare parameters measured in this study (P ≥ 0.07). Overall, rearing enrichments had some effects on hen health and welfare at the later stages of the production cycle but subsequent range use patterns had the greatest impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haemorrhagic enteritis virus (HEV) causes clinical haemorrhagic enteritis in young poults and/or subclinical immunosuppression which is often associated with colibacillosis. This disease is controlled with live vaccines worldwide, however, importation of HEV vaccines or cells that support HEV propagation are not permitted in Australia. A major experiment in isolators was conducted to test the safety and efficacy of a putative HEV vaccine. The study had a factorial design with four factors namely vaccination age (28 and 42 days of age), vaccine dose (0, 105, 106, 107 genomic copies of HEV vaccine), challenge with HEV (yes, no) and vaccination‐challenge interval (7, 21 or 42 days). A total of 315 poults were used providing 6‐8 birds per treatment combination. Turkey growth rate, mortality, pathological findings, anti‐HEV antibodies and viral load were examined. Vaccination lead to significant increases in anti HEV antibody over the following 2‐4 weeks. Overall, vaccination with 106 and 107 was protective against increase in relative splenic weight and splenic viral load in challenged birds. Clinical haemorrhagic enteritis was not induced by any treatment but there was an increased incidence of airsacculitis in groups receiving either HEV vaccine or challenge virus compared to the negative control birds (25.8‐29.3% vs. 9.4%, P < 0.05). Growth rate, mortality and relative bursal weight were unaffected by vaccination. This laboratory level study indicates that the putative vaccine is safe and likely to be efficacious, but may cause elevated levels of airsacculitis. These findings require confirmation in larger scale field trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alemtuzumab is a highly effective treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) but requires ongoing pathology monitoring for autoimmune adverse effects. The Alemtuzumab in MS Safety Systems (AMS3) study evaluated the implementation of an automated pathology-monitoring system. Objectives: To develop an efficient automated clinical decision support system (CDSS) to electronically prompt and track pathology collection and to provide prescribers and patients with customised alerts of abnormal results for identified risks. Methods: A total of 10 patients with relapsing-remitting MS treated with alemtuzumab were enrolled to test the system. Standard care laboratory monitoring was performed and compared to the performance of the CDSS. Results: The automated CDSS, an integrated patient smartphone application and an additional pre-screening tool were all successfully developed. Compliance with pathology monitoring was 96.7%. The automated analysis of pathology results was significantly faster than standard care neurologist review (p < 0.001). The system correctly identified and alerted abnormalities, including one case of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) while the treating neurologist was on leave, enabling prompt treatment of serious adverse events. During the course of the study, the CDSS was deployed throughout Australia. Conclusion: We successfully developed automated pathology monitoring with a CDSS, demonstrating real-world benefits of high compliance and timely alerting of important results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: Early discharge of patients with presentations triggering assessment for possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is safe when clinical assessment indicates low risk, biomarkers are negative, and electrocardiograms (ECGs) are nonischemic. We hypothesized that the Emergency Department Assessment of Chest Pain Score (EDACS) combined with a single measurement of high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs‐cTn) could allow early discharge of a clinically meaningful proportion of patients. Methods: We pooled data from four patient cohorts from New Zealand and Australia presenting to an emergency department with symptoms suggestive of ACS. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) within 30 days of presentation. In patients with a nonischemic ECG we evaluated the sensitivity for MACE and percentage low risk of every combination of high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs‐cTnT) concentration and high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs‐cTnI) concentration with EDACS. We used a standard smoothing technique on the probability density function for hs‐cTn and EDACS and applied bootstrapping to determine the optimal threshold combinations, namely, the combination that maximized the percentage low risk with ≥98.5% sensitivity for MACE. Results: From 2,536 patients, 2,258 presented without an ischemic ECG of whom 272 (12.1%) had a MACE within 30 days. The optimal threshold for hs‐cTnI was 7 ng/L combined with an EDACS threshold of 16 (36.8% patients low risk). The optimal thresholds for hs‐cTnT were 8 ng/L combined with an EDACS threshold of 15 (30.2% patients low risk). Conclusion: Single measurements of both hs‐cTnI and hs‐cTnT at presentation combined with EDACS to identify over 30% of patients as low risk and therefore eligible for safe early discharge after only one blood draw. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate over-diagnosis due to population-based mammography screening using a lead time adjustment approach, with lead time measures based on symptomatic cancers only. Subjects: Women aged 40–84 in 1989–2009 in South Australia eligible for mammography screening. Methods: Numbers of observed and expected breast cancer cases were compared, after adjustment for lead time. Lead time effects were modelled using age-specific estimates of lead time (derived from interval cancer rates and predicted background incidence, using maximum likelihood methods) and screening sensitivity, projected background breast cancer incidence rates (in the absence of screening), and proportions screened, by age and calendar year. Results: Lead time estimates were 12, 26, 43 and 53 months, for women aged 40–49, 50–59, 60–69 and 70–79 respectively. Background incidence rates were estimated to have increased by 0.9% and 1.2% per year for invasive and all breast cancer. Over-diagnosis among women aged 40–84 was estimated at 7.9% (0.1–12.0%) for invasive cases and 12.0% (5.7–15.4%) when including ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS). Conclusions: We estimated 8% over-diagnosis for invasive breast cancer and 12% inclusive of DCIS cancers due to mammography screening among women aged 40–84. These estimates may overstate the extent of over-diagnosis if the increasing prevalence of breast cancer risk factors has led to higher background incidence than projected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the impact of the direct treatment of perfectionism on the outcome of perfectionism and eating disorder pathology. Sixty-one participants, attending day hospital treatment, participated in a randomised controlled study, in which treatment as usual (TAU) was compared with TAU combined with a clinician-lead cognitive behavioural treatment for perfectionism (TAU + P). Linear mixed model analysis revealed no significant interaction effects but significant main effects for time on variables measuring eating pathology and perfectionism. Outcomes supported the effectiveness of overall treatment but suggested that adding direct treatment of perfectionism did not enhance treatment. The results are discussed in relation to the existing literature on the treatment of perfectionism. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Muscle dysmorphia is a psychiatric disorder that has been conceptually linked to eating disorders, although its precise nosology remains unclear. To further investigate this notion, the present study examined the applicability of the transdiagnostic model of eating disorders to muscle dysmorphia. Method One hundred and nineteen male undergraduate students completed self-report measures of multidimensional perfectionism, mood intolerance, self-esteem, interpersonal problems, and muscle dysmorphia symptomatology. Results Self-oriented perfectionism, socially prescribed perfectionism, mood intolerance, and low self-esteem significantly predicted muscle dysmorphia symptomatology, whereas other-oriented perfectionism and interpersonal problems did not demonstrate significant predictive value when accounting for the other transdiagnostic constructs. Discussion The transdiagnostic model of eating disorders may potentially be applied to enhance our understanding of the maintenance of muscle dysmorphic features in addition to eating disorder symptomatology. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muscle dysmorphia is a recently identified psychiatric condition, whose relationship to the eating disorders remains unclear. This case describes an adolescent male who met diagnostic criteria for both an eating disorder not otherwise specified and muscle dysmorphia, allowing the first examination of read muscle dysmorphia presentations. This case suggests that muscle dysmorphia may present inclusive of episodes of binge eating and purging in addition to compulsive exercise, which may serve an emotional regulation function. We suggest that the assessment of muscle dysmorphia include a comprehensive assessment of all eating disorder features including bulimic symptoms, and that treatment address these features. Clinical implications for the conceptualization of muscle dysmorphia are discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological invasions have significant ecological, evolutionary and economic consequences. Ants are exemplary invaders and their invasion success is frequently attributed to a shift in social structure between native and introduced populations. Here, we use a multidisciplinary approach to determine the social structure, origin and expansion of the invasive Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, in Australia by linking behavioural and genetic studies with indicators of dispersal pathways and propagule pressure. Behavioural assays revealed a complete absence of aggression within and between three cities - Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth - spanning 2700 km across Australia. Microsatellite analyses showed intracity genetic homogeneity and limited but significant intercity genetic differentiation. Exceptions were two Perth nests that likely represent independent translocations from Adelaide. These patterns suggest efficient local gene flow with more limited jump dispersal via transport corridors between cities. Microsatellite analyses of L. humile from potential source regions, combined with data from port interceptions, trade pathways and the timeline of spread within Australia, implicate the main European supercolony as the source of L. humile in Melbourne. Such an introduction probably then redistributed across Australia and spread to New Zealand to form an expansive Australasian supercolony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on latest developments on international intellectual property law. It mentions that Europe's Council of the European Union (EU) has approved Draft Regulation for unitary European Patent and unitary Patents Court. It informs that Great Britain's courts award compensation to an employee inventor on ground that the patent is of outstanding benefit to employer. It reveals that Australia has introduced a pilot program for peer review of pending patent applications.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare nutrition knowledge levels in young women with and without an eating disorder (ED) in two countries. Method: Women with a clinical ED (n = 55) and healthy control women (n = 99) in Australia and Singapore completed a Nutritional Knowledge Questionnaire, acculturation questionnaire and demographics survey. Nutrition knowledge was analysed in terms of clinical status, cultural group, acculturation, socioeconomic status and education level. Results: Women with EDs had greater knowledge than controls, but the magnitude of the difference was small. Greater acculturation to Western culture was associated with greater knowledge. Conclusions: The difference in nutrition knowledge between women with and without EDs is unlikely to be of clinical importance. The findings may reflect today's ubiquitous availability of nutrition information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During pregnancy, asthma-related alterations in placental function and the maternal immune system, and reduced growth affecting female but not male fetuses have been reported in a study of selected Australian women. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of asthma management, declared during pregnancy, on birthweight and neonatal outcome at an inner-city hospital in England. Between June 2001 and December 2003, women at antenatal clinics were questioned about asthma ( n = 10 983). Women with asthma and singleton uncomplicated pregnancies ending at term were selected ( n = 718), with non-asthmatic controls ( n = 718). Among asthmatic women using inhaled steroids and bronchodilators ( n = 170), 43% of the newborn boys had birthweights <10th centile, compared with 27% of controls ( P = 0.011; OR 2.51 [95% CI: 1.52, 4.14]). For girls, the proportions were 28% and 27%. In women using bronchodilators only ( n = 178) or those declaring no treatment ( n = 370), birthweights were not significantly reduced. Taking account of smoking, ethnicity, gestational age and parity, there was a mean birthweight reduction with inhaled steroids and bronchodilators of 118 g [95% CI 36.0, 199.0 g] compared with the control group. There was no interaction between the effect of asthma treatment and infant gender. Infants of asthmatic women in the three subgroups who required intensive care were more likely to exhibit transient tachypnoea of the newborn than infants of control women ( P < 0.005). In our population-based sample, the risk of low birthweight among asthmatic women did not depend on infant gender, while neonatal respiratory morbidity remains a significant health issue in boys and girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Populations of Australian diamondback moth (DBM) Plutella xylostella (L.), a serious pest of cruciferous crops, display extremely low levels of genetic differentiation across Australia and New Zealand sample locations, as determined previously using microsatellite markers. These data suggest high levels of contemporary gene flow that is consistent with Australian DBM being a vagile species. Here we examine Australian DBM samples for haplotype variation using the mitochondrial DNA sequences of a 257 bp fragment of the CO1 gene. We compare this variation to equivalent mtDNA sequence variation in samples from New Zealand, Kenya and Korea. Using 42 moths collected throughout Australia we show that Australian DBM have both low mtDNA haplotype and nucleotide diversities. The three Australian haplotypes detected are closely related and they cluster with the common haplotype group from Indonesia. In addition the Australian haplotype frequency distribution resembled more that from Indonesia than that from Kenya or Korea. These data are consistent with an original strong Australian/New Zealand founder effect, from a south-eastern Asian source, with subsequent continued isolation. In a single season, the frequency of PXMt01, the most common Australian haplotype, was estimated at 15 locations spread across southern Australia and New Zealand using a polymerase chain reaction BiPASA method. The PXMt01 haplotype frequency variation was heterogenous, suggesting a small degree of population isolation that was not detected using microsatellites. Differentiation was not a function of geographical distance. These data suggest transient and sporadic local colonisation events by small numbers of founding females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinal variation has been described in a number of inversions inDrosophilabut these clines are often characterized by cytological techniques using small sample sizes, and associations with specific genes are rarely considered. Here we have developed a molecular assay forIn(3R)PayneinDrosophila melanogasterfrom eastern Australia populations. It shows in repeated samples that the inversion cline is very tightly associated with latitude and is almost fixed in tropical populations while relatively rare in temperate populations. This steep cline has shifted in position in the last 20 years. The heat shock gene,hsr-omega, located centrally inside the inversion sequence, shows a different clinal pattern toIn(3R)Payne. These results suggest strong ongoing selection onIn(3R)Payneover the last 100 years since the colonization of Australia that is partly independent ofhsr-omega. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Official sexual and nonsexual offense histories and confidential self-report data on sexual offending were obtained on 207 adult males serving sentences for sexual offenses against children (98 intrafamilial, 72 extrafamilial, and 37 mixed-type offenders). The mean self-reported age when offenders first had sexual contact with a child was 32.2 years (median = 31 years; range = 10-63 years). The mean age at first conviction for any offense was 30.5 years (median = 27 years, range = 12-66 years), and the mean age at first conviction for a sexual offense was 37.3 years (median = 37 years; range = 15-76 years). Sixty-nine percent (n = 143) of the combined sample had at least one previous conviction, and 80% of these (n = 114) had first been convicted for a nonsexual offense. ANCOVA revealed a systematic pattern of onset with first convictions for any offense preceding first sexual contact with a child. Taken together, results indicate that, in general, adult child molesters (a) begin sexual offending in their 30s, (b) have already become involved in nonsexual crime by the time they first have sexual contact with a child, (c) are criminally versatile, and (d) vary considerably in their persistence with respect to both sexual and nonsexual offending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the Higher Education Lecturer Performance Assessment (HELPA) computer program for assessing students' performance in Australia. Includes self-evaluation; Ease of processing and documentation; HELPA's advantages.

The current literature on the evaluation of teaching in higher education institutions is reviewed critically and evaluated from an Australian perspective. The issues of what constitutes “good teaching” and how effective teaching can lead to quality in teaching are discussed together with the reasons for introducing appraisal systems. The “professional development” and “duties-based” models of teaching appraisal are summarized and assessed along with the various sources of information which can be used as inputs to the appraisal process. The problems associated with appraisal systems are identified and recommendations are made as to the design of appraisal systems which are valid, reliable and have high user acceptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of antibiotics in livestock in Australia was assessed in the recent global review of antimicrobial resistance,[5] and among the 29 countries included in the review, Australia ranked fifth, well below Denmark, a country considered the benchmark for antibiotic use. In addition to the quantity of use, significant attention is paid in Australia to the quality of use of antibiotics, as highlighted in a recent prescribing guideline.[6] Veterinary medicine, Infection control, Vaccination, Zoonoses, Anti-infective agents. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the benefits of antibiotic use in animals on human and animal health. According to the author, while antibiotic use in livestock has the potential to cause harm to human health, the probability of harm arising from the use of antibiotics under Australian practices is very unlikely.

Context: Drinking water vaccination of young meat chickens with Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT) vaccine is problematic. Vaccine failure and adverse vaccine reactions are frequently reported. Variations in the technique of applying ILT vaccines by this mass vaccination method need to be understood to contribute to improving the success of vaccination. Aims: This study aimed to examine variations in the techniques of application of Infectious Laryngotracheitis vaccines via drinking water for young meat chickens. Methods: Drinking water vaccination techniques were observed and recorded across 52 broiler flocks during ILT outbreaks in three geographic areas of Australia. Descriptive statistics for all variables were computed and variations between integrator company procedures were statistically compared. Key results: Despite rigorous standard operating procedures, wide variations were observed in time of water deprivation prior to vaccination (3–15 min), time drinking water was stabilised prior to addition of vaccine and the type of stabiliser product used, time to activate the flock following filling of the water lines with vaccine (10–127 min), time for the vaccine to be consumed (36–226 min) and the volume of drinking water per bird used to provide the vaccine (11–48 mL/bird). Conclusions: Variation in vaccination technique can affect the success of drinking water vaccination against ILT in young meat chickens. Implications: Understanding the importance of the variable factors in vaccine application method can improve the success of water vaccination against ILT. Successful mass vaccination of young meat chickens against infectious laryngotracheitis is extremely important for bird welfare and productivity. Drinking water vaccination against this disease is problematic and often associated with apparent failure or vaccine reactions. Understanding the variation in drinking water application techniques will assist to improve vaccination success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Individual administration resulted in somewhat higher efficacy against A. galli than group medication in drinking water. • Excreta egg count reduction was highly correlated with worm count reduction using this infection model. • There was no evidence of loss of susceptibility to levamisole in A. galli that survived a recent flock treatment with it. • Fenbendazole in a ruminant oral formulation was more effective as a high dose bolus than when applied in drinking water. Evidence on the current efficacy status of anthelmintics used in the Australian poultry sector is lacking. A controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of three commonly used anthelmintics, namely levamisole (LEV), piperazine (PIP) and fenbendazole (FBZ) plus levamisole-piperazine combination (LEV-PIP) against a field strain of A. galli recovered following flock treatment with LEV. A total of 108 A. galli infected cockerels were randomized into nine experimental groups of 12 cockerels each (eight treatments and one untreated control) with each treatment administered by two routes (oral drench or in drinking water). Chickens received label-recommended doses of LEV (28 mg/kg) and PIP (100 mg/kg) while LEV-PIP involved both compounds co-administered at their full individual dose rates. FBZ was tested at two dose rates; 10 mg/kg as a single oral drench or 5 mg/kg in drinking water over 5 days. Anthelmintic efficacies were assessed by worm count reduction (WCR%) and excreta egg count reduction (EECR%) estimated by two methods. Ten days post treatment, the untreated control birds harboured significantly higher worm counts (P < 0.0001) than those in all treatment groups irrespective of the mode drug of application. Oral drenching caused a greater reduction in worm and egg counts (P < 0.05) than medication in drinking water. Based on geometric worm counts the percentage efficacies for the oral drench were 99.1, 96.3, 97.2 and 100 % respectively for LEV, PIP, FBZ and LEV-PIP, and for administration in water 96.4, 93.7, 88.7 and 97.7 % respectively. Efficacies based on EECR% were consistent with WCR% with strong positive linear association between efficacy values. In conclusion, our results demonstrate no evidence of loss of susceptiblity of the test A. galli isolate to both LEV and PIP contrary to our hypothesis. Additional efficacy studies are needed using A. galli isolates sourced from different poultry flocks across Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Vaccination status following live ILTV vaccination can be assessed using qPCR of poultry house dust samples. • Dust samples collected at 0 and 7 days post vaccination are important for assessment. • Dust samples can be collected from any location in the poultry house. • Higher proportion of tracheal swabs were positive for ILTV than choanal cleft swabs. • Shorter water stabilization time improved vaccination outcome. Infectious laryngotracheitis, caused by the alphaherpesvirus infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), is an important disease of chickens. Partial control of this disease in meat chickens is commonly achieved by mass vaccination with live virus in drinking water. There is a need for a practical test to evaluate vaccination outcomes. For the Serva ILTV vaccine, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) enumeration of ILTV genome copies (GC) in flock level dust samples collected at 7–8 days post vaccination (dpv) can be used to differentiate flocks with poor and better vaccine take. This study aimed to validate this approach for A20, another widely used ILT vaccine in Australia. In four meat chicken flocks vaccinated with A20 in water using two different water stabilization times (20 or 40 min), swabs from the trachea and choanal cleft and dust samples were collected at 0, 7, 14 and 21 dpv. ILTV GC detection in swabs and dust was highest at 7 dpv and at this time ILTV GC load in dust was strongly and positively associated with vaccine take in individual birds assessed by swab samples. Choanal cleft swabs provided significantly fewer ILTV positive results than paired tracheal swab samples but the level of ILTV GC detected was similar. Water stabilization time had only minor effects on vaccination response in favour of the shorter time. Location of dust collection had no effect on viral load measured in dust samples. Dust samples collected at 0 and 7 dpv can be used to assess the vaccination status of flocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Harmful substance use among young people is concerningly prevalent. Substance use disorder (SUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequently co-occur in treatment settings and are well researched among adults but lacking among young community cohorts. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and relationship between substance use, SUD, trauma, and PTSD among a community sample of young people in Australia., Method: A cross-sectional examination of data collected from participants (n = 1007, 48.9 % male) aged 18-22 years (M = 20 years, SD = 0.44), who took part in the 7-year follow-up of a cluster RCT of school-based substance use prevention interventions: The Climate and Preventure (CAP) study. A series of regressions were conducted to examine the relationship between trauma-related variables and substance use outcomes., Results: 48.3 % experienced a traumatic event (median = 2, range = 1-11) and of those 10.9 % met a probable PTSD diagnosis. Median age of first trauma exposure was 14 years (range = 0-21). 89.9 % used substances; 73.1 % reported binge drinking, and 35.6 % met a probable diagnosis of SUD (alcohol/cannabis). Those who experienced any traumatic event had almost 1.5 times greater odds of binge drinking. Cannabis use was significantly associated with most trauma-related variables. Sexual trauma exposure was the only trauma type significantly associated with all substance use variables., Conclusions: This study demonstrated that substance use/SUD and experiences of trauma/PTSD are prevalent among a community sample of young people. Importantly, substance use among young people is associated with experiencing a traumatic event, particularly sexual and physical types of traumatic events, and developing PTSD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Prof Katherine Mills receives research funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Medical Research Futures Fund, Australian Government Department of Health, New South Wales Health, Network of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies; and royalties from Oxford University Press for published books. Prof Maree Teesson and Prof Nicola Newton are two of the developers of the Climate Schools programs and directors of Climate Schools Pty Ltd., a social enterprise established in 2015 to distribute the Climate Schools programs and maximise social well-being. Prof Stephen Touyz receives royalties from Taylor and Francis, Hogrefe and Huber and McGraw Hill for published book chapters. He has received honoraria from Shire/Takeda Group of Companies for chairing the Australian Clinical Advisory Board for Binge Eating Disorder, public speaking engagements, commissioned reports as well as investigator- initiated research grants. He is the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Eating Disorders, an inaugural committee member of the National Eating Disorders Collaboration, a Member of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Eating Disorders (Commonwealth of Australia) and a member of the governing council of the Australian Eating Disorders Research and Translation Centre. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the incidence, severity, and burden of injury in starting and replacement players from professional men's teams of five rugby unions., Methods: Match injuries of greater than 24 h time-loss (including data on the severity, match quarter, event, body region) and player minutes of match exposure data were collated for all starting and replacement players in the men's English Premiership, Welsh Pro14 (both 2016/17-2018/19 seasons), and Australian, New Zealand, and South African Super Rugby (all 2016-2018 seasons) teams. Injury incidences and mean injury burden (incidence × days missed) were calculated, and rate ratios (RRs) (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) were used to compare injury incidence and burden between starting (reference group) and replacement players., Results: Overall injury incidence was not different between starters and replacements for all injuries (RR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.88-1.10), nor for concussions (RR = 0.85; 95% CI 0.66-1.11). Mean injury burden was higher for replacement players (RR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.17-1.46). Replacement injury incidence was lower than the starters in the third (RR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.51-0.92) and fourth (RR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.67-0.92) match quarters. Injury incidence was not different between starters and replacements for any match event or body region, but compared with starters, replacements' injury burden was higher in lower limbs (RR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.05-1.46) and in the tackled player (RR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.01-1.66)., Conclusion: This study demonstrated a lower injury incidence in replacement players compared with starters in the second half of matches, with a higher injury burden for replacement players due to higher mean injury severity., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Self-directed dieting (i.e., unsupervised) is very common among adolescents and young adults but has had almost no direct research. This paper describes the protocol for the My Diet Study, a two-arm observational investigation of the natural progression of dieting among young people over a period of 6-months. The study aims to examine the links between self-directed dieting, general physiological and psychological metrics of wellbeing (e.g., depressive symptoms) and biomarkers of gut-brain axis functions (e.g., microbiome and hormones) that are predicted to influence diet adherence through appetite, mood and metabolism regulation., Methods: Young people aged 16-25, intending to start a diet will be invited to participate in this observational study. For Part 1 (psychological arm), participants will be asked to complete a set of questionnaires and diaries at the beginning of every month for 6 months, to assess overall mental (e.g., psychological distress, disordered eating) and physical (e.g., weight) health, perceived diet success, food intake and gastrointestinal movements. For Part 2 (biological arm), a subsample of 50 participants will be asked to provide feces, blood and saliva for bio-sampling each month for the first 3-months of their participation in Part 1., Discussion: The My Diet Study will be the first longitudinal, observational study of dieting in young people combining in-depth psychological and biological data. It is anticipated that the findings will yield psychological & biological information about the impacts and effectiveness of self-directed dieting in young people, inform a framework for advice on safety in dieting among young people and help to establish the potential for biomarkers for risk management and improvement of diet-based lifestyle interventions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Okada, Pehlivan, Miskovic-Wheatley, Barakat, Griffiths, Touyz, Simpson, Maguire and Holmes.)

Mass vaccination against infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) in drinking water can result in variable initial vaccine take. Partial initial vaccine coverage of 20% with an Australian ILT vaccine (A20) previously resulted in significant protection against virulent ILTV challenge. This follow-up study used the international Serva ILT vaccine strain in a factorial design testing four levels of vaccination coverage (0%, 10%, 20%, or 100% of chicks eye-drop vaccinated with the live vaccine at 7 days of age) and three levels of ILTV challenge (no challenge or challenge at 7 or 21 days postvaccination [DPV]). The increase in ILTV load in choanal cleft swabs detected by qPCR after challenge was significantly reduced by 20% and 100% but not by 10% vaccination coverage. Vaccination reduced weight gain in unchallenged birds. Daily weight gain of birds was not affected by ILTV challenge at 7 DPV in any group, but following challenge at 21 DPV, it was significantly reduced in unvaccinated and 10% vaccinated groups relative to 20% and 100% vaccinated groups. Vaccination of 20% of the chickens provided substantial but incomplete protection (protective index range 44%-70%) against the severity of clinical signs and mortality following challenge while 10% vaccination coverage provided limited or no protection. Clinical signs were more severe and appeared earlier following challenge at 21 DPV than at 7 DPV. Within the vaccination treatments, eye-drop-vaccinated birds were better protected than their in-contact cohorts. In conclusion, partial vaccination of 20%, but not 10% of chickens, induced substantial protection against subsequent challenge. However, the attendant risks of reduced protection against early challenge and the possible reversion to virulence of vaccine virus when transmitted to unvaccinated chickens make it essential that 100% initial vaccine take be the goal of mass vaccination programs.

The HIV epidemic in Australia is changing with higher risk for HIV among newly-arrived Asian-born men who have sex with men (MSM) compared to Australian-born MSM. We evaluated the preferences for HIV prevention strategies among 286 Asian-born MSM living in Australia for <5 years. A latent class analysis uncovered three classes of respondents who were defined by their preferences: "PrEP" (52%), "Consistent condoms" (31%), and "No strategy" (17%). Compared to the "No strategy" class, men in the "PrEP" class were less likely to be a student or ask their partner for their HIV status. Men in the "Consistent condoms" class were more likely to get information about HIV from online, and less likely to ask their partner for their HIV status. Overall, PrEP was the preferred HIV prevention strategy for newly arrived migrants. Removing structural barriers to access PrEP can accelerate progress toward ending HIV transmission., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ung, Martin, Terris-Prestholt, Quaife, Tieosapjaroen, Phillips, Lee, Chow, Medland, Bavinton, Pan, Mao and Ong.)

Background: High-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) laboratory assays are used to rule out myocardial infarction (MI) on presentation, but prolonged result turnaround times can delay patient management. Our primary aim was to identify patients at low risk of index MI using a rapid point-of-care (POC) whole-blood hs-cTnI assay at presentation with potential early patient discharge., Methods: Consecutive patients presenting to the emergency department from 2 prospective observational studies with suspected acute coronary syndrome were enrolled. A POC hs-cTnI assay (Atellica VTLi) threshold using whole blood at presentation, which resulted in a negative predictive value of ≥99.5% and sensitivity of >99% for index MI, was derived (SEIGE [Safe Emergency Department Discharge Rate]) and validated with plasma (SAMIE [Suspected Acute Myocardial Infarction in Emergency]). Event adjudications were established with hs-cTnI assay results from routine clinical care. The primary outcome was MI at 30 days., Results: A total of 1086 patients (8.1% with MI) were enrolled in a US derivation cohort (SEIGE) and 1486 (5.5% MI) in an Australian validation cohort (SAMIE). A derivation whole-blood POC hs-cTnI concentration of <4 ng/L provided a sensitivity of 98.9% (95% CI, 93.8%-100%) and negative predictive value of 99.5% (95% CI, 97.2%-100%) for ruling out MI. In the validation cohort, the sensitivity was 98.8% (95% CI, 93.3%-100%), and negative predictive value was 99.8% (95% CI, 99.1%-100%); 17.8% and 41.8%, respectively, were defined as low risk for discharge. The 30-day adverse cardiac events were 0.1% (n=1) for SEIGE and 0.8% (n=5) for SAMIE., Conclusions: A POC whole-blood hs-cTnI assay permits accessible, rapid, and safe exclusion of MI and may expedite discharge from the emergency department., Registration: URL: https://www., Clinicaltrials: gov; Unique identifier: NCT04772157. URL: https://www.australianclinicaltrials.gov.au/anzctr&#95;feed/form; Unique identifier: 12621000053820.

Currently, there is no available vaccine against hemorrhagic enteritis virus (HEV) in Australia. Although it is assumed that subclinical HEV infections occur and may be associated with an increase in colibacillosis in Australian commercial turkey flocks, the prevalence of infection with this virus in the country is largely unknown. The aims of this study were to determine the extent of HEV infection in commercial flocks in Australia and to investigate the diversity of Australian HEV strains. Serum and spleen samples were collected from breeder and grower turkeys and serum was collected from breeder and grower chickens by the two major poultry integrator companies in Australia. Of the turkey samples, 727/849 (86%) sera were positive for anti-HEV antibodies by ELISA. HEV DNA was detected in 215/278 (77%) spleen samples positive by PCR. Of the meat chicken sera, 115/144 (80%) samples were seropositive. Sequencing the whole genome of three HEV field isolates showed that the Australian strains are highly similar and cluster separately from strains from other geographic regions although several point mutations were shared with HEV strains considered to be virulent. In conclusion, HEV infection is ubiquitous in Australian commercial poultry flocks. The impact of the many genomic point mutations detected in Australian HEV strains on virus pathogenicity is unclear.

The efficacy of commercially available anthelmintics against mature and immature stages (including ovicidal effects) of two Australian field isolates of Ascaridia galli was evaluated in two separate experiments. The anthelmintics tested were levamisole (LEV), piperazine (PIP) and flubendazole (FBZ) plus LEV-PIP. A total of 192 artificially trickle-infected young cockerels (96 birds per isolate) were randomized into sixteen experimental groups of 12 cockerels each (7 treatments and 1 untreated control per isolate). Chickens received label-recommended doses of LEV (28 mg/kg), PIP (100 mg/kg) or LEV-PIP co-administered at their full individual doses as a single oral dose or in group drinking water at recommended concentrations of 0.8 mg/ml or 2.5 mg/ml over eight hours for 1 and 2 days respectively and FLBZ (30 ppm) in the feed over 7 days. Anthelmintic efficacies were assessed by worm count reduction (WCR%) and excreta egg count reduction (EECR%) estimated by two methods. Ten days post treatment, all untreated control birds harboured mixed worm population of 10.1 and 12.3/bird for each isolate respectively which was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than counts in all treatment groups. Luminal or histotrophic larvae comprised 50-57 % of the total worm count. For LEV, PIP and LEV-PIP, individual oral administration provided a somewhat higher efficacy than group medication in drinking water. EECR% values were inconsistent with WCR% and found to be only an indicator of efficacy against adult worms. All developmental stages of the two A. galli isolates were highly susceptible to FLBZ (100 %) followed by LEV-PIP (92.4-100 %) and LEV (87.7-100 %). PIP exhibited good efficacy against adult worms (92-97 %) but reduced efficacy against luminal (79-84 %) and histotrophic (61-72 %) larvae. Embryonation capacity of eggs recovered from worms expelled after treatment with LEV (47-54 %), PIP (44-54 %) or LEV-PIP (45-48 %) did not differ from those from untreated birds (50-51 %) whereas eggs from FLBZ treated worms had a significantly lower (P < 0.05) capacity to embryonate (≤ 2 %). Put together, our results demonstrate no evidence of resistance of the test A. galli isolates to the tested anthelmintics but a significant advantage of FLBZ, followed by LEV-PIP and LEV over PIP in the control of A. galli, specifically with regard to immature stages. A. galli worms expelled after treatment with LEV, PIP or their combination, but not FLBZ contain viable eggs. This has epidemiological implications and may also provide an option for isolating eggs from mature worms for A. galli propagation experiments without having to sacrifice birds., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Necrotic enteritis and coccidiosis are the most economically detrimental enteric diseases of broiler chickens. This study aimed to investigate the association of DNA load of Clostridium perfringens, netB, and five Eimeria species (E. brunetti, E. maxima, E. necatrix, E. acervulina and E. tenella) in poultry house dust and pooled excreta with flock productive performance. The dust and pooled excreta from the floor were collected weekly at days 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 of chicken age from 16 flocks of eight farms from two Australian integrator companies. The farms were ranked as high or low performers by each integrator according to the production performance of studied flocks. Eimeria tenella and necatrix were not detected in any farm while E. brunetti was detected in a low-performance farm and netB was detected in a high-performance farm. C. perfringens, E. acervulina and E. maxima DNA were detected on all farms with no significant differences in DNA load between high and low-performance farms or companies. The lack of association of pathogen DNA load and farm performance is possibly due to overall low to moderate pathogen DNA load detected in this study. Further studies on a larger number of farms are needed to determine whether these population level measurements of key pathogens based on PCR detection of nucleic acids are correlated with performance variables., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The ability of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) to replicate in organs outside of the upper respiratory tract and conjunctiva associated-lymphoid tissues is still not well understood. This study investigated the tissue distribution of an Australian field strain of ILTV (class 9) on birds experimentally inoculated via eye-drop at 7 days of age by using quantitative PCR (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry. Tissues including conjunctiva, caecal tonsil, kidney, liver, lung, spleen, thymus, trachea and blood were collected from sham-inoculated (control group; n = 2) and ILTV-inoculated (n = 8) birds at 7 days post-inoculation (dpi). Blood was collected from 13 infected birds at 14 dpi and fractionated using ficoll-paque. At 7 dpi, the highest detection rate and genomic copies (GC) were in conjunctiva (8/8; 8.08 ± 0.48 log 10 GC/mg) followed by trachea (8/8; 4.64 ± 0.48) and thymus (8/8; 4.52 ± 0.48), kidney (8/8; 3.97 ± 0.48), lung (8/8; 3.65 ± 0.48), spleen (8/8; 3.55 ± 0.48), liver (8/8; 3.51 ± 0.48), caecal tonsil (7/8; 3.76 ± 0.48) and plasma (4/8; 2.40 ± 0.48 log 10 GC/ml). ILTV antigen was only detected in conjunctiva (7/8), trachea (6/8) and lung (4/8) samples. At 14 dpi, ILTV detection rate and genomic copies in buffy coat cells were 12/13 and 2.86 ± 0.39 log 10 GC/mg, respectively while those of plasma were 11/13 and 4.29 ± 0.39 log 10 GC/ml and red blood cell were 3/13 and 0.36 ± 0.39 log 10 GC/mg. In conclusion, ILTV DNA was detected in a wide range of tissues and blood fractions but ILTV antigen was only detected in respiratory organs and conjunctiva., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are an inflammation of the central nervous system associated with autoantibodies to aquaporin-4. We have undertaken a clinic-based survey of NMOSD in the Australia and New Zealand populations with the aim of characterising the clinical features and establishing the value of recently revised diagnostic criteria. Cases of possible NMOSD and age and sex-matched controls with multiple sclerosis (MS) were referred from centres across Australia and New Zealand. Cases were classified as NMOSD if they met the 2015 IPND criteria and remained as suspected NMOSD if they did not. Clinical and paraclinical data were compared across the three groups. NMOSD was confirmed in 75 cases and 89 had suspected NMOSD. There were 101 controls with MS. Age at onset, relapse rates and EDSS scores were significantly higher in NMOSD than in MS. Lesions and symptoms referable to the optic nerve were more common in NMOSD whereas brainstem, cerebellar and cerebral lesions were more common in MS. Longitudinally extensive spinal cord lesions were seen in 48/71 (68%) of cases with NMOSD. Elevations of CSF, white cell count and protein were more common in NMOSD. We have confirmed a clinical pattern of NMOSD that has been seen in several geographical regions. We have demonstrated the clinical utility of the current diagnostic criteria. Distinct patterns of disease are evident in NMOSD and MS, but there remains a large number of patients with NMOSD-like features who do not meet the current diagnostic criteria for NMOSD and remain a diagnostic challenge.

Acute viral wheeze in children is a major cause of hospitalisation and a major risk factor for the development of asthma. However, the role of the respiratory tract microbiome in the development of acute wheeze is unclear. To investigate whether severe wheezing episodes in children are associated with bacterial dysbiosis in the respiratory tract, oropharyngeal swabs were collected from 109 children with acute wheezing attending the only tertiary paediatric hospital in Perth, Australia. The bacterial community from these samples was explored using next generation sequencing and compared to samples from 75 non-wheezing controls. No significant difference in bacterial diversity was observed between samples from those with wheeze and healthy controls. Within the wheezing group, attendance at kindergarten or preschool was however, associated with increased bacterial diversity. Rhinovirus (RV) infection did not have a significant effect on bacterial community composition. A significant difference in bacterial richness was observed between children with RV-A and RV-C infection, however this is likely due to the differences in age group between the patient cohorts. The bacterial community within the oropharynx was found to be diverse and heterogeneous. Age and attendance at day care or kindergarten were important factors in driving bacterial diversity. However, wheeze and viral infection were not found to significantly relate to the bacterial community. Bacterial airway microbiome is highly variable in early life and its role in wheeze remains less clear than viral influences., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Tumefactive demyelinating lesions occur as part of the spectrum of multiple sclerosis (MS), but can be difficult to distinguish from other large cerebral lesions such as neoplasm or abscess., Objectives: To estimate the cost associated with diagnostic investigation of patients with tumefactive demyelination (TD), including associated morbidity, and compare this to more typical relapsing-remitting MS., Methods: Retrospective review of medical records of patients seen between 2013 and 2018 in clinics at the Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney, Australia; a center with tertiary referral expertise in MS., Results: Thirty-one patients with TD and 31 patients with MS were compared. The cost of investigating TD was more than 7.5 times higher per patient than MS ($18,300 vs $2418, p < 0.01). More patients in the TD group were admitted to hospital (22/31 versus 10/31) and ICU admissions only occurred in the TD group (10/22 versus 0/10). Brain biopsy was performed only in the TD group (7 patients), which contributed to cost differences and also accounted for differences in adverse outcomes., Conclusion: The cost and morbidity related to investigating TD is higher than in typical MS. Improvements in the diagnosis of TD have the potential to improve health and economic outcomes., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

There is no consensus approach to safety screening for immune intervention in clinical neuroimmunology. An immunosuppression risk evaluation checklist was used as an audit tool to assess real-world immunosuppression risk management and formulate recommendations for quality improvements in patient safety. Ninety-nine patients from two centres with 27 non-MS diagnoses were included. An average of 1.9 comorbidities with the potential to adversely impact morbidity and mortality associated with immunosuppression were identified. Diabetes and smoking were the most common, however a range of rarer but potentially life-threatening co-morbid disorders in the context of immunosuppression were identified. Inadequate documentation of risk mitigation tasks was common at 40.1% of total tasks across both cohorts. A routine, systematic immunosuppression checklist approach should be considered to improve immunosuppression risk management in clinical neuroimmunology practice., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: We have undertaken a clinic-based survey of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) in Australia and New Zealand to establish incidence and prevalence across the region and in populations of differing ancestry., Background: NMOSD is a recently defined demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). The incidence and prevalence of NMOSD in Australia and New Zealand has not been established., Methods: Centres managing patients with demyelinating disease of the CNS across Australia and New Zealand reported patients with clinical and laboratory features that were suspicious for NMOSD. Testing for aquaporin 4 antibodies was undertaken in all suspected cases. From this group, cases were identified who fulfilled the 2015 Wingerchuk diagnostic criteria for NMOSD. A capture-recapture methodology was used to estimate incidence and prevalence, based on additional laboratory identified cases., Results: NMOSD was confirmed in 81/170 (48%) cases referred. Capture-recapture analysis gave an adjusted incidence estimate of 0.37 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.39) per million per year and a prevalence estimate for NMOSD of 0.70 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.78) per 100 000. NMOSD was three times more common in the Asian population (1.57 (95% CI 1.15 to 1.98) per 100 000) compared with the remainder of the population (0.57 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.65) per 100 000). The latitudinal gradient evident in multiple sclerosis was not seen in NMOSD., Conclusions: NMOSD incidence and prevalence in Australia and New Zealand are comparable with figures from other populations of largely European ancestry. We found NMOSD to be more common in the population with Asian ancestry., Competing Interests: Competing interests: MHB has received honoraria for participation in advisory boards and travel sponsorship from Novartis, BioCSL, Genzyme and Biogen Idec. MBo has received travel sponsorship and honoraria from Sanofi-Genzyme, Teva, Novartis, BiogenIdec and Roche. BJB has received honoraria as a board member for GlaxoSmithKline, Biogen Idec, ViiV Healthcare and Merck Serono, has received speaker honoraria from ViiV Healthcare, Boehringer Ingelheim, Abbott, AbbVie and Biogen Idec, has received travel sponsorship from Abbott and ViiV Healthcare and has received research support funding from EIi Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, ViiV Healthcare and Merck Serono. SAB has received honoraria for attendance at advisory boards and travel sponsorship from Bayer Schering Pharma, BiogenIdec, Merck Serono, Novartis and Sanofi-Genzyme, has received speaker honoraria from Biogen Idec and Genzyme, is an investigator in clinical trials sponsored by Biogen Idec, Novartis and Genzyme and was the recipient of an unencumbered research grant from Biogen Idec. HB has received honoraria for serving on scientific advisory boards for Biogen Idec, Novartis and Sanofi-Genzyme, has received conference travel sponsorship from Novartis and Biogen Idec, has received honoraria for speaking and acting as Chair at educational events organised by Novartis, Biogen Idec, Medscape and Merck Serono, serves on steering committees for trials conducted by Biogen Idec and Novartis, is chair (honorary) of the MSBase Foundation, which has received research support from Merck Serono, Novartis, Biogen Idec, Genzyme Sanofi and CSL Biopharma and has received research support form Merck Serono. WMC has been the recipient of travel sponsorship from, and provided advice to, Bayer Schering Pharma, BiogenIdec, Novartis, Genzyme, Sanofi-Aventis, BioCSL and Merck Serono. RCD has received research funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, MS Research Australia, Star Scientific Foundation, Pfizer Neuroscience, Tourette Syndrome Association, University of Sydney and the Petre Foundation and has received honoraria from Biogen Idec and Bristol-Myers Squibb as an invited speaker. MjF-P has received travel sponsorship from Biogen Australia and New Zealand. RH has received honoraria, educational support and clinic funding from Novartis, Biogen Idec, Genzyme and BioCSL. AGK has received scientific consulting fees and/or lecture honoraria from Bayer, BioCSL, BiogenIdec, Genzyme, Merck, Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis and Teva. TJK has received travel sponsorship from Novartis, BioCSL, Novartis, Merck Serono and BiogenIdec, has received speaker honoraria from Biogen Idec, BioCSL, Merck Serono, Teva, Genzyme and Novartis, has received research support from Biogen Idec, Genzyme, GlaxoSmithKline, Bayer Schering Pharma and Merck Serono and has received scientific consulting fees from GlaxoSmithKline China, Biogen Idec and Novartis. JK has received remuneration for advisory board activities and presentations from Bayer Healthcare, Biogen Idec, BioCSL, Genzyme and Novartis. CK has received travel support, honoraria and advisory board payments from Biogen Idec, Bayer,Genzyme, Novartis and Serono. JL-S has received unencumbered funding as well as honoraria for presentations and membership on advisory boards from Sanofi-Aventis, Biogen Idec, Bayer Health Care, CSL, Genzyme, Merck Serono, Novartis Australia and Teva. RALM has received honoraria for attendance at advisory boards and travel sponsorship from Bayer Schering Pharma, Biogen Idec, CSL, Merck Serono, Novartis and Sanofi-Genzyme. MPMa has received travel sponsorship, honoraria, trial payments, research and clinical support from Bayer Schering Pharma, Biogen Idec, BioCSL, Genzyme, Novartis and Sanofi-Aventis Genzyme. DFM has received honoraria for attendance at advisory boards from Biogen Idec and Novartis, and travel sponsorship from Bayer Schering Pharma, Biogen Idec and Sanofi-Genzyme. PAMcC has received honoraria or travel sponsorship from Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis and Biogen Idec. JAP has received travel sponsorship, honoraria for presentations and membership on advisory boards from Biogen Idec and Novartis and Sanofi-Aventis. JDP has received honoraria for seminars or advisory boards from Teva, Biogen, Sanofi-Genzyme, Novartis, Merck, Bayer and research grants or fellowships from Merck, Novartis, Bayer, Biogen, Sanofi-Genzyme and Teva. SWR has received travel sponsorship, honoraria, trial payments, research and clinical support from Aspreva, Baxter, Bayer Schering Pharma, Biogen Idec, BioCSL, Genzyme, Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis Genzyme and Servier, and is a director of Medical Safety Systems Pty Ltd. CPS has received travel sponsorship from Biogen Idec, Novartis and Bayer Schering Pharma. IS has received remuneration for Advisory Board activities from Biogen, CSL and Bayer Schering Pharma and educational activities with Biogen, CSL and travel sponsorship from Biogen, Novartis and Bayer Schering Pharma. MS has received research support from Novartis, Biogen Idec and BioCSL. JSp has received honoraria for lectures and participation in advisory boards, and travel sponsorship from Novartis, BioCSL, Genzyme and Biogen Idec. BVT has received travel sponsorship from Novartis and Bayer Schering Pharma. AV and the University of Oxford hold patents and receive royalties for antibody testing. PW and the University of Oxford hold patents for antibody assays and have received royalties, has received speaker honoraria from Biogen Idec and Euroimmun AG and travel grants from the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation. EW has received honoraria for participation in advisory boards from Biogen Idec and Novartis, travel sponsorship from Biogen Idec, Bayer Schering Pharma and Teva and is an investigator in clinical trials funded by Biogen Idec and Teva. DA, SBh, SBl, KB, MBr, WBr, WBu, CSB, CCM, LC, AC, CD, KD, DF, DG, SHa, APDH, SHe, SHo, SJ-S, AJK, M-WL, CL, CO’G, MPM, CS, RS, JSt, AV, SV, MWa, RJW, RCW, MWo and EMY report no disclosures., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)