The Impact of Place-Based Services on Child Maltreatment: Evaluation Through Big Data Linkage and Analytics

There is a clear evidence that place is one factor associated with rates of child maltreatment and that rates of child abuse differ between different neighbourhoods and communities. Although there are few place-based initiatives (PBIs) focused specifically on child maltreatment, there is an increasing policy and research interest on PBIs that address a range of problems for children and families in disadvantaged communities. Evaluating the effectiveness of these initiatives is extremely challenging, both methodologically and ethically, but one potential way forward is to use linked administrative data to track outcomes of children and families. This chapter discusses the opportunities and challenges for the use of administrative data linkage in the evaluation of PBIs. The chapter is informed by interviews with 12 Australian experts on the use of ‘big data’ in public policy

Fall risk in people with MS: A Physiological Profile Assessment study.

INTRODUCTION: The Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA) is used in research and clinical practice for assessing fall risk. We compared PPA test performance between people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy controls, determined the fall-risk profile for people with MS and developed a reference database for people with MS. METHODS: For this study, 416 ambulant people with MS (51.5 ± 12.0 years) and 352 controls (52.8 ± 12.2 years) underwent the PPA (tests of contrast sensitivity, proprioception, quadriceps strength, reaction time and sway) with composite fall-risk scores computed from these measures. MS participants were followed prospectively for falls for 3 months. RESULTS: The MS participants performed significantly worse than controls in each PPA test. The average composite fall-risk score was also significantly elevated, indicating a "marked" fall risk when compared with controls. In total, 155 MS participants (37.3%) reported 2 + falls in the follow-up period. Frequent fallers performed significantly worse than non-frequent fallers in the contrast sensitivity, reaction time and sway tests and had higher PPA composite scores. CONCLUSIONS: In line with poor PPA test performances, falls incidence in people with MS was high. This study provides comprehensive reference data for the PPA measures for people with MS that could be used to inform future research and clinical practice

Melioidosis in Birds and Burkholderia pseudomallei Dispersal, Australia

To the Editor: Melioidosis is an emerging infectious disease of humans and animals caused by the gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, which inhabits soil and surface water in the disease-endemic regions of Southeast Asia and northern Australia (1). The aim of this study was to assess the potential for birds to spread B. pseudomallei. Birds are known carriers of various human pathogens, including influenza viruses, West Nile virus, Campylobacter jejuni, and antimicrobial drug–resistant Escherichia coli (2)

Serological evidence of a pararubulavirus and a betacoronavirus in the geographically isolated Christmas Island flying-fox (Pteropus natalis)

Due to their geographical isolation and small populations, insular bats may not be able to maintain acute immunizing viruses that rely on a large population for viral maintenance. Instead, endemic transmission may rely on viruses establishing persistent infections within hosts or inducing only short-lived neutralizing immunity. Therefore, studies on insular populations are valuable for developing broader understanding of viral maintenance in bats. The Christmas Island flying-fox (CIFF; Pteropus natalis) is endemic on Christmas Island, a remote Australian territory, and is an ideal model species to understand viral maintenance in small, geographically isolated bat populations. Serum or plasma (n = 190), oral swabs (n = 199), faeces (n = 31), urine (n = 32) and urine swabs (n = 25) were collected from 228 CIFFs. Samples were tested using multiplex serological and molecular assays, and attempts at virus isolation to determine the presence of paramyxoviruses, betacoronaviruses and Australian bat lyssavirus. Analysis of serological data provides evidence that the species is maintaining a pararubulavirus and a betacoronavirus. There was little serological evidence supporting the presence of active circulation of the other viruses assessed in the present study. No viral nucleic acid was detected and no viruses were isolated. Age-seropositivity results support the hypothesis that geographically isolated bat populations can maintain some paramyxoviruses and coronaviruses. Further studies are required to elucidate infection dynamics and characterize viruses in the CIFF. Lastly, apparent absence of some pathogens could have implications for the conservation of the CIFF if a novel disease were introduced into the population through human carriage or an invasive species. Adopting increased biosecurity protocols for ships porting on Christmas Island and for researchers and bat carers working with flying-foxes are recommended to decrease the risk of pathogen introduction and contribute to the health and conservation of the species

A prospective investigation of changes in the sensorimotor system following sports concussion. An exploratory study

Background Sports concussion is a risk for players involved in high impact, collision sports. Post-concussion, the majority of symptoms subside within 7–10 days, but can persist in 10–20% of athletes. Understanding the effects of sports concussion on sensorimotor systems could inform physiotherapy treatment. Objective To explore changes in sensorimotor function in the acute phase following sports concussion. Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Fifty-four players from elite rugby union and league teams were assessed at the start of the playing season. Players who sustained a concussion were assessed three to five days later. Measures included assessments of balance (sway velocity), vestibular system function (vestibular ocular reflex gain; right-left asymmetry), cervical proprioception (joint position error) and trunk muscle size and function. Results During the playing season, 14 post-concussion assessments were performed within 3–5 days of injury. Significantly decreased sway velocity and increased size/contraction of trunk muscles, were identified. Whilst not significant overall, large inter-individual variation of test results for cervical proprioception and the vestibular system was observed. Limitations The number of players who sustained a concussion was not large, but numbers were comparable with other studies in this field. There was missing baseline data for vestibular and cervical proprioception testing for some players. Conclusions Preliminary findings post-concussion suggest an altered balance strategy and trunk muscle control with splinting/over-holding requiring consideration as part of the development of appropriate physiotherapy management strategies

Bayesian Classification and Regression Trees for Predicting Incidence of Cryptosporidiosis

Background Classification and regression tree (CART) models are tree-based exploratory data analysis methods which have been shown to be very useful in identifying and estimating complex hierarchical relationships in ecological and medical contexts. In this paper, a Bayesian CART model is described and applied to the problem of modelling the cryptosporidiosis infection in Queensland, Australia. Methodology/Principal Findings We compared the results of a Bayesian CART model with those obtained using a Bayesian spatial conditional autoregressive (CAR) model. Overall, the analyses indicated that the nature and magnitude of the effect estimates were similar for the two methods in this study, but the CART model more easily accommodated higher order interaction effects. Conclusions/Significance A Bayesian CART model for identification and estimation of the spatial distribution of disease risk is useful in monitoring and assessment of infectious diseases prevention and control

Coastal urban and peri-urban Indigenous people’s adaptive capacity to climate change

This chapter discusses the adaptive capacity of coastal urban and peri-urban Indigenous People’s to climate change. It is based on the findings of a National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF) funded project that utilised a series of case studies that engaged key representatives from Indigenous organisations in five coastal locations in three states of south-eastern Australia (Low Choy D, Clarke P, Jones D, Serrao-Neumann S, Hales R, Koschade O et al., Aboriginal reconnections: understanding coastal urban and peri-urban Indigenous people’s vulnerability and adaptive capacity to climate change, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast, 139 pp, 2013). The study has highlighted the social, economic and environmental impacts on urban and peri-urban Indigenous communities inhabiting coastal areas throughout south-eastern Australia. These impacts include a loss of community and environmental assets, such as cultural heritage sites, with significant impacts on their quality of life and the establishment of potential favourable conditions for the spread of plant diseases, weeds and pests. The study also found that opportunities did not readily exist for engagement with climate change adaptation policy and initiatives and this was further exacerbated by acute shortages of qualified/experienced Indigenous members that could represent their communities’ interests in climate change adaptation forums. The evidence emerging from this research clearly demonstrates that Aboriginal people’s consideration of the future, even with the overlay of climate change and the requirements for serious considerations of adaptation, are significantly influenced and dominated by economic aspirations which are seen as fundamental survival strategies for their communities

Landscape Changes Influence the Occurrence of the Melioidosis Bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei in Soil in Northern Australia

Melioidosis is a severe disease affecting humans and animals in the tropics. It is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, which lives in tropical soil and especially occurs in southeast Asia and northern Australia. Despite the recognition that melioidosis is an emerging infectious disease, little is known about the habitat of B. pseudomallei in the environment. We performed a survey in the Darwin area in tropical Australia, screening 809 soil samples for the presence of these bacteria using molecular methods. We found that environmental factors describing the habitat of these bacteria differed between environmentally undisturbed and disturbed sites. At undisturbed sites, B. pseudomallei was primarily found in close proximity to streams and in grass- and roots-rich areas. In disturbed soil, B. pseudomallei was associated with the presence of animals, farming or irrigation. Highest B. pseudomallei counts were retrieved from paddocks, pens and kennels holding livestock and dogs. This study contributes to the elucidation of the habitat of B. pseudomallei in northern Australia. It also raises concerns that B. pseudomallei may spread due to changes in land management