An introduction to Infectious disease epidemiology in Australia, disease emergence to elimination

In this thesis, I present the body of work I completed as part of my Master of Philosophy (Applied Epidemiology) at the Australian National University. I completed a placement within the Australian Government Department of Health, Office of Health Protection, Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance Section. I discuss my experiences as an MAE scholar and my participation in activities I completed as part of my field placement. I describe the establishment of the First Few X household transmission project within the Australian context, which aimed to explore the household transmission dynamics of novel coronavirus disease 2019. The experiences establishing this project in a short timeframe after the emergence of novel coronavirus disease 2019 in Australia are explored. I conducted an investigation of an acute public health problem at Alfred Health on a carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for the acquisition of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Multivariable analysis revealed several independent risk factors associated with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae imipenamase-4 acquisition including presence of a central venous catheter, indwelling urinary, and administration of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole or penicillin (without a beta-lactamase inhibitor) in the 30 days preceding specimen collection date. Radiology prior to specimen collection was protective. This study contributed to the growing body of evidence on this increasingly prevalent antibiotic-resistant organism. My data analysis project describes the clinical presentation of invasive meningococcal disease using the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System enhanced surveillance data 2017 and 2018. This is the first study to describe the clinical presentation of invasive meningococcal disease in all serogroups. I present findings from a study that describes donovanosis elimination in Australia. This study included an analysis of the epidemiology of donovanosis in Australia between 1991 and 2018 and a Delphi method questionnaire with donovanosis experts on the current status of donovanosis elimination in Australia and what might be required in order for elimination to be declared. Finally, this thesis provides learnings from two teaching activities conducted as part of the Master of Philosophy (Applied Epidemiology) program, with reflections on the teaching sessions and lessons I learned

A united statement of the global chiropractic research community against the pseudoscientific claim that chiropractic care boosts immunity.

BACKGROUND: In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) posted reports claiming that chiropractic care can impact the immune system. These claims clash with recommendations from the World Health Organization and World Federation of Chiropractic. We discuss the scientific validity of the claims made in these ICA reports. MAIN BODY: We reviewed the two reports posted by the ICA on their website on March 20 and March 28, 2020. We explored the method used to develop the claim that chiropractic adjustments impact the immune system and discuss the scientific merit of that claim. We provide a response to the ICA reports and explain why this claim lacks scientific credibility and is dangerous to the public. More than 150 researchers from 11 countries reviewed and endorsed our response. CONCLUSION: In their reports, the ICA provided no valid clinical scientific evidence that chiropractic care can impact the immune system. We call on regulatory authorities and professional leaders to take robust political and regulatory action against those claiming that chiropractic adjustments have a clinical impact on the immune system

Международный музыкальный конкурс в формировании имиджа страны проведения (на примере Евровидения 2017)

Аннотация выпускной квалификационной работы Орлов Никита Сергеевич «МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЙ МУЗЫКАЛЬНЫЙ КОНКУРС В ФОРМИРОВАНИИ ИМИДЖА СТРАНЫ ПРОВЕДЕНИЯ (НА ПРИМЕРЕ ЕВРОВИДЕНИЯ-2017)» Н. рук. - Быкова Елена Владимировна, доктор филологических наук, доцент Кафедра связей с общественностью Очная форма обучения Актуальность: международный музыкальный конкурс Евровидение как самое масштабное регулярное высокотехнологичное телевизионное и медиа-событие, которое . Е ежегодно акцентирует внимание аудитории на национально-культурных особенностях страны-организатора конкурса, формирует значительные туристические потоки и тем самым способствует формированию имиджа территории. Более того, победа страны-участницы конкурса Евровидения зачастую отражает идеолого-политический вектор Европы и по сути дела выполняет функцию политического PR страны-победителя и страны-хозяйки мероприятия. Следовательно анализ используемых на мероприятии коммуникативных технологий является актуальным и востребованным для событийного и устроительного PR Объект исследования: коммуникационные активности международного музыкального конкурса (на примере Евровидения в Киеве в 2017 г.). Предмет исследования: функция статусного PR-мероприятия в формировании имиджа страны. Цель исследования: доказать, что международный музыкальный конкурс Евровидение способствует формированию имиджа страны проведения. Задачи исследования: разработать терминологический аппарат исследования на основе научной литературы по имиджмейкингу, брендингу и ивент-менеджменту; определить актуальные коммуникационные технологии, применяемые в рамках специальных событий для формирования имиджа страны; описать роль Европейского Вещательного Союза как организатора Евровидения в формировании имиджа страны проведения конкурса; оценить эффективность реализованных коммуникативных технологий формирования имиджа страны в рамках Евровидения; дать рекомендации по формированию имиджа страны с помощью Евровидения. Теоретическая база: научные труды Е. Быковой, Д. Гавры, А. Панкрухина, Б. Дженеса, Е. Кавериной, У. Хальцбаура, Дж. Голдблатта а также труды Д. Пассмана о музыкальном бизнесе, П. Джордана о продвижении имиджа стран с помощью Евровидения и др. Эмпирическая база: PR-документы, размещенные на сайте Евровидения и Европейского Вещательного Союза; более полутора миллиона статей об Украине в европейских СМИ, размещенные в базе проекта мониторинга международного имиджа Украины «Oko»; данные базы материалов СМИ и социальных медиа Factiva; данные Google.Analytics. Практическая значимость: исследование доказывает, что международный музыкальный конкурс Евровидение формирует имидж страны проведения независимо от успешности использования конкретных технологий формирования имиджа страны. Тезисы исследования были апробированы на международном научном форуме «Медиа в современном мире. 57-е Петербургские чтения», опубликованы в сборнике материалов статей форума и имеют статус научной статьи, размещенной в базе РИНЦ. Структура работы: Работа состоит из введения, 3 глав: «функция специального события в формировании имиджа страны», «Евровидение как специальное событие Европейского Вещательного Союза» и «коммуникационный потенциал Евровидения как площадки для формирования имиджа страны», заключения, списка использованной литературы из 67 позиций и 12 приложений. Общий объем 76 страниц.Abstract of graduating qualification thesis Mikita Arlou INTERNATIONAL MUSIC CONTEST IN HOST COUNTRY IMAGE FORMATION (ON THE EXAMPLE OF EUROVISION 2017) Supervisor associate professor Elena Bykova, doctor of philology Department of PR in business full-time study Relevance: the international music contest Eurovision as the most wide scale regular high tech TV and Media event which annually emphasizes audience attention on national cultural features of the host country, forms tourist flows which have huge influence on territorial image formation. Besides the win of a participating in the Eurovision country often shows the ideological and political European vector and in fact serves as political PR of the winning or host country. Consequently the analysis of applied communication technologies is relevant and in-demand for event PR. Research object: communication activities of international music contest (on the example of Eurovision in Kyiv in 2017). Research subject: function of status PR event in country image formation. The aim of research: to prove that international music contest Eurovision contributes host country image formation. The tasks of research: to develop research terminology based on scientific literature on image making, branding and event management; to define actual communication technologies applied in special PR events on country image formation; to describe European Broadcasting Union role in host country image formation; to appreciate effectiveness of applied communication technologies on host country image formation in Eurovision; to give recommendations for host country image formation with the help of Eurovision. Theoretical base: scientific works written by E. Bykova, D. Gavra, A. Pankrukhin, B. Jenes, E. Kaverina, U. Halcbaur, J. Goldblatt and D. Passman´s works on music business and P. Jordan on county image building with the help of Eurovision, etc. The empirical base: PR documents from official Eurovision and European Broadcasting Union websites; more than 1.5 million articles on Ukraine in European media stored in the base of international Ukrainian image monitoring project Oko; content of the mass media and social media base Factiva; Google.Analytics data. Practical significance: the research proves that international music contest Eurovision is relevant for the host country image formation independently of the success level of applied country image formation communication technologies. Approbation: General positions of current thesis were aprobated on international scientific forum Media in modern world and were published at the collection of articles of the forum and have the status of a scientific article posted in the RINC database. Thesis structure: Research consists of introduction, 3 chapters: Special event function in country image formation, Eurovision as EBU special event and communication potential of Eurovision as a platform for image formation; conclusion, literature list from 67 positions and 12 attachments. The total volume is 76 pages

Use of gene profiling to describe a niche for dendritic cell development

Gene profiling provides a multitude of data on individual gene expression. The view is expressed here that unreplicated data can be used in a descriptive way to compare cell populations in terms of their lineage characteristics and function. In these studies, the aim is to provide a snapshot of gene expression or its absence as a reflection of cell lineage or type, rather than gain a reliable expression measure for all genes expressed. The data set used in this analysis represents gene expression in the splenic stroma STX3 supportive of dendritic cell hematopoiesis and the lymph node stroma 2RL22, which is non-supportive. These were obtained by hybridization of Affymetrix U74Av2 genechips. The use of P-value selection to identify genes with a high probability of differential expression has been used effectively to detect differentially expressed genes. Genes that relate to a niche environment for hematopoiesis have been selected for further study to make predictions about the cell types of supportive stroma

Splenic Endothelial Cell Lines Support Development of Dendritic Cells from Bone Marrow

Although growth factors are commonly used to generate dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro, the role of the microenvironment necessary for DC development is still poorly understood. The mixed splenic stromal cell population STX3 defines an in vitro microenvironment supportive of DC development. Dissection of cellular components of the STX3 stroma should provide information about a niche for DC development. STX3 was therefore cloned by single-cell sorting, and a panel of 102 splenic stromal cell lines was established. Four representative splenic stromal cell lines that support hematopoiesis from bone marrow are described here in terms of stromal cell type and DC production. All four stromal lines express the endothelial genes Acvrl1, Cd34, Col18a1, Eng, Flt1, Mcam, and Vcam1 but not Cd31 or Vwf. Three of the four lines form tube-like structures when cultured on Matrigel. Their endothelial maturity correlates with the ability to support myeloid DC development from bone marrow. A fourth cell line, unable to form tube-like structures in Matrigel, produced large granulocytic cells expressing CD11b and CD86 but not CD11c and CD80. Conditioned media from splenic stromal cell lines also support DC production, indicating that soluble growth factors and cytokines produced by stromal lines drive DC development. This article reports characterization of immature endothelial cell lines derived from spleen that are supportive of DC development and predicts the existence of such a cell type in vivo which regulates DC development within spleen

Heterogeneity amongst splenic stromal cell lines which support dendritic cell hematopoiesis

Long-term cultures (LTC) producing dendritic cells (DC) have been previously established from spleen. LTC support the development of nonadherent cells comprising small DC progenitors and immature DC. Similarly, the splenic stroma STX3, derived from a LT

A role for niches in the development of a multiplicity of dendritic cell subsets

Although most studies on murine dendritic cell (DC) differentiation concentrate on the nature of the DC precursor population and the lineage relationship between DC and other hematopoietic cell types, very little research addresses the nature of the microenvironments necessary for DC hematopoiesis. Evidence supporting a major contribution of niches in DC differentiation within hematopoietic tissues is reviewed. A model is presented that identifies a potential role for multiple hematopoietic niches in DC differentiation. It is proposed that multiple DC subsets develop from one or a small number of DC progenitor types that lodge in various niches within different tissue sites. Implications of a niche-mediated model for differentiation of DC precursors are discussed in the context of both physiological and pathological situations

Molecular definition of an in vitro niche for dendritic cell development

Although dendritic cell (DC) precursors have been isolated from many lymphoid sites, the regulation and location of early DC development is still poorly understood. Here we describe a splenic microenvironment that supports DC hematopoiesis in vitro and identify gene expression specific for that niche. The DC supportive function of the STX3 splenic stroma and the lymph node-derived 2RL22 stroma for overlaid bone marrow cells was assessed by coculture over 2 weeks. The DC supportive function of SXT3 was identified in terms of specific gene expression in STX3 and not 2RL22 using Affymetrix microchips. STX3 supports DC differentiation from overlaid bone marrow precursors while 2RL22 does not. A dataset of 154 genes specifically expressed in STX3 and not 2RL22 was retrieved from Affymetrix results. Functional annotation has led to selection of 26 genes as candidate regulators of the microenvironment supporting DC hematopoiesis. Specific expression of 14 of these genes in STX3 and not 2RL22 was confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Some genes specifically expressed in STX3 have been previously associated with hematopoietic stem cell niches. A high proportion of genes encode growth factors distinct from those commonly used for in vitro development of DC from precursors. Potential regulators of a DC microenvironment include genes involved in angiogenesis, hematopoiesis, and development, not previously linked to DC hematopoiesis