Publications by authors named "James Wood"

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of respiratory illness, with younger infants at greatest risk of hospitalisation. With the recent approval of a maternal RSV vaccine in Australia, it is timely to evaluate its potential costs and health benefits in Australia.

Methods: We applied an integrated dynamic and economic evaluation model to estimate specific outcomes of RSV disease and the cost-effectiveness of a year-round maternal RSV vaccination program in Australia.

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The trihydroxamic acid bacterial siderophore desferrioxamine B (DFOB, 1) produced by the DesABCD biosynthetic cluster coordinates metals beyond Fe(iii), which identifies potential to modify this chelator type to broaden metal sequestration and/or delivery applications. Rather than producing discrete chelators by total chemical synthesis from native monomers including -hydroxy--succinyl-cadaverine (HSC, 2), the recombinant siderophore synthetase from CNB-440 (DesD) was used with different substrate combinations to produce biocombinatorial mixtures of hydroxamic acid chelators. The mixtures were screened with Ga(iii) or Zr(iv) as surrogates of immunological positron emission tomography (PET) imaging radiometals Ga(iii) or Zr(iv) to inform known or new coordination chemistry.

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Article Synopsis
  • Ongoing research is essential for tracking and understanding the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants, particularly as diagnostic testing declines in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • In 2023, collaborations with pathology and genomics teams allowed for the monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 variants in New South Wales through various methods, including viral culture and analysis of immune responses from a large pool of blood donations.
  • Findings indicated that while existing antibodies generally neutralized many variants, specific mutations in emerging strains, particularly JN.1, suggested future challenges in controlling their spread due to enhanced transmissibility.
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Bats are known to host zoonotic viruses, including henipaviruses that cause high fatality rates in humans (Nipah virus and Hendra virus). However, the determinants of zoonotic spillover are generally unknown, as the ecological and demographic drivers of viral circulation in bats are difficult to ascertain without longitudinal data. Here we analyse serological data collected from African straw-coloured fruit bats () in Ghana over the course of 2 years and across four sites, comprising three wild roosts and one captive colony.

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The regioselective synthesis of functionalized naphthoquinones the formation and capture of naphthoquinonynes has been used to prepare trypanocidal compounds. The target compounds are functionalized on the aromatic ring, leaving the quinoidal ring intact. Using this technique, eighteen functionalized naphthoquinones were succesfull obtained, divided in two main groups: the first scope using -nucleophiles, and the second scope using pyridine -oxides, with yields up to 74%.

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Article Synopsis
  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) significantly affects infants, and a new maternal vaccination program in Australia is projected to cut RSV-related hospitalisations by 60% in infants under 3 months and 40% in those aged 3-5 months, assuming a 70% vaccination coverage.* -
  • A model was created to evaluate the impact of this year-round maternal RSV vaccination, taking into account RSV transmission, mother-infant interactions, and assumptions about vaccine efficacy and duration of protection.* -
  • The study suggests that if the vaccination coverage is similar to other maternal vaccines in Australia, it could halve RSV hospitalisations in infants under 6 months, with modest benefits observed for the wider population due to herd immunity effects
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  • Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a disease affecting cattle, especially common in crossbred cows in Ethiopia, but there aren't enough checks to find it.
  • In a study, scientists checked over 7,640 cattle at slaughterhouses and found that only 2.3% had signs of bTB, with crossbred cows being at higher risk.
  • Most of the sick cattle had problems in their lungs or lymph nodes, and tests confirmed that M. bovis, a type of bacteria, was responsible for the infections.
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  • In Myanmar, different types of pig farming coexist, but there's a lack of understanding about the zoonotic risks and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) linked to these practices, prompting this study focused on Salmonella.
  • The study found a significant prevalence of Salmonella across various pig farms, with backyard farms having the highest incidence, and intensive farms showing a concerning level of multi-drug resistant strains.
  • The research highlighted the presence of various Salmonella serovars, especially in semi-intensive and backyard farms, indicating a need for future monitoring and risk management to address zoonotic concerns and AMR in pig farming.
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Veterinarians play a significant role in the treatment and prevention of livestock diseases at the farm level, safeguarding public health and ensuring food safety. In sub-Saharan Africa, access to quality veterinary services is a major challenge for livestock farmers due to the low number of publicly employed veterinarians, underfunding and privatisation of veterinary services. Low investment in veterinary services and infrastructure, including a lack of laboratories for diagnosis, has made veterinarians rely on their experience and knowledge of cattle disease symptoms developed over years of practice to diagnose and treat cattle diseases.

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Land use influences surface water quality, often alleviating stoichiometric constraints on primary production and altering biogeochemical cycling. However, land use effects on nutrient content and potential trace metal accumulation in aquatic plants remain unclear, and high concentrations of metals and altered nutrient ratios could impact the health of herbivores and detritivores. We tested for land use effects on nutrient and trace metal accumulation in a widespread riverine macrophyte, Podostemum ceratophyllum, collected from 91 locations from Georgia to Maine, USA in 2014-2016.

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Unlabelled: Sequencing of plasma microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) has gained increased acceptance as a valuable adjunct to standard-of-care testing for diagnosis of infections throughout the body. Here, we report the analytical and clinical validation of a novel application of mcfDNA sequencing, the non-invasive detection of seven common antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genetic markers in 18 important pathogens. The AMR markers include SCC, , , , and .

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Central nervous system histoplasmosis is a serious complication of a common endemic mycosis, but it is rare in immunocompetent hosts. SARS-CoV-2 has introduced significant challenges into the healthcare setting with overlapping clinical presentations that may delay the diagnosis of alternative conditions. Additionally, it may lead to immune dysregulation and increase the risk for secondary infections, including invasive fungal diseases.

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A covalent adduct of DFOB and DOTA separated by a l-lysine residue (DFOB-l-Lys- -DOTA) exhibited remarkable regioselective metal binding, with {H}-C NMR spectral shifts supporting Zr(iv) coordinating to the DFOB unit, and Lu(iii) coordinating to the DOTA unit. This first-in-class, dual-chelator theranostic design could enable the use of imaging-therapy radiometal pairs of different elements, such as Zr for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and Lu for low-energy β-particle radiation therapy. DFOB-l-Lys- -DOTA was elaborated with an amine-terminated polyethylene glycol extender unit (PEG4) to give DFOB- -(PEG4)-l-Lys- -DOTA (compound D2) to enable installation of a phenyl-isothiocyanate group (Ph-NCS) for subsequent monoclonal antibody (mAb) conjugation (mAb = HuJ591).

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Universities and colleges are often regarded as playing a key role in educating veterinarians and animal health workers who advise farmers on herd health and animal husbandry. However, to date, studies examining veterinary students' knowledge of zoonotic diseases of public health importance and the source of this knowledge, as well as their preparedness to respond to these diseases, have focused on the Global North rather than the Global South. This study takes Ethiopia as a case study in exploring veterinary medicine students' knowledge of zoonosis risks, infection control practices and biosecurity measures, recognizing that it is imperative to reconcile national-level veterinary education curricula with emerging global trends, such as One Health-focused training.

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Disease surveillance data was critical in supporting public health decisions throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. At the same time, the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic revealed many shortcomings of surveillance systems for viral respiratory pathogens. Strengthening of surveillance systems was identified as a priority for the recently established Australian Centre for Disease Control, which represents a critical opportunity to review pre-pandemic and pandemic surveillance practices, and to decide on future priorities, during both pandemic and inter-pandemic periods.

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Background: Data on the 1-year postoperative revision, complication, and economic outcomes in a hospital setting after total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) are sparse.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study using the Premier Healthcare Database, a hospital-billing data source, evaluated 1-year postoperative revision, complication, and economic outcomes of reverse (RTSA) and anatomic (ATSA) TSA for patients who underwent the procedure from 2015 until 2021. All-cause revisits, including revision-related events (categorized as either irrigation and débridement or revision procedures and device removals) and shoulder/nonshoulder complications were collected.

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Data are limited on the clinical impact of nasal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) polymerase chain reaction testing for orbital cellulitis. This 2-center, retrospective study demonstrated a negative predictive value of 98.0% and an overall lower use of anti-MRSA antibiotics, without a concomitant increase in hospital readmission.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the genetic relationships between bats, their ectoparasitic flies, and associated bacteria in the Gulf of Guinea, highlighting limited genetic structure in the flies compared to their bat hosts.
  • Significant isolation by distance was found, indicating that while bats have restricted movement between islands, they may occasionally disperse ectoparasites and microbes.
  • The findings enhance our understanding of African fruit bat phylogeography and could provide insights into pathogen transmission and community ecology in host-microbe interactions.
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Farming externalities are believed to co-vary negatively, yet trade-offs have rarely been quantified systematically. Here we present data from UK and Brazilian pig production systems representative of most commercial systems across the world ranging from 'intensive' indoor systems through to extensive free range, Organic and woodland systems to explore co-variation among four major externality costs. We found that no specific farming type was consistently associated with good performance across all domains.

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An effective prophylactic vaccine for prevention of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection would have a major impact on sexual and reproductive health worldwide. Interest in developing gonorrhoea vaccines is growing due to the reported high rates of N. gonorrhoeae infections globally, and the threat of antimicrobial resistance.

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Background: Australian states and territories used test-trace-isolate-quarantine (TTIQ) systems extensively in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. We report on an analysis of Australian case data to estimate the impact of test-trace-isolate-quarantine systems on SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Methods: Our analysis uses a novel mathematical modelling framework and detailed surveillance data on COVID-19 cases including dates of infection and dates of isolation.

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Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a routinely used vaccine for protecting children against that comprises attenuated . BCG can also be used to protect livestock against ; however, its effectiveness has not been quantified for this use. We performed a natural transmission experiment to directly estimate the rate of transmission to and from vaccinated and unvaccinated calves over a 1-year exposure period.

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The first systematic exploration of the synthesis and reactivity of naphthoquinonynes is described. Routes to two regioisomeric Kobayashi-type naphthoquinonyne precursors have been developed, and the reactivity of the ensuing 6,7- and 5,6-aryne intermediates has been investigated. Remarkably, these studies have revealed that a broad range of cycloadditions, nucleophile additions and difunctionalizations can be achieved while maintaining the integrity of the highly sensitive quinone unit.

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Background: Data on SARS-CoV-2 vaccine effectiveness to reduce transmission of infection in household settings are limited. We examined the effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines on Delta variant transmission within households in an infection-naïve population.

Methods: This was a population-based data linkage cohort study in the Greater Sydney Metropolitan Area, New South Wales, Australia based on cases observed in June-November 2021.

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Background: Nearly half of all pediatric musculoskeletal infections (MSKIs) are culture negative. Plasma microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) sequencing is noninvasive and not prone to the barriers of culture. We evaluated the performance of plasma mcfDNA sequencing in identifying a pathogen, and examined the duration of pathogen detection in children with MSKIs.

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