Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2009. / "A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Economics and Finance, College of Business, University of Western Sydney." Includes bibliographies.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2009. / A thesis submitted to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Humanities and Languages, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2009. / A thesis submitted to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, Centre for Educational Research, in fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctor of Education degree. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2009. / A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographies.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2008. / A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, College of Health and Science, School of Computing and Mathematics, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy - Science. Includes bibliographies.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Hons.))-University of Western Sydney, 2007. / A thesis submitted to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Education, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Honours). Includes bibliographical references.

The Problem: Novel community-acquired, non-multiresistant strains of oxacillin- (methicillin-) resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA) have emerged in many parts of the globe. Little is known of the clinical features, the epidemiology, and the antibiotic treatment of these strains. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on patients presenting to Emergency Departments or Dermatology Clinics with staphylococcal infections. Patients were stratified into three groups, non-multiresistant ORSA (NORSA), multiresistant ORSA (MORSA) and oxacillin-susceptible S. aureus, and clinical comparisons made. Strains of NORSA and MORSA were typed using antibiograms, phage typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Antimicrobial studies were performed to compare different methods of detecting resistance to oxacillin and to non-beta-lactams. Time-kill studies were performed with one drug to explore killing kinetics. The interaction between drug combinations was examined using disk approximation and time-kill methodologies. A single point pharmacodynamic analysis was performed. Results: There was an increase in infections with NORSA, MORSA and OSSA. NORSA strains appeared to be more virulent than OSSA and MORSA strains. NORSA was strongly associated with skin and soft tissue infections and with Polynesians. Most of the NORSA strains were related to New Zealand ????Western Samoan Phage Pattern???? (WSPP) isolates, and unrelated to community-acquired, non-multiresistant MRSA strains from Western Australia. Two patients were found to have British EMRSA-15 strains. NORSA strains were unrelated to MORSA strains. Resistance to rifampicin, fusidic acid, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim emerged in the time-kill assays. Combinations of antibiotics, particularly with ciprofloxacin, often showed antagonism. Gentamicin, fusidic acid, clindamycin, teicoplanin, vancomycin, and linezolid were predicted to perform well. Ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, doxycycline, flucloxacillin and quinupristin/dalfopristin were predicted to fail. Conclusions: WSPP strains of New Zealand and EMRSA-15 strains from Britain exist in South Western Sydney. These organisms are virulent, and increasing in incidence in several areas of Australia. Antimicrobial treatment of infections with these strains is problematic and requires further study.

Thesis (M.A. (Hons.)) -- University of Western Sydney, 2003. / "A masters honours thesis submitted to the University of Western Sydney" Includes bibliography.

Thesis (M.A. (Hons.)) -- University of Western Sydney, 2003. / "A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Honours) Creative Arts" Includes bibliography.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2003. / "Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of PhD" Includes bibliography.