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Background Compared to national averages, the Gold Coast, Australia, has a proportionately higher number of children entering their first year of primary school with 'at risk' or 'vulnerable' language skills. This paper investigates the distribution of paediatric speech-language pathology (SLP) services on the Gold Coast, relative to children's language and cognitive skills, and socioeconomic status (SES). Methods SLP service locations were identified through national association data and a manual search and mapped against SES and Australian Early Development Census data, for language and cognitive skills. Results Data for 7595 children was included, with 943 (12.4%) at risk and 780 (12.6%) vulnerable for language and cognitive skills. A total of 75 SLPs were identified (85.3% private, 14.6% public), which is 1 SLP to every 23 children who might have current or impending speech, language and communication needs. Fewer services were available in areas where vulnerable children were located and most were private providers, leading to further potential barriers to service access. Conclusions The number of SLP services located on the Gold Coast is inadequate to meet the needs of children with language and cognitive skill vulnerabilities. Consideration of how services might be distributed is explored and warrants further consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the absence of quantitative relationships, a cross-gradient function can be used to correlate unknown physical properties in a joint inversion of geophysical data sets. It introduces a structural correlation between properties. A commonly used, inexact approach adds a weighted cross-gradient term as a penalty to the cost function being minimized during inversion. This weighting factor needs to be tuned to balance the regularization and cross-gradient terms. In this paper we propose nonlinear weighting for the cross-gradient function which addresses the very different magnitudes of the cross-gradient and regularization terms. This approach also couples the weighting factors for the regularization and correlation terms reducing the number of tuning parameters. The approach is investigated for a synthetic case. Results are also shown for the 3-D joint inversion of high-resolution magnetic and gravity anomaly data from Southern Queensland in Australia with over 30 million cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mungbean is an important source of plant protein for consumers and a high-value export crop for growers across Asia, Australia and Africa. However, many commercial cultivars are highly vulnerable to biotic stresses, which rapidly reduce yield within the season. Fusarium oxysporum is a soil-borne pathogen that is a growing concern for mungbean growers globally. This pathogen causes Fusarium wilt by infecting the root system of the plant resulting in devastating yield reductions. To understand the impact of Fusarium on mungbean development and productivity and to identify tolerant genotypes, a panel of 23 diverse accessions was studied. Field trials conducted in 2016 and 2021 in Warwick, Queensland, Australia under rainfed conditions investigated the variation in phenology, canopy and yield component traits under disease and disease-free conditions. Analyses revealed a high degree of genetic variation for all traits. By comparing the performance of these traits across these two environments, we identified key traits that underpin yield under disease and disease-free conditions. Aboveground biomass components at 50 % flowering were identified as significant drivers of yield development under disease-free conditions and when impacted by Fusarium resulted in up to 96 % yield reduction. Additionally, eight genotypes were identified to be tolerant to Fusarium. These genotypes were found to display differing phenological and morphological behaviours, thereby demonstrating the potential to breed tolerant lines with a range of diverse trait variations. The identification of tolerant genotypes that sustain yield under disease pressure may be exploited in crop improvement programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant new university initiatives are usually analysed from the perspectives of government policy, university strategy or the entrepreneurship of particular individuals, but rarely from the view of their interdependencies. This paper reports on the creation of four Smart State Institutes at the University of Queensland in Australia and the concatenation of circumstances, decisions and actions that led to their formation. In the course of just over a decade, these Institutes, addressing biotechnology, nanotechnology, neuroscience and the molecular and cellular basis of disease, have developed into a cluster of scientific research of global significance, raising over $1 billion in investment and employing 1300 staff.A case study approach was employed in the analysis, involving 59 semi-structured interviews with key individuals involved at the organisational, regional and national levels. A range of archival data were collected and analysed to help construct a rigorous chronology of the key events, reports and actions that led to the development of the Institutes.Our research identifies the importance of the policy context, at both the Federal and State levels, conducive to the investment in the new Institutes. It shows how the University’s leadership and strategy took advantage of policy conditions, with a number of individual academic entrepreneurs providing the actions necessary to shape and guide the creation of the Institutes. Private philanthropy played a crucial role as animateur amongst the contributors. We argue the importance of the mutually reinforcing and concurrent contribution of all these actors and draw lessons for future government and university policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Men who were sexually abused in childhood are overrepresented in mental health and other clinical populations. There is heterogeneity in outcomes for such men and a substantial number develop coping strategies that minimise negative consequences of abuse. However, little research has been undertaken with abused men to understand the nature of their coping. This paper reports on one arm of a major study of mental health outcomes for Australian men who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse and presents findings from thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with thirty-nine men, exploring how their coping mechanisms have developed and the nature of the advice for coping they would give to professionals or other survivors. The study found that coping strategies developed adaptively through the life course but clustered into two types: those that are concerned with forms of suppression and denial, which are associated with negative mental health outcomes, and those that involve reframing the abuse, which tend to be associated with more positive outcomes. Implications of the study for practice are consistent with the advice suggested by the men themselves, that they were helped by consistent relationships with others who could provide practical support and inspire hope. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An important problem in the management of water supplies is identifying the sources of sediment. The paper develops a Bayesian approach, utilizing an end member model, to estimate the proportion of various sources of sediments in samples taken from a dam. This approach not only allows for the incorporation of prior knowledge about the geochemical compositions of the sources (or end members) but also allows for correlation between spatially contiguous samples and the prediction of the sediment's composition at unsampled locations. Sediments that were sampled from the North Pine Dam in south-east Queensland, Australia, are analysed to illustrate the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited research has focused on understanding if and how evidence of health information technology (HIT) effectiveness drives the selection and implementation of technologies in practice. This study aimed to explore the views of senior hospital staff on the role evidence plays in the selection and implementation of HIT, with a particular focus on clinical decision support (CDS) alerts in electronic medication management systems. A qualitative descriptive design was used. Twenty senior hospital staff from six Australian hospitals in New South Wales and Queensland took part in a semistructured interview. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, and a general inductive content analysis approach was used to identify themes. Participants acknowledged the importance of an evidence base, but reported that selection of CDS alerts, and HIT more broadly, was rarely underpinned by evidence that technologies improve patient care. Instead, investments in technologies were guided by the expectation that benefits will be achieved, bolstered by vendor assurances, and a perception that implementation of HIT is unavoidable. Postponing implementation of a technology until an evidence base is available was not always feasible. Although some technologies were seen as not requiring an evidence base, stakeholders viewed evidence as extremely valuable for informing decisions about selection of CDS alerts. In the absence of evidence, evaluation or monitoring of technologies postimplementation is critical, particularly to identify new errors or risks associated with HIT implementation and use. Increased transparency from vendors, with technology evaluation outcomes made directly available to healthcare organizations, may result in less reliance on logic, intuition, and vendor assertions and more evidence-based selection of HIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) poses a major public health problem world wide. The introduction of combined therapy (interferon and ribavirin) and the recent development of pegylated interferon have offered the opportunity to alter the natural history of HCV, potentially reducing morbidity and mortality. Until recently, treatment has been confined to larger Australian cities. This paper describes the establishment of a clinic for the treatment of HCV in a regional Australian city. The facilities of the sexual health clinic were utilised. Factors contributing to the success of the clinic include the specialist nurse, a multidisciplinary approach, and the service model of shared care with general practitioners. The patient population and the outcomes of managing HCV in a regional centre are described. The sustained viral response rate is comparable to the published data from specialist centres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background cognitively impaired hospital patients often experience agitation and aggression due to pain. Agitation complicates care, increasing the risk of adverse outcomes and patient-to-nurse violence. Managing agitation is challenging for nurses. Literature suggests they may rely on antipsychotics while missing other more appropriately targeted treatments. However, nurses' management of agitation remains unclear and under-researched. Objective the aim of this study was to investigate hospital nurses' management of agitation in older cognitively impaired patients with pain. Design this was a descriptive correlational study using virtual simulation. Setting and participants a total of 274 registered medical and surgical nurses from 10 public hospitals in Queensland, Australia participated in the study. Methods nurses undertook a virtual simulation requiring them to manage agitation in a patient with dementia and an injury. Nurses also completed a post-simulation questionnaire. Their simulation performances were correlated with demographics such as seniority, workplace, training, experience and gerontology-specific knowledge. Constructed from an original, validated vignette, the simulation included branching pathways, video scenarios and an avatar that could converse with participants. Results thirteen nurses (4.7%) recognised and treated the virtual patient's agitation as pain-related. Most nurses (89%) gave antipsychotics of which 207 (78%) gave these first-line and 102 (38%) used them twice. Independent of other variables, nurses most likely to diagnose pain were dementia-unit nurses (OR = 8.7), surgical-unit nurses (OR = 7.3) and senior nurses (OR = 5). Conclusions hospital nurses predominately managed agitation with antipsychotics, a decision that most made after undertaking inadequate patient assessments. This confirmed a common gap in practice that may lead to the missing of pain in the clinical care of agitated patients with dementia and/or delirium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional planners, policy makers and policing agencies all recognize the importance of better understanding the dynamics of crime. Theoretical and application-oriented approaches which provide insights into why and where crimes take place are much sought after. Geographic information systems and spatial analysis techniques, in particular, are proving to be essential for studying criminal activity. However, the capabilities of these quantitative methods continue to evolve. This paper explores the use of geographic information systems and spatial analysis approaches for examining crime occurrence in Brisbane, Australia. The analysis highlights novel capabilities for the analysis of crime in urban regions.[/p] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores the issue of police violence against civilians in Queensland. Predictors of police brutality; Determinants of the quality of police and community relations; Significance of police violence in the study of policing.

Bayesian inversion of magnetotelluric (MT) data is a powerful but computationally expensive approach to estimate the subsurface electrical conductivity distribution and associated uncertainty. Approximating the Earth subsurface with 1-D physics considerably speeds-up calculation of the forward problem, making the Bayesian approach tractable, but can lead to biased results when the assumption is violated. We propose a methodology to quantitatively compensate for the bias caused by the 1-D Earth assumption within a 1-D trans-dimensional Markov chain Monte Carlo sampler. Our approach determines site-specific likelihood functions which are calculated using a dimensionality discrepancy error model derived by a machine learning algorithm trained on a set of synthetic 3-D conductivity training images. This is achieved by exploiting known geometrical dimensional properties of the MT phase tensor. A complex synthetic model which mimics a sedimentary basin environment is used to illustrate the ability of our workflow to reliably estimate uncertainty in the inversion results, even in presence of strong 2-D and 3-D effects. Using this dimensionality discrepancy error model we demonstrate that on this synthetic data set the use of our workflow performs better in 80 per cent of the cases compared to the existing practice of using constant errors. Finally, our workflow is benchmarked against real data acquired in Queensland, Australia, and shows its ability to detect the depth to basement accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the movement of marine predators is vital for effective conservation and management. Despite being targeted by shark control programs, the tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier , is poorly studied off eastern Australia. To investigate the horizontal movement and habitat use in this region, 16 sharks (157–384 cm total length) were tagged with MiniPAT pop-up satellite archival tags in 2018 and 2019. Eleven of these individuals were also fitted with satellite-linked radio transmitting tags. After release, most sharks moved off the continental shelf and headed north, associating with seamounts as they moved towards Queensland. During their time at liberty they transited through temperate, sub-tropical and tropical waters and spent the majority of time in the upper 50 m of the water column and at temperatures between 22 and 25˚C. Horizontal movement was focused in waters off the continental shelf. Increased movement over shelf waters occurred during the austral spring and summer when the East Australian Current is at its strongest and warm waters encroach the continental shelf. Broad latitudinal movement along the east coast of Australia was evident and highlights the connectivity between tropical and warm-temperate regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background As doctors who provide care across the life-course, general practitioners (GPs) play a key role in initiating timely end-of-life discussions. Nonetheless, these discussions are often not initiated until close to death. Given the ageing of the population, GPs will be confronted with end-of-life care more often, and this needs to become a core skill for all GPs. Objective To describe GPs' approach to initiating end-of-life discussions. Methods Fifteen GPs or GP trainees from South-East Queensland, Australia, were purposively recruited to participate in a semi-structured interview. We analysed transcripts using a thematic analysis. Results GPs' approach to initiating end-of-life discussions was summarized by four themes: (1) Preparing the ground; (2) finding an entry point; (3) tailoring communication and (4) involving the family. Conclusions Emphasis on the doctor–patient relationship; assessing patient readiness for end-of-life discussions; and sensitive information delivery is consistent with factors previously reported to be important to both GPs and patients in this context. Our findings provide a framework for GPs initiating end-of-life discussions, which must be tailored to patient and GP personality factors. Further research is required to evaluate its outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article estimated the weight of annual discards in the Queensland east coast otter trawl fishery. Discards data were analysed using three generalized linear mixed models to derive adjusted discard rates, expressed as kg per retained catch, kg per boat day, and kg per area swept by trawls, respectively. Model explanatory terms included trawl fishing sector, presence/absence of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs), lunar phase, and whether the data were obtained from commercial vessels during their normal fishing activities or during research charters. Adjusted discard rates were then used to derive three estimates of annual discards and the average used to examine a long-term discard trends from 1988 to 2014. Total discards declined significantly from a peak of approximately 67 000 t in 1997 to approximately 21 000 t from 2011 to 2014, largely due to a decline in fishing effort, and to a lesser degree, the effects of BRDs that were mandated in the fishery in the early 2000s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background falls, seizures, syncope and transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) are common presentations to emergency departments sharing overlapping clinical features and diagnostic uncertainties. These transient attacks can be markers of serious adverse outcomes and are associated with high admission rates. We evaluated the effects of an integrated suite of pathways for transient attacks designed to improve adherence to best practices and reduce costs through fewer admissions. Methods a suite of clinician-designed pathways based on initial presenting diagnosis was developed to support ambulant care in a large hospital in Queensland, Australia. We performed a set of regression analyses to identify the differences in total cost and length of stay (LOS) before and after implementation. We conducted a Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the cost savings of the freed capacity in the patient cohort. Results pathway implementation was associated with reduced admitted LOS and costs. Falls patients admitted LOS declined by 32.5%, and admission costs by 19.5%. Syncope, seizure, and TIA patients admitted LOS declined by 22% with no change in admitted costs. Despite a small increase in 90-day representations, total emergency department LOS was unchanged. Emergency department costs were similar between falls and non-falls patients. The Monte Carlo analysis showed that the most likely outcome was a cost savings in freed capacity of $71 per patient episode. Conclusion the ATAP suite of pathways was associated with reduction in LOS, release of capacity and reduction in costs. Further study is needed to evaluate mechanisms and clinical outcomes in this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seascape context of coastal ecosystems plays a pivotal role in shaping patterns in fish recruitment, abundance, and diversity. It might also be a principal determinant in structuring the recruitment of fish assemblages to restored habitats, but the trajectories of these relationships require further testing. In this study, we surveyed fish assemblages from 14 restored oyster reefs and 14 control sites in the Noosa River, Queensland, Australia, that differed in the presence or absence of seagrass within 500 m, over four periods using baited cameras. Fish assemblages at oyster reefs differed from those at control sites, with higher species richness (1.4 times) and more individuals of taxa that are harvested by fishers (1.8 times). The presence or absence of seagrass nearby affected the abundance of a key harvestable fish species (yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus australis) on oyster reefs, but not the overall composition of fish assemblages, species richness, or the total abundance of harvestable fishes overall. These findings highlight the importance of considering species-specific patterns in seascape utilization when selecting restoration sites and setting restoration goals, and suggest that the effects of restoration on fish assemblages might be optimized by focusing efforts in prime positions in coastal seascapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown an association between children's development of psychosocial and motor skills. This study evaluated the development of these skills in 301 three-year-old deaf and hard of hearing children (M: 37.8 months) and considered a range of possible predictors including gender, birth weight, age at first fitting with hearing devices, hearing device used, presence of additional disabilities, severity of hearing loss, maternal education, socio-economic status (SES), language ability, and communication mode. Caregivers reported on children's development using the Child Development Inventory (CDI). On average, both psychosocial and motor development quotients were within the typical range for hearing children, with large individual differences. There was a positive correlation between language ability and both social and motor development, and also between social and motor development. Age at first fitting of hearing aids (as an indicator of age at identification of hearing loss), SES, degree of hearing loss, and maternal education were not significant predictors of social skill or motor development, whereas presence of additional disabilities and birth weight were. Girls performed better than boys on all but the Gross Motor subscale of the CDI. Children with hearing aids tended to perform better than those with cochlear implants on the Gross Motor subscale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to validate a modified version of the Paddington Alcohol Test for use in the Australian emergency department (ED) setting. Methods: A cross sectional survey was used to screen patients attending an Australian tertiary hospital ED. Datawere collected over a three-month period at randomly allocated time periods and days. Consenting participants were screened using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and a modified-for-Australia version of the Paddington Alcohol Test (AusPAT). The association between the two tools was investigated, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of AusPAT at various AUDIT cut-off scores and by gender and age group. Results: The sample comprised 637 ED attendees. Their mean age was 49.9 (SD 20.0) years with a mean AUDIT score of 5.21 (SD 6.58). Most (73.2%) consumed alcohol, and a quarter was AusPATpositive (n = 153, 24.0%). AusPAT demonstrated a moderate fit with AUDIT at a cut-off score of 8 (Kappa = 0.63, P < 0.001). At this cut-off 23.4% (n = 149) were identified by AUDIT as problematic drinkers. AusPAT sensitivity was 72.5% (95% CI 65.3–79.7) with a specificity of 90.8% (95% CI 88.3–93.4). Conclusion: Our results indicate that AusPAT was moderately well associated with AUDIT. When used universally in the ED setting, its sensitivity and specificity were moderate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence for effectiveness of school-based studies for prevention of adolescent obesity is equivocal. Tailoring interventions to specific settings is considered necessary for effectiveness and sustain-ability. The PRECEDE framework provides a formative research approach for comprehensive understanding of school environments and identification of key issues/areas to focus resources and energies. No reported studies have tested applicability of the PRECEDE framework in schools in relation to obesity. Adolescents (n = 362), parents (n = 349) and teachers (n = 146) from six secondary schools participated in two quantitative studies and two qualitative studies. Data collected from these studies permitted confirmation of adolescent overweight/obesity a health issue for schools; the need for secondary schools to focus health promotion efforts on healthy nutrition, with inclusion of parents/homes and appreciation for gender differences in developing interventions. Community buy-in and commitment to school-based obesity prevention programs may be dependent on initially addressing what may be perceived as minor issues, and developing policies to guide practices within schools in relation to supply and access to healthy foods, use of sporting equipment and participation in physical activities. The PRECEDE framework allows systematic assessment of school environments and provided opportunity to identify realistic and relevant interventions for promoting healthy adolescent physical activity and nutrition behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Extended drought conditions in south-east Queensland during the early 2000s have resulted in a culture of water harvesting and legislated water restrictions. Aedes notoscriptus is a container-breeding mosquito vector of Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses. Methods From 2008–2009, the larval habitats and seasonal abundance of domestic container-breeding mosquitoes were recorded from three suburbs of Brisbane. A knowledge, attitudes and practice questionnaire was administered to householders. A low-cost, desktop methodology was used to predict the proportion of shaded premises compared with front-of-property estimates. Results We highlight changes in the frequency of container categories for A. notoscriptus as a response to human behavioural changes to drought. Garden accoutrements, discarded household items and water storage containers accounted for 66.2% (525/793) of positive containers and 77.5% (73 441/94 731) of all immature mosquitoes. Of all household premises surveyed, 52.6% (550/1046) contained rainwater tanks and 29.4% (308/1046) harvested water in other containers, contrasting with a previous 1995 survey where neither category was observed. Both Premise Condition Index and shade directly correlated with positive premises. Conclusions Human response to drought has resulted in new habitats for domestic container-breeding mosquitoes. This recent trend of prolific water storage is similar to earlier years (1904–1943) in Brisbane when Aedes aegypti was present and dengue epidemics occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Observational studies suggest that people with a high serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration may have reduced risk of chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. The AusD Study (A Quantitative Assessment of Solar UV Exposure for Vitamin D Synthesis in Australian Adults) was conducted to clarify the relationships between ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure, dietary intake of vitamin D, and serum 25(OH)D concentration among Australian adults residing in Townsville (19.3°S), Brisbane (27.5°S), Canberra (35.3°S), and Hobart (42.8°S). Participants aged 18–75 years were recruited from the Australian Electoral Roll between 2009 and 2010. Measurements were made of height, weight, waist:hip ratio, skin, hair, and eye color, blood pressure, and grip strength. Participants completed a questionnaire on sun exposure and vitamin D intake, together with 10 days of personal UV dosimetry and an associated sun-exposure and physical-activity diary that was temporally linked to a blood test for measurement of 25(OH)D concentration. Ambient solar UV radiation was also monitored at all study sites. We collected comprehensive, high-quality data from 1,002 participants (459 males, 543 females) assessed simultaneously across a range of latitudes and through all seasons. Here we describe the scientific and methodological issues considered in designing the AusD Study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Almost 10% of all births are preterm, and 2.2% are stillbirths. Recent research has suggested that environmental factors may be a contributory cause of these adverse birth outcomes. The authors examined the relation between ambient temperature and preterm birth and stillbirth in Brisbane, Australia, between 2005 and 2009 (n = 101,870). They used a Cox proportional hazards model with livebirth and stillbirth as competing risks. They also examined whether there were periods in pregnancy where exposure to high temperatures had a greater effect. Higher ambient temperatures in the last 4 weeks of the pregnancy increased the risk of stillbirth. The hazard ratio for stillbirth was 0.3 at 12°C relative to the reference temperature of 21°C. The temperature effect was greatest at less than 36 weeks of gestation. There was an association between higher temperature and shorter gestation, as the hazard ratio for livebirth was 0.96 at 15°C and 1.02 at 25°C. This effect was greatest at later gestational ages. These results provide strong evidence of an association between increased temperature and increased risk of stillbirth and shorter gestation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Petaurus gracilis (De Vis, 1883) is a gliding possum commonly known as the mahogany glider. This species is endemic to open sclerophyll woodland between Tully and Ingham in North Queensland, Australia. Within its distribution P. gracilis occurs in forests dominated by trees of the genera Eucalyptus, Corymbia, Melaleuca, and Acacia. This species is recognized as an endangered species because of habitat loss, high degree of fragmentation of the remaining habitat, its naturally limited distribution, lack of habitat protected within national parks, and the degradation of its habitat from the transition to rain forest and thickening of sclerophyllous vegetation in much of its habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of cultural competence has been afforded significant importance in the caring professions while also being the subject of considerable debate. It is a prominent discourse in both the health and social work literature as well as being enshrined in organisational policy and human resources training. However, it is a somewhat murky concept in that culture can evoke a multitude of meanings while understandings of competence are context-dependent. Moreover, it is unclear what sense practitioners actually make of such an abstract concept in practice. This article describes an exploratory study conducted with a group of social workers that canvassed their understandings of cultural competence. These practitioners endorsed the idea of cultural competence while also critically engaging with its limitations and ambiguities. In addition, they highlighted organisational and system constraints that thwart their ability to practise in a culturally responsive manner. Although the literature commonly laments the ‘cultural incompetence’ of social workers, the findings from this study suggest that such an individualised focus detracts attention from the broader system and organisational responses needed to respond appropriately to the needs of clients from diverse backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article addresses the Cochrane Public Health Group's (CPHG) recognition of the need to build capacity in public health. The measures taken by CPHG include joining the development and delivery of the university curriculum and conducting short courses and contributing to workforce development within main organizations. The author discusses the advantages of a multi-strategic approach to increasing the critical thinking capacity of the public health workforce.

Few studies have explored early predictors of problem drinking in youth, and fewer still have simultaneously considered the role of biologic, familial, and intrapersonal factors. The present study explored early life course and later life course predictors of alcohol abuse and dependence in young adulthood. Data were taken from a cohort of 2,551 mothers and their children recruited as part of the longitudinal Mater University Study of Pregnancy and its outcomes (MUSP) carried out in Brisbane, Australia, from 1981 to 1984. Data were collected prenatally and then postnatally at 6 months and at 5, 14, and 21 years. A range of biologic, familial, and intrapersonal factors was considered. A series of logistic regression models with inverse probability weighting was used to explore pathways to problem drinking from adolescence to early adulthood. For males and females, no association was found between either birth factors or childhood factors and a lifetime diagnosis of alcohol disorders at age 21 years. Externalizing symptoms and maternal factors at age 14 years were significantly associated with alcohol problems. For youth aged 14 years, maternal moderate alcohol consumption accounted for the highest percentage of attributable risk among those exposed. Results show that exposure to maternal drinking in adolescence is a strong risk factor for the development of alcohol problems in early adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to the sun by infants has been demonstrated to increase the risk of the development of melanoma and other skin cancers later in life. A cohort of 508 women who delivered healthy Caucasian babies were followed up at 1 year to determine their knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding sun protection towards themselves and their child. In addition, the 1-year-old infants were assessed by a trained nurse for the number of nevi they had on their skin. Results indicate caregivers reported a high level of sun-protection practices towards their child, with 93% of the caregivers reporting usually or always placing the child in the shade when going outside. Further, 81% of the caregivers reported usually or always placing a hat on the child, while 64% reported usually or always applying sunscreen to the child's exposed skin. Interestingly, only 61% of the caregivers reported that they stayed in the shade to reduce sun exposure and only 42% wore a hat when out in the sun. Mother's own personal sun-protection methods predicted the method of sun protection that she would most likely use for the child. While children appear to be reasonably protected from the sun, they are influenced by their mother's own behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision in statolith derived age estimates among readers experienced in statolith age analysis was determined for both juvenile and adult individuals of the tropical loliginid squid Photololigo off Queensland, Australia. Juvenile age estimates were compared between two readers, while adult age estimates were compared among three readers. There was no reader effect in the age estimates of juveniles, but there was a trend of increasing age estimates with consecutive replicate counts for each reader. In the case of adult squid there was a statistically significant difference in age readings among readers, with the average greatest difference of 9.7 increments. However, this difference represented 5.6% of the lifespan of the oldest individual and 6.9% of the youngest aged adult. These differences were well within the 10% requirement of replicate counts in previous studies. Furthermore the growth curves generated on age estimates from each reader did not differ significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Mutations in the CDKN2A gene confer susceptibility to cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM); however, the population incidence of such mutations is unknown. Polymorphisms in CDKN2A have also been described, but it is not known whether they influence melanoma risk. We investigated the association of CDKN2A mutations and polymorphisms with melanoma risk in a population-based sample of families ascertained through probands with melanoma.Methods: The 482 Queensland, Australia, families in our sample were characterized previously as having high, intermediate, or low family risk of CMM. Unrelated individuals (n = 200 families/individuals) drawn from the Australian Twin Registry served as control subjects. For individuals in the high-risk group, the entire CDKN2A gene coding region was screened for mutations by use of the polymerase chain reaction, agarose gel electrophoresis, allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) hybridization, and single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. The intermediate- and low-risk families and control subjects were analyzed by ASO hybridization for a total of six recurring mutations as well as for polymorphisms at nucleotides (Nts) 442, 500, and 540.Results: CDKN2A mutations were found only in the high-risk families (nine [10.3%] of 87). The prevalence of the Nt500G (guanosine) polymorphism increased linearly with increasing familial risk (two-sided P = .02) and was highest in the nine (primarily Celtic) families with CDKN2A mutations. After adjustment for ethnic origin, the relationship between risk group and the frequency of the Nt500G allele was weakened (P = .25); however, there was no relationship between ethnic origin and Nt500-polymorphism frequency among the control subjects.Conclusions: CDKN2A mutations are rare in this population (approximately 0.2% of all melanoma cases in Queensland) and appear to be associated with melanoma in only the most affected families. The Nt500G allele appears to be associated with familial risk, but this association probably reflects Celtic ancestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because it is not possible to monitor skin cancer accurately using routine methods, special surveys have been undertaken in Nambour, a typical subtropical community in Queensland, Australia. Estimates of incidence reported here are based on skin cancers medically treated between 1985 and 1992 and new cases diagnosed by dermatologists in two examination clinics in 1986 and 1992. Among men and women aged 18–69 years in 1986, age-adjusted incidence rates of basal cell carcinoma were 2,074 and 1,579 per 100,000 per year, respectively—the highest incidence rates of a specific cancer ever reported. Squamous cell carcinoma occurred at half the rate of basal cell carcinoma among men and at about one third the rate among women. Although as expected, fair skin, a history of repeated sunburns, and nonmalignant solar skin damage diagnosed by dermatologists were strongly associated with both types of skin cancer, outdoor occupation was not. Significant self-selection was observed among outdoor workers, whereby people with fair or medium complexions and a tendency to sunburn were systematically underrepresented among those in long-term outdoor occupations although they accounted for more than 80 percent of the community study sample. The mitigating effect of this selection bias may partly explain the paradox of the lack of quantitative evidence of a causal link between sun exposure and skin cancer in humans. Am J Epidemiol 1996;144:1034–40. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes and accounts for literature resulting from 62,000 contracts of indenture involved in the labor trade in Melanesians to Queensland in 1863-1906. Revisionist interpretations of the late 1960s and early 1970s; Emphasis on the Melanesian agency; Comparison with American slavery historiography.

Objectives: To compare two methods of data collection of patient-practitioner encounter data in general practice: from medical records consultation notes and from data recorded on encounter forms.Method: Data were collected from two sources: (i) Medical Records Study: a study of the efficacy of an intervention designed to improve the quality of medical records provided details of 3107 patient encounters with 163 general practitioners (GPs) which had been photocopied from medical records; and (ii) Australian Morbidity and Treatment Survey (AMTS): from a national sample of 495 GPs and over 100,000 patient encounters, data from 47 GPs in the same geographical area as those in the Medical Records Study provided encounter forms for 10,392 patient encounters including details about patient demographics, reason for encounter, management, treatment, tests and investigations, admissions, referrals and planned follow-up. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) was used to code reasons for encounter and problems managed. Drugs were classified according to an in-house classification by generic name and broad drug group.Results: Patient details and all items of clinical information were recorded less frequently or were more often illegible in medical records than on encounter forms. There was a higher rate of management of problems classified as general or non-specific in the medical records. A lower prescribing rate for drugs acting on the cardiovascular system was recorded in the medical records, but higher rates were found for antibiotics, drugs acting on the immune system and miscellaneous drugs. Coding of all data was more reliable both between and within coders using the data from the encounter forms compared to the medical records.Conclusion: General practice data obtained from encounter forms are more comprehensive and are coded more reliably than those drawn from medical records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Argues that moves in Australia to reform federalism, by dealing with jurisdictional overlap, also produced a significant upgrading of state coordination capacity. Background on federal context of Australian government; Importance of coordinating routines to the state government; Case study about the application of parliamentary coordination systems in Queensland.

This study examines interstate migration in Australia for the period 1972-1985 to determine if it was influenced by Tiebout-style fiscal competition. In particular, it examines the impact of Queensland's abolition of death duties in the mid-1970s. The evidence presented is consistent with the common wisdom surrounding the event as well as with the Tiebout hypothesis. Interstate migration during this period appears to have been in favor of Queensland and at the expense of those states. that delayed following the Queensland example. Queensland's population growth during the first three years after abolishing death duties was an average 0.20 percent higher due to migrants avoiding the death duties of the other five states. On average, population growth in each of these states was 0.04 percent lower as a result of the tax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifies the legislative and policy basis for the Queensland Government's introduction of Borallon Correctional Centre in Brisbane, Qld., including the contractual and regulatory arrangements between the Queensland Corrective Services Commission and Corrections Corporation of Australia. Justifications for private contract management of corrections in Queensland.

The structure of the ctenidia of the Indo-West Pacific chemosymbiotic lucinid bivalve Anodontia (Euanodontia) ovum was investigated by electron microscopy. Ctenidial filaments are similar in general morphology to those described from other Lucinidae, with a ciliated zone, a short intermediary zone and a thick abfrontal zone composed largely of bacteriocytes separated by narrow intercalary cells. The bacteriocyte zones of adjacent filaments are fused in the distal part to form short cylindrical channels. The apices of intercalary cells project as cytoplasmic protrusions in the form of spiky tufts, with sheets and tendrils spreading over adjacent bacteriocytes. Compared with other lucinids A. ovum lacks abfrontal granule cells, mucocytes are infrequent and the bacteriocyte channels are short. Three morphotypes of symbiotic bacteria were detected, associated with the bacteriocyte zone of the ctenidial filaments: (1) all bacteriocytes contained abundant bacteria 3–5 µm long and 0.5–1.0 µm wide, enclosed in single vacuoles; (2) some bacteriocytes possessed spherical vesicles enclosing masses of smaller rod-shaped bacteria c. 1.0 µm long; (3) probable spirochaete bacteria, 8–10 µm long and 0.3 µm wide, were abundant within the apical cytoplasmic protrusions of the intercalary cells. Preliminary molecular analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequences has so far identified only one bacterial symbiont, from the gamma division of Proteobacteria grouping in a cluster of symbiotic thiotrophs. This symbiont of A. ovum is closely similar to a symbiont previously reported from the western Atlantic lucinid Anodontia schrammi (originally cited as A. philippiana). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]