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INTRODUCTION Driver fatigue is recognized as a major causal factor in accidents involving long-haul commercial drivers. The development of an on-board driver performance/fatigue monitoring system could potentially assist drivers in […], This on-road field investigation employed, for the first time, a completely automated trigger-based data collection system capable of evaluating driver performance in an extended-duration real-world commercial motor vehicle environment. The study examined the use of self-assessment of fatigue (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale) and temporal separation (minimum time to collision, minimum headway, and mean headway) as indicators of driver fatigue. Without exception, the correlation analyses for both the self-rating of alertness and temporal separation yielded models low in associative ability; neither metric was found to be a valid indicator of driver fatigue. In addition, based upon the data collected for this research, preliminary evidence suggests that driver fatigue onset within a real-world driving environment does not appear to follow the standard progression of events associated with the onset of fatigue within a simulated driving environment. Application of this research includes the development of an on-board driver performance/fatigue monitoring system that could potentially assist drivers in identifying the onset of fatigue.

INTRODUCTION In many work environments, the audibility of human speech, warning signals, and other auditory cues by workers is of the utmost importance, but the presence of noise in such […], An experiment was conducted wherein masked thresholds (using ascending method of limits) for a backup alarm were obtained in pink and red noise at 85 and 100 dBA for 12 participants immersed in a probability monitoring task and wearing a conventional passive hearing protection device (HPD, an earmuff or a foam earplug), an active noise reduction (ANR) headset, or no HPD at all (only in 85 dBA noise). Results revealed statistically significant between-HPD differences in red noise (from 2.3 to 3.1 dB) and in the 100-dBA noise level (from 2.6 to 4.3 dB). An additional finding, which corroborates other studies using different protocols, was that masked thresholds in 85-dBA noise were significantly lower (from 3.2 to 4.4 dB) for the occluded conditions (wearing an HPD) than for the open-ear (unoccluded) condition. This result refutes the belief among many normal-hearing workers that the use of HPDs in relatively low levels of noise compromises their ability to hear necessary workplace sounds. Actual or potential applications of this research include (a) the selection of appropriate HPDs for low-frequency-biased noise exposures wherein signal detection is important and (b) gaining insight into the appropriateness of ANR-based HPDs for certain industrial noise environments.

A bacterial consortium comprising four different species was isolated from an Indonesian agricultural soil using a mixture of aniline and 4-chloroaniline (4CA) as principal carbon sources. The four species were identified as Chryseobacterium indologenes SB1, Comamonas testosteroni SB2, Pseudomonas corrugata SB4 and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia SB5. Growth studies on aniline and 4CA as single and mixed substrates demonstrated that the bacteria preferred to grow on and utilize aniline rather than 4CA, although both compounds were eventually depleted from the culture supernatant. However, despite 100% disappearance of the parent substrates, the degradation of 4CA was always characterized by incomplete dechlorination and 4-chlorocatechol accumulation. This result suggests that further degradation of 4-chlorocatechol may be the rate-limiting step in the metabolism of 4CA by the bacterial consortium. HPLC-UV analysis showed that 4-chlorocatechol was further degraded via an ortho-cleavage pathway by the bacterial consortium. This hypothesis was supported by the results from enzyme assays of the crude cell extract of the consortium revealing catechol 1,2-dioxygenase activity which converted catechol and 4-chlorocatechol to cis, cis-muconic acid and 3-chloro-cis, cis-muconic acid respectively. However, the enzyme had a much higher conversion rate for catechol [156 U [(g protein).sup.-1]] than for 4-chlorocatechol [17.2 U (g protein).sup.-1], indicating preference for non-chlorinated substrates. Members of the bacterial consortium were also characterized individually. All isolates were able to assimilate aniline. P. corrugata SB4 was able to grow on 4CA solely, while S. maltophilia SB5 was able to grow on 4-chlorocatechol. These results suggest that the degradation of 4CA in the presence of aniline by the bacterial consortium was a result of interspecies interactions.

A workshop on the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements in weather and climate with emphasis on water vapor determination, was organized by the National Environmental Research Council's (NERC) Environmental Systems Science Centre (ESSC), at the University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom, and took place there 29-31 August 2001. This paper gives a broad overview and general background of the use of GPS data for weather and climate. It outlines the objectives of the workshop and presents ongoing national, regional, and international activities both for ground-based and satellite-based systems. This includes work in the United States, China, and Japan, and different European efforts, including activities under European Community programs. Data assimilation of GPS data for weather prediction and climate is discussed as are ways in which to develop GPS-based systems to become an integrated part of the World Weather Watch. This includes ways of systematically using GPS data from the international geodetic network for climate monitoring purposes.

A systematic study on the effect of strain on the electronic band structure of gas-source molecular beam epitaxy (GSMBE) In(sub x)Ga(sub 1-x)P-In(sub 0.5)Al(sub 0.5)P multiple quantum wells (MQW's) grown on (100) GaAs substrates is conducted based on high-pressure and low-temperature photoluminescence measurements. Results indicate that strain modifies the valence band offsets which show an increase with either compressive or tensile strain in relation to the unstrained value.

The article considers aspects of violence in everyday life among the Tiwi of Melville and Bathurst Islands. It briefly compares the role of violence in bureaucratically and juridically mediated forms with self-help and social regulation in Aboriginal societies, focussing on the expressive or performative aspects of violence in everyday interaction. Myers' discussion of violence among the Pintubi posits a dialectical polarity of relatedness and differentiation, corresponding with the affective poles of compassion and anger. This is compared with Sansom's account of semi-ritualized forms of violence in Aboriginal fringe-camp life, where a point of commonality in Myers' and Sansom's approaches is found: this consists of the attunement of action, of violence, self-violence and destructiveness to the witnessing public. In Tiwi life too, conflict is dynamically shaped by actors' attempts to impinge upon, to seek to arouse and in some cases to manipulate, compassion or concern in the witnessing group as defence or as a form of moral attack. Open, dramatic `appealing' violence, often in the form of a more or less controlled loss of self-control, seeks to parry indirect interpersonal tension and antagonism, to reassert or restore social distance and protect or privilege important relationships from intrusive demands. However, these violent appeals in rhetorical threat, in self-violence, destructiveness or sometimes in dramatic suicidal gestures also invariably indicate extreme personal difficulty displaced into open forms of confrontation. The article proposes that the generative moment of violence for social differentiation be sought in an examination of dynamic interrelationships between individual life-history, inner group processes and their articulation with external social forms., The following is a treatment of violence in everyday life among the Tiwi of Bathurst and Melville Islands. It is drawn from contact with the Tiwi over almost ten years, [...]

Abstract Background Although the primary risk factors for developing oral cancers are well understood, less is known about the relationship among the secondary factors that may modulate the progression of oral cancers, such as high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and folic acid (FA) supplementation. This study examined high-risk HPV and FA supplementation effects, both singly and in combination, to modulate the proliferative phenotypes of the oral cancer cell lines CAL27, SCC25 and SCC15. Results Using a comprehensive series of integrated in vitro assays, distinct effects of HPV infection and FA supplementation were observed. Both high-risk HPV strains 16 and 18 induced robust growth-stimulating effects in CAL27 and normal HGF-1 cells, although strain-specific responses were observed in SCC25 and SCC15 cells. Differential effects were also observed with FA administration, which significantly altered the growth rate of the oral cancer cell lines CAL27, SCC15, and SCC25, but not HGF-1 cells. Unlike HPV, FA administration induced broad, general increases in cell viability among all cell lines that were associated with p53 mRNA transcriptional down-regulation. None of these cell lines were found to harbor the common C677T mutation in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), which can reduce FA availability and may increase oral cancer risk. Conclusion Increased FA utilization and DNA hypermethylation are common features of oral cancers, and in these cell lines, specifically. The results of this study provide further evidence that FA antimetabolites, such as Fluorouracil (f5U or 5-FU) and Raltitrexed, may be alternative therapies for tumors resistant to other therapies. Moreover, since the incidence of oral HPV infection has been increasing, and can influence oral cancer growth, the relationship between FA bioavailability and concomitant HPV infection must be elucidated. This study is among the first pre-clinical studies to evaluate FA- and HPV-induced effects in oral cancers, both separately and in combination, which provides additional rationale for clinical screening of HPV infection prior to treatment.

Abstract Background Indigenous Australians experience disproportionately high prevalence of, and morbidity and mortality from chronic illness such as diabetes, renal disease and cardiovascular disease. Improving the understanding of how Indigenous primary care systems are organised to deliver chronic illness care will inform efforts to improve the quality of care for Indigenous people. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 Indigenous communities in Australia's Northern Territory. Using the Chronic Care Model as a framework, we carried out a mail-out survey to collect information on material, financial and human resources relating to chronic illness care in participating health centres. Follow up face-to-face interviews with health centre staff were conducted to identify successes and difficulties in the systems in relation to providing chronic illness care to community members. Results Participating health centres had distinct areas of strength and weakness in each component of systems: 1) organisational influence – strengthened by inclusion of chronic illness goals in business plans, appointment of designated chronic disease coordinators and introduction of external clinical audits, but weakened by lack of training in disease prevention and health promotion and limited access to Medicare funding; 2) community linkages – facilitated by working together with community organisations (e.g. local stores) and running community-based programs (e.g. "health week"), but detracted by a shortage of staff especially of Aboriginal health workers working in the community; 3) self management – promoted through patient education and goal setting with clients, but impeded by limited focus on family and community-based activities due to understaffing; 4) decision support – facilitated by distribution of clinical guidelines and their integration with daily care, but limited by inadequate access to and support from specialists; 5) delivery system design – strengthened by provision of transport for clients to health centres, separate men's and women's clinic rooms, specific roles of primary care team members in relation to chronic illness care, effective teamwork, and functional pathology and pharmacy systems, but weakened by staff shortage (particularly doctors and Aboriginal health workers) and high staff turnover; and 6) clinical information systems – facilitated by wide adoption of computerised information systems, but weakened by the systems' complexity and lack of IT maintenance and upgrade support. Conclusion Using concrete examples, this study translates the concept of the Chronic Care Model (and associated systems view) into practical application in Australian Indigenous primary care settings. This approach proved to be useful in understanding the quality of primary care systems for prevention and management of chronic illness. Further refinement of the systems should focus on both increasing human and financial resources and improving management practice.

Abstract Background Indigenous Australians experience disproportionately high prevalence of, and morbidity and mortality from diabetes. There is an urgent need to understand how Indigenous primary care systems are organised to deliver diabetes services to those most in need, to monitor the quality of diabetes care received by Indigenous people, and to improve systems for better diabetes care. Methods The intervention featured two annual cycles of assessment, feedback workshops, action planning, and implementation of system changes in 12 Indigenous community health centres. Assessment included a structured review of health service systems and audit of clinical records. Main process of care measures included adherence to guideline-scheduled services and medication adjustment. Main patient outcome measures were HbA1c, blood pressure and total cholesterol levels. Results There was good engagement of health centre staff, with significant improvements in system development over the study period. Adherence to guideline-scheduled processes improved, including increases in 6 monthly testing of HbA1c from 41% to 74% (Risk ratio 1.93, 95% CI 1.71–2.10), 3 monthly checking of blood pressure from 63% to 76% (1.27, 1.13–1.37), annual testing of total cholesterol from 56% to 74% (1.36, 1.20–1.49), biennial eye checking by a ophthalmologist from 34% to 54% (1.68, 1.39–1.95), and 3 monthly feet checking from 20% to 58% (3.01, 2.52–3.47). Medication adjustment rates following identification of elevated HbA1c and blood pressure were low, increasing from 10% to 24%, and from 13% to 21% respectively at year 1 audit. However, improvements in medication adjustment were not maintained at the year 2 follow-up. Mean HbA1c value improved from 9.3 to 8.9% (mean difference -0.4%, 95% CI -0.7;-0.1), but there was no improvement in blood pressure or cholesterol control. Conclusion This quality improvement (QI) intervention has proved to be highly acceptable in the Indigenous Australian primary care setting and has been associated with significant improvements in systems and processes of care and some intermediate outcomes. However, improvements appear to be limited by inadequate attention to abnormal clinical findings and medication management. Greater improvement in intermediate outcomes may be achieved by specifically addressing system barriers to therapy intensification through more effective engagement of medical staff in QI activities and/or greater use of nurse-practitioners.

Abstract Background Poor housing conditions in remote Indigenous communities in Australia are a major underlying factor in poor child health, including high rates of skin infections. The aim of this study is to test approaches to data collection, analysis and feedback for a follow-up study of the impact of housing conditions on child health. Methods Participation was negotiated in three communities with community councils and individual participants. Data were collected by survey of dwelling condition, interviews, and audit health centre records of children aged under seven years. Community feedback comprised immediate report of items requiring urgent repair followed by a summary descriptive report. Multivariate models were developed to calculate adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRR) for skin infections and their association with aspects of household infrastructure. Results There was a high level of participation in all communities. Health centre records were inadequate for audit in one community. The records of 138 children were available for development of multivariate analytic models. Rates of skin infection in dwellings that lacked functioning facilities for removing faeces or which had concrete floors may be up to twice as high as for other dwellings, and the latter association appears to be exacerbated by crowding. Younger children living in older dwellings may also be at approximately two-fold higher risk. A number of socioeconomic and socio-demographic variables also appear to be directly associated with high rates of skin infections. Conclusion The methods used in the pilot study were generally feasible, and the analytic approach provides meaningful results. The study provides some evidence that new and modern housing is contributing to a reduction in skin infections in Aboriginal children in remote communities, particularly when this housing leads to a reduction in crowding and the effective removal of human waste.