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Despite the large amount of research that has taken place with mobile devices for language learning over the years, there are still limited conclusions that can be reached as to what contributes to sustained task engagement. A common problem that has long been seen in the CALL literature is that many tasks and activities that are reported are small scale studies taking place in a single environment with a limited number of subjects, often as a result of teachers investigating the outcomes of their own teaching (see Warschauer, 1997; Hubbard, 2005). Given the nature of the environments in which many teachers find themselves, it is in some way inevitable that studies tend to be of a smaller scale and often undertaken within a single class. It is possible to gain deeper insights into the tasks used through replication studies (Porte, 2012). This paper discusses the potential insights gained from replicating approximately the same basic language learning tasks in varied contexts. Research on vocabulary and listening tasks was carried out in Japan over an 8-year period from 2010 through 2017 for Japanese learners of English. In addition, the same tasks were adapted for Australian learners of Japanese in 2012 and Taiwanese learners of English in 2013, with a total of 420 participants. Data were collected through post-treatment surveys, semi-structured interviews and server logs recording the times spent on the tasks, the scores achieved, and the devices used to engage in the tasks. The same methods of data collection were used in each of the studies, using primarily the same tasks apart from adaptations made for developments in technology and for the different language learning contexts. Carrying out the same tasks in subsequent years with increasingly newer technologies and with teachers and learners from different cultural backgrounds provided insights into the effect of the context, the technology, and role of both teachers and learners in successfully implementing the tasks.

This study investigated the effect of computer-mediated-communication (CMC) in a protocol designed to facilitate (1) second language acquisition, and (2) enhanced intercultural awareness between Australian university students whose first language (L1) is English, and Japanese university students whose L1 is Japanese. (Author/JL)

Background and Aims Questions about drinking 'yesterday' have been used to correct under-reporting of typical alcohol consumption in surveys. We use this method to explore patterns of over- and under-reporting of drinking quantity and frequency by population subgroups in four countries. Design Multivariate linear regression analyses comparing estimates of typical quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption with and without adjustments using the yesterday method. Setting and Participants Survey respondents in Australia ( n = 26 648), Canada ( n = 43 371), USA ( n = 7969) and England ( n = 8610). Measurements Estimates of typical drinking quantities and frequencies over the past year plus quantity of alcohol consumed the previous day. Findings Typical frequency was underestimated by less frequent drinkers in each country. For example, after adjustment for design effects and age, Australian males self-reporting drinking 'less than once a month' were estimated to have in fact drunk an average of 14.70 (± 0.59) days in the past year compared with the standard assumption of 6 days ( t = 50.5, P < 0.001). Drinking quantity 'yesterday' was not significantly different overall from self-reported typical quantities during the past year in Canada, the United States and England, but slightly lower in Australia (e.g. 2.66 versus 3.04 drinks, t = 20.4, P < 0.01 for women). Conclusions People who describe themselves as less frequent drinkers appear to under-report their drinking frequency substantially, but country and subgroup-specific corrections can be estimated. Detailed questions using the yesterday method can help correct under-reporting of quantity of drinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitigating the threat of habitat loss requires actions such as restoring and creating new habitat. In order to effectively achieve this, species habitat requirements and use patterns need to be understood. While many studies have been conducted on the habitat choice of species, these generally focused on habitat use during periods of high activity and detection probability without considering seasonal shifts in habitat use. Understanding habitat selection by frogs during the winter season of low activity may be crucial since it may differ from that used during the summer and may be overlooked as important for population success. We describe the microhabitat use of the threatened green and golden bell frog ( L itoria aurea) using radio tracking methods during winter when detection is low and knowledge is limited. We followed 26 individuals between May and July, 2011 to determine whether they selected specific overwintering microhabitats and related this to levels of individual exposure to predators, distance from the edge of the water and temperature of microhabitats. We found that overwintering bell frogs inhabited reeds and rock gabions more frequently than expected and that females used a reduced subset of microhabitats compared to males. Additionally, microhabitats used were more likely to conceal an individual from view, and the majority of overwintering sites were located within 5 m of the edge of the water which may be important for reducing the risk of predation and desiccation. Rock gabions had significantly warmer (1.2°C-1.8°C) mean temperatures than the other microhabitats used. The information presented here can be used in habitat creation and reintroduction programmes to provide habitat which is suitable during both the breeding and non-breeding season for the conservation of other populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various reports identify global warming over the last century as around 0.7°C, but warming in Australia at around 0.9°C, suggesting Australia may be warming faster than the rest of the world. This study evaluates potential biases in the High Quality Network (HQN) compiled from 100 rural surface temperature series from 1910 due to: (1) homogeneity adjustments used to correct for changes in location and instrumentation, and (2) the discrimination of urban and rural sites. The approach was to compare the HQN with a new network compiled from raw data using the minimal adjustments necessary to produce contiguous series, called the Minimal Adjustment Network (MAN). The average temperature trend of the MAN stations was 31% lower than the HQN, and by a number of measures, the trend of the Australian MAN is consistent with the global trend. This suggests that biases from these sources have exaggerated apparent Australian warming. Additional problems with the HQN include failure of homogenization procedures to properly identify errors, individual sites adjusted more than the magnitude of putative warming last century, and some sites of such poor quality they should not be used, especially under a "High Quality" banner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gold Coast has a crime problem, which will not come as a surprise to the viewers of the films and television programmes that feature Australia's sixth largest city. The vast majority of material set on the Gold Coast has criminal themes. The Gold Coast is an imagined city created, to a large degree, by a multiplicity of moving image artefacts produced by visitors. From the miles of amateur footage shot by tourists to pseudo-Hollywood blockbusters, the Gold Coast exists as a surf and sun paradise, at least in the minds of audiences around the world. However, analysis of a variety of moving image products suggests that not far behind the glitz and glamour of the beach-based boosterism is the grimy flip side of crime, corruption and desperation. This imagined paradise is encircled by sharks, both from the sea and the land. But the crime themes explored so far by the Gold Coast film industry do not address the real transgressions on which the city is founded, neither the deals that saw a city built on sand and swamp nor the dispossession of the original inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper1 evaluates the reliability of modeling in the Drought Exceptional Circumstances Report (DECR) where global circulation (or climate) simulations were used to forecast future extremes of temperatures, rainfall and soil moisture. The DECR provided the Australian government with an assessment of the likely future change in the extent and frequency of drought resulting from anthropogenic global warming. Three specific and different statistical techniques show that the simulation of the occurrence of extreme high temperatures last century was adequate, but the simulation of the occurrence of extreme low rainfall was unacceptably poor. In particular, the simulations indicate that the measure of hydrological drought increased significantly last century, while the observations indicate a significant decrease. The main conclusion and purpose of the paper is to provide a case study showing the need for more rigorous and explicit validation of climate models if they are to advise government policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trading hours of licensed premises have been progressively relaxed since World War II across much of the English-speaking world as part of a global trend towards liquor deregulation. This review was informed by a systematic search of studies published in the English language since 1965 which sought to evaluate the public health and safety impacts of changes to liquor trading hours for on premise consumption – namely ‘pubs’ and clubs in the United Kingdom, ‘hotels’ and ‘taverns’ in Australia and New Zealand and ‘bars’ in North America. The systematic search was supplemented by materials identified from the ‘grey literature’, mostly government reports. A total of 49 unique studies met the inclusion criteria of which only 14 included baseline and control measures and were peer-reviewed. Among these, 11 reported at least one significant outcome indicating adverse effects of increased hours or benefits from reduced hours. Controlled studies with fewer methodological problems were also most likely to report such effects. It is suggested that differences between findings from Australia and the United Kingdom following the Licensing Act 2003 are most likely due to differences in methodological approach. It is concluded that the balance of reliable evidence from the available international literature suggests that extended late-night trading hours lead to increased consumption and related harms. Further well-controlled studies are required to confirm this conclusion.Crime Prevention and Community Safety (2009) 11, 153–170. doi:10.1057/cpcs.2009.11 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is little research on the relationship between key socioeconomic variables and alcohol related harms in Australia. The aim of this research was to examine the relationship between income inequality and the rates of alcohol-attributable hospitalisation and death at a local-area level in Australia. Method: We conducted a cross sectional ecological analysis at a Local Government Area (LGA) level of associations between data on alcohol caused harms and income inequality data after adjusting for socioeconomic disadvantage and remoteness of LGAs. The main outcome measures used were matched rate ratios for four measures of alcohol caused harm; acute (primarily related to the short term consequences of drinking) and chronic (primarily related to the long term consequences of drinking) alcohol-attributable hospitalisation and acute and chronic alcohol-attributable death. Matching was undertaken using control conditions (non-alcohol-attributable) at an LGA level. Results: A total of 885 alcohol-attributable deaths and 19467 alcohol-attributable hospitalisations across all LGAs were available for analysis. After weighting by the total number of cases in each LGA, the matched rate ratios of acute and chronic alcohol-attributable hospitalisation and chronic alcohol-attributable death were associated with the squared centred Gini coefficients of LGAs. This relationship was evident after adjusting for socioeconomic disadvantage and remoteness of LGAs. For both measures of hospitalisation the relationship was curvilinear; increases in income inequality were initially associated with declining rates of hospitalisation followed by large increases as the Gini coefficient increased beyond 0.15. The pattern for chronic alcohol-attributable death was similar, but without the initial decrease. There was no association between income inequality and acute alcoholattributable death, probably due to the relatively small number of these types of death. Conclusion: We found a curvilinear relationship between income inequality and the rates of some types of alcohol-attributable hospitalisation and death at a local area level in Australia. While alcohol-attributable harms generally increased with increasing income inequality, alcohol-attributable hospitalisations actually showed the reverse relationship at low levels of income inequality. The curvilinear patterns we observed are inconsistent with monotonic trends found in previous research making our findings incompatible with previous explanations of the relationship between income inequality and health related harms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To (i) compare the Yesterday method with other methods of assessing alcohol use applied in the 2004 Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) in terms of extent of under-reporting of actual consumption assessed from sales data; and (ii) illustrate applications of the Yesterday method as a means of variously measuring the size of an Australian ‘standard drink’, the extent of risky/high-risk alcohol use, unrecorded alcohol consumption and beverage-specific patterns of risk in the general population. Setting The homes of respondents who were eligible and willing to participate. Participants A total of 24 109 Australians aged 12 years and over. Design The 2004 NDSHS assessed drug use, experiences and attitudes using a ‘drop and collect’ self-completion questionnaire with random sampling and geographic (State and Territory) and demographic (age and gender) stratification. Measures Self-completion questionnaire using quantity–frequency (QF) and graduated-frequency (GF) methods plus two questions about consumption ‘yesterday’: one in standard drinks, another with empirically based estimates of drink size and strength. Results The Yesterday method yielded an estimate of 12.8 g as the amount of ethanol in a typical Australian standard drink (versus the official 10 g). Estimated coverage of the 2003–04 age 12+ years per-capita alcohol consumption in Australia (9.33 ml of ethanol) was 69.17% for GF and 64.63% for the QF when assuming a 12.8 g standard drink. Highest coverage of 80.71% was achieved by the detailed Yesterday method. The detailed Yesterday method found that 60.1% of Australian alcohol consumption was above low-risk guidelines; 81.5% for 12–17-year-olds, 84.8% for 18–24-year-olds and 88.8% for Indigenous respondents. Spirit-based drinks and regular strength beer were most likely to be drunk in this way, low- and mid-strength beer least likely. Conclusions Compared to more widely used methods, the Yesterday method minimizes under-reporting of overall consumption and provides unique data of public health significance. It also provides an empirical basis for taxing alcoholic beverages in accordance with their contributions to harm and can be used to complement individual-level measures such as QF and GF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to assess participation in drinking games among Australian university students; to determine the range of games played, their context and participant motivations; and to analyse the impact of games on alcohol consumption and its adverse consequences. We used a cross-sectional survey incorporating structured interviews and a self-administered questionnaire with students between 18 and 25 years of age at the University of Western Australia. This was a qualitative assessment of drinking game typology and contexts and participant motivation. Quantitative outcomes were rate and frequency of participation in drinking games; amount and rate of alcohol consumption during games; incidence of adverse outcomes following participation. Twenty-seven interview responses and 256 questionnaire responses were analysed for qualitative and quantitative outcomes, respectively. The qualitative analysis enabled categorisation of drinking games by skill and competitive nature, with varying influence on hazardous drinking. Common reported motivations for play included boredom, social pressure and social unease. The associated heavy drinking and possible hazards were well recognised but did not affect the decision to play. In the quantitative arm, most drinkers (74%) reported having participated in a drinking game. Game players reported playing an average of four drinking games in the previous 6 months. An average of six standard drinks was consumed during the most recent game. Pressure to participate from others was reported by 60% of game participants, while 50% reported that they had placed pressure on others to participate. Half (51%) reported an adverse outcome following participation. Loss of consciousness due to drinking was experienced or witnessed by 89% of game players, of whom 63% reported that the person was put to bed, while 54% reported that the person was watched. Participation in drinking games was common, and plays an important social role in this group. Drinking games were associated commonly with binge drinking and adverse outcomes. Future harm minimisation strategies targeting this group should address the particular risks of these games. [Polizzotto MN, Saw MM, Tjhung I, Chua EH, Stockwell TR. Fluid skills: drinking games and alcohol consumption among Australian university students. Drug Alcohol Rev 2007;26:469 - 475] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine how definitions of "abstainers" in prospective studies of alcohol and mortality influence estimates of the extent of coronary heart disease (CHD) protection due to low-risk alcohol consumption.Method: Meta-analyses were conducted on 35 prospective studies categorized according to the presence of up to two postulated errors for men and women regarding the classification of abstainers. Risk of death from CHD was estimated to calculate age-gender specific etiological fractions for application to mortality data for Australia and Canada in 2002. Controls for study characteristics were age, history of illness, and smoking status. Abstainers were classified as (1) lifelong abstainers, exdrinkers, and occasional drinkers--both classification errors present; (2) lifelong abstainers and exdrinkers--one error; and (3) lifelong abstainers only. "Low-risk consumption" was defined as up to 24 g, on average, per day for women and 44 g for men; "elevated risk consumption" was defined as more than 24 g on an average day for women and more than 44 g for men. Higher daily alcohol consumption was classified as "high risk."Results: Significant CHD protection was found for both men (odds ratio [OR] = .79) and women (OR = .89) only in studies committing both errors; it was found for women only in studies with "occasional drinker" error (OR = .75) and for neither gender in the few available error-free studies. Estimates of net alcohol-caused deaths in 2002 varied accordingly, from -1,405 to 2,479 for Australia and from 4,321 to 7,319 for Canada.Conclusions: There is a need for CHD mortality studies that use lifelong abstinence as the reference point for estimating CHD protection. There may be gender differences in CHD protection. Separate estimates for the effects of low- and elevated-risk alcohol consumption on mortality should be made and communicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Cluster analysis of reference sites with similar biota is the initial step in creating River Invertebrate Prediction and Classification System (RIVPACS) and similar river bioassessment models such as Australian River Assessment System (AUSRIVAS). This paper describes and tests an alternative prediction method, Assessment by Nearest Neighbour Analysis (ANNA), based on the same philosophy as RIVPACS and AUSRIVAS but without the grouping step that some people view as artificial.2. The steps in creating ANNA models are: (i) weighting the predictor variables using a multivariate approach analogous to principal axis correlations, (ii) calculating the weighted Euclidian distance from a test site to the reference sites based on the environmental predictors, (iii) predicting the faunal composition based on the nearest reference sites and (iv) calculating an observed/expected (O/E) analogous to RIVPACS/AUSRIVAS.3. The paper compares AUSRIVAS and ANNA models on 17 datasets representing a variety of habitats and seasons. First, it examines each model's regressions for Observed versus Expected number of taxa, including ther2, intercept and slope. Second, the two models’ assessments of 79 test sites in New Zealand are compared. Third, the models are compared on test and presumed reference sites along a known trace metal gradient. Fourth, ANNA models are evaluated for western Australia, a geographically distinct region of Australia. The comparisons demonstrate that ANNA and AUSRIVAS are generally equivalent in performance, although ANNA turns out to be potentially more robust for the O versus E regressions and is potentially more accurate on the trace metal gradient sites.4. The ANNA method is recommended for use in bioassessment of rivers, at least for corroborating the results of the well established AUSRIVAS- and RIVPACS-type models, if not to replace them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'Prevention Paradox' applies when low-risk individuals in a population contribute the most cases of a condition or problem behaviour by virtue of their being in the majority, thereby recommending a universal or whole of population approach to prevention. The applicability of a universal as opposed to a targeted high-risk approach to the prevention of youth substance use was examined in two studies of children and adolescents conducted in Victoria, Australia. These studies were reanalysed by recombining developmental, social and individual measures to form cumulative risk indices for substance use. In Study 1, a cross-sectional survey of students, most regular tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use by 15/16-year-olds occurred in the moderate and low-risk groups, recommending a universal prevention strategy . However, the majority of illicit drug use occurred in the highest-risk group (top 15%). Furthermore, in younger age groups both legal and illegal drug use was concentrated mainly in the highest risk group. Study 2 used data from a major longitudinal study where risk factors at around age 11/12 years were used to predict substance use at age 17/18 years. Most students who admitted involvement in frequent smoking, heavy drinking and, although to a lesser degree, cannabis were classified as low or average risk. It is concluded that universal prevention strategies are needed for late adolescent alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use and more targeted strategies for addressing harm related to early age drug use, frequent cannabis use and illegal drug use. [Stockwell T, Toumbouru JW, Letcher P, Sanson A, Bond L. Risk and protection factors for different intensities of adolescent substance use: when does the prevention paradox apply? Drug Alcohol Rev 2004;23:67 - 77] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1970s newspaper Australasian Weed remains a remarkable chronicle of a very different time when a flourishing counter-culture created the space for a regular pro-drug publication at the edge of legality. Content analysis of the Weed and associated publications reveals an expected preoccupation with legalisation campaigns, instructional material and zany antics but a more surprising interest in detailed investigations of the legal process, the history and literature of drugs and health and safety issues. While influenced by the US underground press and drug writers like Hunter S. Thompson, the Weed was nevertheless in the Australian tradition of larrikin, alternative press with a crusading agenda and a confrontational approach to authority. The Weed's stormy career and eventual demise point clearly to the limits of a free press in Australia and raise questions about the efficacy of government drug education programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the content analysis, which compares how Pauline Hanson, Liberal Prime Minister John Howard, and Kim Beazley were depicted in newspaper photographs during the 1998 Australian federal election. It seeks to ascertain whether or not the media portrayed Hanson differently to the other leaders. It mentions the relationship of Hanson with the media such as the media supplying her with publicity and her perception that she was the victim of attack by the elite media.

Studies the impact of later trading hours for licensed hotels on the levels of violent assault in Australia. Introduction of extending trading permits; Increase of the levels of alcohol consumption; Reduction of heavy episodic drinking.

The purpose of the study was to provide updated estimates of alcohol-caused mortality rates in Australia between 1990 and 1997, making adjustments for changes in the prevalence of high-risk alcohol use estimated on the basis of per capita alcohol consumption (PCAC). Deaths wholly and partially attributable to high-risk alcohol consumption were extracted from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Mortality Datafile (1990-1997) and multiplied by specific aetiological fractions, which in turn were adjusted by changes in the prevalence of high-risk alcohol use estimated on the basis of annual changes in PCAC. The yearly trends in age-standardized rates of estimated alcohol-caused deaths were compared with those using (i) aetiological fractions unadjusted for changes in PCAC, and (ii) wholly alcohol-caused conditions only (thus requiring no application of aetiological fractions). The age-standardized rates of all alcohol-caused deaths among males aged 15+ years declined from 1990 (4.01/10 000) to 1993 (3.19/10 000) and decreased far more slowly up to 1997 (3.15/10 000) - 16% overall. For females, these rates declined steadily from 1990 (1.75/10 000) to 1997 (1.33/10 000) - 19% overall. Similar patterns in time trends were noted for estimated alcohol-caused death rates calculated as in (i) and (ii). However, the proportional decreases in rates (21.6% for males; 24.0% for females) would have been underestimated by 16% (males) and 19% (females) if the alcohol aetiological fractions had not been adjusted to take account of the estimated annual changes in the prevalence of high-risk drinking. The declines in estimated alcohol-caused death rates were more pronounced than the 9% decline in PCAC, and were due mainly to decreasing death rates for stroke (men and women), alcoholic liver cirrhosis and road injuries (men only). When aetiological fractions are used to measure temporal trends in estimated alcohol-caused death rates from official mortality statistics, they should account for annual changes in the prevalence of high-risk drinking. Such changes in prevalence can be deduced from yearly fluctuations in PCAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the significance of national drinking guidelines for harm reduction in Australia. Features of the underlying epidemiological evidence; Summary for estimated relative risk of all-cause mortality for different levels of drinking; Caution for pregnant women.

An epidemiological survey of the oral health needs of 1144 elderly patients was conducted in hospitals and nursing homes in Western Australia. Patients were categorized as being either totally dependent (requiring intensive nursing care) or partially dependent (requiring nursing Supervision). Of all patients the mean age was 80.2 yr, 70% were women, 74% were edentulous, and 70% needed some form of prosthetic care. Of all dentate patients 56% needed dental scaling (and 17% needed complex periodontal treatment), 47% needed some restorative treatment (with a mean need per patient of 1.1 coronal restorations and 0.4 radicular restoration), and 29% needed one or more dental extractions (with a mean need of 1.4 extractions per patient). Partially dependent patients had statistically significant higher needs for prosthetic work than did totally dependent patients, while the converse applied to extraction needs, but in all other aspects the needs of the two categories of patient did not differ significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1990, a small research project costing about Aus. $4500 conducted in a Perth shopping centre directly influenced the development of a national policy within 4 months of its completion. The policy in question is a recommendation by Australia's Ministerial Council on Drag Strategy that all alcoholic beverage containers should carry labels indicating the number of 'standard drinks' they contain. The purpose of this paper is to describe the events leading up to so unusual an event with a view to discerning what factors may have been critical for its occurrence. The paper attempts to analyse the nature of the interactions between the research team and the policy makers. It is argued that the critical factors included there being a favourable policy climate created by the National Campaign Against Drag Abuse, the support of influential public servants and, in turn, politicians, the consultative process which lead to the study's design and the manner in which the findings were disseminated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the Australian alcohol policy and the public interest. Alcohol taxes in Australia have mainly risen apace with inflation. Wine has had taxes linked directly to the cost of manufacture and the retail price. Beer and spirits have been taxed principally by excises calculated as rates per litre of ethanol that rise with the cost of living. Of particular note is that between 1990 and 2000, discretionary tax rates were created for lower strength beers with the result that by the end of that decade approximately 40% of the beer market by volume consisted of beers with an alcoholic strength of less than 3.8%

Alcohol policy is one of the severest tests of a government's will to serve the public interest. There are such tempting reasons to ignore the otherwise compelling arguments in favour of public health, safety and order, tax revenues from a vibrant alcohol economy. Australia also has an election in the air. The 2004/5 federal budget confirmed that $470 million allocated to a National Illicit Drugs Campaign over 4 years, $4 million to an Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy and $360 million given back to wine producers in tax exemptions. Great Britain has sky-rocketed up the per capita consumption league table from 21st in 1998 to 9th in 2002 while Australia has slipped from 19th to 23rd. Since 1980 alcohol consumption in Great Britain has increased by 31 % while it has fallen by 24% in Australia. While per capita consumption is a rather mixed indicator, meaning tax revenue, profits and jobs to some, in Australia alcohol-caused deaths and hospitalizations have also decreased substantially since 1990.

Context: Approximately 2 million sheep are exported from Australia on live export voyages annually. As voyages travel from a southern hemisphere winter to a northern hemisphere summer, production and welfare issues associated with excessive heat load may arise. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the responses of sheep to incremental heat load under simulated live export conditions, specifically the influence of heat load on the metabolic and inflammatory status of sheep. Methods: A total of 144 Merino weathers (44.02 ± 0.32 kg) were used in a 29-day climate controlled study using two cohorts of 72 sheep (n = 2), exposed to two treatments: (1) thermoneutral, and (2) hot. Sheep in the hot treatment were exposed to heat load simulated from live export voyages from Australia to the Middle East. Blood samples were collected from all sheep (n = 144) on Day 1, then at 7-day intervals (n = 5) for the duration of each 29-day period. Blood samples were analysed to determine the cytokine, biochemistry and haematology (data not presented here) profiles. Cytokine and biochemical profiles were analysed using a repeated measures model assuming a compound symmetry covariance. The model fitted included terms for cohort and treatment (hot, thermoneutral), and a term for sample collection day (day) and a treatment × day interaction. The subject factor corresponded to the cohort × treatment combinations. Key results: There were no consistent trends in plasma cytokine and biochemical profiles. Bicarbonate was the only parameter that was influenced by cohort (P = 0.0035), treatment (P = 0.0025), collection (P = 0.0001) and treatment × collection (P = 0.0025). Furthermore, interleukin-6 and glutamate dehydrogenase were the only parameters that were not influenced by cohort (P > 0.295), treatment (P = 0.2567), collection (P > 0.06) or treatment × collection (P = 0.34). Conclusions: Overall, these data highlight that the metabolic and inflammatory status of sheep exposed to incremental heat load, during a simulated live export voyage from a southern hemisphere winter to a northern hemisphere summer, were not markedly altered. Implications: These results provide a preliminary evaluation of the inflammatory and metabolic status of sheep on arrival in the Middle East. During live export voyages, sheep can be rapidly exposed to heat stress conditions. Animals are biologically programmed to minimise the impacts of heat stress via a range of physiological functions. The results presented here highlight that the metabolic and inflammatory status of sheep exposed to incremental heat load, simulating a live export voyage from a southern hemisphere winter to a northern hemisphere summer, are variable; however, they suggest that adaptive changes do occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate several types of graduated frequency (GF) instruments for monitoring drinking patterns. Two studies with 12- month GF measures and daily data were used: (i) the Australian 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) (n = 24,109 aged 12+; 22,546 with GF and over 8000 with yesterday data) and (ii) a US methodological study involving a 28-day daily diary plus GF summary measures drawn from the National Alcohol Survey (NAS) (n = 3,025 screened, 119 eligible study completers). The NDSHS involved (i) "drop and collect" self-completed forms with random sampling methods; the Measurement study (ii) screened 3+ drinkers by telephone and collected 28-day drinking diaries and pre- and post-diary 28-day GFs. We compared mean values for the GF quantity ranges from yesterday's drinks (study i) and 28-day diaries (study ii), also examining volume influence. Using "yesterday's" drinking, Australian results showed GF quantity range means close to arithmetic midpoints and volume effects only for the lowest two levels (1-2, and 3-4 drinks; p <.001). US. calibration results on the GF using 28-day diaries were similar with a volume effect only at these low quantity levels (p <.001). Means for the highest quantity thresholds were 23.5 drinks for the 20+ (10 gram) drink level (Australia) and 15.5 drinks for the 12+ (14 g) drink level (US). In the US study, summary GFfrequency and volume were highly consistent with diary-based counterparts. A conclusion is that algorithms for computing volume may be refined using validation data. We suggest measurement methods may be improved by taking better account of empirical drink ethanol content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]