Understanding coastal processes to assist with coastal erosion management in Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tonyes, S. G.; Wasson, R. J.; Munksgaard, N. C.; Evans, K. G.; Brinkman, R.; Williams, D. K.

2017-02-01

Sand transport pathways in Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia, are being investigated to assist with coastal management. Coastal erosion, which threatens public and private infrastructure, is one of the major problems along the harbour beaches. A study of sediment transport is essential to identify the challenges encountered by the stakeholders in coastal management. Darwin Harbour, located in the tropical, cyclone prone area of Australia, was, until recently, considered a near pristine estuary. A semi-diurnal macro-tidal embayment, the tidal variation in the harbour reaches up to 8 m with a mean tidal range of 3.7 m. The beach morphology consists of sandy pocket beaches between coastal cliffs, sandbars, rocky shore platforms, tidal flats and mangrove fringes. A two-dimensional depth averaged finite-element hydrodynamic model (RMA-2), coupled with a sediment transport model (RMA-11) from Resource Modelling Associates, has been used to infer the sources and the depositional areas of sand in the harbour. Grain size distributions and geochemical analysis are also used to characterize the sand and its source(s). Initial results show that the beach sand is mostly of offshore origin with small sand input from the rivers. Potential supplementary sand sources are the eroded materials from the shore platforms and the rocky cliffs. Due to the rapid development in Darwin Harbour, this study is fundamental in understanding coastal processes to support decision making in coastal management, particularly in a macro-tidal, tropical estuary.

Notification and management of congenital syphilis in the Northern Territory 2009 to 2014.

PubMed

McLeod, Charlie; Su, Jiunn-Yih; Francis, Joshua R; Ishwar, Alice; Ryder, Nathan

2015-09-30

To determine whether cases of congenital syphilis in the Northern Territory between 2009 and 2014 were correctly notified based on probable or confirmed case criteria stipulated by the Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA). Pregnant women with positive syphilis serology defined as reactive treponemal test and rapid plasma reagin titre ≥1:8 were identified from the Northern Territory Syphilis Register Information System. Risk classification was performed based on local guidelines, and CDNA criteria for probable/confirmed cases of congenital syphilis were applied to determine whether cases were appropriately notified. Thirty-four cases of positive maternal syphilis serology in pregnancy were identified from 31 women; all were Indigenous. Twenty-one cases fulfilled criteria for probable congenital syphilis; 1 case was formally notified to the Centre for Disease Control. Twenty cases (95%) fulfilling CDNA criteria for probable congenital syphilis were not notified over the study period. Application of standard case definitions significantly increases the rate of congenital syphilis cases in the Northern Territory. Improved education regarding CDNA criteria for notification of congenital syphilis is necessary for clinicians and public health staff. Emerging evidence has supported the recent simplification of CDNA criteria for notification of congenital syphilis, effective 1 July 2015.

"We need our own food, to grow our own veggies…" Remote Aboriginal food gardens in the Top End of Australia's Northern Territory.

PubMed

Hume, Andrew; O'Dea, Kerin; Brimblecombe, Julie

2013-10-01

Remote Aboriginal community gardens (gardens) frequently operate below their full potential. A set of gardening sustainability principles may improve their planning, operation and long-term sustainability. This paper aims to document the principles of sustainability of non-profit remote Aboriginal community gardens in the Top End of the Northern Territory. Throughout 2011, gardens in the Top End of the Northern Territory were visited. Interviews and observational data were used to explore the principles of garden sustainability with participants. Subsequent iterative thematic analysis informed development of a set of gardening sustainability principles. Principles of sustainability included effective garden planning; community autonomy, consultation and engagement; growing community vetted crops; employing long-term, effective, culturally sensitive managers; long-term, transparent funding organisations and cycles; garden integration into existing food supply chains; culturally appropriate employment arrangements; and physical aspects of successful gardening. This work uniquely consults gardeners, managers and Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people of both genders in the largest reported study of its type, resulting in new and expanded findings, particularly including new social factors for gardening success. Expanding the understanding of what makes gardens work to include the important social factors identified here may have merit. © 2013 The Authors. ANZJPH © 2013 Public Health Association of Australia.

Wholesale data for surveillance of Australian Aboriginal tobacco consumption in the Northern Territory.

PubMed

Thomas, David P; Fitz, Joseph W; Johnston, Vanessa; Townsend, Joanne; Kneebone, Warwick

2011-07-01

Effective monitoring of trends in tobacco use is an essential element of tobacco control policy. Monitoring tobacco consumption using tobacco wholesale data has advantages over other methods of surveillance. In the present work, a research project that monitored tobacco consumption in 25 remote Aboriginal communities and its translation to a policy to implement this monitoring routinely in the entire Northern Territory of Australia is described. Tobacco consumption and trends were estimated using wholesale (or occasionally sales) data from all retail outlets in 25 remote Aboriginal communities. Self-reported consumption was estimated from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey in 2008. Local consumption results were fed back in posters to local organisations and health staff. Estimates of consumption from wholesale data and self-report were similar (6.8 and 6.7 cigarettes/day/person aged 15 and over). Consumption was higher in the tropical Top End than in arid Central Australia, and 24% of tobacco was consumed as loose tobacco. The overall trend in monthly consumption was not significantly different from 0. Local communities could be ranked by their local trends in monthly consumption. Monitoring tobacco consumption using wholesale tobacco data is a practical and unobtrusive surveillance method that is being introduced as a new condition of tobacco retail licenses in the Northern Territory of Australia. It overcomes some problems with consumption estimates from routine surveys, enables rapid feedback and use of results and is particularly well suited for hard-to-reach discrete populations, such as remote Aboriginal communities in Australia. It has already been used to evaluate the impact of local tobacco control activities.

Investigation into High Barmah Forest Virus Disease Case Numbers Reported in the Northern Territory, Australia in 2012-2013.

PubMed

Kurucz, Nina; Markey, Peter; Draper, Anthony; Melville, Lorna; Weir, Richard; Davis, Steven; Warchot, Allan; Boyd, Rowena; Stokeld, Danielle

2016-02-01

Between October 2012 and October 2013, unprecedented high numbers of Barmah Forest virus (BFV) disease cases were reported in the Northern Territory (NT). An investigation was launched by the NT Department of Health in cooperation with the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries and the Department of Land Resource Management to investigate possible causes for this phenomenon. The investigation included virus isolations from mosquitoes collected in Darwin urban areas, BFV antibody testing in peri-urban small mammals and a human BFV disease case series investigation of recent cases. No BFV was isolated from the 4641 mosquitoes tested, none of the mammals tested positive for BFV antibodies, and the high BFV disease case numbers did not correlate with the relatively low mosquito vector numbers trapped in 2012-2013. It was estimated that up to 89% of the 79 human cases investigated did not have an acute arboviral illness and therefore had tested falsely positive. An Alere PanBio BFV immunoglobulin M enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test kit is generally used to test for BFV, with the BFV disease case definition based on immunoglobulin M positives only. Other jurisdictions in Australia also reported high numbers of BFV disease cases, with the majority of the cases suspected to be false positives. Therefore, current testing methods need to be revised to reflect the true numbers of BFV disease cases occurring in Australia and to provide correct diagnoses for patients.

Identification of Burkholderia pseudomallei Near-Neighbor Species in the Northern Territory of Australia

PubMed Central

Ginther, Jennifer L.; Mayo, Mark; Warrington, Stephanie D.; Kaestli, Mirjam; Mullins, Travis; Wagner, David M.; Currie, Bart J.; Tuanyok, Apichai; Keim, Paul

2015-01-01

Identification and characterization of near-neighbor species are critical to the development of robust molecular diagnostic tools for biothreat agents. One such agent, Burkholderia pseudomallei, a soil bacterium and the causative agent of melioidosis, is lacking in this area because of its genomic diversity and widespread geographic distribution. The Burkholderia genus contains over 60 species and occupies a large range of environments including soil, plants, rhizospheres, water, animals and humans. The identification of novel species in new locations necessitates the need to identify the true global distribution of Burkholderia species, especially the members that are closely related to B. pseudomallei. In our current study, we used the Burkholderia-specific recA sequencing assay to analyze environmental samples from the Darwin region in the Northern Territory of Australia where melioidosis is endemic. Burkholderia recA PCR negative samples were further characterized using 16s rRNA sequencing for species identification. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that over 70% of the bacterial isolates were identified as B. ubonensis indicating that this species is common in the soil where B. pseudomallei is endemic. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis reveals many novel branches within the B. cepacia complex, one novel B. oklahomensis-like species, and one novel branch containing one isolate that is distinct from all other samples on the phylogenetic tree. During the analysis with recA sequencing, we discovered 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the reverse priming region of B. oklahomensis. A degenerate primer was developed and is proposed for future use. We conclude that the recA sequencing technique is an effective tool to classify Burkholderia and identify soil organisms in a melioidosis endemic area. PMID:26121041

Arbovirus models to provide practical management tools for mosquito control and disease prevention in the Northern Territory, Australia.

PubMed

Jacups, Susan P; Whelan, Peter I; Harley, David

2011-03-01

Ross River virus (RRV) causes the most common human arbovirus disease in Australia. Although the disease is nonfatal, the associated arthritis and postinfection fatigue can be debilitating for many months, impacting on workforce participation. We sought to create an early-warning system to notify of approaching RRV disease outbreak conditions for major townships in the Northern Territory. By applying a logistic regression model to meteorologic factors, including rainfall, a postestimation analysis of sensitivity and specificity can create rainfall cut-points. These rainfall cut-points indicate the rainfall level above which previous epidemic conditions have occurred. Furthermore, rainfall cut-points indirectly adjust for vertebrate host data from the agile wallaby (Macropus agilis) as the life cycle of the agile wallaby is intricately meshed with the wet season. Once generated, cut-points can thus be used prospectively to allow timely implementation of larval survey and control measures and public health warnings to preemptively reduce RRV disease incidence. Cut-points are location specific and have the capacity to replace previously used models, which require data management and input, and rarely provide timely notification for vector control requirements and public health warnings. These methods can be adapted for use elsewhere.

Education Policy Reforms of Secondary Education in the Northern Territory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Bill

2004-01-01

An original study of the Ramsay Committee report entitled "Future Directions for Secondary Education in the Northern Territory" (the "Secondary Review") was presented in December 2004 at the ANZCIES National Conference in Melbourne. This was prior to the Northern Territory Government deciding how many of the recommendations of…

Northern Australia

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-04-16

article title:  Tropical Northern Australia   ... view. Water appears in blue shades in the right image, for example, because glitter makes the water look brighter at the aft camera's view ... MD. The MISR data were obtained from the NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center in Hampton, VA. Image ...

Acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis in the Northern Territory of Australia: a review of 16 years data and comparison with the literature.

PubMed

Marshall, Catherine S; Cheng, Allen C; Markey, Peter G; Towers, Rebecca J; Richardson, Leisha J; Fagan, Peter K; Scott, Lesley; Krause, Vicki L; Currie, Bart J

2011-10-01

Data relating to acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) from the notifiable diseases surveillance system in the Northern Territory of Australia was extracted and analyzed. Isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes from confirmed cases were emm sequence typed. From 1991 to July 2008, there were 415 confirmed cases and 23 probable cases of APSGN notified. Four hundred fifteen (94.7%) of these were Indigenous Australians and 428 (97.7%) were people living in remote or very remote locations. The median age of cases was 7 years (range 0-54). The incidence of confirmed cases was 12.5/100,000 person-years, with an incidence in Indigenous Australian children younger than 15 years of age of 94.3 cases/100,000 person-years. The overall rate ratio of confirmed cases in Indigenous Australians to non-Indigenous Australians was 53.6 (95% confidence interval 32.6-94.8). Outbreaks of disease across multiple communities occurred in 1995 (N = 68), 2000 (N = 55), and 2005 (N = 87 [confirmed cases]). Various emm types of S. pyogenes were isolated from cases of APSGN including some types not previously recognized to be nephritogenic. The widespread outbreak in 2005 was caused by emm55.0 S. pyogenes. Acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis continues to occur in remote Indigenous communities in Australia at rates comparable to or higher than those estimated in developing countries. Improvements in preventative and outbreak control strategies are needed.

Remote and Invisible: The Voices of Female Indigenous Educational Leaders in Northern Territory Remote Community Schools in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamara, Martha

2017-01-01

While the literature on women and educational leadership has been addressed in substantive ways in recent years, the experiences that reflect female Australian educational leaders are rare. This article reports findings from a study of five female Indigenous principals in the Northern Territory utilising biographic narratives and foregrounds their…

Biomass burning and biogenic aerosols in northern Australia during the SAFIRED campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milic, Andelija; Mallet, Marc D.; Cravigan, Luke T.; Alroe, Joel; Ristovski, Zoran D.; Selleck, Paul; Lawson, Sarah J.; Ward, Jason; Desservettaz, Maximilien J.; Paton-Walsh, Clare; Williams, Leah R.; Keywood, Melita D.; Miljevic, Branka

2017-03-01

There is a lack of knowledge of how biomass burning aerosols in the tropics age, including those in the fire-prone Northern Territory in Australia. This paper reports chemical characterization of fresh and aged aerosols monitored during the 1-month-long SAFIRED (Savannah Fires in the Early Dry Season) field study, with an emphasis on the chemical signature and aging of organic aerosols. The campaign took place in June 2014 during the early dry season when the surface measurement site, the Australian Tropical Atmospheric Research Station (ATARS), located in the Northern Territory, was heavily influenced by thousands of wild and prescribed bushfires. ATARS was equipped with a wide suite of instrumentation for gaseous and aerosol characterization. A compact time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer was deployed to monitor aerosol chemical composition. Approximately 90 % of submicron non-refractory mass was composed of organic material. Ozone enhancement in biomass burning plumes indicated increased air mass photochemistry. The diversity in biomass burning emissions was illustrated through variability in chemical signature (e.g. wide range in f44, from 0.06 to 0.18) for five intense fire events. The background particulate loading was characterized using positive matrix factorization (PMF). A PMF-resolved BBOA (biomass burning organic aerosol) factor comprised 24 % of the submicron non-refractory organic aerosol mass, confirming the significance of fire sources. A dominant PMF factor, OOA (oxygenated organic aerosol), made up 47 % of the sampled aerosol, illustrating the importance of aerosol aging in the Northern Territory. Biogenic isoprene-derived organic aerosol factor was the third significant fraction of the background aerosol (28 %).

Analysis of clinical presentation, pathological spectra, treatment and outcomes of biopsy-proven acute postinfectious glomerulonephritis in adult indigenous people of the Northern Territory of Australia.

PubMed

Ramanathan, Ganesh; Abeyaratne, Asanga; Sundaram, Madhivanan; Fernandes, David Kiran; Pawar, Basant; Perry, Greg John; Sajiv, Cherian; Majoni, Sandawana William

2017-05-01

Acute postinfectious glomerulonephritis is common in indigenous communities in the Northern Territory, Australia. It is a major risk factor for the high prevalence of chronic kidney disease. We aimed to analyse the clinical presentation, pathological spectra, treatment and outcomes of biopsy-proven acute postinfectious glomerulonephritis in the Northern Territory. We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of all adult patients (≥18 years) who were diagnosed with acute postinfectious glomerulonephritis on native renal biopsies from 01/01/2004 to 31/05/2014. The outcome measure was end-stage renal disease requiring long-term dialysis. Forty-three of 340 patients who had renal biopsies had acute postinfectious glomerulonephritis. Most were Aboriginals (88.4%). They had co-morbidities; diabetes mellitus (60.5%), hypertension (60.5%) and smoking (56.4%). Forty-nine per cent had multiple pathologies on biopsy. Predominant histological pattern was diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis (72%). Main sites of infections were skin (47.6%) and upper respiratory tract infection (26.2%) with streptococcus and staphylococcus as predominant organisms. Fifty per cent of patients developed end-stage renal disease. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, those on dialysis had higher baseline creatinine (P = 0.003), higher albumin/creatinine ratio at presentation (P = 0.023), higher serum creatinine at presentation (P = 0.02) and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate at presentation (P = 0.012). Overall, most patients had pre-existing pathology with superimposed acute postinfectious glomerulonephritis that led to poor outcomes in our cohort. © 2016 Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology.

Acute Post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis in the Northern Territory of Australia: A Review of 16 Years Data and Comparison with the Literature

PubMed Central

Marshall, Catherine S.; Cheng, Allen C.; Markey, Peter G.; Towers, Rebecca J.; Richardson, Leisha J.; Fagan, Peter K.; Scott, Lesley; Krause, Vicki L.; Currie, Bart J.

2011-01-01

Data relating to acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) from the notifiable diseases surveillance system in the Northern Territory of Australia was extracted and analyzed. Isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes from confirmed cases were emm sequence typed. From 1991 to July 2008, there were 415 confirmed cases and 23 probable cases of APSGN notified. Four hundred fifteen (94.7%) of these were Indigenous Australians and 428 (97.7%) were people living in remote or very remote locations. The median age of cases was 7 years (range 0–54). The incidence of confirmed cases was 12.5/100,000 person-years, with an incidence in Indigenous Australian children younger than 15 years of age of 94.3 cases/100,000 person-years. The overall rate ratio of confirmed cases in Indigenous Australians to non-Indigenous Australians was 53.6 (95% confidence interval 32.6–94.8). Outbreaks of disease across multiple communities occurred in 1995 (N = 68), 2000 (N = 55), and 2005 (N = 87 [confirmed cases]). Various emm types of S. pyogenes were isolated from cases of APSGN including some types not previously recognized to be nephritogenic. The widespread outbreak in 2005 was caused by emm55.0 S. pyogenes. Acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis continues to occur in remote Indigenous communities in Australia at rates comparable to or higher than those estimated in developing countries. Improvements in preventative and outbreak control strategies are needed. PMID:21976576

Revegetation strategies for bauxite refinery residue: a case study of Alcan Gove in Northern Territory, Australia.

PubMed

Wehr, J Bernhard; Fulton, Ian; Menzies, Neal W

2006-03-01

Alumina extraction from bauxite ore with strong alkali produces waste bauxite refinery residue consisting of residue sand and red mud. The amount and composition of refinery residue depend on the purity of the bauxite ore and extraction conditions, and differs between refineries. The refinery residue is usually stored in engineered disposal areas that eventually have to be revegetated. This is challenging because of the alkaline and sodic nature of the residue. At Alcan Gove's bauxite refinery in Gove, Northern Territory, Australia, research into revegetation of bauxite residue has been conducted since the mid-1970s. In this review, we discuss approaches taken by Alcan Gove to achieve revegetation outcomes (soil capping of refinery residue) on wet-slurry disposal areas. Problems encountered in the past include poor drainage and water logging during the wet season, and salt scalding and capillary rise during the dry season. The amount of available water in the soil capping is the most important determinant of vegetation survival in the seasonally dry climate. Vegetation cover was found to prevent deterioration of the soil cover by minimising capillary rise of alkalinity from the refinery residue. The sodicity and alkalinity of the residue in old impoundments has diminished slightly over the 25 years since it was deposited. However, development of a blocky structure in red mud, presumably due to desiccation, allows root penetration, thereby supplying additional water to salt and alkali-tolerant plant species. This has led to the establishment of an ecosystem that approaches a native woodland.

Junior medical officer recruitment: challenges and lessons from the Northern Territory.

PubMed

McDonald, Robert; Sathianathan, Vino

2007-06-01

To examine the influence of newspaper and Internet advertising, word-of-mouth endorsement and student experience in attracting applicants for junior medical officer positions in the Northern Territory. A retrospective study. Fifty-four applicants for junior medical officer positions. Proportion of applicants who reported newspaper advertising, Internet advertising, word of mouth or personal experience in attracting their application for an intern or resident medical officer position. Nineteen per cent of applicants saw the newspaper advertisement and 52% of the Internet advertisement. Eighty-seven per cent of applicants were influenced by word-of-mouth endorsement and 52% by student experience in the Northern Territory or Indigenous health. These results suggest that word-of-mouth endorsement has the greatest influence in attracting applicants for junior medical officer positions in Northern Territory hospitals.

The Introduction of Middle Schools in the Northern Territory: Processes and Reality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Bill

2006-01-01

The year 2006 has been a year in which a decision on the introduction of middle schools has been made by the Labor government of the Northern Territory. The initial impetus for the change came from the 2003 Secondary Education Review "Future Directions for Secondary Education in the Northern Territory," chaired by Gregor Ramsay. There…

Diagnosis and treatment for vulvar cancer for indigenous women from East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory: bioethical reflections.

PubMed

McGrath, Pam; Rawson, Nicole; Adidi, Leonora

2015-06-01

This paper explores the bioethical issues associated with the diagnosis and treatment of vulvar cancer for Indigenous women in East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Based on a qualitative study of a vulvar cancer cluster of Indigenous women, the article highlights four main topics of bioethical concern drawn from the findings: informed consent, removal of body parts, pain management, and issues at the interface of Indigenous and Western health care. The article seeks to make a contribution towards Indigenous health and bioethics and bring to light areas of further research.

Economic evaluation of point-of-care testing in the remote primary health care setting of Australia's Northern Territory.

PubMed

Spaeth, Brooke A; Kaambwa, Billingsley; Shephard, Mark Ds; Omond, Rodney

2018-01-01

To determine the cost-effectiveness of utilizing point-of-care testing (POCT) on the Abbott i-STAT device as a support tool to aid decisions regarding the emergency medical retrievals of patients at remote health centers in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. A decision analytic simulation model-based economic evaluation was conducted using data from patients presenting with three common acute conditions (chest pain, chronic renal failure due to missed dialysis session(s), and acute diarrhea) at six remote NT health centers from July to December 2015. The specific outcomes measured in this study were the number of unnecessary emergency medical retrieval prevented through POCT. Cost savings through prevented unnecessary medical retrievals for each presentation type were then determined and extrapolated to give per annum NT-wide estimates. POCT prevented 60 unnecessary medical evacuations from a total of 200 patient cases meeting the selection criteria (48/147 for chest pain, 10/28 for missed dialysis, and 2/25 for acute diarrhea). The associated cost savings were AUD $4,674, $8,034, and $786 per patient translating to NT-wide savings of AUD $13.72 million, $6.45 million, and $1.57 million per annum (AUD $21.75 million in total) for chest pain, missed dialysis, and acute diarrhea presentations, respectively. This study demonstrated that POCT when used to aid decision making for acutely ill patients delivered significant cost savings for the NT health care system by preventing unnecessary emergency medical retrievals.

Roaming behaviour of dogs in four remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, Australia: preliminary investigations.

PubMed

Molloy, S; Burleigh, A; Dürr, S; Ward, M P

2017-03-01

To estimate the home range (HR) and investigate the potential predictors for roaming of 58 dogs in four Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. Prospective study. Global positioning system (GPS) collars were attached to the dogs for 1-4 days, recording location fixes every 1-3 min. Utilisation distributions (UDs) and extended (95% isopleth) and core (50% isopleth) HRs of dogs were determined. Potential predictors of roaming were assessed. Estimated core (median, 0.27 ha) and extended (median, 3.1 ha) HRs differed significantly (P = 0.0225 and 0.0345, respectively) between the four communities; dogs in the coastal community travelled significantly (P < 0.0001) more per day than dogs in the three inland communities studied. Significant associations were found between extended HR size and sex (P = 0.0050) and sex + neuter (P = 0.0218), and between core HR size and sex (P = 0.0010), neuter status (P = 0.0255) and sex + neuter (P = 0.0025). Entire males roamed more than neutered females. The core HR of dogs with poor/fair body condition scores (BCSs) was larger than dogs with ideal/obese BCSs (P = 0.0394). Neutered male dogs also travelled more per day than entire female dogs (P = 0.0475). Roaming information can be used to inform the management of dogs in remote communities and to design disease control programs. Widespread data collection across the Northern Territory should be undertaken to further investigate the associations found in this study, considering that data were collected during relatively short periods of time in one season. © 2017 Australian Veterinary Association.

Uncertainties around the Implementation of a Clearing-Control Policy in a Unique Catchment in Northern Australia: Exploring Equity Issues and Balancing Competing Objectives

PubMed Central

Adams, Vanessa M.; Pressey, Robert L.

2014-01-01

Land use change is the most significant driver linked to global species extinctions. In Northern Australia, the landscape is still relatively intact with very low levels of clearing. However, a re-energized political discourse around creating a northern food bowl means that currently intact ecosystems in northern Australia could be under imminent threat from increased land clearing and water extraction. These impacts are likely to be concentrated in a few regions with suitable soils and water supplies. The Daly River Catchment in the Northern Territory is an important catchment for both conservation and development. Land use in the Daly catchment has been subject to clearing guidelines that are largely untested in terms of their eventual implications for the spatial configuration of conservation and development. Given the guidelines are not legislated they might also be removed or revised by subsequent Territory Governments, including the recently-elected one. We examine the uncertainties around the spatial implications of full implementation of the Daly clearing guidelines and their potential effects on equity of opportunity across land tenures and land uses. We also examine how removal of the guidelines could affect conservation in the catchment. We conclude that the guidelines are important in supporting development in the catchment while still achieving conservation goals, and we recommend ways of implementing the guidelines to make best use of available land resources for intensified production. PMID:24798486

Are childhood immunization programmes in Australia at risk? Investigation of the cold chain in the Northern Territory.

PubMed

Miller, N C; Harris, M F

1994-01-01

Since vaccines may lose their potency if transported or stored outside the recommended temperature range (2-8 degrees C), we carried out a study in the Darwin area of the Northern Territory of Australia to determine the links in the cold chain, including the extent of vaccine monitoring, and whether the vaccines were being exposed to unsafe temperatures. Sabin oral poliomyelitis vaccine (OPV) and recombinant hepatitis-B (HB) vaccine were selected for special monitoring. A total of 127 vials of OPV and 144 vials of HB vaccine were dispatched during October, November and December 1990 to the government, independent health services and general practitioner surgeries which routinely administer these vaccines. We distributed the two vaccines with MonitorMark time/temperature and Coldside indicator tags attached to cards for recording the date, location and temperature exposures each time the vaccines were moved or used. A total of 65% of the OPV and 41% of the HB vaccine monitor cards were returned for analysis. The vaccines were transported and stored at one to four locations prior to being administered. Some 23% of tagged OPV was exposed for 48 hours or more to a temperature > 10 degrees C; 47.5% of tagged HB vaccines were exposed to -3 degrees C or less, the majority of them during storage in health facilities or clinics. Exposures were independent of distance from the distribution centre, mode of transport, or type of facility. Our results show that the vaccines were often exposed to temperatures outside the recommended range during transport and storage, putting them at risk of loss of potency.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Davenport Ranges, Northern Territory, Australia, SRTM Shaded Relief and Colored Height

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-01-06

The Davenport Ranges of central Australia have been inferred to be among the oldest persisting landforms on Earth, founded on the belief that the interior of Australia has been tectonically stable for at least 700 million years.

Curriculum Policies for Students with Special Needs in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aspland, Tania; Datta, Poulomee; Talukdar, Joy

2012-01-01

The curriculum policies for students with special needs across Australia have been reviewed. The Curriculum Framework in the Australian Capital Territory is used to inform their school based curriculum. The Northern Territory Curriculum Framework describes what learners are expected to achieve and what learners have achieved. The New South Wales…

Flow characteristics of rivers in northern Australia: Implications for development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petheram, Cuan; McMahon, Thomas A.; Peel, Murray C.

2008-07-01

SummaryAnnual, monthly and daily streamflows from 99 unregulated rivers across northern Australia were analysed to assess the general surface water resources of the region and their implications for development. The potential for carry-over storages was assessed using the Gould-Dincer Gamma method, which utilises the mean, standard deviation, skewness and lag-one serial correlation coefficient of annual flows. Runs Analysis was used to describe the characteristics of drought in northern Australia and the potential for 'active' water harvesting was evaluated by Base Flow Separation, Flow Duration Curves and Spells Analysis. These parameters for northern Australia were compared with data from southern Australia and data for similar Köppen class from around the world. Notably, the variability and seasonality of annual streamflow across northern Australia were observed to be high compared with that of similar Köppen classes from the rest of the world (RoW). The high inter-annual variability of runoff means that carry-over storages in northern Australia will need to be considerably larger than for rivers from the RoW (assuming similar mean annual runoff, yield and reliability). For example, in the three major Köppen zones across the North, it was possible (theoretically) to only exploit approximately 33% (Köppen Aw; n = 6), 25% (Köppen BSh; n = 12) and 13% (Köppen BWh; n = 11) of mean annual streamflow (assuming a hypothetical storage size equal to the mean annual flow). Over 90% of north Australian rivers had a Base Flow Index of less than 0.4, 72% had negative annual lag-one autocorrelation values and in half the rivers sampled greater than 80% of the total flow occurred during the 3-month peak period. These data confirm that flow in the rivers of northern Australia is largely event driven and that the north Australian environment has limited natural storage capacity. Hence, there is relatively little opportunity in many northern rivers to actively harvest water

Distribution, territory occupancy, dispersal, and demography of northern goshawks on the Kaibab Plateau, Arizona

Treesearch

Richard T. Reynolds; Suzanne M. Joy

1998-01-01

We studied 347 nesting attempts on 107 nesting territories of northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) on 1,732 km2 of the Kaibab Plateau, Arizona from 1991-1996. Mark and recapture methodology was used to estimate survival probabilities, territory and mate fidelity, turnover on territories, and dispersal. Territories were regularly spaced at a mean...

New species of Drymopsalta Heath Cicadas (Cicadidae: Cicadettinae: Cicadettini) from Queensland and Northern Territory, Australia, with overview of genus.

PubMed

Ewart, A; Popple, L W

2013-01-01

Three new species are described in the genus Drymopsalta Ewart, previously known only from D. crepitum Ewart and D. daemeli Distant. The three new species occur in Southern Queensland and Northern Territory. D. wallumi sp. nov. occurs along coastal S.E. Queensland, whereas D. hobsoni sp. nov. is restricted to the Bringalily State Forest, near Inglewood, southern inland Queensland. D. acrotela sp. nov. is found in the Litchfield National Park and other locations near Jabaluka, Cahills Crossing, E. Alligator River and Nourlangie, all across the northern Northern Territory. D. crepitum occurs on the Cape York Peninsular extending into the southern Gulf, while D. daemeli occurs in two localised regions in central coastal N.S.W. Each of the species inhabits heath vegetation, often spilling-over into adjacent tree foliage. The species of Drymopsalta are small and inconspicuous cicadas (< 15 mm body length) with relatively high frequency songs (~15 to 22 kHz). The temporal structures of the normal calling songs follow a similar pattern in each species, consisting of the emission of short chirps (comprising 2-16 ticks). Between the chirps are emitted one (D. wallumi, D. hobsoni, D. acrotela), two (D. daemeli) or 1-9 (D. crepitum) intervening single ticks. The species can be distinguished by the timing and the number of these single ticks relative to the adjacent chirps with the notable exception of D. hobsoni and D. acrotela. The calling songs of these two allopatric species are indistinguishable, an unusual feature in Australian cicadas. Two additional song variants are described, a more unstructured chirping song without intervening single ticks observed in each of the species except D. crepitum, and periodic extended buzzing echemes emitted within the calling songs (excepting the D. wallumi song).

Surface rupture and vertical deformation associated with 20 May 2016 M6 Petermann Ranges earthquake, Northern Territory, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gold, Ryan; Clark, Dan; King, Tamarah; Quigley, Mark

2017-04-01

Surface-rupturing earthquakes in stable continental regions (SCRs) occur infrequently, though when they occur in heavily populated regions the damage and loss of life can be severe (e.g., 2001 Bhuj earthquake). Quantifying the surface-rupture characteristics of these low-probability events is therefore important, both to improve understanding of the on- and off-fault deformation field near the rupture trace and to provide additional constraints on earthquake magnitude to rupture length and displacement, which are critical inputs for seismic hazard calculations. This investigation focuses on the 24 August 2016 M6.0 Petermann Ranges earthquake, Northern Territory, Australia. We use 0.3-0.5 m high-resolution optical Worldview satellite imagery to map the trace of the surface rupture associated with the earthquake. From our mapping, we are able to trace the rupture over a length of 20 km, trending NW, and exhibiting apparent north-side-up motion. To quantify the magnitude of vertical surface deformation, we use stereo Worldview images processed using NASA Ames Stereo Pipeline software to generate pre- and post-earthquake digital terrain models with a spatial resolution of 1.5 to 2 m. The surface scarp is apparent in much of the post-event digital terrain model. Initial efforts to difference the pre- and post-event digital terrain models yield noisy results, though we detect vertical deformation of 0.2 to 0.6 m over length scales of 100 m to 1 km from the mapped trace of the rupture. Ongoing efforts to remove ramps and perform spatial smoothing will improve our understanding of the extent and pattern of vertical deformation. Additionally, we will compare our results with InSAR and field measurements obtained following the earthquake.

Multiple biogeographical barriers identified across the monsoon tropics of northern Australia: phylogeographic analysis of the brachyotis group of rock-wallabies.

PubMed

Potter, Sally; Eldridge, Mark D B; Taggart, David A; Cooper, Steven J B

2012-05-01

The monsoon tropics of northern Australia are a globally significant biodiversity hotspot, but its phylogeography is poorly known. A major challenge for this region is to understand the biogeographical processes that have shaped the distribution and diversity of taxa, without detailed knowledge of past climatic and environmental fluctuations. Although molecular data have great potential to address these questions, only a few species have been examined phylogeographically. Here, we use the widely distributed and abundant short-eared rock-wallaby (Petrogale brachyotis; n = 101), together with the sympatric monjon (P. burbidgei; n = 11) and nabarlek (P. concinna; n = 1), to assess historical evolutionary and biogeographical processes in northern Australia. We sequenced ∼1000 bp of mitochondrial DNA (control region, ND2) and ∼3000 bp of nDNA (BRCA1, ω-globin and two anonymous loci) to investigate phylogeographic structuring and delineate the time-scale of diversification within the region. Our results indicate multiple barriers between the Top End (Northern Territory) and Kimberley (Western Australia), which have caused divergence throughout the Plio-Pleistocene. Eight geographically discrete and genetically distinct lineages within the brachyotis group were identified, five of which are separated by major river valleys (Ord, Victoria, Daly), arid lowlands and discontinuous sandstone ranges. It is likely that these barriers have similarly influenced genetic structure in other monsoonal biota. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Northern Territory perspectives on heart failure with comorbidities – understanding trial validity and exploring collaborative opportunities to broaden the evidence base.

PubMed

Iyngkaran, P; Majoni, W; Cass, A; Sanders, Prashanthan; Ronco, C; Brady, S; Kangaharan, N; Ilton, M; Hare, D L; Thomas, M C

2015-06-01

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is an ambulatory care sensitive condition, associated with significant morbidity and mortality, rarely with cure. Outpatient based pharmacological management represents the main and most important aspect of care, and is usually lifelong. This narrative styled opinion review looks at the pharmacological agents recommended in the guidelines in context of the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. We explore the concept of validity, a term used to describe the basis of standardising a particular trial or study and the population to which it is applicable. We aim to highlight the problems of the current guidelines based approach. We also present alternatives that could utilise the core principles from major trials, while incorporating regional considerations, which could benefit clients living in the NT and remote Australia. Copyright © 2015 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving health service delivery for women with diabetes in pregnancy in remote Australia: survey of care in the Northern Territory Diabetes in Pregnancy Partnership.

PubMed

Edwards, Laura; Connors, Christine; Whitbread, Cherie; Brown, Alex; Oats, Jeremy; Maple-Brown, Louise

2014-12-01

In the Northern Territory (NT), 38% of 3500 births each year are to Indigenous women, 80% of whom live in regional and remote areas. Compared with the general Australian population, rates of pre-existing type 2 diabetes in pregnancy are 10-fold higher and rates of gestational diabetes are 1.5-fold higher among Indigenous women. Current practices in screening for diabetes in pregnancy in remote Australia are not known. To assess current health service delivery for NT women with diabetes in pregnancy (DIP) by surveying healthcare professionals' views and practices in DIP screening and management. A cross-sectional survey of NT healthcare professionals providing clinical care for women with DIP was conducted based on pre-identified themes of communication, care-coordination, education, orientation and guidelines, logistics and access, and information technology. Of the 116 responders to the survey, 78% were primary healthcare professionals, 32% midwives and 25% general practitioners. High staff turnover was evident: of Central Australian professionals, only 33% (urban) and 18% (regional/remote) had been in their current position over 5 years. DIP screening was conducted at first antenatal visit by 66% and at 24-28-week gestation by 81%. Only 50% of respondents agreed that most women at their health service received appropriate care for DIP, and 41% of primary care practitioners were neutral or not confident in their skills to manage DIP. It is promising that many healthcare professionals report following new guidelines in conducting early pregnancy screening for DIP in high risk women. Several challenges were identified in healthcare delivery to a high risk population in remote Australia. © 2014 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Teachers' Emotional Responses to New Pedagogical Tools in High Challenge Settings: Illustrations from the Northern Territory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harper, Helen

2012-01-01

This paper explores the role of teachers' emotions in adopting new pedagogical tools in urban and remote schools in the Northern Territory. The discussion is illustrated through case study material of Northern Territory teachers who had taken up using a web-based early childhood literacy resource called ABRACADABRA. A sociocultural perspective is…

The legislation of active voluntary euthanasia in Australia: will the slippery slope prove fatal?

PubMed Central

Kerridge, I H; Mitchell, K R

1996-01-01

At 2.00 am on the morning of May 24, 1995 the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly Australia passed the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act by the narrow margin of 15 votes to 10. The act permits a terminally ill patient of sound mind and over the age of 18 years, and who is either in pain or suffering, or distress, to request a medical practitioner to assist the patient to terminate his or her life. Thus, Australia can lay claim to being the first country in the world to legalise voluntary active euthanasia. The Northern Territory's act has prompted Australia-wide community reaction, particularly in South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory where proposals to legalise euthanasia have already been defeated on the floor of parliament. In New South Wales (NSW) the AIDS Council of NSW has prepared draft euthanasia legislation to be introduced into the Upper House as a Private Member's Bill some time in 1996. In this paper, we focus on a brief description of events as they occurred and on the arguments for and against the legalisation of euthanasia which have appeared in the media. PMID:8910778

The legislation of active voluntary euthanasia in Australia: will the slippery slope prove fatal?

PubMed

Kerridge, I H; Mitchell, K R

1996-10-01

At 2.00 am on the morning of May 24, 1995 the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly Australia passed the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act by the narrow margin of 15 votes to 10. The act permits a terminally ill patient of sound mind and over the age of 18 years, and who is either in pain or suffering, or distress, to request a medical practitioner to assist the patient to terminate his or her life. Thus, Australia can lay claim to being the first country in the world to legalise voluntary active euthanasia. The Northern Territory's act has prompted Australia-wide community reaction, particularly in South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory where proposals to legalise euthanasia have already been defeated on the floor of parliament. In New South Wales (NSW) the AIDS Council of NSW has prepared draft euthanasia legislation to be introduced into the Upper House as a Private Member's Bill some time in 1996. In this paper, we focus on a brief description of events as they occurred and on the arguments for and against the legalisation of euthanasia which have appeared in the media.

Pathological Features of Fatal Crocodile Attacks in Northern Australia, 2005-2014.

PubMed

Sinton, Terence J; Byard, Roger W

2016-11-01

Eleven deaths from crocodile attacks in the Northern Territory, Australia were reviewed. The male:female ratio was 8:3; age range-10-62 years, average 29.4 years. Four children were included (one boy and three girls, aged 10, 11, and two at 12 years), and there were seven aboriginal victims (64%). The attacks were witnessed in eight cases with the victims swimming in freshwater N = 5, standing on a river bank N = 1, fishing in fresh water N = 1, or diving in the sea N = 1. At autopsy, several distinct patterns of injury were observed ranging from complete traumatic disruption of the body with only incomplete remains for examination (N = 5), to crushing of the head with fractures of the skull (N = 4), crushing of the chest with fractures of the ribs and sternum (N = 2), and avulsion of limbs (N = 4). In one case, there was decapitation. Autopsy evaluations were complicated by decomposition and loss of body parts. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Characterization of a G1P[8] rotavirus causing an outbreak of gastroenteritis in the Northern Territory, Australia, in the vaccine era.

PubMed

Donato, Celeste M; Cowley, Daniel; Snelling, Thomas L; Akopov, Asmik; Kirkness, Ewen F; Kirkwood, Carl D

2014-07-01

In 2010, a large outbreak of rotavirus gastroenteritis occurred in the Alice Springs region of the Northern Territory, Australia. The outbreak occurred 43 months after the introduction of the G1P[8] rotavirus vaccine Rotarix(®). Forty-three infants were hospitalized during the outbreak and analysis of fecal samples from each infant revealed a G1P[8] rotavirus strain. The outbreak strain was adapted to cell culture and neutralization assays were performed using VP7 and VP4 neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. The outbreak strain exhibited a distinct neutralization resistance pattern compared to the Rotarix(®) vaccine strain. Whole genome sequencing of the 2010 outbreak virus strain demonstrated numerous amino acid differences compared to the Rotarix(®) vaccine strain in the characterized neutralization epitopes of the VP7 and VP4 proteins. Phylogenetic analysis of the outbreak strain revealed a close genetic relationship to global strains, in particular RVA/Human-wt/BEL/BE0098/2009/G1P[8] and RVA/Human-wt/BEL/BE00038/2008/G1P[8] for numerous genes. The 2010 outbreak strain was likely introduced from a globally circulating population of strains rather than evolving from an endemic Australian strain. The outbreak strain possessed antigenic differences in the VP7 and VP4 proteins compared to the Rotarix(®) vaccine strain. The outbreak was associated with moderate vaccine coverage and possibly low vaccine take in the population.

From the bush to the big smoke--development of a hybrid urban community based medical education program in the Northern Territory, Australia.

PubMed

Morgan, S; Smedts, A; Campbell, N; Sager, R; Lowe, M; Strasser, S

2009-01-01

The Northern Territory (NT) of Australia is a unique setting for training medical students. This learning environment is characterised by Aboriginal health and an emphasis on rural and remote primary care practice. For over a decade the NT Clinical School (NTCS) of Flinders University has been teaching undergraduate medical students in the NT. Community based medical education (CBME) has been demonstrated to be an effective method of learning medicine, particularly in rural settings. As a result, it is rapidly gaining popularity in Australia and other countries. The NTCS adopted this model some years ago with the implementation of its Rural Clinical School; however, urban models of CBME are much less well developed than those in rural areas. There is considerable pressure to better incorporate CBME into medical student teaching environment, particularly because of the projected massive increase in student numbers over the next few years. To date, the community setting of urban Darwin, the NT capital city, has not been well utilised for medical student training. In 2008, the NTCS enrolled its first cohort of students in a new hybrid CBME program based in urban Darwin. This report describes the process and challenges involved in development of the program, including justification for a hybrid model and the adaptation of a rural model to an urban setting. Relationships were established and formalised with key partners and stakeholders, including GPs and general practices, Aboriginal medical services, community based healthcare providers and other general practice and community organisations. Other significant issues included curriculum development and review, development of learning materials and the establishment of robust evaluation methods. Development of the CBME model in Darwin posed a number of key challenges. Although the experience of past rural programs was useful, a number of distinct differences were evident in the urban setting. Change leadership and inter

Visual outcomes following vitrectomy for diabetic retinopathy amongst Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in South Australia and the Northern Territory.

PubMed

Kaidonis, Georgia; Hassall, Mark M; Phillips, Russell; Raymond, Grant; Saha, Niladri; Wong, George Hc; Gilhotra, Jagjit S; Liu, Ebony; Burdon, Kathryn P; Henderson, Tim; Newland, Henry; Lake, Stewart R; Craig, Jamie E

2018-05-01

Visual outcomes following diabetic vitrectomy have not previously been studied in an Australian population. This analysis aimed to determine the rate of, and factors associated with visual success following diabetic vitrectomy performed for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, and investigate factors predisposing to early progression to diabetic retinopathy (DR) requiring vitrectomy. Retrospective, population-based audit. All patients undergoing vitrectomy for the complications of DR in South Australia (SA) and the Northern Territory (NT) between 2007 and 2011. Medical records were audited and data collected, including demographics, diabetic history, past treatment for DR, indication for vitrectomy and visual acuity pre and postoperatively. Visual success (gain of ≥15 ETDRS letters) at 6 and 12 months, postoperatively. A total of 495 diabetic vitrectomies, for 404 eyes of 335 patients were performed in SA and NT between 2007 and 2011. 77 (23%) patients requiring diabetic vitrectomy were Indigenous Australians. 87% of patients undergoing diabetic vitrectomy had stable or improved vision at 1 year, postoperatively. There was no significant difference between indigenous and non-indigenous eyes achieving visual success (P = 0.929). Timely preoperative laser treatment (P = 0.03) and preoperative visual acuity (P = 0.01) were the predominant factors associated with visual success. Indigenous patients are just as likely to have improved vision following diabetic vitrectomy as non-Indigenous Australians. However, the small subset of indigenous patients with blind eyes prior to vitrectomy are significantly less likely to improve from surgery. The underlying factors associated with poor outcomes in this group requires further exploration. © 2017 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

Three new species of the sucking louse genus Hoplopleura (Phthiraptera: Anoplura: Hoplopleuridae) from rodents (Mammalia: Rodentia: Muridae) in northern Australia.

PubMed

Weaver, Haylee J

2017-03-23

Three new species of the rodent louse genus Hoplopleura (Anoplura: Hoplopleuridae) are described and illustrated from Australia: H. melomydis new species from Melomys burtoni (Muridae: Hydromyini, grassland melomys) and M. capensis (Muridae: Hydromyini, Cape York melomys) from Queensland; H. notomydis new species and H. setosa new species from Notomys alexis (Muridae: Hydromyini, spinifex hopping mouse) from the Northern Territory. These new louse species are the first lice recorded from each of the three host rodent species.

Sustainable management for rangelands in a variable climate: evidence and insights from northern Australia.

PubMed

O'Reagain, P J; Scanlan, J C

2013-03-01

Inter-annual rainfall variability is a major challenge to sustainable and productive grazing management on rangelands. In Australia, rainfall variability is particularly pronounced and failure to manage appropriately leads to major economic loss and environmental degradation. Recommended strategies to manage sustainably include stocking at long-term carrying capacity (LTCC) or varying stock numbers with forage availability. These strategies are conceptually simple but difficult to implement, given the scale and spatial heterogeneity of grazing properties and the uncertainty of the climate. This paper presents learnings and insights from northern Australia gained from research and modelling on managing for rainfall variability. A method to objectively estimate LTCC in large, heterogeneous paddocks is discussed, and guidelines and tools to tactically adjust stocking rates are presented. The possible use of seasonal climate forecasts (SCF) in management is also considered. Results from a 13-year grazing trial in Queensland show that constant stocking at LTCC was far more profitable and largely maintained land condition compared with heavy stocking (HSR). Variable stocking (VAR) with or without the use of SCF was marginally more profitable, but income variability was greater and land condition poorer than constant stocking at LTCC. Two commercial scale trials in the Northern Territory with breeder cows highlighted the practical difficulties of variable stocking and provided evidence that heavier pasture utilisation rates depress reproductive performance. Simulation modelling across a range of regions in northern Australia also showed a decline in resource condition and profitability under heavy stocking rates. Modelling further suggested that the relative value of variable v. constant stocking depends on stocking rate and land condition. Importantly, variable stocking may possibly allow slightly higher stocking rates without pasture degradation. Enterprise

Melville Island, Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Melville Island, just off the coast of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia (11.5S, 131.0E) is a sparsely inhabited tropical island with heavy woodland concentrations. The widespread and prominant smoke plumes were most likely set to renew pasture under open canopy woodland. Soil erosion is almost non- existant as can be seen by the clear and clean river flow. The offshore sediments are coastal current borne deposits from King Sound to the west.

Hammersley Range, northern Western Australia

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-04-29

The oval shaped basin of the sedimentary rocks of the Hammersley Range, northern Western Australia (23.0S, 119.0E) dominates the center of this near nadir view. The Fortescue River is the remarkably straight, fault controlled feature bordering the Hammersley on the north. Sand dunes are the main surface features in the northeast and southwest. Many dry lakebeds can be seen to the east as light grey colored patches along the watercourses.

Revision of the genus Hydroides (Annelida: Serpulidae) from Australia.

PubMed

Sun, Yanan; Wong, Eunice; ten Hove, Harry A; Hutchings, Pat A; Williamson, Jane E; Kupriyanova, Elena K

2015-09-01

Hydroides Gunnerus, 1768 is the largest and one of the economically most important genera of calcareous tubeworms (Serpulidae, Annelida) that includes a number of notorious fouling and bioinvading species. Although the representatives of the genus are typically found in shallow waters of tropical and subtropical areas worldwide, the species composition of the genus in Australia has never been revised. We conducted the first detailed regional taxonomic revision of Hydroides species based both on the historical collections from Australian museums (Australian Museum, Museum Victoria, South Australian Museum, Western Australian Museum, Queensland Museum, and Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory) and newly collected material from New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Northern Territory, and Western Australia. In total, 25 species are currently considered valid in Australia, including three new species: H. amri n. sp. from NSW, SA, and Vic (previously referred to as H. cf. brachyacantha), as well as H. glasbyi n. sp. and H. qiui n. sp., both from NT, and two new records of H. furcifera and H. multispinosa for Australia. We have synonymised H. spiratubus with H. albiceps, and H. spiculitubus with H. tambalagamensis in this study. The status of the taxon H. cf. recta remains undecided. An identification key and diagnoses accompanied by original high-quality photographs for all species recorded in Australia are provided. Application of molecular genetics is needed to resolve the status of some problematic species.

Organisational intervention to reduce occupational stress and turnover in hospital nurses in the Northern Territory, Australia.

PubMed

Rickard, Greg; Lenthall, Sue; Dollard, Maureen; Opie, Tessa; Knight, Sabina; Dunn, Sandra; Wakerman, John; MacLeod, Martha; Seller, Jo; Brewster-Webb, Denise

2012-01-01

To evaluate the impact of an organisational intervention aimed to reduce occupational stress and turnover rates of 55% in hospital nurses. The evaluation used a pre- and post-intervention design, triangulating data from surveys and archival information. Two public hospitals (H1 and H2) in the Northern Territory (NT) Australia participated in the intervention. 484 nurses from the two NT hospitals (H1, Wave 1, N = 103, Wave 2, N = 173; H2, Wave 1, N = 75, Wave 2, N = 133) responded to questionnaires administered in 2008 and in 2010. The intervention included strategies such as the development and implementation of a nursing workload tool to assess nurse workloads, roster audits, increased numbers of nursing personnel to address shortfall, increased access to clinical supervision and support for graduates, increased access to professional development including postgraduate and short courses, and a recruitment campaign for new graduates and continuing employees. We used an extended Job Demand-Resources framework to evaluate the intervention and 17 evaluation indicators canvassing psychological distress, emotional exhaustion, work engagement, job satisfaction, job demands, job resources, and system factors such as psychosocial safety climate. Turnover rates were obtained from archival data. Results demonstrated a significant reduction in psychological distress and emotional exhaustion and a significant improvement in job satisfaction, across both hospitals, and a reduction in turnover in H2 from 2008 and 2010. Evidence suggests that the intervention led to significant improvements in system capacity (adaptability, communication) in combination with a reduction in job demands in both hospitals, and an increase in resources (supervisor and coworker support, and job control) particularly in H1. The research addresses a gap in the theoretical and intervention literature regarding system/organisation level approaches to occupational stress. The approach was very successful

New species of Metatrichia Coquillett (Diptera: Scenopinidae) from Australia and Venezuela

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Two new species of the cosmopolitan genus Metatrichia Coquillett are described. Metatrichia dhimurru sp. nov. is described from Arnhem Land (Northern Territory), Australia and represents the third species of the genus to be described from the Australian-Papuan region. Metatrichia venezuelensis sp. n...

Application of Scan Statistics to Detect Suicide Clusters in Australia

PubMed Central

Cheung, Yee Tak Derek; Spittal, Matthew J.; Williamson, Michelle Kate; Tung, Sui Jay; Pirkis, Jane

2013-01-01

Background Suicide clustering occurs when multiple suicide incidents take place in a small area or/and within a short period of time. In spite of the multi-national research attention and particular efforts in preparing guidelines for tackling suicide clusters, the broader picture of epidemiology of suicide clustering remains unclear. This study aimed to develop techniques in using scan statistics to detect clusters, with the detection of suicide clusters in Australia as example. Methods and Findings Scan statistics was applied to detect clusters among suicides occurring between 2004 and 2008. Manipulation of parameter settings and change of area for scan statistics were performed to remedy shortcomings in existing methods. In total, 243 suicides out of 10,176 (2.4%) were identified as belonging to 15 suicide clusters. These clusters were mainly located in the Northern Territory, the northern part of Western Australia, and the northern part of Queensland. Among the 15 clusters, 4 (26.7%) were detected by both national and state cluster detections, 8 (53.3%) were only detected by the state cluster detection, and 3 (20%) were only detected by the national cluster detection. Conclusions These findings illustrate that the majority of spatial-temporal clusters of suicide were located in the inland northern areas, with socio-economic deprivation and higher proportions of indigenous people. Discrepancies between national and state/territory cluster detection by scan statistics were due to the contrast of the underlying suicide rates across states/territories. Performing both small-area and large-area analyses, and applying multiple parameter settings may yield the maximum benefits for exploring clusters. PMID:23342098

Prospective study of Chironex fleckeri and other box jellyfish stings in the "Top End" of Australia's Northern Territory.

PubMed

Currie, Bart J; Jacups, Susan P

To describe the epidemiology and clinical features of box jellyfish envenoming in the Top End of the Northern Territory and, in particular, confirmed stings from the major Australian box jellyfish, Chironex fleckeri. Prospective collection of clinical data and skin scrapings or sticky-tape tests for nematocyst identification from patients presenting to Royal Darwin Hospital and remote coastal community health clinics in the Northern Territory, spanning 10 950 km of coastline; analysis of tidal, weather and seasonal data. All patients with jellyfish sting details recorded between 1 April 1991 and 30 May 2004. Demographic and clinical features, use of C. fleckeri antivenom, and associations between weather, seasonal and tidal factors and confirmed C. fleckeri stings. Of 606 jellyfish stings documented, 225 were confirmed to have been caused by C. fleckeri. 37% of C. fleckeri stings were in children, 92% occurred during the "stinger season" (1 October to 1 June), 83% occurred in water 1 m or less deep, and 17% occurred while victims were entering the water. Stings were least common on outgoing tides (P < 0.001) and commonest between 15:00 and 18:00 (P < 0.001) and on days with wind speed less than that month's average (P < 0.001). Nearly all victims experienced immediate pain, but this could often be controlled with ice; only 30% required parenteral narcotics and 8% required hospital admission. Cardiorespiratory arrest occurred within several minutes of the sting in the one fatal case, involving a 3-year-old girl with only 1.2 m of visible tentacle contact. C. fleckeri antivenom was given to another 21 patients, none of whom had life-threatening features at the time they were given antivenom. Most C. fleckeri stings are not life-threatening; patients who die usually have cardiopulmonary arrest within minutes of the sting. The potential benefit of antivenom and magnesium under these circumstances remains to be shown, but a protocol with their rapid use is recommended

Patterns of youth injury: a comparison across the northern territories and other parts of Canada

PubMed Central

Byrnes, Jessica; King, Nathan; Hawe, Penelope; Peters, Paul; Pickett, William; Davison, Colleen

2015-01-01

Background Injury is the leading cause of death for young people in Canada. For those living in the northern territories (Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories), injury represents an even greater problem, with higher rates of injury for people of all ages in northern areas compared with the rest of Canada; however, no such comparative studies have focussed specifically on non-fatal injury in youth. Objectives To profile and examine injuries and their potential causes among youth in the northern territories as compared with other parts of Canada. Design Cross-sectional data from the 2009/2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey (youth aged 11–15 years) were examined for the Canadian northern territories and the provinces (n=26,078). Individual survey records were linked to community-level data to profile injuries and then study possible determinants via multilevel regression modelling. Results The prevalence of injury reported by youth was similar in northern populations and other parts of Canada. There were some minimal differences by injury type: northern youth experienced a greater percentage of neighbourhood (p<0.001) and fighting (p=0.02) injuries; youth in the Canadian provinces had a greater proportion of sport-related injuries (p=0.01). Among northern youth, female sex (RR=0.87, 95% CI 0.81–0.94), average (RR=0.88, 95% CI 0.80–0.97) or above-average affluence (RR=0.84, 95% CI 0.76–0.91), not being drunk in the past 12 months (RR=0.77, 95% CI 0.69–0.85), not riding an all-terrain vehicle (RR=0.81, 95% CI 0.68–0.97) and not having permanent road access (RR=0.89, 95% CI 0.80–0.98) were protective against injury; sport participation increased risk (RR=1.45, 95% CI 1.33–1.59). Conclusions Patterns of injury were similar across youth from the North and other parts of Canada. Given previous research, this was unexpected. When implementing injury prevention initiatives, individual and community-level risk factors are essential to

Patterns of youth injury: a comparison across the northern territories and other parts of Canada.

PubMed

Byrnes, Jessica; King, Nathan; Hawe, Penelope; Peters, Paul; Pickett, William; Davison, Colleen

2015-01-01

Injury is the leading cause of death for young people in Canada. For those living in the northern territories (Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories), injury represents an even greater problem, with higher rates of injury for people of all ages in northern areas compared with the rest of Canada; however, no such comparative studies have focussed specifically on non-fatal injury in youth. To profile and examine injuries and their potential causes among youth in the northern territories as compared with other parts of Canada. Cross-sectional data from the 2009/2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey (youth aged 11-15 years) were examined for the Canadian northern territories and the provinces (n=26,078). Individual survey records were linked to community-level data to profile injuries and then study possible determinants via multilevel regression modelling. The prevalence of injury reported by youth was similar in northern populations and other parts of Canada. There were some minimal differences by injury type: northern youth experienced a greater percentage of neighbourhood (p<0.001) and fighting (p=0.02) injuries; youth in the Canadian provinces had a greater proportion of sport-related injuries (p=0.01). Among northern youth, female sex (RR=0.87, 95% CI 0.81-0.94), average (RR=0.88, 95% CI 0.80-0.97) or above-average affluence (RR=0.84, 95% CI 0.76-0.91), not being drunk in the past 12 months (RR=0.77, 95% CI 0.69-0.85), not riding an all-terrain vehicle (RR=0.81, 95% CI 0.68-0.97) and not having permanent road access (RR=0.89, 95% CI 0.80-0.98) were protective against injury; sport participation increased risk (RR=1.45, 95% CI 1.33-1.59). Patterns of injury were similar across youth from the North and other parts of Canada. Given previous research, this was unexpected. When implementing injury prevention initiatives, individual and community-level risk factors are essential to understand; however, specific positive safety assets that might

Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus infections: a review of history, ecology, and predictive models, with implications for tropical northern Australia.

PubMed

Jacups, Susan P; Whelan, Peter I; Currie, Bart J

2008-04-01

The purpose of the present article is to present a review of the Ross River virus (RRV) and Barmah Forest virus (BFV) literature in relation to potential implications for future disease in tropical northern Australia. Ross River virus infection is the most common and most widespread arboviral disease in Australia, with an average of 4,800 national notifications annually. Of recent concern is the sudden rise in BFV infections; the 2005-2006 summer marked the largest BFV epidemic on record in Australia, with 1,895 notifications. Although not life-threatening, infection with either virus can cause arthritis, myalgia, and fatigue for 6 months or longer, resulting in substantial morbidity and economic impact. The geographic distribution of mosquito species and their seasonal activity is determined in large part by temperature and rainfall. Predictive models can be useful tools in providing early warning systems for epidemics of RRV and BFV infection. Various models have been developed to predict RRV outbreaks, but these appear to be mostly only regionally valid, being dependent on local ecological factors. Difficulties have arisen in developing useful models for the tropical northern parts of Australia, and to date no models have been developed for the Northern Territory. Only one model has been developed for predicting BFV infections using climate and tide variables. It is predicted that the exacerbation of current greenhouse conditions will result in longer periods of high mosquito activity in the tropical regions where RRV and BFV are already common. In addition, the endemic locations may expand further within temperate regions, and epidemics may become more frequent in those areas. Further development of predictive models should benefit public health planning by providing early warning systems of RRV and BFV infection outbreaks in different geographical locations.

Age and paragenesis of mineralisation at Coronation Hill uranium deposit, Northern Territory, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orth, Karin; Meffre, Sebastien; Davidson, Garry

2014-06-01

Coronation Hill is a U + Au + platinum group elements deposit in the South Alligator Valley (SAV) field in northern Australia, south of the better known unconformity-style U East Alligator Rivers (EAR) field. The SAV field differs from the EAR by having a more complex basin-basement architecture. A volcanically active fault trough (Jawoyn Sub-basin) developed on older basement and then was disrupted by renewed faulting, before being buried beneath regional McArthur Basin sandstones that are also the main hanging wall to the EAR deposits. Primary mineralisation at Coronation Hill formed at 1607 ± 26 Ma (rather than 600-900 Ma as previously thought), and so it is likely that the SAV was part of a single west McArthur Basin dilational event. Most ore is hosted in sub-vertical faults and breccias in the competent volcanic cover sequence. This favoured fluid mixing, acid buffering (forming illite) and oxidation of Fe2+ and reduced C-rich assemblages as important uranium depositional mechanisms. However, reduction of U in fractured older pyrite (Pb model age of 1833 ± 67 Ma) is an important trap in diorite. Some primary ore was remobilised at 675 ± 21 Ma to form coarse uraninite + Ni-Co pyrite networks containing radiogenic Pb. Coronation Hill is polymetallic, and in this respect resembles the `egress'-style U deposits in the Athabascan Basin (Canada). However, these are all cover-hosted. A hypothesis for further testing is that Coronation Hill is also egress-style, with ores formed by fluids rising through basement-hosted fault networks (U reduction by diorite pyrite and carbonaceous shale), and into veins and breccias in the overlying Jawoyn Sub-basin volcano-sedimentary succession.

Reclaiming Indigenous Youth in Australia: Families and Schools Together

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mechielsen,Jack; Galbraith, Mal; White, Andrew

2014-01-01

Australia's Northern Territory is twice the size of Texas, with only 230,000 people living in its enormous space. About half reside in the capital Darwin in the tropical far north; the next biggest town with a population of 25,000 people is Alice Springs, 1600 kilometers south in the central desert. Some 70,000 Indigenous people form 30% of the…

Conceptualising and Measuring the Mobility of Indigenous Students in the Northern Territory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Andrew; Dunn, Bruce

2010-01-01

The vexed and ongoing issue of poor educational outcomes for Indigenous students in the Northern Territory continues despite years of successive programs and policies. Much of the debate has been on funding and pedagogy, in particular the merits or otherwise of bi-lingual teaching. Largely omitted from discussions, although well known by teachers…

Patterns of resident health workforce turnover and retention in remote communities of the Northern Territory of Australia, 2013-2015.

PubMed

Russell, Deborah J; Zhao, Yuejen; Guthridge, Steven; Ramjan, Mark; Jones, Michael P; Humphreys, John S; Wakerman, John

2017-08-15

The geographical maldistribution of the health workforce is a persisting global issue linked to inequitable access to health services and poorer health outcomes for rural and remote populations. In the Northern Territory (NT), anecdotal reports suggest that the primary care workforce in remote Aboriginal communities is characterised by high turnover, low stability and high use of temporary staffing; however, there is a lack of reliable information to guide workforce policy improvements. This study quantifies current turnover and retention in remote NT communities and investigates correlations between turnover and retention metrics and health service/community characteristics. This study used the NT Department of Health 2013-2015 payroll and financial datasets for resident health workforce in 53 remote primary care clinics. Main outcome measures include annual turnover rates, annual stability rates, 12-month survival probabilities and median survival. At any time point, the clinics had a median of 2.0 nurses, 0.6 Aboriginal health practitioners (AHPs), 2.2 other employees and 0.4 additional agency-employed nurses. Mean annual turnover rates for nurses and AHPs combined were extremely high, irrespective of whether turnover was defined as no longer working in any remote clinic (66%) or no longer working at a specific remote clinic (128%). Stability rates were low, and only 20% of nurses and AHPs remain working at a specific remote clinic 12 months after commencing. Half left within 4 months. Nurse and AHP turnover correlated with other workforce measures. However, there was little correlation between most workforce metrics and health service characteristics. NT Government-funded remote clinics are small, experience very high staff turnover and make considerable use of agency nurses. These staffing patterns, also found in remote settings elsewhere in Australia and globally, not only incur higher direct costs for service provision-and therefore may compromise long

Retaining older experienced nurses in the Northern Territory of Australia: a qualitative study exploring opportunities for post-retirement contributions.

PubMed

Voit, K; Carson, D B

2012-01-01

Many countries are facing an ageing of the nursing workforce and increasing workforce shortages. This trend is due to members of the 'baby boomer' generation leaving the workforce for retirement and a declining pool of younger people entering the nursing profession. New approaches to engaging older nurses in the workforce are becoming common in nursing globally but have yet to be adapted to remote contexts such as the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. This article reports findings from a qualitative study of 15 participants who explored perceived opportunities for and barriers to implementing flexible strategies to engage older nurses in the NT workforce after they resign from full-time work. The study used a descriptive qualitative design. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with NT nurses approaching retirement (six nurses aged 50 years and over) and their managers (n=9). Clinicians were employed in practice settings that included hospitals, community health and 'Top End' (north of and including the town of Katherine), as well as Central Australian remote area communities. One participant who was employed as primary health centre manager in a remote community also held a clinical role. Managers were employed in both senior and line management positions in community and remote health as well as NT hospitals. Three major themes emerged from the data. First, interview participants identified potential for flexible post-retirement engagement of older nurses and a range of concrete engagement opportunities 'on and off the floor' were identified. Second, the main barriers to post-retirement engagement were an existing focus on the recruitment of younger Australian and overseas-trained nurses, and the remoteness of nursing practice settings from the residential locations of retired nurses. Third, existing informal system of post-retirement working arrangements, characterized by ad hoc agreements between individual nurses and managers, is

Spatial analysis of Northern Goshawk Territories in the Black Hills, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klaver, Robert W.; Backlund, Douglas; Bartelt, Paul E.; Erickson, Michael G.; Knowles, Craig J.; Knowles, Pamela R.; Wimberly, Michael

2012-01-01

The Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) is the largest of the three North American species ofAccipiter and is more closely associated with older forests than are the other species. Its reliance on older forests has resulted in concerns about its status, extensive research into its habitat relationships, and litigation. Our objective was to model the spatial patterns of goshawk territories in the Black Hills, South Dakota, to make inferences about the underlying processes. We used a modification of Ripley's K function that accounts for inhomogeneous intensity to determine whether territoriality or habitat determined the spacing of goshawks in the Black Hills, finding that habitat conditions rather than territoriality were the determining factor. A spatial model incorporating basal area of trees in a stand of forest, canopy cover, age of trees >23 cm in diameter, number of trees per hectare, and geographic coordinates provided good fit to the spatial patterns of territories. There was no indication of repulsion at close distances that would imply spacing was determined by territoriality. These findings contrast with those for the Kaibab Plateau, Arizona, where territoriality is an important limiting factor. Forest stands where the goshawk nested historically are now younger and have trees of smaller diameter, probably having been modified by logging, fire, and insects. These results have important implications for the goshawk's ecology in the Black Hills with respect to mortality, competition, forest fragmentation, and nest-territory protection.

Cyanobacterial crusts linked to soil productivity under different grazing management practices in Northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alchin, Bruce; Williams, Wendy

2015-04-01

In arid and semi-arid Australia, the central role of healthy soil ecosystems in broad-acre grazing lands may be attributed to the widespread presence of cyanobacterial crusts. In terms of soil nutrient cycling and stability their role is particularly crucial in a climate dominated by annual dry seasons and variable wet seasons. In this study, we aimed to measure the contribution of cyanobacteria to soil nutrient cycling under contrasting levels of disturbance associated with grazing management. Field sampling was carried out on six paired sites (twelve properties) located across an east-west 3,000 km transect that covered different rangeland types on grazing properties in northern Australia (Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia). At each location paired sites were established and two different management systems were assessed, cell-paddock rotations (25-400 ha) and continuous grazing (200-2,000 ha). Cyanobacterial soil crusts were recorded from all of the twelve sites and cyanobacteria with the capacity to fix nitrogen were found at ten of the twelve sites. The overall diversity of cyanobacteria varied from three to ten species under any type of grazing system. As field work was conducted in the dry season, it is likely that the diversity may be greater in the wet season than the initial data may indicate. The average cyanobacterial soil crust cover across soil surfaces, between grass tussocks, during the dry season was estimated to be 50.9% and, 42.6% in the early wet season. This reflected longer established crust cover (dry season) versus newly established crusts. There was a high level of variability in the biomass of cyanobacteria however; the grazing system did not have any marked effect on the biomass for any one rangeland type. The grazing system differences did not appear to significantly influence the diversity at any location except on a floodplain in the Pilbara (WA). Biological nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria was recorded at all

Testing ore deposit models using in situ U-Pb geochronology of hydrothermal monazite: Paleoproterozoic gold mineralization in northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasmussen, Birger; Sheppard, Stephen; Fletcher, Ian R.

2006-02-01

The inability to establish absolute ages for gold deposition in the Pine Creek orogen of northern Australia has led to conflicting ore deposit models, ranging from intrusion related, which predict that gold mineralization was synchronous with granite magmatism (ca. 1835 1820 Ma), to orogenic, which place ore deposition nearly 100 m.y. later. Here we present ion microprobe U-Pb geochronology for a mineralized quartz reef from Tom's Gully mine, Mount Bundey, Northern Territory, Australia, and nearby granitic rocks and associated contact aureoles. Isotopic dating of zircon and monazite indicates that intrusion and contact metamorphism occurred ca. 1825 Ma, whereas hydrothermal monazite from the auriferous quartz reef gives a mean 207Pb/206Pb age of 1780 ± 10 Ma, interpreted as the time of gold mineralization. Mineralization therefore postdated intrusion by ˜45 m.y. and preceded a postulated ca. 1740 1730 Ma cratonwide orogenic gold event by ˜50 m.y. Hence, neither the intrusion-related model nor the recently proposed orogenic model is applicable. Combined with a reevaluation of age data from the nearby Goodall gold deposit, our data suggest that mineralization coincides with, and may be related to, an episode of regional low-grade metamorphism, deformation, and fluid circulation (Shoobridge event). Our results demonstrate the importance of high-precision in situ geochronology and detailed petrography for deciphering age relationships in ore deposits, and of testing the veracity of models for ore formation.

Three Decades of Implementation of School-Based Management in the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gammage, David T.

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how the process of implementation of school-based management (SBM) has worked within the public school systems in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Victoria in Australia. The period covered was 1976-2006. Design/methodology/approach: The approach adopted was the mixed methodology which…

Satellite Monitoring of the Northern Territories Disturbed by Oil Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bondur, V. G.; Vorobyev, V. E.; Lukin, A. A.

2017-12-01

The results of satellite monitoring of the state of northern territories disturbed by oil production are presented by the example of the Usinsk oil field in the Komi Republic. The sets of vegetation indices formed by the results of processing long-term series of multispectral satellite images for the period from 1988 to 2014 are analyzed. They are used to assess long-term environmental changes, to reveal the most disturbed zones, and to estimate the dynamics of changes in the vegetation cover area caused by the extraction and transportation of hydrocarbons.

Vector-borne and zoonotic diseases of dogs in North-west New South Wales and the Northern Territory, Australia.

PubMed

Shapiro, Amanda J; Brown, Graeme; Norris, Jacqueline M; Bosward, Katrina L; Marriot, Debbie J; Balakrishnan, Nandhakumar; Breitschwerdt, Edward B; Malik, Richard

2017-08-15

Vector-borne diseases of dogs in Australian Aboriginal communities are relatively unexplored. These dogs represent a unique group with variable ecto- and endo-parasitic burdens, nutritional stresses and a general lack of veterinary intervention. We investigated haemoprotozoal and bacterial pathogen prevalences in relation to erythrocyte and platelet numbers in dogs from North-West New South Wales (N-W NSW) and the Northern Territory (NT; Central Australia). Real-time PCR (qPCR) amplification of Anaplasma platys, Babesia vogeli, Mycoplasma haemocanis, Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum and Bartonella spp., serological screening for Coxiella burnetii, and Bartonella spp. and haematological analyses were performed on dogs from the two cohorts (96 dogs in total). Brucella suis serology was determined additionally for the N-W NSW cohort. Anaplasma platys (n = 26 dogs), Babesia vogeli (n = 7), Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum (n = 10 dogs), and Mycoplasma haemocanis (n = 14) were detected in the sample population (n = 96) using qPCR. There were significant associations between (i) A. platys and anaemia (OR 8.7, CI 2.4-31.7; P < 0.001), thrombocytopenia (OR 12.1, CI 3.4-43.2; P < 0.001) and breed (OR 16.1, CI 2.1-121.5; P = 0.007), and (ii) between B. vogeli and anaemia (OR 11.8, CI 2.3-61.6; P = 0.003). Neither protozoal nor bacterial DNA loads, estimated using qPCR, were positively correlated with anaemia or thrombocytopenia. Haemotropic mycoplasmas were not associated with any haematologic abnormality. Four dogs from the NT were seropositive for Coxiella burnetii, while no dogs were seropositive for Brucella suis or to a panel of Bartonella spp. antigens. Despite directed efforts, Bartonella DNA was not detected in blood from any of the cohorts studied. A sample of dogs from the NT recruited specifically for Bartonella α-proteobacteria growth medium enrichment blood culture were also Bartonella PCR negative. Vector-borne pathogens occur in dogs

Differential Effects of Temperature Extremes on Hospital Admission Rates for Respiratory Disease between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory

PubMed Central

Green, Donna; Bambrick, Hilary; Tait, Peter; Goldie, James; Schultz, Rosalie; Webb, Leanne; Alexander, Lisa; Pitman, Andrew

2015-01-01

The health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians may be exacerbated by climate change if temperature extremes have disproportionate adverse effects on Indigenous people. To explore this issue, we analysed the effect of temperature extremes on hospital admissions for respiratory diseases, stratified by age, Indigenous status and sex, for people living in two different climates zones in the Northern Territory during the period 1993–2011. We examined admissions for both acute and chronic respiratory diagnoses, controlling for day of the week and seasonality variables. Our analysis showed that: (1) overall, Indigenous hospital admission rates far exceeded non-Indigenous admission rates for acute and chronic diagnoses, and Top End climate zone admission rates exceeded Central Australia climate zone admission rates; (2) extreme cold and hot temperatures were associated with inconsistent changes in admission rates for acute respiratory disease in Indigenous and non-Indigenous children and older adults; and (3) no response to cold or hot temperature extremes was found for chronic respiratory diagnoses. These findings support our two hypotheses, that extreme hot and cold temperatures have a different effect on hospitalisations for respiratory disease between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, and that these health risks vary between the different climate zones. We did not, however, find that there were differing responses to temperature extremes in the two populations, suggesting that any increased vulnerability to climate change in the Indigenous population of the Northern Territory arises from an increased underlying risk to respiratory disease and an already greater existing health burden. PMID:26633456

Kidney disease in Aboriginal Australians: a perspective from the Northern Territory.

PubMed

Hoy, Wendy E

2014-12-01

This article outlines the increasing awareness, service development and research in renal disease in Aboriginal people in Australia's Northern Territory, among whom the rates of renal replacement therapy (RRT) are among the highest in the world. Kidney failure and RRT dominate the intellectual landscape and consume the most professional energy, but the underlying kidney disease has recently swung into view, with increasing awareness of its connection to other chronic diseases and to health profiles and trajectories more broadly. Albuminuria is the marker of the underlying kidney disease and the best treatment target, and glomerulomegaly and focal glomerulosclerosis are the defining histologic features. Risk factors in its multideterminant genesis reflect nutritional and developmental disadvantage and inflammatory/infectious milieu, while the major putative genetic determinants still elude detection. A culture shift of "chronic disease prevention" has been catalyzed in part by the human pain, logistic problems and great costs associated with RRT. Nowadays chronic disease management is the central focus of indigenous primary care, with defined protocols for integrated testing and management of chronic diseases and with government reimbursed service items and free medicines for people in remote areas. Blood pressure, cardiovascular risk and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are all mitigated by good treatment, which centres on renin-angiotensin system blockade and good metabolic control. RRT incidence rates appear to be stabilizing in remote Aboriginal people, and chronic disease deaths rates are falling. However, the profound levels of disadvantage in many remote settings remain appalling, and there is still much to be done, mostly beyond the direct reach of health services.

Rheumatic heart disease in Indigenous children in northern Australia: differences in prevalence and the challenges of screening.

PubMed

Roberts, Kathryn V; Maguire, Graeme P; Brown, Alex; Atkinson, David N; Remenyi, Bo; Wheaton, Gavin; Ilton, Marcus; Carapetis, Jonathan

2015-09-07

To compare regional differences in the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) detected by echocardiographic screening in high-risk Indigenous Australian children, and to describe the logistical and other practical challenges of RHD screening. Cross-sectional screening survey performed between September 2008 and November 2010. Thirty-two remote communities in four regions of northern and central Australia. 3946 Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children aged 5-15 years. Portable echocardiography was performed by cardiac sonographers. Echocardiograms were recorded and reported offsite by a pool of cardiologists. RHD was diagnosed according to 2012 World Heart Federation criteria. The prevalence of definite RHD differed between regions, from 4.7/1000 in Far North Queensland to 15.0/1000 in the Top End of the Northern Territory. The prevalence of definite RHD was greater in the Top End than in other regions (odds ratio, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.2-4.6, P = 0.01). Fifty-three per cent of detected cases of definite RHD were new cases; the prevalence of new cases of definite RHD was 4.6/1000 for the entire sample and 7.0/1000 in the Top End. Evaluation of socioeconomic data suggests that the Top End group was the most disadvantaged in our study population. The prevalence of definite RHD in remote Indigenous Australian children is significant, with a substantial level of undetected disease. Important differences were noted between regions, with the Top End having the highest prevalence of definite RHD, perhaps explained by socioeconomic factors. Regional differences must be considered when evaluating the potential benefit of widespread echocardiographic screening in Australia.

Australia unlocks her uranium reserves. [Will develop deposits in Northern Territories

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scott, W.E.

1977-11-01

The economic implications of Australia's move to permit the development of uranium mining and to resume exporting uranium have led to forecasts that range from pessimism over unseen factors to an optimistic estimate of $A20 billion and 500,000 jobs. Direct benefits will go to those involved in road construction, mining equipment, and construction camps. The goverment plan calls for mining operations and yellowcake exports from four major uranium mines by 1985. An overview is given of the development plan, which emphasizes an orderly procedure rather than exploitation and excessive competition. The uranium industry is viewed as a stable long-term suppliermore » for international trade. Customers will be required to submit to international Atomic Energy Agency inspection and must guarantee to limit their uranium use to peaceful projects. (DCK)« less

Variation in outpatient consultant physician fees in Australia by specialty and state and territory.

PubMed

Freed, Gary L; Allen, Amy R

2017-03-06

To determine the mean, median and 10th and 90th percentile levels of fees and out-of-pocket costs to the patient for an initial consultation with a consultant physician; to determine any differences in fees and bulk-billing rates between specialties and between states and territories. Analysis of 2015 Medicare claims data for an initial outpatient appointment with a consultant physician (Item 110) in 11 medical specialties representative of common adult non-surgical medical care (cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, geriatric medicine, haematology, immunology/allergy, medical oncology, nephrology, neurology, respiratory medicine and rheumatology). Mean, median, 10th and 90th percentile levels for consultant physician fees and out-of-pocket costs, by medical specialty and state or territory; bulk-billing rate, by medical specialty and state/territory. Bulk-billing rates varied between specialties, with only haematology and medical oncology bulk-billing more than half of initial consultations. Bulk-billing rates also varied between states and territories, with rates in the Northern Territory (76%) nearly double those elsewhere. Most private consultations require a significant out-of-pocket payment by the patient, and these payments varied more than fivefold in some specialties. Without data on quality of care in private outpatient services, the rationale for the marked variations in fees within specialties is unknown. As insurers are prohibited from providing cover for the costs of outpatient care, the impact of out-of-pocket payments on access to private specialist care is unknown.

Applicability of 239Pu as a tracer for soil erosion in the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lal, R.; Tims, S. G.; Fifield, L. K.; Wasson, R. J.; Howe, D.

2013-01-01

The technique of accelerator mass spectroscopy (AMS) has been employed to determine modern soil loss rates through the analysis of 239Pu profiles in soil cores from the Daly basin in Northern Territory, Australia. In areas in which soil conservation banks were not present or were only added recently (<25a) and which had a history of grazing and cultivation the measured soil loss rates over the past ∼50 years were 7.5-19.5 t ha-1 a-1. The measured rates are up to 5 times higher compared to agricultural and uncultivated areas within soil conservation banks in other parts of the catchment. High intensity seasonal rainfall combined with reduction in land cover due to grazing and episodic bush fires are primary factors influencing erosion although other impacts on the landscape such as tillage generated runoff and land clearing seem to be responsible for accelerated sediment production.

Long-term trends in supply and sustainability of the health workforce in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory of Australia.

PubMed

Zhao, Yuejen; Russell, Deborah J; Guthridge, Steven; Ramjan, Mark; Jones, Michael P; Humphreys, John S; Carey, Timothy A; Wakerman, John

2017-12-19

International evidence suggests that a key to improving health and attaining more equitable health outcomes for disadvantaged populations is a health system with a strong primary care sector. Longstanding problems with health workforce supply and turnover in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia, jeopardise primary care delivery and the effort to overcome the substantial gaps in health outcomes for this population. This research describes temporal changes in workforce supply in government-operated clinics in remote NT communities through a period in which there has been a substantial increase in health funding. Descriptive and Markov-switching dynamic regression analysis of NT Government Department of Health payroll and financial data for the resident health workforce in 54 remote clinics, 2004-2015. The workforce included registered Remote Area Nurses and Midwives (nurses), Aboriginal Health Practitioners (AHPs) and staff in administrative and logistic roles. total number of unique employees per year; average annual headcounts; average full-time equivalent (FTE) positions; agency employed nurse FTE estimates; high and low supply state estimates. Overall increases in workforce supply occurred between 2004 and 2015, especially for administrative and logistic positions. Supply of nurses and AHPs increased from an average 2.6 to 3.2 FTE per clinic, although supply of AHPs has declined since 2010. Each year almost twice as many individual NT government-employed nurses or AHPs are required for each FTE position. Following funding increases, some clinics doubled their nursing and AHP workforce and achieved relative stability in supply. However, most clinics increased staffing to a much smaller extent or not at all, typically experiencing a "fading" of supply following an initial increase associated with greater funding, and frequently cycling periods of higher and lower staffing levels. Overall increases in workforce supply in remote NT

"Boys Business": An Unusual Northern Australian Music Program for Boys in the Middle Years of Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Bob

2004-01-01

The Northern Territory's population commingles Anglo, European and Asian cultural communities. At over 25 percent, it also has Australia's proportionately largest indigenous population. Consequently it presents an amazing proving ground for people-related research projects. One such project is "Boys Business", involving middle years'…

Drivers of professional mobility in the Northern Territory: dental professionals.

PubMed

Hall, D J; Garnett, S T; Barnes, T; Stevens, M

2007-01-01

Attracting and retaining an efficient allied health workforce is a challenge faced by communities in Australia and overseas. High rates of staff turnover in the professional workforce diverts resources away from core business and results in the loss of valuable skills and knowledge. Understanding what attracts professionals to a particular place, and why they leave, is important for developing effective strategies to manage turnover and maximise workforce productivity. The Northern Territory (NT) faces particular workforce challenges, in part because of its geographic location and unusual demography. Do these factors require the development of a tailored approach to recruitment and retention? This article reports on a study undertaken to examine the motivations for coming to, staying in and leaving the NT for dental professionals, and the implications of results on workforce management practices. In 2006, dentists, dental specialists, dental therapists and dental hygienists who were working or had worked in the NT, Australia, in the recent past were surveyed to collect demographic and workforce data and to establish the relative importance of social and work-related factors influencing their migration decisions. Multivariate logistic regression models were generated to describe the demographic characteristics of dental professionals who stayed in the NT for more than 5 years and to analyse why dental professionals left. The analyses, based on a 42% response rate, explained 60-80% of the variation in responses. Generally dental professionals who had stayed for more than 5 years were older, had invested in the purchase of homes and were more involved in social and cultural activities. Those who moved to the NT as a result of financial incentives or who had strong expectations that working in the NT would be an exciting, novel experience tended to stay for no more than 5 years, often leaving because they found the work environment too stressful. In contrast, those who

Quality failures in residential aged care in Australia: The relationship between structural factors and regulation imposed sanctions.

PubMed

Baldwin, Richard; Chenoweth, Lynnette; Dela Rama, Marie; Liu, Zhixin

2015-12-01

To examine the relationship between structural factors and the imposition of sanctions on residential aged care services across Australia for regulatory compliance failure. Poisson Regression analysis was used to examine the association between the number of sanctions imposed and the structural characteristics of residential aged care services in Australia. Residential aged care services that have a greater likelihood of having government sanctions imposed on them are operated by for-profit providers and located in remote locations and in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. The findings confirm the international literature on the relationship between residential aged care service location, ownership type and the likelihood of sanctions. In the light of the predicted expansion of residential aged care services, policy makers should give consideration to structural elements most likely to be associated with a failure to meet and maintain service standards. © 2014 ACOTA.

Burns first aid treatment in remote Northern Australia.

PubMed

Read, David J; Tan, Swee Chin; Ward, Linda; McDermott, Kathleen

2018-03-01

It is well demonstrated that adequate burns first aid treatment (BFAT) improves clinical outcomes for the injured but adequacy remains low in many studies. This study presents a twelve month assessment of the adequacy of burns first aid treatment for patients managed by the Burns Service, Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH). Prospective study design of all patients managed by the Burns Service, Royal Darwin Hospital. Data were collated from two sources; RDH Burns Registry, and the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand (BRANZ). Inclusion criterion was all patients managed by the Burns Service, Royal Darwin Hospital for the period 1 January 2014-31 December 2014. Variables collected and analysed include: demographics, burn mechanism, burn wound depth and adequacy of and circumstances around first aid. Overall 310 cases were analysed. Most injuries involved adults (68%), 19% Indigenous persons and 70% of all patients had their burn injury occur in the urban region. Adequate BFAT occurred in 41% of cases. Adults, contact burns and those where the burn injury occurred in the remote regions were less likely to receive adequate BFAT. Indigenous persons were less likely to attempt any BFAT at all and when they did receive BFAT it was more likely applied by an emergency responder or health professional. Overall adequacy of BFAT is low in the Top End of the Northern Territory. Remote dwellers and Indigenous persons are at increased risk of not applying or receiving adequate BFAT. The poor level of adequate BFAT demonstrated in this study suggests that the Top End community particularly remote and Indigenous persons would benefit from targeted BFAT education programs that are delivered in a culturally and linguistically appropriate fashion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Comparative adoption of cone beam computed tomography and panoramic radiography machines across Australia.

PubMed

Zhang, A; Critchley, S; Monsour, P A

2016-12-01

The aim of the present study was to assess the current adoption of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and panoramic radiography (PR) machines across Australia. Information regarding registered CBCT and PR machines was obtained from radiation regulators across Australia. The number of X-ray machines was correlated with the population size, the number of dentists, and the gross state product (GSP) per capita, to determine the best fitting regression model(s). In 2014, there were 232 CBCT and 1681 PR machines registered in Australia. Based on absolute counts, Queensland had the largest number of CBCT and PR machines whereas the Northern Territory had the smallest number. However, when based on accessibility in terms of the population size and the number of dentists, the Australian Capital Territory had the most CBCT machines and Western Australia had the most PR machines. The number of X-ray machines correlated strongly with both the population size and the number of dentists, but not with the GSP per capita. In 2014, the ratio of PR to CBCT machines was approximately 7:1. Projected increases in either the population size or the number of dentists could positively impact on the adoption of PR and CBCT machines in Australia. © 2016 Australian Dental Association.

MISR Views Northern Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

MISR images of tropical northern Australia acquired on June 1, 2000 (Terra orbit 2413) during the long dry season. Left: color composite of vertical (nadir) camera blue, green, and red band data. Right: multi-angle composite of red band data only from the cameras viewing 60 degrees aft, 60 degrees forward, and nadir. Color and contrast have been enhanced to accentuate subtle details. In the left image, color variations indicate how different parts of the scene reflect light differently at blue, green, and red wavelengths; in the right image color variations show how these same scene elements reflect light differently at different angles of view. Water appears in blue shades in the right image, for example, because glitter makes the water look brighter at the aft camera's view angle. The prominent inland water body is Lake Argyle, the largest human-made lake in Australia, which supplies water for the Ord River Irrigation Area and the town of Kununurra (pop. 6500) just to the north. At the top is the southern edge of Joseph Bonaparte Gulf; the major inlet at the left is Cambridge Gulf, the location of the town of Wyndham (pop. 850), the port for this region. This area is sparsely populated, and is known for its remote, spectacular mountains and gorges. Visible along much of the coastline are intertidal mudflats of mangroves and low shrubs; to the south the terrain is covered by open woodland merging into open grassland in the lower half of the pictures.

MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology.

Age-Specific Cluster of Cases of Serotype 1 Streptococcus pneumoniae Carriage in Remote Indigenous Communities in Australia ▿

PubMed Central

Smith-Vaughan, H.; Marsh, R.; Mackenzie, G.; Fisher, J.; Morris, P. S.; Hare, K.; McCallum, G.; Binks, M.; Murphy, D.; Lum, G.; Cook, H.; Krause, V.; Jacups, S.; Leach, A. J.

2009-01-01

Seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination commenced in 2001 for Australian indigenous infants. Pneumococcal carriage surveillance detected substantial replacement with nonvaccine serotypes and a cluster of serotype 1 carriage. Our aim was to review Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 1 carriage and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) data for this population and to analyze serotype 1 isolates. Carriage data were collected between 1992 and 2004 in the Darwin region, one of the five regions in the Northern Territory. Carriage data were also collected in 2003 and 2005 from four regions in the Northern Territory. Twenty-six cases of serotype 1 IPD were reported from 1994 to 2007 in the Northern Territory. Forty-four isolates were analyzed by BOX typing and 11 by multilocus sequence typing. In the Darwin region, 26 children were reported carrying serotype 1 (ST227) in 2002 but not during later surveillance. Scattered cases of serotype 1 carriage were noted in two other regions. Cocolonization of serotype 1 with other pneumococcal serotypes was common (34% serotype 1-positive swabs). In conclusion, pneumococcal carriage studies detected intermittent serotype 1 carriage and an ST227 cluster in children in indigenous communities in the Northern Territory of Australia. There was no apparent increase in serotype 1 IPD during this time. The rate of serotype 1 cocolonization with other pneumococcal serotypes suggests that carriage of this serotype may be underestimated. PMID:19091995

Davenport Ranges, Northern Territory, Australia, SRTM Shaded Relief and Colored Height

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

The Davenport Ranges of central Australia have been inferred to be among the oldest persisting landforms on Earth, founded on the belief that the interior of Australia has been tectonically stable for at least 700 million years. New rock age dating techniques indicate that substantial erosion has probably occurred over that time period and that the landforms are not nearly that old, but landscape evolution certainly occurs much slower here (at least now) than is typical across Earth's surface.

Regardless of their antiquity, the Davenport Ranges exhibit a striking landform pattern as shown in this display of elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). Quartzites and other erosion resistant strata form ridges within anticlinal (arched up) and synclinal (arched down) ovals and zigzags. These structures, if not the landforms, likely date back at least hundreds of millions of years, to a time when tectonic forces were active. Maximum local relief is only about 60 meters (about 200 feet), which is enough to contrast greatly with the extremely low relief surrounding terrain.

Two visualization methods were combined to produce this image: shading and color coding of topographic height. The shade image was derived by computing topographic slope in the northeast-southwest (image top to bottom) direction, so that northeast slopes appear bright and southwest slopes appear dark. Color coding is directly related to topographic height, with green at the lower elevations, rising through yellow and tan, to white at the highest elevations.

Elevation data used in this image were acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect 3-D measurements of the Earth's surface. To

Correlates of Recent Declines of Rodents in Northern and Southern Australia: Habitat Structure Is Critical

PubMed Central

Lawes, Michael J.; Fisher, Diana O.; Johnson, Chris N.; Blomberg, Simon P.; Frank, Anke S. K.; Fritz, Susanne A.; McCallum, Hamish; VanDerWal, Jeremy; Abbott, Brett N.; Legge, Sarah; Letnic, Mike; Thomas, Colette R.; Thurgate, Nikki; Fisher, Alaric; Gordon, Iain J.; Kutt, Alex

2015-01-01

Australia has experienced dramatic declines and extinctions of its native rodent species over the last 200 years, particularly in southern Australia. In the tropical savanna of northern Australia significant declines have occurred only in recent decades. The later onset of these declines suggests that the causes may differ from earlier declines in the south. We examine potential regional effects (northern versus southern Australia) on biological and ecological correlates of range decline in Australian rodents. We demonstrate that rodent declines have been greater in the south than in the tropical north, are strongly influenced by phylogeny, and are consistently greater for species inhabiting relatively open or sparsely vegetated habitat. Unlike in marsupials, where some species have much larger body size than rodents, body mass was not an important predictor of decline in rodents. All Australian rodent species are within the prey-size range of cats (throughout the continent) and red foxes (in the south). Contrary to the hypothesis that mammal declines are related directly to ecosystem productivity (annual rainfall), our results are consistent with the hypothesis that disturbances such as fire and grazing, which occur in non-rainforest habitats and remove cover used by rodents for shelter, nesting and foraging, increase predation risk. We agree with calls to introduce conservation management that limits the size and intensity of fires, increases fire patchiness and reduces grazing impacts at ecological scales appropriate for rodents. Controlling feral predators, even creating predator-free reserves in relatively sparsely-vegetated habitats, is urgently required to ensure the survival of rodent species, particularly in northern Australia where declines are not yet as severe as those in the south. PMID:26111037

Correlates of Recent Declines of Rodents in Northern and Southern Australia: Habitat Structure Is Critical.

PubMed

Lawes, Michael J; Fisher, Diana O; Johnson, Chris N; Blomberg, Simon P; Frank, Anke S K; Fritz, Susanne A; McCallum, Hamish; VanDerWal, Jeremy; Abbott, Brett N; Legge, Sarah; Letnic, Mike; Thomas, Colette R; Thurgate, Nikki; Fisher, Alaric; Gordon, Iain J; Kutt, Alex

2015-01-01

Australia has experienced dramatic declines and extinctions of its native rodent species over the last 200 years, particularly in southern Australia. In the tropical savanna of northern Australia significant declines have occurred only in recent decades. The later onset of these declines suggests that the causes may differ from earlier declines in the south. We examine potential regional effects (northern versus southern Australia) on biological and ecological correlates of range decline in Australian rodents. We demonstrate that rodent declines have been greater in the south than in the tropical north, are strongly influenced by phylogeny, and are consistently greater for species inhabiting relatively open or sparsely vegetated habitat. Unlike in marsupials, where some species have much larger body size than rodents, body mass was not an important predictor of decline in rodents. All Australian rodent species are within the prey-size range of cats (throughout the continent) and red foxes (in the south). Contrary to the hypothesis that mammal declines are related directly to ecosystem productivity (annual rainfall), our results are consistent with the hypothesis that disturbances such as fire and grazing, which occur in non-rainforest habitats and remove cover used by rodents for shelter, nesting and foraging, increase predation risk. We agree with calls to introduce conservation management that limits the size and intensity of fires, increases fire patchiness and reduces grazing impacts at ecological scales appropriate for rodents. Controlling feral predators, even creating predator-free reserves in relatively sparsely-vegetated habitats, is urgently required to ensure the survival of rodent species, particularly in northern Australia where declines are not yet as severe as those in the south.

Spatial organization of northern flying squirrels, Glaucomys sabrinus: Territoriality in females?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, J.R.; Vuren, D.H.V.; Kelt, D.A.; Johnson, M.L.

2011-01-01

We determined home-range overlap among northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) to assess their spatial organization. We found extensive home-range overlap among females, and though this overlap could reflect social behavior, we found no evidence of attraction among females, with only one instance of den sharing. Instead, our results suggest that females share foraging areas but may be territorial in portions of the home range, especially around den trees and during young-rearing. Home-range overlap could also result from, the extrinsic effect of forest fragmentation due to timber harvest, which might impede dispersal and force squirrels to cluster on remaining fragments of suitable habitat.

Land application of mine water causes minimal uranium loss offsite in the wet-dry tropics: Ranger Uranium Mine, Northern Territory, Australia.

PubMed

Mumtaz, Saqib; Streten, Claire; Parry, David L; McGuinness, Keith A; Lu, Ping; Gibb, Karen S

2015-11-01

Ranger Uranium Mine (RUM) is situated in the wet-dry tropics of Northern Australia. Land application (irrigation) of stockpile (ore and waste) runoff water to natural woodland on the mine lease is a key part of water management at the mine. Consequently, the soil in these Land Application Areas (LAAs) presents a range of uranium (U) and other metals concentrations. Knowledge of seasonal and temporal changes in soil U and physicochemical parameters at RUM LAAs is important to develop suitable management and rehabilitation strategies. Therefore, soil samples were collected from low, medium, high and very high U sites at RUM LAAs for two consecutive years and the effect of time and season on soil physicochemical parameters particularly U and other major solutes applied in irrigation water was measured. Concentrations of some of the solutes applied in the irrigation water such as sulphur (S), iron (Fe) and calcium (Ca) showed significant seasonal and temporal changes. Soil S, Fe and Ca concentration decreased from year 1 to year 2 and from dry to wet seasons during both years. Soil U followed the same pattern except that we recorded an increase in soil U concentrations at most of the RUM LAAs after year 2 wet season compared to year 2 dry season. Thus, these sites did not show a considerable decrease in soil U concentration from year 1 to year 2. Sites which contained elevated U after wet season 2 also had higher moisture content which suggests that pooling of U containing rainwater at these sites may be responsible for elevated U. Thus, U may be redistributed within RUM LAAs due to surface water movement. The study also suggested that a decrease in U concentrations in LAA soils at very high U (>900 mg kg(-1)) sites is most likely due to transport of particulate matter bound U by surface runoff and U may not be lost from the surface soil due to vertical movement through the soil profile. Uranium attached to particulate matter may reduce its potential for environmental

"People like numbers": a descriptive study of cognitive assessment methods in clinical practice for Aboriginal Australians in the Northern Territory.

PubMed

Dingwall, Kylie M; Pinkerton, Jennifer; Lindeman, Melissa A

2013-01-31

Achieving culturally fair assessments of cognitive functioning for Aboriginal people is difficult due to a scarcity of appropriately validated tools for use with this group. As a result, some Aboriginal people with cognitive impairments may lack fair and equitable access to services. The objective of this study was to examine current clinical practice in the Northern Territory regarding cognitive assessment for Aboriginal people thereby providing some guidance for clinicians new to this practice setting. Qualitative enquiry was used to describe practice context, reasons for assessment, and current practices in assessing cognition for Aboriginal Australians. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 clinicians working with Aboriginal clients in central and northern Australia. Results pertaining to assessment methods are reported. A range of standardised tests were utilised with little consistency across clinical practice. Nevertheless, it was recognised that such tests bear severe limitations, requiring some modification and significant caution in their interpretation. Clinicians relied heavily on informal assessment or observations, contextual information and clinical judgement. Cognitive tests developed specifically for Aboriginal people are urgently needed. In the absence of appropriate, validated tests, clinicians have relied on and modified a range of standardised and informal assessments, whilst recognising the severe limitations of these. Past clinical training has not prepared clinicians adequately for assessing Aboriginal clients, and experience and clinical judgment were considered crucial for fair interpretation of test scores. Interpretation guidelines may assist inexperienced clinicians to consider whether they are achieving fair assessments of cognition for Aboriginal clients.

Spatial and temporal patterns of locally-acquired dengue transmission in northern Queensland, Australia, 1993-2012.

PubMed

Naish, Suchithra; Dale, Pat; Mackenzie, John S; McBride, John; Mengersen, Kerrie; Tong, Shilu

2014-01-01

Dengue has been a major public health concern in Australia since it re-emerged in Queensland in 1992-1993. We explored spatio-temporal characteristics of locally-acquired dengue cases in northern tropical Queensland, Australia during the period 1993-2012. Locally-acquired notified cases of dengue were collected for northern tropical Queensland from 1993 to 2012. Descriptive spatial and temporal analyses were conducted using geographic information system tools and geostatistical techniques. 2,398 locally-acquired dengue cases were recorded in northern tropical Queensland during the study period. The areas affected by the dengue cases exhibited spatial and temporal variation over the study period. Notified cases of dengue occurred more frequently in autumn. Mapping of dengue by statistical local areas (census units) reveals the presence of substantial spatio-temporal variation over time and place. Statistically significant differences in dengue incidence rates among males and females (with more cases in females) (χ(2) = 15.17, d.f.  = 1, p<0.01). Differences were observed among age groups, but these were not statistically significant. There was a significant positive spatial autocorrelation of dengue incidence for the four sub-periods, with the Moran's I statistic ranging from 0.011 to 0.463 (p<0.01). Semi-variogram analysis and smoothed maps created from interpolation techniques indicate that the pattern of spatial autocorrelation was not homogeneous across the northern Queensland. Tropical areas are potential high-risk areas for mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue. This study demonstrated that the locally-acquired dengue cases have exhibited a spatial and temporal variation over the past twenty years in northern tropical Queensland, Australia. Therefore, this study provides an impetus for further investigation of clusters and risk factors in these high-risk areas.

Genetic analysis of Giardia and Cryptosporidium from people in Northern Australia using PCR-based tools.

PubMed

Ebner, Janine; Koehler, Anson V; Robertson, Gemma; Bradbury, Richard S; Jex, Aaron R; Haydon, Shane R; Stevens, Melita A; Norton, Robert; Joachim, Anja; Gasser, Robin B

2015-12-01

To date, there has been limited genetic study of the gastrointestinal pathogens Giardia and Cryptosporidium in northern parts of Australia. Here, PCR-based methods were used for the genetic characterization of Giardia and Cryptosporidium from 695 people with histories of gastrointestinal disorders from the tropical North of Australia. Genomic DNAs from fecal samples were subjected to PCR-based analyses of regions from the triose phosphate isomerase (tpi), small subunit (SSU) of the nuclear ribosomal RNA and/or the glycoprotein (gp60) genes. Giardia and Cryptosporidium were detected in 13 and four of the 695 samples, respectively. Giardia duodenalis assemblages A and B were found in 4 (31%) and 9 (69%) of the 13 samples in persons of <9 years of age. Cryptosporidium hominis (subgenotype IdA18), Cryptosporidium mink genotype (subgenotype IIA16R1) and C. felis were also identified in single patients of 11-21 years of age. Future studies might focus on a comparative study of these and other protists in rural communities in Northern Australia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Better health outcomes at lower costs: the benefits of primary care utilisation for chronic disease management in remote Indigenous communities in Australia's Northern Territory.

PubMed

Zhao, Yuejen; Thomas, Susan L; Guthridge, Steven L; Wakerman, John

2014-10-04

Indigenous residents living in remote communities in Australia's Northern Territory experience higher rates of preventable chronic disease and have poorer access to appropriate health services compared to other Australians. This study compared health outcomes and costs at different levels of primary care utilisation to determine if primary care represents an efficient use of resources for Indigenous patients with common chronic diseases namely hypertension, diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and renal disease. This was an historical cohort study involving a total of 14,184 Indigenous residents, aged 15 years and over, who lived in remote communities and used a remote clinic or public hospital from 2002 to 2011. Individual level demographic and clinical data were drawn from primary care and hospital care information systems using a unique patient identifier. A propensity score was used to improve comparability between high, medium and low primary care utilisation groups. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios and acceptability curves were used to analyse four health outcome measures: total and, avoidable hospital admissions, deaths and years of life lost. Compared to the low utilisation group, medium and high levels of primary care utilisation were associated with decreases in total and avoidable hospitalisations, deaths and years of life lost. Higher levels of primary care utilisation for renal disease reduced avoidable hospitalisations by 82-85%, deaths 72-75%, and years of life lost 78-81%. For patients with ischaemic heart disease, the reduction in avoidable hospitalisations was 63-78%, deaths 63-66% and years of life lost 69-73%. In terms of cost-effectiveness, primary care for renal disease and diabetes ranked as more cost-effective, followed by hypertension and ischaemic heart disease. Primary care for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was the least cost-effective of the five conditions. Primary care in remote

A northern Australian coral record of seasonal rainfall and terrestrial runoff (1775-1986)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patterson, E. W.; Cole, J. E.; Vetter, L.; Lough, J.

2017-12-01

Northern Australia is a climatically dynamic region influenced by both the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Australian monsoon. However, this region is largely devoid of long climate records with sub-annual resolution. Understanding long-term climate variations is essential to assess how the storm-prone coasts and rainfall-reliant rangelands of northern Australia have been impacted in the past and may be in the future. In this study, we present a continuous multicentury (1775-1986) coral reconstruction of rainfall and hydroclimate in northern Australia, developed from a Porites spp. coral core collected off the coast of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. We combined Ba/Ca measurements with luminescence data as tracers of terrestrial erosion and river discharge respectively. Our results show a strong seasonal cycle in Ba/Ca linked to wet austral summers driven by the Australian monsoon. The Ba/Ca record is corroborated by oxygen isotope data from the same coral and indices of regional river discharge and rainfall. Consistently high levels of Ba measured throughout the record further attest to the importance of river influence on this coral. Our record also shows changes in variability and the baseline level of Ba in coastal waters through time, which may be driven in part by historical land-use change, such as damming or agricultural practices. We will additionally use these records to examine decadal to centennial-scale variability in monsoonal precipitation and regional ENSO signals.

Reliability of biomass burning estimates from savanna fires: Biomass burning in northern Australia during the 1999 Biomass Burning and Lightning Experiment B field campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell-Smith, Jeremy; Edwards, Andrew C.; Cook, Garry D.

2003-02-01

This paper estimates the two-daily extent of savanna burning and consumption of fine (grass and litter) fuels from an extensive 230,000 km2 region of northern Australia during August-September 1999 encompassing the Australian continental component of the Biomass Burning and Lightning Experiment B (BIBLE B) campaign [, 2002]. The extent of burning for the study region was derived from fire scar mapping of imagery from the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) on board the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite. The mapping was calibrated and verified with reference to one Landsat scene and associated aerial transect validation data. Fine fuel loads were estimated using published fuel accumulation relationships for major regional fuel types. It is estimated that more than 43,000 km2 was burnt during the 25 day study period, with about 19 Mt of fine (grass and litter) fuels. This paper examines assumptions and errors associated with these estimates. It is estimated from uncalibrated fire mapping derived from AVHRR imagery that 417,500 km2 of the northern Australian savanna was burnt in 1999, of which 136,405 km2, or 30%, occurred in the Northern Territory study region. Using generalized fuel accumulation equations, such biomass burning consumed an estimated 212.3 Mt of fine fuels, but no data are available for consumption of coarse fuels. This figure exceeds a recent estimate, based on fine fuels only, for the combined Australian savanna and temperate grassland biomass burning over the period 1990-1999 but is lower than past estimates derived from classification approaches. We conclude that (1) fire maps derived from coarse-resolution optical imagery can be applied relatively reliably to estimate the extent of savanna fires, generally with 70-80% confidence using the approach adopted here, over the major burning period in northern Australia and (2) substantial further field assessment and associated modeling of fuel accumulation

To Be Transformed: Emotions in Cross-Cultural, Field-Based Learning in Northern Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Sarah; Hodge, Paul

2012-01-01

Students undertaking field-based learning, in which they work with Indigenous people in Northern Australia, describe a profound learning experience redolent with emotion. Inspired, challenged and transformed, the students are compelled in ways that require them to interrogate their own selves and taken-for-granted beliefs. In this paper, we draw…

Trajectories of women's homelessness in Canada's 3 northern territories

PubMed Central

Schmidt, Rose; Hrenchuk, Charlotte; Bopp, Judie; Poole, Nancy

2015-01-01

Background Repairing the Holes in the Net was a 2-year, multilevel action research project designed to inform the development of culturally appropriate and gender-specific services for northern women who are homeless or marginally housed and who face mental health and substance use concerns. The study was designed to learn about the barriers and supports experienced by homeless women in the North when accessing mental health care, shelter, housing and other services; and to inform the work of northern service providers and policy advocates in a position to implement adjustments in their praxis. Methods This article describes the trajectories of women's service access and their ideas for service improvement from 61 qualitative, semi-structured interviews conducted with homeless women in Whitehorse, Yukon (YT), Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (NT), and Iqualit, Nunavut (NU). Results Unresolved trauma, poverty and social exclusion, inability to find and maintain housing and ineffective services emerged as interconnected and multifaceted challenges related to women's service engagement. In the face of these challenges, women displayed significant resilience and resistance, and offered important ideas for service improvement. Conclusions The 4 interconnected systemic challenges identified in the research, coupled with specific ideas for change cited by the resilient homeless women interviewed, offer points of entry to improve service policy and delivery. Implementing trauma-informed approaches emerged as a key example of how access to, and quality of, services could be improved for homeless women in the North. PMID:26700413

Socio-hydrology and integrated water resources management in northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douglas, Michael; Jackson, Sue

2017-04-01

Australia's tropical rivers account for more than half of the nation's freshwater resources. Nearly all of these rivers flow freely to the sea, with less than 0. 01% of river flows diverted for human use, but there is increasing interest in developing the region's water resources for irrigated agriculture. Interdisciplinary research conducted over the past decade has demonstrated the reliance of biodiversity on free-flowing rivers and has also identified a broad range of benefits that people derive from these river systems including irrigated agriculture, tourism, commercial and recreational fishing and Indigenous subsistence harvesting. This has revealed the highly coupled nature of the socio-hydrological system in northern Australia's catchments and the trade-offs among different water users. This paper provides an overview of past and current research with a focus on how socio-hydrology may assist in undertaking integrated water resource management in this region.

Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Locally-Acquired Dengue Transmission in Northern Queensland, Australia, 1993–2012

PubMed Central

Naish, Suchithra; Dale, Pat; Mackenzie, John S.; McBride, John; Mengersen, Kerrie; Tong, Shilu

2014-01-01

Background Dengue has been a major public health concern in Australia since it re-emerged in Queensland in 1992–1993. We explored spatio-temporal characteristics of locally-acquired dengue cases in northern tropical Queensland, Australia during the period 1993–2012. Methods Locally-acquired notified cases of dengue were collected for northern tropical Queensland from 1993 to 2012. Descriptive spatial and temporal analyses were conducted using geographic information system tools and geostatistical techniques. Results 2,398 locally-acquired dengue cases were recorded in northern tropical Queensland during the study period. The areas affected by the dengue cases exhibited spatial and temporal variation over the study period. Notified cases of dengue occurred more frequently in autumn. Mapping of dengue by statistical local areas (census units) reveals the presence of substantial spatio-temporal variation over time and place. Statistically significant differences in dengue incidence rates among males and females (with more cases in females) (χ2 = 15.17, d.f. = 1, p<0.01). Differences were observed among age groups, but these were not statistically significant. There was a significant positive spatial autocorrelation of dengue incidence for the four sub-periods, with the Moran's I statistic ranging from 0.011 to 0.463 (p<0.01). Semi-variogram analysis and smoothed maps created from interpolation techniques indicate that the pattern of spatial autocorrelation was not homogeneous across the northern Queensland. Conclusions Tropical areas are potential high-risk areas for mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue. This study demonstrated that the locally-acquired dengue cases have exhibited a spatial and temporal variation over the past twenty years in northern tropical Queensland, Australia. Therefore, this study provides an impetus for further investigation of clusters and risk factors in these high-risk areas. PMID:24691549

Pot, politics and the press--reflections on cannabis law reform in Western Australia.

PubMed

Lenton, Simon

2004-06-01

Windows of opportunity for changing drug laws open infrequently and they often close without legislative change being affected. In this paper the author, who has been intimately involved in the process, describes how evidence-based recommendations to 'decriminalize' cannabis have recently been progressed through public debate and the political process to become law in Western Australia (WA). The Cannabis Control Bill 2003 passed the WA Parliament on 23 September. The Bill, the legislative backing behind the Cannabis Infringement Notice (CIN) Scheme, came into effect on 22 March 2004. This made WA the fourth Australian jurisdiction, after South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, to adopt a prohibition with civil penalties scheme for minor cannabis offences. This paper describes some of the background to the scheme, the process by which it has become law, the main provisions of the scheme and its evaluation. It includes reflections on the role of politics and the press in the process. The process of implementation and evaluation are outlined by the author, foreshadowing an ongoing opportunity to understand the impact of the change in legislation.

Achieving compliance with the International Health Regulations by overseas territories of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

PubMed

Hamblion, Esther L; Salter, Mark; Jones, Jane

2014-11-01

The 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR) came into force for all Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) in June 2007 and the deadline for achieving compliance was June 2012. The purpose of the IHR is to prevent, protect against, control - and provide a public health response to - international spread of disease. The territory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and that of several other Member States, such as China, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the United States of America, include overseas territories, which cover a total population of approximately 15 million people. Member States have a responsibility to ensure that all parts of their territory comply with the IHR. Since WHO has not provided specific guidance on compliance in the special circumstances of the overseas territories of Member States, compliance by these territories is an issue for self-assessment by Member States themselves. To date, no reports have been published on the assessment of IHR compliance in countries with overseas territories. We describe a gap analysis done in the United Kingdom to assess IHR compliance of its overseas territories. The findings and conclusions are broadly applicable to other countries with overseas territories which may have yet to assess their compliance with the IHR. Such assessments are needed to ensure compliance across all parts of a Member States' territory and to increase global health security.

Handbook on Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Education Agency, Austin.

A study unit on Australia for secondary students is divided into eight sections. Section 1 introduces students to the states, territories, and capitals of the country. Section two, land and people, discusses the size, location, geology, climate, flora and fauna, and population of Australia. Sections 3 and 4 outline Australian history and include…

Modelling seasonal habitat suitability for wide-ranging species: Invasive wild pigs in northern Australia.

PubMed

Froese, Jens G; Smith, Carl S; Durr, Peter A; McAlpine, Clive A; van Klinken, Rieks D

2017-01-01

Invasive wildlife often causes serious damage to the economy and agriculture as well as environmental, human and animal health. Habitat models can fill knowledge gaps about species distributions and assist planning to mitigate impacts. Yet, model accuracy and utility may be compromised by small study areas and limited integration of species ecology or temporal variability. Here we modelled seasonal habitat suitability for wild pigs, a widespread and harmful invader, in northern Australia. We developed a resource-based, spatially-explicit and regional-scale approach using Bayesian networks and spatial pattern suitability analysis. We integrated important ecological factors such as variability in environmental conditions, breeding requirements and home range movements. The habitat model was parameterized during a structured, iterative expert elicitation process and applied to a wet season and a dry season scenario. Model performance and uncertainty was evaluated against independent distributional data sets. Validation results showed that an expert-averaged model accurately predicted empirical wild pig presences in northern Australia for both seasonal scenarios. Model uncertainty was largely associated with different expert assumptions about wild pigs' resource-seeking home range movements. Habitat suitability varied considerably between seasons, retracting to resource-abundant rainforest, wetland and agricultural refuge areas during the dry season and expanding widely into surrounding grassland floodplains, savanna woodlands and coastal shrubs during the wet season. Overall, our model suggested that suitable wild pig habitat is less widely available in northern Australia than previously thought. Mapped results may be used to quantify impacts, assess risks, justify management investments and target control activities. Our methods are applicable to other wide-ranging species, especially in data-poor situations.

Modelling seasonal habitat suitability for wide-ranging species: Invasive wild pigs in northern Australia

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Invasive wildlife often causes serious damage to the economy and agriculture as well as environmental, human and animal health. Habitat models can fill knowledge gaps about species distributions and assist planning to mitigate impacts. Yet, model accuracy and utility may be compromised by small study areas and limited integration of species ecology or temporal variability. Here we modelled seasonal habitat suitability for wild pigs, a widespread and harmful invader, in northern Australia. We developed a resource-based, spatially-explicit and regional-scale approach using Bayesian networks and spatial pattern suitability analysis. We integrated important ecological factors such as variability in environmental conditions, breeding requirements and home range movements. The habitat model was parameterized during a structured, iterative expert elicitation process and applied to a wet season and a dry season scenario. Model performance and uncertainty was evaluated against independent distributional data sets. Validation results showed that an expert-averaged model accurately predicted empirical wild pig presences in northern Australia for both seasonal scenarios. Model uncertainty was largely associated with different expert assumptions about wild pigs’ resource-seeking home range movements. Habitat suitability varied considerably between seasons, retracting to resource-abundant rainforest, wetland and agricultural refuge areas during the dry season and expanding widely into surrounding grassland floodplains, savanna woodlands and coastal shrubs during the wet season. Overall, our model suggested that suitable wild pig habitat is less widely available in northern Australia than previously thought. Mapped results may be used to quantify impacts, assess risks, justify management investments and target control activities. Our methods are applicable to other wide-ranging species, especially in data-poor situations. PMID:28472113

A Northern Territory Approach to Quantifying "Access Disadvantage" to Educational Services in Remote and Rural Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffith, D. A.

The Griffith Service Access Frame (GSAF) is a model used for quantifying the access disadvantage to educational services of remote and rural areas in Australia. The model was specifically developed to assist policymakers and administrators in allocating resources. The problem with the current funding formula used by the Australian federal…

Pneumonia risk stratification in tropical Australia: does the SMART-COP score apply?

PubMed

Davis, Joshua S; Cross, Gail B; Charles, Patrick G P; Currie, Bart J; Anstey, Nicholas M; Cheng, Allen C

2010-02-01

To examine the performance in tropical northern Australia of SMART-COP, a simple scoring system developed in temperate Australia to predict the need for intensive respiratory or vasopressor support (IRVS) in pneumonia patients. A prospective observational study of patients admitted to Royal Darwin Hospital in the Northern Territory with sepsis between August 2007 and May 2008. Chest x-rays were reviewed to confirm pneumonia, and each patient's SMART-COP score was assessed against the need for IRVS. Of 206 patients presenting with radiologically confirmed pneumonia, 184 were eligible for inclusion. The mean age of patients was 50.1 years, 65% were Indigenous and 56% were men. Overall, 38 patients (21%) required IRVS, and 18 patients (10%) died by Day 30. A SMART-COP score of >or= 3 had a sensitivity of only 71% for predicting the need for IRVS and 67% for 30-day mortality. As the variables most strongly associated with IRVS were serum albumin level < 35 g/L (odds ratio, 6.8) and Indigenous status (odds ratio, 2.3), we tested a modified scoring system (SMART-COP) that used a higher weighting for albumin and included Indigenous status. A SMART-COP score of >or= 3 had a sensitivity of 97% for IRVS and 100% for 30-day mortality. The SMART-COP score underestimates the severity of pneumonia in tropical northern Australia, but can be improved by using locally relevant additions.

Achieving compliance with the International Health Regulations by overseas territories of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

PubMed Central

Salter, Mark; Jones, Jane

2014-01-01

Abstract The 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR) came into force for all Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) in June 2007 and the deadline for achieving compliance was June 2012. The purpose of the IHR is to prevent, protect against, control – and provide a public health response to – international spread of disease. The territory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and that of several other Member States, such as China, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the United States of America, include overseas territories, which cover a total population of approximately 15 million people. Member States have a responsibility to ensure that all parts of their territory comply with the IHR. Since WHO has not provided specific guidance on compliance in the special circumstances of the overseas territories of Member States, compliance by these territories is an issue for self-assessment by Member States themselves. To date, no reports have been published on the assessment of IHR compliance in countries with overseas territories. We describe a gap analysis done in the United Kingdom to assess IHR compliance of its overseas territories. The findings and conclusions are broadly applicable to other countries with overseas territories which may have yet to assess their compliance with the IHR. Such assessments are needed to ensure compliance across all parts of a Member States’ territory and to increase global health security. PMID:25378745

Indigenous Tertiary Education--We Are All Learning: Both-Ways Pedagogy in the Northern Territory of Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bat, Melodie; Kilgariff, Claire; Doe, Tina

2014-01-01

In this new era in tertiary education in Australia, the opportunity exists not only to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and thus redress low access and participation rates, but also to build a system that privileges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and ways of learning. To be able to do such a thing…

Using Computer-Based Instruction to Improve Indigenous Early Literacy in Northern Australia: A Quasi-Experimental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolgemuth, Jennifer; Savage, Robert; Helmer, Janet; Lea, Tess; Harper, Helen; Chalkiti, Kalotina; Bottrell, Christine; Abrami, Phil

2011-01-01

The effectiveness of a web-based reading support tool, ABRACADABRA, to improve the literacy outcomes of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students was evaluated over one semester in several Northern Territory primary schools in 2009. ABRACADABRA is intended as a support for teachers in the early years of schooling, giving them a friendly, game and…

Isotopic Evidence for C4 Grass Expansion During the Last Glacial Maximum and Younger Dryas in Northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, B. J.; Wakeham, S.; Gelinas, Y.; Luly, J.; Miller, G.

2004-12-01

In northern and central Australia, late Quaternary records of terrestrial environmental change are rare due to generally poor preservation of pollen grains and a derth of long-term, continuous lacustrine sedimentary deposits. The Wombe mound spring in the Keep River National Park, Northern Territory, is an organic mound and isolated patch of monsoon vine thicket thought to have formed tens of thousands of years ago. In an effort to obtain a record of paleovegetation and fire history from northern Australia, a 3.4 m sediment core was recovered from the Wombe mound spring and subject to multiple types of analyses. The core represents a continuous depositional sequence with radiocarbon ages spanning the last 35 ka cal years (hereafter referred to as 35 ka). Paleovegetation was reconstructed using a combination of pollen and carbon isotopes in bulk sediment and higher plant leaf wax (HPLW) lipid biomarkers. The fire history was reconstructed from paired graphitic black carbon (GBC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) analyses of the core sediments. Between 35 and 11 ka, the bulk organic carbon (OC) isotope data fluctuate between -22 and -15%, with the most isotopically enriched values measured at 11.4 ka. Between 12.3 and 6.8 ka, OC isotope values decrease by 13%, and remain steady from 6.8 ka to the present at -28%. There are two distinct peaks of isotopic enrichment in the higher plant leaf wax biomarkers. These two peaks coincide with the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 21 ka) and the Younger Dryas (YD; 11.4 ka) and represent maximum increases in C4 grasses relative to C3 plants. Relative increases in C4 grasses during the LGM in other parts of the tropics (i.e., Sacred Lake, Mt. Kenya) have been attributed to the competitive advantage of C4 plants relative to C3 plants under reduced atmospheric pCO2 and is likely the cause for C4 expansion in northern Australia. The increase in C4 grasses during the YD is reflected in the bulk sediment and HPLW isotope data and is

Networking in Education: From Concept to Action--An Analytical View on the Educational Territories of Priority Intervention (TEIP) in Northern Portugal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silva, Marisa; da Silva, Sofia Marques; Araújo, Helena C

2017-01-01

This article presents an analysis of school principals' perspectives on networking concerning schools and school clusters from areas of social vulnerability (Educational Territories of Priority Intervention (TEIP)) in Northern Portugal. The meanings, purpose, benefits and difficulties of networking in education are examined, based on interviews…

Unprecedented Melioidosis Cases in Northern Australia Caused by an Asian Burkholderia pseudomallei Strain Identified by Using Large-Scale Comparative Genomics

PubMed Central

Smith, Emma J.; MacHunter, Barbara; Harrington, Glenda; Theobald, Vanessa; Hall, Carina M.; Hornstra, Heidie M.; McRobb, Evan; Podin, Yuwana; Mayo, Mark; Sahl, Jason W.; Wagner, David M.; Keim, Paul; Kaestli, Mirjam; Currie, Bart J.

2015-01-01

Melioidosis is a disease of humans and animals that is caused by the saprophytic bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Once thought to be confined to certain locations, the known presence of B. pseudomallei is expanding as more regions of endemicity are uncovered. There is no vaccine for melioidosis, and even with antibiotic administration, the mortality rate is as high as 40% in some regions that are endemic for the infection. Despite high levels of recombination, phylogenetic reconstruction of B. pseudomallei populations using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has revealed surprisingly robust biogeographic separation between isolates from Australia and Asia. To date, there have been no confirmed autochthonous melioidosis cases in Australia caused by an Asian isolate; likewise, no autochthonous cases in Asia have been identified as Australian in origin. Here, we used comparative genomic analysis of 455 B. pseudomallei genomes to confirm the unprecedented presence of an Asian clone, sequence type 562 (ST-562), in Darwin, northern Australia. First observed in Darwin in 2005, the incidence of melioidosis cases attributable to ST-562 infection has steadily risen, and it is now a common strain in Darwin. Intriguingly, the Australian ST-562 appears to be geographically restricted to a single locale and is genetically less diverse than other common STs from this region, indicating a recent introduction of this clone into northern Australia. Detailed genomic and epidemiological investigations of new clinical and environmental B. pseudomallei isolates in the Darwin region and ST-562 isolates from Asia will be critical for understanding the origin, distribution, and dissemination of this emerging clone in northern Australia. PMID:26607593

Biomass burning emissions in north Australia during the early dry season: an overview of the 2014 SAFIRED campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallet, Marc D.; Desservettaz, Maximilien J.; Miljevic, Branka; Milic, Andelija; Ristovski, Zoran D.; Alroe, Joel; Cravigan, Luke T.; Rohan Jayaratne, E.; Paton-Walsh, Clare; Griffith, David W. T.; Wilson, Stephen R.; Kettlewell, Graham; van der Schoot, Marcel V.; Selleck, Paul; Reisen, Fabienne; Lawson, Sarah J.; Ward, Jason; Harnwell, James; Cheng, Min; Gillett, Rob W.; Molloy, Suzie B.; Howard, Dean; Nelson, Peter F.; Morrison, Anthony L.; Edwards, Grant C.; Williams, Alastair G.; Chambers, Scott D.; Werczynski, Sylvester; Williams, Leah R.; Winton, V. Holly L.; Atkinson, Brad; Wang, Xianyu; Keywood, Melita D.

2017-11-01

The SAFIRED (Savannah Fires in the Early Dry Season) campaign took place from 29 May until 30 June 2014 at the Australian Tropical Atmospheric Research Station (ATARS) in the Northern Territory, Australia. The purpose of this campaign was to investigate emissions from fires in the early dry season in northern Australia. Measurements were made of biomass burning aerosols, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic carbons, greenhouse gases, radon, speciated atmospheric mercury and trace metals. Aspects of the biomass burning aerosol emissions investigated included; emission factors of various species, physical and chemical aerosol properties, aerosol aging, micronutrient supply to the ocean, nucleation, and aerosol water uptake. Over the course of the month-long campaign, biomass burning signals were prevalent and emissions from several large single burning events were observed at ATARS.Biomass burning emissions dominated the gas and aerosol concentrations in this region. Dry season fires are extremely frequent and widespread across the northern region of Australia, which suggests that the measured aerosol and gaseous emissions at ATARS are likely representative of signals across the entire region of north Australia. Air mass forward trajectories show that these biomass burning emissions are carried north-west over the Timor Sea and could influence the atmosphere over Indonesia and the tropical atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. Here we present characteristics of the biomass burning observed at the sampling site and provide an overview of the more specific outcomes of the SAFIRED campaign.

Seven new species of Paleanotus (Annelida: Chrysopetalidae) described from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, and coral reefs of northern Australia and the Indo-Pacific: two cryptic species pairs revealed between western Pacific Ocean and the eastern Indian Ocean.

PubMed

Watson, Charlotte

2015-09-18

Morphological investigation into the paleate genus Paleanotus Schmarda 1861 of the family Chrysopetalidae from northern Australian coral reefs, primarily Lizard Island and outlying reefs, included a complex of very small, slender individuals (length < 5 mm). This complex resolved into 7 new species, described herein: Paleanotus inornatus n. sp., P. adornatus n. sp., P. chrysos n. sp., P. aquifolia n. sp., P. latifolia n. sp., P. silus n. sp., and P. silopsis n. sp. A key is provided to the new species and Paleanotus distinguished from Treptopale and Hyalopale, two closely related genera. Diagnostic features of the apical structure and shape of the notochaetal main paleae plus median paleae shape and raised rib pattern, differentiates each species from the other. Gametous states are described. Two cryptic species pairs (Paleanotus silopsis n. sp. and P. silus n. sp.; Paleanotus aquifolia n. sp. and P. latifolia n. sp.) were identified. In each case one species is restricted to either the NE or NW Australian coast. In each pair the most eastern point for the NW Australian species range occurs at Darwin, western Arnhemland, Northern Territory. Additional material for each species pair extends their respective ranges northwards: NW Australia to Thailand, Andaman Sea, eastern Indian Ocean or NE Australia, Great Barrier Reef to the Philippines, western Pacific Ocean. Cryptic morphology and potential genetic diversity is discussed in Paleanotus inornatus n. sp. and P. adornatus n. sp. that possess overlapping widespread distribution patterns across northern Australia and Indo-Pacific reefs. The smallest bodied taxon, Paleanotus chrysos n. sp. is the only species with a Coral Sea range encompassing Lizard Island, Heron Island and New Caledonia.

Qualitative Research to Design Sustainable Community-Based Surveillance for Rabies in Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.

PubMed

Brookes, Victoria J; Kennedy, Emma; Dhagapan, Phillipa; Ward, Michael P

2017-01-01

Given the proximity and recent spread of rabies in Indonesia, effective rabies surveillance in dogs is a priority in Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG). Reporting of potential cases requires community engagement; therefore, the value and acceptability of such a system is critical to ensure sustainable surveillance. We used qualitative research methods to identify factors that influence the acceptability and value of community-based rabies surveillance. Thirty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted with informants in 16 communities in East Arnhem, the Northern Peninsula Area, the Torres Strait in Australia, and in Western Province, PNG. Thematic analysis identified common themes including the importance of verbal communication, particularly via radio, community meetings, and direct conversation. We also found that dogs have high value to community members through connection to culture, economic (especially hunting), and companionship. The greatest barrier to the reporting of sick dogs was insufficient veterinary services and the subsequent lack of treatment response. In some regions, acceptance that sick dogs are a normal daily occurrence and lack of trust of authorities were also barriers to reporting. The findings from this study will be used to design sustainable rabies surveillance in Northern Australia and PNG by utilizing traditional communication channels and building on existing and valued animal-management services. The methods and findings of this study complement previous quantitative research, so as to target surveillance to high-risk areas within these regions.

Territorial and nesting behavior in southern Boobook (Ninox novaeseelandiae)

Treesearch

Jerry Olsen; Susan Trost

1997-01-01

During 1993-1997, three adjacent nesting pairs of the Southern Boobook (Ninox novaeseelandiae) were located and observations made on their behavioral interactions, nests, and young in Canberra, Australia. Territory size was close to 100 ha; not the 4 to 10 ha reported in the literature. Males advertized territorial boundaries with the "boobook...

Arboviral diseases and malaria in Australia, 2008-09: annual report of the National Arbovirus and Malaria Advisory Committee.

PubMed

Fitzsimmons, Gerard J; Wright, Phil; Johansen, Cheryl A; Whelan, Peter I

2010-09-01

The National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System received 8,677 notifications of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes in Australia from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009. The alphaviruses, Barmah Forest and Ross River, accounted for 6,574 (78%) of these notifications during 2008-09. There were 1,009 notifications of dengue virus infection locally-acquired in North Queensland and 484 notified cases resulted from overseas travel. Notification rates of dengue virus infection for 2008-09, regardless of where infection was acquired, exceeded the five-year mean rate and may be attributed to increased disease activity in the Asia-Pacific region. North Queensland was the site of several outbreaks of locally-acquired dengue virus infection involving all 4 serotypes. These dengue outbreaks affected several locations with over 1,000 notifications. Detection of flavivirus seroconversions in sentinel chicken flocks across Australia provides an early warning of increased levels of Murray Valley encephalitis virus and Kunjin virus activity. Increased levels of flavivirus activity were detected in western and northern Australia, which prompted public health action. This action preceded 4 notifications of Murray Valley encephalitis infections, 2 (fatal) cases acquired in the Northern Territory and two in Western Australia. There were no notifications of locally-acquired malaria in Australia and 567 notifications of overseas-acquired malaria during 2008-09. This annual report presents information of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes in Australia and notified to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

Photochemical production of O3 in biomass burning plumes in the boundary layer over northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takegawa, N.; Kondo, Y.; Ko, M.; Koike, M.; Kita, K.; Blake, D. R.; Hu, W.; Scott, C.; Kawakami, S.; Miyazaki, Y.; Russell-Smith, J.; Ogawa, T.

2003-05-01

In situ aircraft measurements of ozone (O3) and its precursors were made over northern Australia in August-September 1999 during the Biomass Burning and Lightning Experiment Phase B (BIBLE-B). A clear positive correlation of O3 with carbon monoxide (CO) was found in biomass burning plumes in the boundary layer (<3 km). The ΔO3/ΔCO ratio (linear regression slope of O3-CO correlation) is found to be 0.12 ppbv/ppbv, which is comparable to the ratio of 0.15 ppbv/ppbv observed at 0-4 km over the Amazon and Africa in previous studies. The net flux of O3 exported from northern Australia during BIBLE-B is estimated to be 0.3 Gmol O3/day. In the biomass burning region, large enhancements of O3 were coincident with the locations of biomass burning hot spots, suggesting that major O3 production occurred near fires (horizontal scale <50 km).

Regional Disparities in Apprentice Attrition Rates: Heat and Quarter Four's Significance in Northern Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zoellner, Don; Brearley, Matt; Oppermann, Elspeth

2017-01-01

Apprenticeship completion rates have remained persistently low for decades in spite of broad agreement over the causes of non-completions. A possible factor missing from these explanations is climate, particularly in northern Australia where traditional trade apprentices are exposed to extreme conditions and exert themselves. We hypothesize that:…

Examining the Impact of ABRACADABRA on Early Literacy in Northern Australia: An Implementation Fidelity Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolgemuth, Jennifer R.; Abrami, Philip C.; Helmer, Janet; Savage, Robert; Harper, Helen; Lea, Tess

2014-01-01

To address students' poor literacy outcomes, an intervention using a computer-based literacy tool, ABRACADABRA, was implemented in 6 Northern Australia primary schools. A pretest, posttest parallel group, single blind multisite randomized controlled trial was conducted with 308 students between the ages of 4 and 8 years old (M age = 5.8 years, SD…

Patterns of paediatric emergency presentations to a tertiary referral centre in the Northern Territory.

PubMed

Buntsma, Davina; Lithgow, Anna; O'Neill, Evan; Palmer, Didier; Morris, Peter; Acworth, Jason; Babl, Franz E

2017-12-01

To describe epidemiological data concerning paediatric attendances at the ED of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH). We conducted a retrospective cohort study of paediatric emergency presentations to the RDH ED during 2004 and 2013. Epidemiological data, including demographics, admission rates and diagnostic grouping, were analysed using descriptive and comparative statistical methods. We compared data with findings from a baseline epidemiological study by the Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) conducted in 2004. A total of 12 745 and 15 378 paediatric presentations (age 0-18 years) to the RDH ED were analysed for the years 2004 and 2013 respectively. In 2004, the mean age of children presenting to RDH was 7.1 years, and 56.0% were female. Indigenous patients accounted for 31.2% of presentations at RDH and were significantly more likely to be admitted than non-Indigenous patients (31.6% vs 12.8%, OR 3.24, 95% CI 2.95-3.55). Children <5 years old accounted for the highest number of presentations (45.2%) and admissions (51.2%), and there was a high proportion of adolescent presentations (18.0%). Similar to the PREDICT study, viral infectious conditions (bronchiolitis, gastroenteritis, upper respiratory tract infections) were the most common cause for presentations. Key differences included a higher proportion of patients presenting with cellulitis and head injury at RDH and an increasing proportion of adolescent psychiatric presentations at RDH from 2004 to 2013. This study provides important information regarding paediatric presentations to a major referral hospital in the Northern Territory. Overall, there was a disproportionate rate of presentation and admission among Indigenous children. Other key findings were higher proportions of cellulitis, head injury and adolescent presentations. These findings can assist in service planning and in directing future research specific to children in the Northern Territory. © 2017

Drinking & Congenital Birth Defects: Alcohol Awareness in the Northern Rivers Region of New South Wales, Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeigh, Tony; Dip, Grad; Kean, Brian

2005-01-01

Purpose: Guidelines developed to minimise the risk of harm associated with alcohol consumption in Australia focus on promoting population health by changing cultural attitudes. This research study was conducted to uncover attitudes toward maternal drinking and awareness of alcohol-related birth defects within the semi-rural Northern Rivers area of…

An Approach for Forest Inventory in Canada's Northern Boreal region, Northwest Territories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahoney, C.; Hopkinson, C.; Hall, R.; Filiatrault, M.

2017-12-01

The northern extent of Canada's northern boreal forest is largely inaccessible resulting in logistical, financial, and human challenges with respect to obtaining concise and accurate forest resource inventory (FRI) attributes such as stand height, aboveground biomass and forest carbon stocks. This challenge is further exacerbated by mandated government resource management and reporting of key attributes with respect to assessing impacts of natural disturbances, monitoring wildlife habitat and establishing policies to mitigate effects of climate change. This study presents a framework methodology utilized to inventory canopy height and crown closure over a 420,000 km2 area in Canada's Northwest Territories (NWT) by integrating field, LiDAR and satellite remote sensing data. Attributes are propagated from available field to coincident airborne LiDAR thru to satellite laser altimetry footprints. A quality controlled form of the latter are then submitted to a k-nearest neighbor (kNN) imputation algorithm to produce a continuous map of each attribute on a 30 m grid. The resultant kNN stand height (r=0.62, p=0.00) and crown closure (r=0.64, p=0.00) products were identified as statistically similar to a comprehensive independent airborne LiDAR source. Regional uncertainty can be produced with each attribute to identify areas of potential improvement through future strategic data acquisitions or the fine tuning of model parameters. This study's framework concept was developed to inform Natural Resources Canada - Canadian Forest Service's Multisource Vegetation Inventory and update vast regions of Canada's northern forest inventories, however, its applicability can be generalized to any environment. Not only can such a framework approach incorporate other data sources (such as Synthetic Aperture Radar) to potentially better characterize forest attributes, but it can also utilize future Earth observation mission data (for example ICESat-2) to monitor forest dynamics and the

Language Planning and Placenaming in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodges, Flavia

2007-01-01

Before colonisation Australia was fully named by its Indigenous population, but that complex network of naming was largely overlooked as Europeans introduced their own names for features and settlements. Each of Australia's states and territories now has a nomenclature authority, whose activities are coordinated through the Committee for…

Adverse mental health effects of cannabis use in two indigenous communities in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia: exploratory study.

PubMed

Clough, Alan R; d'Abbs, Peter; Cairney, Sheree; Gray, Dennis; Maruff, Paul; Parker, Robert; O'Reilly, Bridie

2005-07-01

We investigated adverse mental health effects and their associations with levels of cannabis use among indigenous Australian cannabis users in remote communities in the Northern Territory. Local indigenous health workers and key informants assisted in developing 28 criteria describing mental health symptoms. Five symptom clusters were identified using cluster analysis of data compiled from interviews with 103 cannabis users. Agreement was assessed (method comparison approach, kappa-statistic) with a clinician's classification of the 28 criteria into five groups labelled: 'anxiety', 'dependency', 'mood', 'vegetative' and 'psychosis'. Participants were described as showing 'anxiety', 'dependency' etc., if they reported half or more of the symptoms comprising the cluster. Associations between participants' self-reported cannabis use and each symptom cluster were assessed (logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, other substance use). Agreement between two classifications of 28 criteria into five groups was 'moderate' (64%, kappa = 0.55, p < 0.001). When five clusters were combined into three, 'anxiety-dependency', 'mood-vegetative' and 'psychosis', agreement rose to 71% (kappa = 0.56, p < 0.001). 'Anxiety-dependency' was positively associated with number of 'cones' usually smoked per week and this remained significant when adjusted for confounders (p = 0.020) and tended to remain significant in those who had never sniffed petrol (p = 0.052). Users of more than five cones per week were more likely to display 'anxiety-dependency' symptoms than those who used one cone per week (OR = 15.8, 1.8-141.2, p = 0.013). A crude association between the 'mood-vegetative' symptom cluster and number of cones usually smoked per week (p = 0.014) also remained statistically significant when adjusted for confounders (p = 0.012) but was modified by interactions with petrol sniffing (p = 0.116) and alcohol use (p = 0.276). There were no associations between cannabis use and 'psychosis

Trachoma, cataracts and uncorrected refractive error are still important contributors to visual morbidity in two remote indigenous communities of the Northern Territory, Australia.

PubMed

Wright, Heathcote R; Keeffe, Jill E; Taylor, Hugh R

2009-08-01

To assess the contribution of trachoma, cataract and refractive error to visual morbidity among Indigenous adults living in two remote communities of the Northern Territory. Cross-sectional survey of all adults aged 40 and over within a desert and coastal community. Visual acuity, clinical signs of trachoma using the simplified WHO grading system and assessment of cataract through a non-dilated pupil. Two hundred and sixty individuals over the age of 40 years participated in the study. The prevalence of visual impairment (<6/12) was 17%. The prevalence of blindness (<3/60) was 2%, 40-fold higher than seen in an urban Australian population when adjusted for age. In total, 78% of adults who grew up in a desert community had trachomatous scarring compared with 26% of those who grew up in a coastal community (P < or = 0.001). In the desert community the prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis was 10% and corneal opacity was 6%. No trachomatous trichiasis or corneal opacity was seen in the coastal community. Trachoma, cataract and uncorrected refractive error remain significant contributors to visual morbidity in at least two remote indigenous communities. A wider survey is required to determine if these findings represent a more widespread pattern and existing eye care services may need to be re-assessed to determine the cause of this unmet need.

Describing and analysing primary health care system support for chronic illness care in Indigenous communities in Australia's Northern Territory - use of the Chronic Care Model.

PubMed

Si, Damin; Bailie, Ross; Cunningham, Joan; Robinson, Gary; Dowden, Michelle; Stewart, Allison; Connors, Christine; Weeramanthri, Tarun

2008-05-28

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. 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. 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

The influence of the La Niña-El Niño cycle on giant mud crab (Scylla serrata) catches in Northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meynecke, Jan-Olaf; Grubert, Mark; Arthur, James Michael; Boston, Ray; Lee, Shing Yip

2012-03-01

Mud crabs (Scylla spp.) are a high value commodity harvested in the Indo-West Pacific. Scylla species support important artisanal fisheries in south-east Asia and intensive commercial fisheries in Australia where the market demand and catch has increased markedly over the last decade. Over-fishing of Scylla spp. has been observed at varying levels throughout its distribution. Fluctuations in catch rates and abundance are thought to be driven by climate parameters. Here we analyse monthly, seasonal and annual patterns in catch and effort data (from 1990 to 2008) for the commercial giant mud crab (Scylla serrata) fishery in the Northern Territory, Australia, with corresponding climatic data (rainfall, freshwater runoff, sea surface temperature) and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) as an indicator of La Niña/El Niño events. Between 30 and 40% of the variation in catch per unit effort can be explained by rainfall and SOI alone. This result was supported by linear mixed models which identified SOI as the main contributor to the model. Spectral analyses showed that catch peaks coincided with a four year La Niña cycle. One- and two-year time lags (consistent with S. Serrata's life cycle) were also significantly correlated to SOI values and rainfall. These outcomes may assist fishery managers in planning fishing exposure period and duration. Furthermore, findings of this study provide information on the vulnerability of S. serrata to fluctuations in environmental conditions and can help to apply protective measures when and where necessary.

New genotypes of Liao ning virus (LNV) in Australia exhibit an insect-specific phenotype.

PubMed

Prow, Natalie A; Mah, Marcus G; Deerain, Joshua M; Warrilow, David; Colmant, Agathe M G; O'Brien, Caitlin A; Harrison, Jessica J; McLean, Breeanna J; Hewlett, Elise K; Piyasena, Thisun B H; Hall-Mendelin, Sonja; van den Hurk, Andrew F; Watterson, Daniel; Huang, Bixing; Schulz, Benjamin L; Webb, Cameron E; Johansen, Cheryl A; Chow, Weng K; Hobson-Peters, Jody; Cazier, Chris; Coffey, Lark L; Faddy, Helen M; Suhrbier, Andreas; Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle; Hall, Roy A

2018-04-01

Liao ning virus (LNV) was first isolated in 1996 from mosquitoes in China, and has been shown to replicate in selected mammalian cell lines and to cause lethal haemorrhagic disease in experimentally infected mice. The first detection of LNV in Australia was by deep sequencing of mosquito homogenates. We subsequently isolated LNV from mosquitoes of four genera (Culex, Anopheles, Mansonia and Aedes) in New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia; the earliest of these Australian isolates were obtained from mosquitoes collected in 1988, predating the first Chinese isolates. Genetic analysis revealed that the Australian LNV isolates formed two new genotypes: one including isolates from eastern and northern Australia, and the second comprising isolates from the south-western corner of the continent. In contrast to findings reported for the Chinese LNV isolates, the Australian LNV isolates did not replicate in vertebrate cells in vitro or in vivo, or produce signs of disease in wild-type or immunodeficient mice. A panel of human and animal sera collected from regions where the virus was found in high prevalence also showed no evidence of LNV-specific antibodies. Furthermore, high rates of virus detection in progeny reared from infected adult female mosquitoes, coupled with visualization of the virus within the ovarian follicles by immunohistochemistry, suggest that LNV is transmitted transovarially. Thus, despite relatively minor genomic differences between Chinese and Australian LNV strains, the latter display a characteristic insect-specific phenotype.

Revision of the water-holding frogs, Cyclorana platycephala (Anura: Hylidae), from arid Australia, including a description of a new species.

PubMed

Anstis, Marion; Price, Luke C; Roberts, J Dale; Catalano, Sarah R; Hines, Harry B; Doughty, Paul; Donnellan, Stephen C

2016-06-21

The water-holding frog, Cyclorana platycephala, occurs in the Australian arid and semi-arid zones but not in the central Australian deserts. Recent inspection of morphological variation in adults and larvae suggests that the taxon comprises three regional populations: eastern, northern and western that may each represent separate species. To assess the systematic status of these populations, we documented phylogenetic relationships using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers, divergence in adult and larval morphology and male advertisement call. Our molecular genetic data demonstrates that the western population of C. platycephala is not the sister taxon of eastern and northern representatives of this nominate species, as the latter two are more closely related to another morphologically distinct species, C. verrucosa. Discriminant Function Analysis of 14 morphological traits in adults and 15 in larvae showed a high degree of morphological differentiation of western versus eastern/northern C. platycephala. Calls of eastern and western populations differed in duration, pulse rate, frequency and especially in amplitude modulation pattern across the call duration. We describe the western population as a new species, whose range is contained entirely within Western Australia. In addition, we redescribe Cyclorana platycephala, quantify morphological and genetic differences between the eastern and northern populations, and conclude that these data support recognition of a single species, Cyclorana platycephala, for populations found in New South Wales, the Barkly Tablelands and south-eastern Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia.

Train-borne Measurements of Enhanced Wet Season Methane Emissions in Northern Australia - Implications for Australian Tropical Wetland Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deutscher, N. M.; Griffith, D. W.; Paton-Walsh, C.

2008-12-01

We present the first transect measurements of CH4, CO2, CO and N2O taken on the Ghan railway travelling on a N-S transect of the Australian continent between Adelaide (34.9°S, 138.6°E) and Darwin (12.5°S, 130.9°E). The Ghan crosses Australia from the mainly agricultural mid-latitude south through the arid interior to the wet-dry tropical savannah south of and around Darwin. In the 2008 wet season (February) we observed a significant latitudinal gradient of CH4 increasing towards the north. The same pattern was observed in the late 2008 wet season (March-April), with a smaller latitudinal gradient. These will be compared with a dry season transect, to be undertaken in September/October 2008. The Air Pollution Model (TAPM), a regional scale prognostic meteorological model, is used to estimate the surface methane source strength required to explain the observed latitudinal gradient in CH4 in the wet season, and investigate the source type. Fluxes from cattle and termites together contribute up to 25% of the enhancements seen, leaving wetlands as the major source of wet season methane in the Australian tropics. Wetlands are the largest natural source of methane to the atmosphere, and tropical wetlands are responsible for the majority of the interannual variation in methane source strength. We attempt to quantify the annual methane flux contributed by anaerobic organic breakdown due to wet- season flooding in tropical Northern Territory.

Understanding the sources and effects of abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear on marine turtles in northern Australia.

PubMed

Wilcox, Chris; Heathcote, Grace; Goldberg, Jennifer; Gunn, Riki; Peel, David; Hardesty, Britta Denise

2015-02-01

Globally, 6.4 million tons of fishing gear are lost in the oceans annually. This gear (i.e., ghost nets), whether accidently lost, abandoned, or deliberately discarded, threatens marine wildlife as it drifts with prevailing currents and continues to entangle marine organisms indiscriminately. Northern Australia has some of the highest densities of ghost nets in the world, with up to 3 tons washing ashore per kilometer of shoreline annually. This region supports globally significant populations of internationally threatened marine fauna, including 6 of the 7 extant marine turtles. We examined the threat ghost nets pose to marine turtles and assessed whether nets associated with particular fisheries are linked with turtle entanglement by analyzing the capture rates of turtles and potential source fisheries from nearly 9000 nets found on Australia's northern coast. Nets with relatively larger mesh and smaller twine sizes (e.g., pelagic drift nets) had the highest probability of entanglement for marine turtles. Net size was important; larger nets appeared to attract turtles, which further increased their catch rates. Our results point to issues with trawl and drift-net fisheries, the former due to the large number of nets and fragments found and the latter due to the very high catch rates resulting from the net design. Catch rates for fine-mesh gill nets can reach as high as 4 turtles/100 m of net length. We estimated that the total number of turtles caught by the 8690 ghost nets we sampled was between 4866 and 14,600, assuming nets drift for 1 year. Ghost nets continue to accumulate on Australia's northern shore due to both legal and illegal fishing; over 13,000 nets have been removed since 2005. This is an important and ongoing transboundary threat to biodiversity in the region that requires attention from the countries surrounding the Arafura and Timor Seas. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

Optometric supply and demand in Australia: 2011-2036.

PubMed

Healy, Ernest; Kiely, Patricia M; Arunachalam, Dharma

2015-05-01

The effective size of the optometric workforce is dependent on graduate numbers, retention rates and immigration and is influenced by age, gender and working hours of optometrists. This paper presents modelling results of the relationship between the projected Australian optometric workforce and projected demand for optometric services for the period 2011 to 2036. Nine hypothetical optometric supply-side and demand-side scenarios are presented. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on age and gender of people listing optometry as their major qualification in the 2011 census were projected over a 25-year period, accounting for factors such as concordance with Health Workforce Australia figures for registered optometrists in Australia in 2011, ageing, attrition, hours worked, new graduates and immigration. Data were compared to the numbers of optometrists calculated as necessary to meet the demand for services of the Australian population to 2036 using nine different scenarios. It was estimated that there would be a surplus of over 1,200 equivalent full-time optometrists (EFTO) in 2036 for the highest service demand scenario of 13.8 million Medicare services, where 21 hours of a 38-hour week per EFTO were allowed for the provision of optometric services under Medicare. Substantial surpluses were predicted in all states and territories except Queensland, Tasmania and the Northern Territory where predicted supply was within six EFTO of predicted demand. Projections using current weightings for mortality, attrition, proportion of optometrists in active practice, working hours, immigration, new graduates and 21 hours per EFTO per week available for Medicare services indicate that in 2036, there will be excess optometrists in relation to projected demand for services, if service utilisation is maintained at current levels or increased by 10 or 20 per cent. Substantially greater excesses result if each EFTO has 28 or 35 hours per week available for Medicare

Cost savings from a telemedicine model of care in northern Queensland, Australia.

PubMed

Thaker, Darshit A; Monypenny, Richard; Olver, Ian; Sabesan, Sabe

2013-09-16

To conduct a cost analysis of a telemedicine model for cancer care (teleoncology) in northern Queensland, Australia, compared with the usual model of care from the perspective of the Townsville and other participating hospital and health services. Retrospective cost-savings analysis; and a one-way sensitivity analysis performed to test the robustness of findings in net savings. Records of all patients managed by means of teleoncology at the Townsville Cancer Centre (TCC) and its six rural satellite centres in northern Queensland, Australia between 1 March 2007 and 30 November 2011. Costs for set-up and staffing to manage the service, and savings from avoidance of travel expenses for specialist oncologists, patients and their escorts, and for aeromedical retrievals. There were 605 teleoncology consultations with 147 patients over 56 months, at a total cost of $442 276. The cost for project establishment was $36 000, equipment/maintenance was $143 271, and staff was $261 520. The estimated travel expense avoided was $762 394; this figure included the costs of travel for patients and escorts of $658 760, aeromedical retrievals of $52 400 and travel for specialists of $47 634, as well as an estimate of accommodation costs for a proportion of patients of $3600. This resulted in a net saving of $320 118. Costs would have to increase by 72% to negate the savings. The teleoncology model of care at the TCC resulted in net savings, mainly due to avoidance of travel costs. Such savings could be redirected to enhancing rural resources and service capabilities. This teleoncology model is applicable to geographically distant areas requiring lengthy travel.

Estimating the financial risks of Andropogon gayanus to greenhouse gas abatement projects in northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Vanessa M.; Setterfield, Samantha A.

2013-06-01

Financial mechanisms such as offsets are one strategy to abate greenhouse gas emissions, and the carbon market is expanding with a growing demand for offset products. However, in the case of carbon offsets, if the carbon is released due to intentional or unintentional reversal through environmental events such as fire, the financial liability to replace lost offsets will likely fall on the provider. This liability may have implications for future participation in programmes, but common strategies such as buffer pool and insurance products can be used to minimize this liability. In order for these strategies to be effective, an understanding of the spatial and temporal distributions of expected reversals is needed. We use the case study of savanna burning, an approved greenhouse gas abatement methodology under the Carbon Farming Initiative in Australia, to examine potential risks to carbon markets in northern Australia and quantify the financial risks. We focus our analysis on the threat of Andropogon gayanus (gamba grass) to savanna burning due to its documented impacts of increased fuel loads and altered fire regimes. We assess the spatial and financial extent to which gamba grass poses a risk to savanna burning programmes in northern Australia. We find that 75% of the eligible area for savanna burning is spatially coincident with the high suitability range for gamba grass. Our analysis demonstrates that the presence of gamba grass seriously impacts the financial viability of savanna burning projects. For example, in order to recuperate the annual costs of controlling 1 ha of gamba grass infestation, 290 ha of land must be enrolled in annual carbon abatement credits. Our results show an immediate need to contain gamba grass to its current extent to avoid future spread into large expanses of land, which are currently profitable for savanna burning.

Microclimate and limits to photosynthesis in a diverse community of hypolithic cyanobacteria in northern Australia.

PubMed

Tracy, Christopher R; Streten-Joyce, Claire; Dalton, Robert; Nussear, Kenneth E; Gibb, Karen S; Christian, Keith A

2010-03-01

Hypolithic microbes, primarily cyanobacteria, inhabit the highly specialized microhabitats under translucent rocks in extreme environments. Here we report findings from hypolithic cyanobacteria found under three types of translucent rocks (quartz, prehnite, agate) in a semiarid region of tropical Australia. We investigated the photosynthetic responses of the cyanobacterial communities to light, temperature and moisture in the laboratory, and we measured the microclimatic variables of temperature and soil moisture under rocks in the field over an annual cycle. We also used molecular techniques to explore the diversity of hypolithic cyanobacteria in this community and their phylogenetic relationships within the context of hypolithic cyanobacteria from other continents. Based on the laboratory experiments, photosynthetic activity required a minimum soil moisture of 15% (by mass). Peak photosynthetic activity occurred between approximately 8 degrees C and 42 degrees C, though some photosynthesis occurred between -1 degrees C and 51 degrees C. Maximum photosynthesis rates also occurred at light levels of approximately 150-550 micromol m(-2) s(-1). We used the field microclimatic data in conjunction with these measurements of photosynthetic efficiency to estimate the amount of time the hypolithic cyanobacteria could be photosynthetically active in the field. Based on these data, we estimated that conditions were appropriate for photosynthetic activity for approximately 942 h (approximately 75 days) during the year. The hypolithic cyanobacteria community under quartz, prehnite and agate rocks was quite diverse both within and between rock types. We identified 115 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), with each rock hosting 8-24 OTUs. A third of the cyanobacteria OTUs from northern Australia grouped with Chroococcidiopsis, a genus that has been identified from hypolithic and endolithic communities from the Gobi, Mojave, Atacama and Antarctic deserts. Several OTUs identified

Microclimate and limits to photosynthesis in a diverse community of hypolithic cyanobacteria in northern Australia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tracy, Christopher R.; Streten-Joyce, Claire; Dalton, Robert; Nussear, Kenneth E.; Gibb, Karen S.; Christian, Keith A.

2010-01-01

Hypolithic microbes, primarily cyanobacteria, inhabit the highly specialized microhabitats under translucent rocks in extreme environments. Here we report findings from hypolithic cyanobacteria found under three types of translucent rocks (quartz, prehnite, agate) in a semiarid region of tropical Australia. We investigated the photosynthetic responses of the cyanobacterial communities to light, temperature and moisture in the laboratory, and we measured the microclimatic variables of temperature and soil moisture under rocks in the field over an annual cycle. We also used molecular techniques to explore the diversity of hypolithic cyanobacteria in this community and their phylogenetic relationships within the context of hypolithic cyanobacteria from other continents. Based on the laboratory experiments, photosynthetic activity required a minimum soil moisture of 15% (by mass). Peak photosynthetic activity occurred between approximately 8°C and 42°C, though some photosynthesis occurred between −1°C and 51°C. Maximum photosynthesis rates also occurred at light levels of approximately 150–550 μmol m−2 s−1. We used the field microclimatic data in conjunction with these measurements of photosynthetic efficiency to estimate the amount of time the hypolithic cyanobacteria could be photosynthetically active in the field. Based on these data, we estimated that conditions were appropriate for photosynthetic activity for approximately 942 h (∼75 days) during the year. The hypolithic cyanobacteria community under quartz, prehnite and agate rocks was quite diverse both within and between rock types. We identified 115 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), with each rock hosting 8–24 OTUs. A third of the cyanobacteria OTUs from northern Australia grouped with Chroococcidiopsis, a genus that has been identified from hypolithic and endolithic communities from the Gobi, Mojave, Atacama and Antarctic deserts. Several OTUs identified from northern Australia have

Effect of Ambient Temperature on Australian Northern Territory Public Hospital Admissions for Cardiovascular Disease among Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Populations

PubMed Central

Webb, Leanne; Bambrick, Hilary; Tait, Peter; Green, Donna; Alexander, Lisa

2014-01-01

Hospitalisations are associated with ambient temperature, but little is known about responses in population sub-groups. In this study, heat responses for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in two age groups were examined for two categories of cardiac diseases using daily hospital admissions from five Northern Territory hospitals (1992–2011). Admission rates during the hottest five per cent of days and the coolest five per cent of days were compared with rates at other times. Among 25–64 year olds, the Indigenous female population was more adversely affected by very hot days than the non-Indigenous female population, with admission rates for ischaemic heart disease (IHD) increasing by 32%. People older than 65 were more sensitive to cold, with non-Indigenous male admissions for heart failure increasing by 64%, and for IHD by 29%. For older Indigenous males, IHD admissions increased by 52% during cold conditions. For older non-Indigenous females, increases in admissions for heart failure were around 50% on these cold days, and 64% for older Indigenous females. We conclude that under projected climate change conditions, admissions for IHD amongst younger Indigenous people would increase in hot conditions, while admissions among elderly people during cold weather may be reduced. The responses to temperature, while showing significant relationships across the Northern Territory, may vary by region. These variations were not explored in this assessment. PMID:24531121

Off-label use of rituximab in autoimmune disease in the Top End of the Northern Territory, 2008-2016.

PubMed

Wongseelashote, Sarah; Tayal, Vipin; Bourke, Peter Francis

2018-02-01

Rituximab, an anti-CD20 B-cell depleting monoclonal antibody, is increasingly prescribed off-label for a range of autoimmune diseases. There has not previously been an audit of off-label rituximab use in the Northern Territory, where the majority of patients are Aboriginal. To evaluate retrospectively off-label rituximab use in autoimmune diseases in the Top End of the Northern Territory. We performed a retrospective audit of 8 years of off-label rituximab use at the Royal Darwin Hospital, the sole tertiary referral centre for the Darwin, Katherine and East Arnhem regions. Electronic and paper records were reviewed for demographic information, diagnosis/indication for rituximab, doses, previous/concomitant immunosuppression, clinical outcomes and specific adverse events. Rituximab was prescribed off-label to 66 patients for 24 autoimmune diseases. The majority of patients (62.1%) were Aboriginal and 60.6% female. The most common indications were refractory/relapsing disease despite standard therapies (68.7%) or severe disease with rituximab incorporated into an induction immunosuppressive regimen (19.4%). Systemic lupus erythematosus was the underlying diagnosis in 28.8% of cases. A clinically significant response was demonstrated in 74.2% of cases overall. There were 18 clinically significant infections; however, 13 were in patients receiving concurrent immunosuppressive therapy. There was a total of nine deaths from any cause. Rituximab has been used off-label for a range of autoimmune diseases in this population with a high proportion of Aboriginal patients successfully and safely in the majority of cases. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Anabranching rivers on the Northern Plains of arid central Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tooth, Stephen; Nanson, Gerald C.

1999-09-01

Anabranching rivers are a widespread feature of the Northern Plains in the Alice Springs region of central Australia but their unusual characteristics previously have not been described. On the Northern Plains, anabranching occurs on rivers transporting bedloads of coarse sand and gravel and is characterised by channels of variable size and shape which occur within a broader, typically well-defined, channel-train. Channels are separated by channel-train ridges—narrow, flow-aligned, vegetated features—or by wider islands. Ridges and islands are either depositional features (formed in situ by accretionary processes) or erosional features (formed by excision from once-continuous areas of floodplain). Vegetation plays a key role in the initiation, survival and growth of depositional forms through its influence on flow, sediment transport and ridge and island stability. Anabranching is also related to the influence of tributaries, for some large rivers alternate from single-thread to anabranching along their length in response to tributary inputs of water and sediment. Tributary inputs occur during flow events that are either independent from, or in concert with, floods in the trunk channel. Ridges and islands form in association with tributaries as a result of various hydrological, depositional and erosional processes, including irrigation of enhanced numbers of in-channel trees and resulting lee-side sediment accretion, floodplain scour, and the formation and maintenance of deferred-junction tributaries. The change from single-thread to anabranching downstream of tributary junctions occurs in the absence of any significant change in channel gradient or degree of channel confinement. On the Northern Plains, anabranching appears to be a stable river pattern that helps to maintain the throughput of relatively coarse sediment in low-gradient (typically 0.0005-0.002) channels characterised by an abundance of within-channel vegetation and subject to declining downstream

Biogeography of Burkholderia pseudomallei in the Torres Strait Islands of Northern Australia

PubMed Central

Baker, Anthony; Mayo, Mark; Owens, Leigh; Burgess, Graham; Norton, Robert; McBride, William John Hannan; Currie, Bart J.

2013-01-01

It has been hypothesized that biogeographical boundaries are a feature of Burkholderia pseudomallei ecology, and they impact the epidemiology of melioidosis on a global scale. This study examined the relatedness of B. pseudomallei sourced from islands in the Torres Strait of Northern Australia to determine if the geography of isolated island communities is a determinant of the organisms' dispersal. Environmental sampling on Badu Island in the Near Western Island cluster recovered a single clone. An additional 32 clinical isolates from the region were sourced. Isolates were characterized using multilocus sequence typing and a multiplex PCR targeting the flagellum gene cluster. Gene cluster analysis determined that 69% of the isolates from the region encoded the ancestral Burkholderia thailandensis-like flagellum and chemotaxis gene cluster, a proportion significantly lower than that reported from mainland Australia and consistent with observations of isolates from southern Papua New Guinea. A goodness-of-fit test indicated that there was geographic localization of sequence types throughout the archipelago, with the exception of Thursday Island, the economic and cultural hub of the region. Sequence types common to mainland Australia and Papua New Guinea were identified. These findings demonstrate for the first time an environmental reservoir for B. pseudomallei in the Torres Strait, and multilocus sequence typing suggests that the organism is not randomly distributed throughout this region and that seawater may provide a barrier to dispersal of the organism. Moreover, these findings support an anthropogenic dispersal hypothesis for the spread of B. pseudomallei throughout this region. PMID:23698533

Career Development in Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCowan, Colin; Mountain, Elizabeth

Australia has a federal system, comprising the national Commonwealth government and eight state and territory governments. At the Commonwealth level, the ministries of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, and Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business have primary roles in the career information and services field. Education and training…

Delivery of child health services in Indigenous communities: implications for the federal government's emergency intervention in the Northern Territory.

PubMed

Bailie, Ross S; Si, Damin; Dowden, Michelle C; Connors, Christine M; O'Donoghue, Lynette; Liddle, Helen E; Kennedy, Catherine M; Cox, Rhonda J; Burke, Hugh P; Thompson, Sandra C; Brown, Alex D H

2008-05-19

To describe delivery of child health services in Australian Aboriginal communities, and to identify gaps in services required to improve the health of Aboriginal children. Cross-sectional baseline audit for a quality improvement intervention. 297 children aged at least 3 months and under 5 years in 11 Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, Far West New South Wales and Western Australia in 2006. Adherence to guideline-scheduled services including clinical examinations, brief interventions or advice on health-related behaviour and risks, and enquiry regarding social conditions; and recorded follow-up of identified problems. Documentation of delivery of specific clinical examinations (26%-80%) was relatively good, but was poorer for brief interventions or advice on health-related behaviour and risks (5%-36%) and enquiry regarding social conditions (3%-11%). Compared with children in Far West NSW and WA, those attending NT centres were significantly more likely to have a record of growth faltering, underweight, chronic ear disease, anaemia, or chronic respiratory disease (P < 0.005). Only 11%-13% of children with identified social problems had an assessment report on file. An action plan was documented for 22% of children with growth faltering and 13% with chronic ear disease; 43% of children with chronic respiratory disease and 31% with developmental delay had an assessment report on file. Existing systems are not providing for adequate follow-up of identified medical and social problems for children living in remote Aboriginal communities; development of systems for immediate and longer-term sustainable responses to these problems should be a priority. Without effective systems for follow-up, screening children for disease and adverse social circumstances will result in little or no benefit.

Indigenous values and water markets: Survey insights from northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikolakis, William D.; Grafton, R. Quentin; To, Hang

2013-09-01

Drawing upon on the literature on Indigenous values to water, water markets and the empirical findings from a survey of 120 Indigenous and non-Indigenous respondents across northern Australia, the paper makes important qualitative and statistical comparisons between Indigenous and non-Indigenous values to water markets. The study is the first comparison of Indigenous and non-Indigenous values to water markets based on the same survey instrument. Key results from Indigenous respondents include: (1) water markets are held to be an acceptable approach to managing water; (2) markets must be carefully designed to protect customary and ecological values; (3) the allocation of water rights need to encompass equity considerations; and (4) water and land rights should not be separated even if this enhances efficiency, as it runs counter to Indigenous holistic values. Overall, the survey results provide the basis for a proposed adaptive decision loop, which allows decision makers to incorporate stakeholder values in water markets.

Lake Mackay, Australia

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Lake Mackay is the largest of hundreds of ephemeral lakes scattered throughout Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and is the second largest lake in Australia. The darker areas indicate some form of desert vegetation or algae, moisture within the soils, and lowest elevations where water pools. The image was acquired on September 19, 2010 and covers an area of 27 x 41 km. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched Dec. 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. More information about ASTER is available at asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/. Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

Relative Frequency, Characteristics, and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns of Vibrio spp., Aeromonas spp., Chromobacterium violaceum, and Shewanella spp. in the Northern Territory of Australia, 2000–2013

PubMed Central

McAuliffe, Gary N.; Hennessy, Jann; Baird, Robert W.

2015-01-01

Vibrio, Aeromonas, Chromobacterium violaceum, and Shewanella (VACS) are water-associated Gram-negative organisms that can cause a variety of infections. The frequency, patient characteristics, and antimicrobial susceptibilities for 468 isolates from 442 patients from the Northern Territory were reviewed. Aeromonas spp. (312 of 468; 67%) were most commonly isolated followed by Vibrio spp. (71 of 468; 15%), Shewanella spp. (61 of 468; 13%), and C. violaceum (24 of 468; 5%). A strong male predominance was found (male to female ratio of 2.3:1). Skin and soft tissue isolations (373 of 468; 80%) from lower limb infections (222 of 371; 60%) were the most common clinical manifestation. The episodes were usually polymicrobial (281 of 468; 60%). Coisolates included Staphylococcus aureus (137 of 468; 29%), β-hemolytic streptococci (74 of 468; 16%), enterobacteriaceae (111 of 468; 24%), non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli (35 of 468; 7%), and other VACS organisms (37 of 468; 8%). Antimicrobial resistance of VACS organisms to ciprofloxacin (0–4%), cefepime (0–3%), and gentamicin (0–0.8%) and Vibrio spp., Aeromonas spp., and Shewanella to cotrimoxazole (0–3%) was rarely shown. For water-associated lower limb skin and soft tissue infections in the tropics, clinicians should consider empirical antimicrobial therapy with agents active against S. aureus and VACS organisms. PMID:25548380

DNA relatedness and biochemical features of Campylobacter spp. isolated in central and South Australia.

PubMed Central

Steele, T W; Sangster, N; Lanser, J A

1985-01-01

Investigations of the etiology of diarrhea in patients in South Australia and the Northern Territory showed that Campylobacter spp. other than Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli were common in children. Campylobacters which were hippurate positive, nitrate negative, and susceptible to cephalothin and polymyxins were shown to be closely related to C. jejuni by DNA studies. Thermotolerant catalase-negative campylobacters were also isolated. These were H2S negative and biochemically resembled the catalase-negative or weak strains found in dogs in Sweden. DNA studies showed these campylobacters to be distinct from C. sputorum subsp. sputorum and to form a homogeneous group distinct from the enteropathogenic catalase-positive campylobacters. Preliminary studies suggest that these campylobacters are related to the Swedish catalase-negative or weak strains. PMID:2991331

Professional Development Programmes for Teachers in the Northern Territory of Australia: Enablers and Inhibiters for Success in Two Aspirant Leadership Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Speering, Glen

2016-01-01

Professional development programmes for teachers have become an increasing focus in the quest to improve teacher quality. In regional and remote areas of Australia the delivery of professional development programmes can become problematic. This study compares and contrasts the two separate professional development programmes evaluated (Programme A…

Roaming of dogs in remote Indigenous communities in northern Australia and potential interaction between community and wild dogs.

PubMed

Bombara, C; Dürr, S; Gongora, J; Ward, M P

2017-06-01

To investigate the roaming of Indigenous community dogs and potential interaction with wild dogs and dingoes. Cross-sectional survey and longitudinal follow-up study. Six remote Indigenous communities in Cape York Peninsula and Arnhem Land in northern Australia were selected. Hair samples were collected from community dogs and microsatellite DNA analyses were used to determine hybrid (>10% dingo DNA) status. Dogs were fitted with GPS collars and home range (ha) was estimated during monitoring periods of up to 3 days. In Cape York Peninsula, 6% of the 35 dogs sampled were dingo hybrids, whereas in Arnhem Land 41% of the 29 dogs sampled were hybrids. The median extended home range was estimated to be 4.54 ha (interquartile range, 3.40 - 7.71). Seven community dogs were identified with an estimated home range > 20 ha and home ranges included the bushland surrounding communities. No significant difference in home ranges was detected between hybrid and non-hybrid dogs. Study results provide some evidence (dingo hybridisation, bushland forays) of the potential interaction between domestic and wild dogs in northern Australia. The nature of this interaction needs further investigation to determine its role in disease transmission; for example, in the case of a rabies incursion in this region. © 2017 Australian Veterinary Association.

Sampling considerations for demographic and habitat studies of Northern Goshawks

Treesearch

Richard T. Reynolds; J. David Wiens; Suzanne M. Joy; Susan R. Salafsky

2005-01-01

We used mark-recapture methods to monitor Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) and their nests over 12 yr in an increasing sample of breeding territories (37 in 1991 to 121 in 2002) in northern Arizona. As many as 8 yr of repeated nest searching were required to identify the population of breeders, as individuals skipped egg-laying on territories...

Forest resources within the Lake States ceded territories 1980 - 2013

Treesearch

Cassandra M. Kurtz; W. Keith Moser; Mark H. Hansen; Dale D. Gormanson; Mark A. Hatfield; Paul A. Sowers; Michael J. Dockry; Marla R. Emery; Christopher W. Woodall; Brian F. Walters; Grant M. Domke; Jonathan Gilbert; Alexandra Wrobel

2015-01-01

The Lake States ceded territories are the portions of northern Michigan, northeastern Minnesota, and northern Wisconsin that were ceded by tribes of the Ojibwe to the government of the United States of America in the treaties of 1836, 1837, 1842, and 1854. The tribes retain rights to hunt, fish, and gather in the 1837, 1842, and 1854 treaty areas. This report...

Five new species of grass cicadas in the genus Graminitigrina (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettinae: Cicadettini) from Queensland and Northern Territory, Australia: comparative morphology, songs, behaviour and distributions.

PubMed

Ewart, A; Popple, L W; Hill, K B R

2017-02-07

Five new species of small grass cicadas belonging to the genus Graminitigrina Ewart and Marques are described, together with detailed analyses of their calling songs. Four species occur in Queensland, G. aurora n. sp. from eastern central Queensland near Fairbairn Dam; G. flindensis n. sp. from central Queensland between Hughenden northwards for at least 108 km; G. einasleighi n. sp. from near The Lynd, Einasleigh River, northeastern Queensland; G. selwynensis n. sp. from the Selwyn Range, northwestern Queensland, at locations about 40 km east of Mount Isa and 25 km southwest of Cloncurry, this latter here transferred from G. bowensis Ewart and Marques; G. uluruensis n. sp. from Uluru and the Olgas in southwestern Northern Territory, extending northwards through Tennant Creek and apparently further north to near Larrimah, a linear distance of approximately 1190 km. These new species bring the known Graminitigrina species to ten, all superficially similar in colour and morphology. A key to male specimens is provided for the 10 species. Additional distribution records and additional aural song recordings are presented for G. bowensis, these requiring the transfer of populations previously identified as G. bowensis from Croydon and Georgetown, northern Gulf region, to G. karumbae Ewart and Marques. Detailed comparative analyses, including NMDS analyses, of the songs of all 10 species are provided, which show that the song parameters are appropriate to distinguish the species, although some partial overlap is noted in the waveform plots between the songs of G. uluruensis n. sp. and G. flindensis n. sp. Regional variations of song parameters are noted in the calling songs of most of the species described.

Communicable Diseases Network Australia National Arbovirus and Malaria Advisory Committee annual report, 2005-06.

PubMed

Liu, Conan; Johansen, Cheryl; Kurucz, Nina; Whelan, Peter

2006-01-01

This report describes the epidemiology of mosquito-borne disease in Australia for the mosquito-borne disease season 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006, in which the second largest number of notifications since 1995-96 was reported. Ross River virus (RRV) infections (66%), Barmah Forest virus (BFV) infections (23%) and malaria (9%) were the most common mosquito-borne diseases reported in 2005-06. National RRV notifications were the fifth largest on record. The Northern Territory had the highest rate of RRV notifications and the peak notification rate (in January 2006) was the third highest since 2000. National BFV notification rates were the highest on record. The Northern Territory also reported the highest BFV notification rate this season, peaking in February-March 2006, which was the highest reported BFV notification rate on record. BFV notification rates were significantly higher in teenagers compared to previous seasons. There were 731 notifications of malaria in 2005-06 of which none was reported as locally acquired. This was the third highest reporting period for malaria notifications since 2000. In contrast to previous years in which Plasmodium vivax was the predominant species, Plasmodium falciparum was reported as the infecting species in 45 per cent of the malaria notifications and Plasmodium vivax for 42 per cent of cases. Young adults in the 20-24 year age group had the highest number of cases and children in the 5-9 year age group accounted for 22 per cent of notifications. There were two cases of Kunjin virus (KUNV) infection and one case of Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV) infection reported in 2005-06, all from Western Australia. Sentinel chicken surveillance data for flaviviruses and sentinel pig surveillance data for Japanese encephalitis virus are reported. There were 200 notifications of dengue virus (DENV) infection in 2005-06, of which 46 per cent (n = 92) was reported as having been acquired overseas. Dengue serotypes 2 and 3 were detected

Natural radionuclides and stable elements in weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) from tropical northern Australia.

PubMed

Medley, Peter; Doering, Che; Evans, Fiona; Bollhöfer, Andreas

2017-11-01

Natural radionuclides and stable elements were measured in weaver ants, leaves and soils collected from three sites in tropical northern Australia. Radionuclide concentration ratios for ants relative to soil were derived from the measurements and used to refine the current environmental radiological assessment for remediation of Ranger uranium mine. Use of site-specific concentration ratios for weaver ants gave a more conservative estimate of environmental exposure to the arthropod wildlife group than use of default concentration ratios in the ERICA Tool. This was primarily because the 226 Ra concentration ratio for weaver ants was more than 7 times greater than for generic arthropods. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of income management on store sales in the Northern Territory.

PubMed

Brimblecombe, Julie K; McDonnell, Joseph; Barnes, Adam; Dhurrkay, Joanne Garnggulkpuy; Thomas, David P; Bailie, Ross S

2010-05-17

To examine the impact of a government income management program on store sales. An interrupted time series analysis of sales data in 10 stores in 10 remote Northern Territory communities during 1 October 2006 to 30 September 2009, which included an 18-month period before income management; a 4-6-month period after the introduction of income management; a 3-month period that coincided with a government stimulus payment; and the remaining income-management period. Trends in (i) total store sales; (ii) total food and beverage sales; (iii) fruit and vegetables sales; (iv) soft drink sales; and v) tobacco sales. Modest monthly increases indicative of inflation were found for all outcome measures before the introduction of income management, except for soft drink sales, which remained constant. No change from the increasing rate of monthly sales before income management was seen in the first 4-6 months of income management or for the income-management period thereafter for total store sales, food and beverage sales, fruit and vegetable sales and tobacco sales. The rate of soft drink sales declined significantly with the introduction of income management and then increased significantly thereafter. The 3-month government stimulus payment period (during the period of income management) was associated with a significant increase in the rate of sales for all outcome measures. Income management independent of the government stimulus payment appears to have had no beneficial effect on tobacco and cigarette sales, soft drink or fruit and vegetable sales.

Assessing the Risk of a Canine Rabies Incursion in Northern Australia

PubMed Central

Hudson, Emily G.; Brookes, Victoria J.; Ward, Michael P.

2017-01-01

Rabies is a globally distributed virus that causes approximately 60,00 human deaths annually with >99% of cases caused by dog bites. Australia is currently canine rabies free. However, the recent eastward spread of rabies in the Indonesian archipelago has increased the probability of rabies entry into northern Australian communities. In addition, many northern Australian communities have large populations of free-roaming dogs, capable of maintaining rabies should an incursion occur. A risk assessment of rabies entry and transmission into these communities is needed to target control and surveillance measures. Illegal transportation of rabies-infected dogs via boat landings is a high-risk entry pathway and was the focus of the current study. A quantitative, stochastic, risk assessment model was developed to evaluate the risk of rabies entry into north-west Cape York Peninsula, Australia, and rabies introduction to resident dogs in one of the communities via transport of rabies-infected dogs on illegal Indonesian fishing boats. Parameter distributions were derived from expert opinion, literature, and analysis of field studies. The estimated median probability of rabies entry into north-west Cape York Peninsula and into Seisia from individual fishing boats was 1.9 × 10−4/boat and 8.7 × 10−6/boat, respectively. The estimated annual probability that at least one rabies-infected dog enters north-west Cape York Peninsula and into Seisia was 5.5 × 10−3 and 3.5 × 10−4, respectively. The estimated median probability of rabies introduction into Seisia was 4.7 × 10−8/boat, and the estimated annual probability that at least one rabies-infected dog causes rabies transmission in a resident Seisia dog was 8.3 × 10−5. Sensitivity analysis using the Sobol method highlighted some parameters as influential, including but not limited to the prevalence of rabies in Indonesia, the probability of a dog on board an Indonesian fishing boat, and the

Magnetotelluric characterization of the northern margin of the Yilgarn Craton (Western Australia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piña-Varas, Perla; Dentith, Michael

2017-04-01

The northern margin of the Yilgarn Craton (Western Australia) was deformed during the convergence and collision with the Pilbara Craton and the intervening Glenburgh Terrain that created the Capricorn Orogen. The Yilgarn Craton is one of the most intensively mineralised areas of continental crust with world class deposits of gold and nickel. However, the region to its north has surprisingly few deposits. Cratonic margins are considered to be key indicators of prospectivity at a regional scale. The northern limit of the Yilgarn Craton within the Capricorn Orogen is not well resolved at date because of overlying Proterozoic sedimentary basins. We present here some of the results of an extensive magnetotelluric (MT) study that is being performed in the area. This study is a component of large multi-disciplinary geoscience project on the 'Distal Footprints of Giant Ore Systems' in the Capricorn Orogen. The MT dataset consists of a total of 240 broadband magnetotelluric stations (BBMT) and 84 long period stations (LMT). Analysis of the dataset reveals a clear 3-D geoelectrical behaviour and extreme complexity for most of the sites, including an extremely high number of sites with phases out-of-quadrant at long periods. 3-D inverse modelling of the MT data shows high resistivity Archean units and low resistivity Paleoproterozoic basins, including very low resistivity structures at depth. These strong resistivity contrasts allow us to successfully map northern margin of the Yilgarn Craton beneath basin cover, as well as identifying major lateral conductivity changes in the deep crust suggestive of different tectonic blocks. Upper crustal conductive zones can be correlated with faults on seismic reflection data. Our results suggest MT surveys are a useful tool for regional-scale exploration in the study area and in area of thick cover in general.

Integrating deep Earth dynamics in paleogeographic reconstructions of Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heine, Christian; Müller, R. Dietmar; Steinberger, Bernhard; DiCaprio, Lydia

2010-03-01

It is well documented that the Cenozoic progressive flooding of Australia, contemporaneous with a eustatic sea level fall, requires a downward tilting of the Australian Plate towards the SE Asian subduction system. Previously, this large-scale, mantle-convection driven dynamic topography effect has been approximated by computing the time-dependent vertical shifts and tilts of a plane, but the observed subsidence and uplift anomalies indicate a more complex interplay between time-dependent mantle convection and plate motion. We combine plate kinematics with a global mantle backward-advection model based on shear-wave mantle tomography, paleogeographic data, eustatic sea level estimates and basin stratigraphy to reconstruct the Australian flooding history for the last 70 Myrs on a continental scale. We compute time-dependent dynamic surface topography and continental inundation of a digital elevation model adjusted for sediment accumulation. Our model reveals two evolving dynamic topography lows, over which the Australian plate has progressively moved. We interpret the southern low to be caused by sinking slab material with an origin along the eastern Gondwana subduction zone in the Cretaceous, whereas the northern low, which first straddles northern Australia in the Oligocene, is mainly attributable to material subducted north and northeast of Australia. Our model accounts for the Paleogene exposure of the Gulf of Carpentaria region at a time when sea level was much higher than today, and explains anomalous Late Tertiary subsidence on Australia's northern, western and southern margins. The resolution of our model, which excludes short-wavelength mantle density anomalies and is restricted to depths larger than 220 km, is not sufficient to model the two well recorded episodes of major transgressions in South Australia in the Eocene and Miocene. However, the overall, long-wavelength spatio-temporal pattern of Australia's inundation record is well captured by combining

Canine tick-borne pathogens and associated risk factors in dogs presenting with and without clinical signs consistent with tick-borne diseases in northern Australia.

PubMed

Hii, S F; Traub, R J; Thompson, M F; Henning, J; O'Leary, C A; Burleigh, A; McMahon, S; Rees, R L; Kopp, S R

2015-03-01

To estimate the proportion of canine tick-borne disease (CTBD) pathogens in dogs from northern states of Australia presenting with and without clinical signs/laboratory abnormalities suggestive of CTBD and to evaluate associated risk factors. Client-owned dogs presented to a general practice clinic in the Northern Territory (NT; n = 138) and five referral hospitals in south-east Queensland (SEQ; n = 100) were grouped into CTBD-suspect and -control groups based on clinical and laboratory criteria. Blood and sera were screened for haemotropic Mycoplasma spp., Babesia spp., Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp. and Hepatozoon spp. using microscopic examination, in-clinic ELISA testing and PCR assays. Dog-specific risk factors associated with the presence of CTBD pathogens were evaluated. Overall, 24.4% of the suspect group and 12.2% of the control group dogs were infected. The proportions of M. haemocanis, B. vogeli, A. platys, Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum, and C. Mycoplasma haemobos were 7.1%, 5.0%, 3.8%, 1.7% and 0.4%, respectively. Dogs originating from the NT were 3.6-fold (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.51-8.62; P = 0.004) more likely to be infected with CTBD pathogens than those from SEQ. Male dogs were 2.3-fold (95% CI 1.17-4.80, P = 0.024) more likely to be PCR-positive to CTBD pathogens than female dogs. Dogs presenting with clinical signs consistent with CTBD and thrombocytopenia were more likely to be infected by CTBD pathogens (odds ratio 2.85; 95% CI 1.16, 7.02; P = 0.019). Haemotropic mycoplasmas were the most common tick-borne pathogen infecting client-owned dogs. Subclinical cases were common in dogs from the NT. Veterinary practitioners should be aware of the proportion of CTBD pathogens and the presenting features of clinical and subclinical disease in their area. © 2015 Australian Veterinary Association.

Robbing Public to Pay Private? Two Cases of Refinancing Education Infrastructure in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crump, Stephen; Slee, Roger

2005-01-01

This paper will explore private sector participation in public sector education in the Australian context, focusing on case studies of Queensland and New South Wales, with reference to developments in other states and territories and internationally. In Australia, most states and territories have PPP policies and key projects include the Southbank…

Multiple approaches to microbial source tracking in tropical northern Australia

PubMed Central

Neave, Matthew; Luter, Heidi; Padovan, Anna; Townsend, Simon; Schobben, Xavier; Gibb, Karen

2014-01-01

Microbial source tracking is an area of research in which multiple approaches are used to identify the sources of elevated bacterial concentrations in recreational lakes and beaches. At our study location in Darwin, northern Australia, water quality in the harbor is generally good, however dry-season beach closures due to elevated Escherichia coli and enterococci counts are a cause for concern. The sources of these high bacteria counts are currently unknown. To address this, we sampled sewage outfalls, other potential inputs, such as urban rivers and drains, and surrounding beaches, and used genetic fingerprints from E. coli and enterococci communities, fecal markers and 454 pyrosequencing to track contamination sources. A sewage effluent outfall (Larrakeyah discharge) was a source of bacteria, including fecal bacteria that impacted nearby beaches. Two other treated effluent discharges did not appear to influence sites other than those directly adjacent. Several beaches contained fecal indicator bacteria that likely originated from urban rivers and creeks within the catchment. Generally, connectivity between the sites was observed within distinct geographical locations and it appeared that most of the bacterial contamination on Darwin beaches was confined to local sources. PMID:25224738

Re-evaluation of the petrogenesis of the Proterozoic Jabiluka unconformity-related uranium deposit, Northern Territory, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polito, Paul A.; Kurt Kyser, T.; Thomas, David; Marlatt, Jim; Drever, Garth

2005-11-01

The world class Jabiluka unconformity-related uranium deposit in the Alligator Rivers Uranium Field, Australia, contains >163,000 tons of contained U3O8. Mineralization is hosted by shallow-to-steeply dipping basement rocks comprising graphitic units of chlorite-biotite-muscovite schist. These rocks are overlain by flat-lying coarse-grained sandstones belonging to the Kombolgie Subgroup. The deposit was discovered in 1971, but has never been mined. The construction of an 1,150 m decline into the upper eastern sector of the Jabiluka II deposit combined with closely spaced underground drilling in 1998 and 1999 allowed mapping and sampling from underground for the first time. Structural mapping, drill core logging and petrographic studies on polished thin sections established a detailed paragenesis that provided the framework for subsequent electron microprobe and X-ray diffraction, fluid inclusion, and O-H, U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar isotope analysis. Uranium mineralization is structurally controlled within semi-brittle shears that are sub-conformable to the basement stratigraphy, and breccias that are developed within the hinge zone of fault-related folds adjacent to the shears. Uraninite is intimately associated with chlorite, sericite, hematite ± quartz. Electron microprobe and X-ray diffraction analysis of syn-ore illite and chlorite indicates a mineralization temperature of 200°C. Pre- and syn-ore minerals extracted from the Kombolgie Subgroup overlying the deposit and syn-ore alteration minerals in the Cahill Formation have δ18Ofluid and δ D fluid values of 4.0±3.7 and -27±17‰, respectively. These values are indistinguishable from illite separates extracted from diagenetic aquifers in the Kombolgie Subgroup up to 70 km to the south and east of the deposit and believed to be the source of the uraniferous fluid. New fluid inclusion microthermometry data reveal that the mineralising brine was saline, but not saturated. U-Pb and 207Pb/206Pb ratios of uraninite by

Hypolactasia in the indigenous populations of northern Russia.

PubMed

Kozlov, A I

1998-01-01

The distribution of hypolactasia (PH) in the indigenous populations of the polar and related territories of the Russian Federation was investigated by an oral lactose tolerance. The frequency of hypolactasia in Kildin Saami population is 48%, Komi-Izhem-63%, Northern Mansi-71%, Northern Khanty-72%, West Siberia Nenets-78%. Generally hypolactasia frequencies in indigenous groups of Arctic and Sub-Arctic territories of Russia are higher than in the "reference" samples of Slav (Russian, 40-49%) and Permian Finn (Komi-Permiak and Udmurtian, 50-59%) groups.

Improving the Quality of Teaching in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dinham, Stephen

2011-01-01

Australia needs to more effectively attract, train, support, retain, recognize, and reward quality teachers throughout their careers. After a slow start and decades of debate, the pieces of the quality teaching puzzle are now coming together. Increased federal government intervention and financial support, along with state and territorial support…

Challenges of Conducting Systematic Research in Australia's Northern Territory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helmer, Janet; Harper, Helen; Lea, Tess; Wolgemuth, Jennifer R.; Chalkiti, Kalotina

2014-01-01

This paper explores the challenges of conducting systematic research, using our experiences of conducting a study to evaluate the effectiveness of ABRACADABRA, an online tool for early childhood literacy instruction as the contextual framework. By discussing how the research team resolved such perennial issues as high teacher turnover, low or…

Barriers to the implementation of the SAFE strategy to combat hyperendemic trachoma in Australia.

PubMed

Wright, Heathcote R; Keeffe, Jill E; Taylor, Hugh R

2010-12-01

Australia is the only developed country in the world that still has endemic levels of blinding trachoma. The SAFE (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, Environmental improvement) strategy is an effective public health intervention that has been successfully used to eliminate blinding trachoma in some of the poorest countries of the world. Yet the SAFE strategy has not been systematically implemented in Australia. We undertook semi-structured interviews to identify some of barriers to the implementation of the SAFE strategy within remote indigenous communities of Australia. Health care professionals who were responsible for delivering trachoma control programs throughout the Northern Territory were asked to participate in a semi-structured interview. Quantitative analysis was performed using an existing strategic management framework. Fourteen individuals were interviewed. Responses were grouped into 19 categories; 12 from the existing strategic management framework and 7 additional categories that were created for ideas unique to the trachoma control program in Australia. A number of key themes emerged from the interview and are presented in a literary style. From these key themes critical success factors for the implementation of a sustainable trachoma control program were identified. With the election of the Rudd government there has been a renewed interest in "closing the gap" between the health of indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. A federal government funding package of $58 million over four years has just been announced to tackle trachoma. It is hoped that the findings of this research can assist in making sure that money achieves its goal.

Wolves adapt territory size, not pack size to local habitat quality.

PubMed

Kittle, Andrew M; Anderson, Morgan; Avgar, Tal; Baker, James A; Brown, Glen S; Hagens, Jevon; Iwachewski, Ed; Moffatt, Scott; Mosser, Anna; Patterson, Brent R; Reid, Douglas E B; Rodgers, Arthur R; Shuter, Jen; Street, Garrett M; Thompson, Ian D; Vander Vennen, Lucas M; Fryxell, John M

2015-09-01

1. Although local variation in territorial predator density is often correlated with habitat quality, the causal mechanism underlying this frequently observed association is poorly understood and could stem from facultative adjustment in either group size or territory size. 2. To test between these alternative hypotheses, we used a novel statistical framework to construct a winter population-level utilization distribution for wolves (Canis lupus) in northern Ontario, which we then linked to a suite of environmental variables to determine factors influencing wolf space use. Next, we compared habitat quality metrics emerging from this analysis as well as an independent measure of prey abundance, with pack size and territory size to investigate which hypothesis was most supported by the data. 3. We show that wolf space use patterns were concentrated near deciduous, mixed deciduous/coniferous and disturbed forest stands favoured by moose (Alces alces), the predominant prey species in the diet of wolves in northern Ontario, and in proximity to linear corridors, including shorelines and road networks remaining from commercial forestry activities. 4. We then demonstrate that landscape metrics of wolf habitat quality - projected wolf use, probability of moose occupancy and proportion of preferred land cover classes - were inversely related to territory size but unrelated to pack size. 5. These results suggest that wolves in boreal ecosystems alter territory size, but not pack size, in response to local variation in habitat quality. This could be an adaptive strategy to balance trade-offs between territorial defence costs and energetic gains due to resource acquisition. That pack size was not responsive to habitat quality suggests that variation in group size is influenced by other factors such as intraspecific competition between wolf packs. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2015 British Ecological Society.

Australia's regional innovation systems: inter-industry interaction in innovative activities in three Australian territories

PubMed Central

Schütz, Marlies H.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Regional specifics reveal in differences in economic activity and structure, the institutional, socio-economic and cultural environment and not least in the capability of regions to create new knowledge and to generate innovations. Focusing on the regional level, this paper for three Australian territories (New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland) explores patterns of innovative activities in their private business sectors. Furthermore, these patterns are compared to specifics of each region's economic structure. We make use of input–output-based innovation flow networks, which are directed and weighted instead of binary. The value added of the proposed analysis is that we are able to trace a variety of different aspects related to the structure of innovative activities for each territory. It gets evident that mostly innovative activities in each territory are not strong in ‘niche’ branches but in fields of intense economic activity, signalising the high path-dependency of innovative activities in a specific geographical environment. PMID:29097849

Australia's regional innovation systems: inter-industry interaction in innovative activities in three Australian territories.

PubMed

Schütz, Marlies H

2017-07-03

Regional specifics reveal in differences in economic activity and structure, the institutional, socio-economic and cultural environment and not least in the capability of regions to create new knowledge and to generate innovations. Focusing on the regional level, this paper for three Australian territories (New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland) explores patterns of innovative activities in their private business sectors. Furthermore, these patterns are compared to specifics of each region's economic structure. We make use of input-output-based innovation flow networks, which are directed and weighted instead of binary. The value added of the proposed analysis is that we are able to trace a variety of different aspects related to the structure of innovative activities for each territory. It gets evident that mostly innovative activities in each territory are not strong in 'niche' branches but in fields of intense economic activity, signalising the high path-dependency of innovative activities in a specific geographical environment.

Safety and Efficacy of Warfarin Therapy in Remote Communities of the Top End of Northern Australia.

PubMed

Dennis, Jahde; Majoni, William; Tinsley, Jeffrey; Kangaharan, Nadarajah

2017-12-01

Warfarin remains a widely used anticoagulant but application in the remote context is not well documented. This study aimed to assess in more detail whether warfarin is being utilised effectively in Australia's most isolated and remote areas. Retrospective cohort analysis of 2013 captured international normalised ratio (INR) results from people engaged in long term warfarin usage within a number of remote Northern Australian communities. Assessment of monitoring, effectiveness of dosing and complication rates was undertaken. A cohort of 167 patients was established. On average, warfarin was utilised within therapeutic range 52% of the time. Monitoring frequency averaged 16 days. Major bleeding and thrombo-embolism occurred at rates of 5.8 and 4.1 per 100 patient years respectively. Therapeutic utilisation of warfarin in this setting is close to accepted rates but has room for improvement. Monitoring was acceptable and complication rates were not disproportionately high. This study indicates that warfarin is being used with reasonable safety and efficacy in remote regions, but further research is needed. Copyright © 2017 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). All rights reserved.

Greener Pastures in Northern Queensland, Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

After a 19 month rainfall deficiency, heavy rainfall during January 2004 brought drought relief to much of northern Queensland. Local graziers hope for good long-term responses in pasture growth from the heavy rains. These images and maps from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) portray part of Australia's Mitchell Grasslands bioregion before summer rainfall, on October 18, 2003 (left) and afterwards, on February 7, 2004 (right).

The top pair of images are natural color views from MISR's nadir camera. The green areas in the post-rainfall image highlight the growth of vegetation. The middle panels show the reflectivity of the surface over the photosynthetically active region (PAR) of visible light (400 - 700 nm), expressed as a directional-hemispherical reflectance (DHR-PAR), or albedo. That portion of the radiation that is not reflected back to the atmosphere or space is absorbed by either the vegetation or the soil. The fraction of PAR radiation absorbed by green vegetation, known as FPAR, is shown in the bottom panels. FPAR is one of the quantities that establishes the photosynthetic and carbon uptake efficiency of live vegetation. MISR's FPAR product makes use of aerosol retrievals to correct for atmospheric scattering and absorption effects, and uses plant canopy structural models to determine the partitioning of solar radiation. Both of these aspects are facilitated by the multiangular nature of the MISR measurements.

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbits 20397 and 22028. The panels cover an area of about 290 kilometers x 228 kilometers, and utilize data from blocks 106 to 108 within World Reference System-2 path 96.

MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA

Preventive medical care in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory: a follow-up study of the impact of clinical guidelines, computerised recall and reminder systems, and audit and feedback.

PubMed

Bailie, Ross S; Togni, Samantha J; Si, Damin; Robinson, Gary; d'Abbs, Peter H N

2003-07-30

Interventions to improve delivery of preventive medical services have been shown to be effective in North America and the UK. However, there are few studies of the extent to which the impact of such interventions has been sustained, or of the impact of such interventions in disadvantaged populations or remote settings. This paper describes the trends in delivery of preventive medical services following a multifaceted intervention in remote community health centres in the Northern Territory of Australia. The intervention comprised the development and dissemination of best practice guidelines supported by an electronic client register, recall and reminder systems and associated staff training, and audit and feedback. Clinical records in seven community health centres were audited at regular intervals against best practice guidelines over a period of three years, with feedback of audit findings to health centre staff and management. Levels of service delivery varied between services and between communities. There was an initial improvement in service levels for most services following the intervention, but improvements were in general not fully sustained over the three year period. Improvements in service delivery are consistent with the international experience, although baseline and follow-up levels are in many cases higher than reported for comparable studies in North America and the UK. Sustainability of improvements may be achieved by institutionalisation of relevant work practices and enhanced health centre capacity.

Trends in hospital admissions involving suicidal behaviour in the Northern Territory, 2001-2013.

PubMed

Leckning, Bernard A; Li, Shu Qin; Cunningham, Teresa; Guthridge, Steven; Robinson, Gary; Nagel, Tricia; Silburn, Sven

2016-06-01

To investigate trends in hospital admissions involving suicidal behaviour in the Northern Territory (NT) resident population over the period 2001-2013. Estimates of age-standardised rates and average changes in the annual rate of hospital admissions involving suicidal behaviour were calculated by socio-demographic characteristics and types of suicidal behaviour. Overall rates for Indigenous admissions were 2.7 times higher than non-Indigenous admissions and had increased by almost twice as much. While male and female rates of admission were similar for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents, the average annual change in rates was greater for Indigenous females (13.4%) compared to males (8.8%) and for non-Indigenous males (7.7%) compared to females (5.2%). Younger and middle-aged Indigenous admissions experienced increasing rates of admissions, whilst trends were similar across age groups for non-Indigenous admissions. Admissions with a diagnosis of suicidal ideation increased the most across all groups. Trends in intentional self-harm admissions differed according to Indigenous status and sex. There have been substantial increases in hospital admissions involving suicidal behaviour in the NT, most markedly for Indigenous residents. Indigenous females and youth appear to be at increasing risk. The steep increase in suicidal ideation across all groups warrants further investigation. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Educating to improve population health outcomes in chronic disease: an innovative workforce initiative across remote, rural and Indigenous communities in northern Australia.

PubMed

Smith, J Dade; O'Dea, K; McDermott, R; Schmidt, B; Connors, C

2006-01-01

Like Indigenous populations in other countries, an epidemic of chronic disease has swept across Australia's Indigenous communities in the past decade. The Northern Territory and Queensland health departments initiated preventable chronic disease strategies in 1999 and 2001, respectively. Yet finding innovative ways to translate this to the health workforce was challenging. Through support from the Australian Government, three universities, two health departments and two Indigenous organisations worked in partnership to improve workforce capacity in remote and rural communities through innovative education. The methods included: (i) a training needs analysis consisting of 76 semi-structured interviews with key informants, and 35 surveys of remote staff; (ii) a literature and resource review; (iii) the development of a curriculum framework using: the existing competencies and standards across the health disciplines; the identified workforce needs; and what the workforce can impact upon; (iv) a multidisciplinary workshop with 35 educators across northern Australia that resulted in the basis for agreement of the final curriculum content and framework; (v) the development of a chronic disease self-assessment tool that was piloted with remote health staff; (vi) an assisted integration process for key stakeholders. An evaluation framework was also developed, as a separate project, in conjunction with the project partners during this time. This project identified that a paradigm shift is required in the way in which we educate the entire health workforce to deal effectively with the impact of chronic disease across remote, rural and Indigenous populations. In particular a need was found to educate the educators in the chronic care model and in using a population health approach. The training needs analysis identified very little difference between the education and training needs across the rural and remote health disciplines; it was perceived that they managed chronic

Adult mental health needs and expenditure in Australia.

PubMed

Burgess, Philip; Pirkis, Jane; Buckingham, Bill; Burns, Jane; Eagar, Kathy; Eckstein, Gary

2004-06-01

Relatively little international work has examined whether mental health resource allocation matches need. This study aimed to determine whether adult mental health resources in Australia are being distributed equitably. Individual measures of need were extrapolated to Australian Areas, and Area-based proxies of need were considered. Particular attention was paid to the prevalence of mental health problems, since this is arguably the most objective measure of need. The extent to which these measures predicted public sector, private sector and total adult mental health expenditure at an Area level was examined. In the public sector, 41.6% of expenditure variation was explained by the prevalence of affective disorders, personality disorders, cognitive impairment and psychosis, as well as the Area's level of economic resources and State/Territory effects. In the private sector, 72.4% of expenditure variation was explained by service use and State/Territory effects (with an alternative model incorporating service use and State/Territory supply of private psychiatrists explaining 69.4% of expenditure variation). A relatively high proportion (58.7%) of total expenditure variation could be explained by service utilisation and State/Territory effects. For services to be delivered equitably, the majority of variation in expenditure would have to be accounted for by appropriate measures of need. The best model for public sector expenditure included an appropriate measure of need but had relatively poor explanatory power. The models for private sector and total expenditure had greater explanatory power, but relied on less appropriate measures of need. It is concluded that mental health services in Australia are not yet being delivered equitably.

Preferred temperature correlates with evaporative water loss in hylid frogs from northern Australia.

PubMed

Tracy, Christopher R; Christian, Keith A

2005-01-01

We measured temperature preferences of 12 species of hylid frogs (Litoria and Cyclorana) from northern Australia in a laboratory thermal gradient. These species represented a range of ecological habitat use (aquatic, terrestrial, arboreal), adult body size (0.5-60 g), and cutaneous resistance to water loss (Rc=0.6-63.1 s cm-1). We found significant differences among species in selected skin temperature and gradient temperature but not in the variances of these measures (an index of precision of temperature selection). The species' differences correlated significantly with cutaneous resistance to water loss, with more-resistant frogs selecting higher skin and substrate temperatures in the thermal gradient, even after phylogenetic relationships are taken into account. Because cutaneous resistance to water loss also correlates with ecological habit (arboreal>terrestrial>aquatic), we suggest that their higher resistance to water loss allows arboreal and terrestrial species better ability to tolerate high temperatures, where growth or locomotory speed may be higher, without the associated risk of desiccation.

Chronic respiratory disease in the regional and remote population of the Northern Territory Top End: A perspective from the specialist respiratory outreach service.

PubMed

Kruavit, Anuk; Fox, Melissa; Pearson, Rebecca; Heraganahally, Subash

2017-10-01

To study the demographic, rates and types of chronic respiratory conditions in Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients in regional and remote communities of Northern Territory Top End, who were referred to the specialist respiratory outreach service. A retrospective, observational study over a 2 years period. Remote community health clinics within the Northern Territory Top End visited by the specialist respiratory outreach team. Only patients referred to respiratory specialist outreach team were included. There were 444 participants, with 210 males and 234 females. In total, 79.3% were Indigenous. The rates of chronic respiratory disease diagnoses and smoking status within the different communities and health district regions. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the most common primary respiratory condition in our cohort of patients (50.5%) followed by sleep apnoea in (14.2%), bronchiectasis in (11.6%), asthma (11%), interstitial lung disease (2.5%), nodule/cancer (1.8%) sarcoidosis (0.2%) and others (9.2%). COPD, smoking status and bronchiectasis was more frequently noted among the Indigenous patients compared to non-Indigenous patients (56.3% versus 28.3%, P < 0.001), (52.6% versus 25.0%, P < 0.001), and (12.5% versus 3.3%, P = 0.01) respectively. Obstructive sleep apnoea was more commonly diagnosed in non-Indigenous patients. Indigenous patients of the remote and rural communities of the Top End have significantly higher rates of smoking and COPD compared to non-Indigenous patients. Bronchiectasis is also more common among Indigenous patients. Further efforts are warranted to develop strategies to address the disparity and optimise the respiratory outreach service to this population. © 2017 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

Southern Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

South-central Australia is home to several deserts, including the Simpson Desert, whose reddish-orange sands are seen in the upper left quadrant of this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from July 1, 2002. Several impermanent, salty, lakes stand whitely out against the arid terrain. The largest is North Lake Eyre, southwest of center. At bottom center, Spencer Gulf separates the triangular Eyre Peninsula from the Yorke Peninsula. The Gulf of St. Vincent separates Yorke Peninsula from the mainland. In Spencer Gulf, colorful blue-green swirls indicate the presence of a bloom of marine plants called phytoplankton, whose brightly colored photosynthetic pigments stain the water. Water quality in the Gulf is an ongoing problem for Australia, as irrigation projects have diverted the already small flow of freshwater that empties into the Gulf. Other problems include contamination with pesticides and agricultural and residential fertilizer. On both the Eyre Peninsula and in the Victoria Territory to the east of Spencer Gulf, dark-colored rectangles show the boundaries of parks and nature preserves where the natural, drought-tolerant vegetation thrives.

New functionally dioecious bush tomato from northwestern Australia, Solanum ossicruentum, may utilize "trample burr" dispersal.

PubMed

Martine, Christopher T; Cantley, Jason T; Frawley, Emma S; Butler, Alice R; Jordon-Thaden, Ingrid E

2016-01-01

A new Australian species of functionally dioecious bush tomato of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum is described. Solanum ossicruentum Martine & J.Cantley, sp. nov., is thought to be allied with members of the problematic "Dioicum Complex" lineage, but differs in its short silvery indumentum, long calyx lobes, larger stature, and an unusual fruit morphology that may represent "trample burr" seed dispersal. The species occurs in a range extending from the eastern Kimberley in Western Australia to far northwestern Northern Territory and has been recognized for decades as a variant of Solanum dioicum W.Fitzg. Specimens of this species were previously referred to by D.E. Symon and others as Solanum dioicum 'Tanami.' Ex situ crossing studies and SEM images of inaperturate pollen grains produced in morphologically hermaphrodite flowers indicate that this taxon is functionally dioecious. The scientific name was chosen with the help of 150 seventh grade life science students from Pennsylvania, USA.

An outbreak of salmonellosis associated with duck prosciutto at a Northern Territory restaurant.

PubMed

Draper, Anthony Dk; Morton, Claire N; Heath, Joshua Ni; Lim, Justin A; Schiek, Anninka I; Davis, Stephanie; Krause, Vicki L; Markey, Peter G

2017-03-31

In June 2015, an outbreak of salmonellosis occurred among people who had eaten at a restaurant in Darwin, Northern Territory over 2 consecutive nights. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of diners who ate at the restaurant on 19 and 20 June 2015. Diners were telephoned and a questionnaire recorded symptoms and menu items consumed. An outbreak case was defined as anyone with laboratory confirmed Salmonella Typhimurium PT9 (STm9) or a clinically compatible illness after eating at the restaurant. Environmental health officers inspected the premises and collected food samples. We contacted 79/83 of the cohort (response rate 95%); 21 were cases (attack rate 27%), and 9 had laboratory confirmed STm9 infection. The most commonly reported symptoms were diarrhoea (100%), abdominal pain (95%), fever (95%) and nausea (95%). Fifteen people sought medical attention and 7 presented to hospital. The outbreak was most likely caused by consumption of duck prosciutto, which was consumed by all cases (OR 18.6, CI 3.0-∞, P < 0.01) and was prepared on site. Salmonella was not detected in any food samples but a standard plate count of 2 x 10 7 colony forming units per gram on samples of duck prosciutto demonstrated bacterial contamination. The restaurant used inappropriate methodology for curing the duck prosciutto. Restaurants should consider purchasing pre-made cured meats, or if preparing them on site, ensure that they adhere to safe methods of production.

Anthropogenic ecological change and impacts on mosquito breeding and control strategies in salt-marshes, Northern Territory, Australia.

PubMed

Jacups, Susan; Warchot, Allan; Whelan, Peter

2012-06-01

Darwin, in the tropical north of Australia, is subject to high numbers of mosquitoes and several mosquito-borne diseases. Many of Darwin's residential areas were built in close proximity to tidally influenced swamps, where long-term storm-water run-off from nearby residences into these swamps has led to anthropogenic induced ecological change. When natural wet-dry cycles were disrupted, bare mud-flats and mangroves were transformed into perennial fresh to brackish-water reed swamps. Reed swamps provided year-round breeding habitat for many mosquito species, such that mosquito abundance was less predictable and seasonally dependent, but constant and often occurring in plague proportions. Drainage channels were constructed throughout the wetlands to reduce pooled water during dry-season months. This study assesses the impact of drainage interventions on vegetation and mosquito ecology in three salt-marshes in the Darwin area. Findings revealed a universal decline in dry-season mosquito abundance in each wetland system. However, some mosquito species increased in abundance during wet-season months. Due to the high expense and potentially detrimental environmental impacts of ecosystem and non-target species disturbance, large-scale modifications such as these are sparingly undertaken. However, our results indicate that some large scale environmental modification can assist the process of wetland restoration, as appears to be the case for these salt marsh systems. Drainage in all three systems has been restored to closer to their original salt-marsh ecosystems, while reducing mosquito abundances, thereby potentially lowering the risk of vector-borne disease transmission and mosquito pest biting problems.

Arboviral diseases and malaria in Australia, 2007/08: annual report of the National Arbovirus and Malaria Advisory Committee.

PubMed

Fitzsimmons, Gerard J; Wright, Phil; Johansen, Cheryl A; Whelan, Peter I

2009-06-01

The National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) received 8,671 notifications of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes in Australia for the season 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008. This represented a 39% increase from the annual average of 6,259 notifications for the previous 5 years. The alphaviruses, Barmah Forest and Ross River, accounted for 7,760 (89%) of these notifications during the 2007/08 season and represents an increase when compared with the mean of the past 5 seasons. Detection of flavivirus seroconversions in sentinel chicken flocks across Australia provides an early warning of increased levels of Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV) and Kunjin virus activity. Unusual MVEV activity in mosquitoes and sentinel chicken flocks was reported in southeast Australia during the 2007/08 season. Two cases of MVEV were reported, one each from New South Wales and Western Australia. There were 365 notifications of dengue virus infection that were acquired overseas compared with an average of 164 overseas-acquired dengue cases per annum reported to NNDSS over the 5 seasons from 2002/03 to 2006/07. There were no reports of locally-acquired malaria notified in Australia and 505 notified cases of overseas-acquired malaria during the season 2007/08. The exotic dengue vector Aedes aegypti was first detected on Groote Eylandt, Northern Territory in October 2006 and led to a 2-year Ae. aegypti eradication project. The successful eradication of Ae. aegypti from Groote Eylandt was officially announced in May 2008. The success of the program was due to the selection of appropriate chemicals that were successful in treating mosquito adults, larvae and egg infested receptacles. This annual report presents information on diseases transmitted by mosquitoes in Australia and notified to NNDSS.

Norfolk Island, Australia

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-05-13

Situated 1670 km northeast of Sydney, Norfolk Island is an Australian Territory. It was permanently settled in 1856 by Pitcairn Islanders who were descendants of Tahitians and HMS Bounty mutineers. In 1979 Norfolk was granted limited self-government: the island elects a government that runs most of the island's affairs. In March, a local council replaced the local government, and the island was given closer financial ties to Australia. The image was acquired November 12, 2009, covers an area of 9 x 11 km, and is located at 29 degrees south, 168 degrees east. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19463

A suspended dive-net technique for catching territorial divers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Rizzolo, Daniel; Wright, Kenneth G.; Schmutz, Joel A.

2016-01-01

A variety of methods such as night-lighting and lift nets have been used to catch divers (Gavidae), although 24-hour daylight in the Arctic summer and the remote nature of field sites can make the use of these traditional methods impossible. Our research required capture of adult divers at remote locations in northern Alaska. Here we describe a suspended dive-net technique that we used to safely capture territorial White-billed Gavia adamsii and Pacific Divers G. pacifica and that is lightweight and easy to set up. We also were able to capture divers with chicks, and failed breeders, and suggest that this method could be used to catch other territorial aquatic diving birds, especially other diver species.

Describing rainfall in northern Australia using multiple climate indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilks Rogers, Cassandra Denise; Beringer, Jason

2017-02-01

Savanna landscapes are globally extensive and highly sensitive to climate change, yet the physical processes and climate phenomena which affect them remain poorly understood and therefore poorly represented in climate models. Both human populations and natural ecosystems are highly susceptible to precipitation variation in these regions due to the effects on water and food availability and atmosphere-biosphere energy fluxes. Here we quantify the relationship between climate phenomena and historical rainfall variability in Australian savannas and, in particular, how these relationships changed across a strong rainfall gradient, namely the North Australian Tropical Transect (NATT). Climate phenomena were described by 16 relevant climate indices and correlated against precipitation from 1900 to 2010 to determine the relative importance of each climate index on seasonal, annual and decadal timescales. Precipitation trends, climate index trends and wet season characteristics have also been investigated using linear statistical methods. In general, climate index-rainfall correlations were stronger in the north of the NATT where annual rainfall variability was lower and a high proportion of rainfall fell during the wet season. This is consistent with a decreased influence of the Indian-Australian monsoon from the north to the south. Seasonal variation was most strongly correlated with the Australian Monsoon Index, whereas yearly variability was related to a greater number of climate indices, predominately the Tasman Sea and Indonesian sea surface temperature indices (both of which experienced a linear increase over the duration of the study) and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation indices. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the climatic processes driving variability and, subsequently, the importance of understanding the relationships between rainfall and climatic phenomena in the Northern Territory in order to project future rainfall patterns in the

Influences Preceding "Nunatsiavut" Self-Determination: Historical, Political and Educational Influences on the People of Northern Labrador (Canada)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Kirk David

2007-01-01

What were the influences on the Inuit of Northern Labrador preceding the creation of the self-governing territory of Nunatsiavut? What are the preterritorial influences of the Inuit on the territory's five schools? To answer these questions and to share the success of one Indigenous people, the Nunatsiavut Inuit (the Inuit of Northern Labrador,…

Impact craters as biospheric microenvironments, Lawn Hill Structure, Northern Australia.

PubMed

Lindsay, John; Brasier, Martin

2006-04-01

Impact craters on Mars act as traps for eolian sediment and in the past may have provided suitable microenvironments that could have supported and preserved a stressed biosphere. If this is so, terrestrial impact structures such as the 18-km-diameter Lawn Hill Structure, in northern Australia, may prove useful as martian analogs. We sampled outcrop and drill core from the carbonate fill of the Lawn Hill Structure and recorded its gamma-log signature. Facies data along with whole rock geochemistry and stable isotope signatures show that the crater fill is an outlier of the Georgina Basin and was formed by impact at, or shortly before, approximately 509-506 million years ago. Subsequently, it was rapidly engulfed by the Middle Cambrian marine transgression, which filled it with shallow marine carbonates and evaporites. The crater formed a protected but restricted microenvironment in which sediments four times the thickness of the nearby basinal succession accumulated. Similar structures, common on the martian surface, may well have acted as biospheric refuges as the planet's water resources declined. Low-pH aqueous environments on Earth similar to those on Mars, while extreme, support diverse ecologies. The architecture of the eolian crater fill would have been defined by long-term ground water cycles resulting from intermittent precipitation in an extremely arid climate. Nutrient recycling, critical to a closed lacustrine sub-ice biosphere, could be provided by eolian transport onto the frozen water surface.

Genomic analysis of bluetongue virus episystems in Australia and Indonesia.

PubMed

Firth, Cadhla; Blasdell, Kim R; Amos-Ritchie, Rachel; Sendow, Indrawati; Agnihotri, Kalpana; Boyle, David B; Daniels, Peter; Kirkland, Peter D; Walker, Peter J

2017-11-23

The distribution of bluetongue viruses (BTV) in Australia is represented by two distinct and interconnected epidemiological systems (episystems)-one distributed primarily in the north and one in the east. The northern episystem is characterised by substantially greater antigenic diversity than the eastern episystem; yet the forces that act to limit the diversity present in the east remain unclear. Previous work has indicated that the northern episystem is linked to that of island South East Asia and Melanesia, and that BTV present in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor, may act as source populations for new serotypes and genotypes of BTV to enter Australia's north. In this study, the genomes of 49 bluetongue viruses from the eastern episystem and 13 from Indonesia were sequenced and analysed along with 27 previously published genome sequences from the northern Australian episystem. The results of this analysis confirm that the Australian BTV population has its origins in the South East Asian/Melanesian episystem, and that incursions into northern Australia occur with some regularity. In addition, the presence of limited genetic diversity in the eastern episystem relative to that found in the north supports the presence of substantial, but not complete, barriers to gene flow between the northern and eastern Australian episystems. Genetic bottlenecks between each successive episystem are evident, and appear to be responsible for the reduction in BTV genetic diversity observed in the north to south-east direction.

Materials. Section 1 of Symposium on the peaceful uses of atomic energy in Australia, 1958, held in Sydney, in June 1958

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

The environments of the known uranium occurences in South Australia arc described, and the relation of uranium mineralization with sodic granitic rocks is emphasized. The problems in designing equipment for radiometric prospecting are reviewed. The fabrication and properties of BeO, UO/sub 2/, ThO/sub 2/, and mixed oxides are discussed. The use of pulsing in a uranium extraction pilot plant ion exchange column is described. The wetting of metals by liquid metals is reviewed with emphasis on liquid sodium. The geological nature, extent, and future prospects of minerals with atomic energy applications, occurring in New South Wales are outlined. The developmentmore » of a process for uranium recovery from Mary Kathleen ores is described. Techniques and processes involved in locating, mining, and concentrating davidite-type ores at Radium Hill, South Australia are described. The uranium deposits of the Northern Territory, Australia, are classified and described. The flotation behavior of the simple oxide minerals, uraninite and the colloform variety is discussed. The Port Pirie Treatment Plant for uranium recovery from refractory Radium Hill concentrates is described. The plant utilizes the sulfuric acid-ion exchange process. The uranium deposits of Queensland are described. the details of the production of uranium ore concentrates at Rum jungle near Darwin, Australia, are given. A brief account of the use of neutron diffraction analysis in crystallography is given, and the neutron spectrometers installed on the High Flux Australian Research Reactor are described. (T.R.H.)« less

Indicators of waste management efficiency related to different territorial conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Passarini, Fabrizio, E-mail: fabrizio.passarini@unibo.it; Vassura, Ivano, E-mail: ivano.vassura@unibo.it; Monti, Francesco, E-mail: fmonti84@gmail.com

2011-04-15

The amount of waste produced and the control of separate collection are crucial issues for the planning of a territorial Integrated Waste Management System, enabling the allocation of each sorted waste fraction to the proper treatment and recycling processes. The present study focuses on assessing indicators of different waste management systems in areas characterized by different territorial conditions. The investigated case study concerns the municipalities of Emilia Romagna (northern Italy), which present a rather uniform socioeconomic situation, but a variety of geographic, urban and waste management characteristics. A survey of waste generation and collection rates was carried out, and correlatedmore » with the different territorial conditions, classifying the municipalities according to altitude and population density. The best environmental performances, in terms of high separate collection rate, were found on average in rural areas in the plain, while the lowest waste generation was associated with rural hill towns.« less

Removal of NOx and NOy in biomass burning plumes in the boundary layer over northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takegawa, N.; Kondo, Y.; Koike, M.; Ko, M.; Kita, K.; Blake, D. R.; Nishi, N.; Hu, W.; Liley, J. B.; Kawakami, S.; Shirai, T.; Miyazaki, Y.; Ikeda, H.; Russel-Smith, J.; Ogawa, T.

2003-05-01

The Biomass Burning and Lightning Experiment Phase B (BIBLE-B) aircraft measurement campaign was conducted over the western Pacific and Australia in August and September 1999. In situ aircraft measurements of carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), total reactive nitrogen (NOy), ozone (O3), nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), and other species were made during BIBLE-B. Meteorological analysis shows that the trace gases emitted from biomass burning in northern Australia were mostly confined within the planetary boundary layer (below ˜3 km) by strong subsidence in the free troposphere. Removal processes of NOx (equal to measured NO + calculated NO2) and NOy in biomass burning plumes in the boundary layer are examined on the basis of correlation analysis. The photochemical lifetime of NOx in biomass burning plumes during the daytime is estimated to be 0.1 to 0.3 days using the correlations of NOx with short-lived NMHCs and hydroxyl radical (OH) concentration calculated from a constrained photochemical model. Correlation of NOy with CO shows that ˜60% of the NOy molecules originating from biomass burning were removed in the boundary layer within 2-3 days. This result is consistent with dry deposition of nitric acid (HNO3) in the plumes. It is likely that only a small fraction of NOy emitted from biomass burning was exported from the boundary layer to the free troposphere during the BIBLE-B period.

Landscape Changes Influence the Occurrence of the Melioidosis Bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei in Soil in Northern Australia

PubMed Central

Kaestli, Mirjam; Mayo, Mark; Harrington, Glenda; Ward, Linda; Watt, Felicity; Hill, Jason V.; Cheng, Allen C.; Currie, Bart J.

2009-01-01

Background The soil-dwelling saprophyte bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei is the cause of melioidosis, a severe disease of humans and animals in southeast Asia and northern Australia. Despite the detection of B. pseudomallei in various soil and water samples from endemic areas, the environmental habitat of B. pseudomallei remains unclear. Methodology/Principal Findings We performed a large survey in the Darwin area in tropical Australia and screened 809 soil samples for the presence of these bacteria. B. pseudomallei were detected by using a recently developed and validated protocol involving soil DNA extraction and real-time PCR targeting the B. pseudomallei–specific Type III Secretion System TTS1 gene cluster. Statistical analyses such as multivariable cluster logistic regression and principal component analysis were performed to assess the association of B. pseudomallei with environmental factors. The combination of factors describing the habitat of B. pseudomallei differed between undisturbed sites and environmentally manipulated areas. At undisturbed sites, the occurrence of B. pseudomallei was found to be significantly associated with areas rich in grasses, whereas at environmentally disturbed sites, B. pseudomallei was associated with the presence of livestock animals, lower soil pH and different combinations of soil texture and colour. Conclusions/Significance This study contributes to the elucidation of environmental factors influencing the occurrence of B. pseudomallei and raises concerns that B. pseudomallei may spread due to changes in land use. PMID:19156200

Financing and Regulating Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Gerald

2005-01-01

Australia has made significant changes in the ways it regulates and funds vocational education and training (VET), with increased emphasis on competition to promote efficient delivery of the type of programs that students and employers want. National, state and territory governments have increased the role of employers by basing nationally…

Tissue banking in australia.

PubMed

Ireland, Lynette; McKelvie, Helen

2003-01-01

The legal structure for the regulation of tissue banking has existed for many years. In Australia, the donation of human tissue is regulated by legislation in each of the eight States and Territories. These substantially uniform Acts were passed in the late 1970's and early 1980's, based on model legislation and underpinned by the concept of consensual giving. However, it was not until the early 1990's that tissue banking came under the notice of regulatory authorities. Since then the Australian Government has moved quickly to oversee the tissue banking sector in Australia. Banked human tissue has been deemed to be a therapeutic good under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, and tissue banks are required to be licensed by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and are audited for compliance with the Code of Good Manufacturing Practice- Human Blood and Tissues. In addition, tissue banks must comply with a myriad of other standards, guidelines and recommendations.

Our Stories: Innovation and Excellence in Rural Education. Proceedings of National Rural Education Conference of the Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia (21st, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, October 2005)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boylan, Colin, Ed.

2005-01-01

The papers contained in this document represent the keynote addresses, refereed and non-refereed conference papers from the 21st National Conference of the Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia (SPERA). The theme for this national annual conference was: Our Stories: Innovation and Excellence in Rural Education. Keynote…

40 CFR 81.116 - Northern Missouri Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Quality Control Region. 81.116 Section 81.116 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Air Quality Control Regions § 81.116 Northern Missouri Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Northern Missouri Intrastate Air Quality Control Region consists of the territorial area encompassed by the...

40 CFR 81.116 - Northern Missouri Intrastate Air Quality Control Region.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Quality Control Region. 81.116 Section 81.116 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Air Quality Control Regions § 81.116 Northern Missouri Intrastate Air Quality Control Region. The Northern Missouri Intrastate Air Quality Control Region consists of the territorial area encompassed by the...

Urban conflict: reterritorialization in Northern part of Bekasi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadono, W.; Herlily

2018-03-01

Inter-group conflict is one of the crucial issues affecting urban development in Northern part of Bekasi. It begins with the destruction of monuments until the rejection of worship places (in this case is a church) by mass organizations. These incidents occurred because the native assumed that the migrants took their territory. They concerned about the modern development brought by the migrants that caused the shrinking of local culture. The behavior of these mass organizations constituted the district that made the urban space seemed ‘not inclusive’ indirectly. This paper offered another alternative in urban design to reduce conflicts within the territory. We sought about the district context and reterritorialized the conflicted area. We used Reterritorialization approach to restore ‘border’ in order to sharpen and strengthen the territory. We conducted direct observation method, socio-cultural mapping, in-depth interview, and 3D model. This paper aimed to affirm the territory in urban space that would be able to accommodate the needs of the district user. The result is a design of transitional space that functionates as negotiation space. The transitional space is an intervention using Reterritorialization approach to reduce conflicts that occur in the urban space of the Northern part of Bekasi.

Characterization of Fitzroy River Virus and Serologic Evidence of Human and Animal Infection.

PubMed

Johansen, Cheryl A; Williams, Simon H; Melville, Lorna F; Nicholson, Jay; Hall, Roy A; Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle; Prow, Natalie A; Chidlow, Glenys R; Wong, Shani; Sinha, Rohini; Williams, David T; Lipkin, W Ian; Smith, David W

2017-08-01

In northern Western Australia in 2011 and 2012, surveillance detected a novel arbovirus in mosquitoes. Genetic and phenotypic analyses confirmed that the new flavivirus, named Fitzroy River virus, is related to Sepik virus and Wesselsbron virus, in the yellow fever virus group. Most (81%) isolates came from Aedes normanensis mosquitoes, providing circumstantial evidence of the probable vector. In cell culture, Fitzroy River virus replicated in mosquito (C6/36), mammalian (Vero, PSEK, and BSR), and avian (DF-1) cells. It also infected intraperitoneally inoculated weanling mice and caused mild clinical disease in 3 intracranially inoculated mice. Specific neutralizing antibodies were detected in sentinel horses (12.6%), cattle (6.6%), and chickens (0.5%) in the Northern Territory of Australia and in a subset of humans (0.8%) from northern Western Australia.

New functionally dioecious bush tomato from northwestern Australia, Solanum ossicruentum, may utilize “trample burr” dispersal

PubMed Central

Martine, Christopher T.; Cantley, Jason T.; Frawley, Emma S.; Butler, Alice R.; Jordon-Thaden, Ingrid E.

2016-01-01

Abstract A new Australian species of functionally dioecious bush tomato of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum is described. Solanum ossicruentum Martine & J.Cantley, sp. nov., is thought to be allied with members of the problematic “Dioicum Complex” lineage, but differs in its short silvery indumentum, long calyx lobes, larger stature, and an unusual fruit morphology that may represent “trample burr” seed dispersal. The species occurs in a range extending from the eastern Kimberley in Western Australia to far northwestern Northern Territory and has been recognized for decades as a variant of Solanum dioicum W.Fitzg. Specimens of this species were previously referred to by D.E. Symon and others as Solanum dioicum ‘Tanami.’ Ex situ crossing studies and SEM images of inaperturate pollen grains produced in morphologically hermaphrodite flowers indicate that this taxon is functionally dioecious. The scientific name was chosen with the help of 150 seventh grade life science students from Pennsylvania, USA. PMID:27489475

Maximum Flow Efficiency in an Anabranching River, Magela Creek, Northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jansen, J. D.; Nanson, G. C.

2002-12-01

In this field- and laboratory-based study, we demonstrate that the development of anabranching channels in some rivers increases the conveyance of sediment and water, compared with a single channel at the same flow discharge. That is, under certain conditions, anabranching channels exhibit greater sediment transporting capacity per unit available stream power. Anabranching is a globally widespread river pattern noted in diverse physiographic, hydrologic and sedimentologic environments, and recent efforts have sought to unravel controls on their origin and maintenance. It is widely held that most rivers form a single-channel in order to minimise boundary roughness while conveying water and sediment, but do all rivers show a tendency to develop a single channel? And if so, what factors lead to long-term anabranching? The observation that anabranching commonly develops in environments where water and sediment conveyance is maintained with little or no recourse to increasing energy slope prompted the hypothesis that rivers may adopt a multiple channel pattern in order to optimise their efficiency where they cannot otherwise increase slope. It is reasoned that development of a system of multiple channels reduces total flow width and raises mean flow depth, thereby maximising sediment transport per unit area of the channel bed and maintaining or enhancing water and sediment throughput. In testing the hypothesis we present: (1) results of a field experiment in which hydraulic variables and bedload discharge are measured and compared for single-channel versus multichannel reaches of the same river (Magela Creek, northern Australia); (2) comparison of these field results with bedload transport modelling via well known bedload equations; and (3) results of an experimental flume study comparing hydraulic variables and sediment flux in single-channel versus divided flow. Magela Creek is representative of several anabranching systems draining the Alligators Rivers Region of

Linking Observations of Dynamic Topography from Oceanic and Continental Realms around Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czarnota, K.; Hoggard, M. J.; White, N.; Winterbourne, J.

2012-04-01

In the last decade, there has been growing interest in predicting the spatial and temporal evolution of dynamic topography (i.e. the surface manifestation of mantle convection). By directly measuring Neogene and Quaternary dynamic topography around Australia's passive margins we assess the veracity of these predictions and the interplay between mantle convection and plate motion. We mapped the present dynamic topography by carefully measuring residual topography of oceanic lithosphere adjacent to passive margins. This map provides a reference with respect to which the relative record of vertical motions, preserved within the stratigraphic architecture of the margins, can be interpreted. We carefully constrained the temporal record of vertical motions along Australia's Northwest Shelf by backstripping Neogene carbonate clinoform rollover trajectories in order to minimise paleobathymetric errors. Elsewhere, we compile temporal constraints from published literature. Three principal insights emerge from our analysis. First, the present-day drawn-down residual topography of Australia, cannot be approximated by a regional tilt down towards the northeast, as previously hypothesised. The south-western and south-eastern corners of Australia are at negligible to slightly positive residual topography which slopes down towards Australia's northern margin and the Great Australian Bight. Secondly, the record of passive margin subsidence suggests drawdown across northern Australia commenced synchronously at 8±2 Ma. The amplitude of this synchronous drawdown corresponds to the amplitude of oceanic residual topography, indicating northern Australia was at an unperturbed dynamic elevation until drawdown commenced. The synchronicity of this subsidence suggests that the Australian plate has not been affected by a southward propagating wave of drawdown, despite Australia's rapid northward motion towards the subduction realm in south-east Asia. In contrast, it appears the mantle

Estimating hydraulic properties from tidal attenuation in the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer, territory of Guam, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rotzoll, Kolja; Gingerich, Stephen B.; Jenson, John W.; El-Kadi, Aly I.

2013-01-01

Tidal-signal attenuations are analyzed to compute hydraulic diffusivities and estimate regional hydraulic conductivities of the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer, Territory of Guam (Pacific Ocean), USA. The results indicate a significant tidal-damping effect at the coastal boundary. Hydraulic diffusivities computed using a simple analytical solution for well responses to tidal forcings near the periphery of the island are two orders of magnitude lower than for wells in the island’s interior. Based on assigned specific yields of ~0.01–0.4, estimated hydraulic conductivities are ~20–800 m/day for peripheral wells, and ~2,000–90,000 m/day for interior wells. The lower conductivity of the peripheral rocks relative to the interior rocks may best be explained by the effects of karst evolution: (1) dissolutional enhancement of horizontal hydraulic conductivity in the interior; (2) case-hardening and concurrent reduction of local hydraulic conductivity in the cliffs and steeply inclined rocks of the periphery; and (3) the stronger influence of higher-conductivity regional-scale features in the interior relative to the periphery. A simple numerical model calibrated with measured water levels and tidal response estimates values for hydraulic conductivity and storage parameters consistent with the analytical solution. The study demonstrates how simple techniques can be useful for characterizing regional aquifer properties.

Dracunculus mulbus n. sp. (Nematoda: Spirurida) from the water python Liasis fuscus (Serpentes: Boidae) in northern Australia.

PubMed

Jones, Hugh I; Mulder, Eridani

2007-03-01

A new species of Dracunculus Reichard, 1759 (Nematoda: Spirurida) is described from the tissues surrounding organs in the body-cavity of the water python Liasis fuscus Peters in northern Australia. One to 14 worms were recovered from 22% (27/120) of pythons examined. Males were located principally around the lungs, liver and heart of the hosts, and females were recovered from peritoneal tissue surrounding the intestines and lining the body-cavity. This species differs from previously described species of Dracunculus in the position of the papillae at the posterior end in males, and in the possession of thick, narrow caudal alae. Submedian cephalic papillae are single in both sexes. Dorsal and ventral anterior cephalic papillae are absent in males. This is the first report of a species of Dracunculus from the Australian region.

Dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) emissions from biomass burning in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meinardi, Simone; Simpson, Isobel J.; Blake, Nicola J.; Blake, Donald R.; Rowland, F. Sherwood

2003-05-01

We identify dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) as the major reduced sulfur-containing gas emitted from bushfires in Australia's Northern Territory. Like dimethyl sulfide (DMS), DMDS is oxidized in the atmosphere to sulfur dioxide (SO2) and methane sulfonic acid (MSA), which are intermediates in the formation of sulfuric acid (H2SO4). The mixing ratios of DMDS and DMS were the highest we have ever detected, with maximum values of 113 and 35 ppbv, respectively, whereas background values were below the detection limit (10 pptv). Molar emission ratios relative to carbon monoxide (CO) were [1.6 +/- 0.1] × 10-5 and [6.2 +/- 0.3] × 10-6, for DMDS and DMS respectively, while molar emission ratios relative to carbon dioxide (CO2) were [4.7 +/- 0.4] × 10-6 and [1.4 +/- 0.4] × 10-7, respectively. Assuming these observations are representative of biomass burning, we estimate that biomass burning could yield up to 175 Gg/yr of DMDS (119 Gg S/yr) and 13 Gg/yr of DMS.

Tick-borne infectious diseases in Australia.

PubMed

Graves, Stephen R; Stenos, John

2017-04-17

Tick bites in Australia can lead to a variety of illnesses in patients. These include infection, allergies, paralysis, autoimmune disease, post-infection fatigue and Australian multisystem disorder. Rickettsial (Rickettsia spp.) infections (Queensland tick typhus, Flinders Island spotted fever and Australian spotted fever) and Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) are the only systemic bacterial infections that are known to be transmitted by tick bites in Australia. Three species of local ticks transmit bacterial infection following a tick bite: the paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) is endemic on the east coast of Australia and causes Queensland tick typhus due to R. australis and Q fever due to C. burnetii; the ornate kangaroo tick (Amblyomma triguttatum) occurs throughout much of northern, central and western Australia and causes Q fever; and the southern reptile tick (Bothriocroton hydrosauri) is found mainly in south-eastern Australia and causes Flinders Island spotted fever due to R. honei. Much about Australian ticks and the medical outcomes following tick bites remains unknown. Further research is required to increase understanding of these areas.

Using the CPGI to Determine Problem Gambling Prevalence in Australia: Measurement Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Alun C.; Wynne, Harold; Dowling, Nicki A.; Tomnay, Jane E.; Thomas, Shane A.

2010-01-01

Most states and territories in Australia have adopted the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) of the Canadian Problem Gambling Index as the standard measure of problem gambling in their prevalence studies and research programs. However, notwithstanding this attempted standardisation, differences in sampling and recruitment methodologies and in…

Fires in the Australian Capital Territory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

The height and extent of billowing smoke plumes from bushfires near Canberra, the Australian capital, are illustrated by these views from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). The images were acquired on January 18, 2003. Never before had fires of this magnitude come so close to Australia's capital. Four people lost their lives and over 500 homes were destroyed, mostly in the southwestern suburbs. Australia's famous Mount Stromlo Observatory, located immediately west of the city, was also incinerated by the fires.

The top panel portrays a natural-color view from MISR's nadir camera, in which the eastern portion of the Australian Capital Territory is located south of a pale, ephemeral lake in the upper left-hand corner (Lake George). Several smoke plumes originate within the eastern part of the Australian Capital Territory, while the major plumes originate to the west of the image area. The Australian Capital Territory and much of New South Wales are completely obscured by the smoke, which is driven by fierce westerly winds and extends eastward to the coast and over the Pacific Ocean.

The lower panel provides a stereoscopically retrieved height field of the clouds and smoke plumes. The greenish areas indicate where smoke plumes extend several kilometers above a bank of patchy stratus clouds below. A few high clouds appear near the bottom of the image. Wind retrievals were excluded from this image in order to generate a smooth and continuous field. Although relative height variations are well-represented here, the inclusion of wind retrievals for this scene reduces the actual cloud height results by 1 to 2 kilometers. Areas where heights could not be retrieved are shown as dark gray.

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuouslyand every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. This data product was generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra

River and Wetland Food Webs in Australia's Wet-Dry Tropics: General Principles and Implications for Management.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douglas, M. M.; Bunn, S. E.; Davies, P. M.

2005-05-01

The tropical rivers of northern Australia are internationally recognised for their high ecological and cultural values. They have largely unmodified flow regimes and are comparatively free of the impacts associated with intensive land use. However, there is growing demand for agricultural development and existing pressures, such as weeds and feral animals, threaten their ecological integrity. Using the international literature to provide a conceptual framework and drawing on limited published and unpublished data on rivers in northern Australia, we have derived five general principles about food webs and related ecosystem processes that both characterise tropical rivers of northern Australia and have important implications for their management. These are: (1) Seasonal hydrology is a strong driver of ecosystem processes and food web structure; (2) Hydrological connectivity is largely intact and underpins important terrestrial-aquatic food web subsidies; (3) River and wetland food webs are strongly dependent on algal production; (4) A few common macroconsumers species have a strong influence on benthic food webs; (5) Omnivory is widespread and food chains are short. These principles have implications for the management and protection of tropical rivers and wetlands of northern Australia and provide a framework for the formation of testable hypotheses in future research programs.

Juvenile Justice in Australia 2009-10. Juvenile Justice Series. Number 8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aalders, Rachel; Morgan, Kirsten

2011-01-01

In Australia, the state and territory governments are responsible for dealing with young people who are involved in crime. One major aspect of the juvenile justice system is the supervision of children and young people who have committed or are alleged to have committed an offence. This report presents information on the young people under…

The dominant erosion processes supplying fine sediment to three major rivers in tropical Australia, the Daly (NT), Mitchell (Qld) and Flinders (Qld) Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caitcheon, Gary G.; Olley, Jon M.; Pantus, Francis; Hancock, Gary; Leslie, Christopher

2012-05-01

The tropics of northern Australia have received relatively little attention with regard to the impact of soil erosion on the many large river systems that are an important part of Australia's water resource, especially given the high potential for erosion when long dry seasons are followed by intense wet season rain. Here we use 137Cs concentrations to determine the erosion processes supplying sediment to two major northern Australian Rivers; the Daly River (Northern Territory), and the Mitchell River (Queensland). We also present data from five sediment samples collected from a 100 km reach of the Cloncurry River, a major tributary of the Flinders River (Queensland). Concentrations of 137Cs in the surface soil and subsurface (channel banks and gully) samples were used to derive 'best fit' probability density functions describing their distributions. These modelled distributions are then used to estimate the relative contribution of these two components to the river sediments. Our results are consistent with channel and gully erosion being the dominant source of sediment, with more than 90% of sediment transported along the main stem of these rivers originating from subsoil. We summarize the findings of similar studies on tropical Australian rivers and conclude that the primary source of sediment delivered to these systems is gully and channel bank erosion. Previously, as a result of catchment scale modelling, sheet-wash and rill erosion was considered to be the major sediment source in these rivers. Identifying the relative importance of sediment sources, as shown in this paper, will provide valuable information for land management planning in the region. This study also reinforces the importance of testing model predictions before they are used to target investment in remedial action.

Effects of spatial disturbance on common loon nest site selection and territory success

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarthy, K.P.; DeStefano, S.

2011-01-01

The common loon (Gavia immer) breeds during the summer on northern lakes and water bodies that are also often desirable areas for aquatic recreation and human habitation. In northern New England, we assessed how the spatial nature of disturbance affects common loon nest site selection and territory success. We found through classification and regression analysis that distance to and density of disturbance factors can be used to classify observed nest site locations versus random points, suggesting that these factors affect loon nest site selection (model 1: Correct classification = 75%, null = 50%, K = 0.507, P < 0.001; model 2: Correct classification = 78%, null = 50%, K = 0.551, P < 0.001). However, in an exploratory analysis, we were unable to show a relation between spatial disturbance variables and breeding success (P = 0.595, R 2 = 0.436), possibly because breeding success was so low during the breeding seasons of 2007-2008. We suggest that by selecting nest site locations that avoid disturbance factors, loons thereby limit the effect that disturbance will have on their breeding success. Still, disturbance may force loons to use sub-optimal nesting habitat, limiting the available number of territories, and overall productivity. We advise that management efforts focus on limiting disturbance factors to allow breeding pairs access to the best nesting territories, relieving disturbance pressures that may force sub-optimal nest placement. ?? 2011 The Wildlife Society.

"Only your blood can tell the story"--a qualitative research study using semi-structured interviews to explore the hepatitis B related knowledge, perceptions and experiences of remote dwelling Indigenous Australians and their health care providers in northern Australia.

PubMed

Davies, Jane; Bukulatjpi, Sarah; Sharma, Suresh; Davis, Joshua; Johnston, Vanessa

2014-11-28

Hepatitis B is endemic in the Indigenous communities of the Northern Territory of Australia and significantly contributes to liver-related morbidity and mortality. It is recognised that low health literacy levels, different worldviews and English as a second language all contribute to the difficulties health workers often have in explaining biomedical health concepts, relevant to hepatitis B infection, to patients. The aim of this research project was to explore the knowledge, perceptions and experiences of remote dwelling Indigenous adults and their health care providers relating to hepatitis B infection with a view to using this as the evidence base to develop a culturally appropriate educational tool. The impetus for this project came from health clinic staff at a remote community in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, in partnership with a visiting specialist liver clinic from the Royal Darwin Hospital. Participants were clinic patients with hepatitis B (n = 12), community members (n = 9) and key informants (n = 13); 25 were Indigenous individuals.A participatory action research project design was used with purposive sampling to identify participants. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken to explore: current understanding of hepatitis B, desire for knowledge, and perspectives on how people could acquire the information needed. All individuals were offered the use of an interpreter. The data were examined using deductive and inductive thematic analysis. Low levels of biomedical knowledge about Hepatitis B, negative perceptions of Hepatitis B, communication (particularly language) and culture were the major themes that emerged from the data. Accurate concepts grounded in Indigenous culture such as "only your blood can tell the story" were present but accompanied by a feeling of disempowerment due to perceived lack of "medical" understanding, and informed partnerships between caregiver and patient. Culturally appropriate discussions in a

A new phasmid gecko (Squamata: Diplodactylidae: Strophurus) from the Arnhem Plateau: more new diversity in rare vertebrates from northern Australia.

PubMed

Oliver, Paul M; Parkin, Tom

2014-10-22

The Arnhem Plateau is a rugged expanse of sandstone escarpment in the Australian Monsoonal Tropics with a highly endemic biota. Here we describe a new species of small spinifex dwelling Strophurus (phasmid gecko) that also appears to be endemic to this region. Strophurus horneri sp. nov. can be diagnosed from all congeners by aspects of size, coloration and scalation. Even with the description of this new species, however, levels of morphological and genetic diversity within Strophurus from the stone country of the Northern Territory suggest additional divergent lineages are present. A number of recent studies have now provided preliminary evidence of evolutionary diversity within the Arnhem Plateau, but data remains scant and almost nothing is known about how topography and historical processes have shaped the endemic biota of this region. 

The role of density dependence in growth patterns of ceded territory walleye populations of northern Wisconsin: Effects of changing management regimes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sass, G.G.; Hewett, S.W.; Beard, T.D.; Fayram, A.H.; Kitchell, J.F.

2004-01-01

We assessed density-related changes in growth of walleye Sander vitreus in the ceded territory of northern Wisconsin from 1977 to 1999. We used asymptotic length (Lz), growth rate near t0 (??), and body condition as measures of walleye growth to determine the relationship between growth and density. Among lakes, there was weak evidence of density-dependent growth: adult density explained only 0-6% of the variability in the growth metrics. Within lakes, growth was density dependent. Lz, ??, and body condition of walleyes changing with density for 69, 28, and 62% of the populations examined, respectively. Our results suggest that walleye growth was density dependent within individual lakes. However, growth was not coherently density dependent among lakes, which was possibly due to inherent differences in the productivity, surface area, forage base, landscape position, species composition, and management regime of lakes in the ceded territory. Densities of adult walleyes averaged 8.3 fish/ha and did not change significantly during 1990-1999. Mean Lz and body condition of walleyes were signilicantly higher before 1990 than after 1990, which may indicate an increase in density due to changes in management regimes. The observed growth changes do not appear to be a consequence of the statewide 15-in minimum size limit adopted in 1990 but rather a response to the treaty rights management regime. We conclude that walleye growth has the potential to predict regional-scale adult walleye densities if lake-specific variables are included in a model to account for regional-scale differences among walleye populations and lakes.

Cattle movement patterns in Australia: an analysis of the NLIS database 2008-2012.

PubMed

Iglesias, R M; East, I J

2015-11-01

To identify patterns of cattle movement that could influence disease spread in the Australian cattle population. Records from the National Livestock Identification System database for the period January 2008 to December 2012 were accessed and analysed. Postcodes were used to allocate each individual property to one of 12 livestock production regions. National movement patterns and the characteristics of each livestock production region were quantified in terms of the number of consignments and animals moved, and seasonality of movements. The majority of cattle movements remained within a single livestock production region, while those that did not, usually remained within the same state or territory. Producers were the most common source of cattle, and abattoirs and other producers the most common destinations, with approximately 40% of animals moving via a saleyard. The northern regions generally moved larger consignments than the southern regions and were less connected to other regions. The eastern and south-eastern regions were very well connected by cattle movements. Seasonal patterns were seen for some regions, particularly the northern regions where weather patterns strongly influence the ability of producers to muster and transport stock. The movement patterns observed provide quantitative support for previous information based on surveys and expert opinion, and capture more of the variability in Australian cattle production. This information may assist with management of animal disease risks, in particular exotic diseases, and in planning surveillance programs. © 2015 2015 Commonwealth of Australia Australian Veterinary Journal © 2015 Australian Veterinary Association.

Sociodemographic and geographical inequalities in notifiable infectious diseases in Australia: a retrospective analysis of 21 years of national disease surveillance data.

PubMed

Gibney, Katherine B; Cheng, Allen C; Hall, Robert; Leder, Karin

2017-01-01

Australia is a high-income country with a well established and largely publicly funded health-care system. However, some populations within Australia have shorter life expectancy and worse health outcomes than others. We explored geographical variations and sociodemographic inequities in infectious disease notifications in Australia. In this retrospective study, we analysed National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) notifications from 1991-2011 (n=2·4 million). We assessed the effect of socioeconomic disadvantage and remoteness of residence on national notification incidence. We calculated Gini coefficients, adjusted relative risks (aRRs), population attributable fractions (PAFs), and attributable notifications. We reported aRRs for Indigenous status in three jurisdictions with more than 75% completeness of Indigenous status reporting from the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Western Australia. Of the eight most commonly notified diseases from Jan 1, 1991, to Dec 31, 2011, gonococcal infection was the most geographically unequal and campylobacteriosis was the most evenly distributed across the country. Overall, notification incidence was higher in remote and very remote areas than in major cities (aRR 3·37), and higher in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged quintiles compared with less disadvantaged quintiles (aRR 1·15). The PAF for socioeconomic disadvantage was high for blood-borne viral hepatitis but decreased in other disease groups. In 2011, sexually transmitted infections had 11 093 notifications attributed to remoteness and 5597 notifications attributable to socioeconomic disadvantage. Notification incidence was higher in Indigenous than in non-Indigenous Australians (aRR 5·3). All diseases had differing geographical concentration and sociodemographic risk. Overall, sociodemographic inequities in infectious disease notifications have decreased, but remain unacceptably high. National communicable disease control is complex

Evaluating hazardous air pollutants in Australia.

PubMed

Hinwood, A L; Di Marco, P N

2002-12-27

Hazardous air pollutants (HAPS) have been evaluated for their health and environmental significance on a targeted and campaign basis in Australia until recently. Individual States and Territories have been undertaking targeted monitoring studies and have numerous control strategies aimed at controlling HAPS emissions with the focus largely on volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and selected heavy metals, with some limited work on exposure assessment. There has been little evaluation of the potential health or environmental effects of the monitored concentrations of these substances and few toxicological or epidemiological studies have been conducted-none in the community setting in Australia. Moreover, there has not been an agreed method for assessing risks from HAPS in ambient air, with different jurisdictions utilising different international benchmarks. Recently, the National Environmental Health (EnHealth) Council commenced developing a risk assessment methodology, which is being used in the development of ambient air quality guidelines for selected HAPS in Western Australia. In 1999, the Commonwealth Government established the Living Cities-Toxics Program, designed to assess the state of knowledge on HAPS in Australia with the aims of identifying and prioritising HAPS, identifying information gaps and informing the development of national air quality standards and national management strategies. The Commonwealth Government commenced a number of projects in 2000 to progress these aims.

The Changing Role of Education in the Iraqi Disputed Territories: Assimilation, Segregation and Indoctrination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shanks, Kelsey

2016-01-01

The oil-rich northern districts of Iraq were long considered a reflection of the country with a diversity of ethnic and religious groups: Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, Assyrians, and Yezidi, living together and portraying Iraq's demographic make-up. Yet the territory has suffered from heightening ethno-political influence and sectarianism throughout its…

Decreasing prevalence of Trichuris trichiura (whipworm) in the Northern Territory from 2002 to 2012.

PubMed

Crowe, Amy L; Smith, Pam; Ward, Linda; Currie, Bart J; Baird, Rob

2014-03-17

To observe the prevalence, disease associations, and temporal trends in Trichuris trichiura (whipworm) infection in the Northern Territory between 2002 and 2012. Retrospective observational analysis of consecutive microbiologically confirmed cases of T. trichiura infection among members of the NT population from whom a faecal sample was obtained for testing by NT Government health care facilities between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2012. Annual prevalence of T. trichiura infection; age, sex, Indigenous status and place of residence of infected patients; percentage of infected patients with anaemia (haemoglobin level, ≤ 110 g/L) and eosinophilia (eosinophil count, ≥ 0.5 × 10(9)/L). 417 episodes of T. trichiura infection were identified over the 11 years from 63 668 faecal samples. The median age of patients was 8 years (interquartile range [IQR], 3-36 years). Patients were predominantly Indigenous (95.3%; P = 0.001) and from three main geographical areas (Victoria Daly, East Arnhem Land and West Arnhem Land). Infections were associated with anaemia (40.2%) and eosinophilia (51.6%). There was a downward trend in the prevalence of T. trichiura infection diagnosed at NT Government health care facilities, from 123.1 cases (95% CI, 94.8-151.3 cases) per 100,000 Indigenous population in 2002 to 35.8 cases (95% CI, 21.8-49.9 cases) per 100,000 Indigenous population in 2011. T. trichiura is the most frequently identified soil-transmitted helminth infecting patients in NT Government health care facilities. Cases are identified predominantly in Indigenous patients in remote communities. We have observed a declining prevalence of whipworm infection in the NT.

A Lesson from Mangroves.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Stephen

1987-01-01

Discusses the importance of interpretive programs in the Northern Territory of Australia. Describes the typical interpretive approach of local school science curricula, which serve 20,000 Aboriginal children. Addresses the curriculum framework, learning strategies, and process skill development, illustrating them through a lesson on mangroves. (TW)

Increasing Interactive Activity: Using Technology to Enhance Interaction between Teachers, Students and Learning Material.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bucknall, Ruary

1996-01-01

Overview of the interactive technologies used by the Northern Territory Secondary Correspondence School in Australia: print media utilizing desktop publishing and electronic transfer; telephone or H-F radio; interactive television; and interactive computing. More fully describes its interactive CD-ROM courses. Emphasizes that the programs are…

An overview of occupational health and safety in Australia.

PubMed

Smith, Derek Richard; Yamagata, Zentaro

2002-03-01

Australia is a developed country with a high standard of living, small population and large land area. Manufacturing is currently the largest economic contributor, although mining and agriculture are also significant industries. There are around 10 million employees in total, with retail trade and manufacturing being the largest employers. Manufacturing currently has the highest incidence of workplace injury, although around 5% of all Australian workers suffer from some kind of occupational disease or injury every year. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation is individually managed and enforced by the 8 states and territories. Training and registration for OHS professionals varies between the speciaities and usually requires a combination of academic qualifications and workplace experience. Non-medical personnel constitute a large proportion of OHS professionals in Australia.

Applicability of market-based instruments for safeguarding water quality in coastal waterways: Case study for Darwin Harbour, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greiner, Romy

2014-02-01

Water pollution of coastal waterways is a complex problem due to the cocktail of pollutants and multiplicity of polluters involved and pollution characteristics. Pollution control therefore requires a combination of policy instruments. This paper examines the applicability of market-based instruments to achieve effective and efficient water quality management in Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia. Potential applicability of instruments is examined in the context of biophysical and economic pollution characteristics, and experience with instruments elsewhere. The paper concludes that there is potential for inclusion of market-based instruments as part of an instrument mix to safeguard water quality in Darwin Harbour. It recommends, in particular, expanding the existing licencing system to include quantitative pollution limits for all significant point polluters; comprehensive and independent pollution monitoring across Darwin Harbour; public disclosure of water quality and emissions data; positive incentives for landholders in the Darwin Harbour catchment to improve land management practices; a stormwater offset program for greenfield urban developments; adoption of performance bonds for developments and operations which pose a substantial risk to water quality, including port expansion and dredging; and detailed consideration of a bubble licensing scheme for nutrient pollution. The paper offers an analytical framework for policy makers and resource managers tasked with water quality management in coastal waterways elsewhere in Australia and globally, and helps to scan for MBIs suitable in any given environmental management situation.

Broad spectrum anthelmintic resistance of Haemonchus contortus in Northern NSW of Australia.

PubMed

Lamb, Jane; Elliott, Tim; Chambers, Michael; Chick, Bruce

2017-07-15

On a sheep farm in Northern New South Wales (NSW) of Australia a degree of anthelmintic resistance was suspected. With noticeable clinical signs of infection and sheep not responding to treatment, a faecal egg count reduction test was conducted to ascertain the broad spectrum of anthelmintic resistance at this farm. A number of classes of anthelmintics were assessed including organophosphate, macrocyclic lactone (ML) and in combination an ML, benzimidazole, levamisole and salicylanilide. In addition, the more recently registered classes of anthelmintics, monepantel (amino-acetonitrile derivative) and derquantel/abamectin combination (spiroindole+ML) were included. Ninety merino sheep naturally infected with a field strain of Haemonchus contortus were randomly allocated to 6 treatment groups (15 animals/group). Sheep were subsequently treated based on label recommendations and individual bodyweight. Faecal samples were collected post-treatment on Days 7, 14 and 21 to conduct faecal egg counts and group bulk larval cultures. Broad spectrum anthelmintic resistance was confirmed at this site with treatment efficacies ranging from 21.3% (monepantel) to 93.8% (derquantel/abamectin combination) against the H. contortus strain. Furthermore, resistance to the multi-combination anthelmintic containing 4 active ingredients was evident (52.5%). This broad spectrum of resistance highlights the need for integration of alternative sustainable methods in parasite control in order to slow development of resistance and increase the life time effectiveness of anthelmintics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Patient satisfaction with musculoskeletal physiotherapy care in Australia: an international comparison.

PubMed

Hush, Julia M; Yung, Vivian; Mackey, Martin; Adams, Roger; Wand, Benedict M; Nelson, Roger; Beattie, Paul

2012-11-01

(1) To attain a quantitative estimate of patient satisfaction with physiotherapy care for musculoskeletal conditions in Australia; (2) to compare the observed level of patient satisfaction with care in Australia with those from other countries; and (3) to compare factors contributing to patient satisfaction between Australia and the United States (US). We conducted a prospective study of 274 patients presenting for physiotherapy treatment of a musculoskeletal disorder in Australian clinics. Patient satisfaction was measured using the 20-item MedRisk Instrument for Measuring Patient Satisfaction with Physical Therapy Care (MRPS) and satisfaction scores were compared with those from Northern Europe, North America, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. To investigate factors contributing to patient satisfaction between Australia and the US, we compared 20-item MRPS data from Australian and Spanish-speaking US cohorts. Mean Australian MRPS satisfaction score was 4.55 (95% confidence interval: 4.51-4.59) on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 indicates high dissatisfaction and 5 indicates high satisfaction. This high level of patient satisfaction is consistent with international data. Australian respondents specifically valued interpersonal aspects of care, including advice and information about their condition and an explanation about self-management. The correlation between treatment outcomes and global patient satisfaction was low (r = -0.22). A comparison of data collected from Australia and the US showed that MRPS items regarding interpersonal aspects of care, such as the therapists' communication skills, correlated strongly with global satisfaction in both countries. However, there were other questionnaire items for which the correlation with global satisfaction was significantly different between Australia and the US. Patient satisfaction with musculoskeletal physiotherapy care in Australia is high and comparable with Northern Europe, North America, the United Kingdom and

Relative importance of male and territory quality in pairing success of male rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bart, Jonathan; Earnst, Susan L.

1999-01-01

We studied pairing success in male rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) in northern Alaska to learn whether males obtaining more females possessed phenotypic traits that influenced female choice directly, whether these traits permitted males to obtain territories favored by females, or whether both processes occurred. The number of females per male varied from zero to three. Several male and territory traits were significantly correlated with number of females per male. We used multiple regression to obtain a single measure of male quality and a single measure of territory quality. These measures of male and territory quality correlated with each other and with male pairing success. We used path analysis to separate direct effects of male quality on pairing success from indirect effects due to high-quality males obtaining high-quality territories. Both direct and indirect pathways had significant effects on pairing success, and direct and indirect effects of male traits on pairing success were about equal. This study illustrates an analytical approach for estimating the relative importance of direct and indirect causal relationships in natural systems.

A new species of freshwater eel-tailed catfish of the genus Tandanus (Teleostei: Plotosidae) from coastal rivers of mid-northern New South Wales, Australia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Welsh, Stuart A.; Jerry, Dean R.; Burrows, Damien; Rourke, Meaghan L.

2017-01-01

Tandanus bellingerensis, new species, is described based on specimens from four river drainages (Bellinger, Macleay, Hastings, and Manning rivers) of the mid-northern coast of New South Wales, Australia. Previously, three species were recognized in the genus Tandanus: T. tropicanus of the wet tropics region of northeast Queensland, T. tandanus of the Murray-Darling drainage and coastal streams of central-southern Queensland and New South Wales, and T. bostocki of southwestern Western Australia. The new species is distinguished from all congeners by a combination of the following morphologic characters: a high count of rays in the continuous caudodorsal and anal fins (range 153–169, mode 159), a high count of gill rakers on the first arch (range 35–39, mode 36), and strongly recurved posterior serrae of the pectoral-fin spine. Additionally, results from previously conducted genetic studies corroborate morphologic and taxonomic distinctness of the new species.

Effects of spatial disturbance on common loon nest site selection and territory success

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarthy, Kyle P.; DeStefano, Stephen

2011-01-01

The common loon (Gavia immer) breeds during the summer on northern lakes and water bodies that are also often desirable areas for aquatic recreation and human habitation. In northern New England, we assessed how the spatial nature of disturbance affects common loon nest site selection and territory success. We found through classification and regression analysis that distance to and density of disturbance factors can be used to classify observed nest site locations versus random points, suggesting that these factors affect loon nest site selection (model 1: Correct classification = 75%, null = 50%, K = 0.507, P < 0.001; model 2: Correct classification = 78%, null = 50%, K = 0.551, P < 0.001). However, in an exploratory analysis, we were unable to show a relation between spatial disturbance variables and breeding success (P = 0.595, R2 = 0.436), possibly because breeding success was so low during the breeding seasons of 2007–2008. We suggest that by selecting nest site locations that avoid disturbance factors, loons thereby limit the effect that disturbance will have on their breeding success. Still, disturbance may force loons to use sub-optimal nesting habitat, limiting the available number of territories, and overall productivity. We advise that management efforts focus on limiting disturbance factors to allow breeding pairs access to the best nesting territories, relieving disturbance pressures that may force sub-optimal nest placement.

Health promotion in Australian multi-disciplinary primary health care services: case studies from South Australia and the Northern Territory.

PubMed

Baum, Fran; Freeman, Toby; Jolley, Gwyn; Lawless, Angela; Bentley, Michael; Värttö, Kaisu; Boffa, John; Labonte, Ronald; Sanders, David

2014-12-01

This paper reports on the health promotion and disease prevention conducted at Australian multi-disciplinary primary health care (PHC) services and considers the ways in which the organizational environment affects the extent and type of health promotion and disease prevention activity. The study involves five PHC services in Adelaide and one in Alice Springs. Four are managed by a state health department and two by boards of governance. The study is based on an audit of activities and on 68 interviews conducted with staff. All the sites undertake health promotion and recognize its importance but all report that this activity is under constant pressure resulting from the need to provide services to people who have health problems. We also found an increased focus on chronic disease management and prevention which prioritized individuals and behavioural change strategies rather than addressing social determinants affecting whole communities. There was little health promotion work that reflected a salutogenic approach to the creation of health. Most activity falls under three types: parenting and child development, chronic disease prevention and mental health. Only the non-government organizations reported advocacy on broader policy issues. Health reform and consequent reorganizations were seen to reduce the ability of some services to undertake health promotion. The paper concludes that PHC in Australia plays an important role in disease prevention, but that there is considerable scope to increase the amount of community-based health promotion which focuses on a salutogenic view of health and which engages in community partnerships. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Compensated transnational surrogacy in Australia: time for a comprehensive review.

PubMed

Newson, Ainsley J

2016-01-18

Commercial or compensated surrogacy involves providing payment for a woman to gestate a fetus to term and then hand over the child to commissioning parent(s). Compensated surrogacy is currently restricted by law or regulation in all Australian states and territories. New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory also restrict commissioning transnational compensated surrogacy, although there is evidence that this is not acting as a deterrent. Ethical issues arising in transnational compensated surrogacy include concerns relating to exploitation, commodification and welfare. The current status quo is unsatisfactory on legal, ethical and practical grounds. It is time to openly debate how Australia should balance the desire for childbearing through surrogacy with the limited domestic availability of women willing to act as surrogates.

Genesis of the central zone of the Nolans Bore rare earth element deposit, Northern Territory, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoneveld, Louise; Spandler, Carl; Hussey, Kelvin

2015-08-01

The Nolans Bore rare earth element (REE) deposit consists of a network of fluorapatite-bearing veins and breccias hosted within Proterozoic granulites of the Reynolds Range, Central Australia. Mineralisation is divided into three zones (north, central, and south-east), with the north and south-east zones consisting of massive REE-bearing fluorapatite veins, with minor brecciation and carbonate infill. The central zone is distinctively different in mineralogy and structure; it features extensive brecciation, a high allanite content, and a large, epidote-rich enveloping alteration zone. The central zone is a reworking of the original solid apatite veins that formed during the Chewings Orogeny at ca. 1525 Ma. These original apatite veins are thought to derive from phosphate-rich magmatic-hydrothermal fluid exsolved from as-yet unrecognised alkaline magmatic bodies at depth. We define four ore breccia types (BX1-4) in the central zone on the basis of detailed petrological and geochemical analysis of drillcore and thin sections. BX1 ore comprises fluorapatite with minor crackle brecciation with carbonate infill and resembles ore of the north and south-east zones. Breccia types BX2, BX3, and BX4 represent progressive stages of ore brecciation and development of calc-silicate mineral (amphibole, epidote, allanite, calcite) infill. Comparison of bulk ore sample geochemistry between breccia types indicates that REEs were not mobilised more than a few centimetres during hydrothermal alteration and brecciation. Instead, most of the REEs were partitioned from the original REE fluorapatite into newly formed allanite, REE-poor fluorapatite and minor REE carbonate in the breccias. Negative europium (Eu) anomalies in the breccia minerals are accounted for by a large positive Eu anomaly in epidote from the alteration zones surrounding the ore breccias. This observation provides a direct link between ore recrystallisation and brecciation, and the formation of the alteration halo in

Two gonad-infecting species of Philometra (Nematoda: Philometridae) from marine fishes off the northern coast of Australia

PubMed Central

Moravec, František; Barton, Diane P.

2015-01-01

Two different gonad-infecting species of Philometra Costa, 1845 were collected from the ovary of marine perciform fishes, the blackspotted croaker Protonibea diacanthus (Sciaenidae) and the John’s snapper Lutjanus johnii (Lutjanidae), from off the northern coast of Australia. Nematodes (males and females) from P. diacanthus represent a new taxon, Philometra protonibeae n. sp., which is mainly characterized by the body length of the males (3.37–3. 90 mm), broad, equally long spicules (length 126–141 μm) and the shape and structure of the gubernaculum with a dorsally lamellate distal tip. The nematodes (only females) from L. johnii may represent an undescribed species, but, because of the absence of conspecific males, they could not be specifically identified. Philometra protonibeae is the fifth nominal gonad-infecting species of this genus recorded from marine fishes in Australian waters and the seventh species of these parasites described from fishes of the family Sciaenidae. PMID:25654578

INFO RELEASE. National Information Network for Recreation, Leisure and Sport.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharma, Vidya S.

A study by the Northern Territories Department of Community Development systematically and specifically identified information needs and categories of clients through a set of intellectual concepts in the fields of sport, recreation, and leisure. A survey of Australia's serials holdings was conducted to assess the country's existing information…

Influences of Indigenous Language on Spatial Frames of Reference in Aboriginal English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edmonds-Wathen, Cris

2014-01-01

The Aboriginal English spoken by Indigenous children in remote communities in the Northern Territory of Australia is influenced by the home languages spoken by themselves and their families. This affects uses of spatial terms used in mathematics such as "in front" and "behind." Speakers of the endangered Indigenous Australian…

Principals as Literacy Leaders with Indigenous Communities (PALLIC) Building Relationships: One School's Quest to Raise Indigenous Learners' Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riley, Tasha; Webster, Amanda

2016-01-01

In 2011 to 2012, 48 schools in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland participated in the Principals as Literacy Leaders with Indigenous Communities (PALLIC) project. Central to this project was the establishment of positive working relationships between school principals and Indigenous community leaders in order to improve…

Intimate partner violence in the Canadian territorial north: perspectives from a literature review and a media watch.

PubMed

Moffitt, Pertice; Fikowski, Heather; Mauricio, Marshirette; Mackenzie, Anne

2013-01-01

Family violence is a complex, multidimensional and pervasive presence in many Aboriginal communities. Although practitioners acknowledge that intimate partner violence (IPV) is a grave concern in the North, as in other jurisdictions in Canada, there is a paucity of literature about IPV and the local response to that violence. The purpose of this study is to report on a synthesis of Northern Territorial literature and a 3-year media watch conducted in the Canadian territories. This review is part of a multidisciplinary 5-year study occurring in the Northwest Territories (NT) and northern regions of the Prairie Provinces of Canada. The methods included a review of the literature through CINAHL, PubMed, Academic Search Complete, Social Sciences Index and JSTOR (1990-2012) combined with a media watch from 2009 to 2012. A thematic content analysis was completed. THEMES INCLUDED: colonization; alcohol and substance use; effects of residential schooling; housing inadequacies; help-seeking behaviors; and gaps within the justice system. Identified themes from the media watch were: murders from IPV; reported assaults and criminal charges; emergency protection orders; and awareness campaigns and prevention measures. When synthesized, the results of the literature review and media surveillance depict a starting context and description of IPV in the Canadian territories. There are many questions left unanswered which build support for the necessity of the current research, outline the public outcry for action in local media and identify the current published knowledge about IPV.

Pregnancy and Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia (PANDORA) study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Diabetes in pregnancy carries an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes for both the mother and foetus, but it also provides an excellent early opportunity for intervention in the life course for both mother and baby. In the context of the escalating epidemic of chronic diseases among Indigenous Australians, it is vital that this risk is reduced as early as possible in the life course of the individual. The aims of the PANDORA Study are to: (i) accurately assess rates of diabetes in pregnancy in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, where 38% of babies are born to Indigenous mothers; (ii) assess demographic, clinical, biochemical, anthropometric, socioeconomic and early life development factors that may contribute to key maternal and neonatal birth outcomes associated with diabetes in pregnancy; and (iii) monitor relevant post-partum clinical outcomes for both the mothers and their babies. Methods/Design Eligible participants are all NT women with diabetes in pregnancy aged 16 years and over. Information collected includes: standard antenatal clinical information, diagnosis and management of diabetes in pregnancy, socio-economic status, standard clinical birth information (delivery, gestational age, birth weight, adverse antenatal and birth outcomes). Cord blood is collected at the time of delivery and detailed neonatal anthropometric measurements performed within 72 hours of birth. Information will also be collected regarding maternal post-partum glucose tolerance and cardio-metabolic risk factor status, breastfeeding and growth of the baby up to 2 years post-partum in the first instance. Discussion This study will accurately document rates and outcomes of diabetes in pregnancy in the NT of Australia, including the high-risk Indigenous Australian population. The results of this study should contribute to policy and clinical guidelines with the goal of reducing the future risk of obesity and diabetes in both mothers and their offspring. PMID

Pregnancy And Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia (PANDORA) Study.

PubMed

Maple-Brown, Louise J; Brown, Alex; Lee, I-Lynn; Connors, Christine; Oats, Jeremy; McIntyre, Harold D; Whitbread, Cherie; Moore, Elizabeth; Longmore, Danielle; Dent, Glynis; Corpus, Sumaria; Kirkwood, Marie; Svenson, Stacey; van Dokkum, Paula; Chitturi, Sridhar; Thomas, Sujatha; Eades, Sandra; Stone, Monique; Harris, Mark; Inglis, Chrissie; Dempsey, Karen; Dowden, Michelle; Lynch, Michael; Boyle, Jacqueline; Sayers, Sue; Shaw, Jonathan; Zimmet, Paul; O'Dea, Kerin

2013-12-01

Diabetes in pregnancy carries an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes for both the mother and foetus, but it also provides an excellent early opportunity for intervention in the life course for both mother and baby. In the context of the escalating epidemic of chronic diseases among Indigenous Australians, it is vital that this risk is reduced as early as possible in the life course of the individual. The aims of the PANDORA Study are to: (i) accurately assess rates of diabetes in pregnancy in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, where 38% of babies are born to Indigenous mothers; (ii) assess demographic, clinical, biochemical, anthropometric, socioeconomic and early life development factors that may contribute to key maternal and neonatal birth outcomes associated with diabetes in pregnancy; and (iii) monitor relevant post-partum clinical outcomes for both the mothers and their babies. Eligible participants are all NT women with diabetes in pregnancy aged 16 years and over. Information collected includes: standard antenatal clinical information, diagnosis and management of diabetes in pregnancy, socio-economic status, standard clinical birth information (delivery, gestational age, birth weight, adverse antenatal and birth outcomes). Cord blood is collected at the time of delivery and detailed neonatal anthropometric measurements performed within 72 hours of birth. Information will also be collected regarding maternal post-partum glucose tolerance and cardio-metabolic risk factor status, breastfeeding and growth of the baby up to 2 years post-partum in the first instance. This study will accurately document rates and outcomes of diabetes in pregnancy in the NT of Australia, including the high-risk Indigenous Australian population. The results of this study should contribute to policy and clinical guidelines with the goal of reducing the future risk of obesity and diabetes in both mothers and their offspring.

Prey availability affects territory size, but not territorial display behavior, in green anole lizards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stehle, Chelsea M.; Battles, Andrew C.; Sparks, Michelle N.; Johnson, Michele A.

2017-10-01

The availability of food resources can affect the size and shape of territories, as well as the behaviors used to defend territories, in a variety of animal taxa. However, individuals within a population may respond differently to variation in food availability if the benefits of territoriality vary among those individuals. For example, benefits to territoriality may differ for animals of differing sizes, because larger individuals may require greater territory size to acquire required resources, or territorial behavior may differ between the sexes if males and females defend different resources in their territories. In this study, we tested whether arthropod abundance and biomass were associated with natural variation in territory size and defense in insectivorous green anole lizards, Anolis carolinensis. Our results showed that both male and female lizards had smaller territories in a habitat with greater prey biomass than lizards in habitats with less available prey, but the rates of aggressive behaviors used to defend territories did not differ among these habitats. Further, we did not find a relationship between body size and territory size, and the sexes did not differ in their relationships between food availability and territory size or behavioral defense. Together, these results suggest that differences in food availability influenced male and female territorial strategies similarly, and that territory size may be more strongly associated with variation in food resources than social display behavior. Thus, anole investment in the behavioral defense of a territory may not vary with territory quality.

Quantifying the relative importance of greenhouse gas emissions from current and future savanna land use change across northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bristow, Mila; Hutley, Lindsay B.; Beringer, Jason; Livesley, Stephen J.; Edwards, Andrew C.; Arndt, Stefan K.

2016-11-01

The clearing and burning of tropical savanna leads to globally significant emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs); however there is large uncertainty relating to the magnitude of this flux. Australia's tropical savannas occupy the northern quarter of the continent, a region of increasing interest for further exploitation of land and water resources. Land use decisions across this vast biome have the potential to influence the national greenhouse gas budget. To better quantify emissions from savanna deforestation and investigate the impact of deforestation on national GHG emissions, we undertook a paired site measurement campaign where emissions were quantified from two tropical savanna woodland sites; one that was deforested and prepared for agricultural land use and a second analogue site that remained uncleared for the duration of a 22-month campaign. At both sites, net ecosystem exchange of CO2 was measured using the eddy covariance method. Observations at the deforested site were continuous before, during and after the clearing event, providing high-resolution data that tracked CO2 emissions through nine phases of land use change. At the deforested site, post-clearing debris was allowed to cure for 6 months and was subsequently burnt, followed by extensive soil preparation for cropping. During the debris burning, fluxes of CO2 as measured by the eddy covariance tower were excluded. For this phase, emissions were estimated by quantifying on-site biomass prior to deforestation and applying savanna-specific emission factors to estimate a fire-derived GHG emission that included both CO2 and non-CO2 gases. The total fuel mass that was consumed during the debris burning was 40.9 Mg C ha-1 and included above- and below-ground woody biomass, course woody debris, twigs, leaf litter and C4 grass fuels. Emissions from the burning were added to the net CO2 fluxes as measured by the eddy covariance tower for other post-deforestation phases to provide a total GHG emission from

Pure and Bitter Spaces: Gender, Identity and Territory in Northern Irish Youth Transitions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrellis, Sheena

2005-01-01

This paper examines young peoples' narratives of space and territory and the ways in which they are gender specific. Drawing upon data from two ESRC funded research projects beginning in 1996, the paper focuses upon the ways in which boundaries are perceived, constructed and managed in the everyday lives of young women and men growing up in one…

Accuracy assessment of vegetation community maps generated by aerial photography interpretation: perspective from the tropical savanna, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Donna L.; Phinn, Stuart

2011-01-01

Aerial photography interpretation is the most common mapping technique in the world. However, unlike an algorithm-based classification of satellite imagery, accuracy of aerial photography interpretation generated maps is rarely assessed. Vegetation communities covering an area of 530 km2 on Bullo River Station, Northern Territory, Australia, were mapped using an interpretation of 1:50,000 color aerial photography. Manual stereoscopic line-work was delineated at 1:10,000 and thematic maps generated at 1:25,000 and 1:100,000. Multivariate and intuitive analysis techniques were employed to identify 22 vegetation communities within the study area. The accuracy assessment was based on 50% of a field dataset collected over a 4 year period (2006 to 2009) and the remaining 50% of sites were used for map attribution. The overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient for both thematic maps was 66.67% and 0.63, respectively, calculated from standard error matrices. Our findings highlight the need for appropriate scales of mapping and accuracy assessment of aerial photography interpretation generated vegetation community maps.

Health impact assessment in Australia: A review and directions for progress

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harris, Patrick, E-mail: patrick.harris@unsw.edu.a; Spickett, Jeff, E-mail: J.Spickett@curtin.edu.a

2011-07-15

This article provides an overview of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) within Australia. We discuss the development and current position of HIA and offer some directions for HIA's progression. Since the early 1990s HIA activity in Australia has increased and diversified in application and practice. This article first highlights the emergent streams of HIA practice across environmental, policy and health equity foci, and how these have developed within Australia. The article then provides summaries of current practice provided by each Australian state and territory. We then offer some insight into current issues that require further progression or resolution if HIA ismore » to progress effectively in Australia. This progress rests both on developing broad system support for HIA across government, led by the health sector, and developing system capacity to undertake, commission or review HIAs. We argue that a unified and clear HIA approach is required as a prerequisite to gaining the understanding and support for HIA in the public and private sectors and the wider community.« less

Training the Trainers in Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burgan, Owen

The key to successful harnessing of the power and potential of new educational technologies lies in appropriate training of teachers. An educational technology joint venture was created at the Northern Territory University in Darwin (Australia) in which the Institute of Technical and Further Education provided the equipment, the Computing Services…

Cyclone Tracy and the Darwin Educators: A Case in Crisis Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beare, Hedley

The story of successful crisis management teaches some lessons applicable not only to surmounting crises but to everyday management decisions as well. On Christmas eve, 1974, a cyclone demolished 90 percent of the city of Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory. As thousands gathered in neighborhood schools, a team of educational administrators…

Learning on the Job: How Do Farm Business Managers Get the Skills and Knowledge To Manage Their Businesses? CRLRA Discussion Paper Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilpatrick, Sue

The methods used by Australian farm managers to obtain the skills and knowledge needed to manage their businesses were examined. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 85 farm owners/managers from South Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, Tasmania, and New South Wales. The farmers interviewed identified a wide range of…

Context, Diversity and Engagement: Early Intervention with Australian Aboriginal Families in Urban and Remote Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Gary; Tyler, William; Jones, Yomei; Silburn, Sven; Zubrick, Stephen R.

2012-01-01

This article describes challenges met implementing an early intervention programme for Aboriginal parents and their children in the NT (Northern Territory) of Australia in the context of efforts to remediate Aboriginal disadvantage. The intervention is an adaptation of an 8- to 10-week, manualised parenting programme designed for four- to…

Interactive Distance e-Learning for Isolated Communities: The Policy Footprint

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crump, Stephen; Twyford, Kylie; Littler, Margaret

2008-01-01

This paper provides information on the policy strand of an investigation into the Australian Research Council Linkage research project into "interactive distance e-learning" [IDeL] following the introduction in New South Wales and in the Northern Territory of Australia of satellite-supported two-way broad-band internet services for…

Fires Down Under

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

This true-color image was taken over northern Australia on October 2, 2000, by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA's Terra spacecraft. There are roughly a dozen wildfires visible in the scene, which spans from Western Australia , across the Northern Territory, and into Queensland. In this image, clouds appear bright white and smoke plume appear darker and greyish. The pixels containing the wildfires are colored red (hot) and yellow (hotter). There are quite a few large burn scars from previous wildfires, which appear as black splotches across the landscape. The large bay along northern shore is the Gulf of Carpentaria (visible in the full size image), which is roughly 400 miles (about 640 km) wide. Image by Brian Montgomery and Robert Simmon; Data courtesy MODIS Science Team, NASA GSFC

Virulence and Evolution of West Nile Virus, Australia, 1960-2012.

PubMed

Prow, Natalie A; Edmonds, Judith H; Williams, David T; Setoh, Yin X; Bielefeldt-Ohmann, Helle; Suen, Willy W; Hobson-Peters, Jody; van den Hurk, Andrew F; Pyke, Alyssa T; Hall-Mendelin, Sonja; Northill, Judith A; Johansen, Cheryl A; Warrilow, David; Wang, Jianning; Kirkland, Peter D; Doggett, Stephen; Andrade, Christy C; Brault, Aaron C; Khromykh, Alexander A; Hall, Roy A

2016-08-01

Worldwide, West Nile virus (WNV) causes encephalitis in humans, horses, and birds. The Kunjin strain of WNV (WNVKUN) is endemic to northern Australia, but infections are usually asymptomatic. In 2011, an unprecedented outbreak of equine encephalitis occurred in southeastern Australia; most of the ≈900 reported cases were attributed to a newly emerged WNVKUN strain. To investigate the origins of this virus, we performed genetic analysis and in vitro and in vivo studies of 13 WNVKUN isolates collected from different regions of Australia during 1960-2012. Although no disease was recorded for 1984, 2000, or 2012, isolates collected during those years (from Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales, respectively) exhibited levels of virulence in mice similar to that of the 2011 outbreak strain. Thus, virulent strains of WNVKUN have circulated in Australia for >30 years, and the first extensive outbreak of equine disease in Australia probably resulted from a combination of specific ecologic and epidemiologic conditions.

Geoscience Australia Continuous Global Positioning System (CGPS) Station Field Campaign Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ruddick, R.; Twilley, B.

2016-03-01

This station formed part of the Australian Regional GPS Network (ARGN) and South Pacific Regional GPS Network (SPRGN), which is a network of continuous GPS stations operating within Australia and its Territories (including Antarctica) and the Pacific. These networks support a number of different science applications including maintenance of the Geospatial Reference Frame, both national and international, continental and tectonic plate motions, sea level rise, and global warming.

Irrigator responses to groundwater resource management in northern Victoria, southeastern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gill, Bruce C.; Webb, John; Wilkinson, Roger; Cherry, Don

2014-10-01

In northern Victoria, farmers are the biggest users of groundwater and therefore the main stakeholders in plans that seek to sustainably manage the resource. Interviews with 30 irrigation farmers in two study areas, analysed using qualitative social research methods, showed that the overwhelming majority of groundwater users agreed with the need for groundwater management and thought that the current plans had achieved sustainable resource use. The farmers also expressed a strong need for clear technical explanations for management decisions, in particular easily understood water level data. The social licence to implement the management plans arose through effective consultation with the community during plan development. Several additional factors combined to gain acceptance for the plans: good data on groundwater usage and aquifer levels is available; irrigation farmers had been exposed to usage restrictions since the late 1990s; an ‘adaptive’ management approach is in use which allowed refinements to be readily incorporated and fortuitously, plan development coincided with the 1998-2009 drought, when declines in groundwater levels reinforced the usefulness of the plans. The imposition of a nation-wide water use reduction plan in 2012 had relatively little impact in Victoria because of the early implementation of effective groundwater management plans. However, economic difficulties that reduce groundwater users’ capacity to pay groundwater management charges mean that the future of the plans in Victoria is not assured. Nevertheless, the high level of trust that exists between Victorian irrigation farmers and the management agencies suggests that the continued use of a consultative approach will continue to produce workable outcomes. Lessons from the Victorian experience may be difficult to apply in other areas of groundwater use in Australia and overseas, where there may be a quite different history of development and culture of groundwater management.

The Education of Students with Emotional and Behavior Disabilities in Australia: Current Trends and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cumming, Therese M.

2012-01-01

A discussion about the current state of special education, more specifically the field of emotional and behavior disabilities (EBD), in Australia cannot take place without first providing an overview of the Australian education system. Education comes under the jurisdiction of state and territory responsibility. The federal government coordinates…

Patient satisfaction with musculoskeletal physiotherapy care in Australia: an international comparison

PubMed Central

Hush, Julia M; Yung, Vivian; Mackey, Martin; Adams, Roger; Wand, Benedict M; Nelson, Roger; Beattie, Paul

2012-01-01

Objectives: (1) To attain a quantitative estimate of patient satisfaction with physiotherapy care for musculoskeletal conditions in Australia; (2) to compare the observed level of patient satisfaction with care in Australia with those from other countries; and (3) to compare factors contributing to patient satisfaction between Australia and the United States (US). Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 274 patients presenting for physiotherapy treatment of a musculoskeletal disorder in Australian clinics. Patient satisfaction was measured using the 20-item MedRisk Instrument for Measuring Patient Satisfaction with Physical Therapy Care (MRPS) and satisfaction scores were compared with those from Northern Europe, North America, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. To investigate factors contributing to patient satisfaction between Australia and the US, we compared 20-item MRPS data from Australian and Spanish-speaking US cohorts. Results: Mean Australian MRPS satisfaction score was 4.55 (95% confidence interval: 4.51–4.59) on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 indicates high dissatisfaction and 5 indicates high satisfaction. This high level of patient satisfaction is consistent with international data. Australian respondents specifically valued interpersonal aspects of care, including advice and information about their condition and an explanation about self-management. The correlation between treatment outcomes and global patient satisfaction was low (r = −0.22). A comparison of data collected from Australia and the US showed that MRPS items regarding interpersonal aspects of care, such as the therapists’ communication skills, correlated strongly with global satisfaction in both countries. However, there were other questionnaire items for which the correlation with global satisfaction was significantly different between Australia and the US. Conclusions: Patient satisfaction with musculoskeletal physiotherapy care in Australia is high and comparable with

Interactive Distance e-Learning for Isolated Communities: Starting and Finishing the Jigsaw

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crump, Stephen; Boylan, Colin

2008-01-01

This paper provides information on the background to the two pilot investigations into "interactive distance e-learning" [IDeL] following the introduction in New South Wales and in the Northern Territory of Australia of satellite-supported two-way broad-band internet services for school-age and adult distance education. The context is…

Primary Distance Education Population: Problems and Prospects. Research Series No. 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Peter; Tomlinson, Derrick

Extensive fieldwork and a questionnaire were used to study the population served by primary distance education (k-6), the perceived needs of home tutors, and the adequacy of support services provided by distance primary schools in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. The fieldwork phase found two major types…

A Prospective Study of Melioidosis After Environmental Exposure of Healthy Participants to Burkholderia pseudomallei During a Muddy Endurance Challenge

PubMed Central

Grivas, Rebecca; Barklay, Sarah; Ruane, Amber; Mayo, Mark; Theobald, Vanessa; Freeman, Kevin; Norton, Robert; Baird, Robert W.; Currie, Bart J.

2015-01-01

In a prospective study of 123 healthy adults competing in a mud-exposing endurance challenge in the melioidosis-endemic tropical north of the Northern Territory of Australia, there were no asymptomatic seroconversions to Burkholderia pseudomallei using indirect hemagglutination assay. However, one competitor developed melioidosis attributable to infection acquired during the event. PMID:25624406

Doing State Policy at Preschool: An Autoethnographic Tale of Universal Access to ECEC in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millei, Zsuzsa; Gobby, Brad; Gallagher, Jannelle

2017-01-01

In 2009, the Australian states and territories signed an agreement to provide 15 hours per week of universal access to quality early education to all children in Australia in the year before they enter school. Taking on board the international evidence about the importance of early education, the Commonwealth government made a considerable…

The Current Status of Mapping in the World - Spotlight on Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trinder, J.

2014-04-01

Prior to 1950, there was very limited mapping in Australia covering only strategic areas. After World War II, the Federal Government funded the small scale mapping of the whole country. This involved the development of the Australian National Spheroid in 1966, the Australian Geodetic Datum in 1966 and 1984 (AGD66 and AGD84) which were replaced by the Australian Geocentric Datum in 1994 (GDA94). The mapping of the country was completed in 1987 with 100 % of the country mapped at 1:100,000 and 1:250,000 although about half of the 1:100,000 are unpublished products. The Federal Government through Geoscience Australia continues to provide digital data, such as the GEODATA 250K (now series 3). Mapping at larger scales is undertaken by the states and territories, including cadastral mapping. This paper will demonstrate the extent of mapping in Australia as part of the current UN global survey of mapping.

Cost-Effectiveness of a National Initiative to Improve Hand Hygiene Compliance Using the Outcome of Healthcare Associated Staphylococcus aureus Bacteraemia

PubMed Central

Graves, Nicholas; Page, Katie; Martin, Elizabeth; Brain, David; Hall, Lisa; Campbell, Megan; Fulop, Naomi; Jimmeison, Nerina; White, Katherine; Paterson, David; Barnett, Adrian G.

2016-01-01

Background The objective is to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of the Australian National Hand Hygiene Inititiave implemented between 2009 and 2012 using healthcare associated Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia as the outcome. Baseline comparators are the eight existing state and territory hand hygiene programmes. The setting is the Australian public healthcare system and 1,294,656 admissions from the 50 largest Australian hospitals are included. Methods The design is a cost-effectiveness modelling study using a before and after quasi-experimental design. The primary outcome is cost per life year saved from reduced cases of healthcare associated Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia, with cost estimated by the annual on-going maintenance costs less the costs saved from fewer infections. Data were harvested from existing sources or were collected prospectively and the time horizon for the model was 12 months, 2011–2012. Findings No useable pre-implementation Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia data were made available from the 11 study hospitals in Victoria or the single hospital in Northern Territory leaving 38 hospitals among six states and territories available for cost-effectiveness analyses. Total annual costs increased by $2,851,475 for a return of 96 years of life giving an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $29,700 per life year gained. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis revealed a 100% chance the initiative was cost effective in the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland, with ICERs of $1,030 and $8,988 respectively. There was an 81% chance it was cost effective in New South Wales with an ICER of $33,353, a 26% chance for South Australia with an ICER of $64,729 and a 1% chance for Tasmania and Western Australia. The 12 hospitals in Victoria and the Northern Territory incur annual on-going maintenance costs of $1.51M; no information was available to describe cost savings or health benefits. Conclusions The Australian National Hand

Design of a Monitoring Program for Northern Spotted Owls

Treesearch

Jonathan Bart; Douglas S. Robson

1995-01-01

This paper discusses methods for estimating population trends of Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) based on point counts. Although the monitoring program will have five distinct components, attention here is restricted to one of these: roadside surveys of territorial birds. Analyses of Breeding Bird Survey data and computer...

Local sea surface temperatures add to extreme precipitation in northeast Australia during La Niña

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Jason P.; Boyer-Souchet, Irène

2012-05-01

This study examines the role played by high sea surface temperatures around northern Australia, in producing the extreme precipitation which occurred during the strong La Niña in December 2010. These extreme rains produced floods that impacted almost 1,300,000 km2, caused billions of dollars in damage, led to the evacuation of thousands of people and resulted in 35 deaths. Through the use of regional climate model simulations the contribution of the observed high sea surface temperatures to the rainfall is quantified. Results indicate that the large-scale atmospheric circulation changes associated with the La Niña event, while associated with above average rainfall in northeast Australia, were insufficient to produce the extreme rainfall and subsequent flooding observed. The presence of high sea surface temperatures around northern Australia added ˜25% of the rainfall total.

Waves of Knowing: Polymorphism and Co-Substantive Essences in Yolngu Sea Cosmology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magowan, Fiona

2001-01-01

The Yolngu people of Australia's Northern Territory trace their lineage through places in the land and water. Movements of currents represent movements of clans over time. Patterns of sound and design are associated with particular groups and with body parts. These essences are conveyed in ritual songs that are crucial ways of knowing oneself and…

Progress report on geologic studies of the Ranger orebodies, Northern Territory, Australia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nash, J.T.; Frishman, David

1982-01-01

The Ranger No. 1 and No. 3 orebodies contain about 124,000 tonnes U3O8 in highly chloritized metasediments of the lower Proterozoic Cahill Formation within about 500 m of the projected sub-Kombolgie Formation unconformity. In both orebodies, oxidized and reduced uranium minerals occur chiefly in quartzose schists that have highly variable amounts of muscovite, sericite, and chlorite. The effects of several periods of alteration are pervasive in the vicinity of orebodies where biotite and garnet are altered to chlorite, and feldspars to white mica or chlorite. Oxidized uranium minerals, associated with earthy iron oxides, occur from the surface to a depth of about 60 m. Below the oxidized zone, uranium occurs chiefly as uraninite and pitchblende disseminated through thick sections of quartz-chlorite-muscovite schist and has no apparent association with graphite or sulfides. In fact, graphite is rare and sulfides are generally low in abundance (<0.5 percent). Higher ore grades occur in disrupted zones a few centimeters thick and in some quartz-chlorite vein-like zones of uncertain origin. Uranium correlates strongly with chlorite, but not all of the many ages of chlorite have associated uranium. At least five textural varieties of chlorite are present and represent at least 3 ages. Preliminary microprobe analyses suggest that Mg-Fe-Al contents are relatively uniform. Apatite commonly occurs with chlorite. Uranium is not common in carbonate rocks and seems to occur only in disrupted zones that have chlorite alteration. Chloritization and silicification are more widespread and intense in the No. 1 orebody than in the No. 3. In both orebodies, hematite occurs tens to hundreds of meters below the weathered zone, in both altered and largely unaltered rocks, with and without uranium. The structure of the orebodies is outwardly simple, particularly in No. 3; dips are less than 40? on most lithologic contacts. The No. 1 orebody is in a basin-like structure about 400 m wide that probably formed in part by progressive removal of carbonate rocks that are as much as 200 m thick adjacent to the No. 1 orebody and below the No. 3 orebody. Quartz-chlorite breccias have formed in the zone of carbonate thinning; uranium is spotty and low grade in these breccias. Chloritized and uraniferous broken and sheared zones, a few centimeters to a few meters thick, have an unknown attitude but must have small displacement. Blocks of altered Kombolgie sandstone are downfaulted into the No. 3 orebody and locally contain reduced uranium minerals. One or more shear zones 5-30 m thick of crushed and smeared fine to coarse rock fragments occur below the orebodies, and other low-angle shears probably occur in the orebodies. The shear zone dips about 40 o and displacement on it is not known. The footwall rocks generally are less retrograded than those in the hanging wall (orebody) and consist of quartz-biotite-feldspar schists and gneisses flanking the Nanambu Complex. A few scattered fractures in the footwall sequence contain pitchblende of unknown age and origin. Major element chemical analyses confirm the lithologic observations of large changes in composition during multiple stages of alteration. Granitic dikes and pelitic schists have gained Fe and Mg and lost Si, Ca, Na, and K during chloritization. Marbles have gained Si, Al, Fe, and P, and lost Mg, Ca, and K during jasperoid-chlorite alteration. Total net chemical gains and losses in the Ranger No. 1 orebody were huge: equal to about 37 percent of the mass of the ore-bearing rock that will be mined. There were net gains in Si and P and net losses in Al, Fe, Mg, Ca, K, and Na. The geologic age(s) of uranium emplacement are obscure because there are few age criteria. Reduced uranium minerals are younger than 1.8-b.y.-old granite dikes, and some occur locally in 1.65-b.y.-old Kombolgie Formation. Diabase dikes (age not known) are thoroughly chloritized and contain sparse ore minerals. Oxidized ura

PROGRESS REPORT ON GEOLOGIC STUDIES OF THE RANGER OREBODIES, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nash, J. Thomas; Frishman, David; ,

1985-01-01

The Ranger No. 1 and No. 3 orebodies contain about 124,000 tonnes U//3O//8 in highly chloritized metasediments of the lower Proterozoic Cahill Formation within about 500 m of the projected sub-Kombolgie Formation unconformity. In both orebodies, oxidized and reduced uranium minerals occur chiefly in quartzose schists that have highly variable amounts of muscovite, sericite, and chlorite. The effects of several periods of alteration are pervasive in the vicinity of orebodies where biotite and garnet are altered to chlorite, and feldspars to white mica or chlorite. Oxidized uranium minerals, associated with earthy iron oxides, occur from the surface to a depth of about 60 m. Below the oxidized zone, uranium occurs chiefly as uraninite and pitchblende disseminated through thick sections of quartz-chlorite-muscovite schist and has no apparent association with graphite or sulphides. The geologic age(s) of uranium emplacement are obscure because there are few age criteria. Reduced uranium minerals are younger than 1. 8-b. y. -old granite dykes, and some occur locally in 1. 65-b. y. -old Kombolgie Formation.

Simulating the evolution of glyphosate resistance in grains farming in northern Australia.

PubMed

Thornby, David F; Walker, Steve R

2009-09-01

The evolution of resistance to herbicides is a substantial problem in contemporary agriculture. Solutions to this problem generally consist of the use of practices to control the resistant population once it evolves, and/or to institute preventative measures before populations become resistant. Herbicide resistance evolves in populations over years or decades, so predicting the effectiveness of preventative strategies in particular relies on computational modelling approaches. While models of herbicide resistance already exist, none deals with the complex regional variability in the northern Australian sub-tropical grains farming region. For this reason, a new computer model was developed. The model consists of an age- and stage-structured population model of weeds, with an existing crop model used to simulate plant growth and competition, and extensions to the crop model added to simulate seed bank ecology and population genetics factors. Using awnless barnyard grass (Echinochloa colona) as a test case, the model was used to investigate the likely rate of evolution under conditions expected to produce high selection pressure. Simulating continuous summer fallows with glyphosate used as the only means of weed control resulted in predicted resistant weed populations after approx. 15 years. Validation of the model against the paddock history for the first real-world glyphosate-resistant awnless barnyard grass population shows that the model predicted resistance evolution to within a few years of the real situation. This validation work shows that empirical validation of herbicide resistance models is problematic. However, the model simulates the complexities of sub-tropical grains farming in Australia well, and can be used to investigate, generate and improve glyphosate resistance prevention strategies.

Simulating the evolution of glyphosate resistance in grains farming in northern Australia

PubMed Central

Thornby, David F.; Walker, Steve R.

2009-01-01

Background and Aims The evolution of resistance to herbicides is a substantial problem in contemporary agriculture. Solutions to this problem generally consist of the use of practices to control the resistant population once it evolves, and/or to institute preventative measures before populations become resistant. Herbicide resistance evolves in populations over years or decades, so predicting the effectiveness of preventative strategies in particular relies on computational modelling approaches. While models of herbicide resistance already exist, none deals with the complex regional variability in the northern Australian sub-tropical grains farming region. For this reason, a new computer model was developed. Methods The model consists of an age- and stage-structured population model of weeds, with an existing crop model used to simulate plant growth and competition, and extensions to the crop model added to simulate seed bank ecology and population genetics factors. Using awnless barnyard grass (Echinochloa colona) as a test case, the model was used to investigate the likely rate of evolution under conditions expected to produce high selection pressure. Key Results Simulating continuous summer fallows with glyphosate used as the only means of weed control resulted in predicted resistant weed populations after approx. 15 years. Validation of the model against the paddock history for the first real-world glyphosate-resistant awnless barnyard grass population shows that the model predicted resistance evolution to within a few years of the real situation. Conclusions This validation work shows that empirical validation of herbicide resistance models is problematic. However, the model simulates the complexities of sub-tropical grains farming in Australia well, and can be used to investigate, generate and improve glyphosate resistance prevention strategies. PMID:19567415

Nest reuse by Northern Spotted Owls on the east slope of the Cascade Range, Washington

Treesearch

Stan G. Sovern; Margaret Taylor; Eric D. Forsman

2011-01-01

During a long-term demography study of Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) in the eastern Cascade Range of Washington State in 1989 to 2008, we documented 276 nests of Northern Spotted Owls at 73 different territories. Of these nests, 90.2% were on platforms, mostly in clumps of deformed limbs caused by dwarf mistletoe (primarily...

Developing a Model for the Measurement of Social Inclusion and Social Capital in Regional Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Lou

2006-01-01

This paper reviews the literature on social inclusion and social capital to develop a framework to guide the selection of items and measures for the forthcoming SA Department of Human Services Survey of Social Inclusion to be held in the region of Northern Adelaide in South Australia. Northern Adelaide is a region with areas of high socio-economic…

Integrated water resource assessment for the Adelaide region, South Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox, James W.; Akeroyd, Michele; Oliver, Danielle P.

2016-10-01

South Australia is the driest state in the driest inhabited country in the world, Australia. Consequently, water is one of South Australia's highest priorities. Focus on water research and sources of water in the state became more critical during the Millenium drought that occurred between 1997 and 2011. In response to increased concern about water sources the South Australian government established The Goyder Institute for Water Research - a partnership between the South Australian State Government, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Flinders University, University of Adelaide and University of South Australia. The Goyder Institute undertakes cutting-edge science to inform the development of innovative integrated water management strategies to ensure South Australia's ongoing water security and enhance the South Australian Government's capacity to develop and deliver science-based policy solutions in water management. This paper focuses on the integrated water resource assessment of the northern Adelaide region, including the key research investments in water and climate, and how this information is being utilised by decision makers in the region.

Sustainable Living on the Tiwi Islands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burne, Cris; McKaige, Barbie

2016-01-01

This article reports on how the people of the Tiwi Islands (which lie in the Arafura Sea located off the coast of Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory) have carefully observed the rhythms and patterns of their country, developing a complex and precise way of living sustainably in their island environment. In 2015, the Tiwi people shared their…

Aerosols and their influence on radiation partitioning and savanna productivity in northern Australia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kanniah, K. D.; Beringer, J.; Tapper, N. J.

2010-05-01

We investigated the effect of aerosols and clouds on the Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP) of savannas in northern Australia using aerosol optical depth, clouds and radiation data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site in Darwin and carbon flux data measured from eddy covariance techniques from a site at Howard Springs, 35km southeast of Darwin. Generally we found that the concentration of aerosols in this region was relatively low than observed at other sites, therefore the proportion of diffuse radiation reaching the earths surface was only ~ 30%. As a result, we observed only a modest change in carbon uptakemore » under aerosol laden skies and there was no significant difference for dry season Radiation Use Efficiency (RUE) between clear sky, aerosols or thin clouds. On the other hand thick clouds in the wet season produce much more diffuse radiation than aerosols or thin clouds and therefore the initial canopy quantum efficiency was seen to increase 45 and 2.5 times more than under thin clouds and aerosols respectively. The normalized carbon uptake under thick clouds is 57% and 50% higher than under aerosols and thin clouds respectively even though the total irradiance received under thick clouds was reduced 59% and 50% than under aerosols and thin clouds respectively. However, reduction in total irradiance decreases the mean absolute carbon uptake as much as 22% under heavy cloud cover compared to thin clouds or aerosols. Thus, any increase in aerosol concentration or cloud cover that can enhance the diffuse component may have large impacts on productivity in this region.« less

The historical and palaeoflood record of Katherine river, northern Australia: evaluating the likelihood of extreme discharge events in the context of the 1998 flood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandercock, Peter; Wyrwoll, Karl-Heinz

2005-12-01

The discharge regimes of the large rivers of northern Australia are characterized by the occurrence of extreme flood events with far-reaching environmental and societal impacts. In January 1998 the largest flood ever recorded on the Katherine River, northern Australia, resulted in widespread inundation and resultant damage to the town of Katherine. The occurrence of the flood emphasized the unreliability of the then available flood probability estimates and prompted a palaeoflood approach to estimate the recurrence interval of the event. The location of Katherine is ideal for such a study, as the town is located immediately downstream from Katherine Gorge, which provides the necessary bedrock-confined channel required for such an approach. In addition, previous work in Katherine Gorge had demonstrated that the gorge sections hold suitable deposits for palaeoflood stage reconstruction. The results of the present study show that at least two flow events with discharges similar to the 1998 flood have occurred within the last 600 years, and that high-magnitude floods are a general feature of the discharge record of the Katherine River over the last c. 2000 years. Furthermore, because the study was undertaken within a few months of the occurrence of the 1998 flood, it provided the opportunity to evaluate the previously obtained flood discharge estimates and draw attention to the general uncertainties associated with palaeoflood studies. Our results emphasize that palaeoflood stage estimates based on slackwater deposits need to be treated as conservative estimates only. More specifically, with respect to the 1998 event, our study demonstrates that the controls of flood peak were more complex than simply flood routing through the gorge sections. It is clear that the areas downstream from Katherine Gorge made an important contribution to the flood peak of the 1998 event. Copyright

Microdiversity of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto in Australia.

PubMed

Alvarez Rojas, C A; Ebi, D; Gauci, C G; Scheerlinck, J P; Wassermann, M; Jenkins, D J; Lightowlers, M W; Romig, T

2016-07-01

Echinococcus granulosus (sensu lato) is now recognized as an assemblage of cryptic species, which differ considerably in morphology, development, host specificity (including infectivity/pathogenicity for humans) and other aspects. One of these species, E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.), is now clearly identified as the principal agent causing cystic echinococcosis in humans. Previous studies of a small section of the cox1 and nadh1 genes identified two variants of E. granulosus s.s. to be present in Australia; however, no further work has been carried out to characterize the microdiversity of the parasite in its territory. We have analysed the sequence of the full length of the cox1 gene (1609 bp) from 37 isolates of E. granulosus from different hosts and geographic regions of Australia. The analysis shows that seven haplotypes of E. granulosus s.s. not previously described were found, together with five haplotypes known to be present in other parts of the world, including the haplotype EG01 which is widespread and present in all endemic regions. These data extend knowledge related to the geographical spread and host range of E. granulosus s.s. in a country such as Australia in which the parasite established around 200 years ago.

Flood resilience urban territories. Flood resilience urban territories.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beraud, Hélène; Barroca, Bruno; Hubert, Gilles

2010-05-01

The flood's impact during the last twenty years on French territory reveals our lack of preparation towards large-extended floods which might cause the stopping of companies' activity, services, or lead to housing unavailability during several months. New Orleans' case has to exemplify us: four years after the disaster, the city still couldn't get back its dynamism. In France, more than 300 towns are flood-exposed. While these towns are the mainspring of territory's development, it is likely that the majority of them couldn't get up quickly after a large-extended flood. Therefore, to understand and improve the urban territory's resilience facing floods is a real stake for territory's development. Urban technical networks supply, unify and irrigate all urban territories' constituents. Characterizing their flood resilience can be interesting to understand better urban resilience. In this context, waste management during and after floods is completely crucial. During a flood, the waste management network can become dysfunctional (roads cut, waste storage installations or waste treatment flooded). How can the mayor respect his obligation to guarantee salubrity and security in his city? In post flood the question is even more problematic. The waste management network presents a real stake for territory's restart. After a flood, building materials, lopped-of branches, furniture, business stocks, farm stocks, mud, rubbles, animal cadavers are wet, mixed, even polluted by hydrocarbons or toxic substances. The waste's volume can be significant. Sanitary and environmental risks can be crucial. In view of this situation, waste's management in post crisis period raises a real problem. What to make of this waste? How to collect it? Where to stock it? How to process it? Who is responsible? Answering these questions is all the more strategic since this waste is the mark of disaster. Thus, cleaning will be the first population's and local actor's reflex in order to forget the

Secular trends in the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity across Australian states: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Ho, Ngoc-Thuy-Vi Sophia; Olds, Tim; Schranz, Natasha; Maher, Carol

2017-05-01

To describe secular trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Australian children in each state and territory. Systematic search and numerical meta-analysis. A systematic search was conducted to identify all sources that objectively measured the height and weight of Australian children (aged 2-18 years) and had a sample size of at least 300. Raw and summary data were requested from authors and divided into age×sex×state×yearly slices to derive estimates of the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Following a double arcsine transformation to facilitate meta-analysis, all estimates were standardised for age, stratified by sex and analysed using sample-weighted non-linear regressions. The systematic search identified 73 eligible sources (47 raw and 26 summary datasets), with 72.8% of data sourced from Victoria and South Australia. Prevalence trends varied from state to state, with three states or territories showing a marked plateau, two showing a decline in the more recent years and three showing continued linear increases. Tasmania and Northern Territory generally had the highest prevalence (30.2% and 24.3% overweight and obesity respectively), and the Australian Capital Territory had the lowest (12.4% overweight and obesity). Prevalence, as well as prevalence trends, varied amongst Australian states and territories. At a national level, the prevalence trend has nearly plateaued for the past 15 years. However, upward prevalence trends appear to be persisting in Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. Findings highlight the need for ongoing efforts to address the issue of childhood obesity. Copyright © 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From rum jungle to Wismut-reducing the environmental impact of uranium mining and milling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zuk, W.M.; Jeffree, R.A.; Levins, D.M.

1994-12-31

Australia has a long history of uranium mining. In the early days, little attention was given to environmental matters and considerable pollution occurred. Ansto has been involved in rehabilitation of a number of the early uranium mining sites, from Rum Jungle in Australia`s Northern Territory to Wismut in Germany, and is working with current producers to minimise the environmental impact of their operations. Ansto`s expertise is extensive and includes, inter alia, amelioration of acid mine drainage, radon measurement and control, treatment of mill wastes, management of tailings, monitoring of seepage plumes, mathematical modelling of pollutant transport and biological impacts inmore » a tropical environment.« less

Abortion rights down under.

PubMed

Kirkby, M

1994-08-01

State and federal governments in Australia fear actively trying to ensure access to abortion. No federal abortion law in Australia exists. Abortion is a state matter. The federal government's health care system does reimburse women for abortion services, however. State laws prohibit unlawful abortions but they do not define what they mean by unlawful abortion. Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland have had common law interpretations of their Crimes Acts, which allow greater access to abortion. Tasmania and Western Australia have not had common law interpretations. Thus, even though abortion is available, women and providers are not secure. Abortion reform in South Australia and the Northern Territory has made access to abortion more difficult. A woman must be a resident in South Australia for 2 months before she can obtain an abortion. Abortions are allowed only in a clinic or a hospital. Women in metropolitan Melbourne and Sydney have good access to abortion services, while those in the country or in an isolated part of NSW or Victoria may have an antiabortion physician serving their area. Women in Queensland, Tasmania, and Western Australia pay a lot for an abortion because they also have to pay for airfare to a large city. Only a gynecologist can perform abortions in the Northern Territory. Social workers often coerce Aboriginal women into an abortion. The few antiabortion physicians have a big impact on whether women receive abortion information or not. Research at Adelaide and Flinders Universities show that abortion-related trauma is linked to obtaining information and access to abortion services. Physicians are nervous about performing abortions because abortion is still in the Crimes Acts and Criminal Codes, making it difficult to recruit high quality and empathetic practitioners. Antiabortion groups are small and tend not to adopt extreme tactics. The Abortion Rights Network of Australia has recently been formed.

Evaluation of bacille Calmette-Guérin immunisation programs in Australia.

PubMed

Khandaker, Gulam; Beard, Frank H; Dey, Aditi; Coulter, Chris; Hendry, Alexandra J; Macartney, Kristine K

2017-03-31

bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunisation programs in Australia are funded and operated by the individual states and territories. In recent years BCG vaccine shortages have required use of unregistered products. We aimed to evaluate BCG immunisation programs in Australia, with particular reference to program implementation and national consistency.
 Methods: Between September and November 2015, 12 key stakeholders, representing Australian states and territories, completed surveys. We analysed BCG vaccination coverage data from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR), and data on adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) with BCG vaccine from the Therapeutic Goods Administration's Adverse Drug Reactions System, for 2001 to 2014.
 Results: Access to BCG vaccination varies between jurisdictions, with some states providing this only in major city locations. Analysis of ACIR data suggests significant differences in vaccine delivery between jurisdictions, but varying levels of under-reporting to the ACIR were also acknowledged. The rate of BCG AEFI appeared to increase between 2011 and 2014; however, these data need to be interpreted with caution due to small numbers, likely under-reporting of both numerator (AEFI) and denominator (vaccine doses administered), and the general increase in reporting of AEFI related to other vaccines in children over this period.
 Conclusions: BCG immunisation programs aim to prevent severe forms of tuberculosis in young children who live in or travel to high burden settings. A range of factors, particularly inconsistent vaccine supply are leading to low, variable and inequitable vaccine delivery across Australian jurisdictions. Improved BCG vaccination uptake and AEFI data quality are required for accurate monitoring of program delivery and vaccine safety - this is particularly important given the current need to use unregistered vaccines. Improved and consistent access to BCG vaccine is suggested to optimise

A history of adolescent school based vaccination in Australia.

PubMed

Ward, Kirsten; Quinn, Helen; Menzies, Robert; McIntyre, Peter

2013-06-30

As adolescents have become an increasingly prominent target group for vaccination, school-based vaccination has emerged as an efficient and effective method of delivering nationally recommended vaccines to this often hard to reach group. School-based delivery of vaccines has occurred in Australia for over 80 years and has demonstrated advantages over primary care delivery for this part of the population. In the last decade school-based vaccination programs have become routine practice across all Australian states and territories. Using existing records and the recollection of experts we have compiled a history of school-based vaccination in Australia, primarily focusing on adolescents. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Attorney General's Department, Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600 or posted at http://www.ag.gov.au/cca.

Universal post-arrival screening for child refugees in Australia: isn't it time?

PubMed

Patradoon-Ho, Patrick S; Ambler, Rosemary W

2012-02-01

It is known that the refugee population in Australia is at risk of tuberculosis (TB) and children with TB infection can develop active disease with devastating consequence. Currently, in New South Wales (NSW) and possibly other Australian States and Territories, there are different and complex health-screening pathways for newly arrived refugees. This is compounded by various factors, such as social and language difficulties for refugees to access healthcare and limited pre-embarkation screening. In this Viewpoint article, we present a child refugee in Australia with TB and use this case to reason why a universal post-arrival health screening programme should be established. © 2010 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2010 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Age and size effects on seed productivity of northern black spruce

Treesearch

J. N. Viglas; C. D. Brown; J. F. Johnstone

2013-01-01

Slow-growing conifers of the northern boreal forest may require several decades to reach reproductive maturity, making them vulnerable to increases in disturbance frequency. Here, we examine the relationship between stand age and seed productivity of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.) in Yukon Territory and Alaska....

Opportunistic screening to detect atrial fibrillation in Aboriginal adults in Australia

PubMed Central

Flaskas, Yvonne; O'Brien, Ciaran; Jeffries, Thomas Lee; McCowen, Debbie; Finlayson, Heather; Martin, Tanya; Neubeck, Lis; Freedman, Ben

2016-01-01

Introduction There is a 10-year gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. The leading cause of death for Aboriginal Australians is cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction and stroke. Although atrial fibrillation (AF) is a known precursor to stroke there are no published studies about the prevalence of AF for Aboriginal people and limited evidence about AF in indigenous populations globally. Methods and analysis This mixed methods study will recruit and train Aboriginal health workers to use an iECG device attached to a smartphone to consecutively screen 1500 Aboriginal people aged 45 years and older. The study will quantify the proportion of people who presented for follow-up assessment and/or treatment following a non-normal screening and then estimate the prevalence and age distribution of AF of the Australian Aboriginal population. The study includes semistructured interviews with the Aboriginal health workers about the effectiveness of the iECG device in their practice as well as their perceptions of the acceptability of the device for their patients. Thematic analysis will be undertaken on the qualitative data collected in the study. If the device and approach are acceptable to the Aboriginal people and widely adopted, it may help prevent the effects of untreated AF including ischaemic stroke and early deaths or impairment in Aboriginal people. Ethics and dissemination This mixed methods study received ethics approval from the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (1135/15) and the Australian Health Council of Western Australia (HREC706). Ethics approval is being sought in the Northern Territory. The findings of this study will be shared with Aboriginal communities, in peer reviewed publications and at conferences. There are Aboriginal investigators in each state/territory where the study is being conducted who have been actively involved in the study. They will also be involved in data analysis

Plectorhinchus caeruleonothus, a new species of sweetlips (Perciformes:
Haemulidae) from northern Australia and the resurrection of P. unicolor (Macleay, 1883), species previously confused with P. schotaf (Forsskål, 1775).

PubMed

Johnson, Jeffrey W; Wilmer, Jessica Worthington

2015-07-14

Two distinct haemulid fishes from Australia and the Indo-Australian Archipelago respectively have long been confused with Plectorhinchus schotaf (Forsskål, 1775). Plectorhinchus caeruleonothus sp. nov. is described from 17 specimens collected off western and far northern Australia, between the Monte Bello Islands, Western Australia and Torres Strait, Queensland. It has also been confirmed outside this range by photographs taken at Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia, and at Claremont Isles and Lizard Island, Queensland. The new species is unique among the genus in having a combination of dorsal-fin rays XII, 18-20, lateral-line scales 56-61, gill rakers 7-9 on the upper limb and 18-20 on the lower limb of the first arch, nostrils minute, and fresh colouration in adults including body uniformly grey, cheek, opercles and posterior margin of the opercular membrane uniformly blue-grey, and rim of orbit and upper edge of maxilla dusky yellow. In contrast to its closest congeners, the juveniles have a distinctive pattern of narrow creamish-white to pale grey stripes on a dark grey to chocolate brown background on the head and body, and oblique dark stripes progressing with growth to spots on the caudal fin. Plectorhinchus unicolor (Macleay, 1883) from Japan to northern Australia is resurrected from the synonomy of P. schotaf and redescribed on the basis of the holotype and 24 non-type specimens. Plectorhinchus unicolor is most similar to P. schotaf, but can be distinguished by fresh colouration, modal dorsal and pectoral-fin ray counts and DNA barcoding. Plectorhinchus schotaf appears to be restricted to the region from southeast Africa to the Arabian Sea, including the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Plectorhinchus griseus (Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1830) from Indian and Sri Lankan Seas has previously been treated as a junior synonym of P. schotaf, but in accordance with Smith (1962), is here confirmed as a valid species, readily distinguished from the

Boyfriends, Babies and Basketball: Present Lives and Future Aspirations of Young Women in a Remote Australian Aboriginal Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senior, Kate A.; Chenhall, Richard D.

2012-01-01

This paper explores the aspirations of a group of young women in a remote Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory of Australia. It examines how their hopes and expectations are influenced by the reality of their everyday lives and the extent to which they are able to influence the course of their lives and become agents for change in their…

Seasonal prevailing surface winds in Northern Serbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tošić, Ivana; Gavrilov, Milivoj B.; Marković, Slobodan B.; Ruman, Albert; Putniković, Suzana

2018-02-01

Seasonal prevailing surface winds are analyzed in the territory of Northern Serbia, using observational data from 12 meteorological stations over several decades. In accordance with the general definition of prevailing wind, two special definitions of this term are used. The seasonal wind roses in 16 directions at each station are analyzed. This study shows that the prevailing winds in Northern Serbia have northwestern and southeastern directions. Circulation weather types over Serbia are presented in order to determine the connections between the synoptic circulations and prevailing surface winds. Three controlling pressure centers, i.e., the Mediterranean cyclone, Siberian high, and the Azores anticyclone, appear as the most important large-scale factors that influence the creation of the prevailing winds over Northern Serbia. Beside the synoptic cause of the prevailing winds, it is noted that the orography of the eastern Balkans has a major influence on the winds from the second quadrant. It was found that the frequencies of circulation weather types are in agreement with those of the prevailing winds over Northern Serbia.

China's territorial planning problems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheng Lu

1983-09-01

This article examines China's territorial planning problems. The task of developing and managing national territory means effectively linking manpower resources and natural resources, and accurately coordinating the relationship between man and the natural world. The goals are to examine the state of the national territory, to adapt general methods to local situations in developing soil, water, climatic, biological, mineral, and marine resources, and to develop and allocate productivity in an equitable way. Topics considered include economic zoning as a foundation for national territorial planning, and national territorial plans as a basis for national economic long-range planning. Economic zoning (which ismore » zoning of the entire economy, and which differs from zoning for farming, forestry, and water conservancy) is based on China's natural resources and population distribution, the existing economic foundation for industrial and agricultural production, the condition of communications and transportation, existing major economic centers, and historically formed economic relationships, with the provinces constituting a unit (for convenience in providing direction and making plans). Economic zoning highlights a region's characteristics, points the way toward its economic development, and also provides a scientific basis for territorial planning.« less

Selecting "saviour siblings": reconsidering the regulation in Australia of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis in conjunction with tissue typing.

PubMed

Taylor-Sands, Michelle

2007-05-01

In recent years, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has been developed to enable the selection of a tissue type matched "saviour sibling" for a sick child. This article examines the current regulatory framework governing PGD in Australia. The availability of PGD in Australia to create a saviour sibling depends on the regulation of ART services by each State and Territory. The limitations on the use of PGD vary throughout Australia, according to the level of regulation of ART in each jurisdiction. This article considers the limitations on the use of PGD for tissue typing in Australia and argues that some of these should be removed for a more consistent national approach. In particular, the focus in ART legislation on the "paramount interests" of the child to be born is inappropriate for the application of tissue typing, which necessarily involves the interests of other family members.

Gene technology regulation in Australia: a decade of a federal implementation of a statutory legal code in a context of constituent states taking divergent positions.

PubMed

Tribe, David

2012-01-01

Gene technology is regulated in Australia by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR), a federal government agency with responsibility for managing health and environmental risks of GM organisms under the Gene Technology Act 2000. The OGTR liaises with other national agencies, governments of States and Territories of Australia and local councils. Current national risk management regulation is the result of three decades of experience with oversight of gene technology. A major operational feature of Australian regulation is reliance on Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) located within the regulated institutions. In 2009-2010 the OGTR managed 45 licenses relating to GM crop field trials, and inspected crop trials that included canola, wheat, barley, banana, sugarcane, cotton, Indian mustard and grapevines. States and Territories of Australia make decisions on market related (non-safety) issues, and adopt different political stances with respect to commercialization of GM crops. Some Australian states support environmental release of licensed GM crops (e.g., Queensland), others ban them (Tasmania), while some have re-positioned themselves, after initially opposing commercialization, to currently allowing regulated commercial use (Victoria, Western Australia). Flexibility exhibited by the Australian regulatory system is facilitated by separation of political decision-making in the Gene Technology Ministerial Council away from the OGTR.

The Library's role and challenges in implementing an e-learning strategy: a case study from northern Australia.

PubMed

Ritchie, Ann

2011-03-01

  The Northern Territory Department of Health and Families' (DHF) Library supports education programs for all staff. DHF is implementing an e-learning strategy, which may be viewed as a vehicle for coordinating the education function throughout the organisation.   The objective of this study is to explore the concept of e-learning in relation to the Library's role in implementing an organisation-wide e-learning strategy.   The main findings of a literature search about the effectiveness of e-learning in health professionals' education, and the responsibility and roles of health librarians in e-learning are described. A case study approach is used to outline the current role and future opportunities and challenges for the Library.   The case study presents the organisation's strategic planning context. Four areas of operational activity which build on the Library's current educational activities are suggested: the integration of library resources 'learning objects' within a Learning Management System; developing online health information literacy training programs; establishing a physical and virtual 'e-Learning Library/Centre'; developing collaborative partnerships, taking on new responsibilities in e-learning development, and creating a new e-learning librarian role.   The study shows that the Library's role is fundamental to developing the organisation's e-learning capacity and implementing an organisation-wide e-learning strategy. © 2010 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2010 Health Libraries Group.

Demographic response of northern spotted owls to barred owl removal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Diller, V. Lowell; Hamm, Keith A; Early, Desiree A; Lamphear, David W; Dugger, Katie M.; Yackulic, Charles B.; Schwarz, Carl J.; Carlson, Peter C.; McDonald, Trent L.

2016-01-01

Federally listed as threatened in 1990 primarily because of habitat loss, the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) has continued to decline despite conservation efforts resulting in forested habitat being reserved throughout its range. Recently, there is growing evidence the congeneric invasive barred owl (Strix varia) may be responsible for the continued decline primarily by excluding spotted owls from their preferred habitat. We used a long-term demographic study for spotted owls in coastal northern California as the basis for a pilot barred owl removal experiment. Our demography study used capture–recapture, reproductive output, and territory occupancy data collected from 1990 to 2013 to evaluate trends in vital rates and populations. We used a classic before-after-control-impact (BACI) experimental design to investigate the demographic response of northern spotted owls to the lethal removal of barred owls. According to the best 2-species dynamic occupancy model, there was no evidence of differences in barred or northern spotted owl occupancy prior to the initiation of the treatment (barred owl removal). After treatment, barred owl occupancy was lower in the treated relative to the untreated areas and spotted owl occupancy was higher relative to the untreated areas. Barred owl removal decreased spotted owl territory extinction rates but did not affect territory colonization rates. As a result, spotted owl occupancy increased in the treated area and continued to decline in the untreated areas. Prior to and after barred owl removal, there was no evidence that average fecundity differed on the 2 study areas. However, the greater number of occupied spotted owl sites on the treated areas resulted in greater productivity in the treated areas based on empirical counts of fledged young. Prior to removal, survival was declining at a rate of approximately 0.2% per year for treated and untreated areas. Following treatment, estimated survival was 0.859 for

Cadmium, copper, iron, and zinc concentrations in kidneys of grey wolves, Canis lupus, from Alaska, Idaho, Montana (USA) and the Northwest Territories (Canada).

PubMed

Hoffmann, S R; Blunck, S A; Petersen, K N; Jones, E M; Koval, J C; Misek, R; Frick, J A; Cluff, H D; Sime, C A; McNay, M; Beckman, K B; Atkinson, M W; Drew, M; Collinge, M D; Bangs, E E; Harper, R G

2010-11-01

Cadmium, copper, iron, and zinc levels were measured in the kidneys of 115 grey wolves (Canis lupus) from Idaho, Montana and Alaska (United States), and from the Northwest Territories (Canada). No significant differences in the levels of iron or copper were observed between locations, but wolf kidneys from more northern locations had significantly higher cadmium levels (Alaska > Northwest Territories > Montana ≈ Idaho), and wolves from Alaska showed significantly higher zinc than other locations. Additionally, female wolves in Alaska had higher iron levels than males, and adult wolves in Montana had higher copper levels than subadults.

Rainfall and irrigation controls on groundwater rise and salinity risk in the Ord River Irrigation Area, northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Anthony J.

2008-09-01

Groundwater beneath the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) in northern Australia has risen in elevation by 10-20 m during the past 40 years with attendant concerns about water logging and soil salinization. Persistent groundwater accession has been attributed to excessive irrigation and surface water leakage; however, analysis of daily water-table records from the past 10 years yielded a contrary result. On a seasonal basis, water-table elevation typically fell during irrigation (dry) seasons and rose during fallow (wet) seasons, conflicting with the conventional view that irrigation and not rainfall must be the dominant control on groundwater accession. Previous investigations of unexpectedly large infiltration losses through the cracking clay soils provide a plausible explanation for the apparent conundrum. Because rainfall is uncontrolled and occurs independently of the soil moisture condition, there is greater opportunity for incipient ponding and rapid infiltration through preferred flow pathways. In contrast, irrigation is scheduled when needed and applications are stopped after soil wetting is achieved. Contemporary groundwater management in the ORIA is focused on improving irrigation efficiency during dry seasons but additional opportunities may exist to improve groundwater conditions and salinity risk through giving equal attention to the wet-season water balance.

Natural outbreak of Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) infection in wild giant Queensland grouper, Epinephelus lanceolatus (Bloch), and other wild fish in northern Queensland, Australia.

PubMed

Bowater, R O; Forbes-Faulkner, J; Anderson, I G; Condon, K; Robinson, B; Kong, F; Gilbert, G L; Reynolds, A; Hyland, S; McPherson, G; Brien, J O'; Blyde, D

2012-03-01

Ninety-three giant Queensland grouper, Epinephelus lanceolatus (Bloch), were found dead in Queensland, Australia, from 2007 to 2011. Most dead fish occurred in northern Queensland, with a peak of mortalities in Cairns in June 2008. In 2009, sick wild fish including giant sea catfish, Arius thalassinus (Rüppell), and javelin grunter, Pomadasys kaakan (Cuvier), also occurred in Cairns. In 2009 and 2010, two disease epizootics involving wild stingrays occurred at Sea World marine aquarium. Necropsy, histopathology, bacteriology and PCR determined that the cause of deaths of 12 giant Queensland grouper, three wild fish, six estuary rays, Dasyatis fluviorum (Ogilby), one mangrove whipray, Himantura granulata (Macleay), and one eastern shovelnose ray, Aptychotrema rostrata (Shaw), was Streptococcus agalactiae septicaemia. Biochemical testing of 34 S. agalactiae isolates from giant Queensland grouper, wild fish and stingrays showed all had identical biochemical profiles. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of isolates confirmed all isolates were S. agalactiae; genotyping of selected S. agalactiae isolates showed the isolates from giant Queensland grouper were serotype Ib, whereas isolates from wild fish and stingrays closely resembled serotype II. This is the first report of S. agalactiae from wild giant Queensland grouper and other wild tropical fish and stingray species in Queensland, Australia. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and State of Queensland.

Prostate cancer incidence in Australia correlates inversely with solar radiation.

PubMed

Loke, Tim W; Seyfi, Doruk; Sevfi, Doruk; Khadra, Mohamed

2011-11-01

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Increased sun exposure and blood levels of vitamin D have been postulated to be protective against prostate cancer. This is controversial. We investigated the relationship between prostate cancer incidence and solar radiation in non-urban Australia, and found a lower incidence in regions receiving more sunlight. In landmark ecological studies, prostate cancer mortality rates have been shown to be inversely related to ultraviolet radiation exposure. Investigators have hypothesised that ultraviolet radiation acts by increasing production of vitamin D, which inhibits prostate cancer cells in vitro. However, analyses of serum levels of vitamin D in men with prostate cancer have failed to support this hypothesis. This study has found an inverse correlation between solar radiation and prostate cancer incidence in Australia. Our population (previously unstudied) represents the third group to exhibit this correlation. Significantly, the demographics and climate of Australia differ markedly from those of previous studies conducted on men in the United Kingdom and the United States. • To ascertain if prostate cancer incidence rates correlate with solar radiation among non-urban populations of men in Australia. • Local government areas from each state and territory were selected using explicit criteria. Urban areas were excluded from analysis. • For each local government area, prostate cancer incidence rates and averaged long-term solar radiation were obtained. • The strength of the association between prostate cancer incidence and solar radiation was determined. • Among 70 local government areas of Australia, age-standardized prostate cancer incidence rates for the period 1998-2007 correlated inversely with daily solar radiation averaged over the last two decades. •  There exists an association between less solar radiation and higher prostate cancer incidence in Australia. © 2011 THE AUTHORS. BJU

78 FR 79388 - Western Pacific Pelagic Fisheries; Catch and Effort Limits for the U.S. Participating Territories

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-30

...NMFS announces that the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council proposes to amend the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region. If approved, Amendment 7 would establish a management framework and process for specifying fishing catch and effort limits and accountability measures for pelagic fisheries in the U.S. Pacific territories (American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). The framework would authorize the government of each territory to allocate a portion of its specified catch or effort limit to a U.S. fishing vessel or vessels through a specified fishing agreement, and establish criteria, which a specified fishing agreement must satisfy. The framework also includes measures to ensure accountability for adhering to fishing catch and effort limits.

Couch potatoes do better: Delayed dispersal and territory size affect the duration of territory occupancy in a monogamous mammal.

PubMed

Mayer, Martin; Zedrosser, Andreas; Rosell, Frank

2017-06-01

In territorial, socially monogamous species, the establishment and defense of a territory are an important strategy to maximize individual fitness, but the factors responsible for the duration of territory occupancy are rarely studied, especially in long-lived mammals. A long-term monitoring program in southeast Norway spanning over 18 years allowed us to follow the individual life histories of Eurasian beavers ( Castor fiber ) from adolescence in their natal family group to dispersal and territory establishment until the end of territory occupancy. We investigated whether territory size, resource availability, population density, and dispersal age could explain the duration of territory occupancy, which ranged from 1 to 11 years. The duration of territory occupancy was positively related to dispersal age, suggesting that individuals that delayed dispersal had a competitive advantage due to a larger body mass. This is in support with the maturation hypothesis, which states that an animal should await its physical and behavioral maturation before the acquisition of a territory. Further, we found that individuals that established in medium-sized territories occupied them longer as compared to individuals in small or large territories. This suggests that large territories are more costly to defend due to an increased patrolling effort, and small territories might not have sufficient resources. The lifetime reproductive success ranged from zero to six kits and generally increased with an increasing duration of territory occupancy. Our findings show the importance of holding a territory and demonstrate that dispersal decisions and territory selection have important consequences for the fitness of an individual.

Beyond the Barcoo--probable human tropical cyanobacterial poisoning in outback Australia.

PubMed

Hayman, J

To determine the cause of a disease known variously as "Barcoo fever, Barcoo spews, Barcoo sickness", or simply "the Barcoo", once prevalent in outback northern and central Australia. Comparison of the recorded symptoms with those of known infectious diseases and gastrointestinal illness; consideration of the epidemiology, including times and places of occurrence and the population affected. The disease had features of a toxic rather than an infectious illness and had the characteristics of poisoning by toxic cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). In particular the symptoms were similar to those shown to be due to the hepatotoxin of the tropical cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (Woloszynska). Poisoning by cyanobacterial toxins was once widespread in outback northern Australia and toxic cyanobacteria must still be present in many areas. Although not reported and probably not diagnosed as such, the disease still occurs in mild form. Widespread illness does not occur but individuals still experience symptoms similar to those described a century ago. Precautions are necessary to prevent algal contamination or proliferation in domestic or communal water supplies.

Prevalence of koala retrovirus in geographically diverse populations in Australia.

PubMed

Simmons, G S; Young, P R; Hanger, J J; Jones, K; Clarke, D; McKee, J J; Meers, J

2012-10-01

To determine the prevalence of koala retrovirus (KoRV) in selected koala populations and to estimate proviral copy number in a subset of koalas. Blood or tissue samples from 708 koalas in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia were tested for KoRV pol provirus gene using standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR), nested PCR and real-time PCR (qPCR). Prevalence of KoRV provirus-positive koalas was 100% in four regions of Queensland and New South Wales, 72.2% in mainland Victoria, 26.6% on four Victorian islands and 14.8% on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Estimated proviral copy number per cell in four groups of koalas from Queensland and Victoria showed marked variation, ranging from a mean of 165 copies per cell in the Queensland group to 1.29 × 10(-4) copies per cell in one group of Victorian koalas. The higher prevalence of KoRV-positive koalas in the north of Australia and high proviral loads in Queensland koalas may indicate KoRV entered and became endogenous in the north and is spreading southwards. It is also possible there are genetic differences between koalas in northern and southern Australia that affect susceptibility to KoRV infection or endogenisation, or that environmental factors affecting transmission in northern states are absent or uncommon in southern regions. Although further studies are required, the finding of proviral copy numbers orders of magnitude lower than what would be expected for the presence of a single copy in every cell for many Victorian animals suggests that KoRV is not endogenous in these animals and likely reflects ongoing exogenous infection. © 2012 The Authors. Australian Veterinary Journal © 2012 Australian Veterinary Association.

Fire regimes and vegetation change in tropical northern Australia during the late-Holocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackenzie, Lydia; Moss, Patrick; Ulm, Sean; Sloss, Craig; Heijnis, Henk; Jacobsen, Geraldine

2016-04-01

This study explores the impact of human occupation and abandonment on fire regimes and vegetation communities in the South Wellesley Islands, Gulf of Carpentaria, tropical northern Australia, using charcoal and pollen analysis from four sediment records. Pollen analysis from wetland sediments reveal vegetation succession from mangrove communities to hypersaline mudflats and open woodlands occurred during the late-Holocene. Aquatic species replaced salt tolerant species as the prograding shoreline and dune development formed the Marralda wetlands by 800 cal a BP on the south east coast of Bentinck Island. Wetlands developed on the north and west coast by 500 and 450 cal a BP, respectively. The timing of wetland initiation indicates localised late-Holocene sea level regression, stabilisation and coastal plain development in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Wetland initiation encouraged permanent human occupation of the South Wellesley archipelago, with ongoing archaeological research finding permanent occupation in the last 1500 years, followed by a significant increase in sites from 700 years ago, which peaks over the last 300 years. Macro-charcoal (>125μm) accumulation rates provide a record of fire intensity and frequency across the Island. Both local and regional fire events increase in the last 700 years as traditional owners occupied the Island, with local fires occurring every 104 and 74 years on average (N= 4 and 5 respectively). In the 1950's traditional Indigenous Kaiadilt fire management practices ceased, with the frequency and peak magnitude of fire events significantly increasing and vegetation communities becoming more open. The South Wellesley Islands were unoccupied until the 1980's and were not influenced by European occupation. This study of an Island ecosystem during the late-Holocene provides insight into the effect of human presence and fire regimes on vegetation composition and distribution in a fire resilient environment.

Proposing a health promotion framework to address gambling problems in Australian Indigenous communities.

PubMed

Fogarty, Marisa; Coalter, Nicola; Gordon, Ashley; Breen, Helen

2018-02-01

Gambling impacts affect Australian Indigenous families and communities in diverse and complex ways. Indigenous people throughout Australia engage in a broad range of regulated and unregulated gambling activities. Challenges in this area include the complexities that come with delivering services and programmes between the most remote regions, to highly populated towns and cities of Australia. There is little knowledge transfer between states and territories in Australia and no conceptual understanding or analysis of what constitutes 'best practice' in gambling service delivery for Indigenous people, families and communities. This article reviews health promotion approaches used in Australia, with a particular focus on Indigenous and gambling-based initiatives. Contributing to this review is an examination of health promotion strategies used in Indigenous gambling service delivery in the Northern Territory, New South Wales and Western Australia, demonstrating diversity and innovation in approaches. The article concludes by emphasizing the potential value of adopting health promotion strategies to underpin programme and service delivery for addressing gambling problems in Australian Indigenous communities. However, success is contingent on robust, evidence-based programme design, implementation and evaluation that adhere to health promotion principles. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Notification: Oversight of Guam, American Samoa and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Support Grants

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Project #OA-FY14-0035, March 11, 2014. The EPA OIG plans to begin preliminary research on the EPA's assistance agreements with the South Pacific Territories of Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

The case of national health promotion policy in Australia: where to now?

PubMed

Smith, James A; Crawford, Gemma; Signal, Louise

2016-04-01

Issue addressed Over the last three decades there has been an incremental investment in health promotion and prevention across Australia; yet, the Commonwealth Government and some state/territory governments have more recently instigated funding cuts in health promotion and prevention. This paper argues that the role of health promotion is critical in contemporary Australia and discusses strategies needed to move forward within the context of recent disinvestments. Discussion Key areas of concern relating to recent health promotion and prevention disinvestment in Australia include the abolishment of the Australian National Preventive Health Agency, the cessation of the National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health and significant cuts to Indigenous programs. These changes pose a significant threat to the health, economic and social well being of Australians and the region, particularly those that are most vulnerable. Conclusions Future health promotion and prevention efforts will require strategic leadership and action to enhance the promotion of health equity in Australia over the coming decades. We call on governments to (re)invest in health promotion and prevention both in and outside the health sector so that health promotion professionals can continue their advocacy efforts aimed at articulating their professional place in improving population health. So what? Recent changes to national health promotion and prevention policy are detrimental to the health and well being of the Australian population, particularly those most vulnerable. Sound planning to revitalise and refocus health promotion action in Australia is urgently required.

Surveillance of Space in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newsam, G.

operating in stations at Yarragadee, Western Australia and Mt Stromlo, Australian Capital Territory. Recently, however, Australia has also agreed to host a node of AFRL's Extended HANDS telescope network in Learmonth, Western Australia, and discussions are underway with researchers in Australian academia about also participating in this research program. In the RF regime, however, DSTO has substantial HF and microwave radar programs, elements of which could be readily adapted to surveillance of space. Proposals have already been developed internally within both programs for various forms of space surveillance systems including both broad area surveillance and imaging along with some very initial technology concept demonstrator systems. Recently proposals have also been floated to substantially increase Australia's civilian space surveillance programs including the Ionospheric Prediction Service's longstanding program to monitor the ionosphere and space weather, meteor radars and other systems. Finally Australia's bid to host the international Square Kilometre Array radio telescope has already generated concrete commitments to establish several very substantial RF arrays in Western Australia that may also provide instruments of unprecedented sensitivity and resolution for surveillance of space. The paper will survey these technology development programs and associated progress on integrating them into some sort of national program for space situational awareness.

Diets and foraging behavior of northern spotted owls in Oregon.

Treesearch

Eric D. Forsman; Robert G. Anthony; E. Charles Meslow; Cynthia J. Zabel

2004-01-01

We describe local, regional, and annual variation in diets of northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidaatalis caurina) in Oregon based on 24497 prey collected at 1118 owl territories in 1970-2003. The sample included 91.5% mammals, 4.3% birds, 4.1% insects, and 0.1% other prey. The diet included 2131 species, including 49 mammals, 41 birds, 3 reptiles, 1...

What are the effects of arms control on Norway and northern waters. Research report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Furnes, R.H.

1990-04-01

Norway occupies a strategic position between the two superpowers. Her close proximity to the Soviet Union and the military bases on the Kola Peninsula make her territory attractive to both NATO and the Soviet Union. Buildups of the Soviet North Fleet and the naval base on Kola and the United States naval strategy of forward deployment, have increased the activity and the importance of northern waters. This increased importance of northern waters could challenge the Norwegian security policy. Arms reduction could make Norwegian territory relatively more important for the Soviet Union to defend her interests on Kola and in northernmore » waters and for the United States to project a threat to the Soviet interests in the area. (1) A reduction of strategic nuclear missile forces will focus on survivability. Northern waters offers excellent protection to Soviet submarines. A relative shift to SLBM could be the result of reducing the strategic nuclear missile forces. (2) The INF does not comprise sea launched intermediate nuclear missiles. Hence the elimination of land-based intermediate nuclear forces could cause a shift to sea launched nuclear missiles. START negotiations and the INF treaty could relatively increase the number of sea based strategic and intermediate nuclear forces which would relatively increase the activity and the importance of northern waters. Thus, Norway and her security policy would be affected.« less

Individual Quality Explains Variation in Reproductive Success Better than Territory Quality in a Long-Lived Territorial Raptor

PubMed Central

Zabala, Jabi; Zuberogoitia, Iñigo

2014-01-01

Evolution by natural selection depends on the relationship between individual traits and fitness. Variation in individual fitness can result from habitat (territory) quality and individual variation. Individual quality and specialization can have a deep impact on fitness, yet in most studies on territorial species the quality of territory and individuals are confused. We aimed to determine if variation in breeding success is better explained by territories, individual quality or a combination of both. We analysed the number of fledglings and the breeding quality index (the difference between the number of fledglings of an individual/breeding pair and the average number of fledglings of the monitored territories in the same year) as part of a long term (16 years) peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) monitoring program with identification of individuals. Using individual and territory identities as correlates of quality, we built Generalised Linear Models with Mixed effects, in which random factors depicted different hypotheses for sources of variation (territory/individual quality) in the reproductive success of unique breeding pairs, males and females, and assessed their performance. Most evidence supported the hypothesis that variation in breeding success is explained by individual identity, particularly male identity, rather than territory. There is also some evidence for inter year variations in the breeding success of females and a territory effect in the case of males. We argue that, in territorial species, individual quality is a major source of variation in breeding success, often masked by territory. Future ecological and conservation studies on habitat use should consider and include the effect of individuals, in order to avoid misleading results. PMID:24599280

Species composition and biomasses of fishes in tropical seagrasses at Groote Eylandt, northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blaber, S. J. M.; Brewer, D. T.; Salini, J. P.; Kerr, J. D.; Conacher, C.

1992-12-01

The species composition and biomasses of fishes in the tropical seagrasses of Groote Eylandt, northern Australia, were studied in 1989 and 1990. A total of 156 species was recorded. Tall dense seagrass, short seagrass and control (no seagrass) sites in different depths were compared. Shallow (<1 m) sites were dominated by small resident species and juveniles of non-resident species, while deeper waters (to 7 m) were dominated by larger species. Species composition was not significantly different between sites, but species diversity ( H) and evenness ( E) were higher in non-vegetated areas. In slightly deeper water (<2 m) species composition was different between habitats and species diversity was highest in tall seagrass and least in open areas. Most species were more abundant in tall seagrass and least abundant in open areas. Most of the larger fishes, including 11 species of sharks, are piscivores, and most move into shallow sea-grass areas at night, irrespective of tide height. Only five species showed abundance patterns related to tide height and there were no significant seasonal patterns of abundance in any of the communities. The biomasses for all sites and sampling methods were mostly from 1 to 2 g m -2, which is low relative to other inshore tropical areas. The possible causes—the characteristics of adjacent habitats (coral reefs and mangroves) and the role of seagrasses in the life cycle of fishes are discussed. It is suggested that habitat structure is a major determinant of the species composition of fish in tropical seagrass areas, primarily because it affects food availability, both for small residents and juveniles, and for visiting predators.

Intraplate deformation on north-dipping basement structures in the Northern Gawler Craton, Australia: reactivation of original terrane boundaries or later intra-cratonic thrusts?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baines, G.; Giles, D.; Betts, P. G.; Backé, G.

2007-12-01

Multiple intraplate orogenic events have deformed Neoproterozoic to Carboniferous sedimentary sequences that cover the Archean to Mesoproterozoic basement of the northern Gawler Craton, Australia. These intraplate orogenies reactivated north-dipping basement penetrating faults that are imaged on seismic reflection profiles. These north-dipping structures pre-date Neoproterozoic deposition but their relationships to significant linear magnetic and gravity anomalies that delineate unexposed Archean to Early Mesoproterozoic basement terranes are unclear. The north-dipping structures are either terrane boundaries that formed during continental amalgamation or later faults, which formed during a mid- to late-Mesoproterozoic transpressional orogeny and cross-cut the original lithological terrane boundaries. We model magnetic and gravity data to determine the 3D structure of the unexposed basement of the northern Gawler Craton. These models are constrained by drill hole and surface observations, seismic reflection profiles and petrophysical data, such that geologically reasonable models that can satisfy the data are limited. The basement structures revealed by this modelling approach constrain the origin and significance of the north-dipping structures that were active during the later intraplate Petermann, Delamerian and Alice Springs Orogenies. These results have bearing on which structures are likely to be active during present-day intraplate deformation in other areas, including, for example, current seismic activity along similar basement structures in the Adelaide "Geosyncline".

Diets and foraging behavior of northern Spotted Owls in Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Forsman, E.D.; Anthony, R.G.; Meslow, E.C.; Zabel, C.J.

2004-01-01

We describe local, regional, and annual variation in diets of northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) in Oregon based on 24 497 prey collected at 1118 owl territories in 1970-2003. The sample included 91.5% mammals, 4.3% birds, 4.1% insects, and 0.1% other prey. The diet included ???131 species, including 49 mammals, 41 birds, 3 reptiles, 1 frog, 1 crayfish, 1 scorpion, 2 snails, and 33 species of insects. On average, 91.9 ?? 0.3% (SE) of prey in the diet were nocturnal animals, 3.3 ?? 0.2% were diurnal, and 4.8 ?? 0.2% were active both day and night. Of the prey captured, 50.5 ?? 0.8% were arboreal, 18.7 ?? 0.7% were scansorial, 4.8 ?? 0.2% were aerial, and 26.0 = 0.7% were terrestrial. Mean mass of prey was 116.6 ?? 6.5 g. Diets varied among owl territories, geographic regions, and years; but were generally dominated by four to six species of nocturnal mammals, including northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus), woodrats (Neotoma fuscipes and N. cinerea), red tree voles (Arborimus longicaudus), western red-backed voles (Clethrionomys californicus), deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), or gophers (Thomomys spp.). Estimates of dietary evenness were low, indicating diets dominated by a few species of mammals. Forest management practices that produce healthy populations of arboreal and scansorial mammals such as flying squirrels, woodrats, and red tree voles should benefit northern Spotted Owls in Oregon and Washington. ?? 2004 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.

Seven Salmonella Typhimurium Outbreaks in Australia Linked by Trace-Back and Whole Genome Sequencing.

PubMed

Ford, Laura; Wang, Qinning; Stafford, Russell; Ressler, Kelly-Anne; Norton, Sophie; Shadbolt, Craig; Hope, Kirsty; Franklin, Neil; Krsteski, Radomir; Carswell, Adrienne; Carter, Glen P; Seemann, Torsten; Howard, Peter; Valcanis, Mary; Castillo, Cristina Fabiola Sotomayor; Bates, John; Glass, Kathryn; Williamson, Deborah A; Sintchenko, Vitali; Howden, Benjamin P; Kirk, Martyn D

2018-05-01

Salmonella Typhimurium is a common cause of foodborne illness in Australia. We report on seven outbreaks of Salmonella Typhimurium multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) 03-26-13-08-523 (European convention 2-24-12-7-0212) in three Australian states and territories investigated between November 2015 and March 2016. We identified a common egg grading facility in five of the outbreaks. While no Salmonella Typhimurium was detected at the grading facility and eggs could not be traced back to a particular farm, whole genome sequencing (WGS) of isolates from cases from all seven outbreaks indicated a common source. WGS was able to provide higher discriminatory power than MLVA and will likely link more Salmonella Typhimurium cases between states and territories in the future. National harmonization of Salmonella surveillance is important for effective implementation of WGS for Salmonella outbreak investigations.

Routine measurement of outcomes in Australia's public sector mental health services

PubMed Central

Pirkis, Jane; Burgess, Philip; Coombs, Tim; Clarke, Adam; Jones-Ellis, David; Dickson, Rosemary

2005-01-01

Objective This paper describes the Australian experience to date with a national 'roll out' of routine outcome measurement in public sector mental health services. Methods Consultations were held with 123 stakeholders representing a range of roles. Results Australia has made an impressive start to nationally implementing routine outcome measurement in mental health services, although it still has a long way to go. All States/Territories have established data collection systems, although some are more streamlined than others. Significant numbers of clinicians and managers have been trained in the use of routine outcome measures, and thought is now being given to ongoing training strategies. Outcome measurement is now occurring 'on the ground'; all States/Territories will be reporting data for 2003–04, and a number have been doing so for several years. Having said this, there is considerable variability regarding data coverage, completeness and compliance. Some States/Territories have gone to considerable lengths to 'embed' outcome measurement in day-to-day practice. To date, reporting of outcome data has largely been limited to reports profiling individual consumers and/or aggregate reports that focus on compliance and data quality issues, although a few States/Territories have begun to turn their attention to producing aggregate reports of consumers by clinician, team or service. Conclusion Routine outcome measurement is possible if it is supported by a co-ordinated, strategic approach and strong leadership, and there is commitment from clinicians and managers. The Australian experience can provide lessons for other countries. PMID:15840170

Measuring HPV vaccination coverage in Australia: comparing two alternative population-based denominators.

PubMed

Barbaro, Bianca; Brotherton, Julia M L

2015-08-01

To compare the use of two alternative population-based denominators in calculating HPV vaccine coverage in Australia by age groups, jurisdiction and remoteness areas. Data from the National HPV Vaccination Program Register (NHVPR) were analysed at Local Government Area (LGA) level, by state/territory and by the Australian Standard Geographical Classification Remoteness Structure. The proportion of females vaccinated was calculated using both the ABS ERP and Medicare enrolments as the denominator. HPV vaccine coverage estimates were slightly higher using Medicare enrolments than using the ABS estimated resident population nationally (70.8% compared with 70.4% for 12 to 17-year-old females, and 33.3% compared with 31.9% for 18 to 26-year-old females, respectively.) The greatest differences in coverage were found in the remote areas of Australia. There is minimal difference between coverage estimates made using the two denominators except in Remote and Very Remote areas where small residential populations make interpretation more difficult. Adoption of Medicare enrolments for the denominator in the ongoing program would make minimal, if any, difference to routine coverage estimates. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

Implications of Sponge Biodiversity Patterns for the Management of a Marine Reserve in Northern Australia

PubMed Central

Przeslawski, Rachel; Alvarez, Belinda; Kool, Johnathan; Bridge, Tom; Caley, M. Julian; Nichol, Scott

2015-01-01

Marine reserves are becoming progressively more important as anthropogenic impacts continue to increase, but we have little baseline information for most marine environments. In this study, we focus on the Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve (CMR) in northern Australia, particularly the carbonate banks and terraces of the Sahul Shelf and Van Diemen Rise which have been designated a Key Ecological Feature (KEF). We use a species-level inventory compiled from three marine surveys to the CMR to address several questions relevant to marine management: 1) Are carbonate banks and other raised geomorphic features associated with biodiversity hotspots? 2) Can environmental (depth, substrate hardness, slope) or biogeographic (east vs west) variables help explain local and regional differences in community structure? 3) Do sponge communities differ among individual raised geomorphic features? Approximately 750 sponge specimens were collected in the Oceanic Shoals CMR and assigned to 348 species, of which only 18% included taxonomically described species. Between eastern and western areas of the CMR, there was no difference between sponge species richness or assemblages on raised geomorphic features. Among individual raised geomorphic features, sponge assemblages were significantly different, but species richness was not. Species richness showed no linear relationships with measured environmental factors, but sponge assemblages were weakly associated with several environmental variables including mean depth and mean backscatter (east and west) and mean slope (east only). These patterns of sponge diversity are applied to support the future management and monitoring of this region, particularly noting the importance of spatial scale in biodiversity assessments and associated management strategies. PMID:26606745

Species delimitation in the Gehyra nana (Squamata: Gekkonidae) complex: cryptic and divergent morphological evolution in the Australian Monsoonal Tropics, with the description of four new species.

PubMed

Doughty, Paul; Bourke, Gayleen; Tedeschi, Leonardo G; Pratt, Renae C; Oliver, Paul M; Palmer, Russell A; Moritz, Craig

2018-04-04

Recent advances in molecular genetic techniques and increased fine scale sampling in the Australian Monsoonal Tropics (AMT) have provided new impetus to reassess species boundaries in the Gehyra nana species complex, a clade of small-bodied, saxicolous geckos which are widely distributed across northern Australia. A recent phylogenomic analysis revealed eight deeply divergent lineages that occur as a series of overlapping distributions across the AMT and which, as a whole, are paraphyletic with four previously described species. Several of these lineages currently included in G. nana are phenotypically distinct, while others are highly conservative morphologically. Here we use an integrated approach to explore species delimitation in this complex. We redefine G. nana as a widespread taxon with complex genetic structure across the Kimberley of Western Australia and Top End of the Northern Territory, including a lineage with mtDNA introgressed from the larger-bodied G. multiporosa. We describe four new species with more restricted distributions within the G. nana complex. The new species are phylogenetically divergent and morphologically diagnosable, and include the relatively cryptic G. paranana sp. nov. from the western Northern Territory, the large-bodied G. pseudopunctata sp. nov. from the southern Kimberley ranges, G. granulum sp. nov., a small-bodied form with granules on the proximal lamellae from the north-west and southern Kimberley ranges and the small-bodied G. pluraporosa sp. nov. restricted to the northern Kimberley. Our revision largely stabilises the taxonomy of the G. nana complex, although further analyses of species limits among the remaining mostly parapatric lineages of G. nana sensu stricto are warranted.

[Monitoring of health of young students of northern territories residing in conditions of ecological trouble].

PubMed

Nikiforova, V A

In recent years, in sanitary science the interest in issues of young people has dramatically increased, that has been actualized by the necessity of a new objective assessment of the role of the youth in modern sanitary-ecological, sociocultural and economic processes. In this regard, a special interest is aroused by young students, the health of whom is determined largely by the condition of the habitat. So far complex assessment ofriskfactors in urbanized areas, prioritization of impacts, the establishment ofpriority impacts, the detection of informative territorial environmentally dependent indices ofpopulation health are presented to be important tasks in the solution of the regional challenges. The aim of this work was the assessment of the state of health of students of the Bratsk State University, residing in conditions of ecological trouble. In the territory of the city of Bratsk the environmental situation is characterized by long term multi-component air pollution with highly toxic vehicular and industrial emissions. In the work throughout the 4 years following-up there was executed an assessment of the physical development of students, there was determined structure and revealed the an increased level of morbidity rate of students of Bratsk state University in terms of educational space, which is characteristic for territories of ecological trouble in the city of Bratsk. Parameters of physical development of students in dynamics of training were established to be not liable to variation. It confirms the stability of the morphological signs as compared to functional ones. In the analysis of dynamics of indices of the harmonicity ofphysical development there was revealed a gain in the proportion of harmoniously developed students by the end of training. Physiometric indices of students to the fourth course of training were characterized by the increase offunctional capabilities of the respiratory system.The indices of the cardiovascular system performance

Children in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Results of the 2000 Census. A KIDS COUNT/PRB Report on Census 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mather, Mark

Using 2000 U.S. Census data, this report compares the situation of children in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to children's situations in neighboring territories and the nation overall. Between 1990-2000, the number of children in the Northern Mariana Islands increased 49 percent, while the number increased nationwide by only 14…

The criminal act of commercial surrogacy in Australia: a call for review.

PubMed

Stuhmcke, Anita

2011-03-01

Australian surrogacy legislation punishes the pursuit of a commercial surrogacy arrangement as a criminal offence. Such legislation was first introduced in Victoria in 1986 and has since been applied in every Australian jurisdiction except for the Northern Territory. The current application of criminal law is based upon this 1980s policy which has never been subject to public debate. This article argues that the continued application of criminal penalties to commercial surrogacy requires review.

An analysis of potential barriers and enablers to regulating the television marketing of unhealthy foods to children at the state government level in Australia.

PubMed

Chung, Alexandra; Shill, Jane; Swinburn, Boyd; Mavoa, Helen; Lawrence, Mark; Loff, Bebe; Crammond, Bradley; Sacks, Gary; Allender, Steven; Peeters, Anna

2012-12-28

In Australia there have been many calls for government action to halt the effects of unhealthy food marketing on children's health, yet implementation has not occurred. The attitudes of those involved in the policy-making process towards regulatory intervention governing unhealthy food marketing are not well understood. The objective of this research was to understand the perceptions of senior representatives from Australian state and territory governments, statutory authorities and non-government organisations regarding the feasibility of state-level government regulation of television marketing of unhealthy food to children in Australia. Data from in-depth semi-structured interviews with senior representatives from state and territory government departments, statutory authorities and non-government organisations (n=22) were analysed to determine participants' views about regulation of television marketing of unhealthy food to children at the state government level. Data were analysed using content and thematic analyses. Regulation of television marketing of unhealthy food to children was supported as a strategy for obesity prevention. Barriers to implementing regulation at the state level were: the perception that regulation of television advertising is a Commonwealth, not state/territory, responsibility; the power of the food industry and; the need for clear evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of regulation. Evidence of community support for regulation was also cited as an important factor in determining feasibility. The regulation of unhealthy food marketing to children is perceived to be a feasible strategy for obesity prevention however barriers to implementation at the state level exist. Those involved in state-level policy making generally indicated a preference for Commonwealth-led regulation. This research suggests that implementation of regulation of the television marketing of unhealthy food to children should ideally occur under the direction

An analysis of potential barriers and enablers to regulating the television marketing of unhealthy foods to children at the state government level in Australia

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In Australia there have been many calls for government action to halt the effects of unhealthy food marketing on children's health, yet implementation has not occurred. The attitudes of those involved in the policy-making process towards regulatory intervention governing unhealthy food marketing are not well understood. The objective of this research was to understand the perceptions of senior representatives from Australian state and territory governments, statutory authorities and non-government organisations regarding the feasibility of state-level government regulation of television marketing of unhealthy food to children in Australia. Method Data from in-depth semi-structured interviews with senior representatives from state and territory government departments, statutory authorities and non-government organisations (n=22) were analysed to determine participants' views about regulation of television marketing of unhealthy food to children at the state government level. Data were analysed using content and thematic analyses. Results Regulation of television marketing of unhealthy food to children was supported as a strategy for obesity prevention. Barriers to implementing regulation at the state level were: the perception that regulation of television advertising is a Commonwealth, not state/territory, responsibility; the power of the food industry and; the need for clear evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of regulation. Evidence of community support for regulation was also cited as an important factor in determining feasibility. Conclusions The regulation of unhealthy food marketing to children is perceived to be a feasible strategy for obesity prevention however barriers to implementation at the state level exist. Those involved in state-level policy making generally indicated a preference for Commonwealth-led regulation. This research suggests that implementation of regulation of the television marketing of unhealthy food to children

Cosmetic surgery in Australia: a risky business?

PubMed

Parker, Rhian

2007-08-01

Cosmetic surgery is increasing in popularity in Australia and New Zealand, as it is across other Western countries. However, there is no systematic mechanism for gathering data about cosmetic surgery, nor about the outcomes of that surgery. This column argues that the business of cosmetic surgery in Australia has questionable marketing standards, is conducted with little scrutiny or accountability and offers patients imperfect knowledge about cosmetic procedures. It also argues that while medical practitioners debate among themselves over who should carry out cosmetic procedures, little attention has been paid to questionable advertising in the industry and even less to highlighting the real risks of undergoing cosmetic surgery. While consumers are led to believe that cosmetic surgery is accessible, affordable and safe, they are sheltered from the reality of invasive and risky surgery and from the ability to clearly discern that all cosmetic procedures carry risk. While doctors continue to undertake advertising and engage in a territorial war, they fail to address the really important issues in cosmetic surgery. These are: providing real evidence about what happens in the industry, developing stringent regulations under which the industry should operate and ensuring that all patients considering cosmetic surgery are fully informed as to the risks of that surgery.

Chromosome Territories

PubMed Central

Cremer, Thomas; Cremer, Marion

2010-01-01

Chromosome territories (CTs) constitute a major feature of nuclear architecture. In a brief statement, the possible contribution of nuclear architecture studies to the field of epigenomics is considered, followed by a historical account of the CT concept and the final compelling experimental evidence of a territorial organization of chromosomes in all eukaryotes studied to date. Present knowledge of nonrandom CT arrangements, of the internal CT architecture, and of structural interactions with other CTs is provided as well as the dynamics of CT arrangements during cell cycle and postmitotic terminal differentiation. The article concludes with a discussion of open questions and new experimental strategies to answer them. PMID:20300217

33 CFR 2.20 - Territorial sea baseline.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Territorial sea baseline. 2.20... JURISDICTION Jurisdictional Terms § 2.20 Territorial sea baseline. Territorial sea baseline means the line defining the shoreward extent of the territorial sea of the United States drawn according to the principles...

33 CFR 2.20 - Territorial sea baseline.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Territorial sea baseline. 2.20... JURISDICTION Jurisdictional Terms § 2.20 Territorial sea baseline. Territorial sea baseline means the line defining the shoreward extent of the territorial sea of the United States drawn according to the principles...

33 CFR 2.20 - Territorial sea baseline.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Territorial sea baseline. 2.20... JURISDICTION Jurisdictional Terms § 2.20 Territorial sea baseline. Territorial sea baseline means the line defining the shoreward extent of the territorial sea of the United States drawn according to the principles...

33 CFR 2.20 - Territorial sea baseline.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Territorial sea baseline. 2.20... JURISDICTION Jurisdictional Terms § 2.20 Territorial sea baseline. Territorial sea baseline means the line defining the shoreward extent of the territorial sea of the United States drawn according to the principles...

33 CFR 2.20 - Territorial sea baseline.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Territorial sea baseline. 2.20... JURISDICTION Jurisdictional Terms § 2.20 Territorial sea baseline. Territorial sea baseline means the line defining the shoreward extent of the territorial sea of the United States drawn according to the principles...

Assessment of Local Mosquito Species Incriminates Aedes aegypti as the Potential Vector of Zika Virus in Australia.

PubMed

Hall-Mendelin, Sonja; Pyke, Alyssa T; Moore, Peter R; Mackay, Ian M; McMahon, Jamie L; Ritchie, Scott A; Taylor, Carmel T; Moore, Frederick A J; van den Hurk, Andrew F

2016-09-01

Within the last 10 years Zika virus (ZIKV) has caused unprecedented epidemics of human disease in the nations and territories of the western Pacific and South America, and continues to escalate in both endemic and non-endemic regions. We evaluated the vector competence of Australian mosquitoes for ZIKV to assess their potential role in virus transmission. Mosquitoes were exposed to infectious blood meals containing the prototype African ZIKV strain. After 14 days incubation at 28°C and high relative humidity, infection, dissemination and transmission rates were assessed. Infection in Culex annulirostris and Cx. sitiens could not be detected. 8% of Cx. quinquefasciatus were infected, but the virus did not disseminate in this species. Despite having infection rates > 50%, Aedes notoscriptus and Ae. vigilax did not transmit ZIKV. In contrast, Ae. aegypti had infection and transmission rates of 57% and 27%, respectively. In susceptibility trials, the virus dose required to infect 50% (ID50) of Ae. aegypti was106.4 tissue culture infectious dose50 (TCID50)/mL. Additionally, a threshold viral load within the mosquito of at least 105.1 TCID50 equivalents/mL had to be reached before virus transmission occurred. We confirmed Ae. aegypti to be the most likely mosquito vector of ZIKV in Australia, although the restricted distribution of this species will limit the receptive zone to northern Queensland where this species occurs. Importantly, the role in ZIKV transmission of Culex and other Aedes spp. tested will be negligible. Despite being the implicated vector, the relatively high ID50 and need for a high titer disseminated infection in Ae. aegypti suggest that high mosquito population densities will be required to facilitate epidemic ZIKV transmission among the currently immunologically naïve human population in Australia.

Building health promotion capacity in a primary health care workforce in the Northern Territory: some lessons from practice.

PubMed

Judd, Jenni; Keleher, Helen

2013-12-01

Reorientation of the workforce in primary health care is a complex process and requires specific strategies and interventions. Primary health care providers are a key health care workforce that is expected to deliver tangible outcomes from disease prevention and health promotion strategies. This paper describes a training intervention that occurred as part of a broader participatory action research process for building health promotion capacity in the primary health care workforce. Participatory action research (PAR) was conducted over six action and reflection cycles in a two-year period (2001-02) in an urban community health setting in the Northern Territory. One of the PAR cycles was a training intervention that was identified as a need from a survey in the first action and reflection cycle. This training was facilitated by a health promotion specialist, face-to-face and comprised five 3.5-h sessions over a 5-month period. A pre-post questionnaire was used to measure the knowledge and skills components of the training intervention. The results reinforced the importance of using a participatory approach that involved the primary health care providers themselves. Multiple strategies such as workforce development within capacity building frameworks assisted in shifting work practice more upstream. Additionally, these strategies encouraged more reflective practice and built social capital within the primary health care workforce. Lessons from practice reinforce that workforce development influenced work practice change and is an important element in building the health promotion capacity of primary health care centres. SO WHAT?: Workforce development is critical for reorienting health services. Health promotion specialists play an important role in reorienting practice, which is only effective when combined with other strategies, and driven and led by the primary health care workforce.

Mercury and omega-3 fatty acid profiles in freshwater fish of the Dehcho Region, Northwest Territories: Informing risk benefit assessments.

PubMed

Laird, Matthew J; Henao, Juan J Aristizabal; Reyes, Ellen S; Stark, Ken D; Low, George; Swanson, Heidi K; Laird, Brian D

2018-10-01

Traditional foods have significant nutritional, sociocultural and economic value in subarctic First Nations communities of the Northwest Territories, and play a crucial role in promoting cultural continuity and sovereignty. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (N-3 PUFAs), including eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), carry significant benefits for neurocognitive development and cardiovascular health. However, the health risks posed by methylmercury may serve to undermine the benefits of fish consumption in Northern Indigenous communities. The objective of this study was to characterize profiles for mercury (Hg) and fatty acids in fish species harvested across lakes of the Dehcho Region, in the Mackenzie Valley of the Northwest Territories, to better understand the risks and benefits associated with traditional foods. Hg levels increased with trophic position, with the highest levels found in Burbot, Lake Trout, Walleye, and Northern Pike. Lake Trout, along with planktivorous species including Lake Whitefish, Cisco, and Sucker, demonstrated higher N-3 PUFAs than other species. Negative associations were observed between Hg and N-3 PUFAs in Lake Trout, Northern Pike, Walleye and Burbot. Further stratifying these relationships revealed significant interactions by lake. Significant differences observed in fatty acid and Hg profiles across lakes underscore the importance of considering both species- and lake-specific findings. This growing dataset of freshwater fish of the Dehcho will inform future efforts to characterize human Hg exposure profiles using probabilistic dose reconstruction models. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultraviolet resources over Northern Eurasia.

PubMed

Chubarova, Natalia; Zhdanova, Yekaterina

2013-10-05

We propose a new climatology of UV resources over Northern Eurasia, which includes the assessments of both detrimental (erythema) and positive (vitamin D synthesis) effects of ultraviolet radiation on human health. The UV resources are defined by using several classes and subclasses - UV deficiency, UV optimum, and UV excess - for 6 different skin types. To better quantifying the vitamin D irradiance threshold we accounted for an open body fraction S as a function of effective air temperature. The spatial and temporal distribution of UV resources was estimated by radiative transfer (RT) modeling (8 stream DISORT RT code) with 1×1° grid and monthly resolution. For this purpose special datasets of main input geophysical parameters (total ozone content, aerosol characteristics, surface UV albedo, UV cloud modification factor) have been created over the territory of Northern Eurasia. The new approaches were used to retrieve aerosol parameters and cloud modification factor in the UV spectral region. As a result, the UV resources were obtained for clear-sky and mean cloudy conditions for different skin types. We show that the distribution of UV deficiency, UV optimum and UV excess is regulated by various geophysical parameters (mainly, total ozone, cloudiness and open body fraction) and can significantly deviate from latitudinal dependence. We also show that the UV optimum conditions can be simultaneously observed for people with different skin types (for example, for 4-5 skin types at the same time in spring over Western Europe). These UV optimum conditions for different skin types occupy a much larger territory over Europe than that over Asia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

31 CFR 515.322 - Authorized trade territory; member of the authorized trade territory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Authorized trade territory; member of the authorized trade territory. 515.322 Section 515.322 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CUBAN ASSETS CONTROL REGULATIONS General...

31 CFR 515.322 - Authorized trade territory; member of the authorized trade territory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Authorized trade territory; member of the authorized trade territory. 515.322 Section 515.322 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CUBAN ASSETS CONTROL REGULATIONS General...

31 CFR 515.322 - Authorized trade territory; member of the authorized trade territory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Authorized trade territory; member of the authorized trade territory. 515.322 Section 515.322 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CUBAN ASSETS CONTROL REGULATIONS General...

31 CFR 515.322 - Authorized trade territory; member of the authorized trade territory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Authorized trade territory; member of the authorized trade territory. 515.322 Section 515.322 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CUBAN ASSETS CONTROL REGULATIONS General...

31 CFR 500.322 - Authorized trade territory; member of the authorized trade territory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Authorized trade territory; member of the authorized trade territory. 500.322 Section 500.322 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL REGULATIONS General...

31 CFR 515.322 - Authorized trade territory; member of the authorized trade territory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Authorized trade territory; member of the authorized trade territory. 515.322 Section 515.322 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CUBAN ASSETS CONTROL REGULATIONS General...

33 CFR 2.22 - Territorial sea.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Territorial sea. 2.22 Section 2... Jurisdictional Terms § 2.22 Territorial sea. (a) With respect to the United States, the following apply— (1) Territorial sea means the waters, 12 nautical miles wide, adjacent to the coast of the United States and...

33 CFR 2.22 - Territorial sea.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Territorial sea. 2.22 Section 2... Jurisdictional Terms § 2.22 Territorial sea. (a) With respect to the United States, the following apply— (1) Territorial sea means the waters, 12 nautical miles wide, adjacent to the coast of the United States and...

33 CFR 2.22 - Territorial sea.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Territorial sea. 2.22 Section 2... Jurisdictional Terms § 2.22 Territorial sea. (a) With respect to the United States, the following apply— (1) Territorial sea means the waters, 12 nautical miles wide, adjacent to the coast of the United States and...

33 CFR 2.22 - Territorial sea.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Territorial sea. 2.22 Section 2... Jurisdictional Terms § 2.22 Territorial sea. (a) With respect to the United States, the following apply— (1) Territorial sea means the waters, 12 nautical miles wide, adjacent to the coast of the United States and...

33 CFR 2.22 - Territorial sea.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Territorial sea. 2.22 Section 2... Jurisdictional Terms § 2.22 Territorial sea. (a) With respect to the United States, the following apply— (1) Territorial sea means the waters, 12 nautical miles wide, adjacent to the coast of the United States and...

Epidemiology of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli in Australia, 2000-2010

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are an important cause of gastroenteritis in Australia and worldwide and can also result in serious sequelae such as haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). In this paper we describe the epidemiology of STEC in Australia using the latest available data. Methods National and state notifications data, as well as data on serotypes, hospitalizations, mortality and outbreaks were examined. Results For the 11 year period 2000 to 2010, the overall annual Australian rate of all notified STEC illness was 0.4 cases per 100,000 per year. In total, there were 822 STEC infections notified in Australia over this period, with a low of 1 notification in the Australian Capital Territory (corresponding to a rate of 0.03 cases per 100,000/year) and a high of 413 notifications in South Australia (corresponding to a rate of 2.4 cases per 100,000/year), the state with the most comprehensive surveillance for STEC infection in the country. Nationally, 71.2% (504/708) of STEC infections underwent serotype testing between 2001 and 2009, and of these, 58.0% (225/388) were found to be O157 strains, with O111 (13.7%) and O26 (11.1%) strains also commonly associated with STEC infections. The notification rate for STEC O157 infections Australia wide between 2001-2009 was 0.12 cases per 100,000 per year. Over the same 9 year period there were 11 outbreaks caused by STEC, with these outbreaks generally being small in size and caused by a variety of serogroups. The overall annual rate of notified HUS in Australia between 2000 and 2010 was 0.07 cases per 100,000 per year. Both STEC infections and HUS cases showed a similar seasonal distribution, with a larger proportion of reported cases occurring in the summer months of December to February. Conclusions STEC infections in Australia have remained fairly steady over the past 11 years. Overall, the incidence and burden of disease due to STEC and HUS in Australia appears comparable or lower than

Feeding of prohibited substances (swill) to pigs in Australia.

PubMed

Schembri, N; Hernández-Jover, M; Toribio, J-A; Holyoake, P K

2010-08-01

To assess current swill feeding legislation, swill feeding investigation practices by authorities and feeding practices of pig producers who trade via saleyards in eastern Australia in order to determine levels of understanding and conformance related to current swill feeding legislation. A three-tiered approach was undertaken to gather information on the feeding of prohibited substances (swill) to pigs in Australia. Firstly, a review of swill feeding legislation was undertaken to highlight the commonalities and inconsistencies between the various state and territory legislations in defining swill. Secondly, agricultural authorities were contacted in each state to gather information on swill feeding investigations undertaken in 2006. Finally, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 106 pig producers who traded pigs at one of six saleyards in eastern Australia to ascertain their knowledge of swill feeding and to determine the feeding practices of this sector of the industry. Areas of concern identified included (1) inconsistencies in the feedstuffs classed as 'swill' among states, (2) the number of producers who had been prosecuted for swill feeding in 2006 (n = 4 of 148 inspections), (3) the low knowledge base of producers who sell pigs at saleyards regarding swill feeding, and (4) the types of feedstuffs provided to pigs marketed at saleyards. Our findings highlight the need for a consistent definition for 'swill' across Australian states and for improved awareness of swill feeding among producers, particularly those who market pigs at saleyards.

Territorial energy assessment. Phase 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1981-07-01

This document presents the findings and recommendations of the San Francisco (SAN) and Savannah River (SR) Operations Offices in evaluating the energy situation in the US Territories, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and the Department of Energy. The recommendations represent the collective judgment of the teams of energy specialists selected and headed by SAN and SR, and of the respective Territorial Energy Offices. This Phase I report is intended as an internal DOE working document submitted for the consideration of Headquarters DOE/DOI senior management.

Description of three species of Isorchis (Digenea: Atractotrematidae) from Australia.

PubMed

Andres, Michael J; Pulis, Eric E; Overstreet, Robin M

2016-09-01

Three species of Isorchis Durio and Manter, 1969 are described from Australian waters. Isorchis megas sp. nov. is described from the spotbanded scat, Selenotoca multifasciata (Richardson), off Western Australia (WA) and Northern Territory (NT); Isorchis currani sp. nov. is described from S. multifasciata off NT; and Isorchis anomalus sp. nov. is described from the milkfish, Chanos chanos Forsskål, off WA. Isorchis megas sp. nov. can be differentiated from the other species of Isorchis by possessing a single, large egg that is greater than 20% of the body length; having a shorter body (the largest specimen is less than 500 μm); and utilizing a scatophagid rather than a chanid host. Isorchis currani sp. nov. can be differentiated from species of Isorchis other than I. megas sp. nov. by utilizing a scatophagid rather than a chanid host; it is differentiated from I. megas sp. nov. in having eggs that are 11-15% of the body length. Isorchis anomalus sp. nov. can be differentiated from all other species of Isorchis in possessing an irregular shaped genital pore rather than one that is circular to oblong. A Bayesian inference analysis of partial 28S rDNA sequences of the three new species of Isorchis and 30 other haploporoids revealed 1) the monophyly of the Atractotrematidae Yamaguti, 1939, 2) the two species of Isorchis infecting S. multifasciata were each other's closest relative, and 3) that Isorchis was most closely related to Pseudomegasolena Machida and Komiya, 1976 rather than Atractotrema Goto and Ozaki, 1929 although sequence data are not yet available for a member of Pseudisorchis Ahmad, 1985.

The experience of relocation for specialist treatment for Indigenous women diagnosed with vulvar cancer in East Arnhem Land.

PubMed

McGrath, Pam; Rawson, Nicole

2013-01-01

Vulvar cancer is a serious condition that requires a range of specialist treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. In Australia, such treatments are only available in major metropolitan hospitals. Thus, women diagnosed with this condition in rural and remote areas must relocate to the metropolitan specialist centers for treatment. The focus of this article is on the experience of relocation for specialist care for Indigenous women diagnosed with vulvar cancer from East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. The findings presented in this article explore a range of issues that affect the experience of relocation such as community concerns, cultural distress, loneliness, fear, worry, and physical concerns associated with the condition.

Dynamic spatiotemporal trends of imported dengue fever in Australia

PubMed Central

Huang, Xiaodong; Yakob, Laith; Devine, Gregor; Frentiu, Francesca D.; Fu, Shiu-Yun; Hu, Wenbiao

2016-01-01

Dengue fever (DF) epidemics in Australia are caused by infected international travellers and confined to Northern Queensland where competent vectors exist. Recent analyses suggest that global trade and climate change could lead to the re-establishment of Ae. aegypti across the country and promote the spread of dengue nationally. This study aimed to describe the dynamic spatiotemporal trends of imported DF cases and their origins, identify the current and potential future high-risk regions and locate areas that might be at particular risk of dengue transmission should competent mosquito vectors expand their range. Our results showed that the geographical distribution of imported DF cases has significantly expanded in mainland Australia over the past decade. In recent years, the geographical distribution of source countries of DF has expanded from the Pacific region and Asia to include Africa and the Americas. Australia is now exposed to dengue importations from all of the regions involved in the current global pandemic. The public health implications of a range expansion of dengue mosquito vectors are severe. Enhanced mosquito surveillance in those areas that have high imported cases is called for to reduce emerging threats from this globally expanding pathogen. PMID:27460696

Rabies disease dynamics in naïve dog populations in Australia.

PubMed

Sparkes, Jessica; McLeod, Steven; Ballard, Guy; Fleming, Peter J S; Körtner, Gerhard; Brown, Wendy Y

2016-09-01

Currently, Australia is free from terrestrial rabies but an incursion from nearby Indonesia, where the virus is endemic, is a feasible threat. Here, we aimed to determine whether the response to a simulated rabies incursion would vary between three extant Australian dog populations; free-roaming domestic dogs from a remote indigenous community in northern Australia, and free-roaming domestic and wild dogs in peri-urban areas of north-east New South Wales. We further sought to predict how different management strategies impacted disease dynamics in these populations. We used simple stochastic state-transition models and dog demographic and contact rate data from the three dog populations to simulate rabies spread, and used global and local sensitivity analyses to determine effects of model parameters. To identify the most effective control options, dog removal and vaccination strategies were also simulated. Responses to simulated rabies incursions varied between the dog populations. Free-roaming domestic dogs from north-east New South Wales exhibited the lowest risk for rabies maintenance and spread. Due to low containment and high contact rates, rabies progressed rapidly through free-roaming dogs from the remote indigenous community in northern Australia. In contrast, rabies remained at relatively low levels within the north-east New South Wales wild dog population for over a year prior to an epidemic. Across all scenarios, sensitivity analyses revealed that contact rates and the probability of transmission were the most important drivers of the number of infectious individuals within a population. The number of infectious individuals was less sensitive to birth and death rates. Removal of dogs as a control strategy was not effective for any population modelled, while vaccination rates in excess of 70% of the population resulted in significant reductions in disease progression. The variability in response between these distinct dog groups to a rabies incursion

Mapping the spatial distribution of chloride deposition across Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, P. J.; Crosbie, R. S.

2018-06-01

The high solubility and conservative behaviour of chloride make it ideal for use as an environmental tracer of water and salt movement through the hydrologic cycle. For such use the spatial distribution of chloride deposition in rainfall at a suitable scale must be known. A number of authors have used point data acquired from field studies of chloride deposition around Australia to construct relationships to characterise chloride deposition as a function of distance from the coast; these relationships have allowed chloride deposition to be interpolated in different regions around Australia. In this paper we took this a step further and developed a chloride deposition map for all of Australia which includes a quantification of uncertainty. A previously developed four parameter model of chloride deposition as a function of distance from the coast for Australia was used as the basis for producing a continental scale chloride deposition map. Each of the four model parameters were made spatially variable by creating parameter surfaces that were interpolated using a pilot point regularisation approach within a parameter estimation software. The observations of chloride deposition were drawn from a literature review that identified 291 point measurements of chloride deposition over a period of 80 years spread unevenly across all Australian States and Territories. A best estimate chloride deposition map was developed from the resulting surfaces on a 0.05 degree grid. The uncertainty in the chloride deposition map was quantified as the 5th and 95th percentile of 1000 calibrated models produced via Null Space Monte Carlo analysis and the spatial variability of chloride deposition across the continent was consistent with landscape morphology. The temporal variability in chloride deposition on a decadal scale was investigated in the Murray-Darling Basin, this highlighted the need for long-term monitoring of chloride deposition if the uncertainty of the continental scale map is

Not an ancient relic: the endemic Livistona palms of arid central Australia could have been introduced by humans

PubMed Central

Kondo, Toshiaki; Crisp, Michael D.; Linde, Celeste; Bowman, David M. J. S.; Kawamura, Kensuke; Kaneko, Shingo; Isagi, Yuji

2012-01-01

Livistona mariae is an endemic palm localized in arid central Australia. This species is separated by about 1000 km from its congener L. rigida, which grows distantly in the Roper River and Nicholson–Gregory River catchments in northern Australia. Such an isolated distribution of L. mariae has been assumed to have resulted from contraction of ancestral populations as Australia aridified from the Mid-Miocene (ca 15 Ma). To test this hypothesis at the population level, we examined the genetic relationships among 14 populations of L. mariae and L. rigida using eight nuclear microsatellite loci. Our population tree and Bayesian clustering revealed that these populations comprised two genetically distinct groups that did not correspond to the current classification at species rank, and L. mariae showed closest affinity with L. rigida from Roper River. Furthermore, coalescent divergence-time estimations suggested that the disjunction between the northern populations (within L. rigida) could have originated by intermittent colonization along an ancient river that has been drowned repeatedly by marine transgression. During that time, L. mariae populations could have been established by opportunistic immigrants from Roper River about 15 000 years ago, concurrently with the settlement of indigenous Australians in central Australia, who are thus plausible vectors. Thus, our results rule out the ancient relic hypothesis for the origin of L. mariae. PMID:22398168

Cancer incidence in indigenous people in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the USA: a comparative population-based study.

PubMed

Moore, Suzanne P; Antoni, Sébastien; Colquhoun, Amy; Healy, Bonnie; Ellison-Loschmann, Lis; Potter, John D; Garvey, Gail; Bray, Freddie

2015-11-01

Indigenous people have disproportionally worse health and lower life expectancy than their non-indigenous counterparts in high-income countries. Cancer data for indigenous people are scarce and incidence has not previously been collectively reported in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the USA. We aimed to investigate and compare, for the first time, the cancer burden in indigenous populations in these countries. We derived incidence data from population-based cancer registries in three states of Australia (Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory), New Zealand, the province of Alberta in Canada, and the Contract Health Service Delivery Areas of the USA. Summary rates for First Nations and Inuit in Alberta, Canada, were provided directly by Alberta Health Services. We compared age-standardised rates by registry, sex, cancer site, and ethnicity for all incident cancer cases, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers, diagnosed between 2002 and 2006. Standardised rate ratios (SRRs) and 95% CIs were computed to compare the indigenous and non-indigenous populations of each jurisdiction, except for the Alaska Native population, which was compared with the white population from the USA. We included 24 815 cases of cancer in indigenous people and 5 685 264 in non-indigenous people from all jurisdictions, not including Alberta, Canada. The overall cancer burden in indigenous populations was substantially lower in the USA except in Alaska, similar or slightly lower in Australia and Canada, and higher in New Zealand compared with their non-indigenous counterparts. Among the most commonly occurring cancers in indigenous men were lung, prostate, and colorectal cancer. In most jurisdictions, breast cancer was the most common cancer in women followed by lung and colorectal cancer. The incidence of lung cancer was higher in indigenous men in all Australian regions, in Alberta, and in US Alaska Natives than in their non-indigenous counterparts. For breast cancer

Australia, a consumptive society.

PubMed

Rankin, James G

2017-03-01

Until the mid-20th century, consumption, as tuberculosis was then known, was a major cause of illness and death in Australia. Unfortunately, since then, other so-called consumptive diseases have emerged to supplant tuberculosis, namely, those related to the use of alcohol and tobacco, and overweight and obesity. Over the last 30 years, much progress has been made in reducing and eliminating the use of and exposure to tobacco. Per capita consumption of alcohol is at a 50-year low, having reached peak levels in the 1970s. Since the 1960s, Australians have become increasingly overweight and obese. The major objective of the liquor, food and associated industries is to optimise profits, that is, to sell as much food and alcohol as possible. The problem for Australians is that any growth in per capita consumption of alcohol and a continuation of current levels of food consumption carries ever-increasing health risks and burdens. The protection and promotion of the health of Australian citizens are major responsibilities of Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments. They have a responsibility to intervene to maintain a balance between actions that support commercial growth and development and the health and welfare of its citizens. In this context, they have largely failed. Solutions to this impasse are only possible if APSAD and other relevant organisations and individuals are active professionally and politically as leaders and advocates for evidence-based actions by both governments and commercial groups. [James G. Rankin. Australia, a consumptive society. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:270-277]. © 2016 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Flame retardants (PBDEs) in marine turtles, dugongs and seafood from Queensland, Australia.

PubMed

Hermanussen, S; Matthews, V; Päpke, O; Limpus, C J; Gaus, C

2008-01-01

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used as flame retardants in numerous products. These compounds have been found to enter the marine environment where they have the potential to bioaccumulate in biota. Limited information is currently available concerning the levels of PBDEs in Australian marine wildlife. This study presents baseline information on PBDE levels in a variety of marine species from Queensland, Australia and considers the influence of species-specific factors on contaminant levels and tissue distribution in marine turtles. Overall, the PBDE levels measured in this study are relatively low compared to marine biota from the northern hemisphere, indicating low level input into the marine system of Queensland. This is in general agreement with global estimates which suggest low PBDE usage in Australia. Previous studies, however, have found relatively high PBDE levels in Australian human milk and sera. This discrepancy in contamination trends between terrestrial and marine biota suggests that future transport of PBDEs may occur to the marine system in Australia.

From Pentecostalism to Politics: Mass Literacy and Community Development in Late Colonial Northern Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skinner, Kate

2010-01-01

This article takes as its starting point a strike among African trainee literacy workers in the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1952. While the existing literature tends to concentrate on the tensions and contradictions in British colonial education policy, this article uses the strike to investigate how these agendas were…

Thrust-controlled, gold quartz-vein mineralisation at the Tom's Gully mine, Northern Territory, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheppard, S.

1996-01-01

Metasedimentary and minor metavolcanic rocks of the Early Proterozoic Pine Creek Inlier rest unconformably on Late Archaean granitic basement. Three basin-wide, regional deformation events at ca.1885 1870 Ma are recognised: I) W- to NW-verging thrusts and recumbent folds (D2), II) upright, open to tight, doubly-plunging, NNE- to NNW-trending folds (D3), and III) open, upright, E-trending folds (D4). In the centre of the Pine Creek Inlier, post-tectonic granites (1835 1820 Ma) are spatially, temporally and probably genetically associated with mesothermal gold-quartz vein deposits. The Tom's Gully deposit consists of a shallowly S-dipping quartz reef in graphitic shale and siltstone within the thermal aureole of the post-tectonic (1831 ± 6 Ma) Mt Bundey pluton. Gold mineralisation comprises two(?) SSW-plunging sulphidic ore-shoots which are intimately associated with brecciation and recrystallisation of early barren quartz. Where early quartz is absent from the thrust, gold mineralisation is not developed, indicating that this secondary brittle fracturing was essential to sulphide and gold deposition. The ore-shoots plunge parallel to the trend of D3 fold axes. The reef is hosted by a D2 thrust fault with transport to the NW. D3 folds in the hangingwall and footwall decrease in amplitude toward the reef indicating that, during continued E-W compression, the thrust acted as a décollement zone. Field relationships and microstructural studies suggest that quartz and sulphide were deposited in a reactivated thrust during wrench shear along several NNE-trending faults associated with emplacement of the Mt Bundey pluton.

Instantaneous deformation and kinematics of the India-Australia Plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delescluse, Matthias; Chamot-Rooke, Nicolas

2007-02-01

Active intraplate deformation of the India-Australia Plate is now being captured by far-field global positioning system (GPS) measurements as well as measurements on a few islands located within the deforming zone itself. In this paper, we combine global and regional geodetic solutions with focal mechanisms of earthquakes to derive the present-day strain field of the India-Australia Plate. We first compile an updated catalogue of 131 Indian intraplate earthquakes (M > 5) spanning the period between the two Asian mega earthquakes of Assam 1897 and Sumatra 2004. Using Haines and Holt's numerical approach applied to a fully deformable India-Australia Plate, we show that the use of GPS data only or earthquakes data only has severe drawbacks, related, respectively, to the small number of stations and the incompleteness of the earthquakes catalogue. The combined solution avoids underestimation of the strain inherent to the Kostrov summation of seismic moments and provides details that cannot be reached by pure GPS modelling. We further explore the role of heterogeneity of the India-Australia Plate and find that the best model, in terms of geodetic vectors fit, relative distribution of strain, style and direction of principal strain from earthquakes, is obtained using the surface heat-flow as a proxy for rheological weakness of the oceanic lithosphere. The present-day deformation is distributed around the Afanasy Nikitin Chain in the Central Indian Basin (CIB)-where it is almost pure shortening-and within the Wharton Basin (WB) off Sumatra-where it is almost pure lateral strike-slip. The northern portion of NinetyEast ridge (NyR) appears as a major discontinuity for both strain and velocity. The new velocity field gives an India/Australia rotation pole located at 11.3°S, 72.8°E (-0.301°Myr-1) overlapping with previous solutions, with continental India moving eastward at rates ranging from 13 mm yr-1 (southern India) to 26 mm yr-1 (northern India) with respect to

Contrasting Holocene sedimentary geologies of lower Daly River, northern Australia, and lower Sepik-Ramu, Papua New Guinea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chappell, John

1993-03-01

The estuarine plain of the macrotidal Daly River, in monsoonal northern Australia, is underlain by extensive mid-Holocene mangrove swamp sediments which accumulated during the last stages of Post-glacial sea-level rise. Sediment yield from the catchment is too low to account for the volume which accumulated during sea-level rise, and onshore transport is invoked. This is supported by radiocarbon ages and facies analysis of the transgressive sediment tract beneath the maximum flooding surface (MFS), and of the tract of vertical sedimentation which extends from the MFS to the surface of estuarine/fluvial transition (the EFT). The EFT occurred about 5000 to 6000 BP throughout the estuarine plain. A contrasting situation exists in the lowland Holocene basin of the microtidal Sepik and Ramu rivers in Papua New Guinea, which derive sediment from highly tectonic catchments. A tectonic basin, which was a shallow brackish inland sea after Post-glacial transgression, is separated by a low divide from a deltaic plain. Progradation of the deltaic plain commenced about 3500 BP after regressive sedimentation eclipsed the inland sea in the tectonic basin. Contrasting organic facies, mangrove in the Daly and freshwater swamp deposits in the Sepik-Ramu, highlight differences between facies models of the two systems. Differences between fluvio-tidal regimes are reflected by the EFT, which is synchronous in the Daly and diachronous in the Sepik-Ramu, and possibly by the MFS which is diachronous in the Daly and may be synchronous in the Sepik-Ramu.

Quantification of atmospheric lead emissions from 70 years of leaded petrol consumption in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristensen, Louise Jane

2015-06-01

Lead is a persistent pollutant and the subject of many environmental studies, yet, in Australia, the extent of atmospheric lead emissions from the use of leaded petrol is unquantified. This paper details the first comprehensive account of leaded petrol sales and its lead concentrations over the 70 years of use in Australia. The resulting atmospheric lead emissions are calculated to provide the most complete understanding of the volume of lead released to the Australian continent from the consumption of leaded petrol. Atmospheric emissions of lead to the entire Australian continent from leaded petrol are calculated to total 240,510 tonnes over seven decades of use, peaking at 7869 tonnes in 1974. Total emissions for individual states and territories range from 1745 to 67,893 tonnes, with New South Wales responsible for the largest emissions. The effect of regulations on allowable concentrations of tetraethyl-lead additives are observed in the reduction of lead emissions in New South Wales and Victoria. The consequences to human health and the environment of leaded petrol consumption in Australia's populous cities are examined against historical air quality data and blood lead levels.

Perils and positives of science journalism in Australia.

PubMed

McKinnon, Merryn; Howes, Johanna; Leach, Andrew; Prokop, Natasha

2017-03-01

Scientists, science communicators and science journalists interact to deliver science news to the public. Yet the value of interactions between the groups in delivering high-quality science stories is poorly understood within Australia. A recent study in New Zealand on the perspectives of the three groups on the challenges facing science journalism is replicated here in the context of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. While all three groups perceived the quality of science journalism as generally high, the limitations of non-specialists and public relation materials were causes for concern. The results indicate that science communicators are considered to play a valuable role as facilitators of information flow to journalists and support for scientists. Future studies on the influence and implications of interactions between these three groups are required.

The effect of a smoke-free law on restaurant business in South Australia.

PubMed

Wakefield, Melanie; Siahpush, Mohammad; Scollo, Michelle; Lal, Anita; Hyland, Andrew; McCaul, Kieran; Miller, Caroline

2002-08-01

Despite evidence to the contrary from overseas research, the introduction of smoke-free legislation in South Australia (SA), which required all restaurants to go smoke-free in January 1999, sparked concerns among the hospitality industry about loss of restaurant business. This study aimed to determine whether the law had a detrimental impact on restaurant business in SA. Using time series analysis, we compared the ratio of monthly restaurant turnover from restaurants and cafés in SA to (a) total retail tumover in SA (minus restaurants) for the years 1991 to 2001 and (b) Australian restaurant tumover (minus SA, Westem Australia and the Australian Capital Territory) for the years 1991-2000. There was no decline in the ratio of (a) SA restaurant turnover to SA retail turnover or (b) SA restaurant tumover to Australian restaurant turnover. The introduction of a smoke-free law applying to restaurants in SA did not adversely affect restaurant business in SA.

Territorial energy assessment. Phase I

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1981-07-31

The goal of the project is to provide a current perspective on territorial energy problems, to identify existing energy supply and demand data, and to identify energy resources that might be developed and appropriate technology options. The cost of the technical assessment and economic analysis activities required to support the development of specific energy plans is defined and estimated. Information is summarized for the US Territories, the Pacific Trust Territories, and Puerto Rico. An overview and analysis of the the Pacific Island Entities; profiles of the Pacifc Island Entities; and the Caribbean Island Entities are presented. (MCW)

Taxonomic revision of Phascogale tapoatafa (Meyer, 1793) (Dasyuridae; Marsupialia), including descriptions of two new subspecies and confirmation of P. pirata Thomas, 1904 as a ‘Top End’ endemic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Aplin, K. P.; Rhind, S. G.; Ten Have, J.; Chesser, R. Terry

2015-01-01

The Australian Brush-tailed Phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa sensu lato) has a broad but highly fragmented distribution around the periphery of the Australian continent and all populations are under significant ongoing threat to survival. A new appraisal of morphological and molecular diversity within the group reveals that the population in the ‘Top End’ of the Northern Territory is specifically distinct from all others, including those in the Kimberley region of Western Australia to the west and on Cape York of Queensland to the east. The name P. pirata Thomas, 1904 is available for the ‘Top End’ taxon. Three geographically disjunct populations are distinguished at subspecies level within P. tapoatafa on a suite of external and cranio-dental features; these are found in southeast Australia from South Australia to mid-coastal Queensland (nominotypical tapoatafa), southwest Western Australia (wambenger subsp. nov.), and the Kimberley region of Western Australia (kimberleyensis subsp. nov.). A potential fourth subspecies occurs on Cape York but remains too poorly represented in collections for adequate characterization. Molecular divergence estimates based on partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene indicate that the range disjunction across southern Australia probably dates from the Late Pliocene, with the multiple disjunctions across northern Australia being more recent though almost certainly exceeding 400,000 years. An argument is made for the continued use of the subspecies rank in Australian mammalogy, despite a general lack of consistency in its current application.

Cord blood vitamin D and the risk of acute lower respiratory infection in Indigenous infants in the Northern Territory.

PubMed

Binks, Michael J; Smith-Vaughan, Heidi C; Marsh, Robyn; Chang, Anne B; Andrews, Ross M

2016-04-04

To assess vitamin D status in Indigenous mothers and infants in the Northern Territory, and to determine whether cord blood vitamin D levels are correlated with the risk of infant hospitalisation for acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI). Within a nested cohort of 109 Indigenous mother-infant pairs recruited between 2006 and 2011, we used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to measure vitamin D (25(OH)D3) levels in maternal blood during pregnancy (n = 33; median gestation, 32 weeks [range, 28-36 weeks]) and at birth (n = 106; median gestation, 39 weeks [range, 34-41 weeks]), in cord blood (n = 84; median gestation, 39 weeks [range, 36-41 weeks]), and in infant blood at age 7 months (n = 37; median age, 7.1 months [range, 6.6-8.1 months]). ALRI hospitalisations during the first 12 months of infancy, identified using International Classification of Diseases coding (J09-J22, A37-A37.9). Compared with mean 25(OH)D3 levels in maternal blood during pregnancy (104 nmol/L), mean levels were 23% lower in maternal blood at birth (80 nmol/L) and 48% lower in cord blood samples (54 nmol/L). The mean cord blood 25(OH)D3 concentration in seven infants subsequently hospitalised for an ALRI was 37 nmol/L (95% CI, 25-48 nmol/L), lower than the 56 nmol/L (95% CI, 51-61 nmol/L) in the 77 infants who were not hospitalised with an ALRI (P = 0.025). Cord blood 25(OH)D3 concentrations were about half those in maternal blood during the third trimester of pregnancy (about 7 weeks earlier). Most cord blood levels (80%) were classified as vitamin D insufficient (< 75 nmol/L) by existing guidelines, and were lower among infants who were subsequently hospitalised with an ALRI.

Reading, Learning and Enacting: Interpretation at Visitor Sites in the Wet Tropics Rainforest of Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNamara, Karen Elizabeth; Prideaux, Bruce

2010-01-01

The northern Wet Tropics rainforest of Australia was declared a world heritage site in 1988 and now supports an extensive tourism industry that attracts an estimated 2.5 million local and international visits annually. As part of the visitor experience, many sites include both environmental and cultural interpretation experiences, which range from…

Geographic variation in the eukaryotic virome of human diarrhea

PubMed Central

Holtz, Lori R.; Cao, Song; Zhao, Guoyan; Bauer, Irma K.; Denno, Donna M.; Klein, Eileen J.; Antonio, Martin; Stine, O. Colin; Snelling, Thomas L.; Kirkwood, Carl D.; Wang, David

2014-01-01

Little is known about the population of eukaryotic viruses in the human gut (“virome”) or the potential role it may play in disease. We used a metagenomic approach to define and compare the eukaryotic viromes in pediatric diarrhea cohorts from two locations (Melbourne and Northern Territory, Australia). We detected viruses known to cause diarrhea, non-pathogenic enteric viruses, viruses not associated with an enteric reservoir, viruses of plants, and novel viruses. Viromes from Northern Territory children contained more viral families per sample than viromes from Melbourne, which could be attributed largely to an increased number of sequences from the families Adenoviridae and Picornaviridae (genus enterovirus). qRT-PCR/PCR confirmed the increased prevalence of adenoviruses and enteroviruses. Testing of additional diarrhea cohorts by qRT-PCR/PCR demonstrated statistically different prevalences in different geographic sites. These findings raise the question of whether the virome plays a role in enteric diseases and conditions that vary with geography. PMID:25262473

Five centuries of climate change in Australia: the view from underground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollack, Henry N.; Huang, Shaopeng; Smerdon, Jason E.

2006-10-01

Fifty-seven borehole temperature profiles from across Australia are analysed to reconstruct a ground surface temperature history for the past five centuries. The five-hundred-year reconstruction is characterised by a temperature increase of approximately 0.5 K, with most of the warming occurring in the 19th and 20th centuries. The 17th century was the coolest interval of the five-century reconstruction. Comparison of the geothermal reconstruction to the Australian annual surface air temperature time series in their period of overlap shows excellent agreement. The full geothermal reconstruction also agrees well with the low-frequency component of dendroclimatic reconstructions from Tasmania and New Zealand. The warming of Australia over the past five centuries is only about half that experienced by the continents of the Northern Hemisphere in the same time interval. Copyright

Distribution, nesting activities, and age-class of territorial pairs of golden eagles at the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, California, 2014–16

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolar, Patrick S.; Wiens, J. David

2017-03-22

The substantial numbers of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) killed by collisions with oldgeneration wind turbines each year at the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area (APWRA) in California has been well documented from previous studies. Few eagle nests have been documented in the APWRA, however, and adults and subadults 3+ years of age killed by turbines were generally not associated with nearby territories. We searched a subset of randomly selected survey plots for territorial pairs of golden eagles and associated nesting attempts within the APWRA as part of a broader investigation of population dynamics in the surrounding northern Diablo Range. In contrast to limited historical observations from 1988 to 2013, our surveys documented up to 15 territorial pairs within 3.2 kilometers (km) of wind turbines at the APWRA annually, 9 of which were not previously documented or only observed intermittently during historical surveys. We found evidence of nesting activity by adult pairs at least once during our study at six of these territories. We also determined that 23–36 percent of territories identified within 3.2 km of the APWRA had a subadult pair member, but that no pairs with a subadult member attempted to nest. These data will be useful to developers, wildlife managers, and future raptor studies in the area to evaluate and minimize the potential effects of wind energy or other development activities on previously unknown territorial pairs in the area.

Suicide of first-generation immigrants in Australia, 1974-2006.

PubMed

Ide, Naoko; Kõlves, Kairi; Cassaniti, Maria; De Leo, Diego

2012-12-01

This study analysed suicide rates among first-generation immigrants in Australia from 1974 to 2006, and compared their suicide risks against the Australian-born population. It also examined the associations between the suicide rates of immigrants from 23 selected countries of birth during 2001-2006, and in their home countries. Age-standardised suicide rates (15+ years) and rate ratios, with a 95 % confidence interval, during 1974-2006 were calculated for country of birth (COB) groups. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated between COB-specific immigrant suicide rates during 2001-2006 in Australia and in their homelands. Suicide rates showed a decreasing time-trend among all COB groups for both genders in Australia. The lowest suicide rates were found during 2004-2006, compared to other year groups. Throughout the study period, males born in Eastern, Northern and Western Europe and New Zealand had the highest suicide rates in Australia. For females, the highest rates were among those born in Western Europe and the UK (including Ireland). Male and female migrants born in North Africa and the Middle East, Southern and Central Asia and South East Asia showed the lowest suicide rates. There was a significant correlation between male immigrant suicide rates by COB and the rates of their home countries. The patterns of suicide rates in immigrants were influenced by the social and cultural norms of their COB. The overall decrease in suicide risk among immigrants was particularly evident in males.

Using GIS techniques to detect the impact of territorial evolution on producing natural hazard in Northern Romania, commune Vorniceni

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gălbău, Ionela

2015-04-01

Using techniques of information, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), on spatial analysis, offers numerous possibilities in terms of spatial emphasizing the study area and marking hazard risk areas (especially landslides). Although the means ultra modern techniques have advanced, using GIS in spatial planning remains the most important technique used. Also, GIS maps obtained are more objective than paper made by hand, using the same data and the same conceptual model. The study area, commune Vorniceni is situated in the north of Romania, Ibaneasa River basin, a tributary of Jijiei and occupies an area of 63 km2. The area has experienced over the past 50 years, a trend not only territorial but also morphological and morphometric. This study involves a relation between the evolution of territorial distribution of the population of the commune Vorniceni and influence on the environment. The construction of the dam reservoir Ibaneasa River using poor borrow pits, meant a starting point for the development of landslides. Brutal antropic intervention on the environment by building a dam or lake clogging the two reservoirs (ponds) increased possibility of negative phenomena in the area. These phenomena directly affect the village population as territorial evolution involved the construction of settlements in areas with potential risk of landslides. The analysis of the factors that have influenced the evolution of territorial and producing negative phenomena and making GIS database will be followed by the realization of a hypsometric map of slopes, slope inclination and land use. All this, highlights the relationship anthropic environment - natural environment, and not turning both low population provides another opportunity to use the land in a beneficial way by harnessing the risk map obtained. Although not without shortcomings, the method proved to be a feasible and cost-effective approach for assessing landslide susceptibility and mapping. "ACKNOWLEDGMENT This

9 CFR 72.3 - Areas quarantined in the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the..., the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Island of Guam. The entire Territories of the Virgin Islands... Puerto Rico are quarantined. [43 FR 60864, Dec. 29, 1978] ...

42 CFR 423.907 - Treatment of territories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Treatment of territories. 423.907 Section 423.907...-Eligibility Determinations for Subsidies and General Payment Provisions § 423.907 Treatment of territories. (a... to receive premium and cost-sharing subsidies under subpart P of this part. (2) A territory may...

It`s slim with a plain green cover: Australia`s management plan for polychlorinated biphenyls

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brotherton, P.D.

1996-12-31

In November 1995, the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC, the Council of State and National Environment Ministers) adopted a National Management Plan for PCBs. This was a significant milestone in the very long saga of Australian efforts to develop public policy and management structures for dealing with persistent organochlorine wastes. The author was part of a four-person consultation panel that carried out a public involvement program to assist and inform the process of developing the National Management Plan. The program involved, among other things, visiting every state and territory of Australia at least twice. This papermore » describes the development and delivery of the public involvement program, including ongoing interactions with Governments. The latter is often a complex (and many would say an unduly complex) matter in the federal system, where primary responsibility for waste management resides in the individual state/territory jurisdictions. The paper also attempts to draw lessons from the process. While some participants learned and acted upon some of these lessons quite early in the process, other participants (particularly governments) took longer to realize their importance and thus took longer to refrain from actions that might be regarded as not keeping faith with the activities they had set in process. Finally, the lessons learned here are contrasted with those drawn by participants in the process that led to the establishment and expansion of the Swan Hills facility in Alberta. While the outcomes of the Australian and Albertan processes appear to be very different, a number of the essential lessons to be drawn from the two processes are virtually identical. 13 refs.« less

Making Progress: Women in Management in Primary & Secondary Education in Australia. Report of a National Conference (3rd, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, August 1-4, 1985).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randell, Shirley, Ed.

This report describes the third conference that the Australian College of Education has conducted on women in educational administration in Australia. Over 150 educators attended, 90 percent of whom were women. Meetings and workshops were designed to canvass four major issues: (1) a political view of imperatives for change; (2) research reports on…

Professional misconduct: the case of the Medical Board of Australia v Tausif (occupational discipline).

PubMed

Colton, Caroline

2015-03-01

In 2014, the Australian Capital Territory Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal (ACAT) made a finding of professional misconduct against a Canberra general practitioner working in two bulk-billing medical practices established by a corporate medical practice service company, Primary Health Care Limited (Medical Board of Australia v Tausif (Occupational Discipline) [2015] ACAT 4). This column analyses that case, particularly in relation to the ACAT finding that the practitioner's professional misconduct was substantially contributed to by an unsafe system of care, specifically, the failure of Primary Health Care to provide supervision and mentoring for clinicians working at its medical centres. The case highlights the professional pressures carried by general practitioners who practise medicine within the framework of corporate bulk-billing business models. The column also examines the related issue of general practitioner co-payments in Australia and their impact on business models built around doctors purportedly characterised as independent contractors, bulk-billing large numbers of patients each day for short consultations.

Everyday territories: homelessness, outreach work and city space.

PubMed

Smith, Robin James; Hall, Tom

2018-06-01

This article develops a situational approach to understanding urban public life and, in particular, the production of urban territories. Our aim is to examine the ways in which city space might be understood as comprising multiple, shifting, mobile and rhythmed territories. We argue that such territories are best understood through attending to their everyday production and negotiation, rather than handling territory as an a priori construct. We develop this argument from the particular case of the street-level politics of homelessness and street care. The experience of street homelessness and the provision of care in the public spaces of the city is characterised by precarious territorial claims made and lost. We describe some of the ways in which care work with rough sleepers is itself precarious; 'homeless', in lacking a distinct setting in which it might get done. Indeed, outreach work takes place within and affirms homeless territories. The affirmation of territory is shown to be central to the relationship developed between the workers and their rough sleeping clients. We also show, however, the ways in which outreach workers operate on territory not their own, twice over. Outreach work is precarious in that it is practised within, and can run counter to, other territorial productions in which the experience of urban need and the work and politics of care are entangled. In sum, this article aims to move beyond static and binary understandings by developing a mobile and situational approach to city space which recognises the intensive yet overlooked work of territorial production. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

Delineating Personal Distance and Territoriality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, Franklin D.; Mayo, Clara

1971-01-01

Two concepts describing human special behavior are delineated. A field experiment was designed to test whether personal belongings left as markers in public areas (i.e. cafeteria setting) function to protect a territory or to maintain a comfortable social distance. It is suggested the term territory" be restricted to situations in which the space…

Building a Continental Scale Land Cover Monitoring Framework for Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thankappan, Medhavy; Lymburner, Leo; Tan, Peter; McIntyre, Alexis; Curnow, Steven; Lewis, Adam

2012-04-01

Land cover information is critical for national reporting and decision making in Australia. A review of information requirements for reporting on national environmental indicators identified the need for consistent land cover information to be compared against a baseline. A Dynamic Land Cover Dataset (DLCD) for Australia has been developed by Geoscience Australia and the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) recently, to provide a comprehensive and consistent land cover information baseline to enable monitoring and reporting for sustainable farming practices, water resource management, soil erosion, and forests at national and regional scales. The DLCD was produced from the analysis of Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) data at 250-metre resolution derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) for the period from 2000 to 2008. The EVI time series data for each pixel was modelled as 12 coefficients based on the statistical, phenological and seasonal characteristics. The time series were then clustered in coefficients spaces and labelled using ancillary information on vegetation and land use at the catchment scale. The accuracy of the DLCD was assessed using field survey data over 25,000 locations provided by vegetation and land management agencies in State and Territory jurisdictions, and by ABARES. The DLCD is seen as the first in a series of steps to build a framework for national land cover monitoring in Australia. A robust methodology to provide annual updates to the DLCD is currently being developed at Geoscience Australia. There is also a growing demand from the user community for land cover information at better spatial resolution than currently available through the DLCD. Global land cover mapping initiatives that rely on Earth observation data offer many opportunities for national and international programs to work in concert and deliver better outcomes by streamlining efforts on development and

Tree-ring reconstruction of streamflow in the Snare River Basin, Northwest Territories, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, J. P.; Pisaric, M. F.

2017-12-01

Drought is a component of many ecosystems in North America causing environmental and socioeconomical impacts. In the ongoing context of climatic and environmental changes, drought-related issues are becoming problematic in northern Canada, which have not been associated with drought-like conditions in the past. Dryer than average conditions threatens the energy security of northern canadian communities, since this region relies on the production of hydroelectricity as an energy source. In the North Slave Region of Northwest Territory (NWT), water levels and streamflows were significantly lower in 2014/2015. The Government of the NWT had to spend nearly $50 million to purchase diesel fuel to generate enough electricity to supplement the reduced power generation of the Snare River hydroelectric system, hence the need to better understand the multi-decadal variability in streamflow. The aims of this presentation are i) to present jack pine and white spruce tree-ring chronologies of Southern NWT; ii) to reconstruct past streamflow of the Snare River Basin; iii) to evaluate the frequency and magnitude of extreme drought conditions, and iv) to identify which large-scale atmospheric or oceanic patterns are teleconnected to regional hydraulic conditions. Preliminary results show that the growth of jack pine and white spruce populations is better correlated with precipitation and temperature, respectively, than hydraulic conditions. Nonetheless, we present a robust streamflow reconstruction of the Snare River that is well correlated with the summer North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, albeit the strength of the correlation is non-stationary. Spectral analysis corroborate the synchronicity between negative NAO conditions and drought conditions. From an operational standpoint, considering that the general occurrence of positive/negative NAO can be predicted, it the hope of the authors that these results can facilitate energetic planning in the Northwest Territories through

9 CFR 72.3 - Areas quarantined in the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the... Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Island of Guam. The entire Territories of the... Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are quarantined. [43 FR 60864, Dec. 29, 1978] ...

9 CFR 72.3 - Areas quarantined in the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the... Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Island of Guam. The entire Territories of the... Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are quarantined. [43 FR 60864, Dec. 29, 1978] ...

9 CFR 72.3 - Areas quarantined in the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the... Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Island of Guam. The entire Territories of the... Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are quarantined. [43 FR 60864, Dec. 29, 1978] ...

9 CFR 72.3 - Areas quarantined in the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Islands of the United States, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the... Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Island of Guam. The entire Territories of the... Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are quarantined. [43 FR 60864, Dec. 29, 1978] ...

Cryptic species in the nuisance midge Polypedilum nubifer (Skuse (Diptera: Chironomidae) and the status of Tripedilum Kieffer.

PubMed

Cranston, Peter S; Martin, Jon; Spies, Martin

2016-02-15

Polypedilum nubifer (Skuse, 1889), originally described from Australia, is an apparently widespread species of Chironomidae (Diptera) that can attain nuisance densities in some eutrophic water bodies. Appropriate management depends upon the identity and ability to distinguish from potential cryptic taxa. A morphological study of larvae, pupae and adults of both sexes confirmed P. nubifer as widely distributed and frequently abundant, but also revealed two previously cryptic species of limited distribution in northern Australia. These species are described as new and illustrated in all stages here. Polypedilum quasinubifer Cranston sp. n. is described from north-west Queensland, Australia and also from Thailand and Singapore. Polypedilum paranubifer Cranston sp. n. is known only from retention ponds of a uranium mine in Northern Territory, Australia. Unusual morphological features of P. nubifer including alternate Lauterborn organs on the larval antenna, cephalic tubules on the pupa and frontal tubercles on the adult head are present in both new species as well. Newly slide-mounted types of Polypedilum pelostolum Kieffer, 1912 (lectotype designated here) confirm synonymy to Chironomus nubifer Skuse, 1889, examined also as newly-slide mounted types. Reviewed plus new evidence does not support recognition of Tripedilum Kieffer, 1921 as a separate taxon; therefore, Tripedilum is returned to junior synonymy with Polypedilum s. str.

Indigenous Gambling Motivations, Behaviour and Consequences in Northern New South Wales, Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breen, Helen M.; Hing, Nerilee; Gordon, Ashley

2011-01-01

Against a background of public health, we sought to examine and explain gambling behaviours, motivations and consequences of Indigenous Australians in northern New South Wales. Adhering to national Aboriginal and ethical guidelines and using qualitative methods, 169 Indigenous Australians were interviewed individually and in small groups using…

The potential for modification in cloning and vitrification technology to enhance genetic progress in beef cattle in Northern Australia.

PubMed

Taylor-Robinson, Andrew W; Walton, Simon; Swain, David L; Walsh, Kerry B; Vajta, Gábor

2014-08-01

Recent advances in embryology and related research offer considerable possibilities to accelerate genetic improvement in cattle breeding. Such progress includes optimization and standardization of laboratory embryo production (in vitro fertilization - IVF), introduction of a highly efficient method for cryopreservation (vitrification), and dramatic improvement in the efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer (cloning) in terms of required effort, cost, and overall outcome. Handmade cloning (HMC), a simplified version of somatic cell nuclear transfer, offers the potential for relatively easy and low-cost production of clones. A potentially modified method of vitrification used at a centrally located laboratory facility could result in cloned offspring that are economically competitive with elite animals produced by more traditional means. Apart from routine legal and intellectual property issues, the main obstacle that hampers rapid uptake of these technologies by the beef cattle industry is a lack of confidence from scientific and commercial sources. Once stakeholder support is increased, the combined application of these methods makes a rapid advance toward desirable traits (rapid growth, high-quality beef, optimized reproductive performance) a realistic goal. The potential impact of these technologies on genetic advancement in beef cattle herds in which improvement of stock is sought, such as in northern Australia, is hard to overestimate. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mobilisation of traffic-derived trace metals from road corridors into coastal stream and estuarine sediments, Cairns, northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratt, C.; Lottermoser, B. G.

2007-04-01

This investigation revealed the presence of traffic-derived metals within road, stream and estuarine sediments collected from a coastal catchment, northern Australia. Studied road sediments displayed variable total metal concentrations (median Cd, Cu, Pb, Pd, Pt, Ni and Zn values: 0.19, 42.6, 67.5, 0.064, 0.104, 36.7 and 698 mg/kg, respectively). The distinctly elevated Zn values are due to abundant tyre rubber shreds (as verified by SEM-EDS and correlation analysis). By comparison to the road sediments, background stream sediments taken upstream from roads have relatively low median Pb, Pd, Pt and Zn concentrations (7.3 mg/kg Pb, 0.01 mg/kg Pd, 0.012 mg/kg Pt, 62 mg/kg Zn). Stream and estuarine sediment samples collected below roads have median values of 21.8 mg/kg Pb, 0.014 mg/kg Pd, 0.021 mg/kg Pt and 71 mg/kg Zn, and exhibit 207Pb/206Pb and 208Pb/206Pb ratios that appear on a mixing line between the isotopically distinct background stream sediments and the road sediments. Thus, mobilisation of dusts and sediments from road surfaces has resulted in relatively elevated Pb, Pd, Pt and Zn concentrations and non-radiogenic Pb isotope ratios in local coastal stream and estuarine sediments. The investigation demonstrates that traffic-derived metals enter coastal stream and estuary sediments at the fringe of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.

Multistate Models Reveal Long-Term Trends of Northern Spotted Owls in the Absence of a Novel Competitor.

PubMed

Kroll, Andrew J; Jones, Jay E; Stringer, Angela B; Meekins, Douglas J

2016-01-01

Quantifying spatial and temporal variability in population trends is a critical aspect of successful management of imperiled species. We evaluated territory occupancy dynamics of northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina), California, USA, 1990-2014. The study area possessed two unique aspects. First, timber management has occurred for over 100 years, resulting in dramatically different forest successional and structural conditions compared to other areas. Second, the barred owl (Strix varia), an exotic congener known to exert significant negative effects on spotted owls, has not colonized the study area. We used a Bayesian dynamic multistate model to evaluate if territory occupancy of reproductive spotted owls has declined as in other study areas. The state-space approach for dynamic multistate modeling imputes the number of territories for each nesting state and allows for the estimation of longer-term trends in occupied or reproductive territories from longitudinal studies. The multistate approach accounts for different detection probabilities by nesting state (to account for either inherent differences in detection or for the use of different survey methods for different occupancy states) and reduces bias in state assignment. Estimated linear trends in the number of reproductive territories suggested an average loss of approximately one half territory per year (-0.55, 90% CRI: -0.76, -0.33), in one management block and a loss of 0.15 per year (-0.15, 90% CRI: -0.24, -0.07), in another management block during the 25 year observation period. Estimated trends in the third management block were also negative, but substantial uncertainty existed in the estimate (-0.09, 90% CRI: -0.35, 0.17). Our results indicate that the number of territories occupied by northern spotted owl pairs remained relatively constant over a 25 year period (-0.07, 90% CRI: -0.20, 0.05; -0.01, 90% CRI: -0.19, 0.16; -0.16, 90% CRI: -0.40, 0.06). However, we cannot exclude small

Multistate Models Reveal Long-Term Trends of Northern Spotted Owls in the Absence of a Novel Competitor

PubMed Central

Kroll, Andrew J.; Jones, Jay E.; Stringer, Angela B.; Meekins, Douglas J.

2016-01-01

Quantifying spatial and temporal variability in population trends is a critical aspect of successful management of imperiled species. We evaluated territory occupancy dynamics of northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina), California, USA, 1990–2014. The study area possessed two unique aspects. First, timber management has occurred for over 100 years, resulting in dramatically different forest successional and structural conditions compared to other areas. Second, the barred owl (Strix varia), an exotic congener known to exert significant negative effects on spotted owls, has not colonized the study area. We used a Bayesian dynamic multistate model to evaluate if territory occupancy of reproductive spotted owls has declined as in other study areas. The state-space approach for dynamic multistate modeling imputes the number of territories for each nesting state and allows for the estimation of longer-term trends in occupied or reproductive territories from longitudinal studies. The multistate approach accounts for different detection probabilities by nesting state (to account for either inherent differences in detection or for the use of different survey methods for different occupancy states) and reduces bias in state assignment. Estimated linear trends in the number of reproductive territories suggested an average loss of approximately one half territory per year (-0.55, 90% CRI: -0.76, -0.33), in one management block and a loss of 0.15 per year (-0.15, 90% CRI: -0.24, -0.07), in another management block during the 25 year observation period. Estimated trends in the third management block were also negative, but substantial uncertainty existed in the estimate (-0.09, 90% CRI: -0.35, 0.17). Our results indicate that the number of territories occupied by northern spotted owl pairs remained relatively constant over a 25 year period (-0.07, 90% CRI: -0.20, 0.05; -0.01, 90% CRI: -0.19, 0.16; -0.16, 90% CRI: -0.40, 0.06). However, we cannot exclude small

Application of effective drought index for quantification of meteorological drought events: a case study in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deo, Ravinesh C.; Byun, Hi-Ryong; Adamowski, Jan F.; Begum, Khaleda

2017-04-01

Drought indices (DIs) that quantify drought events by their onset, termination, and subsequent properties such as the severity, duration, and peak intensity are practical stratagems for monitoring and evaluating the impacts of drought. In this study, the effective drought index (EDI) calculated over daily timescales was utilized to quantify short-term (dry spells) and ongoing drought events using drought monitoring data in Australia. EDI was an intensive DI that considered daily water accumulation with a weighting function applied to daily rainfall data with the passage of time. A statistical analysis of the distribution of water deficit period relative to the base period was performed where a run-sum method was adopted to identify drought onset for any day ( i) with EDI i < 0 (rainfall below normal). Drought properties were enumerated in terms of (1) severity (AEDI ≡ accumulated sum of EDIi < 0), (2) duration (DS ≡ cumulative number of days with EDIi < 0), (3) peak intensity (EDImin ≡ minimum EDI of a drought event), (4) annual drought severity (YAEDI ≡ yearly accumulated negative EDI), and (5) accumulated severity of ongoing drought using event-accumulated EDI (EAEDI). The analysis of EDI signal enabled the detection and quantification of a number of drought events in Australia: Federation Drought (1897-1903), 1911-1916 Drought, 1925-1929 Drought, World War II Drought (1937-1945), and Millennium Drought (2002-2010). In comparison with the other droughts, Millennium Drought was exemplified as an unprecedented dry period especially in Victoria (EAEDI ≈ -4243, DS = 1946 days, EDImin = -4.05, and YAEDI = -4903). For the weather station tested in Northern Territory, the worst drought was recorded during 1925-1929 period. The results justified the suitability of effective drought index as a useful scientific tool for monitoring of drought progression, onset and termination, and ranking of drought based on severity, duration, and peak intensity, which allows

Considerations for Royal Australian Air Force Operations in the North of Australia

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

which insulates the nation from those who would wish it harm. Recognition of this fact in terms of strategic thinking was slow to eventuate this century...much of northern Australia has had a detrimental effect on population growth throughout the region. An overwhelming majority of people dwell in the...entirely comfortable. Contrasts between the two countries are much more pronounced than similarities. Indonesia’s 175 million people make it the fifth

Territory choice during the breeding tenure of male sedge warblers.

PubMed

Zając, Tadeusz; Bielański, Wojciech; Solarz, Wojciech

2011-12-01

A territorial male can shift the location of its territory from year to year in order to increase its quality. The male can base its decision on environmental cues or else on its breeding experiences (when territory shift is caused by breeding failure in previous seasons). We tested these possible mechanisms of territory choice in the sedge warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), a territorial migrating passerine that occupies wetlands. This species bases its territory choices on an environmental cue: tall wetland vegetation cover. We found that the magnitude of territory quality improvement between seasons (measured as the area of tall wetland vegetation) increased throughout the early stages of a male's breeding career as a result of territory shifts dependent on the earliness of arrival. The distance the territory was shifted between seasons depended negatively on the previous year's territory quality and, less clearly, on the previous year's mating success. On the other hand, previous mating or nesting success had no influence on territory quality improvement between seasons as measured in terms of vegetation. The results imply that tall wetland vegetation is a long-term, effective environmental cue and that a preference for territories in which this type of landcover prevails has evolved into a rigid behavioral mechanism, supplemented by short-term individual experiences of breeding failure.

Fire Return Interval Within the Northern Boundary of the Larch Forest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, V. I.; Dvinskaya, M. L.; Ranson, K. J.

2011-01-01

Larch (Larix spp.) dominant forests compose a large proportion of the forests of Russia (i.e., about 40% of forested areas). These forests range from the Yenisei ridge on the west to the Pacific Ocean on the east, and from Lake Baikal on the south to the 73rd parallel in the north. Larch stands comprise the world s northern most forest at Ary-Mas (72 deg 28' N, 102 deg 15' E). Larch dominated forests occupy about 70% of the permafrost areas in Siberia. Larch forms high closure stands as well as open forests, and is found mainly over permafrost, where other tree species barely survive. Wildfires are typical for this territory with the majority occurring as ground fires due to low crown closure. Due to the thin active layer in permafrost soils and a dense lichen-moss cover, ground fires may cause stand mortality. The vast areas of larch-dominant forests is generally considered as a "carbon sink"; however, positive long-term temperature trends at higher latitudes are expected to result in an increase of fire frequency, and thus may convert this area to a source for greenhouse gases. There are recent observations regarding the increase of fire frequency within non-protected territories. Surprisingly, there are few publications on fire chronoseqences for the huge forested territory between the Ural Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Also there is a general understanding that bimodal (late spring -- early summer and late summer-beginning of fall) fire seasonal distribution in the south becomes uni-modal (late spring -- early summer) in the north. The purpose of this study is to investigate the wildfire history at the northern edge of the zone of larch dominance.

The effects of habitat, climate, and Barred Owls on long-term demography of Northern Spotted Owls

Treesearch

Katie M. Dugger; Eric D. Forsman; Alan B. Franklin; Raymond J. Davis; Gary C. White; Carl J. Schwarz; Kenneth P. Burnham; James D. Nichols; James E. Hines; Charles B. Yackulic; Paul F. Doherty; Larissa Bailey; Darren A. Clark; Steven H. Ackers; Lawrence S. Andrews; Benjamin Augustine; Brian L. Biswell; Jennifer Blakesley; Peter C. Carlson; Matthew J. Clement; Lowell V. Diller; Elizabeth M. Glenn; Adam Green; Scott A. Gremel; Dale R. Herter; J. Mark Higley; Jeremy Hobson; Rob B. Horn; Kathryn P. Huyvaert; Christopher McCafferty; Trent McDonald; Kevin McDonnell; Gail S. Olson; Janice A. Reid; Jeremy Rockweit; Viviana Ruiz; Jessica Saenz; Stan G. Sovern

2016-01-01

Estimates of species’ vital rates and an understanding of the factors affecting those parameters over time and space can provide crucial information for management and conservation. We used mark–recapture, reproductive output, and territory occupancy data collected during 1985–2013 to evaluate population processes of Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis...

Associations between omega-3 fatty acids, selenium content, and mercury levels in wild-harvested fish from the Dehcho Region, Northwest Territories, Canada.

PubMed

Reyes, Ellen S; Aristizabal Henao, Juan J; Kornobis, Katherine M; Hanning, Rhona M; Majowicz, Shannon E; Liber, Karsten; Stark, Ken D; Low, George; Swanson, Heidi K; Laird, Brian D

2017-01-01

To better understand the risks and benefits of eating wild-harvested fish from the Northwest Territories, Canada, levels of total mercury (HgT) and selenium (Se) and composition of omega-3 fatty acid (n-3 FA) were measured in muscle tissue of fish harvested from lakes in the Dehcho Region, Northwest Territories, Canada. Average HgT levels ranged from 0.057 mg/kg (cisco) to 0.551 mg/kg (northern pike), while average n-3 FA concentrations ranged from 101 mg/100 g (burbot) to 1,689 mg/100 g (lake trout). In contrast to HgT and n-3 FA, mean Se concentrations were relatively similar among species. Consequently, species such as lake whitefish, cisco, and longnose sucker displayed the highest nutrient levels relative to HgT content. Levels of HgT tended to increase with fish size, while Se and n-3 FA levels were typically not associated with fork length or fish weight. Interestingly, HgT concentration was occasionally inversely related to tissue nutrient content. Significant negative correlations were observed between Hg and n-3 FA for lake trout, northern pike, and walleye. There were also significant negative correlations between Hg and Se noted for lake whitefish, cisco, and northern pike. Samples with the highest nutritional content displayed, on occasion, lower levels of HgT. This study provides valuable information for the design of probabilistic models capable of refining public health messaging related to minimizing Hg risks and maximizing nutrient levels in wild-harvested fish in the Canadian subarctic.

Adapting online learning for Canada's Northern public health workforce.

PubMed

Bell, Marnie; MacDougall, Karen

2013-01-01

Canada's North is a diverse, sparsely populated land, where inequalities and public health issues are evident, particularly for Aboriginal people. The Northern public health workforce is a unique mix of professional and paraprofessional workers. Few have formal public health education. From 2009 to 2012, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) collaborated with a Northern Advisory Group to develop and implement a strategy to strengthen public health capacity in Canada's 3 northern territories. Access to relevant, effective continuing education was identified as a key issue. Challenges include diverse educational and cultural backgrounds of public health workers, geographical isolation and variable technological infrastructure across the north. PHAC's Skills Online program offers Internet-based continuing education modules for public health professionals. In partnership with the Northern Advisory Group, PHAC conducted 3 pilots between 2008 and 2012 to assess the appropriateness of the Skills Online program for Northern/Aboriginal public health workers. Module content and delivery modalities were adapted for the pilots. Adaptations included adding Inuit and Northern public health examples and using video and teleconference discussions to augment the online self-study component. Findings from the pilots were informative and similar to those from previous Skills Online pilots with learners in developing countries. Online learning is effective in bridging the geographical barriers in remote locations. Incorporating content on Northern and Aboriginal health issues facilitates engagement in learning. Employer support facilitates the recruitment and retention of learners in an online program. Facilitator assets included experience as a public health professional from the north, and flexibility to use modified approaches to support and measure knowledge acquisition and application, especially for First Nations, Inuit and Metis learners. Results demonstrate that

Impact of the national targeted Hepatitis A immunisation program in Australia: 2000-2014.

PubMed

Thompson, Craig; Dey, Aditi; Fearnley, Emily; Polkinghorne, Benjamin; Beard, Frank

2017-01-03

In November 2005, hepatitis A vaccine was funded under the Australian National Immunisation Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) children aged 12-24months in the targeted jurisdictions of Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. We reviewed the epidemiology of hepatitis A from 2000 to 2014 using data from the Australian National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, the National Hospital Morbidity Database, and Australian Bureau of Statistics causes-of-death data. The impact of the national hepatitis A immunisation program was assessed by comparison of pre-vaccine (2000-2005) and post-vaccine time periods (2006-2014), by age group, Indigenous status and jurisdiction using incidence rate ratios (IRR) per 100,000 population and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The national pre-vaccine notification rate in Indigenous people was four times higher than the non-Indigenous rate, and declined from 8.41 per 100,000 (95% CI 5.03-11.79) pre-vaccine to 0.85 per 100,000 (95% CI 0.00-1.99) post-vaccine, becoming similar to the non-Indigenous rate. Notification and hospitalisation rates in Indigenous children aged <5years from targeted jurisdictions declined in the post-vaccine period when compared to the pre-vaccine period (notifications: IRR=0.07; 95% CI 0.04-0.13; hospitalisations: IRR=0.04; 95% CI 0.01-0.16). As did notification rates in Indigenous people aged 5-19 (IRR=0.08; 95% CI 0.05-0.13) and 20-49years (IRR=0.06; 95% CI 0.02-0.15) in targeted jurisdictions. For non-Indigenous people from targeted jurisdictions, notification rates decreased significantly in children aged <5years (IRR 0.47; 95% CI 0.31-0.71), and significantly more overall (IRR=0.43; 95% CI 0.39-0.47) compared to non-Indigenous people from non-targeted jurisdictions (IRR=0.60; 95% CI 0.56-0.64). The national hepatitis A immunisation program has had a significant impact in the targeted population with relatively modest vaccine coverage, with

Arts-based HIV and STI prevention intervention with Northern and Indigenous youth in the Northwest Territories: study protocol for a non-randomised cohort pilot study.

PubMed

Lys, Candice; Logie, Carmen H; MacNeill, Nancy; Loppie, Charlotte; Dias, Lisa V; Masching, Renée; Gesink, Dionne

2016-10-03

Indigenous youth are disproportionately represented in new HIV infection rates in Canada. Current and historical contexts of colonisation and racism, disconnection from culture and land, as well as intergenerational trauma resulting from the legacy of residential schools are social drivers that elevate exposure to HIV among Indigenous peoples. Peer-education and arts-based interventions are increasingly used for HIV prevention with youth. Yet limited studies have evaluated longitudinal effects of arts-based approaches to HIV prevention with youth. The authors present a rationale and study protocol for an arts-based HIV prevention intervention with Northern and Indigenous youth in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. This is a multicentre non-randomised cohort pilot study using a pretest/post-test design with a 12-month follow-up. The target population is Northern and Indigenous youth in 18 communities in the NWT. The aim is to recruit 150 youth using venue-based sampling at secondary schools. Participants will be involved in an arts-based intervention, Fostering Open eXpression among Youth (FOXY). Participants will complete a pretest, post-test survey directly following the intervention, and a 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome is new or enhanced HIV knowledge, and secondary outcomes to include: new or enhanced sexually transmitted infections knowledge, and increased self-esteem, resilience, empowerment, safer sex self-efficacy and cultural connectedness. Mixed effects regression analyses will be conducted to evaluate pretest and post-test differences in outcome measurement scores. This study has received approval from the HIV Research Ethics Board at the University of Toronto (REB: 31602). In addition, the project is currently registered in the NWT with the Aurora Research Institute (Licence: 15741). Trial results will be published according to the Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomised Designs statement. NCT02743026; Pre

The concept of territory in Mental Health.

PubMed

Furtado, Juarez Pereira; Oda, Wagner Yoshizaki; Borysow, Igor da Costa; Kapp, Silke

2016-10-10

The term "territory" and its correlates have become commonplace in the field of Mental Health since the psychiatric reform, a potentially emancipatory milestone in non-hospital-centered ideals. However, in a previous empirical study, we found a lack of consistent concepts and practices (corresponding to the use of this term) in the territorial reinsertion of persons with mental illness. To clarify the term's various uses and its possible correlations in practice, we have conducted a systematic survey of scientific articles and official documents, comparing them to each other and with the concept of territory from Critical Geography. We conclude that in the Mental Health field in Brazil, despite numerous and repeated critical efforts, a functional notion of territory has prevailed, overlooking power relations and symbolic appropriations, increasing the tendency of subjecting the reinsertion of persons with mental illness to a given territory rather than favoring socio-spatial transformations for the coexistence of differences.

Decomposition and arthropod succession in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.

PubMed

Bygarski, Katherine; LeBlanc, Helene N

2013-03-01

Forensic arthropod succession patterns are known to vary between regions. However, the northern habitats of the globe have been largely left unstudied. Three pig carcasses were studied outdoors in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Adult and immature insects were collected for identification and comparison. The dominant Diptera and Coleoptera species at all carcasses were Protophormia terraneovae (R-D) (Fam: Calliphoridae) and Thanatophilus lapponicus (Herbst) (Fam: Silphidae), respectively. Rate of decomposition, patterns of Diptera and Coleoptera succession, and species dominance were shown to differ from previous studies in temperate regions, particularly as P. terraenovae showed complete dominance among blowfly species. Rate of decomposition through the first four stages was generally slow, and the last stage of decomposition was not observed at any carcass due to time constraints. It is concluded that biogeoclimatic range has a significant effect on insect presence and rate of decomposition, making it an important factor to consider when calculating a postmortem interval. © 2012 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

The architecture of chicken chromosome territories changes during differentiation

PubMed Central

Stadler, Sonja; Schnapp, Verena; Mayer, Robert; Stein, Stefan; Cremer, Christoph; Bonifer, Constanze; Cremer, Thomas; Dietzel, Steffen

2004-01-01

Background Between cell divisions the chromatin fiber of each chromosome is restricted to a subvolume of the interphase cell nucleus called chromosome territory. The internal organization of these chromosome territories is still largely unknown. Results We compared the large-scale chromatin structure of chromosome territories between several hematopoietic chicken cell types at various differentiation stages. Chromosome territories were labeled by fluorescence in situ hybridization in structurally preserved nuclei, recorded by confocal microscopy and evaluated visually and by quantitative image analysis. Chromosome territories in multipotent myeloid precursor cells appeared homogeneously stained and compact. The inactive lysozyme gene as well as the centromere of the lysozyme gene harboring chromosome located to the interior of the chromosome territory. In further differentiated cell types such as myeloblasts, macrophages and erythroblasts chromosome territories appeared increasingly diffuse, disaggregating to separable substructures. The lysozyme gene, which is gradually activated during the differentiation to activated macrophages, as well as the centromere were relocated increasingly to more external positions. Conclusions Our results reveal a cell type specific constitution of chromosome territories. The data suggest that a repositioning of chromosomal loci during differentiation may be a consequence of general changes in chromosome territory morphology, not necessarily related to transcriptional changes. PMID:15555075

Nursing sans frontières: a three year case study of multi-state registration to support nursing practice using information technology.

PubMed

Clark, Robyn A; Yallop, Julie; Wickett, Di; Krum, Henry; Tonkin, Andrew; Stewart, Simon

2006-01-01

To highlight the registration issues for nurses who wish to practice nationally, particularly those practicing within the telehealth sector. As part of a national clinical research study, applications were made to every state and territory for mutual recognition of nursing registration and fee waiver for telenursing cross border practice for a period of three years. These processes are described using a case study approach. The aim of this case study was to achieve registration in every state and territory of Australia without paying multiple fees by using mutual recognition provisions and the cross-border fee waiver policy of the nurse regulatory authorities in order to practice telenursing. Mutual recognition and fee waiver for cross-border practice was granted unconditionally in two states: Victoria (Vic) and Tasmania (Tas), and one territory: the Northern Territory (NT). The remainder of the Australian states and territories would only grant temporary registration for the period of the project or not at all, due to policy restrictions or nurse regulatory authority (NRA) Board decisions. As a consequence of gaining fee waiver the annual cost of registration was a maximum of dollars 145 per annum as opposed to the potential dollars 959 for initial registration and dollars 625 for annual renewal. Having eight individual nurses Acts and NRAs for a population of 265,000 nurses would clearly indicate a case for over regulation in this country. The structure of regulation of nursing in Australia is a barrier to the changing and evolving role of nurses in the 21st century and a significant factor when considering workforce planning.

12 CFR 616.6200 - Out-of-territory leasing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Out-of-territory leasing. 616.6200 Section 616.6200 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM LEASING § 616.6200 Out-of-territory leasing. A System institution may make leases outside its chartered territory. ...

12 CFR 616.6200 - Out-of-territory leasing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Out-of-territory leasing. 616.6200 Section 616.6200 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM LEASING § 616.6200 Out-of-territory leasing. A System institution may make leases outside its chartered territory. ...

12 CFR 616.6200 - Out-of-territory leasing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Out-of-territory leasing. 616.6200 Section 616.6200 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM LEASING § 616.6200 Out-of-territory leasing. A System institution may make leases outside its chartered territory. ...

12 CFR 616.6200 - Out-of-territory leasing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Out-of-territory leasing. 616.6200 Section 616.6200 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM LEASING § 616.6200 Out-of-territory leasing. A System institution may make leases outside its chartered territory. ...

12 CFR 616.6200 - Out-of-territory leasing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Out-of-territory leasing. 616.6200 Section 616.6200 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM LEASING § 616.6200 Out-of-territory leasing. A System institution may make leases outside its chartered territory. ...

Salmonella infections in Antarctic fauna and island populations of wildlife exposed to human activities in coastal areas of Australia.

PubMed

Iveson, J B; Shellam, G R; Bradshaw, S D; Smith, D W; Mackenzie, J S; Mofflin, R G

2009-06-01

Salmonella infections in Antarctic wildlife were first reported in 1970 and in a search for evidence linking isolations with exposure to human activities, a comparison was made of serovars reported from marine fauna in the Antarctic region from 1982-2004 with those from marine mammals in the Northern hemisphere. This revealed that 10 (83%) Salmonella enterica serovars isolated from Antarctic penguins and seals were classifiable in high-frequency (HF) quotients for serovars prevalent in humans and domesticated animals. In Australia, 16 (90%) HF serovars were isolated from marine birds and mammals compared with 12 (86%) HF serovars reported from marine mammals in the Northern hemisphere. In Western Australia, HF serovars from marine species were also recorded in humans, livestock, mussels, effluents and island populations of wildlife in urban coastal areas. Low-frequency S. enterica serovars were rarely detected in humans and not detected in seagulls or marine species. The isolation of S. Enteritidis phage type 4 (PT4), PT8 and PT23 strains from Adélie penguins and a diversity of HF serovars reported from marine fauna in the Antarctic region and coastal areas of Australia, signal the possibility of transient serovars and endemic Salmonella strains recycling back to humans from southern latitudes in marine foodstuffs and feed ingredients.

47 CFR 73.132 - Territorial exclusivity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Territorial exclusivity. 73.132 Section 73.132 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES AM Broadcast Stations § 73.132 Territorial exclusivity. No licensee of an AM broadcast station shall have any...

47 CFR 73.132 - Territorial exclusivity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Territorial exclusivity. 73.132 Section 73.132 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES AM Broadcast Stations § 73.132 Territorial exclusivity. No licensee of an AM broadcast station shall have any...

47 CFR 73.132 - Territorial exclusivity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Territorial exclusivity. 73.132 Section 73.132 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES AM Broadcast Stations § 73.132 Territorial exclusivity. No licensee of an AM broadcast station shall have any...

47 CFR 73.132 - Territorial exclusivity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Territorial exclusivity. 73.132 Section 73.132 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES AM Broadcast Stations § 73.132 Territorial exclusivity. No licensee of an AM broadcast station shall have any...

47 CFR 73.132 - Territorial exclusivity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Territorial exclusivity. 73.132 Section 73.132 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES AM Broadcast Stations § 73.132 Territorial exclusivity. No licensee of an AM broadcast station shall have any...

Southeastern Australia

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-04-16

article title:  Drought and Burn Scars in Southeastern Australia     ... related to the dry conditions (not related to the brown burn scars) are also indicated in the February 2003 panel, where many ... 14 and 17, 2002 Images:  Australia Burn Scars location:  Australia and New Zealand ...

The Territorial Sea: Prospects for the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Littleton, Richard K.

The history of the territorial sea and legislative practices associated with its boundaries are examined in this study. The survey includes information related to: (l) the history of territorial zones (tracing evolutionary development and impacts); (2) United States practices (examining the purpose of authority asserted in the territorial sea);…

Report of the United States Geological Survey of the Territories Volume III: The vertebrata of the tertiary formations of the West Book I

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayden, F. V.

1884-01-01

I send herewith a report on the Tertiary Faunae of the United States as represented by collections made in various Territories and States west of the Mississippi River, embraced within the boundaries of your survey. The explorations from which the collections have been derived cover portions of the States and Territories included between British America on the north, the western boundaries of Minnesota and Missouri on the east; the northern borders of the Indian Territory and Arizona, and the middle of New Mexico on the south; and the Sierra Nevada on the west. The amount of material which I have procured through these explorations is large, and is but partially represented in the following pages. I trust that you will find the results a useful contribution to the records of your Geological Survey and to the science to which you have devoted your life ; and that you may find in this report some compensation for the arduous official duties which have recently withdrawn you to some degree from your chosen field of research.

Australia's Vocational Education & Training System. Annual National Report. Volume 1: National Overview [and] Volume 2: Commonwealth, State & Territory Achievements.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Australian National Training Authority, Brisbane.

This document consists of the first two volumes of the 1997 annual report on Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system. Examined in volume 1 are the following topics: strategic directions for 1997; overview of the VET system's operation and the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) agreement; key initiatives in 1997 (the…

Five-year field trials using preservative-treated, second-growth Douglas-fir exposed in ground contact in Australia

Treesearch

Rodney C. De Groot; Douglas M. Crawford; Jack Norton; John Keith

2000-01-01

The durability of preservative-treated stakes of second-growth Coastal Douglas-fir was evaluated in a field plot in northern Queensland, Australia. Results from this field trial indicate that second-growth Douglas-fir can be treated with preservatives to meet Australian standards and will provide long-term durability in adverse environments. Data presented indicate...

27 CFR 4.2 - Territorial extent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Territorial extent. 4.2 Section 4.2 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS LABELING AND ADVERTISING OF WINE Scope § 4.2 Territorial extent. This part...

27 CFR 10.2 - Territorial extent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Territorial extent. 10.2 Section 10.2 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS COMMERCIAL BRIBERY Scope of Regulations § 10.2 Territorial extent. This part...

Chromosome territories reposition during DNA damage-repair response

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Local higher-order chromatin structure, dynamics and composition of the DNA are known to determine double-strand break frequencies and the efficiency of repair. However, how DNA damage response affects the spatial organization of chromosome territories is still unexplored. Results Our report investigates the effect of DNA damage on the spatial organization of chromosome territories within interphase nuclei of human cells. We show that DNA damage induces a large-scale spatial repositioning of chromosome territories that are relatively gene dense. This response is dose dependent, and involves territories moving from the nuclear interior to the periphery and vice versa. Furthermore, we have found that chromosome territory repositioning is contingent upon double-strand break recognition and damage sensing. Importantly, our results suggest that this is a reversible process where, following repair, chromosome territories re-occupy positions similar to those in undamaged control cells. Conclusions Thus, our report for the first time highlights DNA damage-dependent spatial reorganization of whole chromosomes, which might be an integral aspect of cellular damage response. PMID:24330859

Energetic cost of feeding territories in an Hawaiian honeycreeper.

PubMed

Carpenter, F Lynn; MacMillen, Richard E

1976-09-01

By analysis of time budgets the daily energy expenditure in territorial individuals of a Hawaiian honeycreeper (Vestiaria coccinea, Fam. Drepanididae) were estimated during the nonbreeding season and compared to that of nonterritorial individuals. The mean rise in living costs was 2.3 kcal/24 h or 17% of the nonterritorial energy budget. The most costly territorial behavior was advertisement rather than chasing, and total territorial cost was seen to be little affected by the number of intruders or the size of the territory. These results are compared with data on feeding (nonbreeding) territories of other nectar-feeding birds. The suggestion is made that hummingbirds may be more likely to develop nonbreeding territorial behavior in any set of environmental circumstances than are honeycreepers because of relatively lower total cost of advertisement plus chasing.

Prevalences of overweight and obesity among children in remote Aboriginal communities in central Australia.

PubMed

Schultz, Rosalie

2012-01-01

The chronic diseases associated with overweight and obesity are major contributors to the excess disease burden of Aboriginal Australians. Surveillance of overweight and obesity is required to monitor these conditions, and to develop and evaluate interventions to improve health and wellbeing. Remote Aboriginal communities in Australia's Northern Territory (NT) are where approximately two-thirds of the NT Aboriginal people live, a proportion which has been stable over many years. However the remote communities suffer significant socioeconomic disadvantage including limited education and employment opportunities, and poor quality and overcrowded housing. Approximately one-third of Aboriginal people in NT live in central Australia, which consists of the Alice Springs and Barkly districts. The Healthy School-Aged Kids Program includes health promotion and child health screening, and is run in remote Aboriginal communities of NT. This report provides estimates of prevalences of overweight and obesity among children in central Australia who participated in health checks as part of Healthy School-Aged Kids Program in 2010. All children in remote central Australian Aboriginal communities were invited to participate in health checks. Children who attended were weighed and measured. Date of birth, sex, height and weight for each child were used to determine prevalence of overweight (≥+1 standard deviation [SD] BMI-for-age) and obesity (≥+2 SD BMI-for-age) according to WHO Growth standards. Differences in proportions of overweight and obesity by age group and sex, and their statistical significance were calculated. Weight, height, sex and age data were available for 996 children from a population of 1764. It was found that 22.1% of girls and 20.7% of boys were overweight; and 5.1% of girls and 5.8% of boys were obese as defined by BMI-for-age. Prevalence of overweight but not obesity increased with age (for overweight z=3.28, p=0.0011; for obesity z=0.68; p=0.50). The

27 CFR 25.2 - Territorial extent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Territorial extent. 25.2 Section 25.2 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS BEER Scope of Regulations § 25.2 Territorial extent. This part applies to the...

27 CFR 25.2 - Territorial extent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Territorial extent. 25.2 Section 25.2 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL BEER Scope of Regulations § 25.2 Territorial extent. This part applies to the...

27 CFR 25.2 - Territorial extent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Territorial extent. 25.2 Section 25.2 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS BEER Scope of Regulations § 25.2 Territorial extent. This part applies to the...

27 CFR 25.2 - Territorial extent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Territorial extent. 25.2 Section 25.2 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL BEER Scope of Regulations § 25.2 Territorial extent. This part applies to the...

27 CFR 25.2 - Territorial extent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Territorial extent. 25.2 Section 25.2 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS BEER Scope of Regulations § 25.2 Territorial extent. This part applies to the...

Survey of northern informal and formal mental health practitioners

PubMed Central

O'Neill, Linda; George, Serena; Sebok, Stefanie

2013-01-01

Background This survey is part of a multi-year research study on informal and formal mental health support in northern Canada involving the use of qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods in an effort to better understand mental health in a northern context. Objective The main objective of the 3-year study was to document the situation of formal and informal helpers in providing mental health support in isolated northern communities in northern British Columbia, northern Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. The intent of developing a survey was to include more participants in the research and access those working in small communities who would be concerned regarding confidentiality and anonymity due to their high profile within smaller populations. Design Based on the in-depth interviews from the qualitative phase of the project, the research team developed a survey that reflected the main themes found in the initial qualitative analysis. The on-line survey consisted of 26 questions, looking at basic demographic information and presenting lists of possible challenges, supports and client mental health issues for participants to prioritise. Results Thirty-two participants identified various challenges, supports and client issues relevant to their mental health support work. A vast majority of the respondents felt prepared for northern practice and had some level of formal education. Supports for longevity included team collaboration, knowledgeable supervisors, managers, leaders and more opportunities for formal education, specific training and continuity of care to support clients. Conclusion For northern-based research in small communities, the development of a survey allowed more participants to join the larger study in a way that protected their identity and confidentiality. The results from the survey emphasise the need for team collaboration, interdisciplinary practice and working with community strengths as a way to

Prophylactic penicillin by the full moon: a novel approach in Central Australia that may help to reduce the risk of rheumatic heart disease.

PubMed

Kearns, T M; Schultz, R; McDonald, V; Andrews, R M

2010-01-01

Uptake of penicillin prophylaxis to prevent recurrent rheumatic fever and its sequela rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is not optimal in the Northern Territory of Australia. The Full Moon Strategy (the Strategy) was introduced in the Central Australian region in June 2006 to improve the uptake of prophylactic penicillin: clients and healthcare workers were encouraged to use the full moon as a cue for the timing of the 4 weekly prophylactic penicillin injection. To determine the impact and effectiveness of the Strategy on knowledge and uptake of benzathine penicillin prophylaxis for clients at risk of RHD, and for primary healthcare workers in Central Australia. Clients at risk of RHD in four remote Aboriginal communities and the town camps of Alice Springs were identified from the RHD database. Consenting clients or their carers were interviewed about their knowledge of the Strategy and the health promotional tools used. Their healthcare records were then reviewed for prophylaxis uptake 2 years prior to and 2 years following the introduction of the Strategy. Primary healthcare workers in the four remote communities who were available at the time of the study visit were interviewed about their knowledge and use of the Strategy and the health promotional tools. Fifty RHD clients and 19 healthcare workers were interviewed. Most were aware of the flipchart but less than half knew of the calendar poster, hand-held card or radio advertisement. Prophylaxis uptake increased significantly from 47% in the 2 years prior to the introduction of the Strategy, to 57% 2 years after the Strategy was introduced. Introduction of the Strategy coincided with an improvement in uptake of prophylaxis but not around the time of the full moon. Uptake of benzathine penicillin remains inadequate and further innovative measures are needed to control rheumatic fever and its sequela in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Prescription opioid analgesics for pain management in Australia: 20 years of dispensing.

PubMed

Islam, M M; McRae, I S; Mazumdar, S; Taplin, S; McKetin, R

2016-08-01

Opioid prescribing/dispensing data can inform policy surrounding regulation by informing trends and types of opioid prescribed and geographic variations. In Australia so far only partial data on dispensing have been published, and data for states/territories remain unknown. Using a range of measures, this study examines 20-year (1992-2011) trends in prescription opioid analgesics in Australia - both nationally and for individual jurisdictions. Dispensing data were obtained from the Drug Utilisation Sub-Committee and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) websites. Trends in numbers of prescriptions and daily defined dose (DDD)/1000 people/day were examined over time and across states/territories. Seasonal variations in PBS/Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS) items for nationwide dispensing were adjusted using a centred moving smoothing technique. In two decades, 165.32 million prescriptions for opioids were dispensed, with codeine and its derivatives the most prescribed formulation (50.1%) followed by tramadol (13.5%) and oxycodone derivatives (12.7%). In terms of DDD/1000 people/day, dispensing increased from 5.38 in 1992 to 14.46 in 2011. There are significant increasing trends for total, PBS/RPBS and under co-payment prescriptions (priced below patient co-payment). The DDD/1000 people/day for items dispensed through PBS/RPBS was highest in Tasmania. Prescription opioid dispensing increased substantially over the study period. With an ageing population, this trend is likely to continue in future. A growing concern about harms associated with opioid use warrants balanced control measures so that harms could be minimised without reducing effective pain treatment. Research examining utilisation in small geographic areas may help design spatially tailored interventions. A real-time drug-monitoring programme may reduce undue prescribing and dispensing. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Territoriality of Giant Otter Groups in an Area with Seasonal Flooding

PubMed Central

Leuchtenberger, Caroline; Magnusson, William E.; Mourão, Guilherme

2015-01-01

Territoriality carries costs and benefits, which are commonly affected by the spatial and temporal abundance and predictability of food, and by intruder pressure. Giant otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) live in groups that defend territories along river channels during the dry season using chemical signals, loud vocalizations and agonistic encounters. However, little is known about the territoriality of giant otters during the rainy season, when groups leave their dry season territories and follow fish dispersing into flooded areas. The objective of this study was to analyze long-term territoriality of giant otter groups in a seasonal environment. The linear extensions of the territories of 10 giant otter groups were determined based on locations of active dens, latrines and scent marks in each season. Some groups overlapped the limits of neighboring territories. The total territory extent of giant otters was correlated with group size in both seasons. The extent of exclusive territories of giant otter groups was negatively related to the number of adults present in adjacent groups. Territory fidelity ranged from 0 to 100% between seasons. Some groups maintained their territory for long periods, which demanded constant effort in marking and re-establishing their territories during the wet season. These results indicate that the defense capacity of groups had an important role in the maintenance of giant otter territories across seasons, which may also affect the reproductive success of alpha pairs. PMID:25955248

New species of Simona Moulds, 2012 and Chelapsalta Moulds, 2012 cicadas (Cicadidae: Cicadettinae: Cicadettini) from Australia: comparative morphology, songs, behaviour and distributions.

PubMed

Ewart, A; Popple, L W; Marshall, D C

2015-08-20

In 2012, Moulds established the morphologically similar cicada genera Simona and Chelapsalta, each with one Australian species (sancta Distant and puer Walker, respectively). In this paper, two new species are described within the genus Simona Moulds 2012, S. erema sp. nov. and S. retracta sp. nov., and one within the genus Chelapsalta Moulds 2012, C. myoporae sp. nov. The type species of Simona (female holotype), S. sancta (Distant, 1913), is redescribed based on a contemporary male, nominated a plesiotype, held in the Australian National Insect Collection. Melampsalta subgulosa Ashton 1914 is supported as a junior synonym of S. sancta. The species within the two genera of Simona and Chelapsalta are morphologically very similar. S. erema occurs widely through the arid regions of inland Australia, extending west from western Queensland through the Northern Territory, to central-western Western Australia, a linear distance of approximately 2200 km. S. retracta is known from a single semi-arid locality in southern inland Queensland. C. myoporae occurs widely through southeast, central and southwest Queensland, extending southwards into inland and western N.S.W. and southeastern South Australia. It tends to occur most commonly within vegetation associated with seasonal riverine floodplains, and in some areas of poorly drained and clay-rich soils. The calling songs of these three species, together with those of S. sancta and C. puer, are described. Detailed comparisons made of the songs of S. erema and C. myoporae, each from three widely separated locations, clearly exhibit structural consistency in their calling songs across their distributions. The Simona songs are complex and contain multiple elements; the species are very mobile and wary, and inhabit low dense shrubland. The songs of the two Chelapsalta species, both relatively sedentary in behaviour, in contrast consist of relatively uniform chirping and buzzing elements. It is suggested that, although the two

Lessons learned during the successful eradication of bovine tuberculosis from Australia

PubMed Central

More, S. J.; Radunz, B.; Glanville, R. J.

2015-01-01

There are very few international examples of the successful eradication of bovine tuberculosis (TB, caused by infection with Mycobacterium bovis) from a national cattle population. This paper presents a brief overview of the successful TB eradication programme in Australia from 1970, with primary emphasis on lessons of international relevance that were learned from the Australian experience. The national brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication campaign ran for 27 years from 1970 to 1997 and has been followed by ongoing abattoir surveillance. Rapid progress towards eradication was made in southern Australia, but proved much more challenging in extensive pastoral areas of northern Australia. Declaration of TB freedom was made on December 31, 1997. A range of factors were critical to this success, including a compelling rationale for eradication, an agreed final outcome, industry commitment and financial support, a business model for programme planning, implementation and review, consistent and transparent technical standards underpinned by a strict regulatory regime and applied research, the critical role of abattoir surveillance, effective elimination of residual infection and objective measures of programme progress. Although direct translation of some of these experiences may not be possible, many of the lessons learned from the Australian experience may be relevant to other countries. PMID:26338937

27 CFR 6.2 - Territorial extent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Territorial extent. 6.2 Section 6.2 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS âTIED-HOUSEâ Scope of Regulations § 6.2 Territorial extent. This part applies to the several States of the United States,...

27 CFR 6.2 - Territorial extent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Territorial extent. 6.2 Section 6.2 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS âTIED-HOUSEâ Scope of Regulations § 6.2 Territorial extent. This part applies to the several States of the United States,...

Revised Distribution of Bactrocera tryoni in Eastern Australia and Effect on Possible Incursions of Mediterranean Fruit Fly: Development of Australia's Eastern Trading Block.

PubMed

Dominiak, Bernard C; Mapson, Richard

2017-12-05

Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae), commonly called 'Queensland fruit fly' in Australia, and Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) are the two most economically important fruit fly in Australia with B. tryoni in the east and Mediterranean fruit fly in the west. The two species coexisted for several decades, but it is believed that B. tryoni displaced Mediterranean fruit fly. In southeastern Australia, this was deemed inadequate for export market access, and a large fruit fly free zone (fruit fly exclusion zone) was developed in 1996 where B. tryoni was eradicated by each state department in their portion of the zone. This zone caused an artificial restricted distribution of B. tryoni. When the fruit fly exclusion zone was withdrawn in Victoria and New South Wales in 2013, B. tryoni became endemic once again in this area and the national distribution of B. tryoni changed. For export markets, B. tryoni is now deemed endemic to all eastern Australian states, except for the Greater Sunraysia Pest-Free Area. All regulatory controls have been removed between eastern states, except for some small zones, subject to domestic market access requirements. The eastern Australian states now form a B. tryoni endemic trading group or block. All Australian states and territories maintain legislation to regulate the movement of potentially infested host fruit into their states. In particular, eastern states remain active and regulate the entry of commodities possibly infested with Mediterranean fruit fly. The combination of regulatory controls limits the chances of Mediterranean fruit fly entering eastern states, and if it did, Mediterranean fruit fly is unlikely to establish in the opposition to a well-established B. tryoni population. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Search and Rescue Transits through Canadian Territorial Waters

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-29

archipelagic waters, or Canadian internal territorial waters. 3. Individuals rescued by USCG aircraft in Canadian territory may be transitioned back to...and archipelagic waters of foreign coastal states in a manner not prejudicial to its peace, good order, or security. 7 UNCLOS, supra note 5. 4...facilities, in a position to render timely and effective assistance, may enter into or over the territorial seas or archipelagic waters of another

Euthanasia and surgeons: an overview of the Victorian Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 and its relevance to surgical practice in Australia.

PubMed

Beardsley, Christian; Brown, Kilian; Sandroussi, Charbel

2018-05-14

Surgeons play a significant role in the treatment of patients with many types of cancer, including the management of advanced and recurrent disease after long periods of apparent remission. The recently introduced Victorian Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Act represents a shift in paradigm in Australian medical practice. To be eligible for VAD, the new legislation requires patient assessment by a physician with at least 5 years post-fellowship experience and relevant expertise in the patient's condition. Given many specialist surgeons' experience in managing advanced and often incurable malignancy, it is likely that many will receive referrals for assessment for VAD. It is foreseeable that other states and territories in Australia will follow suit with similar legislation. It is imperative that surgeons receiving referrals to assess patients seeking access to VAD are familiar with the legislation and assessment process. This article summarizes the current regulation of VAD in Australia, including the patient application and assessment process, briefly reviews world-wide assisted dying practices and discusses the relevance to surgeons practicing in Australia. © 2018 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Climate impacts on northern Canada: regional background.

PubMed

Prowse, Terry D; Furgal, Chris; Bonsal, Barrie R; Peters, Daniel L

2009-07-01

Understanding the implications of climate change on northern Canada requires a background about the size and diversity of its human and biogeophysical systems. Occupying an area of almost 40% of Canada, with one-third of this contained in Arctic islands, Canada's northern territories consist of a diversity of physical environments unrivaled around the circumpolar north. Major ecozones composed of a range of landforms, climate, vegetation, and wildlife include: Arctic, boreal and taiga cordillera; boreal and taiga plains; taiga shield; and northern and southern Arctic. Although generally characterized by a cold climate, there is an enormous range in air temperature with mean annual values being as high as -5 degrees C in the south to as low as -20 degrees C in the high Arctic islands. A similar contrast characterizes precipitation, which can be > 700 mm y(-1) in some southern alpine regions to as low as 50 mm y(-1) over islands of the high Arctic. Major freshwater resources are found within most northern ecozones, varying from large glaciers or ice caps and lakes to extensive wetlands and peat lands. Most of the North's renewable water, however, is found within its major river networks and originates in more southerly headwaters. Ice covers characterize the freshwater systems for multiple months of the year while permafrost prevails in various forms, dominating the terrestrial landscape. The marine environment, which envelops the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, is dominated by seasonal to multiyear sea ice often several meters thick that plays a key role in the regional climate. Almost two-thirds of northern Canadian communities are located along coastlines with the entire population being just over 100 000. Most recent population growth has been dominated by an expansion of nonaboriginals, primarily the result of resource development and the growth of public administration. The economies of northern communities, however, remain quite mixed with traditional land

Potential for tree rings to reveal spatial patterns of past drought variability across western Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Donnell, Alison J.; Cook, Edward R.; Palmer, Jonathan G.; Turney, Chris S. M.; Grierson, Pauline F.

2018-02-01

Proxy records have provided major insights into the variability of past climates over long timescales. However, for much of the Southern Hemisphere, the ability to identify spatial patterns of past climatic variability is constrained by the sparse distribution of proxy records. This is particularly true for mainland Australia, where relatively few proxy records are located. Here, we (1) assess the potential to use existing proxy records in the Australasian region—starting with the only two multi-century tree-ring proxies from mainland Australia—to reveal spatial patterns of past hydroclimatic variability across the western third of the continent, and (2) identify strategic locations to target for the development of new proxy records. We show that the two existing tree-ring records allow robust reconstructions of past hydroclimatic variability over spatially broad areas (i.e. > 3° × 3°) in inland north- and south-western Australia. Our results reveal synchronous periods of drought and wet conditions between the inland northern and southern regions of western Australia as well as a generally anti-phase relationship with hydroclimate in eastern Australia over the last two centuries. The inclusion of 174 tree-ring proxy records from Tasmania, New Zealand and Indonesia and a coral record from Queensland did not improve the reconstruction potential over western Australia. However, our findings suggest that the addition of relatively few new proxy records from key locations in western Australia that currently have low reconstruction skill will enable the development of a comprehensive drought atlas for the region, and provide a critical link to the drought atlases of monsoonal Asia and eastern Australia and New Zealand.

12 CFR 618.8030 - Out-of-territory related services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Related Services § 618.8030 Out-of-territory related services. (a) System banks and associations may offer... including timeframes. (b) System banks and associations providing out-of-territory services must fulfill all... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Out-of-territory related services. 618.8030...

12 CFR 618.8030 - Out-of-territory related services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Related Services § 618.8030 Out-of-territory related services. (a) System banks and associations may offer... including timeframes. (b) System banks and associations providing out-of-territory services must fulfill all... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Out-of-territory related services. 618.8030...

12 CFR 618.8030 - Out-of-territory related services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Related Services § 618.8030 Out-of-territory related services. (a) System banks and associations may offer... including timeframes. (b) System banks and associations providing out-of-territory services must fulfill all... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Out-of-territory related services. 618.8030...

Northern Saw-whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus) captured at Cape May Point, NJ, 1980-1994: comparison of two capture techniques

Treesearch

Katharine E. Duffy; Patrick E. Matheny

1997-01-01

During autumn migration 1980-1994, 1,270 Northern Saw-whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus) (NSWO) were captured and banded at Cape May Point, NJ. From 1980-1988, captures were effected by passive mist-netting. From 1989-1994, an audiolure (NSWO territorial song broadcast loudly from dusk to dawn in the trapping area) was used to enhance capture rate. 638...

Diamond exploration and regional prospectivity of Western Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchison, Mark T.

2018-06-01

Pre-1.6 Ga rocks comprise around 45% of the onshore area of Western Australia (WA), constituting the West Australian Craton (WAC) (including the Archean Yilgarn and Pilbara Cratons) and the western part of the North Australian Craton (NAC). These areas provide the conditions suitable for diamond formation at depth, and numerous diamondiferous lamproite and kimberlite fields are known. As emplacement ages span close to 2500 Ma, there are significant opportunities for diamond-affinity rocks being present near-surface in much of the State, including amongst Phanerozoic rocks. WA's size, terrain, infrastructure and climate, mean that many areas remain underexplored. However, continuous diamond exploration since the 1970s has resulted in abundant data. In order to advance future exploration, a comprehensive database of results of diamond exploration sampling (Geological Survey of Western Australia 2018) has been assessed. The Yilgarn and Pilbara Cratons have spinel indicators almost exclusively dominated by chromite (>90% of grains), whereas (Mg,Fe,Ti)-bearing Al-chromites account for more of the indicator spinels in the NAC, up to 50% of grains at the Northern Territory (NT) border. Increasing dominance of Al in chromites is interpreted as a sign of weathering or a shallower source than Al-depleted Mg-chromites. Garnet compositions across the State also correlate with geological subdivisions, with lherzolitic garnets showing more prospective compositions (Ca-depleted) in WAC samples compared to the NAC. WAC samples also show a much broader scatter into strongly diamond-prospective G10 and G10D compositions. Ilmenites from the NAC show Mg-enriched compositions (consistent with kimberlites), over and above those present in NT data. However, ilmenites from the WAC again show the most diamond-prospective trends. Numerous indicator mineral concentrations throughout the State have unknown sources. Due in part to the presence of diamondiferous lamproites, it is cautioned that

Effects of fire on golden eagle territory occupancy and reproductive success

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kochert, Michael N.; Steenhof, Karen; Marzluff, J.M.; Carpenter, L.B.

1999-01-01

We examined effects of fire on golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) territory occupancy and reproductive success in southwestern Idaho because wildfires since 1980 have resulted in large-scale losses of shrub habitat in the Snake River Plain. Success (percentage of pairs that raised young) at burned territories declined after major fires (P = 0.004). Pairs in burned areas that could expand into adjacent vacant territories were as successful as pairs in unburned territories and more successful than pairs in burned territories that could not expand. Success at extensively burned territories was lowest 4-6 years after burning but increased 4-5 years later. The incidence and extent of fires did not help predict territories that would have low occupancy and success rates in postburn years. The presence of a vacant neighboring territory and the amount of agriculture and proportion of shrubs within 3 km of the nesting centroid best predicted probability of territory occupancy. Nesting success during preburn years best predicted the probability of a territory being successful in postburn years. Burned territories with high success rates during preburn years continued to have high success rates during postburn years, and those with low success in preburn years continued to be less successful after burning. In areas where much shrub habitat has been lost to fire, management for golden eagles should include active fire suppression and rehabilitation of burned areas.

Asian migration to Australia: food and health consequences.

PubMed

Wahlqvist, Mark L

2002-01-01

Australia's food and health patterns are inextricably and increasingly linked with Asia. Indigenous Australians arrived in the continent via Asia and have linguistic connections with people who settled in south India; there was interaction and food trade between both South-East Asia and China and northern indigenous Australians over thousands of years. After European settlement in 1788, there have been several and increasing (apart from the period of the infamous White Australian Policy following the Colonial period and Independence, with Federation, in 1901) waves of Asian migration, notably during the gold rush (Chinese), the building of the overland Telegraph (Afghans), the Colombo Plan and Asian student education in Australia from the 1950s onwards (South-Eeast Asians), and with refugees (Vietnamese and mainland Chinese), and business (late twentieth century) and progressive family reunion. Each wave has injected additional food cultural elements and caused a measure of health change for migrants and host citizens. Of principal advantage to Australia has been the progressive diversification of the food supply and associated health protection. This has increased food security and sustainability. The process of Australian eating patterns becoming Asianized is evident through market garden development (and the introduction of new foods), fresh food markets and groceries, restaurants and the development of household cooking skills (often taught by student boarders). Most of the diversification has been with grain (rice), legumes (soy), greens, root vegetables, and various 'exotic fruits'. Food acculturation with migration is generally bi-directional. Thus, for Asians in Australia, there has been a decrease in energy expenditure (and a lower plane of energy throughput), an increase in food energy density (through increased fat and sugary drink intakes), and a decrease in certain health protective foods (lentils, soy, greens) and beverages (tea). This sets the stage

First record of the genus Ptilocerus in the Australian Region, with the description of two new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae).

PubMed

Malipatil, M B

2018-04-16

The assassin bugs of the genus Ptilocerus Gray, 1831 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Holoptilinae) occurring in the Australian Region are reviewed for the first time, resulting in the description of two new species, viz., P. spangenbergi sp. nov. (Queensland and Northern Territory, Australia) and P. papuensis sp. nov. (Papua New Guinea). The latter species differs from P. fuscus Gray, 1831 (the type-species of genus Ptilocerus) in a couple of major external morphological characters, hence its tentative placement in the genus Ptilocerus is discussed. A key for the separation of the two new species is provided.

The relationship between habitat characteristics and demographic performance of northern spotted owls in southern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dugger, Katie M.; Wagner, Frank; Anthony, Robert G.; Olson, Gail S.

2005-01-01

We used data from Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) territories to model the effects of habitat (particularly intermediate-aged forest stand types), climate, and nonhabitat covariates (i.e., age, sex) on owl reproductive rate and apparent survival in southwestern Oregon. Our best model for reproductive rate included an interaction between a cyclic, annual time trend and male breeding experience, with higher reproductive rates in even years compared to odd, particularly for males with previous breeding experience. Reproductive rate was also negatively related to the amount of winter precipitation and positively related to the proportion of old-growth forest near the owl territory center. Apparent survival was not associated with age, sex, climate or any of the intermediate-aged forest types, but was positively associated with the proportion of older forest near the territory center in a pseudothreshold pattern. The quadratic structure of the proportion of nonhabitat farther from the nest or primary roost site was also part of our best survival model. Survival decreased dramatically when the amount of nonhabitat exceeded ∼50%. Habitat fitness potential estimates (λ̂h) for 97 owl territories ranged from 0.29–1.09, with a mean of 0.86 ± 0.02. Owl territories with habitat fitness potentials <1.0 were generally characterized by <40%–50% old forest habitat near the territory center. Our results indicate that both apparent survival and reproductive rate are positively associated with older forest types close to the nest or primary roost site. We found no support for either a positive or negative direct effect of intermediate-aged forests on either survival or reproductive rate.

Impact of rotavirus vaccination in Australian children below 5 years of age

PubMed Central

Pendleton, Annmarie; Galic, Maja; Clarke, Christopher; Ng, Su Peing; Ledesma, Emilio; Ramakrishnan, Gunasekaran; Liu, Yanfang

2013-01-01

This study was conducted to assess the impact of administration of two-dose rotavirus (RV) vaccine (RIX4414; GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines) among children aged less than 5 y in three states/territories of Australia. Aggregated and de-identified data on rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) and all-cause gastroenteritis (AGE) from July 1998–June 2009 were obtained from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare database. The baseline incidence (July 1998–June 2006) of RVGE hospitalizations before RV vaccine introduction in New South Wales (NSW), the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory (NT) were 33.75, 42.93 and 288.67 per 10 000 child-years, respectively among children aged 0–11 mo. Following RV vaccine introduction in NSW, the ACT and the NT, incidence of RVGE hospitalizations reduced to 13.06, 17.35 and 47.52 per 10 000 child-years, respectively, during July 2007–June 2008 and 3.87, 8.40 and 122.79 per 10,000 child-years, respectively, during July 2008–June 2009 among children aged 0–11 mo. Reductions in RVGE and AGE were also observed in all children below 5 y of age in NSW and the ACT. Overall reduction in hospitalizations due to RVGE and AGE was observed following RV vaccine introduction into the NIP in Australia. PMID:23733041

Primary production in the tropical continental shelf seas bordering northern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furnas, Miles J.; Carpenter, Edward J.

2016-10-01

Pelagic primary production (14C uptake) was measured 81 times between 1990 and 2013 at sites spanning the broad, shallow Northern Australian Shelf (NAS; 120-145°E) which borders the Australian continent. The mean of all areal production measurements was 1048±109 mg C m-2 d-1 (mean±95% CI). Estimates of areal primary production were correlated with integral upper-euphotic zone chlorophyll stocks (above the 50% and 20% light penetration depths) accessible to ocean color remote sensing and total water column chlorophyll standing crop, but not surface (0-2 m) chlorophyll concentrations. While the NAS is subject to a well characterized monsoonal climate regime (austral summer-NW monsoon -wet: austral winter- SE monsoon -dry), most seasonal differences in means of regional-scale chlorophyll standing crop (11-33 mg Chl m-2 for 12 of 15 season-region combinations) and areal primary production (700-1850 mg C m- day-1 for 12 of 15 season-region combinations) fell within a 3-fold range. Apart from the shallow waters of the Torres Strait and northern Great Barrier Reef, picoplankton (<2 μm size fraction) dominated chlorophyll standing crop and primary production with regional means of picoplankton contributions ranging from 45 to >80%. While the range of our post-1990 areal production estimates overlaps the range of production estimates made in NAS waters during 1960-62, the mean of post-1990 estimates is over 2-fold greater. We regard the difference to be due to improvements in production measurement techniques, particularly regarding the reduction of potential metal toxicity and incubations in more realistic light regimes.

On interception modelling of a lowland coastal rainforest in northern Queensland, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, Jim; McJannet, Dave

2006-10-01

SummaryRecent studies of the water balance of tropical rainforests in northern Queensland have revealed that large fractions of rainfall, up to 30%, are intercepted by the canopy and lost as evaporation. These loss rates are much higher than those reported for continental rainforests, for example, in the Amazon basin, where interception is around 9% of rainfall. Higher interception losses have been found in coastal and mountain rainforests and substantial advection of energy during rainfall is proposed to account for these results. This paper uses a process based model of interception to analyse the interception losses at Oliver Creek, a lowland coastal rainforest site in northern Queensland with a mean annual rainfall of 3952 mm. The observed interception loss of 25% of rainfall for the period August 2001 to January 2004 can be reproduced by the model with a suitable choice of the three key controlling variables, the canopy storage capacity, mean rainfall rate and mean wet canopy evaporation rate. Our analyses suggest that the canopy storage capacity of the Oliver Creek rainforest is between 3.0 and 3.5 mm, higher than reported for most other rainforests. Despite the high canopy capacity at our site, the interception losses can only be accounted for with energy advection during rainfall in the range 40-70% of the incident energy.

Integrated Watershed Assessment: The Northern River Basins Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wrona, F. J.; Gummer, W. D.

2001-05-01

Begun in 1991 and completed in 1996, the Northern River Basins Study (NRBS) was a \\$12 M initiative established by the governments of Canada, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories to assess the cumulative impacts of development, particularly pulp mill related effluent discharges, on the health of the Peace, Athabasca and Slave river basins. The NRBS was launched in response to concerns expressed by northern residents following the 1991 approval of the Alberta Pacific Pulp Mill in Athabasca. Although initiated by governments, the NRBS was set-up to be `arms-length' and was managed by a 25 member Study Board that represented the many interests in the basins, including industry, environmental groups, aboriginal peoples, health, agriculture, education, municipalities, and the federal, territorial and provincial governments. Overseen by an independent Science Advisory Committee, an integrated research program was designed covering eight scientific components: fate and distribution of contaminants, food chain impacts, nutrients, hydrology/hydraulics and sediment transport, uses of the water resources, drinking water quality, traditional knowledge, and synthesis/modeling. Using a 'weight of evidence' approach with a range of ecological and sociological indicators, cumulative impacts from pulp and paper-related discharges and other point and non-point sources of pollution were determined in relation to the health and contaminant levels of aquatic biota, nutrient and dissolved oxygen-related stress, hydrology and climate related changes, and human health and use of the river basins. Based on this assessment and Study Board deliberations, site-specific and basin-wide scientific and management-related recommendations were made to Ministers regarding regulatory and policy changes, basin management and monitoring options, and future research. The Study reinforces the importance of conducting ecosystem-based , interdisciplinary science and the need for public involvement in

Modeling co-occurrence of northern spotted and barred owls: accounting for detection probability differences

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bailey, Larissa L.; Reid, Janice A.; Forsman, Eric D.; Nichols, James D.

2009-01-01

Barred owls (Strix varia) have recently expanded their range and now encompass the entire range of the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). This expansion has led to two important issues of concern for management of northern spotted owls: (1) possible competitive interactions between the two species that could contribute to population declines of northern spotted owls, and (2) possible changes in vocalization behavior and detection probabilities of northern spotted owls induced by presence of barred owls. We used a two-species occupancy model to investigate whether there was evidence of competitive exclusion between the two species at study locations in Oregon, USA. We simultaneously estimated detection probabilities for both species and determined if the presence of one species influenced the detection of the other species. Model selection results and associated parameter estimates provided no evidence that barred owls excluded spotted owls from territories. We found strong evidence that detection probabilities differed for the two species, with higher probabilities for northern spotted owls that are the object of current surveys. Non-detection of barred owls is very common in surveys for northern spotted owls, and detection of both owl species was negatively influenced by the presence of the congeneric species. Our results suggest that analyses directed at hypotheses of barred owl effects on demographic or occupancy vital rates of northern spotted owls need to deal adequately with imperfect and variable detection probabilities for both species.

Podiatric involvement in multidisciplinary falls-prevention clinics in Australia.

PubMed

Menz, Hylton B; Hill, Keith D

2007-01-01

Falls in older people are a major public health problem, and there is increasing evidence that foot problems and inappropriate footwear increase the risk of falls. Several multidisciplinary prevention clinics have been established to address the problem of falls; however, the role of podiatry in these clinics has not been clearly defined. The aims of this study were to determine the level of podiatric involvement in multidisciplinary falls clinics in Australia and to describe the assessments undertaken and interventions provided by podiatrists in these settings. A database of falls clinics was developed through consultation with departments of health in each state and territory. Clinic managers were contacted and surveyed as to whether the clinic incorporated podiatry services. If so, the podiatrists were contacted and asked to complete a brief questionnaire regarding their level of involvement and the assessment procedures and interventions offered. Of the 36 clinics contacted, 25 completed the survey. Only four of these clinics reported direct podiatric involvement. Despite the limited involvement of podiatry in these clinics, all of the clinic managers stated that they considered podiatry to have an important role to play in falls prevention. Podiatry service provision in falls clinics varied considerably in relation to eligibility criteria, assessments undertaken, and interventions provided. Despite the recognition that foot problems and inappropriate footwear are risk factors for falls, podiatry currently has a relatively minor and poorly defined role in multidisciplinary falls-prevention clinics in Australia.

A revised climatology of SE Australia at the LGM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shulmeister, James; Cohen, Tim; Kiernan, Kevin; Woodward, Craig; Clark, Doug; Fitzsimmons, Kat; Kemp, Justine; Gontz, Allen; Haworth, Robert; Moss, Patrick; Chang, Jie; Mueller, Daniela; Slee, Adrian; Ellerton, Dan

2015-04-01

This paper summarises some of the results of a recently completed project aimed at defining climate conditions at the LGM in south eastern Australia. We conclude that overall cooling on the SE mainland was 8-10°C but that cooling along the eastern coastal strip and in Tasmania was somewhat less (4-7°C). The persistence of a humid climate along the east coast and in the adjacent highlands allowed rivers to flow more strongly than during the Holocene. We suggest that onshore flow on the northern limbs of east coast high pressure cells, supplemented by moisture from east coast lows maintained this humid fringe. The processes were enhanced by increased sea-land temperature contrasts especially in winter and by reduced evapotranspiration under lower temperatures and altered vegetation cover. We can explain most of the paleoenvironmental observations in SE Australia at the LGM by invoking an enhanced high pressure cell over the modern SE mainland while westerly flow continued to dominate in Tasmania. At the true LGM westerly penetration of the SE mainland was reduced but east coast systems were either unaffected or enhanced.

Prevalence and predictors of advance directives in Australia.

PubMed

White, B; Tilse, C; Wilson, J; Rosenman, L; Strub, T; Feeney, R; Silvester, W

2014-10-01

Advance care planning is regarded as integral to better patient outcomes, yet little is known about the prevalence of advance directives (AD) in Australia. To determine the prevalence of AD in the Australian population. A national telephone survey about estate and advance planning. Sample was stratified by age (18-45 and >45 years) and quota sampling occurred based on population size in each state and territory. Fourteen per cent of the Australian population has an AD. There is state variation with people from South Australia and Queensland more likely to have an AD than people from other states. Will making and particularly completion of a financial enduring power of attorney are associated with higher rates of AD completion. Standard demographic variables were of limited use in predicting whether a person would have an AD. Despite efforts to improve uptake of advance care planning (including AD), barriers remain. One likely trigger for completing an AD and advance care planning is undertaking a wider future planning process (e.g. making a will or financial enduring power of attorney). This presents opportunities to increase advance care planning, but steps are needed to ensure that planning, which occurs outside the health system, is sufficiently informed and supported by health information so that it is useful in the clinical setting. Variations by state could also suggest that redesign of regulatory frameworks (such as a user-friendly and well-publicised form backed by statute) may help improve uptake of AD. © 2014 The Authors; Internal Medicine Journal © 2014 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Variability in rainfall over tropical Australia during summer and relationships with the Bilybara High

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reason, C. J. C.

2018-04-01

Variability in summer rainfall over tropical Australia, defined here as that part of the continent north of 25° S, and its linkages with regional circulation are examined. In particular, relationships with the mid-level anticyclone (termed the Bilybara High) that exists over the northwestern Australia/Timor Sea region between August and April are considered. This High forms to the southwest of the upper-level anticyclone via a balance between the upper-level divergence over the region of tropical precipitation maximum and planetary vorticity advection and moves south and strengthens during the spring and summer. It is shown that variations in the strength and position of the Bilybara High are related to anomalies in precipitation and temperature over large parts of tropical Australia as well as some areas in the south and southeast of the landmass. Some of the interannual variations in the High are related to ENSO, but there are also a number of neutral years with large anomalies in the High and hence in rainfall. On decadal time scales, a strong relationship exists between the leading mode of tropical Australian rainfall and the Bilybara High. On both interannual and decadal scales, the relationships between the High and the regional rainfall involve changes in the monsoonal northwesterlies blowing towards northern Australia, and further south, in the easterly trade winds over the region.

Cost for the treatment of actinic keratosis on the rise in Australia

PubMed Central

Perera, Eshini; McGuigan, Sean; Sinclair, Rodney

2014-01-01

Objectives: To report the burden and cost of actinic keratosis (AK) treatment in Australia and to forecast the number of AK treatments and the associated costs to 2020. Design and setting: A retrospective study of data obtained from medicare Australia for AK treated by cryotherapy between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 2012, by year and by state or territory. Results: The total number of AK cryotherapy treatments increased from 247,515 in 1994 to 643,622 in 2012, and we estimate that the number of treatments will increase to 831,952 (95% CI 676,919 to 986,987) by 2020. The total Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) benefits paid out for AK in 2012 was $19.6 million and we forecast that this will increase to $24.7 million by 2020 (without inflation). Conclusion: The number of AK cryotherapy treatments increased by 160% between 1994 and 2012. we forecast that the number of treatments will increase by 30% between 2012 and 2020. The rates of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and AK appear to be increasing at the same rate. During the period 2010 to 2015 AK is anticipated to increase by 17.8% which follows a similar trend to published data that forecasts an increase in NMSC treatments of 22.3%. PMID:25309734

Projected change in characteristics of near surface temperature inversions for southeast Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Fei; Evans, Jason Peter; Di Luca, Alejandro; Jiang, Ningbo; Olson, Roman; Fita, Lluis; Argüeso, Daniel; Chang, Lisa T.-C.; Scorgie, Yvonne; Riley, Matt

2018-05-01

Air pollution has significant impacts on human health. Temperature inversions, especially near surface temperature inversions, can amplify air pollution by preventing convective movements and trapping pollutants close to the ground, thus decreasing air quality and increasing health issues. This effect of temperature inversions implies that trends in their frequency, strength and duration can have important implications for air quality. In this study, we evaluate the ability of three reanalysis-driven high-resolution regional climate model (RCM) simulations to represent near surface inversions at 9 sounding sites in southeast Australia. Then we use outputs of 12 historical and future RCM simulations (each with three time periods: 1990-2009, 2020-2039, and 2060-2079) from the NSW/ACT (New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory) Regional Climate Modelling (NARCliM) project to investigate changes in near surface temperature inversions. The results show that there is a substantial increase in the strength of near surface temperature inversions over southeast Australia which suggests that future inversions may intensify poor air quality events. Near surface inversions and their future changes have clear seasonal and diurnal variations. The largest differences between simulations are associated with the driving GCMs, suggesting that the large-scale circulation plays a dominant role in near surface inversion strengths.

Spacetime Distributions of Wildfire Areas and Emissions of Carbon-Containing Gases and Aerosols in Northern Eurasia according to Satellite-Monitoring Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bondur, V. G.; Gordo, K. A.; Kladov, V. L.

2017-12-01

Based on online wildfire satellite-monitoring data, distributions of burned-out areas, as well as emission volumes of carbon-containing gases (CO and CO2) and fine aerosols (PM2.5), for different regions and months in 2005-2016 (across the territory of Russia) and in 2010-2016 (northern Eurasia) are analyzed. Distinctive features of the seasonal behavior of wildfires and emission volumes of carbon-containing gases and fine aerosols for different regions of northern Eurasia are determined. It is shown that between 2005 and 2016 the annual area of territories burned out during wildfires in Russia decreased by almost a factor of 2.6 owing to early detection and suppression of fire sources. It is determined that in 2014-2016 the relative size of burned-out areas in Ukraine increased 6-9-fold and volumes of CO, CO2, and PM2.5 emissions by more than a factor of 6.5-7.5 times when compared to earlier years and these characteristics for other European countries.

Evolution of foraging behaviour: Deep intra-generic genetic divergence between territorial and non-territorial southern African patellid limpets.

PubMed

Mmonwa, Kolobe L; Teske, Peter R; McQuaid, Christopher D; Barker, Nigel P

2017-12-01

Southern Africa is a biodiversity hotspot of patellid limpets, with three genera (Helcion, Cymbula and Scutellastra) identified and described in the region. Scutellastra is the most diverse and most frequently studied of these and, along with Cymbula, includes species with territorial and non-territorial foraging behaviours. We used three mitochondrial markers (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA and COI) and one nuclear marker (ATPSβ intron) to assess evolutionary relationships among species of Cymbula and Scutellastra with these two foraging behaviours and to identify which foraging mode is the more ancient. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference phylogenetic analyses revealed that the species sharing a foraging type are monophyletic in both genera. Territoriality is a derived character, as the clades with this foraging type are nested within a tree that otherwise comprises non-territorial taxa. These include Helcion, which was recovered as sister to the Cymbula/Scutellastra clade, and the next basal genus, Patella, which is ancestral to all southern African patellogastropods. Deep genetic divergence between the two foraging traits reflects strong adaptive effects of resource partitioning in the evolution of southern African patellid limpets. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Introductory remarks from the Treaty #3 Territory

Treesearch

Sandy Lance

2001-01-01

Boozhoo. On behalf of the 25 First Nation Communities in the Treaty #3 Territory, I welcome you to our homeland. Our territory covers 55,000 square miles of the Lake Winnipeg watershed in northwestern Ontario and southeastern Manitoba. These lands, forests, and waterways have sustained our people from time immemorial, and even today we continue to live in the forest....

Vocational Training and Lifelong Learning in Australia and Germany. Australia Centre Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Gerald, Ed.; Reuling, Jochen, Ed.

This document contains 17 papers on vocational training and lifelong learning in Australia and Germany. The following papers are included: "Vocational Training and Lifelong Learning in Australia and Germany: Background" (Gerald Burke); "Vocational Training and Lifelong Learning in Australia: Observations and Conclusions from a…

Consensus recommendations on the use of daylight photodynamic therapy with methyl aminolevulinate cream for actinic keratoses in Australia

PubMed Central

Shumack, Stephen; Murrell, Dedee F; Rubel, Diana M; Fernández‐Peñas, Pablo; Salmon, Robert; Hewitt, Daniel; Foley, Peter; Spelman, Lynda

2015-01-01

Abstract Australia has the highest prevalence of actinic keratoses (AK) worldwide. Because of the risk of transformation of AK to invasive squamous cell carcinomas, consensus guidelines recommend that AK are removed using appropriate therapies to prevent progression to invasive disease. Daylight photodynamic therapy (PDT) is emerging as an efficacious treatment for AK, particularly for patients who require treatment of large areas of chronic actinic damage that can be exposed easily to daylight. Daylight PDT with methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) cream is a simple treatment for AK, almost painless, well tolerated and convenient, requiring minimal time in the clinic. Randomised controlled studies from northern Europe and Australia support the use of daylight PDT as an effective therapy for grade I and II AK on the face and scalp. There is sufficient daylight to conduct daylight PDT in Australia at any time of the year and during most weather conditions. Hence, daylight PDT with MAL can be included as an effective and well‐tolerated new treatment option for the treatment of AK in Australia. These consensus recommendations provide guidelines for Australian clinicians on the use of daylight PDT in the treatment of diagnosed AK. PMID:26033230

Fusarium agapanthi sp. nov, a novel bikaverin and fusarubin-producing leaf and stem spot pathogen of Agapanthus praecox (African lily) from Australia and Italy

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study was conducted to characterize a novel Fusarium species that caused leaf and stem spot on Agapanthus praecox (Agapanthus, African lily) in northern Italy and leaf rot and spot on the same host in Melbourne, Australia. Formally described as Fusarium agapanthi, this pathogen was analyzed usi...

Key factors impacting on diagnosis and treatment for vulvar cancer for Indigenous women: findings from Australia.

PubMed

McGrath, Pam; Rawson, Nicole

2013-10-01

To date, there has been limited research on the topic of vulvar cancer. This paper provides findings from a qualitative study conducted with Indigenous women in East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia on the psychosocial impact of diagnosis and treatment for vulvar cancer. The insights from the study outlined in this paper not only make a contribution to deepening our understanding of the experience of vulvar cancer for Indigenous women, but provide practical recommendations to ensure effective and early engagement for diagnosis and treatment. A qualitative research method was employed through in-depth, open-ended interviews. The participants of the study were a purposive sample of Indigenous women with the condition, health professionals, and Aboriginal health workers. There were a total of 40 participants; with twelve (n = 12) Indigenous women affected with the condition, fourteen (n = 14) Aboriginal Health Workers, ten (n = 10) nurses, three (n = 3) doctors, and one (n = 1) community member. This paper addresses three key issues highlighted by the participants which include the fact that the private nature of the disease makes the condition 'women's business', that there is a sense of shame associated with the condition, and that there is fear and worry generated by the seriousness of the condition. The private nature of the disease and the sense of shame associated with the condition impact upon the diagnosis and treatment for many Indigenous women. In addition, the limitation of resources for health service delivery for East Arnhem Land exacerbates the problems faced by these communities. This paper puts forward suggestions to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment for women affected with the condition.