Is Ips grandicollis disrupting the biological control of Sirex noctilio in Australia?

Treesearch

Angus J. Carnegie; Andrew D. Loch

2011-01-01

Sirex woodwasp (Sirex noctilio) is considered one of the most serious threats to exotic Pinus radiata plantations in Australia. This exotic wasp has been established in Australia for more than six decades. The most significant outbreak occurred in the Green Triangle region of southeastern South Australia-western Victoria in the...

Defense.gov Special Report: Travels With Hagel

Science.gov Websites

Posture Agreement The new U.S.-Australia force posture agreement will advance America's ongoing strategic U.S.-Australia Force Posture Pact A New force posture agreement between the U.S. and Australia capture of Kerry and Australian official signing a pact. U.S., Australia Sign Landmark Agreement More

What's Different Away from the Rat Race?: Issues for VET in Non-Metropolitan Australia. CRLRA Discussion Paper Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilpatrick, Sue; Bell, Rowena

A review of research literature relating to vocational education and training (VET) in non-metropolitan Australia identified issues which differentially impact metropolitan and non-metropolitan Australia and research needs. Findings indicated non-metropolitan Australia is diverse in terms of population density, educational experiences of the…

Do Accredited Undergraduate Accounting Programmes in Australia Meet the Needs and Expectations of the Accounting Profession?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bayerlein, Leopold; Timpson, Mel

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the overall alignment of undergraduate accounting degree programmes from all Certified Practicing Accountants Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand accredited higher education providers in Australia with the profession's minimum educational expectations (MEEs).…

Inclusivity and Senior Physical Education: Insights from Queensland and Western Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Penney, Dawn; Hay, Peter

2008-01-01

In the context of uncertainty and ongoing reform of senior secondary education in Australia, this paper addresses inclusivity in the design and implementation of senior physical education (PE) courses. Critical analysis of course developments in two states in Australia; Queensland and Western Australia, demonstrates ways in which course design,…

Rapid diversification in Australia and two dispersals out of Australia in the globally distributed bee genus, Hylaeus (Colletidae: Hylaeinae).

PubMed

Kayaalp, Pelin; Schwarz, Michael P; Stevens, Mark I

2013-03-01

Hylaeus is the only globally distributed colletid bee genus, with subgeneric and species-level diversity highest in Australia. We used one mitochondrial and two nuclear genes to reconstruct a phylogeny using Bayesian analyses of this genus based on species from Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, Hawai'i, the New World and New Zealand. Our results concord with a ca. 30Mya Hylaeus crown age inferred by earlier studies, and we show that Hylaeus originated in Australia. Our phylogeny indicates only two dispersal events out of Australia, both shortly after the initial diversification of extant taxa. One of these dispersals was into New Zealand with only a minor subsequent radiation, but the second dispersal out of Australia resulted in a world-wide distribution. This second dispersal and radiation event, combined with very extensive early radiation of Hyleaus in Australia, poses a conundrum: what kinds of biogeographical and ecological factors could simultaneously drive global dispersal, yet strongly constrain further successful migrations out of Australia when geographical barriers appear to be weak? We argue that for hylaeine bees movement into new niches and enemy-free spaces may have favoured initial dispersal events, but that subsequent dispersals would not have entailed the original benefits of new niche space. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 319.56-20 - Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania... Fruits and Vegetables § 319.56-20 Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand. Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand may be imported only in accordance...

7 CFR 319.56-20 - Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania... Fruits and Vegetables § 319.56-20 Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand. Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand may be imported only in accordance...

7 CFR 319.56-20 - Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania... Fruits and Vegetables § 319.56-20 Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand. Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand may be imported only in accordance...

7 CFR 319.56-20 - Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania... Fruits and Vegetables § 319.56-20 Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand. Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand may be imported only in accordance...

7 CFR 319.56-20 - Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania... Fruits and Vegetables § 319.56-20 Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand. Apples and pears from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand may be imported only in accordance...

75 FR 12171 - Notice of Availability of a Draft Pest Risk Assessment on Honey Bees Imported from Australia

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-15

...] Notice of Availability of a Draft Pest Risk Assessment on Honey Bees Imported from Australia AGENCY... evaluation of the pest risks associated with the importation of honey bees from Australia. The draft pest... States from Australia after concerns that exotic honey bee pathogens or parasites may have been...

Unlocking Australia's Language Potential. Profiles of 9 Key Languages in Australia. Volume 7: Japanese.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marriott, Helen; And Others

The report on the status of Japanese language teaching in Australia gives a broad view of Japanese study and discusses current educational issues in some detail. An introductory chapter offers a brief overview of the history, objectives, and issues of Japanese language instruction in Australia. The second chapter details features of instructional…

Beyond the Conventional Wisdom: Rural Development As If Australia's Rural People Really Mattered. Background Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sher, Jonathan; Sher, Katrina Rowe

This paper proposes a framework for developing a national rural development policy in Australia. Some common relevant misconceptions are that rural Australia and rural Australians are peripheral to the national economy and the nation's future, that farmers and farming communities are the alpha and omega of rural Australia, and that whatever is…

AgRISTARS: Foreign commodity production forecasting. Country summary report, Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henninger, D. L.; Reed, C. R. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

Australia is one of the world's major growers and exporters of wheat and as such is one of the countries of interest in the AgRISTARS program which endeavors to develop technology to estimate crop production using aerospace remote sensing. A compilation of geographic, political, and agricultural information on Australia is presented. Also included is a summary of the aerospace remote sensing, meteorological, and ground-observed data which were collected with respect to Australia, as well as a summary of contacts between AgRISTARS and Australia personnel.

East-west genetic differentiation in Musk Ducks (Biziura lobata) of Australia suggests late Pleistocene divergence at the Nullarbor Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guay, P.-J.; Chesser, R.T.; Mulder, R.A.; Afton, A.D.; Paton, D.C.; McCracken, K.G.

2010-01-01

Musk Ducks (Biziura lobata) are endemic to Australia and occur as two geographically isolated populations separated by the Nullarbor Plain, a vast arid region in southern Australia. We studied genetic variation in Musk Duck populations at coarse (eastern versus western Australia) and fine scales (four sites within eastern Australia). We found significant genetic structure between eastern and western Australia in the mtDNA control region (??ST = 0. 747), one nuclear intron (??ST = 0.193) and eight microsatellite loci (FST = 0.035). In contrast, there was little genetic structure between Kangaroo Island and adjacent mainland regions within eastern Australia. One small population of Musk Ducks in Victoria (Lake Wendouree) differed from both Kangaroo Island and the remainder of mainland eastern Australia, possibly due to genetic drift exacerbated by inbreeding and small population size. The observed low pairwise distance between the eastern and western mtDNA lineages (0.36%) suggests that they diverged near the end of the Pleistocene, a period characterised by frequent shifts between wet and arid conditions in central Australia. Our genetic results corroborate the display call divergence and Mathews' (Austral Avian Record 2:83-107, 1914) subspecies classification, and confirm that eastern and western populations of Musk Duck are currently isolated from each other. ?? 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Future Training Issues in Australia's Industries. A Collection of the Papers Presented at the NCVER 1998 Conference: Industry Training Outlook '98 (Sydney, Australia, October 12-13, 1998).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtin, Penelope, Ed.

This book contains 31 papers from a conference on future training issues in Australia's industries. The following papers are included: "Training Development in Australia" (Chris Ellison); "Meeting National and Employer Training Requirements" (Mark Paterson); "Meeting Employee Training Requirements" (Bill Mansfield);…

German Migrant Teachers in Australia: Insights into the Largest Cohort of Non-English Speaking Background Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bense, Katharina

2015-01-01

The research reported in this paper investigates the situation of German migrant teachers in Australia. Although German born teachers represent the largest group of non-English speaking background teachers in Australia, there is no study of the circumstances and experiences of these teachers in Australia. This study aims to fill this gap. It…

Towards a Science of Command and Control (C2)

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-01

Topic: C4ISR/C2 Architecture Associate Professor David H Cropley Systems Engineering & Evaluation Centre, University of South Australia Mawson ...Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia Tel: (+618) 8302 3301 Fax: (+618) 8302 5344 Email: david.cropley@unisa.edu.au Report...ADDRESS(ES) Systems Engineering & Evaluation Centre,University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia, , 8

Synthesis of Core-Shell Nanoparticle Composites

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-17

Mawson Institute, University of South Australia 1 Final Report Contract Number FA2386-09-1-4043 Synthesis of Core-Shell Nanoparticle Composites...CI: Peter Majewski, School of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering, Mawson Institute, University of South Australia, peter.majewski...5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Blvd., Mawson Lakes SA, Australia

The Hidden Topography of Australia's Arts Nation: The Contribution of Universities to the Artistic Landscape

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Jenny

2016-01-01

In "Arts Nation" 2015, the Australia Council documented the current landscape of artistic endeavour in Australia, acknowledging that there are still gaps that need to be filled to build a greater public understanding of the arts in Australia. The contribution of Australian universities to the arts is one such lacuna. This paper seeks to…

The physician assistant role in Aboriginal healthcare in Australia.

PubMed

Laufik, Nanette

2014-01-01

Australia has a shortage of doctors in general and more so in Aboriginal communities. The 2011-2012 report by Health Workforce Australia endorses the relevance of physician assistants (PAs) in rural Australia, and this article describes the experience of a PA employed in rural Aboriginal Health Services in North Queensland. The author also shares recommendations and insights for expanded implementation of PAs.

Solar battery power supply: A reliable power supply system for nursing clinic in Australia`s remote areas

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

Zahedi, A.

Design and performance investigation of a new solar-battery system to power health clinics in Australia`s remote and isolated areas is a research project being conducted in the Department. The objective of this paper is to present the solar-battery system and to discuss the design factors of the system.

The genus Unixenus Jones, 1944 (Diplopoda, Penicillata, Polyxenida) in Australia

PubMed Central

Short, Megan; Huynh, Cuong

2011-01-01

Abstract The penicillate genus Unixenus Jones, 1944 is widespread, with species found in Africa, Madagascar, India and Australia. Each of the two Australian species was originally described from single samples from Western Australia. In this study, collections of Penicillata from museums in all states of Australia were examined to provide further details of the two described species, to revise the diagnoses for both the genus and the species, and to better understand the distribution of the two species in Australia. In addition, two new species Unixenus karajinensis sp. n. and Unixenus corticolus sp. n. are described. PMID:22303098

Optimising the Design of Land Force C2 Architectures

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-06-13

5624 Email: brendan.kirby@dsto.defence.gov.au and David Cropley, Systems Engineering & Evaluation Centre University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes...Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia. Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of...Australia. Email: brendan.kirby@dsto.defence.gov.au *Systems Engineering & Evaluation Centre, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson

Medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives: a comparative study in Australia and Malaysia

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Pharmaceutical representatives provide medicines information on their promoted products to doctors. However, studies have shown that the quality of this information is often low. No study has assessed the medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives to doctors in Malaysia and no recent evidence in Australia is present. We aimed to compare the provision of medicines information by pharmaceutical representatives to doctors in Australia and Malaysia. Methods Following a pharmaceutical representative's visit, general practitioners in Australia and Malaysia who had agreed to participate, were asked to fill out a questionnaire on the main product and claims discussed during the encounter. The questionnaire focused on provision of product information including indications, adverse effects, precautions, contraindications and the provision of information on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) listings and restrictions (in Australia only). Descriptive statistics were produced. Chi-square analysis and clustered linear regression were used to assess differences in Australia and Malaysia. Results Significantly more approved product information sheets were provided in Malaysia (78%) than in Australia (53%) (P < 0.001). In both countries, general practitioners reported that indications (Australia, 90%, Malaysia, 93%) and dosages (Australia, 76%, Malaysia, 82%) were frequently provided by pharmaceutical representatives. Contraindications, precautions, drug interactions and adverse effects were often omitted in the presentations (range 25% - 41%). General practitioners in Australia and Malaysia indicated that in more than 90% of presentations, pharmaceutical representatives partly or fully answered their questions on contraindications, precautions, drug interactions and adverse effects. More general practitioners in Malaysia (85%) than in Australia (60%) reported that pharmaceutical representatives should have mentioned contraindications, precautions for use, drug interaction or adverse effects spontaneously (P < 0.001). In 48% of the Australian presentations, general practitioners reported the pharmaceutical representatives failed to mention information on PBS listings to general practitioners. Conclusions Information on indications and dosages were usually provided by pharmaceutical representatives in Australia and Malaysia. However, risk and harmful effects of medicines were often missing in their presentations. Effective control of medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives is needed. PMID:21118551

Comparison of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors use in Australia and Nova Scotia (Canada)

PubMed Central

Barozzi, Nadia; Sketris, Ingrid; Cooke, Charmaine; Tett, Susan

2009-01-01

AIMS Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors were marketed aggressively and their rapid uptake caused safety concerns and budgetary challenges in Canada and Australia. The objectives of this study were to compare and contrast COX-2 inhibitors and nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (ns-NSAID) use in Nova Scotia (Canada) and Australia and to identify lessons learned from the two jurisdictions. METHODS Ns-NSAID and COX-2 inhibitor Australian prescription data (concession beneficiaries) were downloaded from the Medicare Australia website (2001–2006). Similar Pharmacare data were obtained for Nova Scotia (seniors and those receiving Community services). Defined daily doses per 1000 beneficiaries day−1 were calculated. COX-2 inhibitors/all NSAIDs ratios were calculated for Australia and Nova Scotia. Ns-NSAIDs were divided into low, moderate and high risk for gastrointestinal side-effects and the proportions of use in each group were determined. Which drugs accounted for 90% of use was also calculated. RESULTS Overall NSAID use was different in Australia and Nova Scotia. However, ns-NSAID use was similar. COX-2 inhibitor dispensing was higher in Australia. The percentage of COX-2 inhibitor prescriptions over the total NSAID use was different in the two countries. High-risk NSAID use was much higher in Australia. Low-risk NSAID prescribing increased in Nova Scotia over time. The low-risk/high-risk ratio was constant throughout over the period in Australia and increased in Nova Scotia. CONCLUSIONS There are significant differences in Australia and Nova Scotia in use of NSAIDs, mainly due to COX-2 prescribing. Nova Scotia has a higher proportion of low-risk NSAID use. Interventions to provide physicians with information on relative benefits and risks of prescribing specific NSAIDs are needed, including determining their impact. PMID:19660008

Australia's double standard on Thailand's alcohol warning labels.

PubMed

O'Brien, Paula

2013-01-01

Since 2010, members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), including Australia, have opposed Thailand's proposal for graphic warnings on alcohol containers. This paper aims to provide an account of the arguments for/against Thailand and to examine the arguments' legal and political validity. This paper reviews primary WTO records in relation to Thailand's proposal to reveal the arguments for/against Thailand's proposal. The paper analyses these arguments in light of WTO cases to identify the legal strengths and weaknesses of Thailand's position. The paper then considers whether the attacks on Thailand by Australia are justified in light of the Australian Government's position on (i) alcohol warning labels in Australia and (ii) tobacco plain packaging. The legal arguments against Thailand are: only harmful alcohol consumption should be prevented; there is no evidence that graphic warning labels can reduce alcohol-related harm; the labels unnecessarily restrict international trade. There are some legal weaknesses in Thailand's proposal. Yet, Australia's opposition to Thailand cannot be justified whilst Australia is (i) mandating pregnancy-related alcohol warnings in Australia and (ii) defending its plain packaging law against similar WTO attacks. No WTO member is obliged to challenge another member for being non-compliant. The case tests the willingness of WTO members like Australia to respect the autonomy of other countries to pursue their public health goals and trial novel interventions. Australia's actions suggest it is willing to protect its alcohol industry at the expense of public health in Thailand. © 2012 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Funding antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive temporary residents in Australia prevents transmission and is inexpensive.

PubMed

Gray, Richard T; Watson, Jo; Cogle, Aaron J; Smith, Don E; Hoy, Jennifer F; Bastian, Lisa A; Finlayson, Robert; Drummond, Fraser M; Whittaker, Bill; Law, Matthew G; Petoumenos, Kathy

2018-02-01

Background The aim of this study is to estimate the reduction in new HIV infections and resultant cost outcomes of providing antiretroviral treatment (ART) through Australia's 'universal access' health scheme to all temporary residents with HIV infection living legally in Australia, but currently deemed ineligible to access subsidised ART via this scheme. A mathematical model to estimate the number of new HIV infections averted and the associated lifetime costs over 5 years if all HIV-positive temporary residents in Australia had access to ART and subsidised medical care was developed. Input data came from a cohort of 180 HIV-positive temporary residents living in Australia who are receiving free ART donated by pharmaceutical companies for up to 4 years. Expanding ART access to an estimated total 450 HIV+ temporary residents in Australia for 5 years could avert 80 new infections. The model estimated the total median discounted (5%) cost for ART and associated care to be A$36million, while the total savings in lifetime-discounted costs for the new infections averted was A$22million. It is estimated that expanded access to ART for all HIV-positive temporary residents in Australia will substantially reduce HIV transmission to their sexual partners at little additional cost. In the context of Australia's National HIV strategy and Australia's endorsement of global goals to provide universal access to ART for all people with HIV, this is an important measure to remove inequities in the provision of HIV-related treatment and care.

Flooding in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-07

On Jan. 7, 2011, NASA Terra spacecraft captured this image of the inundated city of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. Torrential rains in NE Australia caused the Fitzroy River to overflow its banks and flood much of the city.

ASTER Images Continuing Flooding in Australia

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-15

On Jan. 14, 2011, NASA Terra spacecraft captured this image of the inundated city of St. George, Queensland, Australia. Torrential rains in northeastern Australia caused the Balonne River to overflow its banks and flood much of the city.

Super size me: is a big Australia good for our health?

PubMed

Pelser, Deborah

2010-05-03

Australia faces a federally instigated migration drive aimed at increasing its population to 35 million by 2049. Immigration is welcomed by politicians, economists and business people, who credit it with helping Australia fare better than other developed countries during the recent global financial crisis. Australia's capital cities will have to expand considerably to house the new migrants. Increased urbanisation, when not accompanied by appropriate town planning, is associated with higher rates of chronic disease. Despite the migration drive, Australia's population will continue to age, and by 2056 one in four Australians will be over the age of 65 years. Australian health services are already heavily burdened. Health professionals must engage with governments to ensure that appropriate plans are put in place to accommodate the increased burden of disease that will accompany a more populous Australia. Failure to do so will compromise the health of our nation.

ET nursing education in Australia.

PubMed

Thompson, J M; English, E

1996-05-01

Australia is comparable in size to the United States, but its population is far smaller, approximately 17 million. Australia is technologically advanced and has a high standard of health care, in which ET nursing has always been considered a specialist nursing role. Although Australia is historically linked with England, formation of closer ties with geographic neighbors, such as Southeast Asia, New Zealand, and the Pacific nations, is ongoing. This article describes some relevant aspects of the Australian context and considers the past, present, and expected future trends for ET nurse education in Australia, from the first program in 1971 to current World Council of Enterostomal Therapy-recognized programs teaching students from as far away as Japan, Israel, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, China, Russia, and New Guinea. The content of the programs has progressively broadened in recognition of the expanded scope of practice, and this trend will undoubtedly continue. ET nursing should remain, however, a distinct nursing specialty practice in Australia.

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.

Alcohol policy reform in Australia: what can we learn from the evidence?

PubMed

Doran, Christopher M; Hall, Wayne D; Shakeshaft, Anthony P; Vos, Theo; Cobiac, Linda J

2010-04-19

Alcohol consumption is a major risk factor contributing to the burden of disease in Australia. The National Preventative Health Taskforce recommends the long-term goal of reshaping Australia's drinking culture to produce healthier and safer outcomes. A study of the cost-effectiveness of interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm in Australia suggests that policymakers could achieve over 10 times the health gain if they reallocated the current level of investment. The optimal package of interventions identified in the study comprises, in order of cost-effectiveness, volumetric taxation, advertising bans, an increase in the minimum legal drinking age to 21 years, brief intervention by primary care practitioners, licensing controls, a drink-driving mass media campaign, and random breath testing. Australia has a window of opportunity to significantly expand activities to reduce alcohol-related harm. It is important that federal and state governments take this opportunity to reform alcohol policy in Australia.

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 our modelled dynamic topography with a recent eustatic sea level curve. We suggest that the apparent Late Cenozoic northward tilting of Australia was a stepwise function of South Australia first moving away northwards from the Gondwana subduction-related dynamic topography low in the Oligocene, now found under the Australian-Antarctic Discordance, followed by a drawing down of northern Australia as it overrode a slab burial ground now underlying much of the northern half of Australia, starting in the Miocene. Our model suggests that today's geography of Australia is strongly dependent on mantle forces. Without mantle convection, which draws Australia down by up to 300 m, nearly all of Australia's continental shelves would be exposed. We conclude that dissecting the interplay between eustasy and mantle-driven dynamic topography is critical for understanding hinterland uplift, basin subsidence, the formation and destruction of shallow epeiric seas and their facies distribution, but also for the evolution of petroleum systems.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors and paracetamol use in Queensland and in the whole of Australia.

PubMed

Barozzi, Nadia; Tett, Susan E

2008-09-24

Cross national drug utilization studies can provide information about different influences on physician prescribing. This is important for medicines with issues around safety and quality of use, like non selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ns-NSAIDs) and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors. To enable comparison of prescription medicine use across different jurisdictions with a range of population sizes, data first need to be compared within Australia to understand whether use in a smaller sub-population may be considered as representative of the total use within Australia. The aim of this study was to compare the utilization of non selective NSAID, COX-2 inhibitors and paracetamol between Queensland and Australia. Dispensing data were obtained for concession beneficiaries for Australia for ns-NSAIDs, COX-2 inhibitors and paracetamol subsidized by the PBS over the period 1997-2003. The same data were purchased for Queensland. Data were converted to Defined Daily Dose (DDD)/1000 beneficiaries/day (World Health Organization anatomical therapeutic chemical classification, 2005). Total NSAID and paracetamol consumption were similar in Australia and Queensland. Ns-NSAID use decreased sharply with the introduction of COX-2 inhibitors (from approximately 80 to 40 DDD/1000 beneficiaries/day). Paracetamol was constant (approximately 45 DDD/1000 beneficiaries/day). COX-2 inhibitors consumption was initially higher in Queensland than in the whole of Australia. Despite initial divergence in celecoxib use between Queensland and Australia, the use of ns-NSAIDs, COX-2 inhibitors and paracetamol overall, in concession beneficiaries, was comparable in Australia and Queensland.

Mapping Participation in Situated Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groves, Olivia; Verenikina, Irina; Chen, Honglin

2016-01-01

Research on the international student experience in Australia has highlighted the challenges that international students face when obtaining tertiary qualifications in an Australian university [AEI. (2012). "Student voices: Enhancing the experience of international students in Australia." Canberra, Australia: Australian Education…

Seismicity of the Earth 1900–2010 Australia plate and vicinity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benz, Harley M.; Herman, Matthew; Tarr, Arthur C.; Hayes, Gavin P.; Furlong, Kevin P.; Villaseñor, Antonio; Dart, Richard L.; Rhea, Susan

2011-01-01

This map shows details of the Australia plate and vicinity not presented in Tarr and others (2010). The boundary of the Australia plate includes all fundamental plate boundary components: mid-ocean ridges, subduction zones, arc-continent collisions, and large-offset transform faults. Along the southern edge of the plate the mid-ocean ridge separates the Australia and Antarctica plates and its behavior is straightforward. In contrast, the other boundary segments that ring the Australia plate represent some of the most seismically active elements of the global plate boundary system, and some of the most rapidly evolving plate interactions. As a result, there are some very complex structures which host many large and great earthquakes

Informing Policy and Practice in Australia's Vocational Education and Training Sector: Reflections and Futures. Proceedings of the 25th Anniversary Forum of the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, March 21, 2007)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtin, Penelope, Ed.; Loveder, Phil, Ed.

2007-01-01

To mark the occasion of its 25th anniversary, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) brought together policy, industry and academic leaders to reflect on the role that research and statistics have played in the development of Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector. This publication includes the original…

Medical preparation for terrorism in Australia. Is luck running out for "the lucky country?

PubMed

Caldicott, David G E; Edwards, Nicholas A

2003-01-01

Recent world events have forced Australia to re-examine its role on the world stage and its susceptibility to terrorist attacks. The authors examine the brief historical exposure of Australia to the phenomenon of terrorism, and review the geopolitical climate and features that may render it more susceptible to attack in the future. Australia's emergency management structure is outlined, and its current state of medical preparedness for a terrorist incident is critically reviewed.

Canine rabies in Australia: a review of preparedness and research needs.

PubMed

Sparkes, J; Fleming, P J S; Ballard, G; Scott-Orr, H; Durr, S; Ward, M P

2015-06-01

Australia is unique as a populated continent in that canine rabies is exotic, with only one likely incursion in 1867. This is despite the presence of a widespread free-ranging dog population, which includes the naturalized dingo, feral domestic dogs and dingo-dog cross-breeds. To Australia's immediate north, rabies has recently spread within the Indonesian archipelago, with outbreaks occurring in historically free islands to the east including Bali, Flores, Ambon and the Tanimbar Islands. Australia depends on strict quarantine protocols to prevent importation of a rabid animal, but the risk of illegal animal movements by fishing and recreational vessels circumventing quarantine remains. Predicting where rabies will enter Australia is important, but understanding dog population dynamics and interactions, including contact rates in and around human populations, is essential for rabies preparedness. The interactions among and between Australia's large populations of wild, free-roaming and restrained domestic dogs require quantification for rabies incursions to be detected and controlled. The imminent risk of rabies breaching Australian borders makes the development of disease spread models that will assist in the deployment of cost-effective surveillance, improve preventive strategies and guide disease management protocols vitally important. Here, we critically review Australia's preparedness for rabies, discuss prevailing assumptions and models, identify knowledge deficits in free-roaming dog ecology relating to rabies maintenance and speculate on the likely consequences of endemic rabies for Australia. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Concentrating Solar Power Projects in Australia | Concentrating Solar Power

Science.gov Websites

‚¬"alphabetical by project name. You can browse a project profile by clicking on the project name | NREL Australia Concentrating solar power (CSP) projects in Australia are listed belowââ

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.

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 anomaly responsible for this drawdown is a relatively young, long-wavelength feature. Thirdly, there is an apparent mismatch between the current drawdown of oceanic lithosphere observed along Australia's southern margin and the onshore record of Cenozoic uplift. This disparity we attribute to the region undergoing recent uplift from a position of dynamic drawdown.

Refining clinical phenotypes by contrasting ethnically different populations with schizophrenia from Australia, India and Sarawak.

PubMed

McLean, Duncan; John, Sujit; Barrett, Robert; McGrath, John; Loa, Peter; Thara, Rangaswamy; Mowry, Bryan

2012-04-30

We contrasted demographic and clinical characteristics in transethnic schizophrenia populations from Australia (n=821), India (n=520) and Sarawak, Malaysia (n=298) and proposed cultural explanations for identified site differences. From these we aimed to identify candidate variables free from significant cultural confounding that are hence suitable for inclusion in genetic analyses. We observed five phenomena: (1) more individuals were living alone in Australia than India or Sarawak; (2) drug use was lower in India than Australia or Sarawak; (3) duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) was longer in India than Australia or Sarawak; (4) the rate of schizoaffective disorder was lower in India than Australia or Sarawak; and (5) age at psychosis onset (AAO) was older in Sarawak than Australia or India. We suggest that site differences for living arrangements, drug use and DUP are culturally confounded. The schizoaffective site difference likely results from measurement bias. The AAO site difference, however, has no obvious cultural or measurement bias explanation. Therefore, this may be an ideal candidate for use in genetic studies, given that genetic variants affecting AAO have already been proposed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Policy issues in U.S. transportation public-private partnerships lessons from Australia.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-07-01

In this report, the authors examine Australias experience with transportation public-private partnerships (PPPs) and the lessons that experience holds for the use of PPPs in the United States. Australia now has decades of experience in PPP use in ...

76 FR 40697 - Water and Wastewater Trade Mission to Australia Taking Place September 12-15, 2011; Now Opened to...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-11

... 2005. Australia possesses a sound legal system, which is hospitable to foreign investors and exporters... corruption remain low, and Australia maintains rule of law, transparency, a strong banking system, and a...

Algae Reefs in Shark Bay, Western Australia, Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

Numerous algae reefs are seen in Shark Bay, Western Australia, Australia (26.0S, 113.5E) especially in the southern portions of the bay. The south end is more saline because tidal flow in and out of the bay is restricted by sediment deposited at the north and central end of the bay opposite the mouth of the Wooramel River. This extremely arid region produces little sediment runoff so that the waters are very clear, saline and rich in algae.

Women Astronomers: Australia: Women astronomers in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhathal, Ragbir

2001-08-01

Ragbir Bhathal summarizes the role played by women astronomers in Australia's astronomy, now and in the past. Australia has a great tradition in astronomy, from the early observations of Aboriginal people through the colonial drive to explore and understand, culminating in the established excellence of research there today. Women have contributed to this achievement in no small way, yet their contribution has been unremarked, if not ignored. Here I summarize the historical and present state of affairs and look forward to a brighter and more equitable future.

Doppler Compensation for Airborne Non-Side-Looking Phased-Array Radar

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

Box 1500 Edinburgh South Australia 5111 Australia Telephone: 1300 333 362 Fax: (08) 7389 6567 © Commonwealth of Australia 2013 AR-016...Security and ISR Division Dr Yunhan Dong received his Bachelor and Master degrees in 1980s in China and PhD in 1995 at UNSW, Australia , all in...waveform length, 0λ 0.25 m Bandwidth of LFM 5 MHz Sampling rate 10 MHz Number of array elements, N 25 Number of pulses in a CPI, M 31 Antenna

Educational Technology in Australia: Origins, Status, Prospects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Brian N.

1989-01-01

Discusses the field of educational technology and describes the evolution of the field in Australia. Definitions of educational technology are offered, the influence of computers is discussed, student attitudes toward educational technology in Australia are described, and prospects for the future are suggested. (10 references) (LRW)

Does Lyme disease exist in Australia?

PubMed

Collignon, Peter J; Lum, Gary D; Robson, Jennifer Mb

2016-11-07

There is no convincing evidence that classic Lyme disease occurs in Australia, nor is there evidence that the causative agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, is found in Australian animals or ticks. Lyme disease, however, can be acquired overseas but diagnosed in Australia; most people presenting with laboratory-confirmed Lyme disease in Australia were infected in Europe. Despite the lack of evidence that Lyme disease can be acquired in Australia, growing numbers of patients, their supporters, and some politicians demand diagnoses and treatment according to the protocols of the "chronic Lyme disease" school of thought. Antibiotic therapy for chronic "Lyme disease-like illness" can cause harm to both the individual (eg, cannula-related intravenous sepsis) and the broader community (increased antimicrobial resistance rates). Until there is strong evidence from well performed clinical studies that bacteria present in Australia cause a chronic debilitating illness that responds to prolonged antibiotics, treating patients with "Lyme disease-like illness" with prolonged antibiotic therapy is unjustified, and is likely to do much more harm than good.

How should Australia regulate voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide?

PubMed

White, Ben; Willmott, Lindy

2012-12-01

This article invites consideration of how Australia should regulate voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide. It attempts to pose this question as neutrally as possible, acknowledging that both prohibition and legalisation of such conduct involve decisions about regulation. It begins by charting the wider field of law at the end of life, before considering the repeated, but ultimately unsuccessful, attempts at law reform in Australia. The situation in Australia is contrasted with permissive jurisdictions overseas where voluntary euthanasia and/or assisted suicide are lawful. The authors consider the arguments for and against legalisation of such conduct along with the available empirical evidence as to what happens in practice both in Australia and overseas. The article concludes by outlining a framework for deliberating on how Australia should regulate voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide. It asks a threshold question of whether such conduct should be criminal acts (as they presently are), the answer to which then leads to a range of possible regulatory options.

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.

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.

Widening consumer access to medicines: a comparison of prescription to non-prescription medicine switch in Australia and New Zealand.

PubMed

Gauld, Natalie J; Kelly, Fiona S; Emmerton, Lynne M; Buetow, Stephen A

2015-01-01

Despite similarities in health systems and Trans-Tasman Harmonization of medicines scheduling, New Zealand is more active than Australia in 'switching' (reclassifying) medicines from prescription to non-prescription. To identify and compare enablers and barriers to switch in New Zealand and Australia. We conducted and analyzed 27 in-depth personal interviews with key participants in NZ and Australia and international participants previously located in Australia, and analyzed records of meetings considering switches (2000-2013). Analysis of both sets of data entailed a heuristic qualitative approach that embraced the lead researcher's knowledge and experience. The key themes identified were conservatism and political influences in Australia, and an open attitude, proactivity and flexibility in NZ. Pharmacist-only medicine schedules and individuals holding a progressive attitude were proposed to facilitate switch in both countries. A pharmacy retail group drove many switches in NZ ('third-party switch'), unlike Australia. Barriers to switch in both countries included small market sizes, funding of prescription medicines and cost of doctor visits, and lack of market exclusivity. In Australia, advertising limitations for pharmacist-only medicines reportedly discouraged industry from submitting switch applications. Perceptions of pharmacy performance could help or hinder switches. Committee and regulator openness to switch, and confidence in pharmacy appear to influence consumer access to medicines. The pharmacist-only medicine schedule in Australasia and the rise of third-party switch and flexibility in switch in NZ could be considered elsewhere to enable switch.

Examining supply changes in Australia's cocaine market.

PubMed

Hughes, Caitlin E; Chalmers, Jenny; Bright, David A; Matthew-Simmons, Francis; Sindicich, Natasha

2012-05-01

Media attention to cocaine use and supply has increased following some of the largest cocaine seizures in Australia's history. Whether there has been an expansion in supply remains unclear. This paper examines the evidence behind assertions of increased supply in Australia and the scale and nature of any apparent increase, using proxy indicators of cocaine importation, distribution and use. Eight proxies of cocaine importation, distribution and use were adopted, including amount of importation, mode of importation and supply flows to Australia. Each proxy indicator was sourced using publicly available and Australia-wide data, including information on the total weight of border seizures, mode of detection and country of embarkation of individual seizures. Data permitting, trends were examined for up to a 12 year period (1997-1998 to 2009-2010). Since 2006-2007 there was evidence of increased cocaine importation, albeit less than between 1998-1999 and 2001-2002. There were further signs that the 2006-2007 expansion coincided with a diversification of trafficking routes to and through Australia (beyond the traditional site of entry-Sydney) and shifts in the geographic distribution of use. The congruity between indicators suggests that there has been a recent expansion in cocaine supply to and distribution within Australia, but that the more notable shift has concerned the nature of supply, with an apparent growth in importation and distribution beyond New South Wales. The diversification of cocaine supply routes may increase risks of market entrenchment and organised crime throughout Australia. © 2011 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

How rich is Australia's minerals endowment and is it adequate to sustain a major role in meeting international demand?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambert, I. B.

2012-04-01

Dr Ian Lambert, Geoscience Australia and Secretary General 34th International Geological Congress Australia has comparative advantages in production of mineral commodities compared to most other countries. These stem from its rich and diverse mineral endowment; availability of regional scale (pre-competitive) geoscience information to lower the risks of exploration; advances in exploration, mining and processing technologies; skilled work force; generally benign physical conditions; and low population density. Building on these strengths, Australia is a major producer and exporter of a wide range of mineral and energy commodities to global markets. Given that demand for most major commodities is likely to continue, and that there will be growing markets for some other commodities, Australia needs to have a strategic view of what is likely to be available for mining. Further, Australia (and the world) needs to be attuned to issues that need to be faced in meeting international demand for commodities in the long term. This presentation outlines how Australia's national minerals inventory is compiled. It discusses trends for Australia's identified mineral resources for major commodities, and how these compare with other major mining nations. It then considers some significant issues in relation to sustaining a strong mining sector - in the medium to long term this requires a strategic approach to achieve goals such as more effective/lower risk exploration particularly in greenfields regions; well-Informed decisions on mining proposals; ongoing significant improvements in efficiencies of energy, water and land use.

Systematics of Old World Odontacolus Kieffer s.l. (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s.l.): parasitoids of spider eggs

PubMed Central

Valerio, Alejandro A.; Austin, Andrew D.; Masner, Lubomír; Johnson, Norman F.

2013-01-01

Abstract The genera Odontacolus Kieffer and Cyphacolus Priesner are among the most distinctive platygastroid wasps because of their laterally compressed metasomal horn; however, their generic status has remained unclear. We present a morphological phylogenetic analysis comprising all 38 Old World and four Neotropical Odontacolus species and 13 Cyphacolus species, which demonstrates that the latter is monophyletic but nested within a somewhat poorly resolved Odontacolus. Based on these results Cyphacolus syn. n. is placed as a junior synonym of Odontacolus which is here redefined. The taxonomy of Old World Odontacolus s.str. is revised; the previously known species Odontacolus longiceps Kieffer (Seychelles), Odontacolus markadicus Veenakumari (India), Odontacolus spinosus (Dodd) (Australia) and Odontacolus hackeri (Dodd) (Australia) are re-described, and 32 new species are described: Odontacolus africanus Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Congo, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe), Odontacolus aldrovandii Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Nepal), Odontacolus anningae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Cameroon), Odontacolus australiensis Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus baeri Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus berryae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island), Odontacolus bosei Valerio & Austin sp. n. (India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka), Odontacolus cardaleae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus darwini Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Thailand), Odontacolus dayi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Indonesia), Odontacolus gallowayi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus gentingensis Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Malaysia), Odontacolus guineensis Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Guinea), Odontacolus harveyi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus heratyi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Fiji), Odontacolus heydoni Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Malaysia, Thailand), Odontacolus irwini Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Fiji), Odontacolus jacksonae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Cameroon, Guinea, Madagascar), Odontacolus kiau Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Papua New Guinea), Odontacolus lamarcki Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Thailand), Odontacolus madagascarensis Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Madagascar), Odontacolus mayri Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Indonesia, Thailand), Odontacolus mot Valerio & Austin sp. n. (India), Odontacolus noyesi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (India, Indonesia), Odontacolus pintoi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island), Odontacolus schlingeri Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Fiji), Odontacolus sharkeyi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Thailand), Odontacolus veroae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Fiji), Odontacolus wallacei Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia, Indonesia, Malawi, Papua New Guinea), Odontacolus whitfieldi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (China, India, Indonesia, Sulawesi, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam), Odontacolus zborowskii Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), and Odontacolus zimi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Madagascar). In addition, all species of Cyphacolus are here transferred to Odontacolus: Odontacolus asheri (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Sri Lanka), Odontacolus axfordi (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus bhowaliensis (Mani & Mukerjee) comb. n. (India), Odontacolus bouceki (Austin & Iqbal) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus copelandi (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Thailand), Odontacolus diazae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Kenya), Odontacolus harteni (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Yemen, Ivory Coast, Paskistan), Odontacolus jenningsi (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus leblanci (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Guinea), Odontacolus lucianae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Ivory Coast, Madagascar, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe), Odontacolus normani (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (India, United Arab Emirates), Odontacolus sallyae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus tessae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus tullyae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus veniprivus (Priesner) comb. n. (Egypt), and Odontacolus watshami (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Africa, Madagascar). Two species of Odontacolus are transferred to the genus Idris Förster: Idris longispinosus (Girault) comb. n. and Idris amoenus (Kononova) comb. n., and Odontacolus doddi Austin syn. n. is placed as a junior synonym of Odontacolus spinosus (Dodd). Odontacolus markadicus, previously only known from India, is here recorded from Brunei, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. The relationships, distribution and biology of Odontacolus are discussed, and a key is provided to identify all species. PMID:23878506

Systematics of Old World Odontacolus Kieffer s.l. (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s.l.): parasitoids of spider eggs.

PubMed

A Valerio, Alejandro; Austin, Andrew D; Masner, Lubomír; Johnson, Norman F

2013-01-01

The genera Odontacolus Kieffer and Cyphacolus Priesner are among the most distinctive platygastroid wasps because of their laterally compressed metasomal horn; however, their generic status has remained unclear. We present a morphological phylogenetic analysis comprising all 38 Old World and four Neotropical Odontacolus species and 13 Cyphacolus species, which demonstrates that the latter is monophyletic but nested within a somewhat poorly resolved Odontacolus. Based on these results Cyphacolus syn. n. is placed as a junior synonym of Odontacolus which is here redefined. The taxonomy of Old World Odontacolus s.str. is revised; the previously known species Odontacolus longiceps Kieffer (Seychelles), Odontacolus markadicus Veenakumari (India), Odontacolus spinosus (Dodd) (Australia) and Odontacolus hackeri (Dodd) (Australia) are re-described, and 32 new species are described: Odontacolus africanus Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Congo, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe), Odontacolus aldrovandii Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Nepal), Odontacolus anningae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Cameroon), Odontacolus australiensis Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus baeri Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus berryae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island), Odontacolus bosei Valerio & Austin sp. n. (India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka), Odontacolus cardaleae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus darwini Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Thailand), Odontacolus dayi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Indonesia), Odontacolus gallowayi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus gentingensis Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Malaysia), Odontacolus guineensis Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Guinea), Odontacolus harveyi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), Odontacolus heratyi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Fiji), Odontacolus heydoni Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Malaysia, Thailand), Odontacolus irwini Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Fiji), Odontacolus jacksonae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Cameroon, Guinea, Madagascar), Odontacolus kiau Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Papua New Guinea), Odontacolus lamarcki Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Thailand), Odontacolus madagascarensis Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Madagascar), Odontacolus mayri Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Indonesia, Thailand), Odontacolus mot Valerio & Austin sp. n. (India), Odontacolus noyesi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (India, Indonesia), Odontacolus pintoi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island), Odontacolus schlingeri Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Fiji), Odontacolus sharkeyi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Thailand), Odontacolus veroae Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Fiji), Odontacolus wallacei Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia, Indonesia, Malawi, Papua New Guinea), Odontacolus whitfieldi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (China, India, Indonesia, Sulawesi, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam), Odontacolus zborowskii Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Australia), and Odontacolus zimi Valerio & Austin sp. n. (Madagascar). In addition, all species of Cyphacolus are here transferred to Odontacolus: Odontacolus asheri (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Sri Lanka), Odontacolus axfordi (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus bhowaliensis (Mani & Mukerjee) comb. n. (India), Odontacolus bouceki (Austin & Iqbal) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus copelandi (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Thailand), Odontacolus diazae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Kenya), Odontacolus harteni (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Yemen, Ivory Coast, Paskistan), Odontacolus jenningsi (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus leblanci (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Guinea), Odontacolus lucianae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Ivory Coast, Madagascar, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe), Odontacolus normani (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (India, United Arab Emirates), Odontacolus sallyae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus tessae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus tullyae (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Australia), Odontacolus veniprivus (Priesner) comb. n. (Egypt), and Odontacolus watshami (Valerio, Masner & Austin) comb. n. (Africa, Madagascar). Two species of Odontacolus are transferred to the genus Idris Förster: Idris longispinosus (Girault) comb. n. and Idris amoenus (Kononova) comb. n., and Odontacolus doddi Austin syn. n. is placed as a junior synonym of Odontacolus spinosus (Dodd). Odontacolus markadicus, previously only known from India, is here recorded from Brunei, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. The relationships, distribution and biology of Odontacolus are discussed, and a key is provided to identify all species.

Applied Linguistics in Its Disciplinary Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liddicoat, Anthony J.

2010-01-01

Australia's current attempt to develop a process to evaluate the quality of research (Excellence in Research for Australia--ERA) places a central emphasis on the disciplinary organisation of academic work. This disciplinary focus poses particular problems for Applied Linguistics in Australia. This paper will examine Applied Linguistics in relation…

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…

International. Go8 Backgrounder 17

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Group of Eight (NJ1), 2010

2010-01-01

International education, particularly study in Australia, provides significant economic benefits for Australia. It is both a major export industry and a source of domestic economic growth. If Australia can attract talented international students through scholarships and a reputation for quality, they will return to their home countries to become…

Fostering Intercultural Understanding through Secondary School Experiences of Cultural Immersion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walton, Jessica; Paradies, Yin; Priest, Naomi; Wertheim, Eleanor H.; Freeman, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

In parallel with many nations' education policies, national education policies in Australia seek to foster students' intercultural understanding. Due to Australia's location in the Asia-Pacific region, the Australian government has focused on students becoming "Asia literate" to support Australia's economic and cultural engagement with…

Phylogenetic analysis reveals multiple introductions of Cynodon species in Australia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The distinction between native and introduced flora in Australia presents some unique challenges given its geological and colonization history. While it is believed that seven species of Cynodon are present in Australia, no genetic analyses, to date, have investigated the origin, diversity and phylo...

Suicides in Hong Kong and Australia.

PubMed

Yip, P S

1998-01-01

Although the suicide rate for both Hong Kong and Australia was about 12 per 100,000 in 1994, the age- and gender-specific rates, methods of suicide, and time trends vary greatly for these two places. This paper explores the possible social, economic, and cultural background to explain this discrepancy. We used the official suicide death statistics of Hong Kong and Australia for the period 1984-1994. We calculated age-standardized suicide rates in order to take into account the differences in the age composition between the two countries and years. We employed a log-linear (Poisson) model to detect the age- and gender-specific trends, and to determine whether there were specific age or gender groups whose suicide behavior had changed significantly between 1984 and 1994. Hong Kong experienced a slight increase in suicide rate for both genders in the years 1984-1994, whereas Australia experienced a cubic trend for both genders during the same period and a rise in suicide rate in recent years. The suicide rate in Hong Kong increased with age, with a sharp increase (nearly four times the average) among the group aged 75 or over. A relatively low gender ratio (male:female) was also observed in Hong Kong, whereas in Australia there was not much difference in suicide rates among all age groups, though the suicide rate of the group aged 75 or over was 1.2 times the average. The gender ratio in Australia was higher, and the male suicide rate was four times higher than that of females. The Hong Kong suicide rate in females was twice that of Australia, whereas the Hong Kong male suicide rate was about half that of Australia. Jumping and hanging were the most common methods of suicide in Hong Kong, accounting for more than 80% of all suicide deaths. Poisoning (including gas poisoning) was the most common method used in Australia, with firearms being more common among young males. Australia had a higher years of potential life lost (YPLL) than Hong Kong because of the higher suicide rate among young males (aged 15-24). The high suicide rate among the elderly in Hong Kong raises the possibility that medical and social support to the elderly could be enhanced. The high female suicide rate in Hong Kong could be related to workload, responsibility, and expectations. The high suicide rate in Australia among males aged 15-24 was disturbing. Availability of the suicide methods is certainly one explanation for the difference in suicide methods used in Hong Kong and Australia.

77 FR 35353 - Biotech Life Sciences Trade Mission to Australia

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-13

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration Biotech Life Sciences Trade Mission to... Commercial Service (CS) is organizing a Biotech Life Sciences trade mission to Australia, October 29-November.... biotechnology and life science firms. The goals of the trade mission to Australia are to (1) increase U.S...

Money for Language: Indigenous Language Funding in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahboob, Ahmar; Jacobsen, Britt; Kemble, Melissa; Xu, Zichen Catherine

2017-01-01

This paper examines how language development aid is managed and distributed via grant programs administered by federal and state Aboriginal affairs departments across Australia. While these departments are not the only organisations offering grants for development and language-related projects in Australia, they are in a good position to…

Linking Schools and Workplaces: Lessons from Australia and Overseas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweet, Richard

Efforts to link schools and workplaces in Australia, Sweden, and elsewhere were examined to identify preconditions and effective strategies for linking school to work in Australia. An Australian program that combines applied, contextualized learning structured according to industry standards with students' general education was shown to produce…

Online Training in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuzic, Joze

2013-01-01

On-line training is becoming an interesting phenomenon in Australia and has attracted a lot of interest across many industries and businesses (Chan and Ngai, 2007). The research reported here looks at the use of online training in corporations in Australia. It focuses on two aspects of online training, the factors that "warrant" its…

History and management of sirex wood wasp in Australia

Treesearch

Angus J. Carnegie

2007-01-01

This paper reviews the history and management of Sirex noctilio in Australia, including information from previous reviews as well as more recent data. The sirex wood wasp, Sirex noctilio, is one of the most important insect pests of Pinus radiata in Australia. Native to Europe, North Africa and Turkey, S...

The Many Turnings of Agricultural Extension in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Warren; Birch, Colin; Coutts, Jeff; Vanclay, Frank

2012-01-01

Purpose: This article outlines the development of extension as a discipline in Australia, its organization, and the ideological changes that have occurred from the second half of the nineteenth century through to the present. Design/Methodology/Approach: It considers the evolution of extension across the different states of Australia from a…

Community Music in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Gillian

2010-01-01

This paper presents a historical perspective to the development of community music in Australia. Finding political support in Australia's progressive arts policies of the late 1970s, community music is discussed as embracing the principles of access and equity and supporting the development of musical skills in the context of social change and…

75 FR 81632 - Australia Beef Imports Approved for the Electronic Certification System (eCERT)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-28

..., 2011, the export certification requirement for imports of beef from Australia subject to quantitative...: Background There are existing quantitative restraints on beef from Australia pursuant to U.S. Note 3... quantitative quota restrictions beginning January 3, 2011. Such imports that are entered, or withdrawn from...

Newly homeless youth typically return home.

PubMed

Milburn, Norweeta G; Rosenthal, Doreen; Rotheram-Borus, Mary Jane; Mallett, Shelley; Batterham, Philip; Rice, Eric; Solorio, Rosa

2007-06-01

Newly homeless adolescents from Melbourne, Australia (n = 165) and Los Angeles, United States (n = 261) were surveyed and followed for 2 years. Most newly homeless adolescents returned home (70% U.S., 47% Australia) for significant amounts of time (39% U.S., 17% Australia more than 12 months) within 2 years of becoming homeless.

Devolution: Evolution or Revolution?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trestrail, Colin

Issues raised by the devolution of decision-making to the school level in Western Australia are described in this paper. The first part provides a background of governance structures and school organization. Prior to 1980, Western Australia had the most centralized system of educational administration in Australia. The second part describes the…

Older Academics and Career Management: An Interdisciplinary Discussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larkin, Jacqui; Neumann, Ruth

2009-01-01

The academic workforce is among the oldest (Commonwealth of Australia, 2005) and arguably has the most highly qualified professionals within Australia. Yet career management for this group is seldom discussed. This paper considers Australia's ageing academic work-force and the human resource management challenges and implications this poses for…

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…

A New Era for Research Education in Australia?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsh, Helene; Smith, Bradley; King, Max; Evans, Terry

2012-01-01

Use of the Australian research assessment exercise, Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) to influence the policy and practice of research education in Australia will undoubtedly have many consequences, some of them unintended and potentially deleterious. ERA is a retrospective measure of research quality; research education is prospective.…

Imported case of poliomyelitis, Melbourne, Australia, 2007.

PubMed

Stewardson, Andrew J; Roberts, Jason A; Beckett, Carolyn L; Prime, Hayden T; Loh, Poh-Sien; Thorley, Bruce R; Daffy, John R

2009-01-01

Wild poliovirus-associated paralytic poliomyelitis has not been reported in Australia since 1977. We report type 1 wild poliovirus infection in a man who had traveled from Pakistan to Australia in 2007. Poliomyelitis should be considered for patients with acute flaccid paralysis or unexplained fever who have been to poliomyelitis-endemic countries.

Pioneering Culture: Mechanics' Institutes and Schools of Arts in Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Candy, Philip C., Ed.; Laurent, John, Ed.

This book contains the following papers about the history and role of Australia's mechanics' institutes and schools of arts: "'The Light of Heaven Itself': The Contribution of the Institutes to Australia's Cultural History" (Candy); "Dispelling 'the Stagnant Waters of Ignorance': The Early Institutes in Context" (Webby);…

22 CFR 126.14 - Special comprehensive export authorizations for NATO, Australia, and Japan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., Australia, Japan, and Sweden, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls may provide the comprehensive... a commercial export endeavor including the needed defense exports can be well anticipated and... authorization. With respect to NATO members, Australia, Japan, and Sweden, the Directorate of Defense Trade...

Improving the International Student Experience in Australia through Embedded Peer Mentoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Outhred, Tim; Chester, Andrea

2013-01-01

As Australia endeavors to sustain growth of its international education industry, there have been major concerns regarding the experience of international students. This review examines the international student experience in Australia, particularly issues surrounding study-work-life balance (SWLB), acculturation, health, and well-being. The…

School Co-Ordinators: Leaders of Learning in Professional Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Le Cornu, Rosie J.

2012-01-01

It is widely accepted that professional experience or practicum is "a critically important part of teacher education courses and is consistently valued highly by student teachers" (eg Ramsey, 2000; Teaching Australia, 2006; Parliament of Australia, 2007). In Australia and overseas there is a growing emphasis on teacher educators working…

Algae Reefs in Shark Bay, Western Australia, Australia

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-10

STS035-81-040 (2-10 Dec 1990) --- Numerous algae reefs are seen in Shark Bay, Western Australia, Australia (26.0S, 113.5E) especially in the southern portions of the bay. The south end is more saline because tidal flow in and out of the bay is restricted by sediment deposited at the north and central end of the bay opposite the mouth of the Wooramel River. This extremely arid region produces little sediment runoff so that the waters are very clear, saline and rich in algae.

Summer spawning of Porites lutea from north-western Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoddart, C. W.; Stoddart, J. A.; Blakeway, D. R.

2012-09-01

Most coral species off Australia's west coast spawn in the austral autumn (March-April), with a few species also spawning in the southern spring or early summer (November-December). This is the reverse timing to spawning recorded off Australia's east coast. Porites lutea, a gonochoric broadcast spawner that is common on Australia's west coast, is shown here to spawn in the months of November or December, as it does on Australia's east coast. Spawning occurred between 2 and 5 nights after full moon, with the majority of spawning activity on night 3. Gametes developed over three to four months with rapid development in the last two weeks before spawning. Zooxanthellae were typically observed in mature oocytes, only a week before spawning so their presence may provide a useful indicator of imminent spawning.

New Miocene Fossils and the History of Penguins in Australia.

PubMed

Park, Travis; Fitzgerald, Erich M G; Gallagher, Stephen J; Tomkins, Ellyn; Allan, Tony

2016-01-01

Australia has a fossil record of penguins reaching back to the Eocene, yet today is inhabited by just one breeding species, the little penguin Eudyptula minor. The description of recently collected penguin fossils from the re-dated upper Miocene Port Campbell Limestone of Portland (Victoria), in addition to reanalysis of previously described material, has allowed the Cenozoic history of penguins in Australia to be placed into a global context for the first time. Australian pre-Quaternary fossil penguins represent stem taxa phylogenetically disparate from each other and E. minor, implying multiple dispersals and extinctions. Late Eocene penguins from Australia are closest to contemporaneous taxa in Antarctica, New Zealand and South America. Given current material, the Miocene Australian fossil penguin fauna is apparently unique in harbouring 'giant penguins' after they went extinct elsewhere; and including stem taxa until at least 6 Ma, by which time crown penguins dominated elsewhere in the southern hemisphere. Separation of Australia from Antarctica during the Palaeogene, and its subsequent drift north, appears to have been a major event in Australian penguin biogeography. Increasing isolation through the Cenozoic may have limited penguin dispersal to Australia from outside the Australasian region, until intensification of the eastwards-flowing Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the mid-Miocene established a potential new dispersal vector to Australia.

New Miocene Fossils and the History of Penguins in Australia

PubMed Central

Park, Travis; Fitzgerald, Erich M. G.; Gallagher, Stephen J.; Tomkins, Ellyn; Allan, Tony

2016-01-01

Australia has a fossil record of penguins reaching back to the Eocene, yet today is inhabited by just one breeding species, the little penguin Eudyptula minor. The description of recently collected penguin fossils from the re-dated upper Miocene Port Campbell Limestone of Portland (Victoria), in addition to reanalysis of previously described material, has allowed the Cenozoic history of penguins in Australia to be placed into a global context for the first time. Australian pre-Quaternary fossil penguins represent stem taxa phylogenetically disparate from each other and E. minor, implying multiple dispersals and extinctions. Late Eocene penguins from Australia are closest to contemporaneous taxa in Antarctica, New Zealand and South America. Given current material, the Miocene Australian fossil penguin fauna is apparently unique in harbouring ‘giant penguins’ after they went extinct elsewhere; and including stem taxa until at least 6 Ma, by which time crown penguins dominated elsewhere in the southern hemisphere. Separation of Australia from Antarctica during the Palaeogene, and its subsequent drift north, appears to have been a major event in Australian penguin biogeography. Increasing isolation through the Cenozoic may have limited penguin dispersal to Australia from outside the Australasian region, until intensification of the eastwards-flowing Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the mid-Miocene established a potential new dispersal vector to Australia. PMID:27115739

Assessment of the Risk of Ebola Importation to Australia

PubMed Central

Cope, Robert C.; Cassey, Phillip; Hugo, Graeme J.; Ross, Joshua V.

2014-01-01

Objectives: To assess the risk of Ebola importation to Australia during the first six months of 2015, based upon the current outbreak in West Africa. Methodology: We assessed the risk under two distinct scenarios: (i) assuming that significant numbers of cases of Ebola remain confined to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and using historic passenger arrival data into Australia; and, (ii) assuming potential secondary spread based upon international flight data. A model appropriate to each scenario is developed, and parameterised using passenger arrival card or international flight data, and World Health Organisation case data from West Africa. These models were constructed based on WHO Ebola outbreak data as at 17 October 2014 and 3 December 2014. An assessment of the risk under each scenario is reported. On 27 October 2014 the Australian Government announced a policy change, that visas from affected countries would be refused/cancelled, and the predicted effect of this policy change is reported. Results: The current probability of at least one case entering Australia by 1 July 2015, having travelled directly from West Africa with historic passenger arrival rates into Australia, is 0.34. Under the new Australian Government policy of restricting visas from affected countries (as of 27 October 2014), the probability of at least one case entering Australia by 1 July 2015 is reduced to 0.16. The probability of at least one case entering Australia by 1 July 2015 via an outbreak from a secondary source country is approximately 0.12. Conclusions: Our models suggest that if the transmission of Ebola remains unchanged, it is possible that a case will enter Australia within the first six months of 2015, either directly from West Africa (even when current visa restrictions are considered), or via secondary outbreaks elsewhere. Government and medical authorities should be prepared to respond to this eventuality. Control measures within West Africa over recent months have contributed to a reduction in projected risk of a case entering Australia. A significant further reduction of the rate at which Ebola is proliferating in West Africa, and control of the disease if and when it proliferates elsewhere, will continue to result in substantially lower risk of the disease entering Australia. PMID:25685627

The sexual behaviour of British backpackers in Australia.

PubMed

Hughes, K; Downing, J; Bellis, M A; Dillon, P; Copeland, J

2009-10-01

To explore sexual behaviour and risk-taking among British backpackers in Australia and to investigate the influence of substance use and social settings on sexual behaviour abroad. A cross-sectional design was used. The questionnaire gathered information on sexual and substance use behaviour in the 12 months prior to leaving the UK and during backpackers' stays in Australia. A total of 1008 backpackers, recruited in hostels in Sydney and Cairns, were included in the study. In total, 73.2% had sex during their stay in Australia, including 68.9% of those who arrived without a partner. Across all backpackers, mean number of sexual partners increased from 0.3 per 4-week period in the UK in the 12 months prior to the trip to 1.0 per 4-week period spent in Australia. Over a third (39.7%) had multiple partners in Australia, increasing to 45.7% in those arriving single. Of those arriving single and having sex, 40.9% reported inconsistent condom use and 24.0% had unprotected sex with multiple partners. Number of sexual partners in the UK, length of stay in Australia at time of interview, planned length of stay, frequent visits to bars/clubs, high frequency of alcohol intake and use of illicit substances in Australia were indicators for risky sexual behaviour. Backpackers are at high risk of sexually transmitted infections and other negative sexual health outcomes. Multi-agency sexual health promotion strategies that address the relationship between sex, drugs and alcohol should be targeted at backpackers prior to, and during, their travels.

Widening Consumer Access to Medicines: A Comparison of Prescription to Non-Prescription Medicine Switch in Australia and New Zealand

PubMed Central

Gauld, Natalie J.; Kelly, Fiona S.; Emmerton, Lynne M.; Buetow, Stephen A.

2015-01-01

Background Despite similarities in health systems and Trans-Tasman Harmonization of medicines scheduling, New Zealand is more active than Australia in ‘switching’ (reclassifying) medicines from prescription to non-prescription. Objectives To identify and compare enablers and barriers to switch in New Zealand and Australia. Methods We conducted and analyzed 27 in-depth personal interviews with key participants in NZ and Australia and international participants previously located in Australia, and analyzed records of meetings considering switches (2000–2013). Analysis of both sets of data entailed a heuristic qualitative approach that embraced the lead researcher’s knowledge and experience. Results The key themes identified were conservatism and political influences in Australia, and an open attitude, proactivity and flexibility in NZ. Pharmacist-only medicine schedules and individuals holding a progressive attitude were proposed to facilitate switch in both countries. A pharmacy retail group drove many switches in NZ (‘third-party switch’), unlike Australia. Barriers to switch in both countries included small market sizes, funding of prescription medicines and cost of doctor visits, and lack of market exclusivity. In Australia, advertising limitations for pharmacist-only medicines reportedly discouraged industry from submitting switch applications. Perceptions of pharmacy performance could help or hinder switches. Conclusion Committee and regulator openness to switch, and confidence in pharmacy appear to influence consumer access to medicines. The pharmacist-only medicine schedule in Australasia and the rise of third-party switch and flexibility in switch in NZ could be considered elsewhere to enable switch. PMID:25785589

'Newness-struggle-success' continuum: a qualitative examination of the cultural adaptation process experienced by overseas-qualified dentists in Australia.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Madhan; Brennan, David S; Spencer, A John; Short, Stephanie D

2016-04-01

Objectives Overseas-qualified dentists constitute a significant proportion of the Australian dental workforce (approximately one in four). The aim of the present study was to provide a better understanding of the cultural adaptation process of overseas-qualified dentists in Australia, so as to facilitate their integration into the Australian way of life and improve their contribution to Australian healthcare, economy and society. Methods Life stories of 49 overseas-qualified dentists from 22 countries were analysed for significant themes and patterns. We focused on their settlement experience, which relates to their social and cultural experience in Australia. This analysis was consistent with a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to qualitative social scientific research. Results Many participants noted that encounters with 'the Australian accent' and 'slang' influenced their cultural experience in Australia. Most of the participants expressed 'fascination' with the people and lifestyle in Australia, primarily with regard to the relaxed way of life, cultural diversity and the freedom one usually experiences living in Australia. Few participants expressed 'shock' at not being able to find a community of similar religious faith in Australia, as they are used to in their home countries. These issues were analysed in two themes; (1) language and communication; and (2) people, religion and lifestyle. The cultural adaptation process of overseas-qualified dentists in Australia is described as a continuum or superordinate theme, which we have entitled the 'newness-struggle-success' continuum. This overarching theme supersedes and incorporates all subthemes. Conclusion Family, friends, community and organisational structures (universities and public sector) play a vital role in the cultural learning process, affecting overseas-qualified dentist's ability to progress successfully through the cultural continuum. What is known about the topic? Australia is a popular host country for overseas-qualified dentists. Migrant dentists arrive from contrasting social and cultural backgrounds, and these contrasts can be somewhat more pronounced in dentists from developing countries. To date, there is no evidence available regarding the cultural adaptation process of overseas-qualified dentists in Australia or elsewhere. What does this paper add? This study provides evidence to support the argument that the cultural adaptation process of overseas-qualified dentists in Australia can be viewed as a continuum state, where the individual learns to adapt to the people, language and lifestyle in Australia. The ongoing role of family and friends is primary to a successful transition process. Our research also identifies the positive role played by community and organisational structures, such as universities and public sector employment schemes. What are the implications for practitioners? A potential implication for policy makers is to focus on the positive roles played by organisational structures, particularly universities and the public sector. This can inform more supportive migration policy, as well as strengthen the role these organisations play in providing support for overseas-qualified dentists, thus enabling them to integrate more successfully into Australia's health care system, economy and society.

The Gender Wage Gap: A Comparison of Australia and Canada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidd, Michael P.; Shannon, Michael

1996-01-01

Data from the 1989 Canadian Labour Market Activity Survey and 1989-90 Australian Income Distribution Survey suggest that a lower rate of return to education and labor market experience and a lower level of wage inequality in Australia are responsible for the smaller gender wage gap in Australia than in Canada. (SK)

Biology of two species of Microcera associated with armoured scales on citrus in Australia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Microcera coccophila has been regarded as an entomopathogen of armoured scales in Australia since the late 1800s. We confirmed its identity using morphological and molecular data. In addition, we report the related species M. larvarum for the first time in Australia. The sexual and asexual states of...

Notes on the Emerging Accreditation Regimes in Australia and New Zealand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boehringer, Kristian; Blyth, Sue; Scott, Fionna

2012-01-01

In recent years, new higher education regulatory regimes have emerged in both New Zealand and Australia. In Australia, the new Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) employs a risk management approach while the New Zealand Quality Agency (NZQA) has adopted an evaluative approach. In practice, these varying approaches create real…

Interrogating "Belonging" in Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sumsion, Jennifer; Wong, Sandie

2011-01-01

In this article, the authors interrogate the use of "belonging" in "Belonging, Being and Becoming: the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia" (EYLF), Australia's first national curriculum for early childhood education and care settings and, from the authors' interrogation, possibilities are offered for thinking about and…

"Accounting Education at a Crossroad in 2010" and "Challenges Facing Accounting Education in Australia"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Lange, Paul; Watty, Kim

2011-01-01

Of the various reports released in 2010, two purport to examine the state of accounting education in Australia. These are "Accounting Education at a Crossroad in 2010" and "Challenges Facing Accounting Education in Australia". Both were released as collaborations of the leading academic organisation, the Accounting and Finance…

PictureAustralia--Participating in a Collaborative Digital Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Deborah

The PictureAustralia service is a collaboration between cultural agencies to bring their digital pictorial collections together at the one web site, hosted by the National Library of Australia. It was developed through the identification of a need for a national image discovery service. The key to the service is its cross-sectoral nature,…

Key Financial Metrics on Australia's Higher Education Sector. Selected Insights--April 2016

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Australian Government Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, 2016

2016-01-01

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards (TEQSA) is committed to ensuring that stakeholders in Australia's higher education sector have access to relevant information to enable and better inform decision making. TEQSA recognises that there is little publicly available information on Australia's higher education sector beyond the university sector.…

A Consolidation of ACE Research, 1990-2000. Review of Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Golding, Barry; Davies, Merryn; Volkoff, Veronica

The volume and scope of research into adult and community education (ACE) in Australia have increased significantly over the past decade. Studies designed to map, reevaluate, showcase, and promote ACE have been funded by Australia's federal and state governments and by bodies such as Adult Learning Australia. Practitioner-generated research has…

Strategies for Reforming University/State Relationships: Australia's Experience Sets Examples.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGuire, Harriet C.

1997-01-01

The World Bank's recommendations for higher education policy in Africa offer an appropriate framework for comparison with recent educational policy changes in Australia, particularly in the area of university financing. Australia provides a case study of how national policies have had a dramatic and rapid effect on education and have quickly…

Statistical Annex: National Report on Schooling in Australia, 1991.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Australian Education Council, Melbourne.

This report enlarges upon the tables and figures in the National Report on Schooling in Australia 1991 and provides a basis for the continuing cooperative development of educational statistics in Australia and better quality statistical information about Australian schooling. The following categories organize the series of figures and tables: (1)…

Intellectual Disability in Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 2007

2007-01-01

In mid-2001, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in Australia was approximately 458,500 people (2.4% of the national population). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia experience disadvantage compared to non-Indigenous Australians in a number of areas, including greater prevalence of health risk factors, early…

Australia's First Public Private Partnership School Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Peter

2004-01-01

The design and construction of nine schools has commenced in Australia using a Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) methodology. This is the first project in Australia where social infrastructure has been acquired in this way. The Australian project is being managed by the New South Wales (NSW) State Government through its Department of Education…

Wilderness in Australia: what's happening in a world context

Treesearch

Ralf Buckley

2000-01-01

Wilderness in Australia has no formal legal designation at a national level as it does in the United States. In addition, new federal environmental legislation abdicates responsibility almost entirely to the States. A national wilderness inventory has recently been completed, but abandoned by the current federal government. Almost all wilderness recreation in Australia...

"Unhelpfully Complex and Exceedingly Opaque": Australia's School Funding System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dowling, Andrew

2008-01-01

Australia's system of school funding is notoriously complex and difficult to understand. This article shines some light on this issue by describing clearly the processes of school funding that currently exist in Australia. It describes the steps taken by federal and state governments to provide over $30 billion each year to government and…

Developments in the Vocational Education and Training Systems of Indonesia and Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Chris

For the past 20-30 years, both Indonesia and Australia have placed considerable emphasis on reforming their systems of technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Indonesia has focused on expanding secondary-level TVET, whereas Australia has emphasized provision of postsecondary-level vocational education and training (VET). Two…

78 FR 33692 - Implementation of the Understandings Reached at the 2012 Australia Group (AG) Plenary Meeting and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-05

... Australia Group (AG) ``List of Biological Agents for Export Control,'' as follows: b.1. Reconstructed.... Bacteria identified on the Australia Group (AG) ``List of Biological Agents for Export Control,'' as... Group (AG) ``List of Plant Pathogens for Export Control'']. b. Fungi, as follows: b.1. Colletotrichum...

Indonesian Postgraduate Students Studying in Australia: An Examination of Their Academic, Social and Cultural Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novera, Isvet Amri

2004-01-01

Prior studies suggest that adjustment is a significant contributor to the academic success of international students, and cultural differences can lead to adjustment problems. However, while Australia takes many international students from Indonesia, and there are substantial cultural differences between Indonesia and Australia, there has been…

Satisfiers and Dissatisfiers for International Students of Higher Education: An Exploratory Study in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bianchi, Constanza

2013-01-01

This paper explores the main satisfiers and dissatisfiers for international students in Australia's higher educational sector. Using a critical incident technique, this study is conducted with international students of higher education in Australia. Four categories of satisfiers and dissatisfiers emerge from the data which are related to…

Effects of a Cognitive Acceleration Programme in a Low Socioeconomic High School in Regional Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Mary; Venville, Grady; Adey, Philip

2012-01-01

This paper presents research on the effects of a cognitive acceleration intervention in science lessons on low socioeconomic students in a government high school in regional Western Australia. "Thinking Science Australia" is a programme currently being implemented in Australian junior high school classes. The research was conducted for…

Policy and Indigenous Languages in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKay, Graham

2011-01-01

The use of Indigenous languages has been declining over the period of non-Aboriginal settlement in Australia as a result of repressive policies, both explicit and implicit. The National Policy on Languages (Lo Bianco, 1987) was the high point of language policy in Australia, given its national scope and status and its attempt to encompass all…

Hospitalisation for Cancer and Co-Morbidities among People with Learning Disability in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Sheena G.; Hussain, Rafat

2008-01-01

In Australia, general health and medical services are subsidised by the government. This includes care for people with disabilities, screening and diagnostic services for common diseases, including cancer, and care and treatment for various medical conditions. In Western Australia, the majority of state-provided health services are well documented…

Cetacean morbillivirus in coastal Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, Western Australia.

PubMed

Stephens, Nahiid; Duignan, Pádraig J; Wang, Jianning; Bingham, John; Finn, Hugh; Bejder, Lars; Patterson, Anthony P; Holyoake, Carly

2014-04-01

Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) has caused several epizootics in multiple species of cetaceans globally and is an emerging disease among cetaceans in Australia. We detected CeMV in 2 stranded coastal Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Western Australia. Preliminary phylogenetic data suggest that this virus variant is divergent from known strains.

Exploring the Challenges Experienced by International Students during Work-Integrated Learning in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Denise

2017-01-01

This study explores the challenges experienced by international students during Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in Australia. Student participation in WIL not only enhances individual student employability but also the attractiveness of Australia as a study destination. WIL, in particular work placements, is in high demand by international students…

Australia: Background and U.S. Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-08

blasts. Australia has signed anti - terrorism pacts with a number of its Southeast Asian neighbors. It also provides counterterror support to the ...including East Timor and the Solomon Islands, and has supported U.S. efforts and worked closely with key regional states in the war against terrorism in...Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Australia and the War Against Terror

Assumptions Underlying Curriculum Decisions in Australia: An American Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willis, George

An analysis of the cultural and historical context in which curriculum decisions are made in Australia and a comparison with educational assumptions in the United States is the purpose of this paper. Methodology is based on personal teaching experience and observation in Australia. Seven factors are identified upon which curricular decisions in…

Parental Attitudes to Cultural and Linguistic Pluralism in Australia: A Humanistic Sociological Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smolicz, J. J.; Lean, R.

1979-01-01

Since Australia is experiencing major shifts in ethnic composition, this study sought to examine the extent of change in value orientation toward cultural/linguistic pluralism, using data from a parent survey in all Catholic secondary schools in South Australia. Responses of parents from different ethnic backgrounds are considered. (SJL)

Evidence-Based Transition Planning Practices for Secondary Students with Disabilities: What Has Australia Signed Up For?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neill, Sue C.; Strnadová, Iva; Cumming, Therese M.

2016-01-01

There are no Commonwealth or state laws in Australia that require educational authorities to provide individualised transition plans (ITPs) to secondary students with disabilities. It is argued that, in lieu of legislation, Australia's signed commitment to international treaties and national policies obliges educational jurisdictions to provide…

Imported Case of Poliomyelitis, Melbourne, Australia, 2007

PubMed Central

Roberts, Jason A.; Beckett, Carolyn L.; Prime, Hayden T.; Loh, Poh-Sien; Thorley, Bruce R.; Daffy, John R.

2009-01-01

Wild poliovirus–associated paralytic poliomyelitis has not been reported in Australia since 1977. We report type 1 wild poliovirus infection in a man who had traveled from Pakistan to Australia in 2007. Poliomyelitis should be considered for patients with acute flaccid paralysis or unexplained fever who have been to poliomyelitis-endemic countries. PMID:19116053

The University-Innovation Nexus in Singapore. Go8 Backgrounder 28

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Group of Eight (NJ1), 2012

2012-01-01

Singapore, like Australia, is one of the world's most prosperous countries. However, the basis for Singapore's prosperity is quite different from that of Australia's and for this reason it provides an interesting and complementary case study. While much of Australia's current affluence flows from its rich endowment of mineral resources,…

Unequal Bargaining? Australia's Aviation Trade Relations with the United States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, Russell

2001-01-01

International aviation trade bargaining is distinguished by its use of a formal process of bilateral bargaining based on the reciprocal exchange of rights by states. Australia-United States aviation trade relations are currently without rancour, but this has not always been the case and in the late 1980s and early 1990s, their formal bilateral aviation negotiations were a forum for a bitter conflict between two competing international aviation policies. In seeking to explain the bilateral aviation outcomes between Australia and the United States and how Australia has sought to improve upon these, analytical frameworks derived from international political economy were considered, along with the bilateral bargaining process itself. The paper adopts a modified neorealist model and concludes that to understand how Australia has sought to improve upon these aviation outcomes, neorealist assumptions that relative power capabilities determine outcomes must be qualified by reference to the formal bilateral bargaining process. In particular, Australia's use of this process and its application of certain bargaining tactics within that process remain critical to understanding bilateral outcomes.

Regulation of veterinary antibiotics in Australia.

PubMed

Dyke, T M

2003-01-01

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA)* registers veterinary antibiotic products before they can be supplied, distributed or sold in Australia. Extensive scientific assessment on all new veterinary antibiotic products is undertaken for the APVMA by experts in other government agencies including the Therapeutic Goods Administration (toxicology), the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (occupational health and safety), Environment Australia (environmental hazards) and state departments of agriculture or primary industry (efficacy and safety) as well as APVMA assessments on food residues, trade and manufacturing. The National Health and Medical Research Council Expert Advisory Group on Antimicrobial Resistance provides advice to the APVMA on the potential transfer of antibiotic resistance from the use of antibiotics in animals to humans, and the impact transfer may have on public health. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (previously Australia New Zealand Food Authority) set maximum residue levels for human foods. The APVMA monitors registered product use through compliance activities and an adverse experience reporting program, and reviews registered products as necessary. The import, manufacture, supply and use of veterinary antibiotics are regulated by Commonwealth and State governments in Australia.

Data linkage capabilities in Australia: practical issues identified by a Population Health Research Network 'Proof of Concept project'.

PubMed

Mitchell, Rebecca J; Cameron, Cate M; McClure, Rod J; Williamson, Ann M

2015-08-01

To describe the practical issues that need to be overcome to conduct national data linkage projects in Australia and propose recommendations to improve efficiency. Review of the processes, documentation and applications required to conduct national data linkage in Australia. The establishment of state and national data linkage centres in Australia has placed Australia at the forefront of research linking health-related administrative data collections. However, improvements are needed to reduce the clerical burden on researchers, simplify the process of obtaining ethics approval, improve data accessibility, and thus improve the efficiency of data linkage research. While a sound state and national data linkage infrastructure is in place, the current complexity, duplication and lack of cohesion undermines any attempts to conduct research involving national record linkage in a timely manner. Data linkage applications and Human Research Ethics Committee approval processes need to be streamlined and duplication removed, in order to reduce the administrative and financial burden on researchers if national data linkage research is to be viable. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

Creating healthier graduates, campuses and communities: Why Australia needs to invest in health promoting universities.

PubMed

Taylor, Patricia; Saheb, Rowena; Howse, Eloise

2018-05-13

Higher education is an important and influential setting for embedding health promotion principles and practice. Universities have a responsibility to their communities and more broadly as leaders in society. Settings-based health promotion is an effective method for increasing healthy environments and an organisational culture that supports health. "Healthy Universities" and the Okanagan Charter aim to embed health within the university structure through committed policies and programs. Collaboration across Australia can support this sector-wide adoption. Leadership is required from Australian universities to invest in health promotion. This is the time for higher education in Australia to consider its role in shaping the health of its local and global communities. © 2018 The Authors. Health Promotion Journal of Australia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Health Promotion Association.

User error with Diskus and Turbuhaler by asthma patients and pharmacists in Jordan and Australia.

PubMed

Basheti, Iman A; Qunaibi, Eyad; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia Z; Armour, Carol L; Khater, Samar; Omar, Muthana; Reddel, Helen K

2011-12-01

Use of inhalers requires accurate completion of multiple steps to ensure effective medication delivery. To evaluate the most problematic steps in the use of Diskus and Turbuhaler for pharmacists and patients in Jordon and Australia. With standardized inhaler-technique checklists, we asked community pharmacists to demonstrate the use of Diskus and Turbuhaler. We asked patients with asthma to demonstrate the inhaler (Diskus or Turbuhaler) they were currently using. Forty-two community pharmacists in Jordan, and 31 in Australia, participated. In Jordan, 51 asthma patients demonstrated use of Diskus, and 40 demonstrated use of Turbuhaler. In Australia, 53 asthma patients demonstrated use of Diskus, and 42 demonstrated use of Turbuhaler. The pharmacists in Australia had received inhaler-technique education more recently than those in Jordan (P = .03). With Diskus, few pharmacists in either country demonstrated correct technique for step 3 (exhale to residual volume) or step 4 (exhale away from the device), although there were somewhat fewer errors in Australia than Jordan (16% vs 0% in step 3, P = .007, and 20% vs 0% in step 4, P = .003 via chi-square test). With Turbuhaler there were significant differences between the pharmacists from Australia and Jordan, mainly in step 2 (hold the device upright while loading, 45% vs 2% correct, P < .001). Few of the patients had received inhaler-technique education in the previous year. The patients made errors similar to those of the pharmacists in individual steps with Diskus and Turbuhaler. The essential steps with Diskus were performed correctly more often by the Jordanian patients, and with Turbuhaler by the Australian patients. Despite differences in Jordan's and Australia's health systems, pharmacists from both Australia and Jordan had difficulty with the same Diskus and Turbuhaler steps. In both countries, the errors made by the asthma patients were similar to those made by the pharmacists.

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 Ireland. Comparison of data between Australia and the US indicates that while some determinants of patient satisfaction are common, country-specific differences also exist.

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 Northern Europe, North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Comparison of data between Australia and the US indicates that while some determinants of patient satisfaction are common, country-specific differences also exist. PMID:24179328

The Life Story Experience of "Migrant Dentists" in Australia: Potential Implications for Health Workforce Governance and International Cooperation

PubMed Central

Balasubramanian, Madhan; Spencer, A. John; Short, Stephanie D.; Watkins, Keith; Chrisopoulos, Sergio; Brennan, David S.

2017-01-01

Background: The migration of dentists is a major policy challenge facing both developing and developed countries. Dentists from over 120 countries migrate to Australia, and a large proportion are from developing countries. The aim of the study was to assess the life story experience (LSE) of migrant dentists in Australia, in order to address key policy challenges facing dentist migration. Methods: A national survey of all migrant dentists resident in Australia was conducted in 2013. Migrant experiences were assessed through a suite of LSE scales, developed through a qualitative-quantitative study. Respondents rated experiences using a five-point Likert scale. Results: A total of 1022 migrant dentists responded to the survey (response rate = 54.5%). LSE1 (health system and general lifestyle concerns in home country), LSE2 (appreciation towards Australian way of life) and LSE3 (settlement concerns in Australia) scales varied by migrant dentist groups, sex, and years since arrival to Australia (chi-square, P < .05). In a logistic regression model, migrants mainly from developing countries (ie, the examination pathway group) faced greater health system and general lifestyle concerns in their home countries (9.32; 3.51-24.72) and greater settlement challenges in Australia (5.39; 3.51-8.28), compared to migrants from well-developed countries, who obtained direct recognition of qualifications. Migrants also are more appreciative towards the Australian way of life if they had lived at least ten years in Australia (1.97; 1.27-3.05), compared to migrants who have lived for less than ten years. Conclusion: Migrant dentists, mainly from developing countries, face challenges both in their home countries and in Australia. Our study offers evidence for multi-level health workforce governance and calls for greater consensus towards an international agenda to address dentist migration. Better integration of dentist migration with the mainstream health workforce governance is a viable and opportunistic way forward. PMID:28812824

Optometry Australia Entry-level Competency Standards for Optometry 2014.

PubMed

Kiely, Patricia M; Slater, Jared

2015-01-01

Competency standards for entry-level to the profession of optometry in Australia were first developed in 1993, revised in 1997 and 2000, and again in 2008, when therapeutic competency standards were introduced but differentiated from the entry-level competencies. Therapeutic competencies were an additional requirement for the purpose of endorsing optometric registration to allow prescription of medicines for conditions of the eye. Recent changes to educational and registration requirements mean that therapeutic competencies are now required at entry-level. To address this and to ensure the standards reflect current best practice, a full revision of the standards was undertaken. A steering committee oversaw the review of the standards, which involved a literature review, workshops with optometrists and broad consultation with stakeholders, including the Optometry Board of Australia, individual optometrists and employers of optometrists, to identify changes needed. Representatives of the profession from Australia and New Zealand and from academia in Australia were involved. A modified document based on the feedback received was circulated to the State Divisions and the National Board of the then Optometrists Association Australia. The updated standards reflect the state of entry to the optometric profession in 2014; competencies for prescribing of scheduled medicines are included, new material has been added, other areas have been modified. The updated entry-level competency standards were adopted on behalf of the profession by the National Board of the then Optometrists Association Australia in March 2014. Competency standards have been updated so that they continue to be current and useful for the profession, individual optometrists and Australian and New Zealand registration authorities for the purposes of accreditation of optometric programs and assessment of overseas-trained optometrists. This paper details the revision process and presents the 2014 version of competency standards for entry-level to the profession of optometry in Australia. © 2014 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Optometry © 2014 Optometry Australia.

Skin bank development and critical incident response.

PubMed

Hamilton, Kellie T; Herson, Marisa R

2011-05-01

The Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria (DTBV), situated in Melbourne, Australia developed a skin banking program in 1994. It remains Australia's only operational skin bank, processing cryopreserved human cadaveric skin for the treatment of burns. The demand for allograft skin in Australia has steadily increased since the development of the program. The bank has been involved in the provision of skin for a number of critical incidences or disasters both in Australia and overseas. Demand always exceeds supply, and in the absence of other local skin banks, the DTBV has needed to develop strategies to enable increased provision of allograft skin nationally.

New genera of Australian stiletto flies (Diptera, Therevidae)

PubMed Central

Irwin, Michael E.; Winterton, Shaun L.

2016-01-01

Abstract Two new stiletto fly genera of Agapophytinae (Diptera: Therevidae) are described from Australia. Sidarena gen. n. comprises six new species (Sidarena aurantia sp. n., Sidarena flavipalpa sp. n., Sidarena geraldton sp. n., Sidarena hortorum sp. n., Sidarena macfarlandi sp. n., and Sidarena yallingup sp. n.) and is largely endemic to Western Australia. Zelothrix gen. n. is described based on two species; Zelothrix warrumbungles sp. n. is a locally abundant species in Eastern Australia, while Zelothrix yeatesi sp. n. is restricted to southwestern Western Australia. These sister genera are likely closely related to Taenogerella Winterton & Irwin and Actenomeros Winterton & Irwin. PMID:27853402

Asian student migration to Australia.

PubMed

Shu, J; Hawthorne, L

1996-01-01

"This paper presents an overview of Asian student migration to Australia, together with an analysis of political and educational aspects of the overseas student programme. It focuses on some significant consequences of this flow for Australia. The characteristics of key student groups are contrasted to provide some perspective of the diversity of historical and cultural backgrounds, with the source countries of Malaysia, Indonesia and PRC [China] selected as case studies. Since the issue of PRC students in Australia has attracted considerable public attention and policy consideration, particular focus is placed on their experience." (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA) excerpt

Country Report on Building Energy Codes in Australia

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

Shui, Bin; Evans, Meredydd; Somasundaram, Sriram

2009-04-02

This report is part of a series of reports on building energy efficiency codes in countries associated with the Asian Pacific Partnership (APP) - Australia, South Korea, Japan, China, India, and the United States of America (U.S.). This reports gives an overview of the development of building energy codes in Australia, including national energy policies related to building energy codes, history of building energy codes, recent national projects and activities to promote building energy codes. The report also provides a review of current building energy codes (such as building envelope, HVAC, and lighting) for commercial and residential buildings in Australia.

Quarantine, exports and animal disease in Australia 1901-2010.

PubMed

Turner, Aj

2011-09-01

The Constitution forming the Australian Commonwealth Government on 1 January 1901 provided that animal and animal products imported into and exported from Australia would be under the authority of the national government. By mutual agreement, the Quarantine Act 1908 provided for the states to continue the delivery of services under contract until 1995 when the Commonwealth took back full responsibility for quarantine services. In the 1940s, 50s and 60s there were world pandemics of livestock diseases and Australia ceased the import of many species. By the 1970s, the livestock industries sought relaxation of import restrictions to gain access to diversified genetic stock. By the use of new technologies, many species can now be imported into Australia through tight importation protocols. With the advent of the World Trade Organization and implementation of the Sanitary Phytosanitary Agreement, Australia has developed a risk-based framework to support the development of import conditions for animals and animal products. Australia's 'Acceptable Level of Protection' has been set to provide a low likelihood of disease entry. Being an island continent, Australia can apply strong controls over imports and exports of all commodities and relatively few outbreaks of exotic animal diseases have occurred by breach of quarantine, but the outbreaks of rinderpest in 1923 and equine influenza in 2007 were notable exceptions. © 2011 The Author. Australian Veterinary Journal © 2011 Australian Veterinary Association.

Phylogenetic analysis reveals multiple introductions of Cynodon species in Australia.

PubMed

Jewell, M; Frère, C H; Harris-Shultz, K; Anderson, W F; Godwin, I D; Lambrides, C J

2012-11-01

The distinction between native and introduced flora within isolated land masses presents unique challenges. The geological and colonisation history of Australia, the world's largest island, makes it a valuable system for studying species endemism, introduction, and phylogeny. Using this strategy we investigated Australian cosmopolitan grasses belonging to the genus Cynodon. While it is believed that seven species of Cynodon are present in Australia, no genetic analyses have investigated the origin, diversity and phylogenetic history of Cynodon within Australia. To address this gap, 147 samples (92 from across Australia and 55 representing global distribution) were sequenced for a total of 3336bp of chloroplast DNA spanning six genes. Data showed the presence of at least six putatively introduced Cynodon species (C. transvaalensis, C. incompletus, C. hirsutus, C. radiatus, C. plectostachyus and C. dactylon) in Australia and suggested multiple recent introductions. C. plectostachyus, a species often confused with C. nlemfuensis, was not previously considered to be present in Australia. Most significantly, we identified two common haplotypes that formed a monophyletic clade diverging from previously identified Cynodon species. We hypothesise that these two haplotypes may represent a previously undescribed species of Cynodon. We provide further evidence that two Australian native species, Brachyachne tenella and B. convergens belong in the genus Cynodon and, therefore, argue for the taxonomic revision of the genus Cynodon. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing warfarin control in Australia and Singapore.

PubMed

Bernaitis, Nijole; Ching, Chi Keong; Teo, Siew Chong; Chen, Liping; Badrick, Tony; Davey, Andrew K; Crilly, Julia; Anoopkumar-Dukie, Shailendra

2017-09-01

Warfarin is widely used for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Variations in warfarin control, as measured by time in therapeutic range (TTR), have been reported across different regions and ethnicities, particularly between Western and Asian countries. However, there is limited data on comparative factors influencing warfarin control in Caucasian and Asian patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine warfarin control and potential factors influencing this in patients with NVAF in Australia and Singapore. Retrospective data was collected for patients receiving warfarin for January to June 2014 in Australia and Singapore. TTR was calculated for individuals with mean patient TTR used for analysis. Possible influential factors on TTR were analysed including age, gender, concurrent co-morbidities, and concurrent medication. The mean TTR was significantly higher in Australia (82%) than Singapore (58%). At both sites, chronic kidney disease significantly lowered this TTR. Further factors influencing control were anaemia and age<60years in Australia, and vascular disease, CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score of 6, and concurrent platelet inhibitor therapy in Singapore. Warfarin control was significantly higher in Australia compared to Singapore, however chronic kidney disease reduced control at both sites. The different levels of control in these two countries, together with patient factors further reducing control may impact on anticoagulant choice in these countries with better outcomes from warfarin in Australia compared to Singapore. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unlocking Australia's Language Potential. Profiles of 9 Key Languages in Australia. Volume 8: Modern Greek.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tamis, A. M.; And Others

The status of modern Greek in Australian society and education are detailed in this report. Chapters include discussion of these issues: the history of modern Greek in Australia (Greek immigration and settlement, public and private domains of use, language maintenance and shift, and language quality); the functions of modern Greek in Australia…

Education and Change in South Australia. First Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Committee of Enquiry into Education in South Australia, Adelaide.

This publication contains the first report of the Committee of Enquiry into Education in South Australia, the major task of which is to examine and make recommendations to the Minister of Education on the educational system of South Australia. The committee emphasized that there was no need for radical changes in the educational system at this…

Evolving ASEAN-Australia Relations in Higher Education. Towards a Regional Knowledge Network?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welch, Anthony

2016-01-01

Australia's attitude towards ASEAN has waxed and waned over recent decades, including in higher education. In part a reflection of tensions between its geography and history, it highlighted the question of the extent to which Australia saw itself as an Asian country (an uncertainty shared by a number of its ASEAN neighbours). Reviewing changes in…

Anthropometric data of elderly people in Australia.

PubMed

Kothiyal, K; Tettey, S

2000-06-01

An anthropometric data set on 171 elderly people in Australia has been presented. The data set consists of 22 body dimensions relevant to design of living facilities, equipment and workplaces for the elderly people. The study was carried out in metropolitan Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. A comparative analysis with other populations indicates significant differences in the body dimensions.

A Portrait of Child Poverty in Australia in 1995-96.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harding, Ann; Szukalska, Agnieszka

In Australia, there has been growing concern about increasing income inequality, a possible accompanying increase in poverty rates, and how poverty impacts on the mental and physical well-being of children. This study analyzed Australian Bureau of Statistics income survey data to assess the extent of child poverty in Australia in 1995-1996.…

Latino Families Becoming-Literate in Australia: Deleuze, Literacy and the Politics of Immigration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, David R.

2012-01-01

This article examines qualitative data from a two family case study in New South Wales. Both families are from South America and have recently moved to Australia. This study demonstrates that an understanding of the ways that the families are becoming literate in Australia necessitates moving beyond linguistic analyses of the changes that are…

Unlocking Australia's Language Potential. Profiles of 9 Key Languages in Australia. Volume 6: Italian.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Di Biase, Bruno; And Others

The status of the Italian language in Australia, particularly in the educational system at all levels, in Australian society in general, and in trade, technology, and tourism is discussed in this report. It begins with a description of the teaching of Italian in elementary, secondary, higher, adult/continuing, and teacher education. Trends are…

National Profiles in Technical and Vocational Education in Asia and the Pacific: Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

This technical and vocational education (TVE) profile on Australia is one in a series of profiles of UNESCO member countries. It is intended to be a handy reference on TVE systems, staff development, technical cooperation, and information networking. Chapter 1 describes the demography, government, and economy of Australia. Chapter 2 provides…

A Brief History of the Evaluation of VET in Australia. Review of Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Rod; Hayton, Geoff

The history and current state of evaluation of vocational education and training (VET) in Australia was examined. The study's main conclusion was that, despite its important potential, evaluation has thus far been little used for the improvement of VET in Australia. Other conclusions of the study were as follows: (1) little development of…

Human Resource Development Practices, Managers and Multinational Enterprises in Australia: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sablok, Gitika; Stanton, Pauline; Bartram, Timothy; Burgess, John; Boyle, Brendan

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the HRD practices of multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in Australia to understand the value that MNEs place on investment in their human capital, particularly managerial talent. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on a representative sample of 211 MNEs operating in Australia, this paper…

Living in a 2.2 World: From Mapping to Strategic Capacity Building for Australian Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Neil; Seddon, Terri

2013-01-01

The results of Australia's first national research assessment, excellence for research in Australia, provoked considerable discussion about the state of educational research in Australia. Understanding the nature of this field of research became the focus for empirical research and analysis that was intended to inform strategic planning. This…

Images of Australia in Elementary Social Studies Texts: Some Alternative Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birchall, Gregory; Faichney, Gavin

Elementary social studies textbooks in the United States were analyzed to determine the sort of information they contained about Australia. Only those texts which made substantive references to Australia were analyzed; these included 4 books for level 3, 2 for level 4, and 4 for level 6. Books examined were all published by major textbook…

Distance Education Research Priorities for Australia: A Study of the Opinions of Distance Educators and Practitioners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jegede, Olugbemiro J.

A group of 56 randomly selected members of the International Council for Distance Education who were based in Australia were surveyed regarding their opinions on distance education research priorities for Australia. A five-page questionnaire was used to gather biographical details about respondents and opinions regarding available level of…

A Profile of Outdoor Adventure Interventions for Young People in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, Daniel J.; Neill, James T.; Williams, Ian R.; Mak, Anita S.; Allen, Nicholas B.; Olsson, Craig A.

2016-01-01

In this study, we describe characteristics of outdoor adventure interventions (OAIs) that aim to address problem behaviors in young people in Australia. A national online survey was completed by 98 program leaders and 24 program managers. OAIs for youth in Australia are diverse, but typically incorporate several days in the outdoors, during which…

Forty Years of Teacher Education in Australia: 1974-2014

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Diane

2014-01-01

In this paper, I analyse the history of teacher education in Australia from 1974 to the current policy moment in which questions are increasingly being asked about the quality of teaching and teacher education. Teacher education is, and has been, a highly scrutinised domain in Australia. Since the 1970s, we have seen more than 100 reviews of…

Institutional, Material and Economic Constraints in Languages Education: Unequal Provision of Linguistic Resources in Early Childhood and Primary Settings in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones Díaz, Criss

2014-01-01

In Australia, languages education in early childhood and primary education includes three main approaches: transitional, enrichment and full bilingual programmes. This article proposes that transitional and enrichment programmes in Australia are constituted and shaped by competing and contested institutional, material, discursive and economic…

Emerging Australian Education Markets: A Discrete Choice Model of Taiwanese and Indonesian Student Intended Study Destination.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kemp, Steven; Madden, Gary; Simpson, Michael

1998-01-01

Isolates factors influencing choice of Australia as a preferred destination for international students in emerging regional markets. Uses data obtained from a survey of students in Indonesia and Taiwan to estimate a U.S./Australia and rest-of-world/Australia discrete destination-choice model. This model identifies key factors determining country…

Canoeing the Murray River (Australia) as Environmental Education: A Tale of Two Rivers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Alistair

2004-01-01

The Murray River, lying at the heart of Australia's largest catchment, is used extensively in outdoor education programs in south-eastern Australia. Since European settlement the river's ecological health has declined considerably due to activities such as damming for irrigation and clearing of native vegetation. Colonial notions of how the river…

Claims Against a University: The Role of Administrative Review in Australia and the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rochford, Francine

2005-01-01

The recent decision of the High Court of Australia in "Griffith University v. Tang" denied judicial review to a student aggrieved by the decision of a university to exclude her. This article analyses the role of judicial review of university decision-making in the United Kingdom and Australia, analysing the justification for…

Playing with Maths: Implications for Early Childhood Mathematics Teaching from an Implementation Study in Melbourne, Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohrssen, Caroline; Tayler, Collette; Cloney, Dan

2015-01-01

The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia governs early childhood education in the years before school in Australia. Since this framework is not a curriculum, early childhood educators report uncertainty regarding what mathematical concepts to teach and how to teach them. This implementation study, positioned within the broader E4Kids…

Advice to travelers on topical insect repellent use against dengue mosquitoes in Far North Queensland, Australia.

PubMed

Webb, Cameron E; Russell, Richard C

2011-01-01

Dengue outbreaks occur annually in Far North Queensland, Australia. Advice on topical insect repellents provided by health authorities rarely addresses the wide range of formulations and active ingredients currently registered for use in Australia. Recommendations on the use of registered products require review. © 2011 International Society of Travel Medicine.

From Extraction to Knowledge Reproduction: The Impact of Australia's Development Awards on Uganda and Mozambique

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amazan, Rose C.; Negin, Joel; Howie, Leanne; Wood, Julian

2016-01-01

With the renewed emphasis on higher education as an agent for development and economic growth, Australia has joined other Western countries in contributing to increasing the intellectual workforce of Africa[1]. While Australia has provided scholarships to Africans for more than three decades, since 2005, the Australian Government has dramatically…

The Evolution of Distance Education in Australia: Past, Present, Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reiach, Stephen; Averbeck, Clemens; Cassidy, Virginie

2012-01-01

Australia's large size and scattered population made it a prime location for the development of correspondence education in the 1920s, and the country is still in the forefront of distance education. This article is based on an extensive interview with Terry Evans, professor at Deakin University in Australia, who reflects on the history of…

Family Day Care in Australia: A Systematic Review of Research (1996-2010)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohanna, India; Davis, Elise; Corr, Lara; Priest, Naomi; Tan, Huong

2012-01-01

Family Day Care (FDC) is a distinctive form of child care chosen by many Australian families. However, there appears to be little empirical research on FDC conducted in Australia. The aim of this study was to systematically review the recent published literature on FDC research in Australia, assess its quality, and identify pertinent topics for…

Teachers' Learning in Online Communities of Practice: Two Case Studies from Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanewald, Ria

2013-01-01

Australia is a vast land with a dispersed population especially in rural or remote areas, which is geographically located in the Asian region. This has a strong bearing on its initial education (pre-service) and the ongoing professional development (in-service) of teachers. The vastness of Australia causes professional isolation and a lack of…

78 FR 39971 - Implementation of the Understandings Reached at the 2012 Australia Group (AG) Plenary Meeting and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-03

...-02] RIN 0694-AF76 Implementation of the Understandings Reached at the 2012 Australia Group (AG) Plenary Meeting and the 2012 AG Intersessional Decisions; Changes to Select Agent Controls--Correction... understandings reached at the June 2012 plenary meeting of the Australia Group (AG) and the 2012 AG...

77 FR 39162 - Implementation of the Understandings Reached at the 2011 Australia Group (AG) Plenary Meeting and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-02

... June 2011 plenary meeting of the Australia Group (AG). This rule amends the Commerce Control List (CCL) entry in the EAR that controls human and zoonotic pathogens and ``toxins'' and the entry that controls...-03] RIN 0694-AF45 Implementation of the Understandings Reached at the 2011 Australia Group (AG...

Tamworth, Australia's "Country Music Capital": Place Marketing, Rurality, and Resident Reactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, Chris; Davidson, Deborah

2004-01-01

Since the 1970s, Tamworth has become well known as Australia's "country music capital". Its annual Country and Western Music Festival has become the leading event of its type in Australia, attracting over 60,000 visitors every year. The festival, and country music more generally, have become central to the town's identity and tourism…

Perceptions of Australia as a Postgraduate Research Destination. Go8 Backgrounder 11

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Group of Eight (NJ1), 2010

2010-01-01

In 2009 the Group of Eight (Go8) commissioned market research to examine the attitudes, perceptions and experiences of Australia as a destination for study at the Higher Research Degree level. This backgrounder highlights some of the positive aspects of the Australian experience. The top five aggregated strengths of Australia as a research…

Australia at the Crossroads: A Review of School Science Practical Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidman, Gillian

2012-01-01

In Australia we are at a crossroads in science education. We have come from a long history of adopting international curricula, through to blending international and Australian developed materials, to the present which is a thoroughly unique Australian curriculum in science. This paper documents Australia's journey over the past 200 years, as we…

Governing through Early Childhood Curriculum, "the Child," and "Community": Ideologies of Socialist Hungary and Neoliberal Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millei, Zsuzsa

2011-01-01

This article examines the role of state ideology in the formation of kindergarten curriculum documents in socialist Hungary during the 1970s and in contemporary neoliberal Australia. The study explores two landmark curriculum documents, of Hungary and Australia, respectively, comparing the ways in which "the child" is conceptualized in…

22 CFR 123.15 - Congressional certification pursuant to Section 36(c) of the Arms Export Control Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), or Australia, Japan, New Zealand, or South Korea... member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), or Australia, Japan, New Zealand, or... Organization, or Australia, Japan, New Zealand, or South Korea or at least 30 calendar days have elapsed for...

Action toward wilderness protection in Australia

Treesearch

Keith Muir

2007-01-01

In 1992, a National Forest Policy Statement created a political opportunity to protect wilderness across Australia. The following decade saw over a million hectares of wilderness reserved in the state of New South Wales (NSW) but, until recently, little progress was made elsewhere in Australia. The success in NSW, as opposed to other states, can largely be attributed...

Cetacean Morbillivirus in Coastal Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins, Western Australia

PubMed Central

Duignan, Pádraig J.; Wang, Jianning; Bingham, John; Finn, Hugh; Bejder, Lars; Patterson, Anthony P.; Holyoake, Carly

2014-01-01

Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) has caused several epizootics in multiple species of cetaceans globally and is an emerging disease among cetaceans in Australia. We detected CeMV in 2 stranded coastal Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Western Australia. Preliminary phylogenetic data suggest that this virus variant is divergent from known strains. PMID:24656203

Reading the Local and Global: Teaching Literature in Secondary Schools in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Larissa McLean; Doecke, Brenton; Mead, Philip

2013-01-01

Recently Australia has witnessed a revival of concern about the place of Australian literature within the school curriculum. This has occurred within a policy environment where there is increasing emphasis on Australia's place in a world economy, and on the need to encourage young people to think of themselves in a global context. These dimensions…

Challenging Racism through Schools: Teacher Attitudes to Cultural Diversity and Multicultural Education in Sydney, Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forrest, James; Lean, Garth; Dunn, Kevin

2016-01-01

How school teachers act to challenge racism in schools is a vital concern in an immigrant society like Australia. A 10% response from a self-administered online survey of government (public) primary and secondary school teachers across Sydney, Australia's largest EthniCity, examines attitudes of classroom teachers towards cultural diversity, goals…

Building Skills for All in Australia: Policy Insights from the Survey of Adult Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing, 2017

2017-01-01

Australia's overall performance in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) ranges from average to very good. However, three million adults, representing one-fifth of the working age population, have low literacy and/or numeracy skills. Building Skills for All in Australia describes the characteristics of the low-skilled and discusses the consequences…

Policy Fuzz and Fuzzy Logic: Researching Contemporary Indigenous Education and Parent-School Engagement in North Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lea, Tess; Thompson, Helen; McRae-Williams, Eva; Wegner, Aggie

2011-01-01

"Engagement" is the second of six top priorities in Australia's most recent Indigenous education strategy to "close the gap" in schooling outcomes. Drawing on findings from a three-year ethnographic analysis of school engagement issues in the north of Australia, this article situates engagement within the history of Indigenous…

"Do I Beat 'Em or Join 'Em?" Individual and Collective Adaptations Leading to School Success among Minority Group Students in Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munns, Geoff; McFadden, Mark; Simpson, Lee; Faulkner, Karen

A symposium compared the nature and experiences of schooling for Aboriginal Australians and Vietnamese immigrants to Australia. An introduction draws on John Ogbu's distinction between voluntary and involuntary minorities, provides background on the situations of indigenous peoples and Vietnamese immigrants in Australia, and suggests that cultural…

75 FR 46901 - Changes to Treatments for Sweet Cherries from Australia and Irradiation Dose for Mediterranean...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-04

...] Changes to Treatments for Sweet Cherries from Australia and Irradiation Dose for Mediterranean Fruit Fly... into the United States. We are also adding to the treatment manual a new approved irradiation dose for... imported from Australia into the United States.\\3\\ We also proposed to establish an approved irradiation...

Offshore Teaching Practice in the Australia-Pacific Technical College: A Case Study in the South Pacific

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Anthony

2011-01-01

This paper investigates teaching practices at the Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC), which comprise a unique official development assistance (ODA) program funded by the Government of Australia (GoA) and managed through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid) with the aim of training and equipping workers from the…

Climate change and the possible health effects on older Australians.

PubMed

Saniotis, Arthur; Irvine, Rod

2010-01-01

Climate change is an important issue for Australia. Climate change research forecasts that Australia will experience accelerated warming due to anthrogenic activities. Australia's aging society will face special challenges that demand current attention. This paper discusses two issues in relation to climate change and older Australians: first, pharmacology and autoregulation; and second, mental health among older Australians.

How Accessible Is IB Schooling? Evidence from Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickson, Anisah; Perry, Laura B.; Ledger, Susan

2017-01-01

This study examines access to International Baccalaureate schools in Australia. It is important to examine whether, as a highly regarded form of rigorous academic education, IB programmes are available to a wide range of students. We examine the location of schools in Australia that offer one or more of the IB Primary Years Programme, Middle Years…

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.

Doctors' perspectives on PSA testing illuminate established differences in prostate cancer screening rates between Australia and the UK: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Pickles, Kristen; Carter, Stacy M; Rychetnik, Lucie; Entwistle, Vikki A

2016-01-01

Objectives To examine how general practitioners (GPs) in the UK and GPs in Australia explain their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing practices and to illuminate how these explanations are similar and how they are different. Design A grounded theory study. Setting Primary care practices in Australia and the UK. Participants 69 GPs in Australia (n=40) and the UK (n=29). We included GPs of varying ages, sex, clinical experience and patient populations. All GPs interested in participating in the study were included. Results GPs' accounts revealed fundamental differences in whether and how prostate cancer screening occurred in their practice and in the broader context within which they operate. The history of prostate screening policy, organisational structures and funding models appeared to drive more prostate screening in Australia and less in the UK. In Australia, screening processes and decisions were mostly at the discretion of individual clinicians, and varied considerably, whereas the accounts of UK GPs clearly reflected a consistent, organisationally embedded approach based on local evidence-based recommendations to discourage screening. Conclusions The GP accounts suggested that healthcare systems, including historical and current organisational and funding structures and rules, collectively contribute to how and why clinicians use the PSA test and play a significant role in creating the mindlines that GPs employ in their clinic. Australia's recently released consensus guidelines may support more streamlined and consistent care. However, if GP mindlines and thus routine practice in Australia are to shift, to ultimately reduce unnecessary or harmful prostate screening, it is likely that other important drivers at all levels of the screening process will need to be addressed. PMID:27920082

Foreign-born aged care workers in Australia: A growing trend.

PubMed

Negin, Joel; Coffman, Jenna; Connell, John; Short, Stephanie

2016-12-01

To address Australian aged care workforce challenges, a deeper understanding of the current care workforce is needed especially given estimated increases in demand. We provide a national picture of the aged care workforce in Australia focusing on country of birth. Data from the 2006 and 2011 Australian censuses. The majority of care workers are Australia-born followed by those born in the United Kingdom, South-East Asia and South Asia. While the number of carers from all regions has grown, the increase from 2006 to 2011 has been highest for carers from South Asia (333% increase) and sub-Saharan Africa (145%). The state with the largest decrease in the proportion of Australian-born care workers is Western Australia where Australian-born workers dropped from 62% in 2006 to 49% in 2011. Understanding the migration patterns of the aged care workforce in Australia is critical to health workforce planning given increasing demand. © 2016 AJA Inc.

What causes southeast Australia's worst droughts?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ummenhofer, Caroline C.; England, Matthew H.; McIntosh, Peter C.; Meyers, Gary A.; Pook, Michael J.; Risbey, James S.; Gupta, Alexander Sen; Taschetto, Andréa S.

2009-02-01

Since 1995, a large region of Australia has been gripped by the most severe drought in living memory, the so-called ``Big Dry''. The ramifications for affected regions are dire, with acute water shortages for rural and metropolitan areas, record agricultural losses, the drying-out of two of Australia's major river systems and far-reaching ecosystem damage. Yet the drought's origins have remained elusive. For Southeast Australia, we show here that the ``Big Dry'' and other iconic 20th Century droughts, including the Federation Drought (1895-1902) and World War II drought (1937-1945), are driven by Indian Ocean variability, not Pacific Ocean conditions as traditionally assumed. Specifically, a conspicuous absence of Indian Ocean temperature conditions conducive to enhanced tropical moisture transport has deprived southeastern Australia of its normal rainfall quota. In the case of the ``Big Dry'', its unprecedented intensity is also related to recent higher temperatures.

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.

Establishing a distributed national research infrastructure providing bioinformatics support to life science researchers in Australia.

PubMed

Schneider, Maria Victoria; Griffin, Philippa C; Tyagi, Sonika; Flannery, Madison; Dayalan, Saravanan; Gladman, Simon; Watson-Haigh, Nathan; Bayer, Philipp E; Charleston, Michael; Cooke, Ira; Cook, Rob; Edwards, Richard J; Edwards, David; Gorse, Dominique; McConville, Malcolm; Powell, David; Wilkins, Marc R; Lonie, Andrew

2017-06-30

EMBL Australia Bioinformatics Resource (EMBL-ABR) is a developing national research infrastructure, providing bioinformatics resources and support to life science and biomedical researchers in Australia. EMBL-ABR comprises 10 geographically distributed national nodes with one coordinating hub, with current funding provided through Bioplatforms Australia and the University of Melbourne for its initial 2-year development phase. The EMBL-ABR mission is to: (1) increase Australia's capacity in bioinformatics and data sciences; (2) contribute to the development of training in bioinformatics skills; (3) showcase Australian data sets at an international level and (4) enable engagement in international programs. The activities of EMBL-ABR are focussed in six key areas, aligning with comparable international initiatives such as ELIXIR, CyVerse and NIH Commons. These key areas-Tools, Data, Standards, Platforms, Compute and Training-are described in this article. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

"Like the Fish Not in Water": How Language and Race Mediate the Social and Economic Inclusion of Women Migrants to Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butorac, Donna

2014-01-01

Learning English is an important aspect of post-migration settlement in Australia, and new migrants with beginner to intermediate proficiency are strongly encouraged to attend government-subsidised English language classes. Underpinning the framing and delivery of these classes is a commitment to the discursive construction of Australia as an…

Unlocking Australia's Language Potential. Profiles of 9 Key Languages in Australia. Volume 5: Indonesian/Malay.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Worsley, Peter

The report on the status of the Indonesian and Malay languages in Australia documents the history of those languages in Australian education, within selected communities, in international trade, and among high school students. The first chapter gives a brief history of the Indonesian and Malay languages and comments on their place in the life of…

Corrupt captains and convicts.

PubMed

Norrie, Philip

2002-05-01

Australia is unique in that so many of its wine companies were founded by members of the medical profession. The First Fleet, which brought the first convicts and settlers to Australia in 1787, was delayed until wine was provided as a medicine for the long voyage from England. Australia's wine doctors were advocating the use of wine as a medicine 200 years before the French Paradox.

Lay Understanding of the Causes of Binge Drinking in the United Kingdom and Australia: A Network Diagram Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keatley, David A.; Ferguson, Eamonn; Lonsdale, Adam; Hagger, Martin S.

2017-01-01

Binge drinking is associated with deleterious health, social and economic outcomes. This study explored the lay understanding of the causes of binge drinking in members of the general public in the United Kingdom and Australia. Participants in the United Kingdom (N = 133) and Australia (N = 102) completed a network diagram exercise requiring them…

Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of Bonaparte Basin, Browse Basin, Northwest Shelf, and Gippsland Basin Provinces, Australia, 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pollastro, Richard M.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Cook, Troy A.; Klett, Timothy R.; Kirschbaum, Mark A.; Pitman, Janet K.; Schenk, Christopher J.

2012-01-01

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 4.7 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 227 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas in three major offshore petroleum basins of northwest Australia and in the Gippsland Basin of southeast Australia.

Issues Affecting Skill Demand and Supply in Australia's Education and Training Sector. At a Glance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Centre for Vocational Education Research, Leabrook (Australia).

The responses to a 1999 study of Australian employers and an examination of skill shortages by Australia's Department for Employment, Work Relations, and Small Business were analyzed to identify issues affecting skill demand and supply in Australia's education and training sector. The following were among the key findings: (1) in recent years, the…

MOBILESAT: Australia's own

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagg, Michael

1990-01-01

Australia will be introducing a dedicated Mobile Satellite Communications System following the launch of the AUSSAT-B satellites late in 1991. The Mobile Satellite System, MOBILESAT, will provide circuit switched voice/data services and packet-switched data services for land, aeronautical and maritime users. Here, an overview is given of the development program being undertaken within Australia to enable a fully commercial service to be introduced in 1992.

Teachers' Cultural Maps: Asia as a "Tricky Sort of Subject Matter" in Curriculum Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salter, Peta

2014-01-01

The refocussing of Australia-Asia relations is manifest in a combination of national policy moves in Australia. Parallel shifts have been made in Europe, the United States, Canada and New Zealand. In Australia, the curricular response to this shift has become known as "Asia literacy." This study is drawn from a wider project that…

77 FR 31683 - Notice of Effective Date of Modifications to a Rule of Origin of the United States-Australia Free...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-29

... Rule of Origin of the United States-Australia Free Trade Agreement AGENCY: Office of the United States... to a product-specific rule of origin under the United States-Australia Free Trade Agreement (USAFTA). SUMMARY: In Proclamation 8334 of December 31, 2008, the President modified the rules of origin for certain...

Pace Travels to the Pacific Region - February 9, 2007 - U.S. Department of

Science.gov Websites

Risk of Terrorist Attacks Search DefenseLink.mil Jun. 29, 2015 War on Terror Transformation News today. Story Australia Global Leader in Fight on Terror CANBERRA, Australia, Feb. 12, 2007 - Australia has made enormous contributions to the global war on terror and has proven it is a world leader

Teaching Primary Science in Rural and Regional Australia: Some Challenges Facing Practicing and Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laidlaw, Kristy-Rebecca; Taylor, Neil; Fletcher, Peter

2009-01-01

The teaching of science has long been viewed as problematic within primary classrooms across Australia. This study explores the teaching of primary science in an area of rural and regional Australia (the New England Region of New South Wales) where small populations, remote settings and isolation can make the teaching of science and other Key…

An Investigation into Why Students from Regional South Australia Choose to Study Business Programs in the Capital City

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawyer, Janet; Ellis, Bronwyn

2011-01-01

Although Business undergraduate studies are available at the University of South Australia's (UniSA) Centre for Regional Engagement (CRE), both at the Whyalla Campus and the Mount Gambier Regional Centre (MGRC), many students from regional South Australia choose to undertake Business degrees in Adelaide, the state capital, rather than locally.…

An Evaluation of the Implementation of National Core Curricula in Australia. Summary Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parkinson, Kevin J.; Broderick, John S.

As part of a study of the development and implementation of the National Core Curricula (NCC) in Australia, a historical background was prepared from a number of data sources and views on NCC were sought from senior Technical and Further Education (TAFE) officers in Australia. More specific information was sought in three case studies, the project…

Broadening Units to Broadened Horizons: The Impact of "New Courses 2012" on Enrolments in Italian at the University of Western Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caruso, Marinella; Brown, Joshua

2014-01-01

"New Courses 2012" refers to a new course structure adopted by the University of Western Australia, which has established a three-year general Bachelor degree followed by professional degrees. Since its introduction, enrolments in languages have increased, in a context in which languages across Australia have found themselves "under…

Maximizing the Impact of Telepractice through a Multifaceted Service Delivery Model at The Shepherd Centre, Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Aleisha; Hopkins, Tracy; Abrahams, Yetta

2012-01-01

The Shepherd Centre is a nonprofit early intervention program in New South Wales, Australia, providing listening and spoken language services through an interdisciplinary team approach to children with hearing loss and their families. The program has been providing distance services to families in rural and remote areas of Australia and in other…

The Body Mass Index of Adolescents Attending Seventh-Day Adventist Schools in Australia: 2001-2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craig, Bevan A.; Morton, Darren P.; Kent, Lillian M.; Butler, Terry L.; Rankin, Paul M.; Price, Kevin R.

2017-01-01

Background: We examined the body mass index (BMI) of students attending Seventh-day Adventist (Adventist) schools in Australia in 2001 and 2012. Methods: A total of 3069 students attending Adventist schools in Australia responded to a health and lifestyle survey in 2001 (N = 1335) and 2012 (N = 1734). The survey captured self-reported height and…

An Overview of Vocational Education and Training in Australia and Its Links to the Labour Market

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Brian; Mlotkowski, Peter

2009-01-01

Understanding Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system can be daunting for observers. This paper, written as a background paper for a visit from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), describes Australia's VET system and how it relates to the broader set of education and learning options that are…

Reading the Market. A Review of Literature on the Vocational Education and Training Market in Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Damon

This report presents the results of a review of policy and research literature that focused on the following: the vocational education and training (VET) market in Australia; the role of the concept of a training market in government policy on VET in Australia; the effect of economic rationalism and corporate managerialism on VET policy and…

Middle Eastern Students Shut Out of the U.S. Turn to Australia and New Zealand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, David

2007-01-01

This article reports on the increase of Middle Eastern students in universities in Australia and New Zealand because of difficulties in getting visas for the United States and Britain. Difficulties in securing visas, combined with more aggressive recruiting by higher-education institutions in New Zealand and Australia, have led a growing number of…

A Rationale for Acknowledging the Diversity of Learner Achievements in Learning Particular Languages in School Education in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scarino, Angela

2012-01-01

In school languages education in Australia at present there is an increasing diversity of languages and learners learning particular languages that results from a greater global movement of students. This diversity builds on a long-established profile of diversity that reflects the migration history of Australia. It stands in sharp contrast to the…

Examining the Average Citation Index of "Education in Rural Australia" (Now the "Australian and International Journal of Rural Education")

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drummond, Aaron; Halsey, R. John

2013-01-01

The journal "Education in Rural Australia" (now the "Australian and International Journal of Rural Education") has been in existence since 1991. During the Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) period, the journal maintained a B ranking, indicating that it was a quality journal within a specialised field. With the abolishment…

Making Schools More Effective: Report of the Australian Effective Schools Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGaw, Barry; And Others

Almost a third of all schools in Australia responded to an invitation to express views about how Australia's schools might be made more effective. This report presents the views that schools should have a full-blown view of what Australia wants for its children and youth, and they should be concerned with personal and social as well as…

Building Skills for All in Australia: Policy Insights from the Survey of Adult Skills. OECD Skills Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing, 2017

2017-01-01

Australia's overall performance in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) ranges from average to very good. However, three million adults, representing one-fifth of the working age population, have low literacy and/or numeracy skills. Building Skills for All in Australia describes the characteristics of the low-skilled and discusses the consequences…

What Counts as Quality in Education? Australian College of Educators (ACE) National Conference Proceedings (Adelaide, Australia, September 11-12, 2014)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghirelli, Paola S., Ed.

2014-01-01

The 2014 Australian College of Educators (ACE) National Conference was held September 11-12 in Adelaide, Australia, with the theme, "What counts as quality in education?" There has been concern with a general downward trend in Australia's performance on international measures of student achievement, but there is equal concern over the…

Food Security in Australia in an Era of Neoliberalism, Productivism and Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Geoffrey; Richards, Carol; Lyons, Kristen

2013-01-01

For over 150 years Australia has exported bulk, undifferentiated, commodities such as wool, wheat, meat and sugar to the UK and more recently to Japan, Korea, and the Middle East. It is estimated that, each year, Australia's farming system feeds a domestic population of some 22 million people, while exporting enough food to feed another 40…

Research Note: How Muslims Are Perceived in Catholic Schools in Contemporary Australia: A National Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ata, Abe

2016-01-01

This paper presents results from a large-scale national survey of attitudes of students in Catholic schools in Australia towards Muslims and Islam. Over 2232 students completed questionnaires which were obtained from students in 42 Catholic schools throughout Australia. These schools were drawn from both rural and urban areas in New South Wales,…

School Library Automation in Australia: Issues and Results of the National Surveys. 2nd Edition. Topics in Australian Teacher Librarianship, No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dillon, Ken, Ed.

This publication about school library automation in Australia contains 18 chapters divided into seven sections. The chapters in the first section presents survey results: "School Library Automation in Australia: Results of the First, Second and Third National Surveys" (Ken Dillon); and "School Library Automation in New Zealand:…

Early Maternal Employment and Children's Academic and Behavioral Skills in Australia and the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lombardi, Caitlin McPherran; Coley, Rebekah Levine

2017-01-01

This study assessed the links between early maternal employment and children's later academic and behavioral skills in Australia and the United Kingdom. Using representative samples of children born in each country from 2000 to 2004 (Australia N = 5,093, U.K. N = 18,497), OLS regression models weighted with propensity scores assessed links between…

Australian developments in marine science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coffin, Millard F.

2012-07-01

Australia is an island nation with about two thirds of its jurisdiction underwater. On 25 May 2012, Australia instituted the Seas and Submerged Lands (Limits of Continental Shelf) Proclamation 2012, confirming areas of seabed where Australia has exclusive rights to explore and exploit marine resources. This proclamation follows recommendations by the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, a body established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, confirming Australia's entitlement to extended continental shelf, i.e., that beyond 200 nautical miles from the coastline, of some 2.56 million square kilometers, excluding Australian Antarctic Territory [Symonds et al., 2009] (Figure 1a).

New Mid-Cretaceous (Latest Albian) Dinosaurs from Winton, Queensland, Australia

PubMed Central

Hocknull, Scott A.; White, Matt A.; Tischler, Travis R.; Cook, Alex G.; Calleja, Naomi D.; Sloan, Trish; Elliott, David A.

2009-01-01

Background Australia's dinosaurian fossil record is exceptionally poor compared to that of other similar-sized continents. Most taxa are known from fragmentary isolated remains with uncertain taxonomic and phylogenetic placement. A better understanding of the Australian dinosaurian record is crucial to understanding the global palaeobiogeography of dinosaurian groups, including groups previously considered to have had Gondwanan origins, such as the titanosaurs and carcharodontosaurids. Methodology/Principal Findings We describe three new dinosaurs from the late Early Cretaceous (latest Albian) Winton Formation of eastern Australia, including; Wintonotitan wattsi gen. et sp. nov., a basal titanosauriform; Diamantinasaurus matildae gen. et sp. nov., a derived lithostrotian titanosaur; and Australovenator wintonensis gen. et sp. nov., an allosauroid. We compare an isolated astragalus from the Early Cretaceous of southern Australia; formerly identified as Allosaurus sp., and conclude that it most-likely represents Australovenator sp. Conclusion/Significance The occurrence of Australovenator from the Aptian to latest Albian confirms the presence in Australia of allosauroids basal to the Carcharodontosauridae. These new taxa, along with the fragmentary remains of other taxa, indicate a diverse Early Cretaceous sauropod and theropod fauna in Australia, including plesiomorphic forms (e.g. Wintonotitan and Australovenator) and more derived forms (e.g. Diamantinasaurus). PMID:19584929

Potential for energy generation from anaerobic digestion of food waste in Australia.

PubMed

Lou, Xian Fang; Nair, Jaya; Ho, Goen

2013-03-01

Published national and state reports have revealed that Australia deposits an average of 16 million Mg of solid waste into landfills yearly, of which approximately 12.6% is comprised of food. Being highly biodegradable and possessing high energy content, anaerobic digestion offers an attractive treatment option alternative to landfilling. The present study attempted to identify the theoretical maximum benefit of food waste digestion in Australia with regard to energy recovery and waste diversion from landfills. The study also assessed the scope for anaerobic process to utilize waste for energy projects through various case study scenarios. Results indicated anaerobic digestion of total food waste generated across multiple sites in Australia could generate 558 453 dam(3) of methane which translated to 20.3 PJ of heating potential or 1915 GWe in electricity generation annually. This would contribute to 3.5% of total current energy supply from renewable sources. Energy contribution from anaerobic digestion of food waste to the total energy requirement in Australia remains low, partially due to the high energy consumption of the country. However its appropriateness in low density regions, which are prevalent in Australia, may allow digesters to have a niche application in the country.

Changes in the age pattern of New Zealand suicide rates.

PubMed

Snowdon, John

2017-01-13

It is timely to examine changes in male and female suicide rates across the age range in New Zealand, comparing them to some of the changes recorded in Australia. Data regarding suicide and population figures in New Zealand and Australia were obtained. The suicide rates of different age-groups in the two countries were calculated and compared. Data concerning 'open verdicts' were also obtained. The age patterns of suicide rates in New Zealand and Australia have changed markedly and similarly. Suicide rates of New Zealand males in their twenties increased threefold between the 1960s and 1990s, with a fall since then. Nevertheless, the 2009-13 youth suicide rates in New Zealand were double the corresponding rates in Australia. Since 1979-88 a decrease in suicide rates of men and women aged 60-79 has been even greater than in Australia. The Māori suicide rate is high in young men but almost zero in old age. The persistently high suicide rate of New Zealand youths (Māori much more than non-Māori) remains of concern. The rate is equally high among indigenous young Australians. There has been a welcome decrease in late-life suicide rates in New Zealand and Australia.

High-Resolution View of Fires and Smoke near Sydney, Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Smoke obscures much of the landscape near Sydney, Australia, in the true-color image above (top). However, the areas with active fires are revealed by the false-color image (bottom), which was made using shortwave infrared data that are sensitive to heat and provide the ability to 'see' through smoke. In the bottom scene, the black areas show fresh burn scars, while greens show landscape untouched by fire. Apparently, the fire burned up to the edge of a road (the thin black line snaking from the lefthand side of the image and disappearing off the bottom) and was unable to jump across. The thick dark line along the bottom of the scene is a river. Both images were made using data acquired on December 28, 2001, by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI), flying aboard NASA's Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite. For more images of the recent fires in Australia, read Smoke Blankets New South Wales, Australia, Fires Continue to Rage Near Sydney, Australia, and Severe Bush Fires Near Sydney, Australia. For more information about the effects of fire on the environment, read the Biomass Burning fact sheet. Images by Robert Simmon, based on data provided by Lawrence Ong, EO-1 Science Team

Physiotherapy for cystic fibrosis in Australia and New Zealand: A clinical practice guideline.

PubMed

Button, Brenda M; Wilson, Christine; Dentice, Ruth; Cox, Narelle S; Middleton, Anna; Tannenbaum, Esta; Bishop, Jennifer; Cobb, Robyn; Burton, Kate; Wood, Michelle; Moran, Fiona; Black, Ryan; Bowen, Summar; Day, Rosemary; Depiazzi, Julie; Doiron, Katherine; Doumit, Michael; Dwyer, Tiffany; Elliot, Alison; Fuller, Louise; Hall, Kathleen; Hutchins, Matthew; Kerr, Melinda; Lee, Annemarie L; Mans, Christina; O'Connor, Lauren; Steward, Ranjana; Potter, Angela; Rasekaba, Tshepo; Scoones, Rebecca; Tarrant, Ben; Ward, Nathan; West, Samantha; White, Dianne; Wilson, Lisa; Wood, Jamie; Holland, Anne E

2016-05-01

Physiotherapy management is a key element of care for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) throughout the lifespan. Although considerable evidence exists to support physiotherapy management of CF, there is documented variation in practice. The aim of this guideline is to optimize the physiotherapy management of people with CF in Australia and New Zealand. A systematic review of the literature in key areas of physiotherapy practice for CF was undertaken. Recommendations were formulated based on National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia) guidelines and considered the quality, quantity and level of the evidence; the consistency of the body of evidence; the likely clinical impact; and applicability to physiotherapy practice in Australia and New Zealand. A total of 30 recommendations were made for airway clearance therapy, inhalation therapy, exercise assessment and training, musculoskeletal management, management of urinary incontinence, managing the newly diagnosed patient with CF, delivery of non-invasive ventilation, and physiotherapy management before and after lung transplantation. These recommendations can be used to underpin the provision of evidence-based physiotherapy care to people with CF in Australia and New Zealand. © 2016 The Authors Respirology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

Mortality trends in Australian Aboriginal peoples and New Zealand Māori.

PubMed

Phillips, Bronwen; Daniels, John; Woodward, Alistair; Blakely, Tony; Taylor, Richard; Morrell, Stephen

2017-01-01

The health status of Indigenous populations of Australia and New Zealand (NZ) Māori manifests as life expectancies substantially lower than the total population. Accurate assessment of time trends in mortality and life expectancy allows evaluation of progress in reduction of health inequalities compared to the national or non-Indigenous population. Age-specific mortality and life expectancy (at birth) (LE) for Indigenous populations (Australia from 1990 and NZ from 1950); and all Australia and non-Māori NZ (from 1890), males (M) and females (F), were obtained from published sources and national statistical agency reports. Period trends were assessed for credible estimates of Indigenous LE, and the LE gap compared to the total population for Australia, and non-Māori for NZ. Period trends in premature adult mortality, as cumulative probability of dying over 15-59 years, were assessed similarly. The relative contribution of differences in age-specific mortality to the LE gap between Indigenous and the all-Australia population, and the non-Māori NZ, was estimated for each country by sex for the most recent period: 2010-2012 for Australia, 2012-2014 for NZ. LE increased for all populations, although LE gaps between Indigenous and all Australia showed little change over time. LE gaps between NZ Māori and non-Māori increased significantly from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, and since then have fallen again. Recent LE gaps in Australia (M 12.5; F 12.0 years in 2010-2012) were larger than in NZ (M 7.3; F 6.8 years in 2012-2014). Premature adult mortality (15-59 years) improved for all populations, but mortality ratios show little change since 2000, with Indigenous at 3½-4 times that of all Australians, and Māori 2-3 times that of non-Māori. Using decomposition analysis, the age interval contributing most strongly to differences in LE between Indigenous and all Australia was 35-59 years, but between Māori and non-Māori it was 60-74 years. In Australia and NZ, Indigenous LE and adult mortality are improving in absolute terms, but not relative to the entire or non-Indigenous populations, causing gaps in life expectancy to persist.

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.

Sexual and reproductive health and philanthropic funding in Australia.

PubMed

Gill-Atkinson, Liz; Vaughan, Cathy; Williams, Hennie

2014-09-01

Background Australia's philanthropic sector is growing and could support efforts to improve sexual and reproductive health (SRH). However, philanthropy is often misunderstood in Australia and there is limited evidence of philanthropic support for SRH initiatives. We aimed to understand the barriers and facilitators to philanthropic funding of SRH initiatives in Australia. A qualitative approach was used and involved 13 in-depth interviews with professionals from the philanthropic sector, and from organisations and services involved in SRH. Barriers to organisations in seeking philanthropic funding for SRH activities included insufficient resources for writing grant applications and the small financial value of philanthropic grants. Facilitators to seeking philanthropic funding for SRH included a perception that government funding is shrinking and that philanthropic research grants are less competitive than government grants. Philanthropic participants identified that barriers to funding SRH include the sensitive nature of SRH and the perceived conservative nature of philanthropy. Facilitators identified by these participants in supporting SRH initiatives included networking and relationships between grant-makers and grant-seekers. All participants agreed that philanthropy does and could have a role in funding SRH in Australia. The findings of this research suggest that barriers to philanthropic funding for SRH in Australia exist for organisations attempting to access philanthropic funding. Philanthropic organisations could provide more financial support to Australian SRH service providers, as happens in countries such as the United States and United Kingdom. Addressing these barriers and promoting the facilitators could lead to increased awareness of SRH by Australia's philanthropic sector.

The impact of invasive cane toads on native wildlife in southern Australia.

PubMed

Jolly, Christopher J; Shine, Richard; Greenlees, Matthew J

2015-09-01

Commonly, invaders have different impacts in different places. The spread of cane toads (Rhinella marina: Bufonidae) has been devastating for native fauna in tropical Australia, but the toads' impact remains unstudied in temperate-zone Australia. We surveyed habitat characteristics and fauna in campgrounds along the central eastern coast of Australia, in eight sites that have been colonized by cane toads and another eight that have not. The presence of cane toads was associated with lower faunal abundance and species richness, and a difference in species composition. Populations of three species of large lizards (land mullets Bellatorias major, eastern water dragons Intellagama lesueurii, and lace monitors Varanus varius) and a snake (red-bellied blacksnake Pseudechis porphyriacus) were lower (by 84 to 100%) in areas with toads. The scarcity of scavenging lace monitors in toad-invaded areas translated into a 52% decrease in rates of carrion removal (based on camera traps at bait stations) and an increase (by 61%) in numbers of brush turkeys (Alectura lathami). The invasion of cane toads through temperate-zone Australia appears to have reduced populations of at least four anurophagous predators, facilitated other taxa, and decreased rates of scavenging. Our data identify a paradox: The impacts of cane toads are at least as devastating in southern Australia as in the tropics, yet we know far more about toad invasion in the sparsely populated wilderness areas of tropical Australia than in the densely populated southeastern seaboard.

Exploring the implications of a fixed budget for new medicines: a study of reimbursement of new medicines in Australia and New Zealand.

PubMed

Taylor, Colman; Wonder, Michael

2015-09-01

Spending on medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) represents the ninth largest expense to the Federal Government. A recent report by the Commission of Audit to the Federal Government suggested spending on the PBS is unsustainable and a capped budget, similar to New Zealand's PHARMAC model, may be required to contain costs. The objective of the present study was to compare listing outcomes between Australia and New Zealand, thereby exploring the opportunity cost of a capped budget for new medicines. Listing outcomes in Australia and New Zealand were compared through published research and an updated search of listing outcomes from publicly available information. Previous research has demonstrated that New Zealand listed less than half of the new medicines listed in Australia over a 10-year period (2000-09). Our research shows that most of the new medicines not listed in New Zealand during this period remain unlisted today. In the previous 12 months, Australia listed 17 new medicines on the PBS, whereas New Zealand listed only one new medicine that was not already listed in Australia. The discrepancy in the number of new medicines listed in New Zealand compared with Australia raises questions regarding the consequences of implementing a capped budget for new medicines. However, further research is needed to understand the relationship between listing outcomes, access to medicines and health benefits for the community.

Optometrists Association Australia Universal (entry-level) and Therapeutic Competency Standards for Optometry 2008.

PubMed

Kiely, Patricia M

2009-07-01

Competency standards for entry-level to the profession of optometry in Australia were first developed in 1993, revised in 1997 and expanded in 2000 to include therapeutic competency standards. The entry-level standards cover the competencies required by a person entering the profession without therapeutic endorsement of their registration. The therapeutic competency standards address the additional competencies required for therapeutic endorsement of registration. This paper presents a revised version of the universal (entry-level) and therapeutic competency standards for the profession of optometry in Australia in 2008. Expert members of the profession and representatives from schools of optometry, registration boards in Australia, state divisions of Optometrists Association Australia and the New Zealand Association of Optometrists were consulted in the process of updating the standards. Three new elements of competency have been added to the standards. Twenty-three new performance criteria with associated indicators have been added. Some performance criteria from the earlier document have been combined. Substantial alterations were made to the presentation of indicators throughout the document. The updated entry-level (universal) and therapeutic competency standards were adopted on behalf of the profession by the National Council of Optometrists Association Australia in November 2008. Competency standards are used by Australian and New Zealand registration authorities for the purposes of registration and therapeutic endorsement of registration via the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand accreditation and assessment processes. They have also been used as the basis of the World Council of Optometry Global Competency-Based Model.

The Maintenance of Sri Lankan Languages in Australia--Comparing the Experience of the Sinhalese and Tamils in the Homeland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perera, Nirukshi

2015-01-01

In the study of language maintenance and shift for migrant groups in Australia, scholars have tended to focus on how personal factors or aspects of life in the host society shape language maintenance patterns. In this study, I explore how factors originating in the homeland affect language maintenance for Sri Lankan migrants in Australia. The aim…

The Way Forward: Women in Higher Education Management in Australia. Report of a National Conference (Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, July 18-20, 1984).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randell, Shirley, Ed.

Issues concerning the participation of women in college administration in Australia are presented in this conference report. Of concern were structural and attitudinal barriers to greater participation of women in educational management and the role of government in fostering equal opportunity. Included are an overview of the conference,…

Information Online 89. Selected Papers from the Australasian Online Information Conference and Exhibition (4th, Sydney, Australia, January 17-19, 1989).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowry, Glenn R.; And Others

1989-01-01

The 10 papers in this collection discuss the database industry in Australia and New Zealand, networking activities in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region, intellectual property protection of databases, the development of land information systems in Australia, the development of expert systems, the use of optical data disks,…

Stepping Offshore: An Examination of Australia's Bilateral Program-Based Assistance for the Development of Vocational Education and Training in Its Region. Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maglen, Leo; Hopkins, Sonnie

This report examines the participation of Australia's vocational education and training sector in aid projects in Southeast Asia and the Pacific from 1980-1997. It begins with background information on training assistance to developing countries, and it outlines the economic and educational assumptions underlying Australia's aid program to six…

Long-Period Seismological Research Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-06-30

previously gain seismograph stations at Charters Towers, Australia Alaska (FbK), Eilat, Israel (EIL), Chiang Mai , Thailand burg. New Jersey (OGD...digital systems have been operational. On 26 December 1971, the digital technician from Townsville, Australia, was sent to Chiang Mai , Thailand, to work...combined inspection-maintenance trips to ions at Charters Towers, Australia (CTA); Chiang Mai , Thailand a, Hawaii (KIP); and Matsushiro, Japan (MAT). As a

Rural Empowerment through the Arts: The Role of the Arts in Civic and Social Participation in the Mid West Region of Western Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHenry, Julia Anwar

2011-01-01

To combat social and economic inequity in rural Australia, governments, communities, and policy makers are seeking ways to empower local residents to find local solutions to local problems. Through an exploratory review of the literature and semi-structured interviews conducted in the Mid West of Western Australia, this research examined the role…

The Impact of Length of Study Abroad on Collocational Knowledge: The Case of Saudi Students in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alqarni, Ibrahim R.

2017-01-01

This study investigates the impact that study in Australia has on the lexical knowledge of Saudi Arabian students. It focuses on: 1) the effects that the length of study in Australia has on the acquisition of lexical collocations, as reflected by lexical knowledge tests, and 2) whether there is a significant gender difference in the acquisition of…

Skilling Australia for the Future? A Study of Quality Assurance in Australia's Vocational Education and Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agbola, Frank Wogbe; Lambert, Daniel Kenneth

2010-01-01

From the end of World War II until the early 1970s, vocational education and training (VET) in Australia was surprisingly static and resilient to government-led reform, due to the dominance of industry and union power. Following the oil shocks of 1973 and associated unemployment and declining union power, there have been calls on the federal and…

Framing the China Dynamic

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-05

President Obama and Prime Minister Gillard of Australia in Joint Press Conference, November 16, 2011, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/11...16/remarks-president-obama-and-prime- minister- gillard -australia-joint-press. 24 Australian policy think tank, “Getting China wrong will have...Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Gillard of Australia in Joint Press 90 Conference, November 16, 2011. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the

Towards a History of Adult Literacy in Australia. A Record of the History of Adult Literacy Weekend (Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, November 12-13, 1994). Second Edition, Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Technology Univ., Sydney (Australia).

This document contains materials about and from the "History of Adult Literacy Weekend" that was held at the University of New England in Armidale, Australia. The following papers about the weekend are included: "Foreword" (Patricia Ward, Rosie Wickert); "Introduction" (Rosie Wickert); "Focus on Oral…

Scandinavian Emigration to Australia and New Zealand Project. Proceedings of a Symposium (Turku, Finland, February 17-19, 1982). Migration Studies C7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koivukangas, Olavi, Ed.

These proceedings of a 1982 symposium on Scandinavian emigration in Australia include presentations on three general topics: field work conducted in Australia and New Zealand in 1980-82; research progress; and Australian immigration policy. The presentors and their papers are: (1) Hans Norman, "The Emigration to America from the Nordic…

How Singaporean Students Decide to Study in Australia: Towards Building a Model of Their Decision-Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gatfield, Terry; Larmar, Stephen

2008-01-01

Higher education ranks as Australia's sixth largest export sector, making a financial contribution of over $9 billion to the economy in 2004-2005. Surveys of potential students and projections by IDP-Education Australia on marketing higher education in 2025 are that the overseas student intake will rise by 14% to 850,000, earning in export trade…

Response to Early Literacy Instruction in the United States, Australia, and Scandinavia: A Behavioral-Genetic Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samuelsson, Stefan; Byrne, Brian; Olson, Richard K.; Hulslander, Jacqueline; Wadsworth, Sally; Corley, Robin; Willcutt, Erik G.; DeFries, John C.

2008-01-01

Genetic and environmental influences on early reading and spelling at the end of kindergarten and Grade 1 were compared across three twin samples tested in the United States, Australia, and Scandinavia. Proportions of variance due to genetic influences on kindergarten reading were estimated at 0.84 in Australia, 0.68 in the U.S., and 0.33 in…

Information Literacy: The Australian Agenda. Proceedings of a Conference Conducted by the University of South Australia Library (Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, December 2-4, 1992).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booker, Di, Ed.

The aims of this conference were to promote information literacy as a means of personal and national advancement in today's information-dependent society; to emphasize information literacy as an essential competency for lifelong learning; to ensure that all delegates understand information literacy and its importance for the economic and social…

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 similar developed countries. PMID:22264221

Characteristics and practice profiles of migrant dentist groups in Australia: implications for dental workforce policy and planning.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Madhan; Spencer, A John; Short, Stephanie D; Watkins, Keith; Chrisopoulos, Sergio; Brennan, David S

2015-06-01

Migrants comprise a growing proportion of the dental workforce in Australia. To date, research on migrant dentists is limited, raising policy questions regarding the motivations for migration, demographic profiles and work patterns. The purpose of this paper was to present findings from the first national survey of migrant dentists in Australia. All dentists with a primary dental qualification from an overseas institution and registered with the Australian Dental Association (n=1,872) or enrolled as a graduate student in any of the nine dental schools in Australia (n=105) were surveyed between January and May 2013. A total of 1,022 participants (response rate=54.5%) were classifiable into three migrant dentist groups: direct recognition (n=491); Australian Dental Council (ADC) (n=411); and alternative pathway (n=120). Overall, 41.8% of migrant dentists were female. More than half of the ADC group (54.1%) were from lower middle income countries. The most frequent motivation for migration according to the direct recognition group (21.1%) was 'adventure', whereas other groups migrated for 'better opportunity'. The majority of ADC respondents (65%) were under 45 years of age, and a larger proportion worked in the most disadvantaged areas (12.4%), compared with other groups. Gender, marital status, years since arrival in Australia and having children varied between the groups (chi square; P<0.05). Dentist groups migrate to Australia for different reasons. The large proportion of the migrant dentist workforce sourced from lower middle income countries points towards deficiencies in oral health systems both for these countries and for Australia. The feminisation of the migrant dentist profile could in future affect dentist-practice activity patterns in Australia. Further research, especially on the settlement experiences of these dentists, can provide better insights into issues faced by these dentists, the nature of support that migrant dentists receive in Australia, the probable future patterns of work and potential impact on the dental workforce and dental service provision. © 2015 FDI World Dental Federation.

Publish or perish: Dr Victor Webster and cardiazol treatment in Western Australia, 1937-1938.

PubMed

Martyr, Philippa

2017-10-01

To examine the role of Dr Victor Henry Webster (1905-1980) in the introduction of cardiazol therapy to Western Australia in November 1937. A range of primary and secondary sources were consulted. Webster experimented with cardiazol treatment at Heathcote Reception Home, and published his findings in April 1938, at the same time as Ellery and Lear, but was not able to publish his results in a nationally-recognised journal. As a result, his contribution to early cardiazol treatment in Australia has been largely forgotten. Webster made a genuine contribution to the introduction of cardiazol treatment in Australia, and his story illustrates the need to publish early findings of new physical therapies.

Heat flow measurements on the southeast coast of Australia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hyndman, R.D.; Jaeger, J.C.; Sass, J.H.

1969-01-01

Three boreholes have been drilled for the Australian National University near the southeast coast of New South Wales, Australia. The heat flows found are 1.1, 1.0, and 1.3 ??cal/cm2sec. The errors resulting from the proximity of the sea and a lake, surface temperature change, conductivity structure and water flow have been examined. The radioactive heat production in some of the intrusive rocks of the area have also been measured. The heat flows are much lower than the values of about 2.0 found elsewhere in south eastern Australia. The lower values appear to be part of a distinct heat flow province in eastern Australia. ?? 1969.

Is the concept of ethics misplaced in the migration of Indian trained dentists to Australia? The need for better international co-operation in dentistry.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Madhan; Short, Stephanie D

2011-01-01

The purpose of this article is to discuss the ethics involved in the migration of Indian trained dentists to Australia. It develops from interviews of senior oral health leaders in both the countries to provide evidence that ethics in migration is diluted in practice and to suggest that migratory procedures in both the countries should be reconsidered. There is also an urgent need for more organized bilateral communication and negotiation between the concerned organizations of both the countries (dental councils, immigration departments and research centers) in order to prevent the somewhat irreversible and intensive brain drain of top quality dentists from India to Australia. We would suggest as a starting point better monitoring of the migrants' academic and social background, the nature of the educational investment in India and the nature of the stay in Australia. This new information base could possibly lay the groundwork for more restrictive policies to be introduced both in Australia and India.

Aboriginal mitogenomes reveal 50,000 years of regionalism in Australia.

PubMed

Tobler, Ray; Rohrlach, Adam; Soubrier, Julien; Bover, Pere; Llamas, Bastien; Tuke, Jonathan; Bean, Nigel; Abdullah-Highfold, Ali; Agius, Shane; O'Donoghue, Amy; O'Loughlin, Isabel; Sutton, Peter; Zilio, Fran; Walshe, Keryn; Williams, Alan N; Turney, Chris S M; Williams, Matthew; Richards, Stephen M; Mitchell, Robert J; Kowal, Emma; Stephen, John R; Williams, Lesley; Haak, Wolfgang; Cooper, Alan

2017-04-13

Aboriginal Australians represent one of the longest continuous cultural complexes known. Archaeological evidence indicates that Australia and New Guinea were initially settled approximately 50 thousand years ago (ka); however, little is known about the processes underlying the enormous linguistic and phenotypic diversity within Australia. Here we report 111 mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) from historical Aboriginal Australian hair samples, whose origins enable us to reconstruct Australian phylogeographic history before European settlement. Marked geographic patterns and deep splits across the major mitochondrial haplogroups imply that the settlement of Australia comprised a single, rapid migration along the east and west coasts that reached southern Australia by 49-45 ka. After continent-wide colonization, strong regional patterns developed and these have survived despite substantial climatic and cultural change during the late Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. Remarkably, we find evidence for the continuous presence of populations in discrete geographic areas dating back to around 50 ka, in agreement with the notable Aboriginal Australian cultural attachment to their country.

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

Accretion of the southern Banda arc to the Australian plate margin determined by Global Positioning System measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genrich, Joachim F.; Bock, Yehuda; McCaffrey, Robert; Calais, Eric; Stevens, Colleen W.; Subarya, Cecep

1996-04-01

Global Positioning System geodetic measurements at thirteen locations in Indonesia and four in Australia reveal that the Australian continent has accreted the Banda island arc to its margin. Small relative velocities of five sites on west Java, south Kalimantan, Bali, and south Sulawesi define a rigid Sunda shelf that moves relative to northern Australia in a manner consistent with pole locations from NUVEL-1 Australia-Eurasia but at a rate that is about 7% slower. Block-like northward motion of the southern Banda arc toward the Sunda shelf at nearly the same rate as Australia suggests that the Timor trough is now inactive as a thrust. Little of the convergence of Australia with Eurasia is accommodated by strain within the Banda arc structure. Most of the convergence appears to occur as northward translation of the rigid arc with shortening on the Flores and Wetar thrusts and possibly on faults within the back arc basin.

A brief history of solar-terrestrial physics in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraser, B. J.

2016-12-01

Solar-terrestrial physics research in Australia began in 1792 when de Rossel measured the southern hemisphere geomagnetic field at Recherche Bay on the southern tip of Tasmania, proving the field magnitude and direction varied with latitude. This was the time when the French and British were competing to chart and explore the new world. From the early twentieth century Australian solar-terrestrial physics research concentrated on radio wave propagation and communication, which by the 1950s fed into the International Geophysical Year in the areas of atmosphere and ionosphere physics, and geomagnetism, with some concentration on Antarctic research. This was also the era of increased studies of solar activity and the discovery of the magnetosphere and the beginning of the space age. In the 1960s, Australia became a world leader in solar physics which led to radio astronomy discoveries. This paper outlines the historical development of solar-terrestrial physics in Australia and its international connections over the years and concludes with examples of specific research areas where Australia has excelled.

A comparison of paediatrics occupational therapy university program curricula in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.

PubMed

Rodger, Sylvia; Brown, G Ted; Brown, Anita; Roever, Carsten

2006-01-01

Comparisons were made of the paediatric content of professional entry-level occupational therapy university program curricula in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada using an ex post facto survey methodology. The findings indicated that in Australia/New Zealand, paediatrics made up 20% of the total curriculum, but only 13% in Canada. Canadian reference materials were utilized less often in Canadian universities than in Australia/New Zealand. Theories taught most often in Australia/New Zealand were: Sensory Integration, Neurodevelopmental Therapy, Client-Centered Practice, Playfulness, and the Model of Human Occupation. In Canada, the most frequent theories were: Piaget's Stages of Cognitive/Intellectual Development, Neurodevelopmental Therapy, Erikson's Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development and Sensory Integration. The most frequently taught paediatric assessment tools in both regions were the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and Miller Assessment for Preschoolers. Paediatric intervention methods taught to students in all three countries focused on activities of daily living/self-care, motor skills, perceptual and visual motor integration, and infant and child development.

Australian Assassins, Part II: A review of the new assassin spider genus Zephyrarchaea (Araneae, Archaeidae) from southern Australia

PubMed Central

Rix, Michael G.; Harvey, Mark S.

2012-01-01

Abstract The Assassin Spiders of the family Archaeidae from southern Australia are revised, with a new genus (Zephyrarchaea gen. n.) and nine new species described from temperate, mesic habitats in southern Victoria, South Australia and south-western Western Australia: Zephyrarchaea austini sp. n., Zephyrarchaea barrettae sp. n., Zephyrarchaea grayi sp. n., Zephyrarchaea janineae sp. n., Zephyrarchaea marae sp. n., Zephyrarchaea marki sp. n., Zephyrarchaea melindae sp. n., Zephyrarchaea porchi sp. n. and Zephyrarchaea vichickmani sp. n. Specimens of the type species, Zephyrarchaea mainae (Platnick, 1991), comb. n., are redescribed from the Albany region of Western Australia, along with the holotype female of Zephyrarchaea robinsi (Harvey, 2002) comb. n. from the Stirling Range National Park. The previously described species Archaea hickmani Butler, 1929 from Victoria is here recognised as a nomen dubium. A key to species and multi-locus molecular phylogeny complement the species-level taxonomy, with maps, habitat photos, natural history information and conservation assessments provided for all species. PMID:22639534

Globalisation, rural restructuring and health service delivery in Australia: policy failure and the role of social work?

PubMed

Alston, Margaret

2007-05-01

The impacts of globalisation and rural restructuring on health service delivery in rural Australia have been significant. In the present paper, it is argued that declining health service access represents a failure of policy. Rural communities across the world are in a state of flux, and Australia is no different: rural communities are ageing at faster rates than urban communities and young people are out-migrating in large numbers. During the past 5 years, rural Australia has also experienced a severe and widespread drought that has exacerbated rural poverty, and impacted on the health and well-being of rural Australians. Australian governments have responded to globalising forces by introducing neoliberal policy initiatives favouring market solutions and championing the need for self-reliance among citizens. The result for rural Australia has been a withdrawal of services at a time of increased need. This paper addresses the social work response to these changes.

"My Business Was Not with Lost Souls and the Underprivileged": The Contribution of Colin Badger (1906-1993) to Adult Education in Victoria, Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rushbrook, Peter

Colin Badger was an adult educator who contributed to Victorian adult education in Australia. After graduating from the University of Adelaide in 1936, Badger became a tutor for the South Australian Workers Education Association (WEA), where he became aware of the possibilities of adult education. After study in London, he returned to Australia to…

Charitable Giving to Universities in Australia and New Zealand Survey: Findings from Data Collected from 24 Universities in Australia and New Zealand for 2013, 2014 and 2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for Advancement and Support of Education, 2016

2016-01-01

The Charitable Giving to Universities in Australia and New Zealand Survey collects detailed information about fundraising and donors to measure the philanthropic performance of higher education institutions. It also provides an estimate of the overall impact of philanthropy on the higher education sector. This survey of philanthropic giving uses…

Is the Crisis in Science Education Continuing? Current Senior Secondary Science Enrolment and Tertiary Entrance Trends in Western Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Venville, Grady

2008-01-01

In May 2007 an issue of the "Australian Education Review" was released reporting on the state of science education in Australia. The report argued that we are in the advanced stages of a crisis in school science that threatens the future of Australia as a technologically advanced nation, and we need to change the way we think about the…

Does Adding Information on Toxic Constituents to Cigarette Pack Warnings Increase Smokers' Perceptions about the Health Risks of Smoking? A Longitudinal Study in Australia, Canada, Mexico, and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Yoo Jin; Thrasher, James F.; Swayampakala, Kamala; Lipkus, Isaac; Hammond, David; Cummings, Kenneth Michael; Borland, Ron; Yong, Hua-Hie; Hardin, James W.

2018-01-01

Background: Health warning labels (HWLs) on cigarette packs in Australia, Canada, Mexico, and the United States include varying information about toxic cigarette smoke constituents and smoking-related health risks. HWL information changed more recently in Australia, Canada, and Mexico than in the United States. Aims: To investigate whether…

Australia ground data collection 1981-82 crop year, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quinones, C. R.

1982-01-01

Under AgRISTARS management, ground data were collected at 20 agricultural sites within Australia during the crop year 1981-82. The data collection activity is summarized. Specifically, the following information is provided: discussion of data procedures, methods, and products; crop production results; photographs of the Australia agriculture scene, map sheets of segments, LANDSAT full frames, and aerial photographs of data collection areas; and summarizations of district agronomist reports.

The Real "Cost" of Study in Australia and the Ramifications for China, Australia, and the Chinese Nursing Students: What Do These Three Players Want? A Narrative Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Carol Chunfeng; Whitehead, Lisa; Bayes, Sara

2017-01-01

Australia attracts international nursing students from China to maintain its economic advantage and to alleviate the projected nursing shortage; conversely, China needs its best and brightest citizens who have trained abroad in nursing to return to cope with current challenges within its healthcare system and nursing education. This paper explores…

Celebrating Rural Education. Proceedings of the National Conference of the Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia (SPERA) (13th, Adelaide, South Australia, July 6-8, 1997).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murdoch, Colin, Ed.; Wood, Giovanna, Ed.

This conference proceedings of the Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia (SPERA) contains 19 presentations and workshops. An introductory section includes SPERA's mission, goals, and history; a brief welcome address by SPERA president Sheila King; a list of past conference proceedings; and abstracts of presentations. The…

Modelling Operational Command Structures Using ORGAHEAD

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-07-01

1999 he was awarded a PhD from the University of South Australia. Dr. Sproles works part-time with DSTO Edinburgh under contract between the...Australia. Manchester, W, 1978, American Caesar. Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964, Dell Publishing Co., New York, NY, USA. Manuel, K.T., and...Egypt Jordon Canada Italy HQ INTERFET HQ 3 Bde (Australia) Singapore Malaysia Fiji UK NZThailand Philipinnes S Korea Kenya Brazil Eire FranceNorway

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.

Taxonomy of Paraplatyarthrus Javidkar and King (Isopoda: Oniscidea: Paraplatyarthridae) with description of five new species from Western Australia, and comments on Australian Trichorhina Budde-Lunde, 1908 (Platyarthridae).

PubMed

Javidkar, Mohammad; King, Rachael A; Cooper, Steven J B; Humphreys, William F; Austin, Andrew D

2017-03-16

The oniscidean fauna of Australia is generally poorly known but recent sampling has revealed a new family, Paraplatyarthridae, found in both terrestrial and groundwater calcretes of central Western Australia. The family was initially described based on a new genus and species, Paraplatyarthrus subterraneus Javidkar and King, 2015. Here we describe an additional five Paraplatyarthrus species from the Yilgarn region of Western Australia, based on both morphological and molecular evidence (COI divergences). Four species are subterranean: P. crebesconiscus Javidkar and King sp. nov., P. cunyuensis Javidkar and King sp. nov., P. occidentoniscus Javidkar and King sp. nov., and P. pallidus Javidkar and King sp. nov., and one is a surface species, P. nahidae Javidkar and King sp. nov. A key to their identification is provided along with information on their distribution. In addition, type material of the two described Australian species of Platyarthridae, Trichorhina australiensis Wahrberg, 1922 from Western Australia and T. tropicalis Lewis, 1998 from Queensland, are examined. Morphological reassessment of type material shows T. australiensis belongs to Paraplatyarthrus (comb. nov.) and that T. tropicalis is correctly placed in Trichorhina, confirming that the genus and family Platyarthridae occur in Australia.

Advanced nursing practice hours as part of endorsement requirements for nurse practitioners in Australia: a definitional conundrum.

PubMed

Scanlon, Andrew; Cashin, Andrew; Watson, Ngaire; Bryce, Julianne

2012-11-01

To define what can be considered to be nursing practice, time that can be calculated as the practice of nursing as well as what is considered to be advanced nursing practice and how all this can be related to the current endorsement process for nurse practitioner (NP) in Australia. Current codes and guidelines cited by the Nurse and Midwifery Board of Australia related to nursing practice and NPs, cited competency standards from the Australian Midwifery Accreditation Council, as well as published material of peak nursing bodies from within Australia as well as internationally were used. Information was also obtained through government health and professional organization websites. All information in the literature regarding current and past status and nomenclature of advanced practice nursing was considered relevant. The definitional entanglement of what is considered to be nursing practice, the calculation of specific hours and what is advanced nursing practice interferes with endorsement of NPs in Australia, and a clear understanding of what is meant by advanced practice is required to move forward. Dependent on how practice is interpreted by the Nurse and Midwifery Board of Australia directly affects the outcome of the endorsement proceedings for individual NP candidates. ©2012 The Author(s) Journal compilation ©2012 American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Development and testing of transfer functions for generating quantitative climatic estimates from Australian pollen data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, Ellyn J.; van der Kaars, Sander

2006-10-01

We review attempts to derive quantitative climatic estimates from Australian pollen data, including the climatic envelope, climatic indicator and modern analogue approaches, and outline the need to pursue alternatives for use as input to, or validation of, simulations by models of past, present and future climate patterns. To this end, we have constructed and tested modern pollen-climate transfer functions for mainland southeastern Australia and Tasmania using the existing southeastern Australian pollen database and for northern Australia using a new pollen database we are developing. After testing for statistical significance, 11 parameters were selected for mainland southeastern Australia, seven for Tasmania and six for northern Australia. The functions are based on weighted-averaging partial least squares regression and their predictive ability evaluated against modern observational climate data using leave-one-out cross-validation. Functions for summer, annual and winter rainfall and temperatures are most robust for southeastern Australia, while in Tasmania functions for minimum temperature of the coldest period, mean winter and mean annual temperature are the most reliable. In northern Australia, annual and summer rainfall and annual and summer moisture indexes are the strongest. The validation of all functions means all can be applied to Quaternary pollen records from these three areas with confidence. Copyright

Ecological drivers of soil microbial diversity and soil biological networks in the Southern Hemisphere.

PubMed

Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel; Reith, Frank; Dennis, Paul G; Hamonts, Kelly; Powell, Jeff R; Young, Andrew; Singh, Brajesh K; Bissett, Andrew

2018-03-01

The ecological drivers of soil biodiversity in the Southern Hemisphere remain underexplored. Here, in a continental survey comprising 647 sites, across 58 degrees of latitude between tropical Australia and Antarctica, we evaluated the major ecological patterns in soil biodiversity and relative abundance of ecological clusters within a co-occurrence network of soil bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. Six major ecological clusters (modules) of co-occurring soil taxa were identified. These clusters exhibited strong shifts in their relative abundances with increasing distance from the equator. Temperature was the major environmental driver of the relative abundance of ecological clusters when Australia and Antarctica are analyzed together. Temperature, aridity, soil properties and vegetation types were the major drivers of the relative abundance of different ecological clusters within Australia. Our data supports significant reductions in the diversity of bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes in Antarctica vs. Australia linked to strong reductions in temperature. However, we only detected small latitudinal variations in soil biodiversity within Australia. Different environmental drivers regulate the diversity of soil archaea (temperature and soil carbon), bacteria (aridity, vegetation attributes and pH) and eukaryotes (vegetation type and soil carbon) across Australia. Together, our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms driving soil biodiversity in the Southern Hemisphere. © 2018 by the Ecological Society of America.

Media debates and 'ethical publicity' on social sex selection through preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) technology in Australia.

PubMed

Whittaker, Andrea

2015-01-01

This paper offers a critical discourse analysis of media debate over social sex selection in the Australian media from 2008 to 2014. This period coincides with a review of the National Health and Medical Research Council's Ethical Guidelines on the Use of Assisted Reproductive Technology in Clinical Practice and Research (2007), which underlie the regulation of assisted reproductive clinics and practice in Australia. I examine the discussion of the ethics of pre-implatation genetic diagnosis (PGD) within the media as 'ethical publicity' to the lay public. Sex selection through PGD is both exemplary of and interconnected with a range of debates in Australia about the legitimacy of certain reproductive choices and the extent to which procreative liberties should be restricted. Major themes emerging from media reports on PGD sex selection in Australia are described. These include: the spectre of science out of control; ramifications for the contestation over the public funding of abortion in Australia; private choices versus public authorities regulating reproduction; and the ethics of travelling overseas for the technology. It is concluded that within Australia, the issue of PGD sex selection is framed in terms of questions of individual freedom against the principle of sex discrimination - a principle enshrined in legislation - and a commitment to publically-funded medical care.

Barriers to Managing Fertility: Findings From the Understanding Fertility Management in Contemporary Australia Facebook Discussion Group.

PubMed

Holton, Sara; Rowe, Heather; Kirkman, Maggie; Jordan, Lynne; McNamee, Kathleen; Bayly, Christine; McBain, John; Sinnott, Vikki; Fisher, Jane

2016-02-15

As part of research investigating the complexities of managing fertility in Australia, public opinions about how Australians manage their fertility were sought from women and men. To identify public opinion about sexual and reproductive health in Australia. To ensure access to a diverse group of people throughout Australia, an online group was advertised and convened on Facebook from October through December 2013. In a closed-group moderated discussion, participants responded to questions about how people in Australia attempt to manage three aspects of fertility: avoiding pregnancy, achieving pregnancy, and difficulties conceiving. Nonidentifiable demographic information was sought; no personal accounts of fertility management were requested. The discussion transcript was analyzed thematically. There were 61 female and 2 male Facebook users aged 18 to 50 years living in Australia participating in the study. Four main themes about fertility management were identified: access, geographical location, knowledge, and cost. Participants reported that young people and people from rural areas face barriers accessing contraception and fertility services. Limited knowledge about sex and reproduction and the cost of fertility services and contraception were also said to impede effective fertility management. Reasons for inequalities in effective fertility management that are amenable to change were identified. Facebook is an effective method for gaining insights into public opinion about sexual and reproductive health.

Infant food marketing strategies undermine effective regulation of breast-milk substitutes: trends in print advertising in Australia, 1950-2010.

PubMed

Smith, Julie; Blake, Miranda

2013-08-01

This study addresses the issue of whether voluntary industry regulation has altered companies' marketing of breast-milk substitutes in Australia since the adoption of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Code on the Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes 1981. Print advertisements marketing breast-milk substitutes were systematically sampled from the Australian Women's Weekly (AWW) magazine and the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) for the 61 years from 1950 to 2010. Breast-milk substitute advertising in both the MJA and the AWW peaked and began declining before the introduction of the WHO Code in 1981. Although there was almost no infant formula advertising in AWW after 1975-79, other breast-milk substitute advertising has been increasing since 1992, in particular for baby food, toddler formula and food and brand promotion. Companies have adopted strategies to minimise the effects of the Code on sales and profit in Australia, including increasing toddler formula and food advertisements, increasing brand promotion to the public, and complying with more limited voluntary regulatory arrangements. Comprehensive regulation is urgently required to address changed marketing practices if it is to protect breastfeeding in Australia. © 2013 The Authors. ANZJPH © 2013 Public Health Association of Australia.

Novel genus-specific broad range primers for the detection of furoviruses, hordeiviruses and rymoviruses and their application in field surveys in South-East Australia.

PubMed

Zheng, Linda; Tang, Joe; Clover, Gerard R G; Spackman, Merrin E; Freeman, Angela J; Rodoni, Brendan C

2015-03-01

A number of viruses from the genera Furovirus, Hordeivirus and Rymovirus are known to infect and damage the four major temperate cereal crops, wheat, barley, sorghum and oats. Currently, there is no active testing in Australia for any of these viruses, which pose a significant biosecurity threat to the phytosanitary status of Australia's grains industry. To address this, broad spectrum PCR assays were developed to target virus species within the genera Furovirus, Hordeivirus and Rymovirus. Five sets of novel genus-specific primers were designed and tested in reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assays against a range of virus isolates in plant virus diagnostic laboratories in both Australia and New Zealand. Three of these assays were then chosen to screen samples in a three-year survey of cereal crops in western Victoria, Australia. Of the 8900 cereal plants screened in the survey, all were tested free of furoviruses, hordeiviruses and rymoviruses. To date, there were no published genus-specific primers available for the detection of furoviruses, hordeiviruses and rymoviruses. This study shows for the first time a broad-spectrum molecular test being used in a survey for exotic grain viruses in Australia. Results from this survey provide important evidence of the use of this method to demonstrate the absence of these viruses in Victoria, Australia. The primer pairs reported here are expected to detect a wide range of virus species within the three genera. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology of inpatient gout in Australia and New Zealand: temporal trends, comorbidities and gout flare site.

PubMed

Robinson, Philip C; Kempe, Sarina; Tebbutt, Ian; Roberts, Lynden

2017-06-01

To assess the epidemiology of inpatient gout in Australia and New Zealand during the years 2009-2014. Using the Health Roundtable Limited (HRT) dataset, all patients with a coded ICD10 primary or secondary discharge diagnosis of gout from a HRT participating Australian or New Zealand hospital between the years 2009 and 2014 were identified. The number of inpatient gout admissions, length of stay, body site of gout flare, temporal trends and comorbidities were assessed. During 2009-2014, the number of gout admissions increased significantly in Australia and New Zealand. The rate of inpatient gout admissions relative to the population and total HRT admissions rose in Australia and stayed static in New Zealand. Lower limb presentations were the commonest anatomical site of gout in admitted patients. Length of stay over the course of the study decreased both in patients admitted for gout and in those in the entire HRT dataset. Patients admitted for gout have longer length of stay compared to patients admitted for other reasons. Cardiovascular disease, infection and stroke were the commonest conditions that were complicated by an episode of inpatient gout. There was no influence of month or season on the pattern of gout admissions. The number of gout admissions rose in Australia numerically and as a proportion of the total population and total admissions. Gout is an increasing problem affecting individuals and the community as a whole in Australia. © 2016 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Measles control in Australia - threats, opportunities and future needs.

PubMed

MacIntyre, C Raina; Kpozehouen, Elizabeth; Kunasekaran, Mohana; Harriman, Kathleen; Conaty, Stephen; Rosewell, Alexander; Druce, Julian; Martin, Nicolee; Heywood, Anita E; Gidding, Heather F; Wood, James; Nicholl, Sonya

2018-06-19

Control of measles was the focus of a national workshop held in 2015 in Sydney, Australia, bringing together stakeholders in disease control and immunisation to discuss maintaining Australia's measles elimination status in the context of regional and global measles control. The global epidemiology of measles was reviewed, including outbreaks in countries that have achieved elimination, such as the Disneyland outbreak in the United States and large outbreaks in Sydney, Australia. Transmission of measles between Australia and New Zealand occurs, but has not been a focus of control measures. Risk groups, the genetic and seroepidemiology of measles as well as surveillance, modelling and waning vaccine-induced immunity were reviewed. Gaps in policy, research and practice for maintaining measles elimination status in Australia were identified and recommendations were developed. Elimination of measles globally is challenging because of the infectiousness of measles and the need for 2-dose vaccine coverage rates in excess of 95% in all countries to achieve it. Until this occurs, international travel will continue to permit measles importation from endemic countries to countries that have achieved elimination. When measles cases are imported, failure to diagnose and isolate cases places the health system at risk of measles outbreaks. Vaccine funding models can result in gaps in vaccine coverage for adults and migrants. Australia introduced a whole-of-life immunisation register in 2016 and catch-up vaccination for at-risk communities, which will improve measles control. Research on diagnosis, immunology, case management and modelling of vaccination strategies are important to ensure continued control of measles. Copyright © 2018.

Lessons for a national pharmaceuticals strategy in Canada from Australia and New Zealand

PubMed Central

LeLorier, Jacques; Rawson, Nigel SB

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND: The provincial formulary review processes in Canada lead to the slow and inequitable availability of new products. In 2004, the exploration of a national pharmaceuticals strategy (NPS) was announced. The pricing policies of New Zealand and Australia have been suggested as possible models for the NPS. OBJECTIVE: To compare health care indexes and health care use information from Canada, Australia and New Zealand. METHODS: The 2006 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development health data were used to compare health and health care indexes from Canada, Australia and New Zealand between 1994 and 2002 to 2004. The principal focus of the evaluation was cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. RESULTS: Although the mortality rate from acute myocardial infarction decreased in each country from 1994, it levelled off in New Zealand in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Between 1994 and 2003, the average length of hospital stay for any cause and for cardiovascular disorders was stable in Australia and Canada, but increased in New Zealand, while the rate of hospital discharges for cardiovascular diseases decreased in Canada and Australia, but strongly increased in New Zealand. Over the same period, sales of cardiovascular drugs decreased in New Zealand, while sharply increasing in Canada and Australia. CONCLUSIONS: Although only circumstantial, our results suggest an association between decreasing cardiovascular drug sales and markers of declining cardiovascular health in New Zealand. Careful consideration must be given to the potential consequences of any model for an NPS in Canada, as well as to opportunities provided for discussion and input from health care professionals and patients. PMID:17622393

Early evidence of xeromorphy in angiosperms: stomatal encryption in a new eocene species of Banksia (Proteaceae) from Western Australia.

PubMed

Carpenter, Raymond J; McLoughlin, Stephen; Hill, Robert S; McNamara, Kenneth J; Jordan, Gregory John

2014-09-01

• Globally, the origins of xeromorphic traits in modern angiosperm lineages are obscure but are thought to be linked to the early Neogene onset of seasonally arid climates. Stomatal encryption is a xeromorphic trait that is prominent in Banksia, an archetypal genus centered in one of the world's most diverse ecosystems, the ancient infertile landscape of Mediterranean-climate southwestern Australia.• We describe Banksia paleocrypta, a sclerophyllous species with encrypted stomata from silcretes of the Walebing and Kojonup regions of southwestern Australia dated as Late Eocene.• Banksia paleocrypta shows evidence of foliar xeromorphy ∼20 Ma before the widely accepted timing for the onset of aridity in Australia. Species of Banksia subgenus Banksia with very similar leaves are extant in southwestern Australia. The conditions required for silcrete formation infer fluctuating water tables and climatic seasonality in southwestern Australia in the Eocene, and seasonality is supported by the paucity of angiosperm closed-forest elements among the fossil taxa preserved with B. paleocrypta. However, climates in the region during the Eocene are unlikely to have experienced seasons as hot and dry as present-day summers.• The presence of B. paleocrypta within the center of diversity of subgenus Banksia in edaphically ancient southwestern Australia is consistent with the continuous presence of this lineage in the region for ≥40 Ma, a testament to the success of increasingly xeromorphic traits in Banksia over an interval in which numerous other lineages became extinct. © 2014 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Characteristics of health impact assessments reported in Australia and New Zealand 2005–2009

PubMed Central

Haigh, Fiona; Harris, Elizabeth; Chok, Harrison NG; Baum, Fran; Harris-Roxas, Ben; Kemp, Lynn; Spickett, Jeff; Keleher, Helen; Morgan, Richard; Harris, Mark; Wendel, Arthur M; Dannenberg, Andrew L

2013-01-01

Abstract Objective : To describe the use and reporting of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in Australia and New Zealand between 2005 and 2009. Methods : We identified 115 HIAs undertaken in Australia and New Zealand between 2005 and 2009. We reviewed 55 HIAs meeting the study's inclusion criteria to identify characteristics and appraise the quality of the reports. Results : Of the 55 HIAs, 31 were undertaken in Australia and 24 in New Zealand. The HIAs were undertaken on plans (31), projects (12), programs (6) and policies (6). Compared to Australia, a higher proportion of New Zealand HIAs were on policies and plans and were rapid assessments done voluntarily to support decision-making. In both countries, most HIAs were on land use planning proposals. Overall, 65% of HIA reports were judged to be adequate. Conclusion : This study is the first attempt to empirically investigate the nature of the broad range of HIAs done in Australia and New Zealand and has highlighted the emergence of HIA as a growing area of public health practice. It identifies areas where current practice could be improved and provides a baseline against which future HIA developments can be assessed. Implications: There is evidence that HIA is becoming a part of public health practice in Australia and New Zealand across a wide range of policies, plans and projects. The assessment of quality of reports allows the development of practical suggestions on ways current practice may be improved. The growth of HIA will depend on ongoing organisation and workforce development in both countries. PMID:24892152

Feasibility of trialling cord blood stem cell treatments for cerebral palsy in Australia.

PubMed

Crompton, Kylie E; Elwood, Ngaire; Kirkland, Mark; Clark, Pamela; Novak, Iona; Reddihough, Dinah

2014-07-01

Umbilical cord blood may have therapeutic benefit in children with cerebral palsy (CP), but further studies are required. On first appearance it seems that Australia is well placed for such a trial because we have excellence in CP research backed by extensive CP registers, and both public and private cord blood banks. We aimed to examine the possibilities of conducting a trial of autologous umbilical cord blood cells (UCBCs) as a treatment for children with CP in Australia. Data linkages between CP registers and cord blood banks were used to estimate potential participant numbers for a trial of autologous UCBCs for children with CP. As of early 2013, one Victorian child with CP had cord blood stored in the public bank, and between 1 and 3 children had their cord blood stored at Cell Care Australia (private cord blood bank). In New South Wales, we counted two children on the CP register who had their stored cord blood available in early 2013. We estimate that there are between 10 and 24 children with CP of any type who have autologous cord blood available across Australia. In nations with small populations like Australia, combined with Australia's relatively low per capita cord blood storage to date, it is not currently feasible to conduct trials of autologous UCBCs for children with CP. Other options must be explored, such as allogeneic UCBCs or prospective trials for neonates at risk of CP. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2014 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

A voyage to Terra Australis: human-mediated dispersal of cats.

PubMed

Koch, K; Algar, D; Searle, J B; Pfenninger, M; Schwenk, K

2015-12-04

Cats have been transported as human commensals worldwide giving rise to many feral populations. In Australia, feral cats have caused decline and extinction of native mammals, but their time of introduction and origin is unclear. Here, we investigate hypotheses of cat arrival pre- or post-European settlement, and the potential for admixture between cats of different invasion events. We analyse the genetic structure and diversity of feral cats from six locations on mainland Australia, seven Australian islands and samples from Southeast Asia and Europe using microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA data. Our results based on phylogeographic model selection are consistent with a European origin of cats in Australia. We find genetic distinctiveness of Australian mainland samples compared with Dirk Hartog Island, Flinders Island, Tasman Island and Cocos (Keeling) Island samples, and genetic similarities between some of the island populations. Historical records suggest that introduction of cats to these islands occurred at the time of European exploration and/or in connection with the pearling, whaling and sealing trades early in the 19th century. On-going influx of domestic cats into the feral cat population is apparently causing the Australian mainland populations to be genetically differentiated from those island populations, which likely are remnants of the historically introduced cat genotypes. A mainly European origin of feral cats in Australia, with possible secondary introductions from Asia following the initial establishment of cats in Australia is reasonable. The islands surrounding Australia may represent founding populations and are of particular interest. The results of the study provide an important timeframe for the impact of feral cats on native species in Australia.

Babies born before arrival to hospital and maternity unit closures in Queensland and Australia.

PubMed

Kildea, Sue; McGhie, Alexandra C; Gao, Yu; Rumbold, Alice; Rolfe, Margaret

2015-09-01

Evidence suggests the closure of maternity units is associated with an increase in babies born before arrival (BBA). To explore the association between the number of maternity units in Australia and Queensland by birthing numbers, BBA rate and geographic remoteness of the health district where the mother lives. A retrospective study utilised routinely collected perinatal data (1992-2011). Pearson correlation tested the relationship between BBA rate and number of maternity units. Linear regression examined this association over time. During 1992-2011, the absolute numbers (N=22,814) of women having a BBA each year in Australia increased by 47% (N=836-1233); and 206% (n=140-429) in Queensland. This coincided with a 41% reduction in maternity units in Australia (N=623-368=18 per year) and a 28% reduction in Queensland (n=129-93). BBA rates increased significantly across Australia, r=0.837, n=20 years, p<0.001 and Queensland, r=0.917, n=20 years, p<0.001 and this was negatively correlated with the number of maternity units in Australia, r=-0.804, n=19 years, p<0.001 and Queensland, r=-0.906, n=19 years, p<0.001. The closure of maternity units over a 20-year period across Australia and Queensland is significantly associated with increased BBA rates. The distribution is not limited to rural and remote areas. Given the high risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with BBA, it is time to revisit the closure of units. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

The role of traditional medicine practice in primary health care within Aboriginal Australia: a review of the literature

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The practice of traditional Aboriginal medicine within Australia is at risk of being lost due to the impact of colonisation. Displacement of people from traditional lands as well as changes in family structures affecting passing on of cultural knowledge are two major examples of this impact. Prior to colonisation traditional forms of healing, such as the use of traditional healers, healing songs and bush medicines were the only source of primary health care. It is unclear to what extent traditional medical practice remains in Australia in 2013 within the primary health care setting, and how this practice sits alongside the current biomedical health care model. An extensive literature search was performed from a wide range of literature sources in attempt to identify and examine both qualitatively and quantitatively traditional medicine practices within Aboriginal Australia today. Whilst there is a lack of academic literature and research on this subject the literature found suggests that traditional medicine practice in Aboriginal Australia still remains and the extent to which it is practiced varies widely amongst communities across Australia. This variation was found to depend on association with culture and beliefs about disease causation, type of illness presenting, success of biomedical treatment, and accessibility to traditional healers and bush medicines. Traditional medicine practices were found to be used sequentially, compartmentally and concurrently with biomedical healthcare. Understanding more clearly the role of traditional medicine practice, as well as looking to improve and support integrative and governance models for traditional medicine practice, could have a positive impact on primary health care outcomes for Aboriginal Australia. PMID:23819729

Lessons for a national pharmaceuticals strategy in Canada from Australia and New Zealand.

PubMed

LeLorier, Jacques; Rawson, Nugek S B

2007-07-01

The provincial formulary review processes in Canada lead to the slow and inequitable availability of new products. In 2004, the exploration of a national pharmaceuticals strategy (NPS) was announced. The pricing policies of New Zealand and Australia have been suggested as possible models for the NPS. To compare health care indexes and health care use information from Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The 2006 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development health data were used to compare health and health care indexes from Canada, Australia and New Zealand between 1994 and 2002 to 2004. The principal focus of the evaluation was cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. Although the mortality rate from acute myocardial infarction decreased in each country from 1994, it levelled off in New Zealand in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Between 1994 and 2003, the average length of hospital stay for any cause and for cardiovascular disorders was stable in Australia and Canada, but increased in New Zealand, while the rate of hospital discharges for cardiovascular diseases decreased in Canada and Australia, but strongly increased in New Zealand. Over the same period, sales of cardiovascular drugs decreased in New Zealand, while sharply increasing in Canada and Australia. Although only circumstantial, our results suggest an association between decreasing cardiovascular drug sales and markers of declining cardiovascular health in New Zealand. Careful consideration must be given to the potential consequences of any model for an NPS in Canada, as well as to opportunities provided for discussion and input from health care professionals and patients.

What do mental health workers in the bush think about mental health nurse prescribing? A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Muyambi, Kuda; McPhail, Ruth; Cronin, Kathryn; Gillam, Marianne; Martinez, Lee; Dennis, Shaun; Bressington, Daniel; Gray, Richard; Jones, Martin

2018-06-04

Relatively few psychiatrists live and work in rural South Australia. The rural GP is an essential component of support for people with mental health problems. However, considerable GP maldistribution between rural and metropolitan Australia still exists. Thus, accessing health services, including medication, becomes challenging for rural communities. Extending mental health nurse prescribing could be a strategy to build additional capacity to complement the GPs and psychiatrists who practice in rural South Australia. Until now, no studies have examined mental health workers' attitudes towards nurse prescribing in rural Australia. To examine the attitudes of rural and remote South Australian mental health workers about mental health nurse prescribing. A cross-sectional survey assessing mental health workers' attitudes to mental health nurse prescribing. The study was conducted across South Australia, excluding metropolitan Adelaide. Mental health workers employed by the Country Health South Australia Local Health Network for Mental Health. Of the 289 potential participants, 93 (32%) responded and were included in this study. All the respondents reported positive attitudes towards mental health nurse prescribing. However, they expressed concerns about safety, educational preparation and supervision structures. The attitudes of rural South Australian mental health workers are not a barrier to mental health nurse prescribing. The implementation and sustainability of mental health nurse prescribing will require additional staff training in psychopharmacology and a governance framework to assure quality and safety. Policy-makers need to focus their attention on the uptake of mental health nurse prescribing in parts of Australia that struggle to attract and retain psychiatrists. © 2018 National Rural Health Alliance Ltd.

Socio-demographic, ecological factors and dengue infection trends in Australia.

PubMed

Akter, Rokeya; Naish, Suchithra; Hu, Wenbiao; Tong, Shilu

2017-01-01

Dengue has been a major public health concern in Australia. This study has explored the spatio-temporal trends of dengue and potential socio- demographic and ecological determinants in Australia. Data on dengue cases, socio-demographic, climatic and land use types for the period January 1999 to December 2010 were collected from Australian National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, respectively. Descriptive and linear regression analyses were performed to observe the spatio-temporal trends of dengue, socio-demographic and ecological factors in Australia. A total of 5,853 dengue cases (both local and overseas acquired) were recorded across Australia between January 1999 and December 2010. Most the cases (53.0%) were reported from Queensland, followed by New South Wales (16.5%). Dengue outbreak was highest (54.2%) during 2008-2010. A highest percentage of overseas arrivals (29.9%), households having rainwater tanks (33.9%), Indigenous population (27.2%), separate houses (26.5%), terrace house types (26.9%) and economically advantage people (42.8%) were also observed during 2008-2010. Regression analyses demonstrate that there was an increasing trend of dengue incidence, potential socio-ecological factors such as overseas arrivals, number of households having rainwater tanks, housing types and land use types (e.g. intensive uses and production from dryland agriculture). Spatial variation of socio-demographic factors was also observed in this study. In near future, significant increase of temperature was also projected across Australia. The projected increased temperature as well as increased socio-ecological trend may pose a future threat to the local transmission of dengue in other parts of Australia if Aedes mosquitoes are being established. Therefore, upgraded mosquito and disease surveillance at different ports should be in place to reduce the chance of mosquitoes and dengue cases being imported into all over Australia.

Comparison of work related fatal injuries in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand: method and overall findings

PubMed Central

Feyer, A; Williamson, A; Stout, N; Driscoll, T; Usher, H; Langley, J

2001-01-01

Objectives—To compare the extent, distribution, and nature of fatal occupational injury in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. Setting—Workplaces in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. Methods—Data collections based on vital records were used to compare overall rates and distribution of fatal injuries covering the period 1989–92 in Australia and the United States, and 1985–94 in New Zealand. Household labour force data (Australia and the United States) and census data (New Zealand) provided denominator data for calculation of rates. Case definition, case inclusion criteria, and classification of occupation and industry were harmonised across the three datasets. Results—New Zealand had the highest average annual rate (4.9/100 000), Australia an intermediate rate (3.8/100 000), and the United States the lowest rate (3.2/100 000) of fatal occupational injury. Much of the difference between countries was accounted for by differences in industry distribution. In each country, male workers, older workers, and those working in agriculture, forestry and fishing, in mining and in construction, were consistently at higher risk. Intentional fatal injury was more common in the United States, being rare in both Australia and New Zealand. This difference is likely to be reflected in the more common incidence of work related fatal injuries for sales workers in the United States compared with Australia and New Zealand. Conclusions—The present results contrasted with those obtained by a recent study that used published omnibus statistics, both in terms of absolute rates and relative ranking of the three countries. Such differences underscore the importance of using like datasets for international comparisons. The consistency of high risk areas across comparable data from comparable nations provides clear targets for further attention. At this stage, however, it is unclear whether the same specific occupations and/or hazards are contributing to the aggregated industry and occupation group rates reported here. PMID:11289530

Doctors' perspectives on PSA testing illuminate established differences in prostate cancer screening rates between Australia and the UK: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Pickles, Kristen; Carter, Stacy M; Rychetnik, Lucie; Entwistle, Vikki A

2016-12-05

To examine how general practitioners (GPs) in the UK and GPs in Australia explain their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing practices and to illuminate how these explanations are similar and how they are different. A grounded theory study. Primary care practices in Australia and the UK. 69 GPs in Australia (n=40) and the UK (n=29). We included GPs of varying ages, sex, clinical experience and patient populations. All GPs interested in participating in the study were included. GPs' accounts revealed fundamental differences in whether and how prostate cancer screening occurred in their practice and in the broader context within which they operate. The history of prostate screening policy, organisational structures and funding models appeared to drive more prostate screening in Australia and less in the UK. In Australia, screening processes and decisions were mostly at the discretion of individual clinicians, and varied considerably, whereas the accounts of UK GPs clearly reflected a consistent, organisationally embedded approach based on local evidence-based recommendations to discourage screening. The GP accounts suggested that healthcare systems, including historical and current organisational and funding structures and rules, collectively contribute to how and why clinicians use the PSA test and play a significant role in creating the mindlines that GPs employ in their clinic. Australia's recently released consensus guidelines may support more streamlined and consistent care. However, if GP mindlines and thus routine practice in Australia are to shift, to ultimately reduce unnecessary or harmful prostate screening, it is likely that other important drivers at all levels of the screening process will need to be addressed. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Medicines information in medical journal advertising in Australia, Malaysia and the United States: A comparative cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Othman, Noordin; Vitry, Agnes Isabelle; Roughead, Elizabeth Ellen

2010-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the provision of medicines information in medical journal advertising in Australia, Malaysia and the United States. Methods: A consecutive sample of 85 unique advertisements from each country was selected from the advertisements published between January 2004 to December 2006 in three widely circulated medical journals and one prescribing reference manual. The availability of brand name and generic name, indication, contraindications, dosage, side-effects, warnings, interactions and precautions was compared between the three countries. Results: We examined 255 distinct advertisements for 136 pharmaceutical products. Journal advertising in Australia, Malaysia and the US usually provided brand names and generic names (range 96 -100%). Information on dosage was significantly less likely to be mentioned (32%) in the US than in Australia (92%) and Malaysia (48%) (P < 0.001). Warning information was significantly less likely to be provided in Australia (5%) than in the US (81%) and Malaysia (9%) (P < 0.001). Apart from information on brand name, generic name, warnings and dosage, other product information significantly less likely to be provided in journal advertising in Malaysia than in Australia and the US (P < 0.001). Similar trends in the provision of product information for the same medicines published in these countries were noted. Brand name and generic name were always provided in the three countries (100%). However, information on the negative effects of medicines was less frequently provided in Malaysia than in Australia and the US. Conclusions: Journal advertising in Australia, Malaysia and the US failed to provide complete product information. Low quality of information provided in Malaysia indicates the need for effective regulation of provision of medicines information in journal advertising. Different standards of medicines information provided in these three countries suggest that pharmaceutical promotion needs to be better controlled at the international level. PMID:23093878

Gaps in Indigenous disadvantage not closing: a census cohort study of social determinants of health in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand from 1981–2006

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Australia, Canada, and New Zealand are all developed nations that are home to Indigenous populations which have historically faced poorer outcomes than their non-Indigenous counterparts on a range of health, social, and economic measures. The past several decades have seen major efforts made to close gaps in health and social determinants of health for Indigenous persons. We ask whether relative progress toward these goals has been achieved. Methods We used census data for each country to compare outcomes for the cohort aged 25–29 years at each census year 1981–2006 in the domains of education, employment, and income. Results The percentage-point gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous persons holding a bachelor degree or higher qualification ranged from 6.6% (New Zealand) to 10.9% (Canada) in 1981, and grew wider over the period to range from 19.5% (New Zealand) to 25.2% (Australia) in 2006. The unemployment rate gap ranged from 5.4% (Canada) to 16.9% (Australia) in 1981, and fluctuated over the period to range from 6.6% (Canada) to 11.0% (Australia) in 2006. Median Indigenous income as a proportion of non-Indigenous median income (whereby parity = 100%) ranged from 77.2% (New Zealand) to 45.2% (Australia) in 1981, and improved slightly over the period to range from 80.9% (Canada) to 54.4% (Australia) in 2006. Conclusions Australia, Canada, and New Zealand represent nations with some of the highest levels of human development in the world. Relative to their non-Indigenous populations, their Indigenous populations were almost as disadvantaged in 2006 as they were in 1981 in the employment and income domains, and more disadvantaged in the education domain. New approaches for closing gaps in social determinants of health are required if progress on achieving equity is to improve. PMID:24568143

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 for on-farm storage, particularly under environmental flow rules that stipulate that water can only be extracted during the falling limb of a hydrograph. Streamflow drought severity, the product of drought length and magnitude, was found to be greater in northern Australia than in similar climatic regions of the RoW, due to higher inter-annual variability increasing the drought magnitude over the course of normal drought lengths. The high likelihood of severe drought means that agriculturalists seeking to irrigate from rivers in northern Australia should have especially well developed drought contingency plans.

Post-Eocene climate change across continental Australia and the diversification of Australasian spiny trapdoor spiders (Idiopidae: Arbanitinae).

PubMed

Rix, Michael G; Cooper, Steven J B; Meusemann, Karen; Klopfstein, Seraina; Harrison, Sophie E; Harvey, Mark S; Austin, Andrew D

2017-04-01

The formation and spread of the Australian arid zone during the Neogene was a profoundly transformative event in the biogeographic history of Australia, resulting in extinction or range contraction in lineages adapted to mesic habitats, as well as diversification and range expansion in arid-adapted taxa (most of which evolved from mesic ancestors). However, the geographic origins of the arid zone biota are still relatively poorly understood, especially among highly diverse invertebrate lineages, many of which are themselves poorly documented at the species level. Spiny trapdoor spiders (Idiopidae: Arbanitinae) are one such lineage, having mesic 'on-the-continent' Gondwanan origins, while also having experienced major arid zone radiations in select clades. In this study, we present new orthologous nuclear markers for the phylogenetic inference of mygalomorph spiders, and use them to infer the phylogeny of Australasian Idiopidae with a 12-gene parallel tagged amplicon next-generation sequencing approach. We use these data to test the mode and timing of diversification of arid-adapted idiopid lineages across mainland Australia, and employ a continent-wide sampling of the fauna's phylogenetic and geographic diversity to facilitate ancestral area inference. We further explore the evolution of phenotypic and behavioural characters associated with both arid and mesic environments, and test an 'out of south-western Australia' hypothesis for the origin of arid zone clades. Three lineages of Idiopidae are shown to have diversified in the arid zone during the Miocene, one (genus Euoplos) exclusively in Western Australia. Arid zone Blakistonia likely had their origins in South Australia, whereas in the most widespread genus Aganippe, a more complex scenario is evident, with likely range expansion from southern Western Australia to southern South Australia, from where the bulk of the arid zone fauna then originated. In Aganippe, remarkable adaptations to phragmotic burrow-plugging in transitional arid zone taxa have evolved twice independently in Western Australia, while in Misgolas and Cataxia, burrow door-building behaviours have likely been independently lost at least three times in the eastern Australian mesic zone. We also show that the presence of idiopids in New Zealand (Cantuaria) is likely to be the result of recent dispersal from Australia, rather than ancient continental vicariance. By providing the first comprehensive, continental synopsis of arid zone biogeography in an Australian arachnid lineage, we show that the diversification of arbanitine Idiopidae was intimately associated with climate shifts during the Neogene, resulting in multiple Mio-Pliocene radiations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

2005 Defense Economics Conference: Perspectives on the Military Medical Mission

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-09-22

organized, formal level to take certain areas like congestive heart failure, diabetes, asthma, obesity —areas where we see a lot of expenditure of...Australia and overseas, including a tour of Malaysia . Air Vice Marshal Austin was made a member of the Order of Australia in 1997 for services to...provided aviation medicine support to the Australian Defence Force within Australia and overseas, including a tour of Malaysia . Air Vice Marshal

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…

A New Era for Tertiary Education. Proceedings of a Joint Conference of the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education and Monash University (Toowoomba, Australia, August 21-24, 1980).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hore, Terry, Ed.; And Others

Proceedings are presented of a conference that examined the purposes and setting of tertiary education in Australia in the changing social order of the 1980s, the future roles for tertiary education in Australia, and the pattern and form of accountability appropriate to Australian tertiary education in the late twentieth century. Papers and…

Pacific Century Institutions: Conceiving Options for United States Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-21

November 2011 visit to Australia, just before the APEC Forum and Asia-Pacific summit. Citations: Barrack Obama and Julia Gillard , “Press Conference...www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/11/16/remarks-president- obama-and-prime-minister- gillard -australia-joint-press, (accessed January 24, 2012). Barrack Obama...Base for Australia Irritates China,” New York Times, November 16, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/world/asia/obama-and- gillard -expand-us

Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The Great Barrier Reef of Queensland, Australia extends for roughly 2,000 km along the northeast coast of Australia and is made up of thousands of individual reefs which define the edge of the Continental shelf. Swan Reef, the southern part of the reef system, is seen in this view. Water depths around the reefs are quite shallow (less than 1 to 36 meters) but only a few kilometers offshore, water depths can reach 1,000 meters.

Protecting children from toxic chemicals: putting it on Australia's public health agenda.

PubMed

Lantz, Sarah

2013-11-01

The high volume and widespread use of industrial chemicals, the backlog of internationally untested chemicals, the uptake of synthetic chemicals found in babies in utero, cord blood, and in breast milk, and the lack of a unified and comprehensive regulatory framework all necessitate developing policies that protect the most vulnerable in our society - our children. Australia's failure to do so raises profound intergenerational ethical issues. This article tells a story of international policy, and where Australia is falling down. It demonstrates that we can learn from countries already taking critical steps to reduce the toxic chemical exposure, and that the development of a comprehensive, child-centered chemical regulation framework is central to turning around Australia's failure.

A detailed gravimetric geoid of North America, Eurasia, and Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vincent, S.; Strange, W. E.

1972-01-01

A detailed gravimetric geoid of North America, the North Atlantic, Eurasia, and Australia computed from a combination of satellite-derived and surface 1 x 1 gravity data, is presented. Using a consistent set of parameters, this geoid is referenced to an absolute datum. The precision of this detailed geoid is + or - 2 meters in the continents but may be in the range of 5 to 7 meters in those areas where data was sparse. Comparisons of the detailed gravimetric geoid with results of Rice for the United States, Bomford and Fischer in Eurasia, and Mather in Australia are presented. Comparisons are also presented with geoid heights from satellite solutions for geocentric station coordinates in North America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Australia.

Fungus-feeding Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripinae of the Idiothrips genus-group in Australia, with nine new species.

PubMed

Mound, Laurence A; Tree, Desley J

2015-10-29

In a group of fungus-feeding Phlaeothripinae characterized by complex body sculpture, identification keys are provided to three genera and 15 species from Australia, including nine new species. In the genus Azaleothrips one new species is described, and one Asian species is newly recorded from Australia. The genus Stictothrips is recorded from Australia for the first time, with two new species. Within the genus Strepterothrips considerable structural diversity is recorded including three new species in which antennal segment III is greatly reduced and bears no sense cones. Some species in this genus exhibit the unusual condition of having several setae on the pelta, the first abdominal tergite. Problems in the production of generic diagnoses within the Phlaeothripinae are discussed.

Human milk banking in the volunteer sector: policy development and actuality in 1970s Australia.

PubMed

Thorley, Virginia

2012-04-01

to describe the development of rigorous milk banking policies in the voluntary sector in Australia, 1975-1979, by the non-government organisation, the Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia (now the Australian Breastfeeding Association), and the eventual abandonment of milk banking by the organisation. historical article. Australia in the years 1975-1979. during the period in which the policy development described here took place, conducting a milk bank to the rigorous standards set by the organisation required too heavy an investment of hours by unpaid volunteer coordinators to be sustainable. in establishing and continuing a successful milk bank, models which depend less on volunteer hours may be more sustainable. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of tropical cyclones on long-term riverine flooding; examples from tropical Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nott, Jonathan

2018-02-01

Luminescence chronologies for two new slackwater flood deposit (SWD) sites (Broken River northeast Queensland and Ord River northwestern Western Australia) are presented and these along with other SWD chronologies from the same regions are compared with recently developed high resolution, isotope tropical cyclones (TC) records. Heightened TC activity occurred between 1400 and 1850 CE in Queensland and between 1500 and 1850 CE in Western Australia. A distinct clustering of flood events in northwest Western Australia during the period of enhanced TC activity suggests the two may be related. The SWD records in northeast Queensland do not cluster specifically during the period of heightened TC activity however several major floods do occur during this time suggesting that TCs may have been involved.

The Life Story Experience of "Migrant Dentists" in Australia: Potential Implications for Health Workforce Governance and International Cooperation.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Madhan; Spencer, A John; Short, Stephanie D; Watkins, Keith; Chrisopoulos, Sergio; Brennan, David S

2016-10-10

The migration of dentists is a major policy challenge facing both developing and developed countries. Dentists from over 120 countries migrate to Australia, and a large proportion are from developing countries. The aim of the study was to assess the life story experience (LSE) of migrant dentists in Australia, in order to address key policy challenges facing dentist migration. A national survey of all migrant dentists resident in Australia was conducted in 2013. Migrant experiences were assessed through a suite of LSE scales, developed through a qualitative-quantitative study. Respondents rated experiences using a five-point Likert scale. A total of 1022 migrant dentists responded to the survey (response rate = 54.5%). LSE1 (health system and general lifestyle concerns in home country), LSE2 (appreciation towards Australian way of life) and LSE3 (settlement concerns in Australia) scales varied by migrant dentist groups, sex, and years since arrival to Australia (chi-square, P < .05). In a logistic regression model, migrants mainly from developing countries (ie, the examination pathway group) faced greater health system and general lifestyle concerns in their home countries (9.32; 3.51-24.72) and greater settlement challenges in Australia (5.39; 3.51-8.28), compared to migrants from well-developed countries, who obtained direct recognition of qualifications. Migrants also are more appreciative towards the Australian way of life if they had lived at least ten years in Australia (1.97; 1.27-3.05), compared to migrants who have lived for less than ten years. Migrant dentists, mainly from developing countries, face challenges both in their home countries and in Australia. Our study offers evidence for multi-level health workforce governance and calls for greater consensus towards an international agenda to address dentist migration. Better integration of dentist migration with the mainstream health workforce governance is a viable and opportunistic way forward. © 2017 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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.

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.

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 INTERNATIONAL © 2011 BJU INTERNATIONAL.

An instrumental case study examining the introduction and dissemination of the Baby Friendly Health Initiative in Australia: Participants' perspectives.

PubMed

Atchan, Marjorie; Davis, Deborah; Foureur, Maralyn

2018-06-01

Australia experiences high breastfeeding initiation but low duration rates. UNICEF introduced the global breastfeeding strategy, the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, to Australia in 1992, transferring governance to the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) in 1995. In 2017 23% of facilities were registered as 'baby-friendly' accredited. To examine the introduction and dissemination of the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative into the Australian national setting. An instrumental case study was conducted containing two components: analysis of historical documents pertaining to the Initiative and participant's interviews, reported here. A purposive sampling strategy identified 14 participants from UNICEF, ACM, maternity and community health services, the Australian government and volunteer organisations who took part in in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis explored participants' perceptions of factors influencing the uptake and future of the since renamed Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) and accreditation programme, BFHI Australia. Two broad categories, enablers and barriers, guided the interviews and analysis. Participants revealed a positive perception of the BFHI whilst identifying that its interpretation and expansion in Australia had been negatively influenced by intangible government support and suboptimal capacity building. BFHI's advocacy agenda competed with BFHI Australia's need for financial viability. Widespread stakeholder collaboration and tangible political endorsement was seen as a way to move the strategy forward. Dissemination of BFHI Australia is hampered by multi-level systems issues. Prioritisation, stakeholder collaboration and adequate resourcing of the BFHI is required to create a supportive and enabling environment for Australian women to determine and practice their preferred infant feeding method. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding international road safety disparities: Why is Australia so much safer than the United States?

PubMed

Marshall, Wesley E

2018-02-01

Despite similarities to the US in terms of transportation, land use, and culture, Australia kills 5.3 people per 100,000 population on the roads each year, as compared to the US rate of 12.4. Similar trends hold when accounting for distance driven and the number of registered cars. This paper seeks to understand what is behind the road safety disparities between these two countries. The results suggest that a number of inter-related factors seem to play a role in the better road safety outcomes of Australia as compared to the US. This includes Australia's strategies related to seat belt usage and impaired driving as well as their efforts to help curb vehicle speeds and reduce exposure. Design-related differences include a much greater reliance on roundabouts and narrower street cross-sections as well as guidelines that encourage self-enforcing roads. Policy-related differences include stronger and more extensive enforcement programs, restrictive licensing programs, and higher driving costs. Combined with a more urban population and multimodal infrastructure, Australia tends to discourage driving mileage and exposure while encouraging safer modes of transportation such as transit, at least more so than in most of the US. Australia also enacted their version of Vision Zero - called the Safe System Approach - more than a decade before similar policies began cropping up in US cities. While it is difficult to attribute recent road safety successes to any specific policy, Australia continues to expand their lead on the US in terms of safety outcomes and is a road safety example worthy of consideration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Incidence of oral cancer in Western Australia (1982-2009): Trends and regional variations.

PubMed

Derbi, Hajer Abdelhafied; Kruger, Estie; Tennant, Marc

2016-06-01

Oral cancer remains a significant issue for many communities of the world. In Australia, there are approximately 2000 new diagnoses each year, and the rates are growing. The divide between city and rural, rich and poor, is, in many countries, found to be linked to the incidence of oral cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the trends in the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer (specifically cancer of the parotid and major salivary glands, pharynx, and tongue) in Western Australia over a 27-year period, from 1982 to 2009, and determine the geographic distribution of incidence within the state. The de-identified data were provided by the Western Australian Cancer Registry, as oral cancer is a notifiable condition in Australia. There were a total of 2801 cases reported with pharynx, tongue, major salivary glands and parotid cancers over a 27-year period: 73.2 percent were male and 26.8 percent were female. The age-standardized incidence rate was 67.4 per 100 000 persons per annum for pharyngeal cancer, 54.1 for tongue cancer, 22.2 for parotid gland cancer and 5.5 for major salivary gland cancer. The age-standardized rates for pharyngeal and tongue cancer (but not parotid) were higher in country areas of Western Australia than in the metropolitan areas. The burden of some site-specific oral cancers is continuing to rise. An increasing trend with older age is also consistent throughout the study period. This study finds that the incidence of oral cancers in Western Australia is not inconsistent with other parts of Australia and fundamentally shows there is a rural-urban difference for oral cancer. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Multi-temporal clustering of continental floods and associated atmospheric circulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jianyu; Zhang, Yongqiang

2017-12-01

Investigating clustering of floods has important social, economic and ecological implications. This study examines the clustering of Australian floods at different temporal scales and its possible physical mechanisms. Flood series with different severities are obtained by peaks-over-threshold (POT) sampling in four flood thresholds. At intra-annual scale, Cox regression and monthly frequency methods are used to examine whether and when the flood clustering exists, respectively. At inter-annual scale, dispersion indices with four-time variation windows are applied to investigate the inter-annual flood clustering and its variation. Furthermore, the Kernel occurrence rate estimate and bootstrap resampling methods are used to identify flood-rich/flood-poor periods. Finally, seasonal variation of horizontal wind at 850 hPa and vertical wind velocity at 500 hPa are used to investigate the possible mechanisms causing the temporal flood clustering. Our results show that: (1) flood occurrences exhibit clustering at intra-annual scale, which are regulated by climate indices representing the impacts of the Pacific and Indian Oceans; (2) the flood-rich months occur from January to March over northern Australia, and from July to September over southwestern and southeastern Australia; (3) stronger inter-annual clustering takes place across southern Australia than northern Australia; and (4) Australian floods are characterised by regional flood-rich and flood-poor periods, with 1987-1992 identified as the flood-rich period across southern Australia, but the flood-poor period across northern Australia, and 2001-2006 being the flood-poor period across most regions of Australia. The intra-annual and inter-annual clustering and temporal variation of flood occurrences are in accordance with the variation of atmospheric circulation. These results provide relevant information for flood management under the influence of climate variability, and, therefore, are helpful for developing flood hazard mitigation schemes.

Trends in E-Cigarette Awareness, Trial, and Use Under the Different Regulatory Environments of Australia and the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Yong, Hua-Hie; Borland, Ron; Balmford, James; McNeill, Ann; Hitchman, Sara; Driezen, Pete; Thompson, Mary E; Fong, Geoffrey T; Cummings, K Michael

2015-10-01

E-cigarettes (ECs) have gained significant attention in recent years. They have been introduced in jurisdictions with divergent existing laws that affect their legality. This provides the opportunity for natural experiments to assess effects of such laws in some cases independent of any formulated government policy. We compare patterns of EC awareness and use over a 3 year period in Australia where laws severely restrict EC availability, with awareness and use in the United Kingdom where ECs are readily available. Data analyzed come from Waves 8 and 9 (collected in 2010 and 2013, respectively) of the International Tobacco Control surveys in Australia and the United Kingdom (approximately 1,500 respondents per wave per country). Across both waves, EC awareness, trial, and use among current and former smokers were significantly greater in the United Kingdom than in Australia, but all 3 of these measures increased significantly between 2010 and 2013 in both countries, and the rate of increase was equivalent between countries. Seventy-three percent of U.K. respondents reported that their current brands contained nicotine as did 43% in Australia even though sale, possession and/or use of nicotine-containing ECs without a permit are illegal in Australia. EC use was greater among smokers in both countries, at least in part due to less uptake by ex-smokers. EC awareness and use have risen rapidly between 2010 and 2013 among current and former smokers in both Australia and the United Kingdom despite different EC regulatory environments. Substantial numbers in both countries are using ECs that contain nicotine. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sources of funding for adult and paediatric CT procedures at a metropolitan tertiary hospital: How much do Medicare statistics really cover?

PubMed

Hayton, Anna; Wallace, Anthony; Johnston, Peter

2015-12-01

The radiation dose to the Australian paediatric population as a result of medical imaging is of growing concern, in particular the dose from CT. Estimates of the Australian population dose have largely relied on Medicare Australia statistics, which capture only a fraction of those imaging procedures actually performed. The fraction not captured has been estimated using a value obtained for a survey of the adult population in the mid-1990s. To better quantify the fraction of procedures that are not captured by Medicare Australia, procedure frequency and funding data for adult and paediatric patients were obtained from a metropolitan tertiary teaching and research hospital. Five calendar years of data were obtained with a financial class specified for each individual procedure. The financial classes were grouped to give the percentage of Medicare Australia billable procedures for both adult and paediatric patients. The data were also grouped to align with the Medicare Australia age cohorts. The percentage of CT procedures billable to Medicare Australia increased from 16% to 28% between 2008 and 2012. In 2012, the percentage billable for adult and paediatric patients was 28% and 33%, respectively; however, many adult CT procedures are performed at stand-alone clinics, which bulk bill. Using Medicare Australia statistics alone, the frequency of paediatric CT procedures performed on the Australian paediatric population will be grossly under estimated. A correction factor of 4.5 is suggested for paediatric procedures and 1.5 for adult procedures. The fraction of actual procedures performed that are captured by Medicare Australia will vary with time. © 2015 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.

Income-related inequalities in inadequate dentition over time in Australia, Brazil and USA adults.

PubMed

Peres, Marco A; Luzzi, Liana; Peres, Karen G; Sabbah, Wael; Antunes, Jose L; Do, Loc G

2015-06-01

To assess changes over time of the absolute and relative household income-related inequalities in inadequate dentition (ID) among Australians, Brazilians and USA adults. This study used nationwide oral health survey data from Australia (n = 1200 in 1999; n = 2729 in 2005), Brazil (n = 13 431 in 2003; n = 9779 in 2010) and USA (n = 2542 in 1999; n = 1596 in 2005). Absolute income inequalities were calculated using Absolute Concentration Index (ACI) and Slope Index of Inequality (SII), while relative inequalities were calculated using Relative Concentration Index (RCI) and Relative Index of Inequality (RII). Prevalence of ID in the studied period dropped from 8.7% to 3.1% in Australia; from 42.1% to 22.4% in Brazil; and remained stable in USA, nearly 8.0%. Absolute income inequalities were highest in Brazil, followed by the USA and Australia; relative inequalities were lower in Brazil than in Australia and the USA. ID was higher among Brazilian females (2010) and for the poorest group in all countries and periods. A remarkable reduction in absolute inequalities were found in Australia [Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and AIC 60%] and in Brazil (SII 25%; ACI 33%) while relative inequalities increased both in Australia (RCI and RII 40%) and in Brazil (RCI 24%; RII 38%). No changes in absolute and relative income inequalities were found in the USA. There were still persistent absolute and relative income inequalities in ID in all examined countries. There has been a reduction in absolute income inequalities in ID but an increase in relative income inequalities. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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…

Rethinking "Commercial" Surrogacy in Australia.

PubMed

Millbank, Jenni

2015-09-01

This article proposes reconsideration of laws prohibiting paid surrogacy in Australia in light of increasing transnational commercial surrogacy. The social science evidence base concerning domestic surrogacy in developed economies demonstrates that payment alone cannot be used to differentiate "good" surrogacy arrangements from "bad" ones. Compensated domestic surrogacy and the introduction of professional intermediaries and mechanisms such as advertising are proposed as a feasible harm-minimisation approach. I contend that Australia can learn from commercial surrogacy practices elsewhere, without replicating them.

Exploration of funding models to support hybridisation of Australian primary health care organisations.

PubMed

Reddy, Sandeep

2017-09-01

Primary Health Care (PHC) funding in Australia is complex and fragmented. The focus of PHC funding in Australia has been on volume rather than comprehensive primary care and continuous quality improvement. As PHC in Australia is increasingly delivered by hybrid style organisations, an appropriate funding model that matches this set-up while addressing current issues with PHC funding is required. This article discusses and proposes an appropriate funding model for hybrid PHC organisations.

Mathematics Education beyond 2000: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (23rd, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia, July 5-9, 2000). Volume 1 [and] Volume 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bana, Jack, Ed.; Chapman, Anne, Ed.

This document contains Volumes 1 and 2 of the proceedings of the 23rd annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Incorporated (MERGA) held at Fremantle, Western Australia, July 5-9, 2000. Papers in Volume 1 include: (1) "Bridging Practices: Intertwining Content and Pedagogy in Teaching and Learning To Teach"…

Mobilesat (tm): A world first

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Paul; Crawley, Linda

1993-01-01

Mobilesat will be the world's first truly mobile satellite telephony service to be offered in the land mobile market. Essentially a car phone which will be offered as a fixed service at a later date, mobilesat will bring circuit switched voice communications to remote and rural areas of Australia. This paper outlines where mobilesat fits as part of Optus, Australia's new telecommunications carrier, and briefly discuss the mobilesat system, its market, and the future of mobile communications in Australia.

Barriers to Managing Fertility: Findings From the Understanding Fertility Management in Contemporary Australia Facebook Discussion Group

PubMed Central

Rowe, Heather

2016-01-01

Background As part of research investigating the complexities of managing fertility in Australia, public opinions about how Australians manage their fertility were sought from women and men. Objective To identify public opinion about sexual and reproductive health in Australia. Methods To ensure access to a diverse group of people throughout Australia, an online group was advertised and convened on Facebook from October through December 2013. In a closed-group moderated discussion, participants responded to questions about how people in Australia attempt to manage three aspects of fertility: avoiding pregnancy, achieving pregnancy, and difficulties conceiving. Nonidentifiable demographic information was sought; no personal accounts of fertility management were requested. The discussion transcript was analyzed thematically. Results There were 61 female and 2 male Facebook users aged 18 to 50 years living in Australia participating in the study. Four main themes about fertility management were identified: access, geographical location, knowledge, and cost. Participants reported that young people and people from rural areas face barriers accessing contraception and fertility services. Limited knowledge about sex and reproduction and the cost of fertility services and contraception were also said to impede effective fertility management. Conclusions Reasons for inequalities in effective fertility management that are amenable to change were identified. Facebook is an effective method for gaining insights into public opinion about sexual and reproductive health. PMID:26878865

Diversity "down under": monogeneans in the Antipodes (Australia) with a prediction of monogenean biodiversity worldwide.

PubMed

Whittington, I D

1998-10-01

There are approximately 25,000 species of fishes known in the world. The Monogenea are believed to be among the most host-specific of parasites and if each species of fish is host to a different species of monogenean, there could be almost 25,000 monogenean species on Earth. Currently, I estimate that between 3000 and 4000 of these are described. Australia has a rich marine fish fauna with approximately 3500 species of teleosts. If the same formula of one monogenean species per host fish species is applied, Australia marine fishes could host potentially 3500 species of monogeneans. The first monogenean species described from Australia was Encotyllabe pagrosomi MacCallum, 1917 and approximately 300 more species have since been described from the continent. Even in a region of Australia such as Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef that has been a focus of sustained research on these parasites, only about 85 species are described from 40 of the most common, easily-caught species of fish. Reasons are discussed for the relatively small numbers of monogenean species described so far from Australia. Endemicity is difficult to judge, but only one is certain: Concinnocotyla australensis (Polystomatidae) from Neoceratodus forsteri (Dipnoi). Despite reductions in research funding, the value of parasite taxonomy must not be underestimated, particularly in regions of the world that have a rich diversity of potential hosts.

Seasonal patterns of oral antihistamine and intranasal corticosteroid purchases from Australian community pharmacies: a retrospective observational study

PubMed Central

Carney, A Simon; Price, David B; Smith, Pete K; Harvey, Richard; Kritikos, Vicky; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia Z; Christian, Louise; Skinner, Derek A; Carter, Victoria; Durieux, Alice MS

2017-01-01

Purpose To explore patterns in the purchase of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) oral antihistamines (OAHs) and intranasal corticosteroids (INCSs) by patients, from pharmacies in different geographical regions of Australia. Patients and methods Retrospective observational study using a database containing anonymous pharmacy transaction data from 20.0% of the pharmacies in Australia that link doctor prescriptions and OTC information. Pharmacy purchases of at least one prescription or OTC rhinitis treatment during 2013 and 2014 were assessed. Results In total, 4,247,193 prescription and OTC rhinitis treatments were purchased from 909 pharmacies over 12 months. Of treatments purchased, 75.9% were OAHs and 16.6% were INCSs. OTC purchases of both treatments exceeded purchases through prescription. OTC OAHs purchasing patterns were seasonal and almost identical in the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, and New South Wales, and similar seasonal patterns for OTC INCSs were noted in most regions except for South Australia and Tasmania. Prescription purchasing patterns of both OAHs and INCSs remained unchanged throughout the year in most regions. Conclusion This large-scale retrospective observational study identified seasonal purchasing patterns of OTC and prescription OAHs and INCSs in a real-world setting. It highlighted that seasonality only affects OTC purchasing patterns of OAHs and INCSs across Australia and that practitioner prescribing remains unchanged, suggesting that it is only for persistent disease. PMID:28919832

Experiences of international students from Asian backgrounds studying occupational therapy in Australia.

PubMed

Lim, Jung Wook; Honey, Anne; Du Toit, Sanet; Chen, Yu-Wei; Mackenzie, Lynette

2016-10-01

International students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds experience personal and academic challenges when studying health sciences in Australia. Given recent discussions about cultural specificity in occupational therapy and its status as an emerging profession in most Asian countries, this study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of international students from Asian backgrounds studying occupational therapy in Australia. A phenomenological approach was used to understand the experiences of participants. In-depth interviews were conducted with eight international occupational therapy students from Asian countries studying in Australia. Data were analysed using hermeneutic methods. Participants described three interlinked and ongoing experiences: (1) Discovering and engaging with occupational therapy; (2) Fitting into my new role; and (3) Anticipating my role at home. Whilst theoretical aspects of occupational therapy were seen as compatible with participants' home cultures, application was seen as problematic due to the differences in structure and institutional culture of the healthcare systems. Although students made adaptations to fit in as occupational therapy students in Australia, they continued to see themselves as different, and their adaptation also influenced how they saw themselves in relation to their home culture. Findings can contribute to creating culturally sensitive education for occupational therapy students from Asian countries. To best serve these students, educators should consider ways to facilitate transitions both out of and back into students' home cultures. © 2016 Occupational Therapy Australia.

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.

Seasonal patterns of oral antihistamine and intranasal corticosteroid purchases from Australian community pharmacies: a retrospective observational study.

PubMed

Carney, A Simon; Price, David B; Smith, Pete K; Harvey, Richard; Kritikos, Vicky; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia Z; Christian, Louise; Skinner, Derek A; Carter, Victoria; Durieux, Alice Ms

2017-01-01

To explore patterns in the purchase of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) oral antihistamines (OAHs) and intranasal corticosteroids (INCSs) by patients, from pharmacies in different geographical regions of Australia. Retrospective observational study using a database containing anonymous pharmacy transaction data from 20.0% of the pharmacies in Australia that link doctor prescriptions and OTC information. Pharmacy purchases of at least one prescription or OTC rhinitis treatment during 2013 and 2014 were assessed. In total, 4,247,193 prescription and OTC rhinitis treatments were purchased from 909 pharmacies over 12 months. Of treatments purchased, 75.9% were OAHs and 16.6% were INCSs. OTC purchases of both treatments exceeded purchases through prescription. OTC OAHs purchasing patterns were seasonal and almost identical in the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, and New South Wales, and similar seasonal patterns for OTC INCSs were noted in most regions except for South Australia and Tasmania. Prescription purchasing patterns of both OAHs and INCSs remained unchanged throughout the year in most regions. This large-scale retrospective observational study identified seasonal purchasing patterns of OTC and prescription OAHs and INCSs in a real-world setting. It highlighted that seasonality only affects OTC purchasing patterns of OAHs and INCSs across Australia and that practitioner prescribing remains unchanged, suggesting that it is only for persistent disease.

Australian shelf sediments reveal shifts in Miocene Southern Hemisphere westerlies

PubMed Central

Groeneveld, Jeroen; Henderiks, Jorijntje; Renema, Willem; McHugh, Cecilia M.; De Vleeschouwer, David; Christensen, Beth A.; Fulthorpe, Craig S.; Reuning, Lars; Gallagher, Stephen J.; Bogus, Kara; Auer, Gerald; Ishiwa, Takeshige

2017-01-01

Global climate underwent a major reorganization when the Antarctic ice sheet expanded ~14 million years ago (Ma) (1). This event affected global atmospheric circulation, including the strength and position of the westerlies and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), and, therefore, precipitation patterns (2–5). We present new shallow-marine sediment records from the continental shelf of Australia (International Ocean Discovery Program Sites U1459 and U1464) providing the first empirical evidence linking high-latitude cooling around Antarctica to climate change in the (sub)tropics during the Miocene. We show that Western Australia was arid during most of the Middle Miocene. Southwest Australia became wetter during the Late Miocene, creating a climate gradient with the arid interior, whereas northwest Australia remained arid throughout. Precipitation and river runoff in southwest Australia gradually increased from 12 to 8 Ma, which we relate to a northward migration or intensification of the westerlies possibly due to increased sea ice in the Southern Ocean (5). Abrupt aridification indicates that the westerlies shifted back to a position south of Australia after 8 Ma. Our midlatitude Southern Hemisphere data are consistent with the inference that expansion of sea ice around Antarctica resulted in a northward movement of the westerlies. In turn, this may have pushed tropical atmospheric circulation and the ITCZ northward, shifting the main precipitation belt over large parts of Southeast Asia (4). PMID:28508066

The Population Origins and Expansion of Feral Cats in Australia

PubMed Central

Yurchenko, Andrey A.; David, Victor A.; Scott, Rachael; Koepfli, Klaus-Peter; Driscoll, Carlos; O’Brien, Stephen J.; Menotti-Raymond, Marilyn

2016-01-01

The historical literature suggests that in Australia, the domestic cat (Felis catus) had a European origin [~200 years before present (ybp)], but it is unclear if cats arrived from across the Asian land bridge contemporaneously with the dingo (4000 ybp), or perhaps immigrated ~40000 ybp in association with Aboriginal settlement from Asia. The origin of cats in Australia is important because the continent has a complex and ancient faunal assemblage that is dominated by endemic rodents and marsupials and lacks the large placental carnivores found on other large continents. Cats are now ubiquitous across the entire Australian continent and have been implicit in the range contraction or extinction of its small to medium sized (<3.5kg) mammals. We analyzed the population structure of 830 cats using 15 short tandem repeat (STR) genomic markers. Their origin appears to come exclusively from European founders. Feral cats in continental Australia exhibit high genetic diversity in comparison with the low diversity found in populations of feral cats living on islands. The genetic structure is consistent with a rapid westerly expansion from eastern Australia and a limited expansion in coastal Western Australia. Australian cats show modest if any population structure and a close genetic alignment with European feral cats as compared to cats from Asia, the Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Indian Ocean), and European wildcats (F. silvestris silvestris). PMID:26647063

Scald burns in children aged 14 and younger in Australia and New Zealand—an analysis based on the Burn Registry of Australia and New Zealand (BRANZ).

PubMed

Riedlinger, Dorothee I; Jennings, Paul A; Edgar, Dale W; Harvey, John G; Cleland, Ms Heather J; Wood, Fiona M; Cameron, Peter A

2015-05-01

Scalds are a common injury in children and a frequent reason for hospitalisation despite being a preventable injury. This retrospective two year study reports data from 730 children aged 14 years or younger who sustained a scald between 2009 and 2010 and were admitted to a burns centre in Australia or New Zealand. Data were extracted from the Burn Registry of Australia and New Zealand (BRANZ), which included data from 13 burns centres in Australia and New Zealand. Scald injury contributed 56% (95% CI 53-59%) of all pediatric burns. There were two high risk groups; male toddlers age one to two, contributing 34% (95% CI 31-38%) of all scalds, and indigenous children who were over 3 times more likely to experience a scald requiring admission to a burns unit than their non-indigenous peers. First aid cooling by non-professionals was initiated in 89% (95% CI 86-91%) of cases but only 20% (95% CI 16-23%) performed it as recommended. This study highlights that effective burn first aid reduces hospital stay and reinforces the need to encourage, carers and bystanders to deliver effective first aid and the importance of targeted prevention campaigns that reduce the burden of pediatric scald burns in Australia and New Zealand. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Physiotherapy for cystic fibrosis in Australia and New Zealand: A clinical practice guideline*

PubMed Central

Wilson, Christine; Dentice, Ruth; Cox, Narelle S.; Middleton, Anna; Tannenbaum, Esta; Bishop, Jennifer; Cobb, Robyn; Burton, Kate; Wood, Michelle; Moran, Fiona; Black, Ryan; Bowen, Summar; Day, Rosemary; Depiazzi, Julie; Doiron, Katherine; Doumit, Michael; Dwyer, Tiffany; Elliot, Alison; Fuller, Louise; Hall, Kathleen; Hutchins, Matthew; Kerr, Melinda; Lee, Annemarie L.; Mans, Christina; O'Connor, Lauren; Steward, Ranjana; Potter, Angela; Rasekaba, Tshepo; Scoones, Rebecca; Tarrant, Ben; Ward, Nathan; West, Samantha; White, Dianne; Wilson, Lisa; Wood, Jamie; Holland, Anne E.

2016-01-01

Abstract Physiotherapy management is a key element of care for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) throughout the lifespan. Although considerable evidence exists to support physiotherapy management of CF, there is documented variation in practice. The aim of this guideline is to optimize the physiotherapy management of people with CF in Australia and New Zealand. A systematic review of the literature in key areas of physiotherapy practice for CF was undertaken. Recommendations were formulated based on National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia) guidelines and considered the quality, quantity and level of the evidence; the consistency of the body of evidence; the likely clinical impact; and applicability to physiotherapy practice in Australia and New Zealand. A total of 30 recommendations were made for airway clearance therapy, inhalation therapy, exercise assessment and training, musculoskeletal management, management of urinary incontinence, managing the newly diagnosed patient with CF, delivery of non‐invasive ventilation, and physiotherapy management before and after lung transplantation. These recommendations can be used to underpin the provision of evidence‐based physiotherapy care to people with CF in Australia and New Zealand. PMID:27086904

Improving regional and rural cancer services in Western Australia.

PubMed

Platt, Violet; O'Connor, Kathleen; Coleman, Rhonda

2015-02-01

This paper examines health reform which has been designed to improve cancer services across Western Australia. Western Australia is a large state divided into nine regions each with differing demographics. The diversity of the state and the distribution of the population over a large area of land create significant challenge in ensuring equality in service delivery. A comparison was conducted looking at cancer services in Western Australia pre-2005 and service delivery in 2014. A review of the partnership initiatives and programs provides a clear discussion on the need for coordination of care between service providers. The approach undertaken in Western Australia has seen an increase in the delivery of cancer services closer to the patient's home as well as greater involvement of primary care professionals in cancer care. This work has resulted in demonstrated improvements in patient care and support. Services for cancer patients need to be accessible closer to home with distance being an appreciable barrier to treatment access.A statewide approach needs to be developed to ensure all people have equitable access to service delivery. © 2015 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

{open_quotes}Airborne Research Australia (ARA){close_quotes} a new research aircraft facility on the southern hemisphere

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

Hacker, J.M.

1996-11-01

{open_quotes}Airborne Research Australia{close_quotes} (ARA) is a new research aircraft facility in Australia. It will serve the scientific community of Australia and will also make its aircraft and expertise available for commercial users. To cover the widest possible range of applications, the facility will operate up to five research aircraft, from a small, low-cost platform to medium-sized multi-purpose aircraft, as well as a unique high altitude aircraft capable of carrying scientific loads to altitudes of up to 15km. The aircraft will be equipped with basic instrumentation and data systems, as well as facilities to mount user-supplied instrumentation and systems internally andmore » externally on the aircraft. The ARA operations base consisting of a hangar, workshops, offices, laboratories, etc. is currently being constructed at Parafield Airport near Adelaide/South Australia. The following text reports about the current state of development of the facility. An update will be given in a presentation at the Conference. 6 figs.« less

Overview: the 2nd Indigenous Cardiovascular Health Conference of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.

PubMed

Brown, Alex; Kritharides, Leonard

2012-10-01

Recent years have seen the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) focus its attention on improving outcomes for Indigenous people within Australia and New Zealand. The most visible of these activities has been the convening of conferences devoted specifically to understanding and overcoming the burden of cardiovascular disparities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders within Australia and Maori and Pacific Islander populations within New Zealand. Following from the success of the first meeting, the second was held in Alice Springs in 2011. Alongside plenary sessions discussing primary prevention, improved care, secondary prevention and the social and cultural determinants of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), targeted workshops outlined the issues and priority activities for the CSANZ into the future. These included discussion of Workforce, Improving Chronic Care, Reducing the burden of Rheumatic Heart Disease and Reducing Disparities in Hospital Care. Copyright © 2012 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.

How much do disasters cost? A comparison of disaster cost estimates in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ladds, Monique; Keating, Adriana; Handmer, John; Magee, Liam

2017-04-01

Extreme weather events in Australia are common and a large proportion of the population are exposed to such events. Therefore, there is great interest as to how these events will impact Australia's society and economy, which requires understanding the current and historical impact of disasters. Despite global efforts to record and cost disaster impacts, no standardised method of collecting and recording data retrospectively yet exists. The lack of comparability in turn produces quite different analyses of economic impacts. This paper examines five examples of aggregate cost and relative impacts of natural disasters in Australia, and comparisons between them reveal significant data shortcomings. The reliability of data sources, and the methodology employed to analyse them can have significant impacts on conclusions regarding the overall cost of disasters, the relative costs of different disaster types, and the distribution of costs across Australian states. We highlight difficulties with time series comparisons, further complicated by the interdependencies of the databases. We reiterate the need for consistent and comparable data collection and analysis, to respond to the increasing frequency and severity of disasters in Australia.

A Review of Roof Harvested Rainwater in Australia

PubMed Central

Whiley, Harriet; Edwards, John W.; Ross, Kirstin E.

2018-01-01

To address concern regarding water sustainability, the Australian Federal Government and many state governments have implemented regulatory mechanisms and incentives to support households to purchase and install rainwater harvesting systems. This has led to an increase in rainwater harvesting in regional and urban Australia. This review examines the implementation of the regulatory mechanisms across Australia. In addition, the literature investigating the potential health consequences of rainwater consumption in Australia was explored. Studies demonstrated that although trace metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and iron were present in Australian rainwater, these metallic elements were generally found below the health limit guideline, except in high industrial areas. In addition, pathogenic or indicator microorganisms that include, but are not limited to, Escherichia coli, total and faecal coliforms, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Legionella, Pseudomonas, Cryptosporidium, Enterococci, Giardia, Aeromonas, and Mycobacterium avium Complex (MAC) have been detected in rainwater collected in Australia. However, epidemiological evidence suggests that drinking rainwater does not increase the risk of gastrointestinal disease. It was also identified that there is a need for further research investigating the potential for rainwater to be a source of infection for opportunistic pathogens. PMID:29606962

Deliberate introduction of the European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, into Australia.

PubMed

Fenner, F

2010-04-01

The European rabbit was brought to Australia as a companion animal by early settlers. It sometimes escaped, but failed to survive in the Australian bush. In 1879 wild rabbits were deliberately sent to Victoria to provide game for wealthy settlers to shoot. They soon spread all over Australia, except in the tropics, and became Australia's major animal pest. After careful testing in Australian wildlife and in humans, control by myxoma virus was introduced at various sites between 1937 and 1950, spreading all over the Murray-Darling Basin in 1950. Within one year mutations in the virus had led to slightly less virulence, and these continued for the next 50 years. In the early 21st Century testing viruses obtained from wild rabbits showed that the majority of these viruses were more virulent than the virus used to initiate the epidemic. In 1995 another virus specific for European rabbits, rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus, escaped from areas in which field trials were being carried out and spread around Australia. It was more successful than myxomatosis for rabbit control in arid regions.

Invasion of a Holarctic planktonic cladoceran Daphnia galeata Sars (Crustacea: Cladocera) in the Lower Lakes of South Australia.

PubMed

Karabanov, Dmitry P; Bekker, Eugeniya I; Shiel, Russell J; Kotov, Alexey A

2018-03-27

We found a Holarctic microcrustacean Daphnia galeata Sars, 1863 (Cladocera: Daphniidae) in the Lower Lakes of South Australia. This taxon was never detected in continental Australia before. Its identity was confirmed by the sequences of mitochondrial COI, 12S and 16S and nuclear 18S and 28S genes. A maximum likelihood tree from a dataset from combining 12S + 16S mitochondrial sequence and a split network of the COI haplotypes are provided, but resolution of both genes is not sufficient to reveal the exact region of the Holarctic from where D. galeata was introduced to Australia; the vector of its invasion also is unknown. We hypothesize that appearance of D. galeata in the Lower Lakes of the Murray River is related to a recent anthropogenic eutrophication of water bodies in this region, keeping in mind that examples of successful invasion of some European lakes by D. galeata after their eutrophication are well-known. We also hypothesize that establishment of this non-indigenous taxon populations in Australia might have a strong negative impact on native lake biota.

Livistona palms in Australia: ancient relics or opportunistic immigrants?

PubMed

Crisp, Michael D; Isagi, Yuji; Kato, Yohei; Cook, Lyn G; Bowman, David M J S

2010-02-01

Eighteen of the 34 species of the fan palm genus Livistona (Arecaceae) are restricted to Australia and southern New Guinea, east of Wallace's Line, an ancient biogeographic boundary between the former supercontinents Laurasia and Gondwana. The remaining species extend from SE Asia to Africa, west of Wallace's Line. Competing hypotheses contend that Livistona is (a) ancient, its current distribution a relict of the supercontinents, or (b) a Miocene immigrant from the north into Australia as it drifted towards Asia. We have tested these hypotheses using Bayesian and penalized likelihood molecular dating based on 4Kb of nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences with multiple fossil calibration points. Ancestral areas and biomes were reconstructed using parsimony and maximum likelihood. We found strong support for the second hypothesis, that a single Livistona ancestor colonized Australia from the north about 10-17Ma. Spread and diversification of the genus within Australia was likely favoured by a transition from the aseasonal wet to monsoonal biome, to which it could have been preadapted by fire-tolerance. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Avoiding Failure for Australia's Digital Health Record: The Findings from a Rural E-Health Participatory Research Project.

PubMed

Almond, H; Cummings, E; Turner, P

2016-01-01

Low adoption and use of Australia's digital health record has driven the Australian Government to trial 'opt-out' registration from mid-June 2016. The assumption that automatic registration will increase use and thereby deliver benefit requires further investigation especially amongst those sections of the population in rural, regional, remote Australia living with complex chronic conditions. This paper reports on findings from a community based participatory e-health research project based on an initiative where people with complex chronic conditions and their carers attended a rural health promotion and lifestyle modification program. Through co-operative enquiry, health promotion officers and their clients were actively supported to adopt and use Australia's digital health record as an intervention. Simultaneously they were encouraged to reflect on its design and their perceptions of its overall impact on their individual ability to self-manage complex chronic conditions. The findings, ultimately contributing to a conceptual implementation and evaluation framework for Australia's digital health record that could directly avoid failure of the new 'opt-out' approach being adopted.

International travel as medical research: architecture and the modern hospital.

PubMed

Logan, Cameron; Willis, Julie

2010-01-01

The design and development of the modern hospital in Australia had a profound impact on medical practice and research at a variety of levels. Between the late 1920s and the 1950s hospital architects, administrators, and politicians travelled widely in order to review the latest international developments in the hospital field They were motivated by Australia's geographic isolation and a growing concern with how to govern the population at the level of physical health. While not 'medical research' in the conventional sense of the term, this travel was a powerful generator of medical thinking in Australia and has left a rich archival legacy. This paper draws on that archive to demonstrate the ways in which architectural research and international networks of hospital specialists profoundly shaped the provision of medical infrastructure in Australia.

Psittacid herpesvirus 3 infection in the eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus) in Australia.

PubMed

Gabor, M; Gabor, L J; Peacock, L; Srivastava, M; Rosenwax, A; Phalen, D

2013-11-01

Psittacid herpesvirus 3 (PsHV-3) has recently been implicated as the cause of a severe respiratory disease in Bourke's parrots (Neopsephotus bourkii) in the United States. In this report, the clinical manifestations and gross and microscopic lesions of PsHV-3 infection in 2 eclectus parrots (Eclectus roratus) in Australia are described. The presence of a PsHV-3 infection was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of PsHV-3 DNA using degenerate and PsHV-3 primers. Electron microscopy of infected cells demonstrated the assembly of herpesvirus virions as well as intranuclear tubular structures. The detection of PsHV-3 in Australia in 2 eclectus parrots broadens the list of known affected species and confirms the presence of this virus in Australia.

Rewriting the history of Chinese families in nineteenth-century Australia.

PubMed

Bagnall, Kate

2011-01-01

The nineteenth-century Chinese population in Australia was made up mostly of men, drawing many commentators to the conclusion these men faced an absence of family life, resulting in prostitution, gambling, opium use and other so-called vices. Recent research has, however, expanded and complicated our knowledge of Chinese families in New South Wales and Victoria, particularly concerning the extent to which Chinese men and white Australian women formed intimate relationships. This article traces the origins of the misconceptions about Chinese families in nineteenth-century Australia, and considers how new directions in scholarship over the past decade are providing methods for enlarging our knowledge. It argues that instead of being oddities or exceptions, Chinese-European families were integral to the story of Australia's early Chinese communities.

The evolution of sustainable remediation in Australia and New Zealand: A storyline.

PubMed

Smith, Garry; Nadebaum, Peter

2016-12-15

This article describes the 'storyline' of the early and recent growth of sustainable remediation (SR) practice in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), in order to inform and support other SR stakeholders, and to identify some lessons learned. Achievement of full acceptance and consistency across relevant ANZ regulatory jurisdictions and industry sectors will take time and will require publication of successful examples of SR application. The article describes the respective policy and regulatory contexts for sustainable remediation practice in Australia and in New Zealand; several milestone activities and events in the growth of SR in ANZ; and example SR methodologies and policies produced by stakeholders and remediation practitioners including the Sustainable Remediation Forum of Australia and New Zealand (SuRF ANZ). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PERSPECTIVES: Accountability for Mental Health: The Australian Experience.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Sebastian; Salvador-Carulla, Luis

2017-03-01

Australia was one of the first countries to develop a national policy for mental health. A persistent characteristic of all these policies has been their reference to the importance of accountability. What does this mean exactly and have we achieved it? Can Australia tell if anybody is getting better? To review accountability for mental health in Australia and question whether two decades of Australian rhetoric around accountability for mental health has been fulfilled. This paper first considers the concept of accountability and its application to mental health. We then draw on existing literature, reports, and empirical data from national and state governments to illustrate historical and current approaches to accountability for mental health. We provide a content analysis of the most current set of national indicators. The paper also briefly considers some relevant international processes to compare Australia's progress in establishing accountability for mental health. Australia's federated system of government permits competing approaches to accountability, with multiple and overlapping data sets. A clear national approach to accountability for mental health has failed to emerge. Existing data focuses on administrative and health service indicators, failing to reflect broader social factors which reveal quality of life. In spite of twenty years of investment and effort Australia has been described as outcome blind, unable to demonstrate the merit of USD 8bn spent on mental health annually. While it may be prolific, existing administrative data provide little outcomes information against which Australia can genuinely assess the health and welfare of people with a mental illness. International efforts are evolving slowly. Even in high income countries such as Australia, resources for mental health services are constrained. Countries cannot afford to continue to invest in services or programs that fail to demonstrate good outcomes for people with a mental illness or are not value for money. New approaches are needed which ensure that chosen accountability indicators reflect national health and social priorities. Such priorities must be meaningful to a range of stakeholders and the community about the state of mental health. They must drive an agenda of continuous improvement relevant to those most affected by mental disorders. These approaches should be operable in emerging international contexts. Australia must further develop its approach to health accountability in relation to mental health. A limited set of new preferred national mental health indicators should be agreed. These should be tested, both domestically and internationally, for their capacity to inform and drive quality improvement processes in mental health. Existing systems of accountability are not fit for purpose, incapable of firing necessary quality improvement processes. Supported by adequate resources, realistic targets and a culture of openness, new accountability could drive real quality improvement processes for mental health, facilitate jurisdictional comparisons in Australia, and contribute to new efforts to benchmark mental health internationally.

Trafficking in persons and victim health in Australia.

PubMed

Schloenhardt, Andreas; Klug, Benjamin

2011-12-01

This article explores the health problems experienced by victims of trafficking in persons in Australia and analyses the domestic support schemes established to assist these victims. It focuses specifically on the health of adult, female victims who constitute the majority of identified victims, and who are the principal recipients of government support services. Domestic experiences and support schemes are reviewed in the light of international law and best practice guidelines. Recommendations are made to improve the health services available to victims of trafficking in persons in Australia.

A New Interpretation of the Shannon Entropy Measure

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

Organisation PO Box 1500 Edinburgh South Australia 5111 Australia Telephone: 1300 333 363 Fax: (08) 7389 6567 © Commonwealth of Australia ...0 0 0 00 ( 000 ) (001) (101)(100)(011)(010) (111)(110) 1 bit 2 bits 3 bits m1 m6m5m4m3m2 m7 m8 Symbolic Identifiers Probabilistic messages, states, or...for higher-order and hybrid uncertainty forms which occur across many application domains, e.g. [ 25 ]. As a preliminary step towards developing higher

Gadigaleyrodes froggatti, a new genus and species of whitefly (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) from Australia.

PubMed

Dooley, John W; Gillespie, Peter

2013-01-17

A new monotypic genus of whiteflies (Aleyrodidae), Gadigaleyrodes gen.n., is described and illustrated for G. froggatti sp.n. from New South Wales, Australia. Specimens were collected by W. W. Froggatt in 1899 on Syncarpia glomulifera, and subsequently by P. S. Gillespie on an unknown climbing plant. The genus has unusual morphological features with traits common to both Aleurodicinae and Aleyrodinae. The subfamily placement is discussed, and a key provided to discriminate this taxon from similar whitefly genera in Australia.

Community, Diversity and Innovation in Rural and Remote Education and Training. Proceedings of the National Rural Education Conference of the Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia (22nd, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, July 2006)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boylan, Colin, Ed.

2006-01-01

The papers contained in this document represent the keynote addresses, refereed and non-refereed conference papers from the 22nd National Conference of Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia (SPERA). The theme for this national conference was: Community Diversity and Innovation in Rural and Remote Education and Training. Keynote…

ANZUS in Revision: Changing Defense Features of Australia and New Zealand in the Mid-1980s

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-01

28 ; Brian L. Kavanagh, TheChanging Western Alliance in the South Pacific (Maxwell AFB, Ala . : Air University Press, 1987), 20. 52 . Ross Babbage ...68. 4. Ross Babbage , Rethinking Australia’s Defence (St. Lucia, Australia: University of Queensland Press, 1980), 217. 5 . The Bulletin survey was...34No 1-Most Testing Period Ahead," Pacific Defence Reporter 13, nos. 6/7 (December 1986-January 1987) : 200. 43 . Ross Babbage , "The Future of the

Social Area Indicators of Educational Need. A Study of the Use of Census Descriptions of School Neighbourhoods in Guiding Decisions Concerning the Allocation of Resources to Educationally Disadvantaged Schools in Australia. ACER Research Monograph No. 20.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Kenneth N.

The purpose of this study was to develop, validate, and describe indicators of educational disadvantage to be used in Australia to identify schools and students most in need of assistance from the Disadvantaged Schools Program. Initially, a detailed review was prepared of the resource allocation responses which have been made in Australia to the…

Status of Women In Physics in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foley, C. P.

2009-04-01

The status of women in physics is Australia has remained mostly steady until recently, with the appointment of several eminent women in major government of public roles. Australia seems to maintain the same gender ratio for those studying and working in physics. There is no overall coordination of programs to assist women into the workplace but there is generally goodwill. Success in attracting and retaining women in the physics workforce appears to depend on the local culture, initiatives, and attitude of the most senior person in the organization.

76 FR 78858 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Utilization of Domestic Photovoltaic Devices...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-20

... (Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico... means Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala...

Defense.gov Special Report: Travels with Panetta

Science.gov Websites

in Australia Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith have , Secretary Clinton, Minister Carr and Minister Smith at AUSMIN Ministerial, Perth, Australia Media

Iterative development of Stand Up Australia: a multi-component intervention to reduce workplace sitting

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Sitting, particularly in prolonged, unbroken bouts, is widespread within the office workplace, yet few interventions have addressed this newly-identified health risk behaviour. This paper describes the iterative development process and resulting intervention procedures for the Stand Up Australia research program focusing on a multi-component workplace intervention to reduce sitting time. Methods The development of Stand Up Australia followed three phases. 1) Conceptualisation: Stand Up Australia was based on social cognitive theory and social ecological model components. These were operationalised via a taxonomy of intervention strategies and designed to target multiple levels of influence including: organisational structures (e.g. via management consultation), the physical work environment (via provision of height-adjustable workstations), and individual employees (e.g. via face-to-face coaching). 2) Formative research: Intervention components were separately tested for their feasibility and acceptability. 3) Pilot studies: Stand Up Comcare tested the integrated intervention elements in a controlled pilot study examining efficacy, feasibility and acceptability. Stand Up UQ examined the additional value of the organisational- and individual-level components over height-adjustable workstations only in a three-arm controlled trial. In both pilot studies, office workers’ sitting time was measured objectively using activPAL3 devices and the intervention was refined based on qualitative feedback from managers and employees. Results Results and feedback from participants and managers involved in the intervention development phases suggest high efficacy, acceptance, and feasibility of all intervention components. The final version of the Stand Up Australia intervention includes strategies at the organisational (senior management consultation, representatives consultation workshop, team champions, staff information and brainstorming session with information booklet, and supportive emails from managers to staff), environmental (height-adjustable workstations), and individual level (face-to-face coaching session and telephone support). Stand Up Australia is currently being evaluated in the context of a cluster-randomised controlled trial at the Department of Human Services (DHS) in Melbourne, Australia. Conclusions Stand Up Australia is an evidence-guided and systematically developed workplace intervention targeting reductions in office workers’ sitting time. PMID:24559162

Family caregiver challenges in dementia care in Australia and China: a critical perspective

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Both Australia and China have a large proportion of people with dementia and the prevalence will triple in Australia and increase five times in China by 2050. The majority of people with dementia are reliant on family caregivers to provide daily care and to maintain the dignity in both countries. As a consequence, caregiver burden has become a major concern because of the negative impact on the care recipients’ and the caregivers’ health. It is strongly recommended that cross-national collaboration should be conducted to share experiences in fighting dementia. The aim of this study was to compare socially and culturally constructed enablers and barriers pertinent to dementia caregivers in one capital city in Australia and one capital city in China through critical reflection on the caregivers’ subjective and objective experiences for the improvement of dementia care services in both countries. Methods Giddens’ Structuration Theory was used as a framework to guide a concurrent mixed methods design with the qualitative strand as a priority. In the qualitative strand, data were collected by focus groups and in-depth interviews while in the quantitative strand, data were collected by questionnaire survey. Results In total 148 caregivers participated in the project with 57 of them from Australia (26 and 31 in the qualitative and quantitative strands respectively) and 91 of them from China (23 and 68 in the qualitative and quantitative strands respectively). Findings from the qualitative and quantitative strands were presented as three categories: A higher objective burden in the Chinese cohort versus a higher subjective burden in the Australian cohort; Unmet need for caregiver support in Australia and China; and Expectations for improving dementia services in Australia and for developing dementia services in China. Conclusions Dementia policy, services and resources need to be grounded on current research evidence in an ever-changing society like China. In Australia, dementia services need to have more components of preventing or reducing caregivers’ subjective burden. As subjective burden is mediated by culture, caregiver support mechanisms should consider caregivers’ needs associated with their cultural values. PMID:24456381

Quality of claims, references and the presentation of risk results in medical journal advertising: a comparative study in Australia, Malaysia and the United States.

PubMed

Othman, Noordin; Vitry, Agnes I; Roughead, Elizabeth E

2010-05-29

Journal advertising is used by pharmaceutical companies to disseminate medicine information to doctors. The quality of claims, references and the presentation of risk results in Australia and the US has been questioned in several studies. No recent evidence is available on the quality of claims, references and the presentation of risk results in journal advertising in Australia and the US and no Malaysian data have been published. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of claims, references and the presentation of risk results in journal advertising in these three countries. A consecutive sample of 85 unique advertisements from each country was selected from journal advertising published between January 2004 to December 2006. Claims, references and the presentation of risk results in medical journal advertising were compared between the three countries. Less than one-third of the claims were unambiguous claims (Australia, 30%, Malaysia 17%, US, 23%). In Malaysia significantly less unambiguous claims were provided than in Australia and the US (P < 0.001). However, the unambiguous claims were supported by more references than other claims (80%). Most evidence was obtained from at least one randomized controlled trial, a systematic review or meta-analysis (Australia, 84%, Malaysia, 81%, US, 76%) with journal articles being the most commonly cited references in all countries. Data on file were significantly more likely to be cited in the US (17%) than in Australia (2%) and Malaysia (4%) (P < 0.001). Advertisements that provided quantitative information reported risk results exclusively as a relative risk reduction. The majority of claims were vague suggesting poor quality of claims in journal advertising in these three countries. Evidence from a randomized controlled trial, systematic review or meta- analysis was commonly cited to support claims. However, the more frequent use of data that have not been published and independently reviewed in the US compared to Australia and Malaysia raises questions on the quality of references in the US. The use of relative rather than absolute benefits may overemphasize the benefit of medicines which may leave doctors susceptible to misinterpreting information.

Quality of claims, references and the presentation of risk results in medical journal advertising: a comparative study in Australia, Malaysia and the United States

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Journal advertising is used by pharmaceutical companies to disseminate medicine information to doctors. The quality of claims, references and the presentation of risk results in Australia and the US has been questioned in several studies. No recent evidence is available on the quality of claims, references and the presentation of risk results in journal advertising in Australia and the US and no Malaysian data have been published. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of claims, references and the presentation of risk results in journal advertising in these three countries. Methods A consecutive sample of 85 unique advertisements from each country was selected from journal advertising published between January 2004 to December 2006. Claims, references and the presentation of risk results in medical journal advertising were compared between the three countries. Results Less than one-third of the claims were unambiguous claims (Australia, 30%, Malaysia 17%, US, 23%). In Malaysia significantly less unambiguous claims were provided than in Australia and the US (P < 0.001). However, the unambiguous claims were supported by more references than other claims (80%). Most evidence was obtained from at least one randomized controlled trial, a systematic review or meta-analysis (Australia, 84%, Malaysia, 81%, US, 76%) with journal articles being the most commonly cited references in all countries. Data on file were significantly more likely to be cited in the US (17%) than in Australia (2%) and Malaysia (4%) (P < 0.001). Advertisements that provided quantitative information reported risk results exclusively as a relative risk reduction Conclusions The majority of claims were vague suggesting poor quality of claims in journal advertising in these three countries. Evidence from a randomized controlled trial, systematic review or meta- analysis was commonly cited to support claims. However, the more frequent use of data that have not been published and independently reviewed in the US compared to Australia and Malaysia raises questions on the quality of references in the US. The use of relative rather than absolute benefits may overemphasize the benefit of medicines which may leave doctors susceptible to misinterpreting information. PMID:20509953

77 FR 30355 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-22

... country (Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala... Agreement country means Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador...

76 FR 66766 - New Postal Product

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-27

... supporting financial documentation as a separate Excel file. Australia Post Agreement. The Postal Service... of the Australia Post Agreement is provided in the Excel file included with the filing. Notice at 1-2...

Characterizing phenological vegetation dynamics amidst extreme climate variability in Australia with MODIS VI data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broich, M.; Huete, A. R.; Xuanlon, M.; Davies, K.; Restrepo-Coupe, N.; Ratana, P.

2012-12-01

Australia's climate is extremely variable with inter-annual rainfall at any given site varying by 5- or 6-fold or more, across the continent. In addition to such inter-annual variability, there can be significant intra-annual variability, especially in monsoonal Australia (e.g. the wet tropical savannas) and Mediterranean climates in SW Australia where prolonged dry seasons occur each year. This presents unique challenges to the characterization of seasonal dynamics with satellite datasets. In contrast to annual reoccurring temperature-driven phenology of northern hemisphere mid-latitudes, vegetation dynamics of the vast and dry Australian interior are poorly quantified by existing remote sensing products. For example, in the current global-based MODIS phenology product, central Australia is covered by ~30% fill values for any given year. Two challenges are specific to Australian landscapes: first, the difficulty of characterizing seasonality of rainfall-driven ecosystems in interior Australia where duration and magnitude of green-up and brown down cycles show high inter annual variability; second, modeling two phenologic layers, the trees and the grass in savannas were the trees are evergreen but the herbaceous understory varies with rainfall. Savannas cover >50% of Australia. Australia's vegetation and climate are different from other continents. A MODIS phenology product capable of characterizing vegetation dynamics across the continent is being developed in this research as part of the AusCover national expert network aiming to provide Australian biophysical remote sensing data time-series and continental-scale map products. These products aim to support the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) serving ecosystem research in Australia. The MODIS land surface product for Australia first searches the entire time series of each Climate Modeling Grid pixel for low-high-low extreme point sequences. A double logistic function is then fit to each of these sequences allowing identification of growth periods with different magnitudes and durations anywhere in the time series. Results show that the highest absolute variability in peak greenness occurred in cropped areas while the highest relative variability (coefficient of variation) occurred in interior Australia particularly around Lake Eyre, the center of a closed drainage basin in the dry interior of the continent. Across the desert interior, the timing of the green-up onset and the peak greenness was correlated with the landfall of cyclones and the inland penetration and strength of the north Australian summer monsoon (represented by TRMM data). The variability of Australian land surface phenology magnitude and timing was found to be strongly correlated with the swings between La Nina and El Nino events. The information on vegetation dynamics represented here is critical for land surface, fuel accumulation, agricultural production, and permanent ecosystem change modeling in relation to climate trends. A unique research opportunity is provided by recent climate variability: in 2010 a persistent El Nino has given way to a strong two-year La Nina breaking a decade long drought that was followed by record-breaking rainfall across most of the continent and extensive flooding followed by sustained greening.

Women in STEM hit by discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randall, Ian

2016-02-01

Almost a third of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Australia are considering leaving their job within the next five years, according to a survey by the employee association Professionals Australia.

Drought and Burn Scars in Southeastern Australia

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-03-05

More than 2 million acres were consumed by hundreds of fires between December 2002 and February 2003 in southeastern Australia national parks, forests, foothills and city suburbs as seen by NASA Terra spacecraft.

Science and the governance of Australia's climate regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keenan, Rodney J.; Caripis, Lisa; Foerster, Anita; Godden, Lee; Peel, Jacqueline

2012-07-01

The promise of a scientifically sound policy approach to tackle greenhouse-gas emissions in Australia gives hope that the country's efforts to mitigate climate change can make an effective contribution to international objectives.

21 CFR 312.110 - Import and export requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... drug has valid marketing authorization in Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland..., and § 1.101 of this chapter; or (3) The drug is being exported to Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan...

Smoke Blankets New South Wales, Australia

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-01-09

Australia largest city of Sydney was clouded with smoke when more than 70 wildfires raged across the state of New South Wales when NASA Terra satellite captured this image the morning of December 30, 2001.

Australia's Next Top Fraction Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gould, Peter

2013-01-01

Peter Gould suggests Australia's next top fraction model should be a linear model rather than an area model. He provides a convincing argument and gives examples of ways to introduce a linear model in primary classrooms.

The thermal dependency of locomotor performance evolves rapidly within an invasive species.

PubMed

Kosmala, Georgia K; Brown, Gregory P; Christian, Keith A; Hudson, Cameron M; Shine, Richard

2018-05-01

Biological invasions can stimulate rapid shifts in organismal performance, via both plasticity and adaptation. We can distinguish between these two proximate mechanisms by rearing offspring from populations under identical conditions and measuring their locomotor abilities in standardized trials. We collected adult cane toads ( Rhinella marina ) from invasive populations that inhabit regions of Australia with different climatic conditions. We bred those toads and raised their offspring under common-garden conditions before testing their locomotor performance. At high (but not low) temperatures, offspring of individuals from a hotter location (northwestern Australia) outperformed offspring of conspecifics from a cooler location (northeastern Australia). This disparity indicates that, within less than 100 years, thermal performance in cane toads has adapted to the novel abiotic challenges that cane toads have encountered during their invasion of tropical Australia.

Preparedness for treating victims of terrorist attacks in Australia: Learning from recent military experience.

PubMed

Rosenfeld, Jeffrey V; Mitra, Biswadev; Smit, De Villiers; Fitzgerald, Mark C; Butson, Benjamin; Stephenson, Michael; Reade, Michael C

2018-05-09

The Australian health system is generally well prepared for mass casualty events. Fortunately, there have been very few terrorist attacks and these have involved low numbers of casualties compared with events overseas. Nevertheless, Australian health professionals need to be prepared to treat mass casualties with blast and ballistic trauma. The US military and its allies including Australia have had extensive experience with mass casualty management in the Middle East and Afghanistan wars for more than a decade. To define their experience, they developed the Tactical Combat Casualty Care Guidelines that have saved many lives. It is now prudent to incorporate this knowledge and experience into civilian practice in Australia. © 2018 The Authors. Emergency Medicine Australasia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) in Australia: no room for complacency.

PubMed

Feeney, Gerald F X; Connor, Jason P

2008-07-01

Australia has made a substantial contribution to the recognition and treatment of the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS). Much of this occurred over a generation ago, and vigilance in identifying this condition needs to be sustained. More recently, treatment protocols have been developed by the Royal College of Physicians (London). These provide guidelines on when and how to treat both patients at risk and those with acute Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE). It is not known how widespread these recommendations have been applied in Australia. We highlight these current treatment guidelines and illustrate management issues with two case reports. A decline in treatment practices in the United Kingdom prompted the development of these guidelines. Current treatment practices in Australia have not been reported. All alcohol and drug workers need to be reminded regularly of this condition and the need for prompt recognition and treatment.

Acculturative stressor and meaning of life as predictors of negative affect in acculturation: a cross-cultural comparative study between Chinese international students in Australia and Hong Kong.

PubMed

Pan, Jia-Yan; Wong, Daniel Fu Keung; Joubert, Lynette; Chan, Cecilia Lai Wan

2007-09-01

The purpose of the present study was to compare the predictive effects of acculturative stressor and meaning of life on negative affect in the process of acculturation between Chinese international students in Australia and Hong Kong. Four hundred mainland Chinese students studying at six universities in Hong Kong and 227 Chinese international students studying at the University of Melbourne in Australia completed a questionnaire that included measures of acculturative stressor, meaning of life, negative affect and demographic information. The Australian sample was found to have a higher level of acculturative stressor and negative affect than the Hong Kong sample. Acculturative stressor had a positive impact on negative affect in both samples, but the impact of different domains of acculturative stressor on negative affect varied between the two groups. Finally, meaning of life partially mediated the relationship between acculturative stressor and negative affect in the Hong Kong sample, but no such effect was found in the Australia sample. Acculturative stressor is a critical risk factor for negative affect in acculturation for Chinese international students in Australia and Hong Kong. Meaning of life acted as a protective factor that mitigated negative affect for mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong, but not for the Chinese international students in Australia. The theoretical and practical implications for resilience-based and meaning-oriented intervention for Chinese international students are discussed.

Critical issues in the historical and contemporary development of forensic anthropology in Australia: An international comparison.

PubMed

Mallett, Xanthé; Evison, Martin P

2017-06-01

The aim of this brief critical qualitative analysis is to examine the development of forensic anthropology in Australia, at a time of significant change in the discipline. It will briefly summarise its historical establishment, making comparative reference to other regions-particularly the United Kingdom and United States, and the influence of the Bali Bombings of 2002, Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004 and Black Saturday Bushfires of 2009. The analysis goes on to consider key factors in research in forensic anthropology in the United States, and the development of standards and regulation in the US and UK. The significance of research in post-mortem diagenesis in Brazil-a country sharing aspects of climate, soil types and demography with Australia-is also considered, as well as the significance of patterns of casework encountered in Australia compared with those of other jurisdictions. While forensic anthropology as a discipline has grown remarkably in recent years, this analysis suggests that research and training tailored to the specific pattern of casework encountered in Australia is now essential to support the development of national standards in science, education, and professional regulation. The significance of the establishment of the first taphonomy research facility outside of the US-the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research-is briefly considered with reference to what this facility may offer to the development of forensic anthropology in Australia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Two fossil species of Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) from the Oligo-Miocene Golden Fleece locality in Tasmania, Australia.

PubMed

Tarran, Myall; Wilson, Peter G; Macphail, Michael K; Jordan, Greg J; Hill, Robert S

2017-06-01

The capsular-fruited genus Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) is one of the most widely distributed flowering plant genera in the Pacific but is extinct in Australia today. The center of geographic origin for the genus and the reason for and timing of its extinction in Australia remain uncertain. We identify fossil Metrosideros fruits from the newly discovered Golden Fleece fossil flora in the Oligo-Miocene of Tasmania, Australia, shedding further light on these problems. Standard paleopalynological techniques were used to date the fossil-bearing sediments. Scanning electron microscopy and an auto-montage camera system were used to take high-resolution images of fossil and extant fruits taken from herbarium specimens. Fossils are identified using a nearest-living-relative approach. The fossil-bearing sediments are palynostratigraphically dated as being Proteacidites tuberculatus Zone Equivalent (ca. 33-16 Ma) in age and provide a confident Oligo-Miocene age for the macrofossils. Two new fossil species of Metrosideros are described and are here named Metrosideros dawsonii sp. nov. and Metrosideros wrightii sp. nov. These newly described fossil species of Metrosideros provide a second record of the genus in the Cenozoic of Australia, placing them in the late Early Oligocene to late Early Miocene. It is now apparent not only that Metrosideros was present in Australia, where the genus is now extinct, but that at least several Metrosideros species were present during the Cenozoic. These fossils further strengthen the case for an Australian origin of the genus. © 2017 Botanical Society of America.

The Australian Paradox: A Substantial Decline in Sugars Intake over the Same Timeframe that Overweight and Obesity Have Increased

PubMed Central

Barclay, Alan W.; Brand-Miller, Jennie

2011-01-01

Ecological research from the USA has demonstrated a positive relationship between sugars consumption and prevalence of obesity; however, the relationship in other nations is not well described. The aim of this study was to analyze the trends in obesity and sugar consumption in Australia over the past 30 years and to compare and contrast obesity trends and sugar consumption patterns in Australia with the UK and USA. Data on consumption of sugar in Australia, the UK and USA were obtained from the Food and Agriculture Organization for the years 1980-2003. The prevalence of obesity has increased 3 fold in Australians since 1980. In Australia, the UK and USA, per capita consumption of refined sucrose decreased by 23%, 10% and 20% respectively from 1980 to 2003. When all sources of nutritive sweeteners, including high fructose corn syrups, were considered, per capita consumption decreased in Australia (−16%) and the UK (−5%), but increased in the USA (+23%). In Australia, there was a reduction in sales of nutritively sweetened beverages by 64 million liters from 2002 to 2006 and a reduction in percentage of children consuming sugar-sweetened beverages between 1995 and 2007. The findings confirm an “Australian Paradox”-a substantial decline in refined sugars intake over the same timeframe that obesity has increased. The implication is that efforts to reduce sugar intake may reduce consumption but may not reduce the prevalence of obesity. PMID:22254107

The Population Origins and Expansion of Feral Cats in Australia.

PubMed

Spencer, Peter B S; Yurchenko, Andrey A; David, Victor A; Scott, Rachael; Koepfli, Klaus-Peter; Driscoll, Carlos; O'Brien, Stephen J; Menotti-Raymond, Marilyn

2016-03-01

The historical literature suggests that in Australia, the domestic cat (Felis catus) had a European origin [~200 years before present (ybp)], but it is unclear if cats arrived from across the Asian land bridge contemporaneously with the dingo (4000 ybp), or perhaps immigrated ~40000 ybp in association with Aboriginal settlement from Asia. The origin of cats in Australia is important because the continent has a complex and ancient faunal assemblage that is dominated by endemic rodents and marsupials and lacks the large placental carnivores found on other large continents. Cats are now ubiquitous across the entire Australian continent and have been implicit in the range contraction or extinction of its small to medium sized (<3.5kg) mammals. We analyzed the population structure of 830 cats using 15 short tandem repeat (STR) genomic markers. Their origin appears to come exclusively from European founders. Feral cats in continental Australia exhibit high genetic diversity in comparison with the low diversity found in populations of feral cats living on islands. The genetic structure is consistent with a rapid westerly expansion from eastern Australia and a limited expansion in coastal Western Australia. Australian cats show modest if any population structure and a close genetic alignment with European feral cats as compared to cats from Asia, the Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Indian Ocean), and European wildcats (F. silvestris silvestris). © The American Genetic Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sleep Disordered Breathing and Polysomnography in Australia: Trends in Provision from 2005 to 2012 and the Impact of Home-Based Diagnosis

PubMed Central

Woods, Cindy E.; Usher, Kim J.; Jersmann, Hubertus; Maguire, Graeme Paul

2014-01-01

Study Objectives: To describe the growth of publicly funded polysomnography (PSG) in Australia since 2004 and to compare this with earlier growth. Methods: Longitudinal census-level data stratified by jurisdiction were retrieved from the Medicare Australia online database. Results: There has been a near doubling in provision of PSG since the introduction of publicly funded in-home PSG under the Australian national Medicare program available to all Australian citizens in 2008. Overall annual PSG rates have risen from 339 in 2005 to 608 in 2012 per 100,000. This growth has exceeded that of comparable diagnostic procedures and all Medicare services overall. Queensland remains the leading jurisdiction per 100,000 Medicare enrollees for accessing Medicare-funded PSG. Conclusion: The continued growth in publicly funded PSG provision in Australia is unlikely to abate. The disparity in Australia between the estimated prevalence of sleep disorders, particularly obstructive sleep apnea, and the number of people having PSGs would suggest there remain a large number of undiagnosed cases. Support for the development of appropriate diagnostic and screening algorithms will be key in ensuring sustainable, effective, efficient, and accessible PSG services. Citation: Woods CE, Usher KJ, Jersmann H, Maguire GP. Sleep disordered breathing and polysomnography in Australia: trends in provision from 2005 to 2012 and the impact of home-based diagnosis. J Clin Sleep Med 2014;10(7):767-772. PMID:25024654

Job satisfaction among 'migrant dentists' in Australia: implications for dentist migration and workforce policy.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, M; Spencer, A J; Short, S D; Watkins, K; Chrisopoulos, S; Brennan, D S

2016-06-01

Migrants occupy a significant proportion of the dental workforce in Australia. The objectives of this study were to assess the level of job satisfaction of employed migrant dentists in Australia, and to examine the association between various migrant dentist characteristics and job satisfaction. All migrant dentists resident in Australia were surveyed using a five-point Likert scale that measured specific aspects of job, career and satisfaction with area and type of practice. A total of 1022 migrant dentists responded to this study; 974 (95.4%) were employed. Responses for all scales were skewed towards strongly agree (scores ≥4). The overall scale varied by age group, marital status, years since arrival to Australia and specialist qualification (chi-square, p < 0.05). In a multivariate logistic regression model, there was a trend towards greater satisfaction amongst older age groups. Dentists who migrated through the examination pathway (mainly from low- and middle-income countries) had a lower probability of being satisfied with the area and type of practice (OR = 0.71; 0.51-0.98), compared with direct-entry migrant dentists (from high-income countries). The high level of job satisfaction of migrant dentists reflects well on their work-related experiences in Australia. The study offers policy suggestions towards support for younger dentists and examination pathway migrants, so they have appropriate skills and standards to fit the Australian health care environment. © 2016 Australian Dental Association.

Downscaling an Eddy-Resolving Global Model for the Continental Shelf off South Eastern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roughan, M.; Baird, M.; MacDonald, H.; Oke, P.

2008-12-01

The Australian Bluelink collaboration between CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology and the Royal Australian Navy has made available to the research community the output of BODAS (Bluelink ocean data assimilation system), an ensemble optimal interpolation reanalysis system with ~10 km resolution around Australia. Within the Bluelink project, BODAS fields are assimilated into a dynamic ocean model of the same resolution to produce BRAN (BlueLink ReANalysis, a hindcast of water properties around Australia from 1992 to 2004). In this study, BODAS hydrographic fields are assimilated into a ~ 3 km resolution Princeton Ocean Model (POM) configuration of the coastal ocean off SE Australia. Experiments were undertaken to establish the optimal strength and duration of the assimilation of BODAS fields into the 3 km resolution POM configuration for the purpose of producing hindcasts of ocean state. It is shown that the resultant downscaling of Bluelink products is better able to reproduce coastal features, particularly velocities and hydrography over the continental shelf off south eastern Australia. The BODAS-POM modelling system is used to provide a high-resolution simulation of the East Australian Current over the period 1992 to 2004. One of the applications that we will present is an investigation of the seasonal and inter-annual variability in the dispersion of passive particles in the East Australian Current. The practical outcome is an estimate of the connectivity of estuaries along the coast of southeast Australia, which is relevant for the dispersion of marine pests.

Electric power industry restructuring in Australia: Lessons from down-under. Occasional paper No. 20

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

Ray, D.

1997-01-01

Australia`s electric power industry (EPI) is undergoing major restructuring. This restructuring includes commercialization of state-owned electric organization through privatization and through corporatization into separate governmental business units; structural unbundling of generation, transmission, retailing, and distribution; and creation of a National Electricity Market (NEM) organized as a centralized, market-based trading pool for buying and selling electricity. The principal rationales for change in the EPI were the related needs of enhancing international competitiveness, improving productivity, and lowering electric rates. Reducing public debt through privatization also played an important role. Reforms in the EPI are part of the overall economic reform package thatmore » is being implemented in Australia. Enhancing efficiency in the economy through competition is a key objective of the reforms. As the need for reform was being discussed in the early 1990s, Australia`s previous prime minister, Paul Keating, observed that {open_quotes}the engine which drives efficiency is free and open competition.{close_quotes} The optimism about the economic benefits of the full package of reforms across the different sectors of the economy, including the electricity industry, is reflected in estimated benefits of a 5.5 percent annual increase in real gross domestic product and the creation of 30,000 more jobs. The largest source of the benefits (estimated at 25 percent of total benefits) was projected to come from reform of the electricity and gas sectors.« less

Challenges to the effective delivery of health care to people with chronic hepatitis B in Australia.

PubMed

Wallace, Jack; McNally, Stephen; Richmond, Jacqui; Hajarizadeh, Behzad; Pitts, Marian

2012-05-01

The complexity of the hepatitis B natural history and its prevalence in specific populations in Australia challenges the capacity of the health system to deliver health care effectively to affected people. This study explores the challenges in delivering health care to people with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in Australia. We conducted a grounded theory based qualitative study in which data were gathered from 70 in-depth interviews with government program officers, clinicians and health and community workers across Australia, and four focus group discussions with 40 health and community workers from the communities most at risk of CHB. A systematic approach to screening populations at risk, including people born in countries with intermediate or high prevalence of CHB; consensus on clinical guidelines; development of a shared care framework for CHB involving general practitioners; and effective communication between patients and health professionals were identified as essential. Workforce development, particularly for primary health care professionals, and developing the knowledge and capacity of health professionals to communicate effectively with people with HBV were described as other major factors in reducing the barriers to CHB treatment in Australia. To improve the clinical management of people with CHB in Australia, the health system needs to encourage the screening of people at risk, improve access to clinical services, and the knowledge and communication skills of primary health care and community health service providers. This study supported developing a shared care model and related infrastructures including training programs, referral pathways and clinical guidelines.

Trends in the leading causes of injury mortality, Australia, Canada, and the United States, 2000-2014.

PubMed

Mack, Karin; Clapperton, Angela; Macpherson, Alison; Sleet, David; Newton, Donovan; Murdoch, James; Mackay, J Morag; Berecki-Gisolf, Janneke; Wilkins, Natalie; Marr, Angela; Ballesteros, Michael; McClure, Roderick

2017-06-16

The aim of this study was to highlight the differences in injury rates between populations through a descriptive epidemiological study of population-level trends in injury mortality for the high-income countries of Australia, Canada and the United States. Mortality data were available for the US from 2000 to 2014, and for Canada and Australia from 2000 to 2012. Injury causes were defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision external cause codes, and were grouped into major causes. Rates were direct-method age-adjusted using the US 2000 projected population as the standard age distribution. US motor vehicle injury mortality rates declined from 2000 to 2014 but remained markedly higher than those of Australia or Canada. In all three countries, fall injury mortality rates increased from 2000 to 2014. US homicide mortality rates declined, but remained higher than those of Australia and Canada. While the US had the lowest suicide rate in 2000, it increased by 24% during 2000-2014, and by 2012 was about 14% higher than that in Australia and Canada. The poisoning mortality rate in the US increased dramatically from 2000 to 2014. Results show marked differences and striking similarities in injury mortality between the countries and within countries over time. The observed trends differed by injury cause category. The substantial differences in injury rates between similarly resourced populations raises important questions about the role of societal-level factors as underlying causes of the differential distribution of injury in our communities.

The unexpected survival of an ancient lineage of anseriform birds into the Neogene of Australia: the youngest record of Presbyornithidae

PubMed Central

Zelenkov, Nikita; Boles, Walter E.; Worthy, Trevor H.

2016-01-01

Presbyornithids were the dominant birds in Palaeogene lacustrine assemblages, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, but are thought to have disappeared worldwide by the mid-Eocene. Now classified within Anseriformes (screamers, ducks, swans and geese), their relationships have long been obscured by their strange wader-like skeletal morphology. Reassessment of the late Oligocene South Australian material attributed to Wilaru tedfordi, long considered to be of a stone-curlew (Burhinidae, Charadriiformes), reveals that this taxon represents the first record of a presbyornithid in Australia. We also describe the larger Wilaru prideauxi sp. nov. from the early Miocene of South Australia, showing that presbyornithids survived in Australia at least until ca 22 Ma. Unlike on other continents, where presbyornithids were replaced by aquatic crown-group anatids (ducks, swans and geese), species of Wilaru lived alongside these waterfowl in Australia. The morphology of the tarsometatarsus of these species indicates that, contrary to other presbyornithids, they were predominantly terrestrial birds, which probably contributed to their long-term survival in Australia. The morphological similarity between species of Wilaru and the Eocene South American presbyornithid Telmabates antiquus supports our hypothesis of a Gondwanan radiation during the evolutionary history of the Presbyornithidae. Teviornis gobiensis from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia is here also reassessed and confirmed as a presbyornithid. These findings underscore the temporal continuance of Australia’s vertebrates and provide a new context in which the phylogeny and evolutionary history of presbyornithids can be examined. PMID:26998335

Opioid analgesic use in Australia and The Netherlands: a cross-country comparison.

PubMed

Wagemaakers, Francisca N; Hollingworth, Samantha A; Kreijkamp-Kaspers, Sanne; Tee, Ernest H L; Leendertse, Anne J; van Driel, Mieke L

2017-08-01

Background Increasing use of opioid analgesics (OA) has been reported worldwide. Objective To compare the use of OA in two countries in order to better understand these trends. Setting Outpatient settings in Australia and The Netherlands. Method We analysed publicly available government data on outpatient OA dispensing over 15 years (2000-2014). We compared dispensing trends for specific OA and explored medical (national clinical guidelines), contextual and policy-related factors to explain differences in use between the two countries. Main outcome measure OA prescribing in Australia and The Netherlands, absolute volume of use, preferred types of opioids and changes over time. Results The average annual increase in OA prescribing was 10% in Australia and 8% in The Netherlands between 2000 and 2014. In 2014, the total use of OA was 10.0 daily defined doses (DDD)/1000 population/day in Australia and 9.4 DDD/1000 population/day in The Netherlands. In Australia, the most commonly prescribed opioids were oxycodone and tramadol, compared to fentanyl and tramadol in The Netherlands. We found differences in prescribing guidelines, culture of prescribing and regulatory frameworks that could explain some of the observed differences. Conclusion OA prescribing has increased remarkably in both countries between 2000 and 2014 but the types of prescribed OA vary. Differences in national evidence-based guidelines influenced the types of OA used. Prescribing culture as well as regulatory policies and costs, may also contribute to the different patterns of OA use.

Food safety regulations in Australia and New Zealand Food Standards.

PubMed

Ghosh, Dilip

2014-08-01

Citizens of Australia and New Zealand recognise that food security is a major global issue. Food security also affects Australia and New Zealand's status as premier food exporting nations and the health and wellbeing of the Australasian population. Australia is uniquely positioned to help build a resilient food value chain and support programs aimed at addressing existing and emerging food security challenges. The Australian food governance system is fragmented and less transparent, being largely in the hands of government and semi-governmental regulatory authorities. The high level of consumer trust in Australian food governance suggests that this may be habitual and taken for granted, arising from a lack of negative experiences of food safety. In New Zealand the Ministry of Primary Industries regulates food safety issues. To improve trade and food safety, New Zealand and Australia work together through Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and other co-operative agreements. Although the potential risks to the food supply are dynamic and constantly changing, the demand, requirement and supply for providing safe food remains firm. The Australasian food industry will need to continually develop its system that supports the food safety program with the help of scientific investigations that underpin the assurance of what is and is not safe. The incorporation of a comprehensive and validated food safety program is one of the total quality management systems that will ensure that all areas of potential problems are being addressed by industry. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

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.

Transmission and prevention of HIV among heterosexual populations in Australia.

PubMed

Persson, Asha; Brown, Graham; McDonald, Ann; Körner, Henrike

2014-06-01

In Australia, unlike much of the rest of the world, HIV transmission through heterosexual contact remains a relatively rare occurrence. In consequence, HIV-prevention efforts have been firmly focused on male-to-male sex as the most frequent source of HIV transmission. There are emerging signs that this epidemiological landscape may be shifting, which raises questions about current and future HIV prevention strategies. Over the past decade, national surveillance data have shown an increase in HIV notifications for which exposure to HIV was attributed to heterosexual contact. This paper offers an epidemiological and sociocultural picture of heterosexual HIV transmission in Australia. We outline recent trends in heterosexually acquired HIV and discuss specific factors that shape transmission and prevention among people at risk of HIV infection through heterosexual contact. To illustrate the contextual dynamics surrounding HIV in this diverse population, we detail two key examples: HIV among people from minority ethnic backgrounds in New South Wales; and overseas-acquired HIV among men in Western Australia. We argue that, despite their differences, there are significant commonalities across groups at risk of HIV infection through heterosexual contact, which not only provide opportunities for HIV prevention, but also call for a rethink of the dominant HIV response in Australia.

Price and utilisation differences for statins between four countries.

PubMed

Thai, Loc Phuoc; Vitry, Agnes Isabelle; Moss, John Robert

2018-02-01

Australia, England, France and New Zealand use different policies to regulate their medicines market, which can impact on utilisation and price. To compare the prices and utilisation of statins in Australia, England, France and New Zealand from 2011 to 2013. Utilisation of statins in the four countries was compared using Defined Daily Doses (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants per year. Pairwise Laspeyres and Paasche index comparisons were conducted comparing the price and utilisation of statins. The results showed that the price of statins in New Zealand was the cheapest. The price of statins in Australia was most expensive in 2011 and 2012 but France was more expensive in 2013. There were large differences between the Laspeyres index and Paasche index when comparing the price and utilisation of England with Australia and France. The policies that regulate the New Zealand and England medicines markets were more effective in reducing the price of expensive statins. The relative utilisation of cheaper statins was greatest in England and had a large effect on the differences between the two index results. The pricing policies in Australia have been only partly effective in reducing the price of statins compared to other countries.

New Genetic and Linguistic Analyses Show Ancient Human Influence on Baobab Evolution and Distribution in Australia

PubMed Central

Rangan, Haripriya; Bell, Karen L.; Baum, David A.; Fowler, Rachael; McConvell, Patrick; Saunders, Thomas; Spronck, Stef; Kull, Christian A.; Murphy, Daniel J.

2015-01-01

This study investigates the role of human agency in the gene flow and geographical distribution of the Australian baobab, Adansonia gregorii. The genus Adansonia is a charismatic tree endemic to Africa, Madagascar, and northwest Australia that has long been valued by humans for its multiple uses. The distribution of genetic variation in baobabs in Africa has been partially attributed to human-mediated dispersal over millennia, but this relationship has never been investigated for the Australian species. We combined genetic and linguistic data to analyse geographic patterns of gene flow and movement of word-forms for A. gregorii in the Aboriginal languages of northwest Australia. Comprehensive assessment of genetic diversity showed weak geographic structure and high gene flow. Of potential dispersal vectors, humans were identified as most likely to have enabled gene flow across biogeographic barriers in northwest Australia. Genetic-linguistic analysis demonstrated congruence of gene flow patterns and directional movement of Aboriginal loanwords for A. gregorii. These findings, along with previous archaeobotanical evidence from the Late Pleistocene and Holocene, suggest that ancient humans significantly influenced the geographic distribution of Adansonia in northwest Australia. PMID:25830225

Cyphastrea salae, a new species of hard coral from Lord Howe Island, Australia (Scleractinia, Merulinidae)

PubMed Central

Baird, Andrew H.; Hoogenboom, Mia O.; Huang, Danwei

2017-01-01

Abstract A new zooxanthellate reef-dwelling scleractinian coral species, Cyphastrea salae sp. n. (Scleractinia, Merulinidae), is described from Lord Howe Island Australia. The new species can be distinguished morphologically from the only other congeneric species on Lord Howe Island, C. microphthalma, by the number of primary septa (12 vs. 10) and the much taller corallites (mean ± SE: 1.0 ± 0.07 mm v 0.4 ± 0.04 mm). The relationship of C. salae to four of the other eleven currently accepted species in the genus was explored through analyses of nuclear (28S rDNA) and mitochondrial (noncoding intergenic region) gene sequences. Cyphastrea salae sp. n. forms a strongly supported clade that is distinct from a clade containing three species found commonly in Australia, C. chalcidicum, C. serailia, and C. microphthalma. One specimen was also found in the Solitary Islands, another high latitude location in south-eastern Australia. The discovery of a new species in the genus Cyphastrea on high latitude reefs in south-eastern Australia suggests that other new species might be found among more diverse genera represented here and that the scleractinian fauna of these isolated locations is more distinct than previously recognised. PMID:28769608

Cyphastrea salae, a new species of hard coral from Lord Howe Island, Australia (Scleractinia, Merulinidae).

PubMed

Baird, Andrew H; Hoogenboom, Mia O; Huang, Danwei

2017-01-01

A new zooxanthellate reef-dwelling scleractinian coral species, Cyphastrea salae sp. n. (Scleractinia, Merulinidae), is described from Lord Howe Island Australia. The new species can be distinguished morphologically from the only other congeneric species on Lord Howe Island, C. microphthalma , by the number of primary septa (12 vs. 10) and the much taller corallites (mean ± SE: 1.0 ± 0.07 mm v 0.4 ± 0.04 mm). The relationship of C. salae to four of the other eleven currently accepted species in the genus was explored through analyses of nuclear (28S rDNA) and mitochondrial (noncoding intergenic region) gene sequences. Cyphastrea salae sp. n. forms a strongly supported clade that is distinct from a clade containing three species found commonly in Australia, C. chalcidicum , C. serailia , and C. microphthalma . One specimen was also found in the Solitary Islands, another high latitude location in south-eastern Australia. The discovery of a new species in the genus Cyphastrea on high latitude reefs in south-eastern Australia suggests that other new species might be found among more diverse genera represented here and that the scleractinian fauna of these isolated locations is more distinct than previously recognised.

The incidence of public sector hospitalisations due to dog bites in Australia 2001-2013.

PubMed

Rajshekar, Mithun; Blizzard, Leigh; Julian, Roberta; Williams, Anne-Marie; Tennant, Marc; Forrest, Alex; Walsh, Laurence J; Wilson, Gary

2017-08-01

To estimate the incidence of dog bite-related injuries requiring public sector hospitalisation in Australia during the period 2001-13. Summary data on public sector hospitalisations due to dog bite-related injuries with an ICD 10-AM W54.0 coding were sourced from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare for the study period 2001-2013. In Australia, on average, 2,061 persons were hospitalised each year for treatment for dog bite injuries at an annual rate of 12.39 (95%CI 12.25-12.53) per 100,000 during 2001-13. The highest annual rates of 25.95 (95%CI 25.16-26.72) and 18.42 (95%CI 17.75-19.07) per 100,000 were for age groups 0-4 and 5-9 years respectively. Rates of recorded events increased over the study period and reached 16.15 (95%CI 15.78-16.52) per 100,000 during 2011-13. Dog bites are a largely unrecognised and growing public health problem in Australia. Implications for public health: There is an increasing public sector burden of hospitalisations for injuries from dog bites in Australia. © 2017 Menzies Institute for Medical Research.

Using 'intimate citizenship' to make sense of the experiences of men with refugee backgrounds in Australia.

PubMed

Muchoki, Samuel

2015-01-01

This paper is based on a study exploring the experiences of men with refugee backgrounds from Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia (herein referred to as the Horn of Africa countries) during migration and on settlement in Australia. During data analyses, Plummer's concept of 'intimate citizenship' became a useful theoretical framework for understanding participants' experiences. Many men had migrated from traditional societies where individuals pursue intimacies within a constrained framework of acceptability dictated by collective cultures. Ravaged by civil wars, they were forced to flee their homelands and seek asylum in neighbouring countries. Eventually, these men were resettled in Australia, a society that provides a social space for individuals to exercise more choices in their personal lives. On arrival in Australia, participants in this study had to adjust to these new ways of pursuing intimate relationships. Some men found this process overwhelmingly difficult while others saw it as an opportunity to organise their intimate lives beyond the confines of traditions and cultures as well as family and community influences. Intimate citizenship helped in construing the opportunities, conflicts, tensions and ambivalences that characterised participants' experiences in Australia.

Emergency eye care in rural Australia: role of internet.

PubMed

Kumar, S; Yogesan, K; Hudson, B; Tay-Kearney, M-L; Constable, I J

2006-12-01

Significant differences exist in the utilization of emergency eye care services in rural and urban Australia. Meanwhile, influence of internet-based technology in emergency eye care service utilization has not been established. This study aims to demonstrate, from a health provider perspective, an internet-based service's impact on emergency eye care in rural Australia. The teleophthalmology service was initiated in the Carnarvon Regional Hospital (CRH) of the Gascoyne region in Western Australia. A digital, slit lamp and fundus camera were used for the service. Economic data was gathered from the Department of Health of Western Australia (DOHWA), the CRH and the Lions Eye Institute. During the study period (January-December, 2003) 118 persons took part in teleophthalmology consultations. Emergency cases constituted 3% of these consultations. Previous year, there were seven eye-related emergency evacuations (inter-hospital air transfers) from the Gascoyne region to City of Perth. Analysis demonstrates implementation of internet-based health services has a marked impact on rural emergency eye care delivery. Internet is well suited to ophthalmology for the diagnosis and management of acute conditions in remote areas. Integration of such services to mainstream health care is recommended.

Successful implementation of diabetes audits in Australia: the Australian National Diabetes Information Audit and Benchmarking (ANDIAB) initiative.

PubMed

Lee, A S; Colagiuri, S; Flack, J R

2018-04-06

We developed and implemented a national audit and benchmarking programme to describe the clinical status of people with diabetes attending specialist diabetes services in Australia. The Australian National Diabetes Information Audit and Benchmarking (ANDIAB) initiative was established as a quality audit activity. De-identified data on demographic, clinical, biochemical and outcome items were collected from specialist diabetes services across Australia to provide cross-sectional data on people with diabetes attending specialist centres at least biennially during the years 1998 to 2011. In total, 38 155 sets of data were collected over the eight ANDIAB audits. Each ANDIAB audit achieved its primary objective to collect, collate, analyse, audit and report clinical diabetes data in Australia. Each audit resulted in the production of a pooled data report, as well as individual site reports allowing comparison and benchmarking against other participating sites. The ANDIAB initiative resulted in the largest cross-sectional national de-identified dataset describing the clinical status of people with diabetes attending specialist diabetes services in Australia. ANDIAB showed that people treated by specialist services had a high burden of diabetes complications. This quality audit activity provided a framework to guide planning of healthcare services. © 2018 Diabetes UK.

Reviewing the adoption and impact of water markets in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wheeler, S.; Loch, A.; Zuo, A.; Bjornlund, H.

2014-10-01

Water markets have increasingly been adopted as a reallocation tool around the world as water scarcity intensifies. Water markets were first introduced in Australia in the 1980s, and water entitlement and allocation trade have been increasingly adopted by both private individuals and governments. As well as providing an overview of water policy in Australia since the 1900s, this paper examines the adoption of water trading in the southern Murray-Darling Basin of Australia (the largest hydrologically connected water market in Australia), and investigates the associated social, economic and environmental impacts that have arisen from the implementation of water markets. This study found that up to 86% of irrigators in one state in the southern Murray-Darling Basin had undertaken at least one water market trade by 2010-2011, hence, water market strategies are now a common tool employed by irrigators to assist their farm management. A variety of institutional, policy and informational changes are identified to increase the benefits from water markets in the future. There is no doubt that managing the impact of climate change and water scarcity are intertwined, suggesting that policy, institutional and governance responses should be similarly structured and coordinated.

Australian national networked tele-test facility for integrated systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eshraghian, Kamran; Lachowicz, Stefan W.; Eshraghian, Sholeh

2001-11-01

The Australian Commonwealth government recently announced a grant of 4.75 million as part of a 13.5 million program to establish a world class networked IC tele-test facility in Australia. The facility will be based on a state-of-the-art semiconductor tester located at Edith Cowan University in Perth that will operate as a virtual centre spanning Australia. Satellite nodes will be located at the University of Western Australia, Griffith University, Macquarie University, Victoria University and the University of Adelaide. The facility will provide vital equipment to take Australia to the frontier of critically important and expanding fields in microelectronics research and development. The tele-test network will provide state of the art environment for the electronics and microelectronics research and the industry community around Australia to test and prototype Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits and other System On a Chip (SOC) devices, prior to moving to the manufacturing stage. Such testing is absolutely essential to ensure that the device performs to specification. This paper presents the current context in which the testing facility is being established, the methodologies behind the integration of design and test strategies and the target shape of the tele-testing Facility.

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

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.

The evolution of soil-burrowing cockroaches (Blattaria: Blaberidae) from wood-burrowing ancestors following an invasion of the latter from Asia into Australia.

PubMed

Maekawa, Kiyoto; Lo, Nathan; Rose, Harley A; Matsumoto, Tadao

2003-06-22

Morphologically similar cockroaches in the subfamilies Panesthiinae and Geoscapheinae (Blattaria: Blaberidae) display contrasting feeding habits, behaviour and biogeographical distributions. Panesthiinae, found throughout Asia and Australia, all live in and feed on decaying wood that they burrow into. Geoscapheinae are restricted to Australia and construct and live in burrows in the soil, where they feed on dry leaves taken from the surface. A lack of knowledge about phylogenetic relationships among these cockroaches hinders an understanding of the factors that have shaped the evolution of their diverse lifestyles and biogeography. To address this issue, we sequenced three genes from representatives of nine of the 10 genera in the two subfamilies, and performed phylogenetic analyses. The well-supported topology revealed the Panesthiinae to be paraphyletic with respect to the Geoscapheinae. Soil-burrowing cockroaches appear to have evolved from a lineage of wood burrowers that invaded Australia from the north some time after the merging of the Asian and Australian tectonic plates ca. 20 Myr ago. The main factor promoting the evolution of soil burrowing is likely to have been one of the periods of strong aridity that Australia has experienced since the Miocene period.

Australia Great Barrier Reef

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-04-11

The Great Barrier Reef extends for 2,000 kilometers along the northeastern coast of Australia. It is not a single reef, but a vast maze of reefs, passages, and coral cays islands that are part of the reef.

Adult Learners' Week in Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, John

2002-01-01

Promotional materials and activities for Australia's Adult Learners Week, which are shaped by a variety of stakeholders , include media strategies and a website. Activities are evaluated using a market research company and website and telephone hotline statistics. (SK)

Weipa, Queensland, Australia

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-21

This image from NASA Terra spacecraft shows the world largest bauxite mine found near Weipa, Queensland, Australia. The rich aluminum deposits were first recognized on the end of the Cape York Peninsula in 1955, and mining began in 1960.

The Goethe Institute with Implications for Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrick, Natalie

1976-01-01

The work of the Goethe Institute in teaching German to foreigners and in fostering interest in German culture is described. The desirability of a change in attitude in Australia toward foreign language study is discussed. (RM)

76 FR 17617 - Changes to Treatments for Citrus Fruit From Australia

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-30

... from Australia into the United States. We also proposed to establish an approved irradiation dose for... Manual to include the new treatment schedules for sweet cherries and the revised irradiation dose for...

Australian polymer banknote: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Gerard J.

1998-04-01

In 1996 Australia became the first country in the world to have an all-polymer currency in general circulation. Australia's first polymer note was a commemorative note that was issued in January 1988 to celebrate the bicentenary of European settlement. That note was the culmination of almost twenty year's collaboration between the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. This paper traces the development of the Bicentennial Banknote note from its conception at a brain- storming meeting between RBA and CSIRO scientists in 1968 through to its release in 1988.

Threat in opportunity and opportunity in threat: energy prospects for Australia and New Zealand

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

Nemetz, P.N.; Vertinsky, I.B.; Vertinsky, P.

A review of the determinants of energy policy options available to Australia and New Zealand compares their choices and assesses their long-term vulnerability to changes in the global energy situation. The authors use a cross-impact simulation model using six alternative scenarios of petroleum prices and world economic conditions. The results indicate that Australia is susceptible to short-run fluctuations, but its resource endowment is a stabilizing factor. New Zealand, however, is gambling its economic development on the increasing value of its resources.

New species and new records of deepwater munidid squat lobsters from north-western Australia: Onconida, Bathymunida, Crosnierita, Plesionida and Torbenella.

PubMed

Ahyong, Shane T; Taylor, Joanne; Mccallum, Anna W

2013-11-04

Seven species of Munididae are reported from the continental margin of north-western Australia. Three species are new to science: Crosnierita adela sp. nov., Onconida ariel sp. nov. and Plesionida aurelia sp. nov., each presently known only from Western Australia. Four species are reported for the first time from Australian waters, Bathymunida balssi Van Dam, 1838, Bathymunida dissimilis Baba & de Saint Laurent, 1996, Crosnierita yante (Macpherson, 1994) and Torbenella orbis (Baba, 2005). Keys to the world species of the genera represented are provided.

Cyclone Chris Hits Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

This false-color image shows Cyclone Chris shortly after it hit Australia's northwestern coast on February 6, 2002. This scene was acquired by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA's Terra satellite. (Please note that this scene has not been reprojected.) Cyclone Chris is one of the most powerful storms ever to hit Australia. Initially, the storm contained wind gusts of up to 200 km per hour (125 mph), but shortly after making landfall it weakened to a Category 4 storm. Meteorologists expect the cyclone to weaken quickly as it moves further inland.

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and recreational scuba diving in Australia.

PubMed

Johnson, Rebecca

2016-09-01

Dive medicine bodies worldwide recognise that, with comprehensive screening and careful management, people with insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM) can dive safely. Despite this, people with IDDM in Australia are generally denied access to dive training, an out-dated status quo that is not acceptable to the Australian diabetes community. This paper reflects upon the important advocacy work that has been done to progress this issue, and what is still required to open up access and bring Australia into line with more flexible and supportive international standards.

Rickettsia australis and Queensland Tick Typhus: A Rickettsial Spotted Fever Group Infection in Australia.

PubMed

Stewart, Adam; Armstrong, Mark; Graves, Stephen; Hajkowicz, Krispin

2017-07-01

Rickettsia australis , the etiologic agent of Queensland tick typhus (QTT), is increasingly being recognized as a cause of community-acquired acute febrile illness in eastern Australia. Changing human population demographics, climate change, and increased understanding of expanding vector distribution indicate QTT is an emerging public health threat. This review summarizes the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, treatment principles, and future directions of this disease. Increased recognition of QTT will enable consideration of and prompt treatment of R. australis infection by clinicians in Australia.

A new species of freshwater eel-tailed catfish of the genus Tandanus (Teleostei: Plotosidae) from the Wet Tropics Region of Eastern Australia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Welsh, Stuart A.; Jerry, Dean R.; Burrows, Damien

2014-01-01

Tandanus tropicanus, new species, is described based on specimens from streams in the wet tropics region of northeast Queensland. Previously, two species were recognized in the genus Tandanus: T. tandanus of eastern Australia and T. bostocki of Western Australia. A combination of meristic and morphometric characters distinguishes the new species from all congeners. Further, taxonomic distinctness based on morphologic differences between the new species and all congeners is corroborated by genetic analyses.

Heavy metals in Australian grown and imported rice and vegetables on sale in Australia: health hazard.

PubMed

Rahman, M Azizur; Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudur; Reichman, Suzie M; Lim, Richard P; Naidu, Ravi

2014-02-01

Dietary exposure to heavy metals is a matter of concern for human health risk through the consumption of rice, vegetables and other major foodstuffs. In the present study, we investigated concentrations of cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in Australian grown and imported rice and vegetables on sale in Australia. The mean concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in Australian grown rice were 7.5 µg kg(-1), 21 µg kg(-1), 144 µg kg(-1), 2.9 mg kg(-1), 24.4 mg kg(-1), 166 µg kg(-1), 375 µg kg(-1), and 17.1 mg kg(-1) dry weight (d. wt.), respectively. Except Cd, heavy metal concentrations in Australian grown rice were higher than Bangladeshi rice on sale in Australia. However, the concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, and Ni in Indian rice on sale in Australia were higher than Australian grown rice. The concentrations of Cu and Ni in Vietnamese rice, and that of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb in Thai rice on sale in Australia were also higher than Australian grown rice. Heavy metal concentrations in Pakistani rice on sale in Australia were substantially lower than that in Australian grown rice. In Australian grown rice varieties, the concentrations of heavy metals were considerably higher in brown rice varieties than white rice varieties, indicating Australian brown rice as a potential source of dietary heavy metals for Australian consumers. The mean concentrations of heavy metals in Australian grown and Bangladeshi vegetables on sale in Australia were also determined. Some of the Australian grown and Bangladeshi vegetables contained heavy metals higher than Australian standard maximum limits indicating them as potential sources of dietary heavy metals for Australian consumers. Further investigation is required to estimate health risks of heavy metals from rice and vegetables consumption for Australian consumers. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Hidden diversity in deep-water bandfishes: review of Owstonia with descriptions of twenty-one new species (Teleostei: Cepolidae: Owstoniinae).

PubMed

Smith-Vaniz, William F; Johnson, G David

2016-11-08

The bandfish family Cepolidae, comprising the subfamilies Owstoniinae and Cepolinae, is characterized, and defining characters of the three groups are identified and discussed. Characters of larvae of both subfamilies are described and illustrated. Six nominal genera of owstoniines had been proposed by various authors, but we recognize only Owstonia Tanaka. Utility of selected identification characters of the genus are discussed. Differences in lateral-line patterns have been the primary character used by some recent authors for recognition of two owstoniine genera, with Sphenanthias Weber possessing the plesiomorphic lateral-line condition. Several other patterns also occur in these fishes bringing into question the phylogenetic significance of lateral line plasticity. Sexual dimorphism in pelvic fin lengths is also present in several species. Identification keys, descriptions, synonymies, distribution maps and photographs or illustrations are provided for all Owstonia species for which adults are available.        Although only 15 valid species were previously known, a remarkable hidden diversity of these fishes was discovered in major museum collections with the following 21 species here described as new: O. ainonaka (eastern Australia), O. contodon (Philippines), O. crassa (New Caledonia and Solomon Islands), O. dispar (Solomon Islands), O. elongata (New Caledonia and Vanuatu), O. fallax (eastern Australia and New Caledonia), O. geminata (Vanuatu and Philippines), O. hastata (eastern Australia), O. hawaiiensis (Hawaiian Islands); O. ignota (Mariana Islands), O. lepiota (Tanzania), O. melanoptera (Philippines), O. merensis (eastern Australia, Torres Strait), O. mundyi (Kiribati, Christmas Island), O. nalani (eastern Australia and New Caledonia), O. nudibucca (eastern Indian Ocean, Mentawai Islands and off Myanmar), O. psilos (Western Australia), O. raredonae (Mozambique), O. rhamma (Vanuatu), O. scottensis (Western Australia, Scott Reefs) and O. similis (Madagascar). Several specimens based on small juveniles, which we describe as Owstonia sp.,  appear to be additional new species but are not formally described as such.

Identifying Vulnerable Populations Using a Social Determinants of Health Framework: Analysis of National Survey Data across Six Asia-Pacific Countries

PubMed Central

Ward, Paul R.; Mamerow, Loreen; Meyer, Samantha B.

2013-01-01

Background In order to improve the health of the most vulnerable groups in society, the WHO called for research on the multiple and inter-linking factors shaping the social determinants of health (SDH). This paper analyses four key SDH (social cohesion, social inclusion, social empowerment and socioeconomic security) across six Asia-Pacific countries: Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. Methods Population surveys were undertaken using a validated instrument in 2009-10, with sample sizes around 1000 in each country. The four SDH were analysed using multivariate binomial logistic regression to identify socio-demographic predictors in each country. Results Low socio-economic security was associated with low income in all six study countries and with poor subjective health in Japan, South Korea and Thailand and with being married or cohabiting in Australia and Hong Kong. Low social cohesion was associated with low income in all countries and with undertaking household duties in South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan. Low social inclusion was associated with low income in Australia, South Korea and Taiwan and with poor subjective health in Australia, Japan and South Korea. Older people had lower social inclusion in Taiwan (50-59 years) and Hong Kong (retired), younger people in Japan and South Korea (20-29 years in both countries) and younger and middle-aged people in Australia. Low social empowerment was associated with low income in Australia, Thailand and Taiwan, with being aged 60 years or over in Australia, Hong Kong and South Korea, and over 50 years in Thailand. Conclusions This paper provides baseline measures for identifying where and how policy should be altered to improve the SDH. Furthermore, these data can be used for future policy evaluation to identify whether changes in policy have indeed improved the SDH, particularly for marginalised and vulnerable populations. PMID:24349417

Combining a Climatic Niche Model of an Invasive Fungus with Its Host Species Distributions to Identify Risks to Natural Assets: Puccinia psidii Sensu Lato in Australia

PubMed Central

Kriticos, Darren J.; Morin, Louise; Leriche, Agathe; Anderson, Robert C.; Caley, Peter

2013-01-01

Puccinia psidii sensu lato (s.l.) is an invasive rust fungus threatening a wide range of plant species in the family Myrtaceae. Originating from Central and South America, it has invaded mainland USA and Hawai'i, parts of Asia and Australia. We used CLIMEX to develop a semi-mechanistic global climatic niche model based on new data on the distribution and biology of P. psidii s.l. The model was validated using independent distribution data from recently invaded areas in Australia, China and Japan. We combined this model with distribution data of its potential Myrtaceae host plant species present in Australia to identify areas and ecosystems most at risk. Myrtaceaeous species richness, threatened Myrtaceae and eucalypt plantations within the climatically suitable envelope for P. psidii s.l in Australia were mapped. Globally the model identifies climatically suitable areas for P. psidii s.l. throughout the wet tropics and sub-tropics where moist conditions with moderate temperatures prevail, and also into some cool regions with a mild Mediterranean climate. In Australia, the map of species richness of Myrtaceae within the P. psidii s.l. climatic envelope shows areas where epidemics are hypothetically more likely to be frequent and severe. These hotspots for epidemics are along the eastern coast of New South Wales, including the Sydney Basin, in the Brisbane and Cairns areas in Queensland, and in the coastal region from the south of Bunbury to Esperance in Western Australia. This new climatic niche model for P. psidii s.l. indicates a higher degree of cold tolerance; and hence a potential range that extends into higher altitudes and latitudes than has been indicated previously. The methods demonstrated here provide some insight into the impacts an invasive species might have within its climatically suited range, and can help inform biosecurity policies regarding the management of its spread and protection of valued threatened assets. PMID:23704988

Understanding the time-lag effect of terrestrial ecosystem response to drought: a regional case study of the 2000s Millennium Drought in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, M.; A, G.; Velicogna, I.; Kimball, J. S.

2016-12-01

Drought is one of the major drivers of the reduction in terrestrial ecosystem productivity. Ecosystem productivity may not primarily be driven by present moisture conditions. Instead, earlier drought conditions may have the largest impact on vegetation growth. We investigate this time-lag effect in Australia by comparing MODIS NDVI data with multiple drought metrics that are sensitive to water deficits at different soil depths. These metrics include 1) soil moisture (SM) from microwave satellite-retrievals that is sensitive to top-centimeter SM variations; 2) the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) which is sensitive to atmosphere moisture demand and shallow-depth ( 1 meter) SM changes; 3) the newly developed GRACE drought severity index (GRACE-DSI) that is sensitive to changes in overall terrestrial water storage component of the hydrologic cycle and complements satellite SM observations and the PDSI by providing information about deep groundwater storage changes. We quantify the temporal lags between NDVI and these drought metrics during 2002-2014. We find that the NDVI closely evolves with the GRACE-DSI but lags 1-3 months behind the PDSI and satellite-retrievals of SM in western Australia. This pattern however is reverse in eastern Australia. These contrasting NDVI response patterns indicate that vegetation in western Australia is more sensitive to water storage in relatively deeper soil depths than vegetation in the east. This suggests that, in western Australia, vegetation might experience a protracted recovery period after extreme drought since, usually, moisture recharge in deeper soil depths takes a relatively longer period. We conclude that the time-lag effect in Australia is associated with the relative depth of SM to which vegetation is most sensitive. We suggest that characterizing the relative vegetation moisture sensitive depth at the global scale is important for understanding the nature and pace of terrestrial ecosystem recovery from extreme drought events under the background of global climate change.

AusLAMP long period magnetotellurics: progress update and new insights into Victorian geology and mineral prospectivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chopping, R. G.; Duan, J.; Czarnota, K.; Kemp, T.

2016-12-01

It is becoming generally accepted that world-class mineral deposits have a footprint on a scale of the lithosphere. For this reason, Australia has embarked on the Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP) to map the conductivity of the mid to lower crust and the lithospheric mantle. AusLAMP is a collaborative project between Geoscience Australia, State and Territory Geological Surveys and Universities. The project aims to collect long-period magnetotelluric data across the Australian continent on a nominal 0.5x0.5° ( 55x55 km) grid. To date, more than 450 sites have been acquired including all sites for the state of Victoria, two-thirds of sites in South Australia and Tasmania, and approximately 25 stations in Western Australia. Progress is ramping up with acquisition to turn to the state of New South Wales, the remainder of South Australia and also acquisition in northern Australia. To support this increasing acquisition activity, additional instruments have been purchased to add to those already in Australia. 3D inversion results are now available for AusLAMP Victoria. In collaboration with the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI), the 3D ModEM codes were optimised for use on the NCI's supercomputer, speeding up large-scale inversions by an order of magnitude. The results of these inversions indicate anomalously conductive lithospheric mantle associated with the central region of Victoria which contains significant mineral deposits and prospectivity, and also anomalous resistive lithosphere associated with the southern extension of the dynamically supported Australian Alps and the Newer Volcanics Province. Modelled conductivities are also consistent with mantle xenolith data from central Victoria. Within the crust, the dominant trend of the data is along elongate north-eastern corridors of conductive material. These results shed new questions on the geological history of this region and the lithospheric architecture of the state.

Temporal overlap of humans and giant lizards (Varanidae; Squamata) in Pleistocene Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, Gilbert J.; Louys, Julien; Cramb, Jonathan; Feng, Yue-xing; Zhao, Jian-xin; Hocknull, Scott A.; Webb, Gregory E.; Nguyen, Ai Duc; Joannes-Boyau, Renaud

2015-10-01

An obvious but key prerequisite to testing hypotheses concerning the role of humans in the extinction of late Quaternary 'megafauna' is demonstrating that humans and the extinct taxa overlapped, both temporally and spatially. In many regions, a paucity of reliably dated fossil occurrences of megafauna makes it challenging, if not impossible, to test many of the leading extinction hypotheses. The giant monitor lizards of Australia are a case in point. Despite commonly being argued to have suffered extinction at the hands of the first human colonisers (who arrived by 50 ka), it has never been reliably demonstrated that giant monitors and humans temporally overlapped in Australia. Here we present the results of an integrated U-Th and 14C dating study of a late Pleistocene fossil deposit that has yielded the youngest dated remains of giant monitor lizards in Australia. The site, Colosseum Chamber, is a cave deposit in the Mt Etna region, central eastern Australia. Sixteen new dates were generated and demonstrate that the bulk of the material in the deposit accumulated since ca. 50 ka. The new monitor fossil is, minimally, 30 ky younger than the previous youngest reliably dated record for giant lizards in Australia and for the first time, demonstrates that on a continental scale, humans and giant lizards overlapped in time. The new record brings the existing geochronological dataset for Australian giant monitor lizards to seven dated occurrences. With such sparse data, we are hesitant to argue that our new date represents the time of their extinction from the continent. Rather, we suspect that future fossil collecting will yield new samples both older and younger than 50 ka. Nevertheless, we unequivocally demonstrate that humans and giant monitor lizards overlapped temporally in Australia, and thus, humans can only now be considered potential drivers for their extinction.

Impacts of recreation and tourism on plant biodiversity and vegetation in protected areas in Australia.

PubMed

Pickering, Catherine Marina; Hill, Wendy

2007-12-01

This paper reviews recent research into the impact of recreation and tourism in protected areas on plant biodiversity and vegetation communities in Australia. Despite the international significance of the Australian flora and increasing visitation to protected areas there has been limited research on recreational and tourism impacts in Australia. As overseas, there are obvious direct impacts of recreation and tourism such as clearing of vegetation for infrastructure or damage from trampling, horse riding, mountain biking and off road vehicles. As well, there are less obvious but potentially more severe indirect impacts. This includes self-propagating impacts associated with the spread of some weeds from trails and roads. It also includes the severe impact on native vegetation, including many rare and threatened plants, from spread of the root rot fungus Phytopthora cinnamomi. This review highlights the need for more recreational ecology research in Australia.

Alcohol policy and harm reduction in Australia.

PubMed

Loxley, Wendy; Gray, Dennis; Wilkinson, Celia; Chikritzhs, Tanya; Midford, Richard; Moore, David

2005-11-01

With consultations having been held across Australia this year as part of the process of developing a new National Alcohol Strategy, it seemed timely to invite my colleagues from the National Drug Research Institute who are experts in the alcohol field to write this Harm Reduction Digest. The authors have canvassed a range of alcohol policy options and discussed their effectiveness in reducing harm for what is arguably Australia's number one drug problem. Australia's response to alcohol and other drug problems has, historically, been based on 'harm minimization--incorporating supply reduction, demand reduction and harm reduction'. At this time where the policy options for alcohol are being set for the next 5 years in a climate of 'small government', removing restrictions of 'fair competition' in business and a belief in the free market, what does the research have to say about recommended policies and strategies to reduce alcohol-related harm?

Early Maternal Employment and Children's Academic and Behavioral Skills in Australia and the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Lombardi, Caitlin McPherran; Coley, Rebekah Levine

2017-01-01

This study assessed the links between early maternal employment and children's later academic and behavioral skills in Australia and the United Kingdom. Using representative samples of children born in each country from 2000 to 2004 (Australia N = 5,093, U.K. N = 18,497), OLS regression models weighted with propensity scores assessed links between maternal employment in the 2 years after childbearing and children's skills in first grade. There were neutral associations between maternal employment and children's first-grade skills in both countries. However, there was a slight indication that more time away from parenting was negatively linked to children's behavioral functioning in Australia and employment begun between 9 and 24 months was positively linked to cognitive skills for U.K. children of low-wage mothers. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Implementation of two new resource management information systems in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kessell, Stephen R.; Good, Roger B.; Hopkins, Angas J. M.

1984-05-01

This paper describes the development and implementation of PREPLAN, A Pristine Environment Planning Language and Simulator, for two conservation areas in Australia, Kosciusko National Park (New South Wales) and Tutanning Nature Reserve (Western Australia). PREPLAN was derived from the North American gradient modeling systems and the Forest Planning Language and Simulator (FORPLAN), but includes unique characteristics not previously available. PREPLAN includes an integrated resource management data base, modules for predicting site-specific vegetation, fuels, animals, fire behavior, and fire effects, and an English language instruction set. PREPLAN was developed specifically to provide available information and understanding of ecosystems to managers in a readily accessible and usable form, and to provide the motivation to conduct additional required research projects. An evaluation of the system's advantages and limitations is presented, and the way the utilization of such systems is improving natural area decision making throughout Australia is discussed.

Public Health Response to Imported Case of Poliomyelitis, Australia, 2007

PubMed Central

Lester, Rosemary; Moran, Rodney; Brown, Lynne; Meagher, Julian; Roberts, Jason A.; Thorley, Bruce R.

2009-01-01

Australia, along with 36 other countries in the Western Pacific Region, was declared free of poliomyelitis by the World Health Organization in October 2000. Yet, the persistence of wild poliovirus in the 4 remaining polio-endemic countries—Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan—poses a risk for its importation into all countries declared polio free. We describe the public health response and outcomes resulting from the importation of a wild poliovirus infection in Melbourne, Australia, in July 2007. This response, based on an assessment of the risk for transmission, included offering vaccination with inactivated polio vaccine to the contacts and placing the index patient in isolation and the household contacts in quarantine until consecutive fecal specimens were negative for poliovirus by culture. The experience gained from the polio importation event in Australia may assist other polio-free countries to prepare for, and respond to, a similar event. No secondary clinical cases resulted from this importation. PMID:19891859

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.

The imperative to develop a human vaccine for the Hendra virus in Australia.

PubMed

Zahoor, Bilal A; Mudie, Lucy I

2015-01-01

The Hendra virus (HeV) poses a significant challenge to public health in Australia. Expanding migratory patterns observed among bats and the mutation of the virus to seek and successfully infect new hosts is a significant departure from the generalized epidemiological trend. The recent discovery of equine-related infections and deaths in addition to a canine infection demonstrates the inadequacy of the current equine vaccine developed in 2012. Traditional models for controlling the spread of the vector are futile given the rapid pace at which bats' habitats are eroded. Recent ongoing zoonotic epidemics, for example, Ebola and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, demonstrate that human-to-human transmission is a distinct reality rather than an obscure possibility. The development of a human HeV vaccine is essential for the biosecurity of Australia, as part of a multipronged strategy to control HeV in Australia.

Poor housing quality: Prevalence and health effects.

PubMed

Baker, Emma; Lester, Laurence H; Bentley, Rebecca; Beer, Andrew

2016-01-01

Housing is a central component of productive, healthy, and meaningful lives, and a principle social determinant of health and well-being. Surprisingly, though, evidence on the ways that housing influences health in Australia is poorly developed. This stems largely from the fact that the majority of the population are accommodated in good quality housing. The dominance of a "good housing paradigm" means that households living in poor quality and unhealthy housing are doubly disadvantaged-by the quality of their housing and because policy makers in Australia do not acknowledge the health effects of housing. In this article, we examine the relationship between health outcomes and quality of housing. We base our analysis on data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, a panel dataset that is representative across Australia. We find a sizeable, policy-important, and to date under-acknowledged cohort of Australians whose health is influenced by poor-condition dwellings.

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.

The curious case of the date of introduction of leaded fuel to Australia: Implications for the history of Southern Hemisphere atmospheric lead pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, D. E.; Gale, S. J.

By comparison with the Northern Hemisphere, the history of atmospheric lead pollution in the Southern Hemisphere is still poorly understood. Until recently, the main source of atmospheric lead fallout in the Southern Hemisphere was tetraethyl lead from motor fuel and for most of the 20th century the most important single source of this pollutant was Australia. Yet there is little agreement over when leaded fuel made its first appearance in Australia. Reported dates range from the early 1920s to the late 1940s. A study of oil company advertisements and reports in motoring and oil company journals shows that leaded petrol first became available in Australia in August 1932. This date is important both for the reconstruction of lead pollution histories and in the use of lead stratigraphies to determine chronology.

Aboriginal women and Asian men: a maritime history of color in white Australia.

PubMed

Balint, Ruth

2012-01-01

In 1901, Broome—a port town on the northwest edge of the Australian continent—was one of the principal and most lucrative industrial pearling centers in the world and entirely dependent on Asian indentured labor. Relations between Asian crews and local Aboriginal people were strong, at a time when the project of White Australia was being pursued with vigorous, often fanatical dedication across the newly federated continent. It was the policing of Aboriginal women, specifically their relations with Asian men, that became the focus of efforts by authorities and missionaries to uphold and defend their commitment to the White Australia policy. This article examines the historical experience of Aboriginal women in the pearling industry of northwest Australia and the story of Asian-Aboriginal cohabitation in the face of oppressive laws and regulations. It then explores the meaning of “color” in contemporary Broome for the descendants of this mixed heritage today.

Mantle dynamics of continent-wide tilting of Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dicaprio, L.; Gurnis, M.; Muller, R. D.

2009-12-01

Australia is distinctive in that during the Cenozoic it experienced first order, broad-scale vertical motions unrelated to normal orogenic processes. The progressive continent-wide tilting down to the northeast is attributed to the horizontal motion of the continent over subducted slabs. We use plate tectonic reconstructions and a model of mantle convection to quantitatively link the geological evolution of the continent to mantle convection. The passage of slabs beneath the Southwest Pacific since 50 Ma is modeled numerically, and the results are compared to geologic observations of anomalous topography. Models show that Australia undergoes a 300 m northeast downward tilt as it approaches and overrides subducted slabs between Melanesia and the active margin along the Loyalty and proto-Tonga Kermadec subduction systems. This pattern of dynamic subsidence is consistent with observations of continent wide tilting and may indicate that during the Cenozoic Australia moved northward away from a relatively hot mantle anomaly presently located beneath Antarctica.

Why do we need detailed gravity over continents: Some Australian examples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambeck, K.

1985-01-01

Geophysical quantities available over a continent are gravity and components of the magnetic field. Direct inferences on crustal structure are difficult to make and strongly dependent on mechanical assumptions the isostatic state. The data for Australia represents one of the best continental scale gravity surveys. The gravity anomalies are generally bland over the continent which confirms that stress relaxation and erosion and rebound were instrumental in reducing nonhydrostatic stresses. In central Australia very large gravity anomalies occur and the region is out of isostatic equilibrium despite the fact that tectonic activity ceased 300 ma ago. The isostatic response functions points to a substantial horizontal compression in the crust. Similar conclusions are drawn for the large anomalies in western Australia. The tectonic implications of these anomalies are examined. In eastern Australia the gravity anomalies are explained in terms of a model of erosion of the highlands and concomitant regional isostatic rebound.

Dermatology training and practice in Australia.

PubMed

Sebaratnam, Deshan F; Murrell, Dédée F

2014-10-01

Dermatology is a relatively young discipline in Australia compared to other specialities within the medical fraternity. From its humble beginnings, the profession has evolved significantly over the decades and is now represented by the Australasian College of Dermatologists which is charged with training the next generation of dermatologists and advocating for and advancing the profession. The authors reviewed and describe the history of dermatology training and practice in Australia. Despite the progress in education, there are only 415 dermatologists serving a population of 23.3 million (1 per 58 000) and yet it has the highest incidence and prevalence of skin cancer in the world. The scope of clinical practice is wide in Australia, with clinicians well versed in medical and procedural dermatology. It is hoped that Australian dermatology will continue to bolster the dermatology profession globally. © 2014 The International Society of Dermatology.

Has the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental illnesses (fifth edition) jumped the shark and is it now time for Australia to reconsider reliance on it?

PubMed

Gaughwin, Peter

2014-10-01

The purpose of this article is to consider whether, in light of the significant controversy surrounding the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental illnesses (fifth edition) (DSM-5), it may be time for Australia to reconsider the influence of, and its past reliance on, the DSM. Also considered is whether it is now time, with the imminent publication of the The international statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (eleventh edition) (ICD-11), to move to the ICD-11 as the primary instrument for diagnosis and research in Australia. That DSM-5 begins its life in an unprecedented plethora of criticism, not only from lay people but also from mental health professionals, which should sound a note of caution for continued reliance on it in Australia. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2014.

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.

Mapping Indigenous land management for threatened species conservation: An Australian case-study.

PubMed

Renwick, Anna R; Robinson, Catherine J; Garnett, Stephen T; Leiper, Ian; Possingham, Hugh P; Carwardine, Josie

2017-01-01

Much biodiversity lives on lands to which Indigenous people retain strong legal and management rights. However this is rarely quantified. Here we provide the first quantitative overview of the importance of Indigenous land for a critical and vulnerable part of biodiversity, threatened species, using the continent of Australia as a case study. We find that three quarters of Australia's 272 terrestrial or freshwater vertebrate species listed as threatened under national legislation have projected ranges that overlap Indigenous lands. On average this overlap represents 45% of the range of each threatened species while Indigenous land is 52% of the country. Hotspots where multiple threatened species ranges overlap occur predominantly in coastal Northern Australia. Our analysis quantifies the vast potential of Indigenous land in Australia for contributing to national level conservation goals, and identifies the main land management arrangements available to Indigenous people which may enable them to deliver those goals should they choose to do so.

Rossby waves, extreme fronts, and wildfires in southeastern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reeder, Michael J.; Spengler, Thomas; Musgrave, Ruth

2015-03-01

The most catastrophic fires in recent history in southern Australia have been associated with extreme cold fronts. Here an extreme cold front is defined as one for which the maximum temperature at 2 m is at least 17°C lower on the day following the front. An anticyclone, which precedes the cold front, directs very dry northerlies or northwesterlies from the interior of the continent across the region. The passage of the cold front is followed by strong southerlies or southwesterlies. European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ERA-Interim Reanalyses show that this regional synoptic pattern common to all strong cold fronts, and hence severe fire conditions, is a consequence of propagating Rossby waves, which grow to large amplitude and eventually irreversibly overturn. The process of overturning produces the low-level anticyclone and dry conditions over southern Australia, while simultaneously producing an upper level trough and often precipitation in northeastern Australia.

Hydrological Variations in Australia Recovered by GRACE High-Resolution Mascons Solutions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carabajal, Claudia C.; Boy, Jean-Paul; Sabaka, Terence J.; Lemoine, Frank G.; Rowlands. David; Luthcke, Scott B.; Brown, M. Y.

2011-01-01

Australia represents a challenging region in which to study hydrological variations as recovered by the GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) mission data. Much of Australia is characterized by relatively small hydrological signals, with large precipitation gradients between the North and the South. These signals are better recovered using innovative GRACE processing techniques such as high-resolution mascon solutions, which may help overcome the deficiencies in the standard GRACE data processing and filtering methods. We will show the power of using regional and global mas con solutions to recover hydrological variations from 2003 to 2011, as well as the oceanic mass variations in the surrounding regions. We will compare the GRACE signals with state of the art hydrology and ocean general circulation models, precipitation, soil moisture and groundwater data sets. We especially emphasize the gravity signatures observed during the decadal drought in the Murray-Darling river basin and the early 2011 floods in North-Western Australia.

A genomic history of Aboriginal Australia.

PubMed

Malaspinas, Anna-Sapfo; Westaway, Michael C; Muller, Craig; Sousa, Vitor C; Lao, Oscar; Alves, Isabel; Bergström, Anders; Athanasiadis, Georgios; Cheng, Jade Y; Crawford, Jacob E; Heupink, Tim H; Macholdt, Enrico; Peischl, Stephan; Rasmussen, Simon; Schiffels, Stephan; Subramanian, Sankar; Wright, Joanne L; Albrechtsen, Anders; Barbieri, Chiara; Dupanloup, Isabelle; Eriksson, Anders; Margaryan, Ashot; Moltke, Ida; Pugach, Irina; Korneliussen, Thorfinn S; Levkivskyi, Ivan P; Moreno-Mayar, J Víctor; Ni, Shengyu; Racimo, Fernando; Sikora, Martin; Xue, Yali; Aghakhanian, Farhang A; Brucato, Nicolas; Brunak, Søren; Campos, Paula F; Clark, Warren; Ellingvåg, Sturla; Fourmile, Gudjugudju; Gerbault, Pascale; Injie, Darren; Koki, George; Leavesley, Matthew; Logan, Betty; Lynch, Aubrey; Matisoo-Smith, Elizabeth A; McAllister, Peter J; Mentzer, Alexander J; Metspalu, Mait; Migliano, Andrea B; Murgha, Les; Phipps, Maude E; Pomat, William; Reynolds, Doc; Ricaut, Francois-Xavier; Siba, Peter; Thomas, Mark G; Wales, Thomas; Wall, Colleen Ma'run; Oppenheimer, Stephen J; Tyler-Smith, Chris; Durbin, Richard; Dortch, Joe; Manica, Andrea; Schierup, Mikkel H; Foley, Robert A; Lahr, Marta Mirazón; Bowern, Claire; Wall, Jeffrey D; Mailund, Thomas; Stoneking, Mark; Nielsen, Rasmus; Sandhu, Manjinder S; Excoffier, Laurent; Lambert, David M; Willerslev, Eske

2016-10-13

The population history of Aboriginal Australians remains largely uncharacterized. Here we generate high-coverage genomes for 83 Aboriginal Australians (speakers of Pama-Nyungan languages) and 25 Papuans from the New Guinea Highlands. We find that Papuan and Aboriginal Australian ancestors diversified 25-40 thousand years ago (kya), suggesting pre-Holocene population structure in the ancient continent of Sahul (Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania). However, all of the studied Aboriginal Australians descend from a single founding population that differentiated ~10-32 kya. We infer a population expansion in northeast Australia during the Holocene epoch (past 10,000 years) associated with limited gene flow from this region to the rest of Australia, consistent with the spread of the Pama-Nyungan languages. We estimate that Aboriginal Australians and Papuans diverged from Eurasians 51-72 kya, following a single out-of-Africa dispersal, and subsequently admixed with archaic populations. Finally, we report evidence of selection in Aboriginal Australians potentially associated with living in the desert.

The imperative to develop a human vaccine for the Hendra virus in Australia

PubMed Central

Zahoor, Bilal A.; Mudie, Lucy I.

2015-01-01

The Hendra virus (HeV) poses a significant challenge to public health in Australia. Expanding migratory patterns observed among bats and the mutation of the virus to seek and successfully infect new hosts is a significant departure from the generalized epidemiological trend. The recent discovery of equine-related infections and deaths in addition to a canine infection demonstrates the inadequacy of the current equine vaccine developed in 2012. Traditional models for controlling the spread of the vector are futile given the rapid pace at which bats' habitats are eroded. Recent ongoing zoonotic epidemics, for example, Ebola and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, demonstrate that human-to-human transmission is a distinct reality rather than an obscure possibility. The development of a human HeV vaccine is essential for the biosecurity of Australia, as part of a multipronged strategy to control HeV in Australia. PMID:26519254

Workforce and planning issues for the profession of periodontics in Australia and New Zealand.

PubMed

Brown, Louise; Seymour, Gregory; Holborow, Douglas

2002-10-01

The speciality of periodontics in Australia and New Zealand has seen steady growth since 1986, when the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Periodontics (ANZAP) was formed. Very few members of ANZAP have retired in the 16 years since its formation. However, the results of a survey of members revealed that one-third of members plan to retire within the next 10 years, and over 50% of members will have retired within 15 years. The survey also revealed that most members were heavily booked, and nearly half were concerned by their level of busyness. A total of 22 members are currently seeking to employ a periodontist in their practice, and yet only three students will complete the MDSc program in periodontics in Australia at the end of this year. This paper presents the results of the ANZAP survey of members and addresses issues affecting the training of periodontists in Australia and New Zealand.

Primary Maternity Units in rural and remote Australia: Results of a national survey.

PubMed

Kruske, Sue; Kildea, Sue; Jenkinson, Bec; Pilcher, Jennifer; Robin, Sarah; Rolfe, Margaret; Kornelsen, Jude; Barclay, Lesley

2016-09-01

Primary Maternity Units (PMUs) offer less expensive and potentially more sustainable maternity care, with comparable or better perinatal outcomes for normal pregnancy and birth than higherlevel units. However, little is known about how these maternity services operate in rural and remote Australia, in regards to location, models of care, service structure, support mechanisms or sustainability. This study aimed to confirm and describe how they operate. a descriptive, cross-sectional study was undertaken, utilising a 35-item survey to explore current provision of maternity care in rural and remote PMUs across Australia. Data were subjected to simple descriptive statistics and thematic analysis for free text answers. Only 17 PMUs were identified in rural and remote areas of Australia. All 17 completed the survey. the PMUs were, on average, 56km or 49minutes from their referral service and provided care to an average of 59 birthing women per year. Periodic closures or downgrading of services was common. Low-risk eligibility criteria were universally used, but with some variability. Medically-led care was the most widely available model of care. In most PMUs midwives worked shift work involving both nursing and midwifery duties, with minimal uptake of recent midwifery workforce innovations. Perceived enablers of, and threats to, sustainability were reported. a small number of PMUs operate in rural Australia, and none in remote areas. Continuing overreliance on local medical support, and under-utilisation of the midwifery workforce constrain the restoration of maternity services to rural and remote Australia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health care expenditure and life expectancy in Australia: how well do we perform?

PubMed

Taylor, R; Salkeld, G

1996-06-01

The Australian health care system consists of mixed public and private financing underpinned by Medicare, a universal government-run insurance scheme paid through taxation (and levy) on income. Australia has improved its ranking for life expectancy (at birth) since 1960, and in 1990 ranked ninth and seventh of 24 countries for females and males respectively; this is ahead of the United States and United Kingdom, and approximately equal to Canada. Australian hospital bed supply and utilisation are average, after deletion of day-only cases. The proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) spent on health, in relation to GDP per capita (adjusted for purchasing power), in Australia in 1990 was average, and the prices for health care from 1975 to 1990 did not increase when adjusted for inflation. Although 68 per cent of health expenditure emanates from public sources in Australia, this is lower than in the majority of European countries and Canada. Some countries are doing poorly (such as the United States, with lower than average life expectancy and higher than predicted health expenditure) and some countries are doing well (with higher than average life expectancy and lower than predicted health expenditure; for example, Japan). Australia has higher than average life expectancy and only slightly higher than predicted health expenditure per capita. Although the Australian system could be improved, there are no indications that radical changes are required. The relatively high life expectancy in Australia can be attributed to favourable social and economic conditions, successful public health programs, and the availability of universal quality health care.

Paleo-Antarctic rainforest into the modern Old World tropics: the rich past and threatened future of the "southern wet forest survivors".

PubMed

Kooyman, Robert M; Wilf, Peter; Barreda, Viviana D; Carpenter, Raymond J; Jordan, Gregory J; Sniderman, J M Kale; Allen, Andrew; Brodribb, Timothy J; Crayn, Darren; Feild, Taylor S; Laffan, Shawn W; Lusk, Christopher H; Rossetto, Maurizio; Weston, Peter H

2014-12-01

• Have Gondwanan rainforest floral associations survived? Where do they occur today? Have they survived continuously in particular locations? How significant is their living floristic signal? We revisit these classic questions in light of significant recent increases in relevant paleobotanical data.• We traced the extinction and persistence of lineages and associations through the past across four now separated regions-Australia, New Zealand, Patagonia, and Antarctica-using fossil occurrence data from 63 well-dated Gondwanan rainforest sites and 396 constituent taxa. Fossil sites were allocated to four age groups: Cretaceous, Paleocene-Eocene, Neogene plus Oligocene, and Pleistocene. We compared the modern and ancient distributions of lineages represented in the fossil record to see if dissimilarity increased with time. We quantified similarity-dissimilarity of composition and taxonomic structure among fossil assemblages, and between fossil and modern assemblages.• Strong similarities between ancient Patagonia and Australia confirmed shared Gondwanan rainforest history, but more of the lineages persisted in Australia. Samples of ancient Australia grouped with the extant floras of Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Fiji, and Mt. Kinabalu. Decreasing similarity through time among the regional floras of Antarctica, Patagonia, New Zealand, and southern Australia reflects multiple extinction events.• Gondwanan rainforest lineages contribute significantly to modern rainforest community assembly and often co-occur in widely separated assemblages far from their early fossil records. Understanding how and where lineages from ancient Gondwanan assemblages co-occur today has implications for the conservation of global rainforest vegetation, including in the Old World tropics. © 2014 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Lessons from Albion: Can Australia learn from England's approach to primary healthcare funding?

PubMed

Norman, Richard; Robinson, Suzanne

2015-01-01

As Australia struggles to meet increased demand for healthcare and contain expenditure there has been a focus on primary care and its role in demand management and keeping people out of expensive secondary care. However, with domestic policy struggling to find a suitable approach consideration of English policy could well be fruitful in the quest to strengthen and develop primary care in Australia. The purpose of this paper is to consider policy developments in England and explores these in relation to the Australian healthcare system. The authors highlight the key changes to policy that have occurred in the English healthcare system in recent years, and discuss whether they have proven successful. The authors discuss the barriers to implementing similar approaches in Australia, particularly the difference in system structure that would necessitate policy adaptation. Whilst there are differences in the structure and organisation of funding and service provision between countries, there are developments in England that are worthy of consideration from an Australian perspective. These include a focus on funding and commissioning that rewards quality not just activity and volume. As Australia sees the development of new primary care organisations that are tasked with commissioning then developments and lessons around the technical and relational aspects will be important to consider. The work highlights that Australia might consider learning from the English experience in this area and the types of incentives that may increase efficiency and quality of health service provision. This is important as it potentially gives greater certainty about those approaches most likely to yield beneficial outcomes for patients and the broader system.

Breast milk donation after neonatal death in Australia: a report.

PubMed

Carroll, Katherine E; Lenne, Brydan S; McEgan, Kerri; Opie, Gillian; Amir, Lisa H; Bredemeyer, Sandra; Hartmann, Ben; Jones, Rachel; Koorts, Pieter; McConachy, Helen; Mumford, Patricia; Polverino, Jan

2014-01-01

Lactation and breast milk can hold great value and meaning for grieving mothers who have experienced a recent death of an infant. Donation to a human milk bank (HMB) as an alternative to discarding breast milk is one means of respecting the value of breast milk. There is little research, national policy discussion, or organizational representation in Australia on the subject of breast milk donation after infant death. On 29 November 2013 the Mercy Hospital for Women in Melbourne, Australia hosted Australia's first National Stakeholder Meeting (NSM) on the topic of milk donation after neonatal death. The NSM drew together representatives from Australian HMBs, neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) currently using donor human milk, and Australia's chief NICU parent support organization. The NSM was video-recorded and transcribed, and analyzed thematically by researchers. This article reports the seven dominant themes discussed by stakeholders during the NSM: the spectrum of women's lactation and donation experiences after infant death; the roles of the HMB and NICU in meeting the needs of the bereaved donor; how bereaved mothers' lactation autonomy may interface with a HMB's donation guidelines; how milk donation may be discussed with bereaved mothers; the variation between four categories of milk donation after neonatal death; the impact of limited resources and few HMBs on providing donation programs for bereaved mothers in Australia. This article provides evidence from researchers and practitioners that can assist HMB staff in refining their bank's policy on milk donation after infant death, and provides national policy makers with key considerations to support lactation, human milk banking, and bereavement services nation-wide.

Trypanosomes of Australian mammals: A review

PubMed Central

Thompson, Craig K.; Godfrey, Stephanie S.; Thompson, R.C. Andrew

2014-01-01

Approximately 306 species of terrestrial and arboreal mammals are known to have inhabited the mainland and coastal islands of Australia at the time of European settlement in 1788. The exotic Trypanosoma lewisi was the first mammalian trypanosome identified in Australia in 1888, while the first native species, Trypanosoma pteropi, was taxonomically described in 1913. Since these discoveries, about 22% of the indigenous mammalian fauna have been examined during the surveillance of trypanosome biodiversity in Australia, including 46 species of marsupials, 9 rodents, 9 bats and both monotremes. Of those mammals examined, trypanosomes have been identified from 28 host species, with eight native species of Trypanosoma taxonomically described. These native trypanosomes include T. pteropi, Trypanosoma thylacis, Trypanosoma hipposideri, Trypanosoma binneyi, Trypanosoma irwini, Trypanosoma copemani, Trypanosoma gilletti and Trypanosoma vegrandis. Exotic trypanosomes have also been identified from the introduced mammalian fauna of Australia, and include T. lewisi, Trypanosoma melophagium, Trypanosoma theileri, Trypanosoma nabiasi and Trypanosoma evansi. Fortunately, T. evansi was eradicated soon after its introduction and did not establish in Australia. Of these exotic trypanosomes, T. lewisi is the sole representative that has been reported from indigenous Australian mammals; morphological forms were recorded from two indigenous species of rodents (Hydromys chrysogaster and Rattus fuscipes). Numerous Australian marsupial species are potentially at risk from the native T. copemani, which may be chronically pathogenic, while marsupials, rodents and monotremes appear at risk from exotic species, including T. lewisi, Trypanosoma cruzi and T. evansi. This comprehensive review of trypanosome biodiversity in Australia highlights the negative impact of these parasites upon their mammalian hosts, as well as the threatening biosecurity concerns. PMID:25161902

Awareness of and compliance with recommended dietary supplement among age-related macular degeneration patients.

PubMed

Ng, Weng T; Goggin, Michael

2006-01-01

The age-related eye disease study suggested that taking zinc and anti-oxidants supplements could reduce the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In Australia, the available supplement is Macu-Vision. The study aimed to assess the awareness of and compliance with taking this supplement and the public health implication. The fundus photograph database of patients aged 55 years and older at the ophthalmology department of a public teaching hospital in Adelaide, Australia was reviewed. In total, 125 patients with category 3 and 4 AMD were identified. A total of 100 patients participated in this cross-sectional study. In total, 53% of participants were aware of the availability of the formulae available in Australia, 38% were taking the supplement and only 1% were taking the correct dose. Of those taking the supplement 95% (36/38) were taking half the recommended dosage. Among those who were aware of the supplement but not taking it, cost was the most common reason (31%). Another 31% were not taking it because of actual side-effects experienced, fear of potential side-effect and/or fear of interaction with other medications. There was no predictive factor for failing to take the formulae available in Australia among age, sex, smoking status, living arrangement and category of AMD. Clinicians need to emphasize that the recommended dosage is twice that on the supplement label. If the trend demonstrated here of underutilizing the formulae available in Australia among public hospital patients continues, it is unlikely to have any major public health impact in similar settings in Australia.

Overseas visitor deaths in Australia, 2001 to 2003.

PubMed

Leggat, Peter A; Wilks, Jeff

2009-01-01

The health and safety of international visitors remain an important issue for Australia and other tourist destinations. The death of visitors remains an important indicator of safety. The aim of this study was to provide updated figures on deaths of overseas travelers in Australia. Data were sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics concerning deaths of overseas visitors for the years 2001 to 2003. There were 1,068 overseas visitor deaths (701 males, 66%) during the study period 2001 to 2003. Death by natural causes increased with age, while deaths associated with accidents were more frequent among younger age groups. The majority of deaths were from natural causes (782, 73%), particularly ischemic heart diseases (26%). There were a total of 247 accidental deaths (23% of all deaths) with the main causes being transportation accidents (14% of all deaths) and accidental drowning/submersion (5% of all deaths). The countries contributing the most deaths were the UK (247, 23%), New Zealand (108, 10%) Melanesia/Micronesia (95, 9%), and the United States (57, 5%). Australia remains a relatively safe destination for international travelers, at least in terms of fatalities, which appear to be declining. Most deaths of overseas tourists in Australia are due to natural causes with cardiovascular disease being the predominant cause of death in this group. Accidents remain the most common preventable cause of death of travelers, with road and water safety being the major issues. It is important that tourism and travel medicine groups continue to advocate for improved health and safety of international travelers visiting Australia.

Systematic review of the prevalence of gout and hyperuricaemia in Australia.

PubMed

Robinson, P C; Taylor, W J; Merriman, T R

2012-09-01

Gout is a growing health problem worldwide especially in affluent countries, such as Australia. Gout and hyperuricaemia are associated with the metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, obesity and hypertension. More importantly, Australia has a growing prevalence of these important health problems. The aim of this study was to systematically review published information regarding the prevalence of gout and hyperuricaemia in Australia. A systematic search was undertaken of the MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science databases, as well as relevant websites for journal articles and reports relating to the prevalence of hyperuricaemia and gout in Australia. Twenty-five journal articles and five reports were included in the review. Data collected in a standardised way show gout increased in prevalence from 0.5% population prevalence to 1.7% population prevalence from 1968 to 1995/1996. There has been a significant rise in the prevalence of gout in the Australian Aboriginal population from 0% in 1965 to 9.7% in men and 2.9% in women in 2002. Consistent with the rise in gout prevalence, serum uric acid in blood donors has increased from 1959 to 1980 (17% in 30- to 40-year-old men). The rate of gout and hyperuricaemia in Australia is high in relation to comparable countries and is increasing. The prevalence of gout in elderly male Australians is second only to New Zealand, which has the highest reported rate in the world. Further research on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander gout and hyperuricaemia is required as a result of the lack of contemporary data. © 2012 The Authors. Internal Medicine Journal © 2012 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Trends in the leading causes of injury mortality, Australia, Canada and the United States, 2000–2014

PubMed Central

Mack, Karin A.; Clapperton, Angela J.; Macpherson, Alison; Sleet, David; Newton, Donovan; Murdoch, James; Mackay, J. Morag; Berecki-Gisolf, Janneke; Wilkins, Wilkins; Marr, Angela; Ballesteros, Michael F.; McClure, Roderick

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to highlight the differences in injury rates between populations through a descriptive epidemiological study of population-level trends in injury mortality for the high-income countries of Australia, Canada and the United States. METHODS Mortality data were available for the US from 2000 to 2014, and for Canada and Australia from 2000 to 2012. Injury causes were defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision external cause codes, and were grouped into major causes. Rates were direct-method age-adjusted using the US 2000 projected population as the standard age distribution. RESULTS US motor vehicle injury mortality rates declined from 2000 to 2014 but remained markedly higher than those of Australia or Canada. In all three countries, fall injury mortality rates increased from 2000 to 2014. US homicide mortality rates declined, but remained higher than those of Australia and Canada. While the US had the lowest suicide rate in 2000, it increased by 24% during 2000–2014, and by 2012 was about 14% higher than that in Australia and Canada. The poisoning mortality rate in the US increased dramatically from 2000 to 2014. CONCLUSION Results show marked differences and striking similarities in injury mortality between the countries and within countries over time. The observed trends differed by injury cause category. The substantial differences in injury rates between similarly resourced populations raises important questions about the role of societal-level factors as underlying causes of the differential distribution of injury in our communities. PMID:28621655

Haemoparasites of free-roaming dogs associated with several remote Aboriginal communities in Australia.

PubMed

Barker, Emily N; Langton, Debra A; Helps, Chris R; Brown, Graeme; Malik, Richard; Shaw, Susan E; Tasker, Séverine

2012-05-14

Tick-borne haemoparasites Babesia vogeli and Anaplasma platys are common among the free-roaming canine populations associated with Aboriginal communities in Australia, whilst the prevalence of haemoplasmas, which are also suspected to be tick-borne, remained unexplored. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of haemoplasma infection in these populations, and to identify any correlation with other haemoparasites. Blood was collected from 39 dogs associated with four Aboriginal communities and screened for infection using PCR and serology. DNA was purified and PCR analyses for piroplasms, Anaplasmataceae family bacteria and haemoplasmas performed. Serum was analysed using a commercial haemoparasite ELISA. Prevalence of infection was compared between communities. Seventeen dogs (44%) were infected (PCR positive) with Mycoplasma haemocanis, eight (21%) with 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum', 20 (51%) with A. platys, and 17 (44%) with B. vogeli. Two dogs were infected with a novel haemoplasma as determined by DNA amplification and sequencing. Two dogs (5%) were serologically positive for Dirofilaria immitis antigens, one (3%) was positive for Ehrlichia canis antibodies and nine (24nbsp;%) were positive for A. platys antibodies. Co-infections were frequent. Haemoplasma prevalence was highest (73%, 16/22) in Central Australia and lowest (22%, 2/9) in Western Australia (p = 0.017). In contrast, B. vogeli prevalence was low in Central Australia (18%, 4/22) but higher (78%, 7/9) in Western Australia (p = 0.003). This is the first time haemoplasma infections, including a novel species, have been molecularly documented in Australian dogs. The wide regional variation in prevalence of some of the haemoparasite infections detected in this study warrants further investigation.

Leading Change: The Military as a Learning Organization

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

people see in the one thing. 38Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Australia...Visionary Companies. New York: Harper Business, 1994. Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People . Australia: The Business Library

A Cruel Brown Land of Beauty.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixon, Geoff

1984-01-01

Australia is the world's driest continent. One-third of the country's area is unsuitable for any land use, while another third is suitable only for cattle and sheep grazing. Australia's physical geography, weather conditions, wildflowers, and wildlife are discussed. (RM)

A revision of the Australian species of Trimma (Actinopterygii, Gobiidae), with descriptions of six new species and redescriptions of twenty-three valid species.

PubMed

Winterbottom, Richard; Hoese, Douglass F

2015-03-17

The gobiid genus Trimma currently contains 75 valid species, with another 20-30 known but undescribed species. There are 29 species in Australian waters (six undescribed). This paper describes the six new species, and provides redescriptions of most of the 23 previously described species known from the region, as well as a key for all the species. The six new species are: T. insularum (endemic to Cocos (Keeling) Islands), T. kitrinum (Fiji to Great Barrier Reef), T. meristum (Cape York to the Bismark Archipelago and Fiji), T. pentherum (Great Barrier Reef to Fiji and the South-West Islands of Palau), T. readerae (Australia to Japan), and T. xanthum (Palau to Fiji, Great Barrier Reef to Christmas Island). The following 23 species have been recorded from Australian waters, and most are redescribed here: T. anaima (Comores to Fiji), T. annosum (Maldives to the Phoenix Islands, Taiwan to the southern Great Barrier Reef), T. benjamini (southern Vietnam to the Marshall Islands, Samoa and southern Barrier Reef), T. caesiura (Ryukyus through the Marshall Islands to Samoa and Elizabeth Reef on the Lord Howe Rise), T. capostriatum (New Caledonia to eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea), T. maiandros (Java to the Ryukyus, Marshalls to Great Barrier Reef), T. emeryi (Comores to Ryukyus and Samoa), T. fangi (western South China Sea through to the Solomons), T. flavatrum (Ryukyu Islands to Western Australia and Samoa), T. hoesei (Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean to Palau and Solomons), T. lantana (Australia, Solomons, northern New Guinea, South-West Islands of Palau), T. macrophthalmus (Ryukyu Islands to Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Samoa), T. milta (Taiwan to Western Australia, Society Islands and Hawaii), T. nasa (Sumbawa, Indonesia to Fiji), T. necopinum (northern tip of Cape York to Sydney), T. nomurai (Japan to northern Australia and New Caledonia), T. okinawae (western Thailand to Japan and the Phoenix Islands, north-west Australia to the Great Barrier Reef), T. preclarum (Palau to Fiji, Great Barrier Reef), T. stobbsi (Maldives to New Caledonia), T. striatum (Maldives to Palau, to northern Australia), T. taylori (Red Sea to Hawaii and Society Islands), T. tevegae (Red Sea to Ryukyu Islands, Marshall Islands to Samoa), and T. unisquame (Comores to Hawaii and Easter Island).

MISR Stereo Imagery of Blue Mountain Fires in New South Wales, Australia

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-12-17

article title:  MISR Stereo Imagery of Blue Mountain Fires in New South Wales, Australia   ... mile (2 kilometers). On this date, the winds were relatively light and the temperature was around 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees ...

Tweed Extinct Volcano, Australia, Stereo Pair of SRTM Shaded Relief and Colored Height

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-01-06

Australia is the only continent without any current volcanic activity, but it hosts one of the world largest extinct volcanoes, the Tweed Volcano. Rock dating methods indicate that eruptions here lasted about three million years.

Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources of the Cooper Basin, Australia, 2016

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schenk, Christopher J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Klett, Timothy R.; Finn, Thomas M.; Le, Phuong A.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Marra, Kristen R.; Hawkins, Sarah J.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.

2016-07-15

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean continuous resources of 482 million barrels of oil and 29.8 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Cooper Basin of Australia.

Unexpected Result of Hendra Virus Outbreaks for Veterinarians, Queensland, Australia

PubMed Central

Judd, Jenni; Speare, Rick

2012-01-01

A qualitative study of equine veterinarians and allied staff from Queensland, Australia, showed that veterinarians are ceasing equine practice because of fears related to Hendra virus. Their decisions were motivated by personal safety and legal liability concerns. PMID:22261152

Jack Hills, Australia

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-02

This image acquired by NASA Terra spacecraft, shows the oldest material on Earth which has yet been dated by man is a zircon mineral of 4.4 billion years old from a sedimentary gneiss in the Jack Hills of the Narre Gneiss Terrane of Australia.

Earth - Simpson Desert, Central Australia

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-02-28

This color image of the Simpson Desert in Australia was obtained by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft at about 2:30 p.m. PST, Dec. 8, 1990, at a range of more than 35,000 miles. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00115

Social Inclusion and Critical Consciousness in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diemer, Matthew A.; Ortega, Lilyana

2010-01-01

Australia's Indigenous population is excluded from a range of opportunities, experiences and amenities that facilitate wellbeing, self-determination and social inclusion. This social exclusion constrains the career development and occupational attainment of Indigenous youth, which represent key routes to societal inclusion. Critical…

Employee Participation: Some Australian Cases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lansbury, Russell D.; Davis, Edward M.

1992-01-01

The Australian Workplace Industrial Relations Survey of 2,353 companies showed sporadic employee participation in decision making. Although case studies of Ford Motor, Australia Post, Lend Lease, Telecom Australia, and Woodlawn Mining illustrate successful programs, most managers appear cautious about industrial democracy. (SK)

Mathematical Sciences in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Jan; Muchatuta, Michelle; Wood, Leigh

2009-01-01

This article investigates enrolment trends in mathematical sciences in Australian universities. Data has been difficult to extract and the coding for mathematical disciplines has made investigation challenging. We show that the number of mathematics major undergraduates in Australia is steadily declining though the number studying…

Setting Standards: Confronting Paradox.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doecke, Brenton; Gill, Margaret

2001-01-01

Discusses implications of the issues of continuity and discontinuity, commonality and difference, congruity and paradox as they engage the research team, the industry partners, and the teachers around Australia who constitute the STELLA (Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia) project. (RS)

Open access for freight railroads : worthwhile or wasteful disruption, final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

This study compares the experience of the freight railroads in North America, Europe and : Australia with required access. Europe and Australia have pursued very different network access : strategies than the United States and Canada. Both the Europe...

Hypocrealean fungi from a tropical rainforest in Queensland, Australia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

During a weeklong Mycoblitz in the Atherton Tablelands of Queensland, Australia, many hypocrealean fungi were collected. Preliminary identifications indicate that many of these specimens are part of the pantropical hypocrealean biota. Some of the common tropical species collected include: Bionectria...

Motorists in four countries highlight differences among drinking-driving laws

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-03-11

A recent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study surveyed more than 2,000 motorists in Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, and United States. Motorists in Canada and Australia report being stopped and checked for alcohol far more frequently than ...

A tribosphenic mammal from the Mesozoic of Australia.

PubMed

Rich, T H; Vickers-Rich, P; Constantine, A; Flannery, T F; Kool, L; van Klaveren, N

1997-11-21

A small, well-preserved dentary of a tribosphenic mammal with the most posterior premolar and all three molars in place has been found in Aptian (Early Cretaceous) rocks of southeastern Australia. In most respects, dental and mandibular anatomy of the specimen is similar to that of primitive placental mammals. With the possible exception of a single tooth reported as Eocene in age, terrestrial placentals are otherwise unknown in Australia until the Pliocene. This possible Australian placental is similar in age to Prokennalestes from the late Aptian/early Albian Khoboor Beds of Mongolia, the oldest currently accepted member of the infraclass Placentalia.

Allergic contact dermatitis to indium in jewellery: diagnosis made possible through the use of the Contact Allergen Bank Australia.

PubMed

Gamboni, Sarah E; Simmons, Ivan; Palmer, Amanda; Nixon, Rosemary L

2013-05-01

We report a case of a 39-year-old woman from Adelaide who developed allergic contact dermatitis to the rare allergen indium in her ring. The allergen was sourced for patch testing using the Contact Allergen Bank Australia (CABA), based at the Skin and Cancer Foundation in Melbourne, and posted to Adelaide. This case illustrates the usefulness of CABA in facilitating patch testing throughout Australia, especially when rare allergens are involved. © 2013 The Authors. Australasian Journal of Dermatology © 2013 The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

Australia and international treaties: population.

PubMed

Hugo, G

1995-05-01

"The separation of environmental and population issues globally is reflected in the fact that the setting of international agendas to tackle them was for all intents and purposes undertaken at separate international meetings--the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and the International Population Conference in Cairo in 1994. This paper presents an overview of Australia's international involvement in population issues and suggests that until recently Australia had played a minor political role in international population initiatives primarily, and perhaps ironically, because it has been a world leader in demographic research and teaching for several decades." excerpt

Clavadoce (Annelida: Phyllodocidae) from Australia.

PubMed

Wilson, Robin S; Greaves, Elizabeth

2016-01-04

The first records of the phyllodocid genus Clavadoce are provided from Australia, where the fifth species in the genus is now known: Clavadoce dorsolobata (Hartmann-Schröder, 1987) comb. nov. which is widely distributed in intertidal habitats in southeastern Australia. Clavadoce dorsolobata was described as Eumida (Sige) dorsolobata Hartmann-Schröder, 1987 and herein transferred to Clavadoce. Five species of Clavadoce are now known world wide, four of which are from different regions on the Pacific Ocean margin, while Clavadoce cristata is from the North Atlantic. The Australian species is the first record of Clavadoce for the southern hemisphere.

The impact of smoke-free workplaces on declining cigarette consumption in Australia and the United States.

PubMed Central

Chapman, S; Borland, R; Scollo, M; Brownson, R C; Dominello, A; Woodward, S

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This study estimates the contribution of smoke-free workplaces to the recent national declines in cigarette consumption in Australia and the United States. METHODS: Nineteen studies of the impact of smoke-free workplaces on workday cigarette consumption were reviewed. The number and cost of cigarettes forgone were calculated and extrapolated to a scenario in which all indoor work areas were smoke-free. RESULTS: Of the 19 studies, 18 reported declines in daily smoking rates, and 17 reported declines in smoking prevalence. Smoke-free workplaces are currently responsible for an annual reduction of some 602 million cigarettes, or 1.8% of all cigarettes that might otherwise be consumed, in Australia, and an annual reduction of 9.7 billion cigarettes (2%) in the United States. Approximately 22.3% of the 2.7 billion decrease in cigarette consumption in Australia between 1988 and 1995 can be attributed to smoke-free workplaces, as can 12.7% of the 76.5 billion decrease in the United States between 1988 and 1994. CONCLUSIONS: If workplaces were universally smoke-free, the number of cigarettes forgone annually would increase to 1.14 billion (3.4%) in Australia and 20.9 billion (4.1%) in the United States. PMID:10394309

Snacking Patterns in Children: A Comparison between Australia, China, Mexico, and the US

PubMed Central

Wang, Dantong; van der Horst, Klazine; Jacquier, Emma F.; Afeiche, Myriam C.; Eldridge, Alison L.

2018-01-01

Snacking is common in children and influenced by many factors. The aim of this study is to provide insight of both common and country-specific characteristics of snacking among 4–13 year old children. We analyzed snacking prevalence, energy and nutrient contributions from snacking across diverse cultures and regions, represented by Australia, China, Mexico, and the US using data from respective national surveys. We found that the highest prevalence of snacking was in Australia and the US (over 95%) where snacking provided one-third and one-quarter of total energy intake (TEI), respectively, followed by Mexico (76%, provided 15% TEI) and China (65%, provided 10% TEI). Compared to 4–8 year-olds, the consumption of fruits and milk was lower in 9–13 year-old children, with a trend of increasing savory snacks consumption in China, Mexico, and the US. The nutrient density index of added sugars and saturated fat was higher, especially in Australia, Mexico, and the US. Results suggested that snacking could be an occasion to promote fruit and vegetable consumption in all countries, especially for older children. Snacking guidelines should focus on reducing consumption of snacks high in saturated fat and added sugars for Australia, Mexico, and the US, whereas improving dairy consumption is important in China. PMID:29439472

The Implications of the Shift Toward Donation After Circulatory Death in Australia

PubMed Central

Reiling, Janske; Forrest, Elizabeth; Bridle, Kim R.; Britton, Laurence J.; Santrampurwala, Nishreen; Crawford, Darrell H.G.; Dejong, Cornelis H.C.; Fawcett, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Background In recent years, an increasing number of donor livers are being declined for transplantation in Australia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of donation after cardiac death and other factors associated with organ quality on liver utilization rates in Australia. Methods Data on organ donors who donated at least 1 organ between 2005 and 2014 were obtained from the Australia and New Zealand organ donation registry. Temporal changes in donor characteristics were assessed and a logistical regression analysis was performed to evaluate their association with liver nonuse. Results The number of organ donors increased from 175 in 2005 to 344 in 2014, with overall 19% being donation after cardiac death donors (P < 0.001). The percentage of livers deemed unsuitable for transplantation increased from 24% in 2005 to 41% in 2014 (P < 0.001). Donation after cardiac death was identified as the most important risk factor for nonuse with an odds ratio of 25.88 (95% confidence interval, 18.84-35.56), P < 0.001) followed by donor age, obesity, and diabetes. Discussion This study shows that livers donated after circulatory death are an underused resource in Australia. Better use of these currently available organs would be a highly cost-effective way of reducing waiting list mortality in liver transplantation. PMID:29536027

Spatially-explicit valuation of coastal wetlands for cyclone mitigation in Australia and China.

PubMed

Ouyang, Xiaoguang; Lee, Shing Yip; Connolly, Rod M; Kainz, Martin J

2018-02-14

Coastal wetlands are increasingly recognised for their pivotal role in mitigating the growing threats from cyclones (including hurricanes) in a changing climate. There is, however, insufficient information about the economic value of coastal wetlands for cyclone mitigation, particularly at regional scales. Analysis of data from 1990-2012 shows that the variation of cyclone frequencies is related to EI Niño strength in the Pacific Ocean adjacent to Australia, but not China. Among the cyclones hitting the two countries, there are significant relationships between the ratio of total economic damage to gross domestic production (TD/GDP) and wetland area within cyclone swaths in Australia, and wetland area plus minimum cyclone pressure despite a weak relationship in China. The TD/GDP ratio is significantly higher in China than in Australia. Despite their extensive and growing occurrence, seawalls in China appear not to play a critical role in cyclone mitigation, and cannot replace coastal wetlands, which provide other efficient ecosystem services. The economic values of coastal wetlands in Australia and China are respectively estimated at US$52.88 billion and 198.67 billion yr -1 for cyclone mitigation, albeit with large within-country geographic variation. This study highlights the urgency to integrate this value into existing valuations of coastal wetlands.

The relationship between climate change and the endangered rainforest shrub Triunia robusta (Proteaceae) endemic to southeast Queensland, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu-Kimura, Yoko; Accad, Arnon; Shapcott, Alison

2017-04-01

Threatened species in rainforests may be vulnerable to climate change, because of their potentially narrow thermal tolerances, small population sizes and restricted distributions. This study modelled climate induced changes on the habitat distribution of the endangered rainforest plant Triunia robusta, endemic to southeast Queensland, Australia. Species distribution models were developed for eastern Australia at 250 m grids and southeast Queensland at 25 m grids using ground-truthed presence records and environmental predictor data. The species’ habitat distribution under the current climate was modelled, and the future potential habitat distributions were projected for the epochs 2030, 2050 and 2070. The eastern Australia model identified several spatially disjunct, broad habitat areas of coastal eastern Australia consistent with the current distribution of rainforests, and projected a southward and upslope contraction driven mainly by average temperatures exceeding current range limits. The southeast Queensland models suggest a dramatic upslope contraction toward locations where the majority of known populations are found. Populations located in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, consistent with past rainforest refugia, are likely to persist long-term. Upgrading the level of protection for less formal nature reserves containing viable populations is a high priority to better protect refugial T. robusta populations with respect to climate change.

Childbearing traditions of Indian women at home and abroad: An integrative literature review.

PubMed

Wells, Young-Oak; Dietsch, Elaine

2014-12-01

The percentage of overseas-born mothers giving birth in Australia has increased to 31.5% in 2012 and Indian women represent 10% (the highest proportion). It is important for midwives in Australia to be aware of the childbearing traditions of Indian women and how these influence Indian women birthing in Australia. To explore childbearing practices in India and Indian women's experience of giving birth abroad; and to discuss the relevant findings for midwives working with Indian women in Australia. An integrative literature review was employed. 32 items, including 18 original research articles were thematically reviewed to identify commonly occurring themes relating to Indian women's childbearing traditions. Five themes relating to traditional childbearing practices of women birthing in India were identified. These themes included diversity and disparity; social context of childbirth and marriage; diet based on Ayurveda; pollution theory and confinement; and finally, rituals and customs. Indian women giving birth abroad and by implication in Australia experience a transition to motherhood in a new culture. While adjusting to motherhood, they are also negotiating between their old and new cultural identities. To provide culturally safe care, it is essential that midwives reflect on their own culture while exploring what traditions are important for Indian women. Copyright © 2014 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trends in penile cancer: a comparative study between Australia, England and Wales, and the US.

PubMed

Sewell, James; Ranasinghe, Weranja; De Silva, Daswin; Ayres, Ben; Ranasinghe, Tamra; Hounsome, Luke; Verne, Julia; Persad, Raj

2015-01-01

To investigate and compare the trends in incidence and mortality of penile cancer between Australia, England and Wales, and the US, and provide hypotheses for these trends. Cancer registry data from 1982 to 2005 inclusive were obtained from Australia, England and Wales, and the United States. From these data, age-specific, -standardised and mortality:incidence ratios were calculated, and compared. The overall incidence of penile cancer in England and Wales (1.44 per 100,000 man-years) was higher than in Australia (0.80 per 100,000), and the US (0.66 per 100,000). Incidence of penile cancer in all three countries has remained relatively stable over time. Similarly, although the mortality rates were also higher in England and Wales (0.37 per 100,000 man-years) compared to Australia (0.18 per 100,000) and the US (0.15 per 100,000), the mortality/incidence ratios were similar for all three countries. Penile cancer incidence is low, affecting mainly older men. Rates differ between the three countries, being twice as common in England and Wales as in the other studied regions. Circumcision rates have a potential influence on these rates but are not the sole explanation for the variation.

Remote access laboratories in Australia and Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ku, H.; Ahfock, T.; Yusaf, T.

2011-06-01

Remote access laboratories (RALs) were first developed in 1994 in Australia and Switzerland. The main purposes of developing them are to enable students to do their experiments at their own pace, time and locations and to enable students and teaching staff to get access to facilities beyond their institutions. Currently, most of the experiments carried out through RALs in Australia are heavily biased towards electrical, electronic and computer engineering disciplines. However, the experiments carried out through RALs in Europe had more variety, in addition to the traditional electrical, electronic and computer engineering disciplines, there were experiments in mechanical and mechatronic disciplines. It was found that RALs are now being developed aggressively in Australia and Europe and it can be argued that RALs will develop further and faster in the future with improving Internet technology. The rising costs of real experimental equipment will also speed up their development because by making the equipment remotely accessible, the cost can be shared by more universities or institutions and this will improve their cost-effectiveness. Their development would be particularly rapid in large countries with small populations such as Australia, Canada and Russia, because of the scale of economy. Reusability of software, interoperability in software implementation, computer supported collaborative learning and convergence with learning management systems are the required development of future RALs.

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.

Engineers Without Borders Australia--lessons learned from an innovative approach to the upgrade of water supply infrastructure in Tenganan, Indonesia.

PubMed

Third, K; Fun, O M; Bowen, J; Micenko, A; Grey, V; Prohasky, T

2009-01-01

The community of Tenganan in eastern Bali, Indonesia, has requested technical assistance from Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) to improve the quantity and quality of water delivered through their water supply system. This is a unique development project in which the Tenganan people have identified their own needs and developed their own conceptual solution to the problem. For the first time, EWB is undertaking the design phase for the water system by an off-shore design team and project assistance team (PAT) based in Australia. This allows EWB to draw on resources and experience of EWB members and their employing companies in Australia. It also enables young engineers to develop skills and experience in development work without having to leave the country. However, the innovative approach also presented significant challenges to the project members, particularly in establishing appropriate design criteria and the co-ordination of simultaneous activities across Australia. This paper describes the approach taken by EWB and makes a preliminary assessment of the benefits and limitations inherent in this approach. The overall aim of the project is to produce a successful "bottom-up" development action that will deliver a sustainable solution to the Tenganan community.

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.

Regionalisation of general practice training--are we meeting the needs of rural Australia?

PubMed

Campbell, David G; Greacen, Jane H; Giddings, Patrick H; Skinner, Lesley P

2011-06-06

The concept of "social accountability" has underpinned the development of many medical education programs over the past decade. Success of the regionalisation of the general practice training program in Australia will ultimately be measured by the ability of the program to deliver a sufficient rural general practice workforce to meet the health needs of rural communities. Regionalisation of general practice training in Australia arose from the 1998 recommendations of the Ministerial Review of General Practice Training. The resultant competitive structure adopted by government was not the preferred option of the Review Committee, and may be a negative influence on rural workforce, as the competitive corporate structure of regional training providers has created barriers to meaningful vertical integration. Available data suggest that the regionalised training program is not yet providing a sustainable general practice workforce to rural Australia. The current increase in medical student and general practice training places provides an opportunity to address some of these issues. In particular, it is recommended that changes be made to registrar selection processes, the rural pipeline and vertical integration of training, and training for procedural rural practice. To achieve these goals, perhaps it is time for another comprehensive ministerial review of general practice training in Australia.

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.

Climate change, aeroallergens, natural particulates, and human health in Australia: state of the science and policy.

PubMed

Beggs, Paul John; Bennett, Charmian Margaret

2011-03-01

The objective of this article is to systematically review and assess what is known about the impacts of climate change on aeroallergens and other naturally derived particulates, and the associated human health impacts, and to examine responses to these in Australia, focusing on adaptation. Prior research was searched using several general and discipline-specific research databases. The review concludes that whereas there is little original research on the impacts of climate change on aeroallergens and other naturally derived particulates in Australia, or the human health consequences of these, research from overseas suggests that these impacts may be adverse and of considerable magnitude. More research is required to assess the impacts of climate change on these airborne particles and associated diseases in Australia and other parts of the Asia-Pacific. There are important policy implications of this review. There is a need for enhanced monitoring of the atmospheric environment and associated health conditions in Australia. Education about climate change and human health in general, and air quality and related diseases specifically, is required for the community, health professionals, and others. Improvements are needed in the preparedness of infrastructure, such as health care facilities and early warning systems, particularly for aeroallergens, and all of these adaptive policy responses require further research.