Applying a Systems Approach to the Analysis of the Benefits of Conversion to Organic Production

Although the current level of organic production in industrialised countries amounts to little more than 1-2 percent, it is recognised that one of the major issues shaping agricultural output over the next several decades will be the demand for organic produce (Dixon et al. 2001). In Australia, the issues of healthy food and environmental concern contribute to increasing demand and market volumes for organic produce. However, in Indonesia, using more economical inputs for organic production is a supply-side factor driving organic production. For individual growers and processors, conversion from conventional to organic agriculture is often a challenging step, entailing a thorough revision of established practices and heightened market insecurity. This paper examines the potential for a systems approach to the analysis of the conversion process, to yield insights for household and community decisions. A framework for applying farming systems research to investigate the benefits of organic production in both Australia and Indonesia is discussed. The framework incorporates scope for farmer participation, crucial to the understanding of farming systems; analysis of production; and relationships to resources, technologies, markets, services, policies and institutions in their local cultural context. A systems approach offers the potential to internalise the external effects that may be constraining decisions to convert to organic production, and for the design of decision-making tools to assist households and the community. Systems models can guide policy design and serve as a mechanism for predicting the impact of changes to the policy and market environments. The increasing emphasis of farming systems research on community and environment in recent years is in keeping with the proposed application to organic production, processing and marketing issues. The approach will also facilitate the analysis of critical aspects of the Australian production, marketing and policy environment, and the investigation of these same features in an Indonesian context.

Health and safety issues in contemporary dental practice

Under current workplace health and safety legislation, the owners and managers of a dental practice have a legal responsibility to provide staff with a safe working environment. In this article, the emphasis will be on four common areas of risk: posture when seated, handling scalpel blades, flooring and lighting.

Compiling a GIS database of tree farms on Leyte Island

As part of ACIAR project ASEM/2003/052, Improving Financial Returns to Smallholder Tree Farmers in the Philippines, plantations of timber trees in Leyte Island, the Philippines were located using a systematic survey of the island. The survey was undertaken in order to compile a database of plantations which could be used to guide the planning of project activities. In addition to recording a range of qualitative and quantitative information for each plantation, the survey spatially referenced each site using a Global Positioning System (GPS) to electronic maps of the island which were held in a Geographical Information System (GIS). Microsoft Excel and Mapsource® software were used as the software links between GPS coordinates and the GIS. Mapping of farm positions was complicated by different datums being used for maps of Leyte Island and this caused GPS positions to be displaced from equivalent positions on the map. Photos of the sites were hyperlinked to their map positions in the GIS in order to assist staff to recall site characteristics.

Human and murine cytomegalovirus evasion of cytotoxic T lymphocyte and natural killer cell-mediated immune responses

Herpesviruses, such as human and murine cytomegalovirus, possess an impressive array of genes believed to assist in virus survival against the host immune response. In this review, we cover the rapidly growing area of cytomegalovirus evasion of cellular immunity, specifically cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells. The proposed mechanisms of action of viral proteins involved in blocking peptide presentation to CD8(+) T cells, namely, interference with peptide generation, inhibition of peptide assembly with class I MHC and retention/destabilization of class I MHC complexes, are described. In addition, recent evidence implicating the viral class I MHC-like proteins as inhibitors of natural killer cell-mediated clearance is reviewed, (C) 1998 Academic Press.

A comparative mental health literacy survey of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals in Singapore

Objective: The objectives of this study are, first, to replicate and extend an Australian approach to assessing mental health literacy by studying a sample of Singapore mental health professionals, and to focus on differences between judgements made by the psychiatrists in comparison with the other mental health professionals. Second, to compare the psychiatrists' judgements with those of Australian psychiatrists. Method: The Australian questionnaire, assessing responses in relation to vignettes of major depression and to schizophrenia was extended by adding a third vignette of mania, and by the addition of several region-specific response options. Nearly 500 questionnaires were distributed to representative staff (psychiatrists, nurses and allied health) of a large psychiatric institution in Singapore, with a response rate of 81%. Psychiatrists' judgements were compared with all other hospital staff, and with Australian psychiatrists' judgements. Results: The two principal contrast groups (Singapore psychiatrists and other Singapore mental health professionals) differed slightly in terms of diagnostic accuracy. The psychiatrists differed in favouring a more professionally focused model of intervention, while both professional groups viewed traditional healers and their practices as distinctly unhelpful. Direct comparison of psychiatrist ratings generated in Singapore and in Australia revealed quite similar response profiles. Conclusions: In addition to generating data of some intrinsic importance, comparison with Australian survey data allows the potential impact of regional and cultural differences, as well as of varying psychiatric practices, to be identified. Responses identified more similarities than differences in the judgements of the psychiatrists from the two countries.

Predictors of genital warts among women attending two family planning clinics

Objectives: To establish the prevalence and predictors of genital warts among healthy women presenting for contraceptive advice at two family planning clinics, one in a major Australian city and one in a country town in the same state. Methods: Consecutive consenting attendees (n = 1218)at two family planning clinics in Queensland completed a questionnaire and were examined for genital warts. Results: The point prevalence of visible genital warts was 3.3 per cent in the city clinic and 14.4 per cent in the country town. For half of these clients a finding of warts was unexpected, in that the client was unaware of their presence and presentation to the family planning clinic was not specifically for advice about sexually transmitted infections. The major predictor of a finding of warts was client age, with the highest prevalence in 20- to 25-year-olds. Warts were also commoner amongst smokers in the country town but not in Brisbane. However, no analysed sociodemographic variable predicted a finding of warts of which the client was not aware. Conclusions: Genital warts are common among young women presenting for contraceptive advice. Such women are often unaware that they have warts. Examination for genital warts should be a part of any routine examination of sexually active women, and medical practitioners should be aware of appropriate advice for patients who are found to have genital warts on routine examination.

Induction of immune tolerance by dendritic cells: implications for preventative and therapeutic immunotherapy of autoimmune disease

Dendritic cells (DC) have a key role in controlling the immune response, by determining the outcome of antigen presentation to T cells. Through costimulatory molecules and other factors, DC are involved in the maintenance of peripheral tolerance through modulation of the immune response. This modulation occurs both constitutively, and in inflammation, in order to prevent autoimmunity and to control established immune responses. Dendritic cell control of immune responses may be mediated through cytokine or cell-contact dependent mechanisms. The molecular and cellular basis of these controls is being understood at an increasingly more complex level. This understanding is reaching a level at which DC-based therapies for the induction of immune regulation in autoimmunity can be tested in vivo. This review outlines the current state of knowledge of DC in immune tolerance, and proposes how DC might control both T cell responses, and themselves, to prevent autoimmunity and maintain peripheral tolerance.

Young people's socialisation into sport: A case study of an athletics club

This paper explores young people's (9 to 15 years old) early socialisation into sport. We draw on data from an 18-month-long ethnography of the junior section of an athletics club in England, using field notes, interviews and a psychometric questionnaire. We begin by noting a trend towards increasing numbers of younger children participating in adult-organised, community-based sport. Within this context, we investigate the extent to which Siedentop's [(1995) Junior Sport and the evolution of sport cultures, Keynote presentation to the Junior Sport Forum, Auckland, New Zealand] three main goals for young people's participation in sport, i.e. the educative, public health and elite development, are met in specific, local junior sport settings such as Forest Athletics Club (FAC). We report that most of the young people participating in the Introductory Groups at FAC begin their socialisation into sport by 'sampling' a range of sports and other activities that are available to them. We note the key features of the sampling phase for these young people, including their involvement in sports and other activities in addition to athletics, their reasons for participation, the place of competition and the importance of friendship. We report that FAC created a climate for the Samplers, intentionally or not, conducive to the development of Siedentop's educative goal, and to a lesser extent the public health and elite development goals. In concluding, we note the implications of the study for community-based programmes run by clubs.

The downsides of downsizing: Communication processes and information needs in the aftermath of a workforce reduction strategy

This study explored the impact of downsizing on levels of uncertainty, coworker and management trust, and communicative effectiveness in a health care organization downsizing during a 2-year period from 660 staff to 350 staff members. Self-report data were obtained from employees who were staying (survivors), from employees were being laid off (victims), and from employees with and without managerial responsibilities. Results indicated that downsizing had a similar impact on the amount of trust that survivors and victims had for management. However, victims reported feeling lower levels of trust toward their colleagues compared with survivors. Contrary to expectations, survivors and victims reported similar perceptions of job and organizational uncertainty and similar levels of information received about changes. Employees with no management responsibilities and middle managers both reported lower scores than did senior managers on all aspects of information received. Implications for practice and the management of the communication process are discussed.

Mentoring for population health in general practice divisions

This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a three-way model of service development mentoring. This population health mentoring program was funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing to enable staff from eight Divisions of General Practice in South Australia to gain a sound understanding of population health concepts relevant to their workplace. The distinguishing features of service development mentoring were that the learning was grounded within an individual's work setting and experience; there was an identified population health problem or issue confronting the Division of General Practice; and there was an expectation of enhanced organisational performance. A formal evaluation found a consensus among all learners that mentoring was a positive and worthwhile experience, where they had achieved what they had set out to do. Mentors found the model of learning agreeable and effective. Division executive officers recognised enhanced skills among their "learner" colleagues, and commented positively on the benefits to their organisations through the development of well researched and relevant projects, with the potential to improve the efficiency of their population health activities.

Stress in veterinary science students: A study at the University of Queensland

This paper reports on the results of a survey of selected University of Queensland (UQ) veterinary students aimed at elucidating factors causing stress during the five undergraduate years of the program. Students from each of the five years were asked to form six- or seven-member focus groups. Each focus group was then interviewed and their opinions sought on causes of ongoing stress and the ranking of those causes into predetermined categories. They were also asked to give their opinions on counseling services available within the university and what, if any, services they would like to see in place to help students with stress-related problems. Students in the first, third, and fourth years of the program rated academic issues as the most likely causes of ongoing stress, while students in the second and fifth years of the program ranked lifestyle and financial issues as more likely to cause ongoing stress. in most cases, students coped well with these causes of stress and tended not to use counseling services available to all UQ students. When faced with stressful issues, students looked to their classmates or family members for help and not to university counseling services. Students were also happy to approach staff members in the Veterinary School when faced with a problem. The authors nevertheless conclude that mechanisms set in place at the undergraduate level to help veterinary students cope with stress should particularly benefit those students when they become new graduates and are faced with the stresses of veterinary practice.