Non-cancer mortality among people diagnosed with cancer (Australia)

Objective To investigate whether people diagnosed with cancer have an increased risk of death from non-cancer causes compared to the general population. Methods The non-cancer mortality of people diagnosed with cancer in Queensland (Australia) between 1982 and 2002 who had not died before 1 January 1993 was compared to the mortality of the total Queensland population, matching by age group and sex, and reporting by standardised mortality ratios. Results Compared to the non-cancer mortality in the general population, cancer patients (all cancers combined) were nearly 50% more likely to die of non-cancer causes (SMR = 149.9, 95% CI = [147-153]). This varied by cancer site. Overall melanoma patients had significantly lower non-cancer mortality, female breast cancer patients had similar non-cancer mortality to the general population, while increased non-cancer mortality risks were observed for people diagnosed with cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and lung cancer. Conclusions Although cancer-specific death rates underestimate the mortality directly associated with a diagnosis of cancer, quantifying the degree of underestimation is difficult due to various competing explanations. There remains an important role for future research in understanding the causes of morbidity among cancer survivors, particularly those looking at both co-morbid illnesses and reductions in quality of life.

First published record of the pathogenic monogenean parasite Neobenenenia melleni (Capsalidae) from Australia

The monogenean Neobenedenia melleni (Mac- Callum, 1927) Yamaguti 1963 is a well-known and virulent pathogen in culture conditions recorded from the skin of many teleost fish species worldwide. Until now, N. melleni has not been reported from wild or cultured fish in Australian waters. This study documents a recent outbreak of N. melleni that occurred on Lates calcarifer (barramundi) cultivated in sea cages in Hinchinbrook Channel between Hinchinbrook Island and mainland Queensland, Australia, which resulted in the loss of 200 000 fish (50 tonnes). The origin of this outbreak is unclear because N. melleni has not been recorded from any wild host species in Australia and strict quarantine regulations exclude the possibility of its introduction on imported fish. We propose that N. melleni occurs naturally on wild populations of some teleost species in Australian waters and that the few surveys of wild fish conducted along the eastcoast have failed to report this species. The possibility that uncharacteristically low water temperatures led to the outbreak is discussed.

Anthropogenic and Natural Organohalogen Compounds in Blubber of Dolphins and Dugongs (Dugong dugon) from Northeastern Australia

A range of organohalogen compounds (10 polychlorinated biphenyl [PCB] congeners, DDT and metabolites, chlordane-related compounds, the potential natural organochlorine compound Q1, toxaphene, hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorocyclohexanes, dieldrin, and several yet unidentified brominated compounds) were detected in the blubber of four bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), one common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), and seven dugongs (Dugong dugon), as well as in adipose tissue of a green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and a python (Morelia spilota) from northeast Queensland (Australia). The green turtle and dugongs accumulated lower organohalogen levels than the dolphins. Lower levels in dugongs were expected because this species is exclusively herbivorous. Highest PCB and DDT levels recorded in dugongs were 209 and 173 mug/kg lipids, respectively. Levels of the nonanthropogenic heptachlorinated compound Q1 (highest level in dugongs was 160 mug/kg lipids) were estimated using the ECD response factor of trans-nonachlor. Highest organohalogen levels were found in blubber of dolphins for sumDDT (575-52,500 mug/kg) and PCBs (600-25,500 mug/kg lipids). Furthermore, Q1 was a major organohalogen detected in all samples analyzed, ranging from 450 -9,100 mug/kg lipids. The highest concentration of Q1 determined in this study represents the highest concentration reported to date in an environmental sample. Levels of chlordane-related compounds were also high (280-7,700 mug/kg, mainly derived from trans-nonachlor), but concentrations of hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorocyclohexanes, dieldrin, and toxaphene were relatively low and contributed little to the overall organohalogen contamination. Furthermore, a series of three major (BC-1, BC-2, and BC-3) and six minor (BC-4 through BC-9) unknown brominated compounds were observable by extracting m/z 79 and m/z 81 from the GC/ECNI-MS full scan run. Structural proposals were made for the two major recalcitrant compounds (referred to as BC-1 and BC-2). BC-2 appears to be a tetrabromo-methoxy-diphenylether (512 u) and BC-1 has 14 u (corresponding with an additional CH2 group) more relative to BC-1. In general the organohalogen pattern observed in blubber of dolphins was different compared to similar samples from other locations in the world, which is apparent from the fact that the four major abundant signals in the GC/ECD chromatogram. of D. delphis originated from the four unknown compounds Q1, BC-1, BC-2, and BC-3.

Hemoprotozoa of freshwater turtles in Queensland

Blood smears from 27 turtles (15 Emydura signata, nine Elseya latisternum, and three Chelodina longicollis) from southeastern Queensland (Australia) were examined for infections by hemoprotozoan parasites between January and June 1999. Infections were found in 26 (96%) of the turtles. Twenty five (93%) were infected with the adeleorin coccidian Haemogregarina clelandi, eight (30%) with the hemosporidian Haemoproteus chelodinae, 11 (41%) with the kinetoplastid flagellate Trypanosoma chelodinae, and eight (30%) with a novel Trypanosoma sp. Despite the high prevalence and intensity of infections, there was no evidence of clinical disease in any of the turtles.

A decision support process to compare Riparian revegetation options in Scheu Creek catchment in North Queensland

While riparian vegetation can play a major role in protecting land, water and natural habitat in catchments, there are high costs associated with tree planting and establishment and in diverting land from cropping. The distribution of costs and benefits of riparian revegetation creates conflicts in the objectives of various stakeholder groups. Multicriteria analysis provides an appropriate tool to evaluate alternative riparian revegetation options, and to accommodate the conflicting views of various stakeholder groups. This paper discusses an application of multicriteria analysis in an evaluation of riparian revegetation policy options for Scheu Creek, a small sub-catchment in the Johnstone River catchment in north Queensland, Australia. Clear differences are found in the rankings of revegetation options for different stakeholder groups with respect to environmental, social and economic impacts. Implementation of a revegetation option will involve considerable cost for landholders for the benefits of society. Queensland legislation does not provide a means to require farmers to implement riparian revegetation, hence the need for subsidies, tau incentives and moral suasion. (C) 2001 Academic Press.

Denitrification, leaching and immobilisation of N-15-labelled nitrate in winter under windrowed harvesting residues in hoop pine plantations of 1-3 years old in subtropical Australia

A field study was carried out to investigate the impacts of windrowed harvesting residues on denitrification, immobilisation and leaching of N-15-labelled nitrate applied at 20 kg N ha(-1) to microplots in second-rotation hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) plantations of 1-3 years old in southeast Queensland, Australia. The PVC microplots were 235 mm in diameter and 150 mm. long, and driven into the 100 mm soil. There were three replications of such microplots for each of the six treatments which were areas just under and between 1-, 2- and 3-year-old windrows of harvesting residues. Based on gaseous N losses estimated by the difference between the recoveries of bromide (Br) applied at 100 kg Br ha(-1) and N-15-labelled nitrate, denitrification was highest (23% based on N-15 loss) in the areas just under the 1-year-old windrows 25 days after a simulated 75 mm rainfall and following several natural rainfall events. There was no significant difference in N-15 losses (14-17%) among the other treatments. The N-15 immobilisation rate was highest for microplots in the areas between the 1-year-old windrows and generally higher for microplots in the areas just under the windrows (30-39%) than that (26-30%) between the windrows. Direct measurement of N-15 gas emissions (N-15(2) + (N2O)-N-15) confirmed that the highest denitrification rate occurred in the microplots under the 1-year-old windrows although the gaseous N-15 loss calculated by gas emission was only about one-quarter that estimated by the N-15 mass balance method. A significant, positive linear relationship (P < 0.05) existed between the gaseous N-15 losses measured by the two methods used. The research indicates that considerable mineral N could be lost via denitrification during the critical inter-rotation period and early phase of the second rotation. However, the impacts of windrowed harvesting residues on N losses via denitrification might only last for a period of about 2 years. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

Effectiveness of introduced biocontrol insects on the weed Parthenium hysterophorus (Asteraceae) in Australia

Six species of insects and a rust fungus have been successfully established for biocontrol of the weed Parthenicum hysterophorus L. in Queensland, Australia. Effectiveness of biocontrol insects was evaluated at two properties in Queensland during 1996-97 based on an exclusion experiment using insecticides. Parthenium-infested plots with and without biocontrol insects were sampled at monthly intervals and the impact of biocontrol insects on parthenium at individual plant and whole population levels monitored. Biocontrol insects were more effective at Mt Panorama (central Queensland) than at Plain Creek (north Queensland). At Mt Panorama, the leaf-feeding beetle Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister caused 96% defoliation and the stem-galling moth Epiblema strenuana Walker affected 100% of the plants, resulting in reductions of 90% in weed density, 40% in plant height, and 82% in flower production. Exclusion of biocontrol insects resulted in a 52% increase in seedling emergence and a seven-fold increase in the soil seed bank in the following season. At Plain Creek, E. strenuana was the only prominent agent. It affected 92% of the plants and prevented 32% of plants from producing any flowers, reduced plant height by 40% and flower production by 49%, but did not reduce the plant biomass, weed density or soil seed bank. However, exclusion of biocontrol insects resulted in an eight-fold increase in the soil seed bank in the following season.

The Building Partnerships Program: An Approach to Community-based Learning for Medical Students in Australia

The Building Partnerships Program at the University of Queensland, Australia seeks to address the dual challenge of preparing doctors who are responsive to the community while providing a meaningful context for social sciences learning. Through partnerships with a diverse range of community agencies, the program offers students opportunities to gain non-clinical perspectives on health and illness through structured learning activities including: family visits; community agency visits and attachments; and interview training. Students learn first-hand about psychosocial influences on health and how people manage health problems on a day-to-day basis. They also gain insights into the work of community agencies and how they as future doctors might work in partnership with them to enhance patient care. We outline the main components of the program, identify challenges and successes from student and community agency perspectives, and consider areas that invite further development.

Young women in conflict: Filipinas growing up in Australia

This paper discusses the tensions of adaptation as experienced by 72 young women, born in the Philippines or to immigrant mothers and resident in southeast, far west and far north Queensland, Australia. As illustrated, these women, aged 14-25 years, often have difficulty balancing their expectations with those of their families and of the society in which they live. Like most young Australians they experience some conflicts with parents, but the intersections of race, gender and culture may make it particularly difficult for young Filipinas to develop a sense of their own identity and place in society. The retention of Filipino values often isolates young women from their peers and excludes them from participating in activities considered an important part of growing up Australian, but the adoption of 'Australian' behaviors such as drinking and smoking is not necessarily accompanied by an enhanced sense of belonging.

Long-term trends in sunshine duration and its association with schizophrenia birth rates and age at first registration - data from Australia and the Netherlands

Back ground. Based on the well-described excess of schizophrenia births in winter and spring, we hypothesised that individuals with schizophrenia (a) would be more likely to be born during periods of decreased perinatal sunshine, and (b) those born during periods of less sunshine would have an earlier age of first registration. Methods. We undertook an ecological analysis of long-term trends in perinatal sunshine duration and schizophrenia birth rates based on two mental health registers (Queensland. Australia n = 6630; The Netherlands n = 24, 474). For each of the 480 months between 1931 and 1970, the agreement between slopes of the trends in psychosis and long-term sunshine duration series were assessed. Age at first registration was assessed by quartiles of long-term trends in perinatal sunshine duration, Males and females were assessed separately. Results. Both the Dutch and Australian data showed a statistically significant association between falling long-term trends in sunshine duration around the time of birth and rising schizophrenia birth rates for males only. In both the Dutch and Australian data there were significant associations between earlier age of first registration and reduced long-term trends in sunshine duration around the time of birth for both males and females, Conclusions. A measure of long-term trends in perinatal sunshine duration was associated with two epidemiological features of schizophrenia in two separate data sets. Exposures related to sunshine duration warrant further consideration in schizophrenia research. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Printed advice on initiating and maintaining breastfeeding in mid-20th-century Queensland

This article, which is part of a larger historical study of infant-feeding advice received by mothers in Queensland, Australia, identifies and examines print materials that were used by mothers, or that influenced other texts, during the postwar period from 1945 to 1965. The texts are described within the context of their environmental influences and the medical knowledge and research of the time to assess what effect, if any, these latter materials had on the established system of infant-feeding advice. Two innovations that were employed are the use of interviews to identify the most-used texts and the comparison of popular advice books with medical journal material.

Flavivirus isolations from mosquitoes collected from western Cape York Peninsula, Australia, 1999-2000

After the 1st appearance of Japanese encephalitis virus (JE) on mainland Australia in 1998, a study was undertaken to investigate whether JE had become established in enzootic transmission cycles on western Cape York Peninsula. Adult mosquitoes were collected during the late wet season from Kowanyama and Pormpuraaw in April 1999, and Pormpuraaw and Barr's Yard in April 2000. Despite processing 269,270 mosquitoes for virus isolation, no isolates of JE were obtained. However, other flaviviruses comprising Murray Valley encephalitis virus, Kunjin virus, Alfuy virus, and Kokobera virus (KOK) were isolated. Isolates of the alphaviruses Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus (BF), and Sindbis virus (SIN) also were obtained. The majority (88%) of isolates were from members of the Culex sitiens subgroup. Single isolates of KOK, BF and SIN were obtained from Ochlerotatus vigilax, Oc. normanensis, and Anopheles bancroftii, respectively. The isolations of flaviviruses during the late wet season indicate that conditions were suitable for flavivirus activity in the area. No evidence was found to suggest that JE has become established in enzootic transmission cycles on western Cape York, although study sites and field trips were limited.

Residential and lifestyle changes for adults with an intellectual disability in Queensland 1960-2001

As we celebrate 50 years of the Schonell Special Education Research Centre it is timely to consider changes that have occurred in the provision of residential services for people with an intellectual disability. Before the 1970s adults and children were cared for in large institutions using a medical model of care. In the mid-1970s a new developmental model based on education and training was implemented in response to the principle of normalisation and issues of social justice. The most dramatic changes have occurred in the last ten years with the decision to close large institutions and relocate residents into ordinary homes in the community. This paper describes changes in lifestyle for adults with an intellectual disability as a result of the move from institutional to community residential service provision. The Challinor Centre in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia provides examples of lifestyle changes that have occurred under different models of service provision during this time. Community living is described with research evidence validating the advantages of this type of service provision for residents with an intellectual disability. Outcomes have been documented through the use of group results and a case study of one individual following deinstitutionalisation describes the benefits of this new model of residential accommodation

Comparative atmospheric corrosion of primary and cold rolled copper in Australia

Atmospheric corrosion tests, according to ASTM G50, have been carried out in Queensland, Australia, at three different sites representing three different environmental conditions. A range of materials including primary copper (electrosheet) and electrolytic tough pitch (traditional cold rolled) copper have been exposed. Data is available for five exposure periods over a three year time span. X-Ray Diffraction has been used to determine the composition of the corrosion products. Corrosion rates have been determined for each material at each of the exposure sites and are compared with corrosion rates obtained from other long term atmospheric corrosion test programs. Primary copper sheet (electrosheet) behaves like traditionally produced cold rolled copper (C11000) sheet but with an increased corrosion rate. This difference between the rolled copper samples and the primary copper samples is probably due to a combination of factors related to the difference in crystallographic texture of the underlying copper, the morphology and texture of the cuprite layer, the surface roughness of the sheets, and the differences in mass. These factors combine together to provide an increased oxidation rate and TOW for the electrosheet material and which is significantly higher at the more tropical sites. For a sulfate environment (Urban) the initial corrosion product is cuprite with posnjakite and brochantite also occurring at longer exposures. Posnjakite is either washed away or converted to brochantite during further exposure. The amount of brochantite increases with exposure time and forms the blue-green patina layer. For a chloride environment (Marine) the initial corrosion product is cuprite with atacamite also occurring at longer exposures.