A decade of Taiwanese migration in Australia: Comparisons with Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong settlers

The arrival of Taiwanese migrants to Australia represents the second major wave of Chinese immigration to this nation. Many who entered Australia did so as business migrants. They were typically well educated, affluent professionals, managers, &/or entrepreneurs who were looking for new business opportunities as well as a lifestyle characterized by open space, clean air, a good education for their children, & personal & political safety. Yet, the settlement experiences of many Taiwanese migrants, despite their affluence & (business) skills, have been typified by stress & hardship, particularly in making adjustments in social, business, & economic relationships. A review of statistical data compiled from census & government reports in Australia has revealed that after a decade Down Under, the Taiwanese settler group was still characterized by high unemployment, even when compared to other Chinese migrant groups from Hong Kong & Mainland China. It is suggested that the Taiwanese migrants' persistent high nonparticipation in Australia's labor force is indicative & poignant of their highly distinctive, albeit not exclusive in the broader Chinese migrant terms, experience of migration settlement. There seems to be an increasing number of Taiwanese settlers returning to resettle in Taiwan in recent years, because of perceived better employment & business opportunities or for family & personal reasons. Recent interviews with Taiwanese settlers have also suggested that the most recent arrivals, being more aware of the obstacles in achieving work or business satisfaction during settlement, seem less likely to commit themselves to lifelong settlement in Australia. 16 Tables, 1 Figure, 37 References. Adapted from the source document.

The multiple signals assessed by female satin bowerbirds: could they be used to narrow down females' choices of mates?

Female choice based on multiple male traits has been documented in many species but the functions of such multiple traits are still under debate. The satin bowerbird has a polygynous mating system in which males attract females to bowers for mating; females choose mates based on multiple aspects of males and their bowers. In this paper, we demonstrate that females use some cues to decide which males to examine closely and other cues to decide which males to mate with. Female visitation rates to bowers were significantly related to male size and the males' 'solitary' display rates, and, to a lesser extent, to the numbers of bower decorations. After controlling for female visitation rates, it was found that a male's mating success was significantly related to his size and the rate at which he 'painted' his bower with saliva and chewed up plant material.

The use of transcriptional profiles to predict adult mosquito age under field conditions

Age is a critical determinant of an adult female mosquito's ability to transmit a range of human pathogens. Despite its central importance, relatively few methods exist with which to accurately determine chronological age of field-caught mosquitoes. This fact is a major constraint on our ability to fully understand the relative importance of vector longevity to disease transmission in different ecological contexts. It also limits our ability to evaluate novel disease control strategies that specifically target mosquito longevity. We report the development of a transcriptional profiling approach to determine age of adult female Aedes aegypti under field conditions. We demonstrate that this approach surpasses current cuticular hydrocarbon methods for both accuracy of predicted age as well as the upper limits at which age can be reliably predicted. The method is based on genes that display age-dependent expression in a range of dipteran insects and, as such, is likely to be broadly applicable to other disease vectors.

Interior under construction, Carpenter Hall house, Wilston, Brisbane

View to upper tower from lower section of house.

Interior under construction, Carpenter Hall house, Wilston, Brisbane

Triangular window openings to upper section of house.

Interior under construction, Carpenter Hall house, Wilston, Brisbane

Timber structure to upper floors, as seen from interior.

Under construction, PNG Coffee Industry Board Office and Warehouse, Goroka

View of post being hoisted into position during construction.

Northern entrance court under construction, Sunshine Coast University Library, Maroochydore

View to library entrance court under construction.

Mg induced Ca deficiency under alkaline conditions

Little is known about Mg induced Ca deficiency in alkaline conditions, and the relationship between Mg induced Ca deficiency and Na induced Ca deficiency. Dilute nutrient solutions (dominated by Mg) were used to investigate the effect of Ca activity ratio (CAR) on the growth of mungbeans (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek cv. Emerald). At pH 9.0, root growth was reduced below a critical CAR of 0.050 (corresponding to 90 % relative root length). Root growth was found to be limited more in Mg solutions than had been previously observed for Na solutions. Using a CAR equation modified with plasma membrane binding constants (to incorporate the differing antagonistic effects of Mg and Na), new critical CAR values were calculated for both Na (0.56) and Mg (0.44) dominated solutions. This modified CAR equation permits the calculation of CAR irrespective of the dominant salt present.