Adopting turtle excluder devices in Australia and the United States: What are the differences in technology transfer, promotion, and acceptance?

Turtle excluder devices (TEDs) are being trialed on a voluntary basis in many Australian prawn (shrimp) trawl fisheries to reduce sea turtle captures. Analysis of TED introductions into shrimp trawl fisheries of the United States provided major insights into why conflicts occurred between shrimpers, conservationists, and government agencies. A conflict over the introduction and subsequent regulation of TEDs occurred because the problem and the solution were perceived differently by the various stakeholders. Attempts to negotiate and mediate the conflict broke down, resulting in litigation against the U.S. government by conservationists and shrimpers. Litigation was not an efficient resolution to the sea turtle-TED-trawl conflict but it appears that litigation was the only remaining path of resolution once the issue became polarized. We review two major Australian trawl fisheries to identify any significant differences in circumstances that may affect TED acceptance. Australian trawl fisheries are structured differently and good communication occurs between industry and researchers. TEDs are being introduced as mature technology. Furthermore, bycatch issues are of increasing concern to all stakeholders. These factors, combined with insights derived from previous conflicts concerning TEDs in the United Stares, increase the possibilities that TEDs will be introduced to Australian fishers with better acceptance.

(Mis)communicating across boundaries - Interpersonal and intergroup considerations

The metaphor of boundary is ubiquitous and has guided much research on interpersonal and intergroup communication This article explores the metaphor by reviewing the literature on boundaries with a focus on miscommunication and problematic talk. In particular, the tensions around privacy and self-disclosure, and rules about family communication are good examples of communication and miscommunication across interpersonal boundaries. In the intergroup arena, the negotiation of boundaries implicates the sociostructural relations between, groups and the choices individuals make based on the identities that are salient to them in a given context. We argue that miscommunication can best be conceived of as an indicator of tension in negotiating boundaries as they emerge and change in interaction.

Evolution of colorectal cancer: Change of pace and change of direction

This review compiles evidence for an alternative to the classical adenoma-carcinoma sequence in the evolution of colorectal cancer. It is suggested that between 30 and 50% of colorectal cancers are not initiated by mutation of the tumor suppressor gene APC, but through the epigenetic silencing of genes implicated in the control of differentiation, cell cycle control and DNA repair proficiency. The precursor polyps are often characterized by a serrated architecture, and include hyperplastic polyps, admixed polyps and serrated adenomas. The alternative pathway is heterogeneous and may culminate in cancers showing low or high level DNA microsatellite instability (MSI-L and MSI-H, respectively), and in cancers that are microsatellite stable (MSS). Cancers showing DNA MSI may be characterized by an accelerated evolution. Cancers in hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer show features of both classical (adenoma and APC mutation) and alternative pathways (rapid evolution, MSI-H and lack of chromosomal instability). (C) 2001 Blackwell Science Asia Pty Ltd.

Complex language functions and subcortical mechanisms: evidence from Huntington's disease and patients with non-thalamic subcortical lesions

The neuropathological changes associated with Huntington's disease (HD) are most marked in the head of the caudate nucleus and, to a lesser extent, in the putamen and globus pallidus, suggesting that at least part of the language impairments found in patients with HD may result from non-thalamic subcortical (NTS) pathology. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that a signature profile of impaired language functions is found in patients who have sustained damage to the non-thalamic subcortex, either focally induced or resulting from neurodegenerative pathology. The language abilities of a group of patients with Huntington's disease (n=13) were compared with those of an age- and education-matched group of patients with chronic NTS lesions following stroke (n=13) and a non-neurologically impaired control group (n=13). The three groups were compared on language tasks that assessed both primary and more complex language abilities. The primary language battery consisted of The Western Aphasia Battery and The Boston Naming Test, whilst the more complex cognitive-linguistic battery employed selected subtests from The Test of Language Competence-Expanded, The Test of Word Knowledge and The Word Test-Revised. On many of the tests of primary language function from the Western Aphasia Battery, both the HD and NTS participants performed in a similar manner to the control participants. The language performances of the HD participants were significantly more impaired (p<0.05 using modified Bonferroni adjustments) than the control group, however, on various lexico-semantic tasks (e. g. the Boston Naming Test and providing definitions), on both single-word and sentence-level generative tasks (e. g. category fluency and formulating sentences), and on tasks which required interpretation of ambiguous, figurative and inferential meaning. The difficulties that patients with HD experienced with tasks assessing complex language abilities were strikingly similar, both qualitatively and quantitatively, to the language profile produced by NTS participants. The results provide evidence to suggest that a signature language profile is associated with damage to the non-thalamic subcortex resulting from either focal neurological insult or a degenerative disease.

Categorization and characterization of transcript-confirmed constitutively and alternatively spliced introns and exons from human

By spliced alignment of human DNA and transcript sequence data we constructed a data set of transcript-confirmed exons and introns from 2793 genes, 796 of which (28%) were seen to have multiple isoforms. We find that over one-third of human exons can translate in more than one frame, and that this is highly correlated with G+C content. Introns containing adenosine at donor site position +3 (A3), rather than guanosine (G3), are more common in low G+C regions, while the converse is true in high G+C regions. These two classes of introns are shown to have distinct lengths, consensus sequences and correlations among splice signals, leading to the hypothesis that A3 donor sites are associated with exon definition, and G3 donor sites with intron definition. Minor classes of introns, including GC-AG, U12-type GT-AG, weak, and putative AG-dependant introns are identified and characterized. Cassette exons are more prevalent in low G+C regions, while exon isoforms are more prevalent in high G+C regions. Cassette exon events outnumber other alternative events, while exon isoform events involve truncation twice as often as extension, and occur at acceptor sites twice as often as at donor sites. Alternative splicing is usually associated with weak splice signals, and in a majority of cases, preserves the coding frame. The reported characteristics of constitutive and alternative splice signals, and the hypotheses offered regarding alternative splicing and genome organization, have important implications for experimental research into RNA processing. The 'AltExtron' data sets are available at http://www.bit.uq.edu.au/altExtron/ and http://www.ebi.ac.uk/similar tothanaraj/altExtron/.

Did they read Marx? Marx reception and social democratic party members in imperial Germany, 1890-1914

Did rank-and-file members of the German Social Democratic party before 1914 bother to read Marx? A number of studies of borrowing from trade union and other workers' libraries since the 1970s have indicated that workers who read Marx were rare, although this does not mean that workers' reading habits were not influenced by socialist ideas. However, for a broader understanding of the reception of Marx's writings among rank-and-file German socialists, it is necessary to consider not only books, but the pamphlet literature produced by the SPD in huge quantities, serialisations and other treatments in the party press, and oral communication. When the full range of sources is considered, the extent of the reception of Marx's writings, albeit often in very simplified forms, can be more fully appreciated.

Prometheus unbound: 20 years of communication policy research

In this article I review 20 years of writing on communication policy in Prometheus. I examine the contribution Prometheus has made to three areas of knowledge about communication policy: communication itself, its histories, and broad notions of communication policy; telecommunications; and new communication technology. I suggest that it is in the latter two areas focusing on the technological dimensions of communication policy, that the journal has consistently contributed genuinely innovative work. Here the journal has fostered interdisciplinary writing and enquiry where policy and technology developments most required critique and new ideas.

Producing computer-generated tailored written information for stroke patients and their carers: System development and preliminary evaluation

Purpose: The aim of this project was to design and evaluate a system that would produce tailored information for stroke patients and their carers, customised according to their informational needs, and facilitate communication between the patient and, health professional. Method: A human factors development approach was used to develop a computer system, which dynamically compiles stroke education booklets for patients and carers. Patients and carers are able to select the topics about which they wish to receive information, the amount of information they want, and the font size of the printed booklet. The system is designed so that the health professional interacts with it, thereby providing opportunities for communication between the health professional and patient/carer at a number of points in time. Results: Preliminary evaluation of the system by health professionals, patients and carers was positive. A randomised controlled trial that examines the effect of the system on patient and carer outcomes is underway. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regional development rhrough domestic and tourist event policies: Gold Coast and Brisbane 1974-2003

Governments, as key stakeholders in the development of events, produce policies to facilitate the growth and potential of events as a platform for industry and economic development. To date, however, there has been a paucity of research undertaken to determine the appropriateness and the consequences of government policies pertaining to events. This paper studies the event policies of two Australian local government authorities, the Gold Coast City Council and Brisbane City Council, from 1974-2003, as measured by four development paradigms: Modernisation, Dependency, Economic Neoliberalism, and Alternative. The analysis revealed that these policies were predominantly underpinned by the Alternative which has a strong socio-cultural focus. Increased awareness and utilisation of the various development paradigms will assist local governments in producing future event policies to promote growth of the event industry and concomitantly, appropriate development within their region.

Cultural and gender influences on age identification

Age identification plays a significant role in young adults" mass, interpersonal, intergenerational, and intercultural communication. This research examines cultural and gender influences on young people's age identity by measuring the social age identity of male and female young adult members of five cultures varying in individualism/collectivism (Laos, Thailand, Spain, Australia, and the U.S.A.). We found cultural influences on age identity to be both unexpected in nature and modest in effect. American and Laotian respondents had similar and nominally higher levels of age identity than Australian, Thai, and Spanish respondents, with all having a markedly different age identities than those of Japanese respondents as reported by other researchers. No direct effect for gender on age identity emerged, though American females were more age identified than all other respondents. Across cultures, the social identity scale was found to be a reasonably adequate measure of age identity.

Smoking and elevated blood pressure are the most important risk factors for subarachnoid hemorrhage in the Asia-Pacific region - An overview of 26 cohorts involving 306,620 participants

Background and Purpose - The cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage ( SAH) is poorly understood and there are few large cohort studies of risk factors for SAH. We investigated the risk of SAH mortality and morbidity associated with common cardiovascular risk factors in the Asia-Pacific region and examined whether the strengths of these associations were different in Asian and Australasian ( predominantly white) populations. Methods - Cohort studies were identified from Internet electronic databases, searches of proceedings of meetings, and personal communication. Hazard ratios (HRs) for systolic blood pressure (SBP), current smoking, total serum cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), and alcohol drinking were calculated from Cox models that were stratified by sex and cohort and adjusted for age at risk. Results - Individual participant data from 26 prospective cohort studies ( total number of participants 306 620) that reported incident cases of SAH ( fatal and/or nonfatal) were available for analysis. During the median follow-up period of 8.2 years, a total of 236 incident cases of SAH were observed. Current smoking (HR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.8 to 3.4) and SBP > 140 mm Hg ( HR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.5 to 2.7) were significant and independent risk factors for SAH. Attributable risks of SAH associated with current smoking and elevated SBP ( similar to 140 mm Hg) were 29% and 19%, respectively. There were no significant associations between the risk of SAH and cholesterol, BMI, or drinking alcohol. The strength of the associations of the common cardiovascular risk factors with the risk of SAH did not differ much between Asian and Australasian regions. Conclusions - Cigarette smoking and SBP are the most important risk factors for SAH in the Asia-Pacific region.

Communicative practices in online communication: A case of agreeing to disagree

Online communities have evolved beyond the realm of social phenomenon to become important knowledge-sharing media with real economic consequences. However, the sharing of knowledge and the communication of meaning through Internet technology presents many difficulties. This is particularly so for online finance forums where market-sensitive information and disinformation about exchange-traded stocks is regularly disseminated. The development of trust and the effect of misinformation in this environment are important in the growth of this communication medium. Forum administrators need to better understand and handle the development of trust. In this article, we analyze and discuss the communicative practices of a group of investors and members of an online community of interest. We found that conflict as a driver of knowledge sharing is an important consideration for forum administrators and designers.