A baseline study of importance of bovines for human Schistosoma Japonicum infections around Poyang Lake, China: Villages studied and snail sampling strategy

An epidemiologic survey among four administrative villages around Poyang Lake, in Jiangxi Province, China (two experimental and two controls) is being conducted to determine if bovine infections are responsible for the persistence of human schistosomiasis transmission on Yangtze River marshlands. A previously published paper presented the experimental design and baseline data for humans and bovines. This paper presents basic data for the four villages using remote sensing, and baseline data for snails that includes geographic information systems and remote sensing technology to classify the areas of bovine grazing ranges and habitats suitable for snails. A new method for sampling Oncomelania snails in China is used to determine the distribution, density, and infection rates of snails throughout the grazing ranges from season to season over a four-year period. Hypothetically, treating bovines should reduce infection rates in snails to below the critical number necessary to maintain infections in man and bovines.

The most influential books in Australian sociology (MIBAS), 1963-2003

To mark the 40th anniversary of the Australian Sociological Association (TASA), a survey on the Most Influential Books in Australian Sociology (MIBAS) was conducted. In this article we discuss the MIBAS process, its findings, and provide some reflections on the top 10 most influential books. We also situate the MIBAS survey among other attempts to compile lists of the most influential books in the discipline of sociology, and discuss the benefits and limits of such endeavours. We argue that the MIBAS exercise was useful not only as a commemorative device, but as an opportunity to reflect on the breadth and influence of Australian sociological scholarship.

Employment restrictions among persons with ICD-10 anxiety disorders: characteristics from a population survey

Disability, employment, and employment restrictions among persons with ICD-10 anxiety disorders were investigated at a population level in comparison to persons without disability or long-term health conditions. Data were provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) collected in a 1998 national survey. Multistage sampling obtained a probability sample of 37,580 individuals in the household component of the survey. Trained lay interviewers using ICD-10 computer-assisted interviews identified household residents with anxiety disorders. Details of employment restrictions are reported and discussed. The four most commonly reported restrictions were: restricted in the type of job (24.0%); need for a support person (23.3%); difficulty changing jobs (18.6%); and restricted in the number of hours (15.4%). The nature and extent of employment restrictions characterizing persons with anxiety disorders indicates a need for strengthened disability and health condition screening at application for Government income support and at gateways to public funded vocational assistance. (c) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A survey of e-mentoring among New Zealand midwives

Mentoring is a strategy that may assist the midwifery profession to support new graduates and midwives working in rural and remote areas. We conducted a survey of 1577 New Zealand midwives about their opinions and experiences of mentoring. The questionnaire comprised 33 questions, nine of which were open questions. There was a 44% response rate. While the telephone was commonly utilized by mentors (37%) and mentored midwives (37%), the Internet and email played only a small part. Participants acknowledged the potential of these avenues for communication, but midwives felt that mentoring could be provided only by immediate, face-to-face contact. Nevertheless, e-mentoring could be a viable option and requires further investigation. About one-third of midwives identified geographical isolation as a barrier to being a mentor (38%) and being mentored (36%). The use of e-mentoring could remove the barrier of location and allow the midwife to chose a mentor who meets her needs, rather than because she is the only mentor available.

Graduate overeducation and its effects among recently arrived immigrants to Australia: A longitudinal survey

There is increasing importance attached to skill-based immigration in many countries including Australia. This paper investigates the incidences, determinants, and returns to graduate overeducation among tertiary qualified immigrants during the early phase of their settlement in Australia. We place particular emphasis on visa categories and region of origin. As expected, those on visas with higher skill requirements perform better in the labour market. The bulk of these are immigrants from English Speaking Backgrounds (ESB). Non-English Speaking Background (NESB) immigrants, on the other hand, have higher and persistent rates of overeducation. The wage returns to required and surplus education match the stylized facts of overeducation for ESB and Other NESB immigrants while Asian NESB immigrants receive no return to surplus education. Thus, the results suggest that NESB graduate immigrants are a heterogeneous group, with Asian graduate immigrants facing greater assimilation hurdles in the Australian labour market.