Occupation, hours worked, and leisure-time physical activity

Background. International research indicates that blue-collar employees typically exhibit lower rates of leisure-time physical activity. While lack of time and work demands are commonly reported barriers to activity, the extent to which time-at-work mediates the relationship between occupation and leisure-time physical activity is unclear. This study investigated the association between occupation, time spent in paid employment, and participation in leisure-time physical activity. Methods. This was a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the 1995 Australian Health Survey, focusing on employed persons ages 18-64 years (n = 24,454), Occupation was coded as per the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations and collapsed into three categories (professional, white-collar, blue-collar). Hours worked was categorized into eight levels, ranging from 1-14 to more than 50 h per week. Participation in leisure-time physical activity was categorized as either insufficient or sufficient for health, consistent with recommended levels of energy expenditure (1600 METS-min/fortnight). The relationship between occupation, hours worked, and leisure-time physical activity was examined using logistic regression. Analyses were conducted separately for male and female, and the results are presented as a series of models that successively adjust for a range of potential covariates: age, living arrangement, smoking status, body mass index, and self-reported health. Results. Individuals in blue-collar occupations were approximately 50% more likely to be classified as insufficiently active. This occupational variability in leisure-time physical activity was not explained by hours worked. There was a suggested relationship between hours worked and leisure-time physical activity; however, this differed between men and women, and was difficult to interpret. Conclusions. Occupational variability in leisure-time physical activity cannot be explained by hours worked. Therefore, reports that work constitutes a barrier to participation should be explored further. Identification of the factors contributing to occupational variability in leisure-time physical activity will add to our understanding of why population subgroups differ in their health risk profiles, and assist in the development of health promotion strategies to reduce rates of sedentariness and health inequalities. (C) 2000 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.

An occupational view of the Australian labour force - Patterns of job growth and decline

Generally employment has been studied in terms of changes in the types of goods and services that the economy is purchasing. Far less attention has been given to the occupational aggregates that go into producing these goods and services. The few studies that did investigate this area found that the mix of tabour inputs appear to have been changing over time in a systematic pattern. The increasing prevalence of white-collar, information workers gave rise to the assertion that many societies had entered a post-industrial information age. Deals first of aff with some issues of measurement in the context of the Australian labour force, then looks at trends in various occupational groups using a non-standard four-sector classification of the labour force. Finally suggests an application in relation to the link between education and training and its ability to reduce structural unemployment.

Street elevation, White Residence, Brisbane

South-west elevation, as seen from street.

What are the economic prospects of developing aquaculture in Queensland to supply the low price white fillet market? Lessons from the US channel catfish industry

The farming of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) is the largest (by volume and value) and most successful (in terms of market impact) aquaculture industry in the United States of America. Farmed channel catfish is the most consumed (in terms of volume per capita) fish fillet in the U.S. market. Within Australia, it has long been suggested by researchers and industry that silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus) and possibly other endemic teraponid species possess similar biological attributes for aquaculture as channel catfish and may have the potential to generate a similar industry. The current teraponid industry in Australia, however, shows very little resemblance to the catfish industry, either in production style or market philosophy. A well established budget framework from the literature on U.S. channel catfish farming has been adapted for cost and climate conditions of the Burdekin region, Queensland, Australia. Breakeven prices for the hypothetical teraponid farms were found to be up to 50% higher than those published for catfish farms however were much lower than those reported for silver perch production in Australia using current, endemic styles of production. The breakeven prices for the hypothetical teraponid farms were most sensitive (in order of significance) to feed prices, production rates, interest rates, fingerling prices and electricity prices. At equivalent feed costs the costs of production between the hypothetical catfish farms in the Mississippi, U.S. and the hypothetical teraponid farms in the Burdekin, Australia were remarkably similar. The cost of feeds suitable for teraponid production in Australia are currently around double that of catfish feeds in the U.S. Issues currently hindering the development of a large scale teraponid industry in Australia are discussed.

Digenetic trematodes of the genus Clinostomum Leidy, 1856 (Digenea : Clinostomidae) from birds of Queensland, Australia, including C. wilsoni n. sp. from Egretta intermedia

Two species of Clinostomum previously described from Australia, C. hornum from Botaurus poiciloptilus (Australian bittern) and Nycticorax caledonicus (Nankeen night heros) and C. australiense from Pelecanus conspicillatus (Australian pelican), which have previously been synonymised with C. complanatum, are redescribed and recognised as valid species. In addition, C. complanatum is recorded from Egretta alba (large egret), E. garzetta (little egret), E. intermedia (plumed egret), N. caledonicus and Ardea novaehollandiae (white-faced heron). C. wilsoni n. sp. is described from E. intermedia from Queensland. C. wilsoni differs from the other three species in size and shape of the body and in the oral collar, oral sucker, intestinal caeca, caecal diverticula and position of testes. Taxonomic problems within the genus Clinostomum are discussed.

The contribution of classical (beta(1/2)-) and atypical beta-adrenoceptors to the stimulation of human white adipocyte lipolysis and right atrial appendage contraction by novel beta(3)-adrenoceptor agonists of differing selectivities

The role of beta(3)- and other putative atypical beta-adrenaceptors in human white adipocytes and right atrial appendage has been investigated using CGP 12177 and novel phenylethanolamine and aryloxypropanolamine beta(3)-adrenoceptor (beta(3)AR) agonists with varying intrinsic activities and selectivities for human cloned PAR subtypes. The ability to demonstrate beta(1/2)AR antagonist-insensitive (beta(3) or other atypical beta AR-mediated) responses to CGP 12177 was critically dependent on the albumin batch used to prepare and incubate the adipocytes. Four aryloxypropanolamine selective beta(3)AR agonists (SB-226552, SB-229432, SB-236923, SB-246982) consistently elicited beta(1/2)AR antagonist-insensitive lipolysis. However, a phenylethanolamine (SB-220646) that was a selective full beta(3)AR agonist elicited full lipolytic and inotropic responses that were sensitive to beta(1/2)AR antagonism, despite it having very low efficacies at cloned beta(1)- and beta(2)ARs. A component of the response to another phenylethanolamine selective beta(3)AR agonist (SB-215691) was insensitive to beta(1/2)AR antagonism in some experiments. Because novel aryloxypropanolamine had a beta(1/2)AR antagonist-insensitive inotropic effect, these results establish more firmly that beta(3)ARs mediate lipolysis in human white adipocytes, and suggest that putative 'beta(4)ARs' mediate inotropic responses to CGP 12177. The results also illustrate the difficulty of predicting from studies on cloned beta ARs which beta ARs will mediate responses to agonists in tissues that have a high number of beta(1)- and beta(2)ARs or a low number of beta(3)ARs.

Methadone maintenance and drug-related crime

Using data from an evaluation of methadone maintenance treatment, this study investigated factors associated with continued involvement irt crime during treatment, and in particular whether there appeared to be differences in effectiveness of treatment between different methadone clinics. The methodology was an observational study, in which 304 patients attending three low-intervention, private methadone clinics in Sydney were interviewed on three occasions over a twelve month period. Outcome measures were self-reported criminal activity and police department records of convictions. By self-report, crime dropped, promptly and substantially on entry to treatment, to a level of acquisitive crime about one-eighth that reported during the last addiction period. Analysis of official records indicated that rates of acquisitive convictions were significantly lower in the in-treatment period compared to prior to entry to treatment, corroborating the changes suggested by self-report. Persisting involvement in crime in treatment was predicted by two factors: the cost of persisting use of illicit drugs, particularly cannabis, and ASPD symptom count. Treatment factors also were independently predictive of continued involvement in crime. By both self-report and official records, and adjusting for subject factors, treatment at one clinic teas associated with greater involvement in crime. This clinic operated in a chaotic and poorly organized way. it is concluded that crime during methadone treatment is substantially lower than during street addiction, although the extent of reduction depends on the quality of treatment being delivered.

Some factors affecting white stem borer Scirpophaga innotata (Walker) (Lepidoptera : Pyralidae) injury to rice

The amount of injury to rice caused by white stem borer Sciryophaga innotata depends on cultivar, and stage of plant and insect development, as well as insect abundance. Of the cultivars tested, IR64, IR42, Cisadane and Ketan. IR64 were the most susceptible and Ketan the least susceptible to feeding damage. Third and fourth instars consumed more stem dry matter than other stages, although yield reduction depended on the number of tillers injured. On the wider stemmed Ketan, fewer tillers were injured than the narrower IR64. Larvae are more likely to move among tillers in the third instar stage, which tends to coincide with maximum tillering and may result in more tillers injured and in yield reduction. Later instar larvae burrow downwards to the internode where they pupate. Larvae appear to move less among tillers in 'resistant' cultivars. Management strategies should target this pest at third instar and when its abundance in the field warrants control. Fewer than 10% of the neonates establish successfully on stems, and this mortality needs to be taken into account when deciding on control, as does the ability of rice plants to compensate for injury. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.