Review short : Todd Turner’s Woodsmoke

Review of Todd Turner's poetry collection, Woodsmoke, Black Pepper Publishing, 2014

Home-range use by the brush-tailed phascogale (phascogale tapoatafa) (marsupialia) in High-quality, spatially limited habitat

Nine phascogales (7 females, 2 males) were radio-tracked between March and July 1999 to investigate the spatial organisation of this species in spatially limited habitat near Euroa, Victoria. In this area, approximately 3.6% of the original woodland vegetation remains after 150 years of agricultural clearing. Most wooded habitat is confined to narrow linear strips along roads and streams. However, these remnants are on fertile soils and, because they have not experienced intensive harvesting, the density of large old trees is over 10 times that found in nearby State Forests and Parks. Female phascogales were monitored for 13–38 days over periods of 5–15 weeks. The size of home ranges of females was 2.3–8.0 ha, and averaged 5.0 ha. This value is one-eighth the mean home-range size previously recorded for the species in contiguous forest in Victoria. All individuals used multiple nest trees, with nests generally located in trees >80 cm diameter at breast height. Although fragmented and spatially limited, the stands of large old trees on productive soils near Euroa provide a network of well connected, high-quality habitat for phascogales. The relatively dense population of phascogales in these remnants suggests that prior to agricultural clearing and timber harvesting, phascogales may have been much more common in Victoria than at present.

Nest-tree selection by the threatened brush-tailed phascogale (phascogale tapoatafa) (marsupialia: dasyuridae) in a highly fragmented agricultural landscape

The conservation of roosting and nesting resources is of critical concern for many hollow-dependent species around the world. We investigated the nest-tree requirements of the threatened brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa) in a highly cleared agricultural landscape in south-eastern Australia. We documented the physical characteristics of selected nest trees and describe the spatial and temporal patterns of nest-tree use as revealed by radio-tracking. Nine phascogales (seven females, two males) were radio-tracked between March and July 1999 in an area where most woodland habitat is confined to linear strips along roads and streams or small patches and scattered trees in cleared farmland. Female phascogales were monitored for 13–35 days over periods of 5–15 weeks and two males were monitored for 2 and 9 days respectively. A total of 185 nest-tree fixes was collected and all nests occupied by phascogales were in standing trees. Eighty-three nest trees were identified, ranging in diameter at breast height (dbh) from 25 to 171 cm, with a mean dbh for the trees used by each individual phascogale of >80 cm. Phascogales did not discriminate between canopy tree species in selecting nest trees, but showed highly significant selection for trees in the largest size class. All individuals used multiple nest trees, with the seven females occupying an average of 11.4 nest trees from a mean of 25 diurnal locations. The number of nest trees continued to increase throughout the study, suggesting that more would be identified during a longer or more intensive study. Occupied nest trees were located throughout each individual’s home range, highlighting the importance of a continuous spatial distribution of suitable nest trees across the landscape. Nest trees were also located in adjacent farmland up to 225 m from roadside vegetation, demonstrating the value that scattered clumps and even single trees in farmland can have for wildlife conservation.

Risk factors for violence and relational aggression in adolescence

Analyses examined risk factors for seventh- and ninth-grade youth  categorized as nonoffenders, physically violent, relationally aggressive, and both violent and relationally aggressive. Bivariate and multivariate results showed that relationally aggressive youth were elevated on most risks above levels for nonoffenders but lower than those for youth who were violent alone or violent in combination with relational aggression. Youth who were both relationally aggressive and violent did not differ from those who were violent alone on most risk factors examined. Peer, individual, and family risks were among the strongest predictors.

Comparison of the structure of adolescent problem behavior in the United States and Australia

Some extant theory and empirical research suggests that youth problem behaviors, such as substance abuse and delinquency, reflect a single underlying dimension of behavior, whereas others suggest there are several different dimensions. Few studies have examined potential international differences in the structure of problem behavior, where cultural and policy differences may create more variation in behavior and different structures. This study explored the structure of problem behavior in two representative samples of youth (ages 12-17) from Maine and Oregon in the United States (N = 33,066) and Victoria, Australia (N = 8,500). The authors examined the degree to which data from the two countries produce similar model structures using indicators of problem behavior. Results show that the data are best represented by two factors, substance use and delinquency, and there appear to be more similarities than differences in the models across countries. Implications for understanding problem behavior across cultural and developmental groups and practical and policy implications are discussed.

Rates of student-reported antisocial behavior, school suspensions, and arrests in Victoria, Australia and Washington State, United States

Background: Few methodologically rigorous international comparisons of student-reported antisocial behavior have been conducted. This paper examines whether there are differences in the frequency of both antisocial behavior and societal responses to antisocial behavior in Victoria, Australia and Washington State, United States. These 2 states were chosen due to their similarities on sociodemographic characteristics and their differences in policy frameworks around problem behavior including antisocial behavior and substance use.

Methods: State representative samples of students (N = 5769) in school grades 5, 7, and 9 in Victoria and Washington State completed a modified version of the Communities That Care self-report survey of behavior and societal responses to behavior. Chi-square analyses compared frequencies of antisocial behavior, school suspensions, and police arrests in the 2 states. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted for each outcome measure to examine the effect of state, controlling for sample design, clustering of students within schools, age, socioeconomic status, and urbanicity.

Results: Few state differences in student-reported antisocial behavior were found, although frequencies varied across behavior type and grade level. Differences in societal responses were observed across grade levels with grade 5 Washington students reporting higher rates of school suspension. Older Washington students reported more arrests.

Conclusions: Rates of student antisocial behavior appear similar in these 2 states in Australia and the United States. However, youth in the United States relative to Australia may experience greater societal consequences for problem behavior. Further research is required to examine the impact of these consequences on subsequent behavior.

The relationship between native vegetation and in-stream salinity: An Australian case study

The Glenelg-Hopkins area is a large regional watershed (2.6 million ha) in southwest Victoria that has been extensively cleared for agriculture. In-stream electrical conductivity (EC) in relation to remnant native vegetation is examined from the headwaters to the upper extent of the estuary of the Glenelg River. Five water quality gauging stations were selected. Their contributing subcatchments represent a continuum of disturbance. Proportions of native vegetation ranged from ∼100% at the headwaters of the river to ∼30% at the furthest downstream gauge station. The relationship between remnant vegetation and in-stream EC was examined using aggregated and non-aggregated land use statistics over a period of 22 years from three land use maps. Increased proportions of native vegetation were significantly negatively correlated with in-stream EC and were consistent across all scenarios investigated.

Analysis of cardioprotective effects using purified Saliva miltiorrhiza extract on isolated rat hearts

The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the cardioprotective effects of purified Salvia miltiorrhiza extract (PSME) on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in isolated rat hearts. Hearts were excised and perfused at constant flow (7 – 9 ml · min⁻¹) via the aorta. Non-recirculating perfusion with Krebs-Henseleit (KH) solution was maintained at 37°C and continuously gassed with 95% O₂ and 5% CO₂. KH solution with or without PSME (100 mg per liter solution) was used after 30-min zero-flow ischemia for the PSME and control group, respectively. Left ventricular (LV) developed pressure; its derivatives, diastolic pressure, and so on were continuously recorded via a pressure transducer attached to a polyvinylchloride balloon that was placed in the left ventricle through an incision in the left atrium. PSME treated hearts showed significant postischemic contractile function recovery (developed pressure recovered to 44.2 ± 4.9% versus 17.1 ± 5.7%, P<0.05; maximum contraction recovered to 57.2 ± 5.9% versus 15.1 ± 6.3%, P<0.001; maximum relaxation restored to 69.3 ± 7.3% versus 15.4 ± 6.3%, P<0.001 in the PSME and control group, respectively). Significant elevation in end-diastolic pressure, which indicated LV stiffening in PSME hearts might have resulted from the excess high dose of PSME used. Further study will be conducted on the potential therapeutic value with lower dose of PSME on prevention of ischemic heart disease.

The effect of school suspensions and arrests on subsequent adolescent antisocial behavior in Australia and the United States

Purpose: To examine the effect of school suspensions and arrests (i.e., being taken into police custody) on subsequent adolescent antisocial behavior such as violence and crime, after controlling for established risk and protective factors in Victoria, Australia and Washington State, United States (U.S.). Methods: This article reports on analyses of two points of data collected 1 year apart within a cross-national longitudinal study of the development of antisocial behavior, substance use, and related behaviors in approximately 4000 students aged 12 to 16 years in Victoria, Australia and Washington State, U.S. Students completed a modified version of the Communities That Care self-report survey of behavior, as well as risk and protective factors across five domains (individual, family, peer, school, and community). Multivariate logistic regression analyses investigate the effect of school suspensions and arrests on subsequent antisocial behavior, holding constant individual, family, peer, school, and community level influences such as being female, student belief in the moral order, emotional control, and attachment to mother. Results: At the first assessment, school suspensions and arrests were more commonly reported in Washington, and school suspensions significantly increased the likelihood of antisocial behavior 12 months later, after holding constant established risk and protective factors (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–2.1, _p < .05). Predictors of antisocial behavior spanned risk and protective factors across five individual and ecological areas of risk. Risk factors in this study were pre-existing antisocial behavior (OR 3.6, CI 2.7–4.7, _p < .001), association with antisocial peers (OR 1.8, CI 1.4–2.4, _p < .001), academic failure (OR 1.3, CI 1.1–1.5, _p < .01), and perceived availability of drugs in the community (OR 1.3, CI 1.1–1.5, _p < .001). Protective factors included being female (OR 0.7, CI 0.5–0.9, _p < .01), student belief in the moral order (OR 0.8, CI 0.6–1.0, p < .05), student emotional control (OR 0.7, CI 0.6–0.8, _p < .001), and attachment to mother (OR 0.8, CI 0.7–1.0, _p < .05). Conclusions:  School suspensions may increase the likelihood of future antisocial behavior. Further research is required to both replicate this finding and establish the mechanisms by which school suspensions exert their effects.