Marine and estuarine reservoir effects in central Queensland, Australia: Determination of Delta R values

As a component of archaeological investigations on the central Queensland coast, a series of five marine shell specimens live-collected between A.D. 1904 and A.D. 1929 and 11 shell/ charcoal paired samples from archaeological contexts were radiocarbon dated to determine local DeltaR values. The object of the study was to assess the potential influence of localized variation in marine reservoir effect in accurately determining the age of marine and estuarine shell from archaeological deposits in the area. Results indicate that the routinely applied DeltaR value of -5 +/- 35 for northeast Australia is erroneously calculated. The determined values suggest a minor revision to Reimer and Reimer's (2000) recommended value for northeast Australia from DeltaR = +11 +/- 5 to + 12 +/- 7, and specifically for central Queensland to DeltaR = +10 +/- 7, for near-shore open marine environments. In contrast, data obtained from estuarine shell/charcoal pairs demonstrate a general lack of consistency, suggesting estuary-specific patterns of variation in terrestrial carbon input and exchange with the open ocean. Preliminary data indicate that in some estuaries, at some time periods, a DeltaR value of more than - 155 +/- 55 may be appropriate, In estuarine contexts in central Queensland, a localized estuary-specific correction factor is recommended to account for geographical and temporal variation in C-14 activity. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals.

Mosquito host-feeding patterns and implications for Japanese encephalitis virus transmission in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea

Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus spread to northern Australia during the 1990s, transmitted by Culex annulirostris Skuse and other mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). To determine the relative importance of various hosts for potential vectors of JE virus, we investigated the host-feeding patterns of mosquitoes in northern Australia and Western Province of Papua New Guinea, with particular attention to pigs, Sus scrofa L. - the main amplifying host of JE virus in South-east Asia. Mosquitoes were collected by CDC light traps baited with dry ice and 1-octen-3-ol, run 16.00-08.00 hours, mostly set away from human habitations, if possible in places frequented by feral pigs. Bloodmeals of 2569 mosquitoes, representing 15 species, were identified by gel diffusion assay. All species had fed mostly on mammals: only 30%) were trapped where domestic pigs were kept close to human habitation. From seven of eight locations on the Australian mainland, the majority of Cx. annulirostris had obtained their bloodmeals from marsupials, probably the Agile wallaby Macropus agilis (Gould). Overall proportions of mosquito bloodmeals identified as marsupial were 60% from the Gulf Plains region of Australia, 78% from the Cape York Peninsula and 64% from the Daru area of Papua New Guinea. Thus, despite the abundance of feral pigs in northern Australia, our findings suggest that marsupials divert host-seeking Cx. annulirostris away from pigs. As marsupials are poor JE virus hosts, the prevalence of marsupials may impede the establishment of JE virus in Australia.

Editorial: Celebrating 30 years - 1973-2003

In 2003 The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education celebrates its 30th anniversary. Beginning in 1973 as The Aboriginal Child at School, the journal was a practical response to a recommendation made at the National Workshop on Aboriginal Education held in May 1971 “that a periodical publication be commenced to provide a medium for the exchange of ideas and developments in the teaching of Aborigines, for the examination of practical implications of research findings and for the recording of Aboriginal achievements” (Watts, 1973, p. 2). Funded by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in Canberra and housed in the Department of Education and later the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit at the University of Queensland, The Aboriginal Child at School was published at two monthly intervals. It aimed to provide a medium whereby teachers in the field of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education could share their thinking and their strategies for successful teaching and thereby enter into a meaningful and productive dialogue with one another (Watts, 1973, p. 2). An overarching concern of the journal was to improve and optimise children’s development and the types of pedagogies employed to provide challenging and rewarding learning experiences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.The journal was enthusiastically embraced by a broad range of professionals and proved to be a useful resource for both experienced and beginning teachers, particularly in the primary sector.

Glomerular number and size in autopsy kidneys: The relationship to birth weight

Background. In the Southeast United States, African Americans have an estimated incidence of hypertension and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) that is five times greater than Caucasians. Higher rates of low birth weight (LBW) among African Americans is suggested to predispose African Americans to the higher risk, possibly by reducing the number of glomeruli that develop in the kidney. This study investigates the relationships between age, race, gender, total glomerular number (N-glom), mean glomerular volume (V-glom), body surface area (BSA), and birth weight. Methods. Stereologic estimates of N-glom and V-glom were obtained using the physical disector/fractionator combination for autopsy kidneys from 37 African Americans and 19 Caucasians. Results. N-glom was normally distributed and ranged from 227,327 to 1,825,380, an 8.0-fold difference. A direct linear relationship was observed between N-glom and birth weight (r=0.423, P=0.0012) with a regression coefficient that predicted an increase of 257,426 glomeruli per kilogram increase in birth weight (alpha=0.050:0.908). Among adults there was a 4.9-fold range in V-glom , and in adults, V-glom was strongly and inversely correlated with N-glom (r=-0.640, P=0.000002). Adult V-glom showed no significant correlation with BSA for males (r=-0.0150, P=0.936), although it did for females (r=0.606, P=0.022). No racial differences in average N-glom or V-glom were observed. Conclusion. Birth weight is a strong determinant of N-glom and thereby of glomerular size in the postnatal kidney. The findings support the hypothesis that LBW by impairing nephron development is a risk factor for hypertension and ESRD in adulthood.

Validation of self-reported cigarette smoking in a remote Australian Aboriginal community

Objective: To examine the relationship between self-reported tobacco smoking and urinary cotinine concentrations in the setting of a remote Aboriginal community. Methods: In a remote Northern Territory (NT) Aboriginal community the relationship between self-reported tobacco smoking and urinary cotinine concentrations was examined as part of a cross-sectional survey of cardiovascular risk factors. Current tobacco smoking was assessed as part of a questionnaire. The concentration of cotinine and cotinine/creatinine ratio (CCR) in a spot urine sample were used as a biochemical marker of nicotine exposure. Results: A total of 237 people took part in the survey, although completed questionnaires and urine results were available for 184 people. Current tobacco smoking was reported by 161 (69 [95% Cl 63 to 75]%) people, with higher rates among males (84/104, 81 [95% Cl 72 to 88]%) than females (77/129, 60 [95% Cl 51 to 68]%, p