Indoor exposure to submicrometer particles and PM2.5 in residential houses in Brisbane, Australia

As part of a large study investigating indoor air in residential houses in Brisbane, Australia, the purpose of this work was to quantify indoor exposure to submicrometer particles and PM2.5 for the inhabitants of 14 houses. Particle concentrations were measured simultaneously for more than 48 hours in the kitchens of all the houses by using a condensation particle counter (CPC) and a photometer (DustTrak). The occupants of the houses were asked to fill in a diary, noting the time and duration of any activity occurring throughout the house during measurement, as well as their presence or absence from home. From the time series concentration data and the information about indoor activities, exposure to the inhabitants of the houses was calculated for the entire time they spent at home as well as during indoor activities resulting in particle generation. The results show that the highest median concentration level occurred during cooking periods for both particle number concentration (47.5´103 particles cm-3) and PM2.5 concentration (13.4 mg m-3). The highest residential exposure period was the sleeping period for both particle number exposure (31%) and PM2.5 exposure (45.6%). The percentage of the average residential particle exposure level in total 24h particle exposure level was approximating 70% for both particle number and PM2.5 exposure.

Exploratory spatial analysis of social and environmental factors associated with the incidence of Ross River Virus in Brisbane, Australia

We used geographic information systems and a spatial analysis approach to explore the pattern of Ross River virus (RRV) incidence in Brisbane, Australia. Climate, vegetation and socioeconomic data in 2001 were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the Brisbane City Council and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, respectively. Information on the RRV cases was obtained from the Queensland Department of Health. Spatial and multiple negative binomial regression models were used to identify the socioeconomic and environmental determinants of RRV transmission. The results show that RRV activity was primarily concentrated in the northeastern, northwestern, and southeastern regions in Brisbane. Multiple negative binomial regression models showed that the spatial pattern of RRV disease in Brisbane seemed to be determined by a combination of local ecologic, socioeconomic, and environmental factors.

Multi-victim sexual assault : a case study in rural Australia

Objective: There is a paucity of information regarding cases of multi-victim sexual assault of children. The reported incidence suggests that these cases are rare. The aim of this paper is to provide practitioners with information about effective intervention strategies arising out of the direct experience of managing a case of multi-victim sexual assault in an Australian rural community. --------- Method: A descriptive, case-report methodology summarizing the investigation and intervention in a case of multi-victim sexual assault is reported. A community based intervention arising out of the disclosures of 21 male children is described. The intervention occurred at an individual, group, and community level using a coordinated multi-disciplinary team and natural helping networks. ---------- Results: The coordination of police and welfare services increased the communication flow to victims, their families, and the community. The case also demonstrated the utility in regularly briefing political and bureaucratic authorities as well as local officials about emergent issues. Coordinating political and bureaucratic responses was essential in obtaining ongoing support and sufficient researching to enable the effective delivery of services. ---------- Conclusions: Interventions were focused at an individual, group, and community level using a coordinated multi-disciplinary team and natural helping networks. This provided a choice of services which were sensitive to the case setting. Recommendations are offered for practitioners who are confronted with similar events. While this paper describes an approach for intervening in a case of multi-victim sexual assault, further empirical research is needed to enable service deliverers to efficaciously target interventions which offer choice to victims and their families.

Nonfatal heroin overdoses in Queensland, Australia : an analysis of ambulance data

In the past decade, the utilization of ambulance data to inform the prevalence of nonfatal heroin overdose has increased. These data can assist public health policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and health providers in planning and allocating resources. This study examined the 672 ambulance attendances at nonfatal heroin overdoses in Queensland, Australia, in 2000. Gender distribution showed a typical 70/30 male-to-female ratio. An equal number of persons with nonfatal heroin overdose were between 15 and 24 years of age and 25 and 34 years of age. Police were present in only 1 of 6 cases, and 28.1% of patients reported using drugs alone. Ambulance data are proving to be a valuable population-based resource for describing the incidence and characteristics of nonfatal heroin overdose episodes. Future studies could focus on the differences between nonfatal heroin overdose and fatal heroin overdose samples.

The ethical predisposition of university students in Western Australia : 1997 vs 2007

A sample of 285 Western Australian university students was used to assess the prevailing attitudes regarding potential breaches of ethical conduct on the part of business practitioners and organisations. The authors developed an ethical profile for the 2007 sample based on 14 scenarios used in the questionnaire. This profile was then compared to the results from data collected in 1997 using similar sampling and the same survey instrument. The prevailing predisposition is best viewed as centrist in nature, with a move to a more ethical stance in the last 10 years.

Growing demand for emergency health services in Queensland, Australia

Introduction: The demand for emergency health services (EHS), both in the prehospital (ambulance) and hospital (emergency departments) settings, is growing rapidly in Australia. Broader health system changes have reduced available health infrastructure, particularly hospital beds, resulting in reduced access to and congestion of the EHS as demonstrated by longer waiting times and ambulance “ramping”. Ambulance ramping occurring when patients have a prolonged wait on the emergency vehicle due to the unavailability of hospital beds. This presentation will outline the trends in EHS demand in Queensland compared with the rest of Australia and factors that appear to be contributing to the growth in demand. Methods: Secondary analysis was conducted using data from publicly available sources. Data from the Queensland Ambulance Service and Queensland Health Emergency Department Information System (EDIS) also were analyzed. Results: The demand for ambulance services and emergency departments has been increasing at 8% and 4% per year over the last decade, respectively; while accessible hospital beds have reduced by almost 10% contributing to the emergency department congestion and possibly contributing to the prehospital demand. While the increase in the proportion of the elderly population seems to explain a great deal of the demand for EHS, other factors also influence this growth including patient characteristics, institutional and societal factors, economic, EHS arrangements, and clinical factors. Conclusions: Overcrowding of facilities that provide EHS are causing considerable community concern. This overcrowding is caused by the growing demand and reduced access. The causes of this growing demand are complex, and require further detailed analysis in order to quantify and qualify these causes in order to provide a resilient foundation of evidence for future policy direction.

Continuation rates and reasons for removal among Implanon® users accessing two family planning clinics in Queensland, Australia

Background - This study examined demographic profile, continuation rates and reasons for removal among Implanon^® users accessing two family planning clinics in Queensland, Australia. Study Design - A retrospective chart audit of 976 women who attended for implant insertion over a 3-year period between May 2001 and May 2004. Results - Continuation rates showed that at 6 months after insertion, 94% of women continued, 74% continued at 1 year and 50% continued at 2 years. Metropolitan women were more likely than rural women to discontinue use because of dissatisfaction with bleeding patterns. Cox regression analysis showed that those attending the regional clinic experienced significantly shorter time to removal. Conclusions - Implanon® continuation rates and reasons for removal differ between clinics in metropolitan and rural locations. A cooling-off period did not affect the likelihood of continuation with Implanon®. Preinsertion counselling should emphasize potential changes in bleeding patterns.

The distribution and spread of citrus canker in Emerald, Australia

Citrus canker is a disease of citrus and closely related species, caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri. This disease, previously exotic to Australia, was detected on a single farm [infested premise-1, (IP1). IP is the terminology used in official biosecurity protocols to describe a locality at which an exotic plant pest has been confirmed or is presumed to exist. IP are numbered sequentially as they are detected] in Emerald, Queensland in July 2004. During the following 10 months the disease was subsequently detected on two other farms (IP2 and IP3) within the same area and studies indicated the disease first occurred on IP1 and spread to IP2 and IP3. The oldest, naturally infected plant tissue observed on any of these farms indicated the disease was present on IP1 for several months before detection and established on IP2 and IP3 during the second quarter (i.e. autumn) 2004. Transect studies on some IP1 blocks showed disease incidences ranged between 52 and 100% (trees infected). This contrasted to very low disease incidence, less than 4% of trees within a block, on IP2 and IP3. The mechanisms proposed for disease spread within blocks include weather-assisted dispersal of the bacterium (e.g. wind-driven rain) and movement of contaminated farm equipment, in particular by pivot irrigator towers via mechanical damage in combination with abundant water. Spread between blocks on IP2 was attributed to movement of contaminated farm equipment and/or people. Epidemiology results suggest: (i) successive surveillance rounds increase the likelihood of disease detection; (ii) surveillance sensitivity is affected by tree size; and (iii) individual destruction zones (for the purpose of eradication) could be determined using disease incidence and severity data rather than a predefined set area.

Breastfeeding experiences of Japanese women living in Perth, Australia

The aim of this study was to document the breastfeeding practices of Japanese-Australian mothers living in Perth. A cross-sectional survey of mothers who had delivered babies in Japan or Australia or both was carried out on a sample of 163 mothers recruited through Japanese social and cultural groups in Perth and by a 'snowball' technique. Factors involved in the decision to breastfeed were analysed using multivariate regression analysis. The main outcome measures were the initiation and duration of breastfeeding and cultural beliefs about breastfeeding. Breastfeeding initiation rates of the Japanese- Australian mothers in Japan and in Australia were higher than for other Australians and are consistent with breastfeeding rates in Japan. In Australia, 65% of Japanese-Australian mothers were still breastfeeding at six months. The most common reason for the decision to cease breastfeeding was 'insufficient breastmilk'. The significant factors in breastfeeding duration were 'the time the infant was introduced to infant formula', 'the time when the feeding decision was made', 'doctors support breastfeeding' and 'the mother received enough help from hospital staff'; these were positively associated with the duration of breastfeeding. Japanese mothers take a lot of notice of advice given by health professionals about infant feeding practices.

Clinical significance of Mycobacterium asiaticum isolates in Queensland, Australia

Mycobacterium asiaticum was first reported as a cause of human disease in 1982, with only a few cases in the literature to date. This study aims to review the clinical significance of M. asiaticum isolates in Queensland, Australia. A retrospective review (1989 to 2008) of patients with M. asiaticum isolates was conducted. Data were collected through the Queensland TB Control Centre database. Disease was defined in accordance with the American Thoracic Society criteria. Twenty-four patients (13 female) had a positive culture of M. asiaticum, many residing around the Tropic of Capricorn. M. asiaticum was responsible for pulmonary disease (n = 2), childhood lymphadenitis (n = 1), olecranon bursitis (n = 1), 6 cases of possible pulmonary disease, and 2 possible wound infections. Chronic lung disease was a risk factor for pulmonary infection, and wounds/lacerations were a risk factor for extrapulmonary disease. Extrapulmonary disease responded to local measures. Pulmonary disease responded to ethambutol-isoniazid-rifampin plus pyrazinamide for the first 2 months in one patient, and amikacin-azithromycin-minocycline in another patient. While M. asiaticum is rare in Queensland, there appears to be an environmental niche. Although often a colonizer, it can be a cause of pulmonary and extrapulmonary disease. Treatment of pulmonary disease remains challenging. Extrapulmonary disease does not mandate specific nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) treatment.

Multi-criteria ranking and source apportionment of fine particulate matter in Brisbane, Australia

This paper reports the application of multicriteria decision making techniques, PROMETHEE and GAIA, and receptor models, PCA/APCS and PMF, to data from an air monitoring site located on the campus of Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia and operated by Queensland Environmental Protection Agency (QEPA). The data consisted of the concentrations of 21 chemical species and meteorological data collected between 1995 and 2003. PROMETHEE/GAIA separated the samples into those collected when leaded and unleaded petrol were used to power vehicles in the region. The number and source profiles of the factors obtained from PCA/APCS and PMF analyses were compared. There are noticeable differences in the outcomes possibly because of the non-negative constraints imposed on the PMF analysis. While PCA/APCS identified 6 sources, PMF reduced the data to 9 factors. Each factor had distinctive compositions that suggested that motor vehicle emissions, controlled burning of forests, secondary sulphate, sea salt and road dust/soil were the most important sources of fine particulate matter at the site. The most plausible locations of the sources were identified by combining the results obtained from the receptor models with meteorological data. The study demonstrated the potential benefits of combining results from multi-criteria decision making analysis with those from receptor models in order to gain insights into information that could enhance the development of air pollution control measures.

Seasonal activity and abundance of Orosius orientalis (Hemiptera : Cicadellidae) at agricultural sites in Southeastern Australia

Orosius orientalis is a leafhopper vector of several viruses and phytoplasmas affecting a broad range of agricultural crops. Sweep net, yellow pan trap and yellow sticky trap collection techniques were evaluated. Seasonal distribution of O. orientalis was surveyed over two successive growing seasons around the borders of commercially grown tobacco crops. Orosius orientalis seasonal activity as assessed using pan and sticky traps was characterised by a trimodal peak and relative abundance as assessed using sweep nets differed between field sites with peak activity occurring in spring and summer months. Yellow pan traps consistently trapped a higher number of O. orientalis than yellow sticky traps.