Public valuation of and attitudes towards the conservation and use of the Hawksbill turtle: An Australian case study

Managing hawksbill turtle populations for use and conservation requires (i) adequate scientific understanding of their population status and dynamics and (ii) consideration of the public’s attitudes to this species. This study employs experimental surveys to assess the Australian public’s attitudes towards the hawksbill turtle, their knowledge of it, their views about its sustainable commercial harvesting, and their support and financial contribution for the species’ conservation. Contingent valuation reveals that the Australian public’s willingness to contribute to the conservation of the hawksbill turtle is high even in comparison to threatened Australian bird and mammal fauna. Most of this stated contribution is based on the intrinsic (non-use) value associated with the hawksbill turtle. It seems that the Australian public will only accept its harvesting if the sustainability of this is assured and its population is more secure. The CITES categorisation of the hawksbill as an Appendix I species hampers the development of techniques for its sustainable use.

Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome, Pro136His TWIST Mutation, Hearing Loss, and External and Middle Ear Structural Anomalies: Report on a Brazilian Family

Objective: To describe the clinical, speech, hearing, and imaging findings in three members of a Brazilian family with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome (SCS) who presented some unusual characteristics within the spectrum of the syndrome. Design: Clinical evaluation was performed by a multidisciplinary team. Direct sequencing of the polymerase chain reaction amplified coding region of the TWIST1 gene, routine and electrophysiological hearing evaluation, speech evaluation, and imaging studies through computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed. Results: TWIST1 gene analysis revealed a Pro136His mutation in all patients. Hearing evaluation showed peripherial and mixed hearing loss in two of the patients, one of them with severe unilateral microtia. Computed tomography scan showed structural middle ear anomalies, and MRI showed distortion of the skull contour as well as some of the brain structures. Conclusions: We report a previously undescribed TWIST1 gene mutation in patients with SCS. There is evidence that indicates hearing loss (conductive and mixed) can be related both with middle ear (microtia, high jugular bulb, and enlarged vestibules) as well as with brain stem anomalies. Here we discuss the relationship between the gene mutation and the clinical, imaging, speech, and hearing findings.

A comparison of family functioning, temperament, and childhood conditions in monozygotic twin pairs discordant for lifetime bulimia nervosa

Objective: The authors investigated differences between twins in nine pairs of female monozygotic twins in the Australian Twin Registry who were discordant for lifetime bulimia nervosa. Method: The twins affected and unaffected by lifetime bulimia nervosa were compared on self-report measures, including a measure of parental bonding, four measures of temperament, and six early-childhood medical conditions. Results: No twins had current bulimia nervosa, and there was no difference in weight or eating status between the affected and unaffected twins. The affected twins reported significantly lower self-esteem and less warmth but more overprotection by their mothers during childhood. Conclusions: Although limited by the small number of discordant twin pairs and the inability to detect causal relationships, these results suggest that environmental influences that promote low self-esteem may also increase the risk for bulimia nervosa. These temperamental differences may explain the discrepancies in parenting or perceived parenting.

The play of identities in Cypriot-Australian family storytelling

This article adopts a microanalytic approach to examine storytelling as a co-construction by family members in a Cypriot-Australian family. Previous studies on family storytelling have focused on the various roles of family members in storytelling with a means of studying family socialization (Miller et al., 1990; Ochs & Taylor, 1992; Blum-Kulka, 1997). These studies used critical discourse analysis, socioculturel theories, performance and pragmatic approaches to storytelling. This article offers a distinctive approach to family storytelling by examining the discourse and social identities that family members display during the storytelling. The data originate in a study that involves interviews with three generations of Greek-Australian and Cypriot-Australian women regarding their relationships with each other. In this paper we investigate the contributions of the father and the daughters in the course of the mother's turn at storytelling. The first part of the analysis focuses on the husband's discourse identities as a contributor, initiator and elicitor of his wife's storytelling. During the storytelling we also observe the production and exchange of different social identities between the husband and the mother, such as the 'unwilling suitor', the 'embarrassed schoolgirl' or the 'forceful but teasing husband'. The second part describes how the daughters take part in their mother's storytelling, producing a variety of identities such as the 'impatient mother', the 'complaining', 'happy', or 'good' mothers and daughters. These investigations succinctly illustrate how narratives become a resource for members' 'display' and 'play' of identities. Copyright ©2002, John Benjamins B.V.

"They're scared of it": Intergroup determinants of attitudes toward children with HIV

The study used an intergroup perspective to explore teachers' willingness to teach children with HIV within mainstream education. One hundred thirty-eight teachers from 13 high schools across the United Kingdom participated in a survey. The results suggest that previous contact with an individual who was HIV positive (whether an adult or a child) was strongly associated with greater willingness to teach a child with HIV. However, this effect disappeared when intergroup anxiety, positive affect, and positive beliefs were included as covariates. There was little evidence that instrumental variables (i.e., relatively pragmatic concerns about infection) were associated with willingness to teach. Participants who had some contact reported lower fear of contagion from a child with HIV, but there was no evidence that this was associated with overall attitudes. The results are interpreted to suggest that interventions to reduce prejudice should not simply concentrate on improving knowledge about HIV transmission.

The status of the Diplosentidae (Acanthocephala : Palaeacanthocephala) and a new family of acanthocephalans from Australian wrasses (Pisces : Labridae)

The status and composition of the Diplosentidae Tubangui et Masilungan, 1937 are reviewed. The type species of the type genus, Diplosentis amphacanthi Tubangui et Masilungan, 1937 from Siganus canaliculatus (Park, 1797) in the Philippines, is concluded to have been described inaccurately,in supposedly possessing, only two cement glands and lemnisci enclosed in a membranous sac. The species is almost certainly very close to species of Neorhadinorhynchus yamaguti, 1939 and Sclerocollum Schmidt of Paperna, 1978 which have also been reported from siganids from the tropical Indo-Pacific. Species of these genera have four cement glands and unexceptional lemnisci. As a result, Diplosentis Tubangui et Masilungan, 1937 is best considered to have affinities with the Cavisomidae Meyer, 1932. The Cavisomidae has priority over the Diplosentidae; thus the Diplosentidae becomes a synonym of the Cavisomidae. Neorhadinorhynchus and Sclerocollum are considered synonyms of Diplosentis. The affinities of the other species and genera formerly included in the Diplosentidae (other species of Diplosentis, Allorhadinorhynchus Yamaguti, 1959, Amapacanthus Salgado-Maldonado et Santos, 2000, Pararhadinorhynchus Johnston et Edmonds, 1947, Golvanorhynchus Noronha, do Fabio et Pinto, 1978 and Slendrorhynchus Amin et Soy, 1996) are discussed. It is concluded that all but Pararhadinorhynchus, two species of Diplosentis and Amapacanthus can be accommodated elsewhere satisfactorily. A new family, Transvenidae, is proposed for a small group of acanthocephalans that genuinely possess only two cement glands. Transvena annulospinosa gen. n., sp. n. is described from the labrids Anampses neoguinaicus Bleeker, 1878 (type host), A. geographicus Valenciennes, 1840, A. caeruleopunctatus Ruppell, 1829, Hemigymnus fasciatus (Bloch, 1792), and H. melapterus (Bloch, 1791) from the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia. Transvena gen. n. is distinguished from all other acanthocephalan genera by having a combination of a single ring of small spines on its trunk near or at the junction between the neck and trunk, two cement glands, a double-walled proboscis receptacle and hooks which decrease in length from the apex to the base of the proboscis. A second new genus within the Transvenidae, Trajectura, is proposed for T. perinsolens sp. n. from Anampses neoguinaicus, also from the Great Barrier Reef. Trajectura gen. n. is distinguished by the possession of only two cement glands and an anterior conical projection (function unknown) on the females. Diplosentis ikedai Machida, 1992 shares these characters and is recombined as Trajectura ikedai comb. n. Pararhadinorhynchus is transferred to the Transvenidae and Diplosentis manteri Gupta et Fatma, 1979 is recombined as Pararhadinorhynchus manteri comb. n.

A review of the family Enenteridae Yamaguti, 1958 (Digenea), with descriptions of species from Australian waters, including Koseiria huxleyi n. sp.

The family Enenteridae is reviewed, with keys to the genera and species and diagnoses of the family and genera, based on a cladistic analysis utilising 44 characters. Subfamilies are not recognised. Descriptions of the following taxa from Australian marine teleosts are given: Enenterum mannarense from Kyphosus sydneyanus, SW Australia, E. elongatum from Kyphosus sydneyanus, SW Australia (these two species are distinguished by the number of oral lobes and the ovary to anterior testis distance), Koseiria huxleyi n. sp. from Chaetodontoplus meredithi, Great Barrier Reef (this new species is distinguished by the vitellarium reaching into the forebody, the infundibuliform terminal oral sucker, the unlobed ovary and the distinct post-oral ring), Koseiria xishaense from Kyphosus cinerascens and K. vaigiensis, Great Barrier Reef, Cadenatella isuzumi from Kyphosus cinerascens and K. vaigiensis, Great Barrier Reef, and C. pacifica (Yamaguti, 1970) n. comb. [was Jeancadenatia] from Kyphosus cinerascens and K. vaigiensis, Great Barrier Reef. The genus Jeancadenatia is considered a synonym of Cadenatella, and the new combination C. dollfusi (Hafeezullah, 1980) is formed. Members of the family are parasitic mainly in herbivorous fishes with a few genera and species from non-herbivorous fishes.

Long-term outcomes of genetic counseling in women at increased risk of developing hereditary breast cancer Information,

This multicenter study evaluated the impact of genetic counseling in 218 women at risk of developing hereditary breast cancer. Women were assessed prior to counseling and 12-month post-counseling using self-administered, mailed questionnaires. Compared to baseline, breast cancer genetics knowledge was increased significantly at follow-up. and greater increases in knowledge were associated with educational level. Breast cancer anxiety decreased significantly from baseline to follow-up, and these decreases were associated with improvements in perceived risk. A significant decrease in clinical breast examination was observed at the 12-month follow-up. Findings suggest that women with a family history of breast cancer benefit from attending familial cancer clinics as it leads to increases in breast cancer genetics knowledge and decreases in breast cancer anxiety. The lowered rates of clinical breast examination indicate that the content of genetic counseling may need to be reviewed to ensure that women receive and take away the right message. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A survey of Australian consumers' attitudes towards UHT milk

A telephone survey was conducted in Melbourne and Brisbane to obtain a profile of milk consumption in Australia and determine consumers' attitudes regarding UHT milk. It was anticipated that this survey would reveal the reasons for the low level of UHT milk consumption in Australia. Pasteurised milk was the main milk type used by more than 80% of respondents. For UHT milk this figure was much lower (approximately 10%), even though two thirds of respondents had tried UHT milk. Factors that were found to influence UHT milk consumption included existing milk consumption habits, consumer perception, flavour and price. The majority of non-users of UHT milk stated habit of using other milk type as their main reason for not using UHT milk. Other reasons included poor nutritional value, poor flavour and not real/pure milk, indicating a negative consumer perception of the product. The flavour of UHT milk was identified as a problem, with nearly half of UHT milk users considering it to be worse than the flavour of pasteurised milk. However, a small proportion of UHT milk users preferred the flavour of UHT milk, with the majority of them stating that it was creamier, richer and/or stronger than the flavour of pasteurised milk. Prior to post-farmgate deregulation, price was shown to discourage consumers from using UHT milk. At the time of the survey, post-farmgate prices in Victoria were deregulated resulting in UHT milk being priced below that of pasteurised milk in some instances. This was believed to contribute to a significantly higher market share of the product in Melbourne than in Brisbane.