Contrasting models of land use regulation: Community, government and tourism development

This paper assesses the capacity of local communities and sub-national governments to influence patterns of tourism development, within the context of a globalizing economy. Through a comparison of the contrasting examples of Hawaii and Queensland, the paper indicates the consequences of different approaches to land use regulation. It points to the importance of planning and policy processes that integrate community interests, in order to achieve long-term, sustainable tourism development. Effective regulation of development can minimize the social and environmental impacts of tourism. The paper illustrates how community organizations and sub-national governments can articulate local interests, despite the global demands of investors for more deregulated markets in land.

Patterns of community integration 2-5 years post-discharge from brain injury rehabilitation

Outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is characterized by a high degree of variability which has often been difficult to capture in traditional outcome studies. The purpose of this study was to describe patterns of community integration 2-5 years after TBI. Participants were 208 patients admitted to a Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit between 1991-1995 in Brisbane, Australia. The design comprised retrospective data collection and questionnaire follow-up by mail. Mean follow-up was 3.5 years. Demographic, injury severity and functional status variables were retrieved from hospital records. Community integration was assessed using the Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ), and vocational status measured by a self administered questionnaire. Data was analysed using cluster analysis which divided the data into meaningful subsets. Based on the CIQ subscale scores of home, social and productive integration, a three cluster solution was selected, with groups labelled as working (n = 78), balanced (n = 46) and poorly integrated (n = 84). Although 38% of the sample returned to a high level of productive activity and 22% achieved a balanced lifestyle, overall community integration was poor for the remainder. This poorly integrated group had more severe injury characterized by longer periods of acute care and post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) and greater functional disability on discharge. These findings have implications for service delivery prior to and during the process of reintegration after brain injury.

Metformin and intervention in polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is classically characterised by ovarian dysfunction (oligomenorrhoea, anovulation and infertility), androgen excess (hirsutism and acne), obesity, and morphological abnormalities of the ovaries (cystic enlargement and stromal expansion). More, recently, insulin resistance has been found to be common in PCOS, along with an increased prevalence of other features of the metabolic syndrome, namely glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidaemia. Hyperinsulinaemia is likely to contribute to the disordered ovarian function and androgen excess of PCOS. Reducing insulin resistance by lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise improves endocrine and menstrual function in PCOS. These lifestyle modifications are the best initial means of improving insulin resistance. Metformin, an oral hypoglycaemic agent that increases insulin sensitivity has been shown to reduce serum concentrations of insulin and androgens, to reduce hirsutism, and to improve ovulation rates. The effect of metformin alone on fertility rates is-unknown. Some studies suggest that metformin will reduce total body weight to a small extent, but with a predominant effect on visceral adipose reduction. The effects of metformin on lipid abnormalities, hypertension or premature vascular disease are unknown, but the relative safety, moderate cost, and efficacy in reducing insulin resistance suggest that metformin may prove to be of benefit in combating these components of the metabolic syndrome in PCOS. Further properly planned randomised controlled trials are required.

Are community newspapers really different?

Cafarella has written what amounts to a wake-up call for many journalism educators. Her paper will have varying degrees of relevance for different educators and different institutions. In some instances, she may well be reflecting the viewpoints of particular educators in particular situations but these same educators, because of institutional pressures and the very pressures of time and limited resources that Cafarella discusses in a suburban newspaper setting, are unable to implement their heart’s desire. For example, they may want to do all the things Cafarella cited, but to meet the academic requirements of their institution as opposed to the training needs of their students they must achieve a balance between the practical and the theoretical, between their own teaching and research performance, and they must be able to cope with the marking load they generate by creating endless practical assignments. Shorthand bobs up in Cafarella’s paper as a hurdle the graduate cadet must clear before being elevated to the status of graded journalist after the one-year cadetship, and I am reminded that arguments about the inclusion of shorthand in tertiary journalism courses has been debated at national and institutional levels for the past quarter of a century. In fact, shorthand is a kind of shorthand for this practice versus theory debate.

Life on the ocean wave: Testing some intergroup hypotheses in a naturalistic setting

A survey (N= 352) was conducted among British passengers of a cross-channel ferry. The survey aimed to test hypotheses drawn from Realistic Group Conflict, Social Identity and Contact theories using mainly a correlational design. However, an intervention by members of the outgroup (French fishermen blockading a port) also allowed a quasi-experimental test of the effects of a direct experience of intergroup conflict. Results supported the hypotheses since conflict and national identification were associated with more negative and with less positive attitudes toward the outgroup, while contact had the reverse effects. In addition, the salience of group membership in the contact relationship weakly moderated the effect of contact.

Using Theory to Understand the Multiple Determinants of Low Participation in Worksite Health Promotion Programs

Low participation at the employee or worksite level limits the potential public health impact of worksite-based interventions. Ecological models suggest that multiple levels of influence operate to determine participation patterns in worksite health promotion programs. Most investigations into the determinants of low participation study the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and institutional influences on employee participation. Community- and policy-level influences have not received attention, nor has consideration been given to worksite-level participation issues. The purpose of this article is to discuss one macrosocial theoretical perspective—political economy of health—that may guide practitioners and researchers interested in addressing the community- and policy-level determinants of participation in worksite health promotion programs. The authors argue that using theory to investigate the full spectrum of determinants offers a more complete range of intervention and research options for maximizing employee and worksite levels of participation.

(Book review) Neuropsychotherapy and Community Integration: Brain Illness, Emotions, and Behavior. T. Judd. 1999. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers

As individuals gain expertise in a chosen field they can begin to conceptualize how what they know can be applied more broadly, to new populations and situations, or to increase desirable outcomes. Judd's book does just this. It takes our current understanding of the etiology, course, and sequelae of brain injuries, combines this with established psychotherapy and rehabilitation techniques, and expands these into a cogent model of what Judd calls “neuropsychotherapy.” Simply put, neuropsychotherapy attempts to address the cognitive, emotional and behavioral changes in brain-injured persons, changes that may go undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or untreated.

Effect of hemochromatosis genotype and lifestyle factors on iron and red cell indices in a community population

Background: Heterozygotes for the C282Y mutation of the HFE gene may have altered hematology indices and higher iron stores than wild-type subjects. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 1488 females and 1522 males 20-79 years of age drawn from the Busselton (Australia) population study to assess the effects of HFE genotype, age, gender, and lifestyle on serum iron and hematology indices. Results: Male C282Y heterozygotes had increased transferrin saturation compared with the wild-type genotype. Neither male nor female heterozygotes had significantly increased ferritin values compared with the wild-type genotype. Younger (20-29 years) wild-type males, but not heterozygous males, had significantly lower ferritin values than wild-type males in the older age groups. Compound heterozygous subjects had increased means for serum iron, transferrin saturation, corpuscular volume, and corpuscular hemoglobin compared with the wild-type genotype, and the males also had increased ferritin values (medians 323 vs 177 mug/L; P = 0.003). In both male and female wild-type subjects, an increased body mass index was associated with decreased serum iron and transferrin saturation and increased ferritin values. There was a significant increase in ferritin concentrations in both genders with increasing frequency of red meat consumption above a baseline of 1-2 times per week and alcohol intakes >10 g/day. Conclusions: Male C282Y heterozygotes had significantly increased transferrin saturation values. Compound heterozygous (C282Y/H63D) subjects formed a separate category of C282Y heterozygotes in whom both iron and red cell indices were significantly increased compared with the wild-type genotype. (C) 2001 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Theoretical Underpinnings of Community-based Sentences and Custody for Young Offenders in Hong Kong

Much has been written about youth crime, justice and corrections in Hong Kong in the past three decades, in particular, about the historical roots of the youth justice system, causes of juvenile delinquency, and the outcomes of different rehabilitative programmes for young offenders. However, little is known in theory, practice and policy about how community-based and custodial sentences can achieve the goals of rehabilitation and correction for young offenders. In this paper, the author analyses the purposes of penal measures with reference to the classical theories of punishment, rather than empirical data or statistics. The author argues that a community-based sentence, in many respects, performs as or more effectively than a custodial programme in achieving the various sentencing aims.