Lung disease in indigenous children

Children in indigenous populations have substantially higher respiratory morbidity than non-indigenous children. Indigenous children have more frequent respiratory infections that are, more severe and, associated with long-term sequelae. Post-infectious sequelae such as chronic suppurative lung disease and bronchiectasis are especially prevalent among indigenous groups and have lifelong impact on lung function. Also, although estimates of asthma prevalence among indigenous children are similar to non-indigenous groups the morbidity of asthma is higher in indigenous children. To reduce the morbidity of respiratory illness, best-practice medicine is essential in addition to improving socio-economic factors, (eg household crowding), tobacco smoke exposure, and access to health care and illness prevention programs that likely contribute to these issues. Although each indigenous group may have unique health beliefs and interfaces with modern health care, a culturally sensitive and community-based comprehensive care system of preventive and long term care can improve outcomes for all these conditions. This article focuses on common respiratory conditions encountered by indigenous children living in affluent countries where data is available.

Kissing fish: Rex Hunt, popular culture, sustainability and fishing practices

Natural resource managers and scientists focus on the behaviour of individual recreational fishers to understand environmental problems associated with this leisure activity. They do this in an effort to identify ways to change attitudes in order to facilitate environmentally friendly choices. This applied use of ABC psychology (attitude, behaviour, choice) has not delivered the expected results. This article offers a different approach by investigating an emergent practice in diverse fishing communities, rather than looking to the responsibility of the individual recreational fisher. Using practice theory, I trace the change from take-all to catch-and-release fishing in Australia by analysing the texts of celebrity fisher Rex Hunt, who is an advocate for releasing fish. I combine this with oral history testimony from a sample of recreational fishers from the broader Australian community to show how change happened. The practice of catch-and-release fishing emerged through the combination of sociotechnical and historically specific elements present in popular culture, including the media. Paying attention to the way different elements catalyse provides a rich account of the changing modes of sustainability in recreational fishing communities.

Transition metal complexes of a potential anticancer quinazoline ligand

A new heterocycle, namely 2-(furyl)-3-(furfuralimino)-1,2-dihydroquinazolin-4(3H)-one (ffdq) was formed by the ondensation of 2-aminobenzoylhydrazide with furfural and characterized by physico-chemical, spectroscopic, and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. A series of complexes of ffdq have been synthesized and characterized by physico-chemical, spectroscopic, and thermal studies. According to the i.r. and 1H-n.m.r. spectra ffdq behaves as a bidentate ligand coordinating through quinazoline oxygen and azomethine nitrogen. The FAB-mass spectrum of the Cd(II) complex indicates the monomeric nature of this complex. The X-band e.p.r. spectrum of the Cu(II) complex and thermal stabilities of the Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes are discussed.

Efficient use of correlation entropy for analysing time series data

The correlation dimension D 2 and correlation entropy K 2 are both important quantifiers in nonlinear time series analysis. However, use of D 2 has been more common compared to K 2 as a discriminating measure. One reason for this is that D 2 is a static measure and can be easily evaluated from a time series. However, in many cases, especially those involving coloured noise, K 2 is regarded as a more useful measure. Here we present an efficient algorithmic scheme to compute K 2 directly from a time series data and show that K 2 can be used as a more effective measure compared to D 2 for analysing practical time series involving coloured noise.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis pantothenate kinase: possible changes in location of ligands during enzyme action

The crystal structures of complexes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pantothenate kinase with the following ligands have been determined: (i) citrate; (ii) the nonhydrolysable ATP analogue AMPPCP and pantothenate (the initiation complex); (iii) ADP and phosphopantothenate resulting from phosphorylation of pantothenate by ATP in the crystal (the end complex); (iv) ATP and ADP, each with half occupancy, resulting from a quick soak of crystals in ATP (the intermediate complex); (v) CoA; (vi) ADP prepared by soaking and cocrystallization, which turned out to have identical structures, and (vii) ADP and pantothenate. Solution studies on CoA binding and catalytic activity have also been carried out. Unlike in the case of the homologous Escherichia coli enzyme, AMPPCP and ADP occupy different, though overlapping, locations in the respective complexes; the same is true of pantothenate in the initiation complex and phosphopantothenate in the end complex. The binding site of MtPanK is substantially preformed, while that of EcPanK exhibits considerabl plasticity. The difference in the behaviour of the E. coli and M. tuberculosis enzymes could be explained in terms of changes in local structure resulting from substitutions. It is unusual for two homologous enzymes to exhibit such striking differences in action. Therefore, the results have to be treated with caution. However, the changes in the locations of ligands exhibited by M. tuberculosis pantothenate kinase are remarkable and novel.

Electrical Characterization of Airborne Vehicle Exhaust Plume

he induced current and voltage on the skin of an airborne vehicle due to the coupling of external electromagnetic field could be altered in the presence of ionized exhaust plume. So in the present work, a theoretical analysis is done to estimate the electrical parameters such as electrical conductivity and permittivity and their distribution in the axial and radial directions of the exhaust plume of an airborne vehicle. The electrical conductivity depends on the distribution of the major ionic species produced from the propellant combustion. In addition it also depends on temperature and pressure distribution of the exhaust plume as well as the generated shock wave. The chemically reactive rocket exhaust flow is modeled in two stages. The first part is simulated from the combustion chamber to the throat of the supersonic nozzle by using NASA Chemical Equilibrium with Application (CEA) package and the second part is simulated from the nozzle throat to the downstream of the plume by using a commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver. The contour plots of the exhaust parameters are presented. Eight barrel shocks which influence the distribution of the vehicle exhaust parameters are obtained in this simulation. The computed peak value of the electrical conductivity of the plume is 0.123 S/m and the relative permittivity varies from 0.89 to 0.99. The attenuation of the microwave when it is passing through the conducting exhaust plume has also been presented.

Structure Of 5'-Deoxy-5',6-Epithio-5,6-Dihydro-2',3'-O-Isopropylideneuridine, C12h16n2o5s

Mr=300.33 , triclinic, P1, a=5.635 (2), b=11.077(2), c=11.582(2)A, a= 70.48 (1), fl= 88.16 (3), y=80.56(3) ° , V= 670.325 A3, Z=2, D x = 1.49 Mg m -3, Cu Ka, n= 1.54184 ,A, g = 2.308mm -1, F(000)=316, T=301K, R=0.054, R w = 0.093 for 1944 observed counter reflections. The sulphur position with respect to the dihydrouracil ring, which is of possible relevance to the action of thymidylate synthetase, is axial in molecule A and equatorial in B. Both molecules show the anti conformation about the glycosidic bond [torsion angle C(6)-N(1)-C(1')-O(4'), 2'CN = 21.6 (9) and 29.4 (10) °] and have the C(4')-endo, O(4')-exo (40T) sugar conformation. The dioxolane-ring conformation is O(2')-endo in A and C(7)-endo in B. The dihydrouracil rings show self base pairing with hydrogen bondsN(3A)...O(ZB) and N(3B)...O(ZA).

A laser flash photolysis study of pivalothiophenone triplets: steric and electronic effects in thione photoreaction kinetics

Upon laser pulse excitation (Aex = 532 nm) into the lowest-lying '(n,a*) band system, pivalothiophenones in benzene solutions give rise to short-lived triplets (Ama: = 325-335 nm, em: = (1 1-15) X lo3 M-' cm-I) with quantitative intersystem crossing efficiencies. The triplet yields decrease slightly (by 10-30%) upon changing A, to 308 nm (Le., upon excitation into S2). Kinetic data are presented for intrinsic triplet lifetimes, self-quenching, and quenching by oxygen, di-tert-butylnitroxy radical, and various reagents capable of interacting with the triplets via energy, electron, or hydrogen-atom transfer and by biradical formation (possibly leading to cycloaddition). The mechanisms of the quenching processes are discussed. Relative to rigid aromatic thiones, namely, xanthione and thiocoumarin, the interaction of pivalothiophenone triplets with most of the quenchers are kinetically inefficient. This is interpreted primarily as a manifestation of the steric crowding at positions a to the thiocarbonyl group.

Monoblock cylinder internally pressurised under asymmetric end constraints Some aspects of design

The finite element method is used to analyse stresses and displacements in a monoblock cylinder open at one end only. The cylinder is internally pressurised. The analysis shows that the minimum pressure required to cause yield in the cylinder decreases rapidly with increasing cylinder height until the height is about the same as the outer radius of the cylinder, beyond which the decrease is marginal. Introduction of a fillet at the internal corner enhances the design pressure substantially while a fillet at the outer corner affects this pressure only marginally.

Protein supplementation and growth enhancer strategies in successive years to maximise growth of Brahman cross steers grazing sown grass pastures on brigalow lands

A strategy comprising a winter/spring protein supplement, rumen modifier and hormonal growth promotant (Compudose 400) was used in either the first year (Tl), second year (T2), or in both years (T1+2) following weaning in Brahman cross steers as a means of increasing liveweight gain up to 2.5 years of age. T2 produced the heaviest final liveweight (544.7 kg) and highest overall liveweight gain (366.7 kg), but these were not significantly different from T1 (538.6 kg; 360.9 kg), or T1+2 (528.7 kg; 349.3 kg). However, final liveweight and overall liveweight gains of T1 and T2 but not T1+2 were significantly greater than for untreated (C) steers (504.9 kg; 325.2 kg, both P < 0.05). Regardless of the strategy imposed, liveweight and liveweight gain were enhanced, however final liveweights in each treatment were below the preferred minimum target liveweight (570-580 kg) for premium export markets. Treatment in both years gave no benefit over treatment in 1 year only. 19th Biennial Conference. 5-9 July 1992. LaTrobe University, Melbourne.

Harmonics in voltage-source PWM inverters

he performance of an induction motor fed by PWM inverters is mainly determined by the harmonic contents of the output voltage. This paper presents a method of numerically calculating the harmonics in the output voltage waveform. Equal pulse-width modulation and siunsoidal PWM are studied. Analysis has been done for single-phase and three-phase bridge inverters. A systematic procedure is given for computing the harmonics and the results are. tabulated.

Persistence of sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) in fox baits and implications for fox management in south-eastern Australia

The persistence of 1080 in two commonly used fox baits, Foxoff ® and chicken wingettes, was assessed under different climatic and rainfall conditions in central-western New South Wales. The rate of 1080 degradation did not change significantly between the Central Tablelands and the relatively hotter and drier environment of the Western Slopes. Loss of 1080 from wingettes was independent of the rainfall and climate conditions, with wingettes remaining lethal to foxes for, on average, 0.9 weeks. Foxoff ® baits remained lethal for longer than wingettes under all tested conditions, although their rate of degradation increased generally with increasing rainfall. As a result, areas baited with Foxoff® will require longer withholding periods for working dogs than those baited with wingettes, especially during dry periods. Wingettes may have advantages for use in sensitive areas where long-term hazards from toxic baits are undesirable. We found significant variations in 1080 concentration in freshly prepared baits that may result in efficacy, non-target and regulatory concerns for baiting campaigns. As a result, the superior quality control and shelf-stability of manufactured Foxoff® may be important criteria for favouring its use over freshly prepared bait types. However, use strategies for any bait type must ensure that foxes consume lethal doses of 1080 to avoid potential problems such as the development of learned aversion to baits or pesticide resistance.

Examination of a scale assessing attitudes towards individuals with intellectual disability in China

This study examined the applicability of the four-factor structure of the short form of the Community Living Attitudes Scale-Intellectual disability1 (CLAS-ID) in China, using a sample of 325 Chinese community members. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the original structure of the short form of the CLAS-ID did not adequately fit the data from the current sample. Most items of the Exclusion and Similarity subscales were retained while items on the Empowerment and Sheltering subscales were removed. Chinese community members held generally positive attitudes towards people with intellectual disability. However, a measurement tool originating from the Chinese context is needed to provide a better understanding of attitudes towards individuals with intellectual disability in mainland China.

Estimating crop area using seasonal time series of enhanced vegetation index from MODIS satellite imagery

Cereal grain is one of the main export commodities of Australian agriculture. Over the past decade, crop yield forecasts for wheat and sorghum have shown appreciable utility for industry planning at shire, state, and national scales. There is now an increasing drive from industry for more accurate and cost-effective crop production forecasts. In order to generate production estimates, accurate crop area estimates are needed by the end of the cropping season. Multivariate methods for analysing remotely sensed Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from 16-day Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery within the cropping period (i.e. April-November) were investigated to estimate crop area for wheat, barley, chickpea, and total winter cropped area for a case study region in NE Australia. Each pixel classification method was trained on ground truth data collected from the study region. Three approaches to pixel classification were examined: (i) cluster analysis of trajectories of EVI values from consecutive multi-date imagery during the crop growth period; (ii) harmonic analysis of the time series (HANTS) of the EVI values; and (iii) principal component analysis (PCA) of the time series of EVI values. Images classified using these three approaches were compared with each other, and with a classification based on the single MODIS image taken at peak EVI. Imagery for the 2003 and 2004 seasons was used to assess the ability of the methods to determine wheat, barley, chickpea, and total cropped area estimates. The accuracy at pixel scale was determined by the percent correct classification metric by contrasting all pixel scale samples with independent pixel observations. At a shire level, aggregated total crop area estimates were compared with surveyed estimates. All multi-temporal methods showed significant overall capability to estimate total winter crop area. There was high accuracy at pixel scale (>98% correct classification) for identifying overall winter cropping. However, discrimination among crops was less accurate. Although the use of single-date EVI data produced high accuracy for estimates of wheat area at shire scale, the result contradicted the poor pixel-scale accuracy associated with this approach, due to fortuitous compensating errors. Further studies are needed to extrapolate the multi-temporal approaches to other geographical areas and to improve the lead time for deriving cropped-area estimates before harvest.

Inter-seasonal population dynamics and pest status of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) biotype B in an Australian cropping system

Bemisia tabaci, biotype B, commonly known as the silverleaf whitefly (SLW) is an alien species that invaded Australia in the mid-90s. This paper reports on the invasion ecology of SLW and the factors that are likely to have contributed to the first outbreak of this major pest in an Australian cotton cropping system, population dynamics of SLW within whitefly-susceptible crop (cotton and cucurbit) and non-crop vegetation (sowthistle, Sonchus spp.) components of the cropping system were investigated over four consecutive growing seasons (September-June) 2001/02-2004/05 in the Emerald Irrigation Area (EIA) of Queensland, Australia. Based on fixed geo-referenced sampling sites, variation in spatial and temporal abundance of SLW within each system component was quantified to provide baseline data for the development of ecologically sustainable pest management strategies. Parasitism of large (3rd and 4th instars) SLW nymphs by native aphelinid wasps was quantified to determine the potential for natural control of SLW populations. Following the initial outbreak in 2001/02, SLW abundance declined and stabilised over the next three seasons. The population dynamics of SLW is characterised by inter-seasonal population cycling between the non-crop (weed) and cotton components of the EIA cropping system. Cotton was the largest sink for and source of SLW during the study period. Over-wintering populations dispersed from weed host plant sources to cotton in spring followed by a reverse dispersal in late summer and autumn to broad-leaved crops and weeds. A basic spatial source-sink analysis showed that SLW adult and nymph densities were higher in cotton fields that were closer to over-wintering weed sources throughout spring than in fields that were further away. Cucurbit fields were not significant sources of SLW and did not appear to contribute significantly to the regional population dynamics of the pest. Substantial parasitism of nymphal stages throughout the study period indicates that native parasitoid species and other natural enemies are important sources of SLW mortality in Australian cotton production systems. Weather conditions and use of broad-spectrum insecticides for pest control are implicated in the initial outbreak and on-going pest status of SLW in the region.