Recolonisation of rabbit warrens following coordinated ripping programs in Victoria, south-eastern Australia

Context Warren ripping has been demonstrated to be an effective tool for controlling rabbit populations. However, few studies have examined factors influencing the rate at which ripped warrens are likely to be recolonised (i.e. be re-opened). Aims To examine factors influencing the recolonisation of ripped warrens by rabbits by using data collected on 555 warrens for up to 15 years following coordinated ripping programs at 12 sites in Victoria, south-eastern Australia. Methods Warren-monitoring data (number of active and inactive warren entrances) were analysed using discrete-time survival analysis to determine the effects of warren-level and site-level covariates on the recolonisation of ripped warrens. Key results Warren recolonisation was related to the distance between the ripped warren and the nearest active warren, the number of active entrances in the nearest warren, the initial number of active entrances in the ripped warren and the rabbit spotlight abundance index at the site. The probability of warren recolonisation was highest for ripped warrens within 1 km of an active warren and negligible beyond 3 km. The probability of warren recolonisation also increased by 22% for every increase in the rabbit spotlight count at the site by 10 rabbits km–1. Conclusions The recolonisation of ripped warrens was highly influenced by both the distance to, and size of, neighbouring active warrens. Larger warrens also appear to be preferentially recolonised compared with smaller warrens, suggesting that recolonisation of ripped areas may be related to habitat quality. The present results are consistent with ideas from classical metapopulation theory predicting that the rates of colonisation of vacant patches are dependent on both the proximity and size of the source population as well as the quality of habitat patches. Implications Although coordinated warren ripping programs are effective at achieving long-term control of rabbits, their efficiency at maintaining low rabbit populations can be increased by adopting an adaptive monitoring program that incorporates warren size and the spatial relationships among warrens, and using this information to better target maintenance-control activities.

Lungurra Ngoora--a pilot model of care for aged and disabled in a remote Aboriginal community--can it work?

INTRODUCTION

The literature on the health of and services for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations is relatively sparse. This study explored the development and implementation of a locally designed community service model of care for older people, and people with disability and/or mental health problems in remote Aboriginal Australia.

METHODS

Based on extensive community consultation with older people, families, carers, community members and stakeholders, a model of care was developed to address unmet needs for the target population and their carers in the remote community of Looma, in the Kimberley region of Australia. The model was implemented and evaluated over 12 months. The main outcome measures included the number of services (including home services, meals, transport, respite, personal care and advocacy) provided. Outcomes of community participation, capacity building, resources, partnerships, workforce, service delivery and cultural protection were assessed qualitatively by an external evaluator.

RESULTS

The number of people receiving community care services in Looma increased from eight to 22, and services increased in all domains from 140 total services delivered for 1 month at baseline to 2356 by the final month of the program.

CONCLUSIONS

The Lungurra Ngoora community care service model pilot project demonstrated a successful collaborative service model that addressed the care needs of older persons, those with disability and mental illness, and their carers in this remote community. The developmental approach, and model structure, could serve as a template for future delivery of services in remote Aboriginal communities.

Study of the Dependency on Magnetic Field and Bias Voltage of an AC-Biased TES Microcalorimeter

At SRON we are studying the performance of a Goddard Space Flight Center single pixel TES microcalorimeter operated in an AC bias configuration. For x-ray photons at 6 keV the pixel shows an x-ray energy resolution ΔE_FWHM =3.7 eV, which is about a factor 2 worse than the energy resolution observed in an identical DC-biased pixel. In order to better understand the reasons for this discrepancy we characterised the detector as a function of temperature, bias working point and applied perpendicular magnetic field. A strong periodic dependency of the detector noise on the TES AC bias voltage is measured. We discuss the results in the framework of the recently observed weak-link behaviour of a TES microcalorimeter.

Culture shock and healthcare workers in remote Indigenous communities of Australia: what do we know and how can we measure it?

INTRODUCTION

Culture shock or cultural adaptation is a significant issue confronting non-Indigenous health professionals working in remote Indigenous communities in Australia. This article is presented in two parts. The first part provides a thorough background in the theory of culture shock and cultural adaptation, and a comprehensive analysis of the consequences, causes, and current issues around the phenomenon in the remote Australian healthcare context. Second, the article presents the results of a comprehensive literature review undertaken to determine if existing studies provide tools which may measure the cultural adaptation of remote health professionals.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature review was conducted utilising the meta-databases CINAHL and Ovid Medline.

RESULTS

While there is a plethora of descriptive literature about culture shock and cultural adaptation, empirical evidence is lacking. In particular, no empirical evidence was found relating to the cultural adaptation of non-Indigenous health professionals working in Indigenous communities in Australia. In all, 15 international articles were found that provided empirical evidence to support the concept of culture shock. Of these, only 2 articles contained tools that met the pre-determined selection criteria to measure the stages of culture shock. The 2 instruments identified were the Culture Shock Profile (CSP) by Zapf and the Culture Shock Adaptation Inventory (CSAI) by Juffer.

CONCLUSIONS

There is sufficient evidence to determine that culture shock is a significant issue for non-Indigenous health professionals working in Indigenous communities in Australia. However, further research in this area is needed. The available empirical evidence indicates that a measurement tool is possible but needs further development to be suitable for use in remote Indigenous communities in Australia.

The application of chromatic dark-adapted kinetic perimetry to retinal diseases

PURPOSE

To demonstrate the value of a 2-color perimetric procedure for determining cone and rod system contributions to the dark-adapted kinetic visual field (VF).

DESIGN

Prospective evaluation of perimetric testing procedure.

PARTICIPANTS

Five patients with retinal diseases and 6 visually normal individuals.

METHODS

Long- and short-wavelength stimuli were presented under dark-adapted conditions in a Goldmann perimeter. Visual fields were measured for the II and V test target sizes with a long-wavelength filter (cut-on at 600 nm) and a short-wavelength filter (cutoff at 510 nm). Light intensities through these filters were matched scotopically for the rod system by producing equal peripheral boundaries on 6 visually normal individuals. To validate the application of this procedure, we tested a patient with congenital achromatopsia and another patient with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB). We then tested 2 patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and 1 patient with Usher's syndrome to determine the cone and rod contributions to their VF isopters.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Isopters for long- and short-wavelength test stimuli, and the appearance of the test stimuli, whether reported as chromatic or achromatic.

RESULTS

The patient with congenital achromatopsia showed superimposed isopters for the 2 stimuli, which were reported as achromatic, demonstrating that the peripheral field boundaries were rod mediated. The patient with CSNB showed an isopter in response to the long-wavelength stimulus that was considerably larger than that in response to the short-wavelength stimulus, both stimuli reported as chromatic, showing that the cone system determined peripheral thresholds for both stimuli. In 2 patients with RP, we observed a mixed pattern of cone or rod system detection of the chromatic stimuli. The peripheral isopters were rod mediated, whereas the cone system determined the central field isopters. In an Usher's syndrome patient, cones mediated both the peripheral and the central field isopters.

CONCLUSIONS

A 2-color dark-adapted Goldmann perimetric procedure was able to determine whether the VF isopters were rod or cone mediated in 5 patients with various forms of retinal disease.

Practical infra-red illumination and observation techniques for wildlife studies using ICI-962 perspex

MAMMALS do not normally visually perceive infrared (IR) or ultra-violet (UV) light that exists on either side of the visual spectrum from 390 to 760 nanometers (nm) (Wolken 1975). There is no evidence to suggest that nocturnal mammals have become more sensitive to long wavelength light as an adaptive response (Lythgoe 1979), although some reptiles can sense longer wavelength, thermal IR radiation (Barrett et al. 1970). Because it is not perceived, and is unlikely to affect animal behaviour, IR observation can be an invaluable tool for wildlife researchers. This paper describes the construction and use of simple IR radiation sources that can be used for non-invasive behavioural observations of captive and free-ranging mammals.

Distribution of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia in an Australian population

BACKGROUND/AIM

The present study describes (i) the natural distribution of the three putative periodontopathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in an Australian population and (ii) the relationship between these organisms, pocket depths and supragingival plaque scores.

METHODS

Subgingival plaque was collected from the shallowest and deepest probing site in each sextant of the dentition. In total, 6030 subgingival plaque samples were collected from 504 subjects. An ELISA utilising pathogen-specific monoclonal antibodies was used to quantitate bacterial numbers.

RESULTS

: A. actinomycetemcomitans was the most frequently detected organism (22.8% of subjects) followed by P. gingivalis and P. intermedia (14.7% and 9.5% of subjects respectively). The majority of infected subjects (83%) were colonised by a single species of organism. A. actinomycetemcomitans presence was over-represented in the youngest age group but under-represented in the older age groups. Conversely, P. gingivalis and P. intermedia presence was under-represented in the youngest age group but over-represented in the older age groups. Differing trends in the distribution of these bacteria were observed between subjects depending upon the site of the infection or whether a single or mixed infection was present; however, these differences did not reach significance. Bacterial presence was strongly associated with pocket depth for both A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis. For A. actinomycetemcomitans, the odds of a site containing this bacterium decrease with deeper pockets. In contrast, for P. gingivalis the odds of a site being positive are almost six times greater for pockets >3 mm than for pockets < or =3 mm. These odds increase further to 15.3 for pockets deeper than 5 mm. The odds of a site being P. intermedia positive were marginally greater (1.16) for pockets deeper than 3 mm.

CONCLUSIONS

This cross-sectional study in a volunteer Australian population, demonstrated recognised periodontal pathogens occur as part of the flora of the subgingival plaque. Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to examine the positive relationship between pocket depth and pathogen presence with periodontal disease initiation and/or progression.

Food choice ideologies: the modern manifestations of normative and humanist views of the world

Two studies examined whether everyday food choice motives (FCMs) and abstract values constitute food choice ideologies (FCIs), whether these ideologies reflect the same normativism-humanism polarity as Tomkins' theory suggests to reflect ideologies in general, and whether various dietary groups endorse FCIs in different ways. In Study 1, 82 female participants filled in the Food Choice Questionnaire, a short version of Schwartz's Value Survey, and Tomkins' Polarity Scale. The results reflected four FCIs: ecological ideology (EI), health ideology (HI), pleasure ideology (PI) and convenience ideology (CI). Study 2 (N=144) replicated the results for ecological and health ideologies but not for pleasure and convenience ideologies. In both studies, EI, which was typical for vegetarians, was associated with a humanist view of the world, whereas HI was related to a normative view of the world. The results suggest that food choice has become a new site where one expresses one's philosophy of life.

Continuum and linearity hypotheses on the relationship between psychopathology and eating disorder symptomatology

This article discusses various notions of continuity and discontinuity relating to eating disorders, and suggests that current research on the subject is implicitly based on hypotheses on linearity. In this study, we tested these hypotheses by asking 265 female participants to complete the Eating Attitude Test (EAT) and Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI). We found a linear increase in psychological disturbances from normalcy to the milder forms of disordered eating, but a sharp and non-linear increase among the women with more severe signs of eating disorders. The results indicate that neither linearity nor non-linearity alone sufficiently describes the relationship between predisposing factors and eating disorder symptomatology.

Emotional eating and eating disorder psychopathology

The study examined to what extent emotional eating, restrained eating, and bulimic tendencies are found together in naturally occurring groups, and whether these groups differ in terms of the psychological characteristics relevant to eating disorders. One hundred twenty-seven normal-weight women filled in The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, The Eating Attitudes Test, The Eating Disorder Inventory, and five measures of psychological well-being. Cluster analysis revealed three dieter subgroups (Normal Dieters, Emotional Dieters, and Bulimic Dieters) and one nondieter group. The results showed that only some restrained eaters were emotional eaters and that only some emotional eaters had bulimic tendencies. In addition, emotional and bulimic dieters differed from nondieters more strikingly in terms of eating disorder psychopathology and low psychological well-being than normal dieters did. The results suggest that emotional eating is not responsible for overeating only but may, in concert with chronic dieting, also relate to the general psychopathology found to underlie eating disorders.

Loss of pleasure, ideological food choice reasons and eating pathology

The study compared four types of dieters who stressed ideological food-choice reasons and pleasure in their food choice in different ways. A total of 66 female dieters were included in the study. As hypothesized, the dieters in the high ideology-low pleasure cluster showed more signs of eating disorders, lower psychological well-being and more body-dissatisfaction than other dieters. The differences in internalization of societal thinness ideals and magical beliefs about food and health were not significant. The discussion considers the reasons for the dysfunctionality of the high ideology-low pleasure motive combination in food choice.

A longitudinal study of visual function in carriers of X-linked recessive retinitis pigmentosa

OBJECTIVE

This study was carried out to evaluate the progression of visual function impairment in carriers of X-linked recessive retinitis pigmentosa. We also assessed the relationship between the retinal findings at presentation and the extent of deterioration.

DESIGN

Observational, retrospective, case series.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty-seven carriers of X-linked recessive retinitis pigmentosa.

METHODS

Each carrier was clinically categorized into one of four grades (grades 0 through 3) depending on the presence or absence of a tapetal-like retinal reflex and the extent of peripheral pigmentary degeneration. A complete ophthalmologic examination was performed and data for visual acuity, visual field area, and electroretinographic measurements were collected on the most recent visit in both eyes. These were then compared with similar data obtained on their initial visits.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

A comparison of visual function was carried out between the initial visit and the most recent visit on each carrier. The visual acuity was measured with Snellen's acuity charts. The visual fields to targets V-4-e and II-4-e were planimeterized and used for the analysis. The electroretinographic (ERG) measures used were light-adapted single-flash b-wave amplitudes and 30-Hz red flicker for cone function, dark-adapted maximal b-wave amplitudes, and response to a low intensity blue-flash for rod function.

RESULTS

None of the 11 carriers with a tapetal-like reflex only (grade 1) showed any significant change in visual acuity or fields as compared with 3 of 7 (43%) carriers with diffuse peripheral pigmentary findings (grade 3) who showed significant deterioration in visual acuity in at least one eye, and 6 of 7 (86%) who showed a significant decrease in visual field area with at least one target size in at least one eye. By comparison, only 1 of 10 carriers with a grade 1 fundus finding demonstrated a significant decrease in maximal dark-adapted ERG function as compared with 5 of 6 (83%) carriers with grade 3 in response to a single-flash stimulus and with 4 of 5 (80%) carriers in response to a single-flash blue stimulus. For the single-flash photopic response, none of the 10 carriers with grade 1 showed any significant deterioration, whereas 2 of 4 (50%) with grade 3 did show such deterioration. The ERG responses for carriers with grade 2 were in between the extent of decrease in ERG amplitudes of those in carriers with grades 1 and 3.

CONCLUSIONS

In our cohort of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa carriers, those with only a tapetal-like retinal reflex at presentation had a better prognosis to retain visual function than those with peripheral retinal pigmentation. These data are useful in counseling such carriers as to their visual prognosis.

Measurement of ethical food choice motives

The two studies describe the development of three complementary scales to the Food Choice Questionnaire developed by Steptoe, Pollard & Wardle (1995). The new items address various ethical food choice motives and were derived from previous studies on vegetarianism and ethical food choice. The items were factor analysed in Study 1 (N=281) and the factor solution was confirmed in Study 2 (N=125), in which simple validity criteria were also included. Furthermore, test-retest reliability was assessed with a separate sample of subjects (N=36). The results indicated that the three new scales, Ecological Welfare (including subscales for Animal Welfare and Environment Protection), Political Values and Religion, are reliable and valid instruments for a brief screening of ethical food choice reasons.

Clinical validation of characteristics of the alcoholic family

PURPOSE

To validate, from a client and family perspective, the defining characteristics for the nursing diagnosis altered family processes: alcoholism; and to identify demographic, family, and selected treatment information from clients and family members.

METHODS

Subjects (N = 150) completed Fehring's (1987) Clinical Diagnostic Validation (CVD) Index for 110 defining characteristics of the nursing diagnosis altered family processes: alcoholism.

FINDINGS

Alcoholic families display behaviors of alcohol abuse, loss of control of drinking, denial, nicotine addiction, impaired communication, inappropriate expression of anger, and enabling behaviors. Family feelings indicate the presence of unhappiness, hurt, frustration, guilt, moodiness, powerlessness, loneliness, mistrust, anger, anxiety, and hopelessness.

CONCLUSIONS

These clinically validated characteristics will complete the assessment phase of this research and direct the path to future studies to determine appropriate goals/outcomes and interventions related to alcoholic families.

Pleasure, pursuit of health or negotiation of identity? Personality correlates of food choice motives among young and middle-aged women

The clustering of four food choice motives (health, weight concern, pleasure and ideological reasons) and the relationship between personality and the food choice motives were analysed among young and middle-aged women in two studies. The personality variables included personal strivings, magical beliefs about food, awareness and internalization of thinness pressures, appearance and weight dissatisfaction, depression, self-esteem and symptoms of eating disorders. Study 1 was done with 171 young and middle-aged women. In Study 2, with data provided by 118 senior high-school girls, one cluster of girls who did not regard any of the food choice motives as important was found, otherwise the food choice clusters were fairly similar in both studies. They were labelled as health fosterers, gourmets, ideological eaters, health dieters and distressed dieters. Only the second dieter group, distressed dieters, showed low psychological well-being and symptoms of disordered eating. The results also indicated that ideological food choice motives (i.e. expression of one's identity via food) were best predicted by vegetarianism, magical beliefs about food and health, and personal strivings for ecological welfare and for understanding self and the world.

Cognitive strategies and self-esteem as predictors of brace-wear noncompliance in patients with idiopathic scoliosis and kyphosis

Psychological determinants of brace-wear compliance were analyzed among 113 patients who used a brace because of an adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (92%), kyphosis (5%), or both (3%). The results showed that noncompliant girls did not expect to succeed in dealing with scoliosis and that they were anxious about the possibility of failure. They also had low self-esteem and did not seek social support from other people. Noncompliant boys, in contrast, had high self-esteem and high achievement success expectation. Among patients with a short time of brace use, low compliance was best predicted by low amount of reflective thinking and a good body-image. In turn, among patients who had used the brace for >6 months, low compliance was best predicted by high amount of reflective thinking, poor body-image, low social success expectation, and low master orientation in social behavior. Only sleeping problems predicted compliance across gender and the time of brace use: the more the patients experienced sleeping problems, the less they used the brace.

Motivation, cognition and pseudoscience

The article proposes a framework that views pseudoscientific beliefs as a joint function of the basic social motives and the default way of processing everyday information. The interplay between the basic motives and experiential thinking is illustrated with three examples. The first concerns comprehension of self via astrology and graphology, and the second involves the comprehension of unexpected events (one domain of the motive to comprehend the world). The last example describes health control by alternative medicine, as a modern way of controlling future outcomes.

The alcoholic family: a nursing diagnosis validation study

This study was designed to develop and validate a new nursing diagnosis, altered family processes: alcoholism. The Delphi technique was used to obtain nurse experts' (N = 201) ratings of terms for the definition, related factors, and defining characteristics. Degree of consensus was determined by analyzing the mean, frequencies, and Fehring's (1987) Diagnostic Content Validity Index for items. Findings supported a proposed definition and related factors including family history of alcoholism and lack of problem-solving skills. Defining characteristics were grouped into three categories: feelings (e.g. mistrust, insecurity, powerlessness, unhappiness), roles, and relationships (e.g. disturbed family dynamics, inconsistent parenting, marital problems), and behaviors (e.g. impaired communication, dependency, denial). Future research includes the proposal and testing of nursing interventions for alcoholic families.

Impact of height on assessments of Finnish female job applicants' managerial abilities

The impact of height on assessments of female job applicants' managerial abilities was examined in a study in which 44 subjects assessed 78 subordinates in natural settings. On global evaluations, tall women were regarded, as expected, as better managers than shorter women. On trait-type assessments, only one difference was found between the ratings of tall and short applicants.

Nurse-identified problems in the management of alcoholic patients

The purpose of this exploratory study was (1) to identify and rank the patient problems of hospitalized alcoholics that medical-surgical nurses view as difficult to manage, (2) to identify the factors that contribute to the difficulty in care, (3) to identify interventions used by nurses in an attempt to resolve patient problems and (4) to describe relationships between nurses and the identified patient problems. Subjects (N = 83) completed and returned an open-ended questionnaire by listing the physiological and psychosocial patient problems, factors and interventions. Selected demographic and biographic data were also collected. A nursing diagnosis classification described by others served as a basis and was adapted for the nursing diagnosis categories. Nominal data were analyzed using frequency distributions and percentages. The most difficult physiological problems in caring for alcoholic persons were categorized from subjects' responses using the nursing diagnoses of "potential for injury," "alterations in nutrition-elimination" and "fluid volume deficit." The nursing diagnosis categories of "ineffective individual coping," "ineffective family coping" and "noncompliance" comprised the most difficult psychosocial patient problems. A majority of subjects reported having limited classroom and clinical experience with alcoholism; 80% expressed a need for additional inservice education. It is recommended that nursing educational programs include didatic and clinical content about alcoholism, focusing on problem areas identified and on family dynamics, communication, coping strategies and time-management strategies.