Editorial

No Abstrac

Superannuation and Economic Inequality among Older Australians: Evidence from HILDA

This article seeks to identify the effect that the current superannuation system has on economic inequality in later life. The analysis uses income and wealth data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, collected between 2002 and 2014, to examine wealth inequality, which includes the balance of a superannuation accumulation account, and income inequality, which includes private pension income. The main findings are that inequality in superannuation holdings is considerably higher than wealth inequality among older Australians and that inequality increases with age, but overall the age pension and home ownership have had a moderating effect on income and wealth inequality over this period

Feeding, tentacle and gut morphology in five species of southern African intertidal holothuroids (Echinodermata)

Light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to compare the structure of the tentacles and digestive tracts of four species of intertidal dendrochlrote (Roweia stephensoni, Pseudocneila sykion, Aslia spyridophora, R. frauenfeldi frauenfeldi),and one species of aspidochirote holothuroid (Neostichopus grammatus). In addition, gut lengths and contents of the five species were compared. Gut contents were sieved to determine the size of the particulate matter ingested. Roweia stephensoni, P. sykion and A. spyridophora were found to be suspension feeders using dendritic tentacles to capture and ingest food particles mostly <53 μm in size. Roweia f. frauenfeldi was also a suspension feeder but, had atypical (reduced) dendritic tentacles which captured food particles between 250 μm-1.18 mm in size. Neostichopus grammatus was a deposit feeder, ingesting sediments mostly between 106-500 μm using tentacles which are peltate with ramified processes. The gut lengths of the four suspension-feeding species were found to be significantly (p <0.001) longer than that of the deposit feeder. The digestive tract of all species was composed of four tissue layers, with the digestive epithelial layer of the anterior and posterior ends of the intestine of suspension feeders being significantly thicker (52 to 57 μm) than that of the deposit feeder (about 19 to 29 μm). In addition, the epithelial layer of the intestine of suspension feeders contained more highly vesicular enterocytes than that of the deposit feeder

A case study in Green chemistry: Developing replacements for CFCs

Chlorofluorocarbons, CFCs, were developed in the late 1920s for use as safe refrigerant alternatives to sulphur dioxide and ammonia. They were welcomed by industry because of their low toxicity, chemical stability, low flammability, low cost and ease of synthesis. They found wide application as refrigerants, blowing agents, propellants and cleaning agents. Over more than 40 years, applications of CFCs expanded into a wide variety of areas, and grew into a multibillion-dollar industry. Unfortunately, CFCs are not ecologically benign. It became increasingly clear that CFCs were responsible for ozone depletion. In the early 1970s the leading manufacturers of CFCs met to discuss the possible environmental impact of their products.This case study uses a problem based learning approach to take students through the development of replacements for CFCs from the 1970s to today. They investigate the background to the CFC problem and consider data that leads to the decision to investigate possible replacements. They must select and design replacement molecules (HFCs), devise syntheses and then consider the challenge to develop the replacements in a socio-economic and political framework. They also consider the problems posed by existing CFCs, the ‘fridge mountain’ and possible disposal and containment alternatives.The case study brings the story up to date with an investigation of the problems now being associated with HFCs and the search for new alternatives. This activity successfully teaches applied and ‘green’ chemistry via a real life context. The chemistry encountered is of an applied/industrial nature and is set in a socioeconomic context. The influence of political pressures is also brought in when appropriate. Because the activity adopts a problem based approach it is also successful in developing a range of transferable skills, particularly problem solving, teamwork plus verbal and written communication

Clothes Moths

Clothes moths belong to a large group of small moths in the family Tineidae. There are two species of clothes moths that are of considerable economic importance. The webbing and the casemaking clothes moths are worldwide in distribution. The larvae of clothes moths can feed on and cause damage to fabrics, furs, feathers, wool, carpets, tapestries, drapes, piano felts, upholstered furniture, animal bristled brushes, hair, fish meal found in fish food, synthetics or fabrics, such as cotton, that have been blended with wool, skins, spices, stored tobacco, old clothing, scrap piles, leather, lint, dust, paper, linen, silk, stuffed animals, blankets, and mounted animals

Fleas

Fleas transmit disease and parasitic worms, and cause allergic dermatitis to humans and animals. There are about 2,000 different flea species in the world and at least 325 species in North America, all belonging to the order Siphonaptera. Fleas are not likely to be confused with other insects because adults are flattened dorsal-ventrally, or side-to-side

Review of the Role of EBUS-TBNA for the Pulmonologist, Including Lung Cancer Staging

This review focuses on the role of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in day-to-day pulmonology practice. Case examples are given of the common indications for endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration which are: (i) lung cancer staging; (ii) confirming a diagnosis of malignancy in thoracic lymph nodes; (iii) diagnosing central pulmonary masses; (iv) sarcoidosis; and (v) inflammatory/benign thoracic lymph nodes. The technique is widely used, and after appropriate training by experienced bronchoscopists can be easily integrated into a bronchoscopy service

Morphological and genetic differentiation of Patella granularis (Gastropoda: Patellidae): recognition of two sibling species along the coast of southern Africa

Morphological and isozyme variations between 13 populations of the species hitherto named Patella granularis were investigated to see whether differences in shell structure between the west coast versus the south and east coasts of southern Africa are supported by other morphological features or by genetic differences. The shells showed a definite decrease in size from west to east, but this is correlated with productivity and is of no diagnostic use in distinguishing between populations. Discriminant functions analysis based on shell morphometrics failed to separate populations from the three coastal regions. Shells from the northern east coast do, however, have shell nodules with a dark pigmentation, distinctly separating them from those further south and west. No differences in radular or soft part morphology were detected between the populations, but the four northernmost populations on the east coast have a significantly shorter Z looping of the gut than the other populations along the coast. Significant microstructural differences in the sperm were also detected between these two groups of populations. Electrophoretic analysis of 16 enzyme loci failed to detect any significant differences between the west and south coast populations, but revealed a genetic identity (Nei) of 0.528 as well as four diagnostic alleles between the four northernmost populations from the east coast compared with those to the south and west. The two genetically distinct forms occurred sympatrically at one of the study sites on the east coast (Coffee Bay). It was concluded the two groupings were sufficiently different to warrant the recognition of a separate species, which is centred in KwaZulu-Natal on the east coast and extends south to Coffee Bay, from where it is replaced by P. granularis. There is, however, no evidence at all that the west coast populations are in any way separable from the remaining populations of P. granularis on the south coast