Towards an index of relative Indigenous socioeconomic disadvantage

Understanding geographic variations in the socioeconomic status of Indigenous peoples is of importance when developing policies aimed at reducing the level of Indigenous disadvantage. Knowledge of geographic variations in socioeconomic status provides an understanding of some of the underlying structural reasons and impediments to improving the socioeconomic status of Indigenous Australians. This paper explores how a variety of indicators of socioeconomic status that can be combined to form a composite index of relative socioeconomic disadvantage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) regional council areas. Data from the 1991 and 1996 Censuses, augmented with administrative data from ATSIC are used to construct an index of relative socioeconomic disadvantage for the 36 ATSIC regional council areas. The changes in relative socioeconomic disadvantage between 1991 and 1996 are also analysed. The estimates in this paper are the first for Indigenous Australians using 1996 Census data. The limitations of relative indexes of socioeconomic disadvantage, particularly with respect to Indigenous Australians, are discussed. Particular attention is paid to data limitations which are exacerbated when comparing relative socioeconomic disadvantage over time. However, in spite of the many limitations, carefully selected variables can be used to estimate a ranking of socioeconomic disadvantage of ATSIC regional council areas. This research paper is timely as the Commonwealth Grants Commission (CGC) is conducting the Indigenous Funding Inquiry, measuring the relative need of Indigenous people in different geographic regions. In this context, an important contribution of this paper is an assessment of the usefulness of a composite index of relative socioeconomic disadvantage for the calculation of funding relativities. The conclusion reached is that relative indexes of socioeconomic disadvantage, such as the one documented in this paper, are of very limited use in calculating funding relativities

SECOND INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON RANAVIRUSES:: A NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Ranaviruses are large double stranded DNA viruses of poikilothermic vertebrates including amphibians, reptiles and fish. In North America, ranaviral disease and ranavirus-related die-off events have been documented in all three classes. Ranaviruses are found worldwide, appear to be emerging in some regions, and are increasingly recognized as a threat to many species

Towards an index of relative Indigenous socioeconomic disadvantage

Understanding geographic variations in the socioeconomic status of Indigenous peoples is of importance when developing policies aimed at reducing the level of Indigenous disadvantage. Knowledge of geographic variations in socioeconomic status provides an understanding of some of the underlying structural reasons and impediments to improving the socioeconomic status of Indigenous Australians. This paper explores how a variety of indicators of socioeconomic status that can be combined to form a composite index of relative socioeconomic disadvantage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) regional council areas. Data from the 1991 and 1996 Censuses, augmented with administrative data from ATSIC are used to construct an index of relative socioeconomic disadvantage for the 36 ATSIC regional council areas. The changes in relative socioeconomic disadvantage between 1991 and 1996 are also analysed. The estimates in this paper are the first for Indigenous Australians using 1996 Census data. The limitations of relative indexes of socioeconomic disadvantage, particularly with respect to Indigenous Australians, are discussed. Particular attention is paid to data limitations which are exacerbated when comparing relative socioeconomic disadvantage over time. However, in spite of the many limitations, carefully selected variables can be used to estimate a ranking of socioeconomic disadvantage of ATSIC regional council areas. This research paper is timely as the Commonwealth Grants Commission (CGC) is conducting the Indigenous Funding Inquiry, measuring the relative need of Indigenous people in different geographic regions. In this context, an important contribution of this paper is an assessment of the usefulness of a composite index of relative socioeconomic disadvantage for the calculation of funding relativities. The conclusion reached is that relative indexes of socioeconomic disadvantage, such as the one documented in this paper, are of very limited use in calculating funding relativities

Positive regulation of meiotic DNA double-strand break formation by activation of the DNA damage checkpoint kinase Mec1(ATR)

During meiosis, formation and repair of programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) create genetic exchange between homologous chromosomes-a process that is critical for reductional meiotic chromosome segregation and the production of genetically diverse sexually reproducing populations. Meiotic DSB formation is a complex process, requiring numerous proteins, of which Spo11 is the evolutionarily conserved catalytic subunit. Precisely how Spo11 and its accessory proteins function or are regulated is unclear. Here, we use Saccharomyces cerevisiae to reveal that meiotic DSB formation is modulated by the Mec1(ATR) branch of the DNA damage signalling cascade, promoting DSB formation when Spo11-mediated catalysis is compromised. Activation of the positive feedback pathway correlates with the formation of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) recombination intermediates and activation of the downstream kinase, Mek1. We show that the requirement for checkpoint activation can be rescued by prolonging meiotic prophase by deleting the NDT80 transcription factor, and that even transient prophase arrest caused by Ndt80 depletion is sufficient to restore meiotic spore viability in checkpoint mutants. Our observations are unexpected given recent reports that the complementary kinase pathway Tel1(ATM) acts to inhibit DSB formation. We propose that such antagonistic regulation of DSB formation by Mec1 and Tel1 creates a regulatory mechanism, where the absolute frequency of DSBs is maintained at a level optimal for genetic exchange and efficient chromosome segregation

THIRD INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON RANAVIRUSES:: ADVANCING THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE THREAT OF RANAVIRUSES TO NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOFAUNA

Members of the genus Ranavirus, one of five genera withinthe family Iridoviridae, encompass a group of large, doublestrandedDNA viruses that infect all three classes of ectothermicvertebrates: fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Ranaviruses areglobally emerging pathogens that cause considerable morbidityand mortality among diverse populations. In North America,ranavirus epizootics are regularly reported in wild and culturedfish, amphibian, and reptile populations

AdS Strings with Torsion: Non-complex Heterotic Compactifications

Combining the effects of fluxes and gaugino condensation in heterotic supergravity, we use a ten-dimensional approach to find a new class of four-dimensional supersymmetric AdS compactifications on almost-Hermitian manifolds of SU(3) structure. Computation of the torsion allows a classification of the internal geometry, which for a particular combination of fluxes and condensate, is nearly Kahler. We argue that all moduli are fixed, and we show that the Kahler potential and superpotential proposed in the literature yield the correct AdS radius. In the nearly Kahler case, we are able to solve the H Bianchi using a nonstandard embedding. Finally, we point out subtleties in deriving the effective superpotential and understanding the heterotic supergravity in the presence of a gaugino condensate.Comment: 42 pages; v2. added refs, revised discussion of Bianchi for N

Non-equilibrium Ionization States Within Galactic Outflows: Explaining Their O VI and N V Column Densities

We present a suite of one-dimensional spherically-symmetric hydrodynamic simulations that study the atomic ionization structure of galactic outflows. We track the ionization state of the outflowing gas with a non-equilibrium atomic chemistry network that includes photoionization, photo-heating, and ion-by-ion cooling. Each simulation describes a steady-state outflow that is defined by its mass and energy input rates, sonic radius, metallicity, and UV flux from both the host galaxy and meta-galactic background. We find that for a large range of parameter choices, the ionization state of the material departs strongly from what it would be in photo-ionization equilibrium, in conflict with what is commonly assumed in the analysis of observations. In addition, nearly all the models reproduce the low N V to O VI column density ratios and the relatively high O VI column densities that are observed.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, accepted to ApJ. Comments welcom

Methods for Controlling Woody Invasian into CRP Fields in Tennessee

Woody cover is an important component of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) habitat; however, some species such as red maple (Acer rubrum) and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) grow aggressively and may become dominant on unmanaged areas. Six treatments with controls were implemented in a completely randomized design on a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) old-field planted to tall fescue (Lolium arundinarium) with extensive invasion by sweetgum, red maple, and other woody saplings to determine the most effective method for reducing coverage of woody plants. Treatments included dormant-season burning in March 2004, applications of triclopyr, imazapyr, and glyphosate in July 2004, mowing in August 2004, and growing-season burning in September 2004. Resulting vegetation structure and composition were measured in July 2005. Percentage woody cover was reduced by all treatments (13-50%) except mowing (65.8%, SE=7.0) compared to control (80.4%, SE=7.6). Imazapyr (13.3%, SE=2.6), growing-season burn (14.2%, SE=3.1), and triclopyr (15.8%, SE=3.5) were most effective at reducing woody cover. Percentage cover of desirable legumes (Chamaecrista spp., Desmodium spp., Lespedeza spp.) was greatest in growing-season burn (54.2%, SE=6.7), imazapyr (28.3%, SE=5.9), and dormant-season burn (24.5%, SE=5.2) treatments. Imazapyr increased coverage of blackberry (Rubus spp.), while triclopyr increased coverage of warm- and cool-season grasses. Our results suggest growing-season fire in September was best at reducing woody plants and enhancing habitat for northern bobwhites. Growing-season fire resulted in the greatest coverage of desirable legumes, reduced litter depth, and increased percent bare ground. If burning is not possible, applications of imazapyr or tryclopyr may be suitable alternatives

Disease monitoring and biosecurity

Understanding and detecting diseases of amphibians has become vitally important in conservation and ecological studies in the twenty-fi rst century. Disease is defi ned as the deviance from normal conditions in an organism. The etiologies (causes) of disease include infectious, toxic, traumatic, metabolic, and neoplastic agents. Thus, monitoring disease in nature can be complex. For amphibians, infectious, parasitic, and toxic etiologies have gained the most notoriety. Amphibian diseases have been linked to declining amphibian populations, are a constant threat to endangered species, and are frequently a hazard in captive breeding programs, translocations, and repatriations. For example, a group of viruses belonging to the genus Ranavirus and the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis are amphibian pathogens that are globally distributed and responsible for catastrophic population die-offs, with B. dendrobatidis causing known species extinctions (Daszak et al. 1999; Lips et al. 2006; Skerratt et al. 2007). Some infectious diseases of amphibians share similar pathological changes; thus, their detection, recognition, and correct diagnosis can be a challenge even by trained veterinary pathologists or experienced herpetologists. This chapter will introduce readers to the most common amphibian diseases with an emphasis on those that are potentially or frequently lethal, and the techniques involved in disease monitoring. It will also outline methods of biosecurity to reduce the transmission of disease agents by humans. We start by covering infectious, parasitic, and toxic diseases. Next, surveillance methods are discussed, including methods for sample collection and techniques used in disease diagnosis. Finally, biosecurity issues for preventing disease transmission will be covered, and we provide protocols for disinfecting fi eld equipment and footwear

Evaluation of Pt, Ni, and Ni–Mo electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution on crystalline Si electrodes

The dark electrocatalytic and light photocathodic hydrogen evolution properties of Ni, Ni–Mo alloys, and Pt on Si electrodes have been measured, to assess the viability of earth-abundant electrocatalysts for integrated, semiconductor coupled fuel formation. In the dark, the activities of these catalysts deposited on degenerately doped p^+-Si electrodes increased in the order Ni < Ni–Mo ≤ Pt. Ni–Mo deposited on degenerately doped Si microwires exhibited activity that was very similar to that of Pt deposited by metal evaporation on planar Si electrodes. Under 100 mW cm^(−2) of Air Mass 1.5 solar simulation, the energy conversion efficiencies of p-type Si/catalyst photoelectrodes ranged from 0.2–1%, and increased in the order Ni ≈ Ni–Mo < Pt, due to somewhat lower photovoltages and photocurrents for p-Si/Ni–Mo relative to p-Si/Ni and p-Si/Pt photoelectrodes. Deposition of the catalysts onto microwire arrays resulted in higher apparent catalytic activities and similar photoelectrode efficiencies than were observed on planar p-Si photocathodes, despite lower light absorption by p-Si in the microwire structures