bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determining the Growth and Vitality of Micro-Organisms in Carpets and Mattresses in Non-Problem Dwellings by Measuring CO2 Released during Respiration
Authors: Kemp P.C. , Neumeister-Kemp H.G. , Koch C. , Lysek G. , Murray F.
Published: March 2007

Bedroom carpets and mattresses devoid of any reported or observed moisture damage or problems were ana lysed as sources of indoor fungal growth by determining the amount of CO2 released from respiration by micro organisms living in furnishings. Dust was extracted from the carpets and mattresses using a Kirby G5 vacuum cleaner. The basal respiration rate of the dust samples without moisture added was used to estimate base respi ration rate and a substrate-induced respiration rate method was used to estimate the vitality of micro-organ isms in the dust and to estimate the amount of living microbial biomass. Analysis of fungal species was per formed by direct sprinkling of dust samples and stamp ing the filter collection papers directly onto a range of nutrient agars. Fungal differentiation revealed 18 species were living in the carpets and 12 species in the mat tresses. Penicillium spp., Aspergillus niger and Zygomy cetes were dominant fungi. The relative abundances of fungal species in the carpets were significantly corre lated to the species in the mattresses. The basal CO2 res piration rate and the living microbial biomass from all samples was the same as several soil types including sandy loam soils, Para Brown Earth, Sandy Brown Earth and Brown Podzol. The rate of respiration showed that the fungal species detected were living in the furnish ings, and were highly metabolically active. This revealed that bedroom carpets and mattresses in non-problem dwellings and without moisture damage can provide a habitat with enough moisture to support fungal growth despite the lack of an obvious moisture source.
Sick Building Syndrome: Acoustic Aspects
Authors: Burt Tyrrell
Published: March 2007

Low-frequency noise, centred around a frequency of about 7 Hz, was found to occur in several office rooms investigated. Symptoms resulting from exposure to infrasound can include fatigue, headache, nausea, concentration difficul ties, disorientation, seasickness, digestive disorders, cough, vision problems and dizziness, that is, symptoms typical of the sick building syndrome. Many of the occupants exhibited such symptoms. It is shown that the low-frequency component of ventilation noise is often being amplified in the tightly sealed rooms. Repeated or long-term exposure to such amplified infrasound may be triggering an allergic-type response in individuals.
Sick Building Syndrome Symptoms among the Staff in Schools and Kindergartens: are the Levels of Volatile Organic Compounds and Carbon Dioxide Responsible?
Authors: Willers Stefan , Andersson Sven , Andersson Rolf , Grantén Jörgen , Sverdrup Christina , Rosell Lars
Published: March 2007

From a large questionnaire-based survey investigating the indoor air quality (IAQ) in 48 schools and 74 kindergartens, 21 schools were selected for mea surements of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and carbon dioxide (CO2) based on the prevalence of sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms reported by the staff. The 10 schools with the lowest prevalence of SBS symptoms 'healthy') were compared to 11 schools with the highest prevalence ('sick'; median value showing twice as many SBS symptoms reported). The concen trations of total VOCs (TVOC) in schools and kindergartens were low and within suggested guidelines. The levels of CO2 were higher than suggested guidelines in several cases. However, neither TVOC nor CO2 concentrations were associated with SBS symptoms. Thus, TVOC and CO2 concentrations do not seem to be useful as SBS risk indicators.
Indoor Radon and Radon Emanation in the Herculane Spa (Cerna Valley) Area - Romania
Authors: Cosma C. , Ristoiu D. , Poffijn A.
Published: March 2007

Recent investigations have shown a connection between high indoor levels of radon and lung cancer risk. The main source of the radon is the emanation from soil and ground water. A study has been carried out in the Herculane Spa region, where the highest level of radioactivity (226Ra and 222Rn) from geother mal waters in Romania has been measured. This paper presents data about the radon emanation rate and indoor radon concentrations measured in the area studied. Only 20% of the measurements of indoor radon concentrations were values above 200 Bq·m-3 (average 98 Bq·m-3) when the weather was warm but in the cold season 40% of the radon levels indoors (average 185 Bq·m-3) exceeded this value. For radon emanation rates we generally found values in the range 13-70 mBq·m-2·s-1 although they were significantly higher in the vicinity of the geological faults found in the area.
Evaluation of Ventilation Effectiveness in the Kitchens of Beijing Flats
Authors: Nong Gang , Shen Shaolin , Chen Tian
Published: March 2007

The effects of different kinds of room ventilation were evaluated in an experi mental chamber and in kitchens of four residences in Beijing. Carbon monox ide was used as a tracer gas in the chamber, and this together with nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide concentrations from the gas appliances were measured in the chamber and the kitchens. The ventilation styles evaluated were natural ventilation, an exhaust fan and a kitchen range hood. Their ventilation effec tiveness was related to design, air flow, the distance between an appliance and air vent, and position of the appliance in the kitchen. A kitchen range hood above the appliance associated with an extra fan installed in a high window was found to be the most effective way to control indoor air quality in the kitchens.
The Specificity of trans,trans- Muconic Acid as a Biological Indicator for Low Levels of Environmental Benzene
Authors: Pezzagno Giulio , Maestri Luciano
Published: March 2007

trans, trans -Muconic acid (MA), a urinary ring-opened metabolite of benzene, is a newly proposed biological indicator of benzene exposure which should enable the assessment of low levels of exposure to this ubiquitous environmen tal pollutant. The presence of MA in the urine of non-occupationally exposed people is generally attributed to world-wide contamination of the environ ment by benzene (arising from such sources as smoking and other combustion, urban pollution from vehicles and maybe by food contamination). But, exami nation of the scientific literature reveals that a common food preservative and fungistatic agent, sorbic acid (SA), is also converted into MA, although in trace amounts. The permitted maximum concentration of SA in food ranges from 0.2 to 2 g·kg -1 and the acceptable daily intake (ADI-FAO/WHO) is 25 mg. kg -1 of body weight. The question, therefore, is whether the amount of MA excreted as a metabolite of SA can make a significant contribution to the total MA excreted. If so, the specificity of MA as a biological indicator for benzene exposure assessment is in doubt. Four experiments in 2 subjects were set up to try to clarify the effect on the urinary excretion of MA of the experimental ingestion of SA (2 doses of 447 and 44.7 mg); urine samples were collected, in fractions as voided, for 24 h before and 48 (or 60 h) after SA ingestion. The total amounts of MA excreted during the 24 h before ingestion of SA were respectively 79 and 34 mg in the 2 subjects; after ingestion of 447 or 44.7 mg of SA the total excretion of MA was at least respectively 20 and 2 times the background levels (when the single dose of SA was ingested) and at least 10 and 3 times (when the SA was given in divided doses). The elimination of MA after ingestion of SA was complete in 24 h; the peak concentrations always appeared in the first urine sample after the ingestion of the substance and they were more than 90 times and more than 3 times the basal levels respectively for a single ingestion of 447 and 44.7 mg of SA. The rate of biotransformation of SA into MA was, on average, 0.34 and 0.21 % in the 2 subjects; on the basis of these levels of biotransformation, it appears that 0.3-0.5 g of ingested SA would suffice to lead to excretion of 1 mg of MA, a quantity corresponding to that believed to derive from benzene exposure at levels greater than 1 ppm. Only in urine collected many hours after the last meal can a possible additive effect of MA from SA be ignored.
The Pathogenesis of Pleural Plaques
Authors: Churg Andrew
Published: March 2007

Pleural plaques are ubiquitous in asbestos exposed populations, but their pathogenesis remains obscure. Fibre burden studies indicate that plaques appear at fibre levels much below those seen in subjects with asbestosis, but considerably above those found in the general population, and that they appear to be associated with high aspect ratio fibres in the parenchyma. Analy sis of parietal pleura and plaques typically reveals short fibres of chrysotile, although one recent study has also found long amphibole fibres in localised areas of the parietal pleura. Plaques are seen in subjects exposed to all types of asbestos, but it is unclear whether chrysotile actually plays a role in their pathogenesis, whereas amphiboles clearly produce plaques. Plaques probably (but not certainly) represent a direct effect of fibres reaching the pleura, but there is no understanding of what factors initiate plaque formation, and why they are completely different in structure and distribution from asbestos- induced diffuse pleural fibrosis.
Medico-Legal Aspects of Asbestos-Induced Pleural Plaques: The Issue of Worker's Compensation
Authors: Rüegger M. , Schütz R.
Published: March 2007

As pleural plaques are the most frequent sequela found in individuals formerly exposed to asbestos, and as asbestos is a known carcinogen, there is debate as to whether they are an occupationally related condition which should be com pensated. In order to get an idea on how the issue of compensation is dealt with in a series of European countries, we have carried out an enquiry by questionnaire. Those responding included not only the Scandinavian coun tries but also British, French, German, Austrian and Italian Institutions. With the exception of Great Britain, all the countries accept asbestos-induced pleu ral plaques (APP) as occupationally related. However, compensation is only paid in those cases where there is significant clinical impairment. This means a restrictive disease with a loss of pulmonary volume of at least 20%; a situa tion which is extremely rare in individuals with APP. All those countries who responded to our questionnaire, except Norway and Sweden, are undertaking a legal survey of their asbestos-exposed workers, the goal of which practice differs from country to country. Finally, all but the Finns would allow individ uals with APP to continue in their job even if it involved a degree of further asbestos exposure.
Exposure to Toxic Gas and Particle Phase Pollutants Evolved during Deployment of Airbags in Vehicles
Authors: Wheatley A.D. , Sadhra S. , Beach J.R.
Published: March 2007

This study was conducted in order to identify and quantify a range of pollu tants (total inhalable dust, respirable dust, alkaline content, anions and inor ganic gases) emitted from supplemental inflatable restraint (SIR) systems, commonly known as 'airbags' and to investigate between-type, and between- test variability. Arrays of samplers were located inside a test vehicle and the SIR system was triggered electronically to simulate deployment in a crash. Exposure to agents which may cause respiratory ill effects is discussed in the context of the utility of SIR systems. Possible modifications to currently used SIR systems are also discussed.
(1 → 3)-β-D-Glucan in Some Indoor Air Fungi
Authors: Fogelmark Birgitta , Rylander Ragnar
Published: March 2007

The amount of (1→3)-β- D-glucan in three species of fungi was measured dur ing different phases of growth and after death. The amounts were the same in living and dead spores, but not related to growing time or medium. The amount of (1→3)-β- D-glucan was significantly higher in Stachybotrus than in Penicillium and Aspergillus. In view of the well known effects of (1→3)-β- D- glucan on the immune system, the results suggest that this agent may be a better indicator of risk in indoor environments than airborne viable or dead spores.
Review : Effects of Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure on Pulmonary Function and Respiratory Health in Adults: Update 1997
Authors: Witorsch Philip
Published: March 2007

Eighteen epidemiology studies have examined the relationship between chronic environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and pulmonary func tion. A statistically significant relationship between chronic ETS exposure and a specific spirometric endpoint was reported in 5 of 17 studies that measured forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), 2 of 9 studies that measured forced vital capacity (FVC) and 3 of 5 studies that measured mean forced expiratory flow during the middle half of the FVC. Fourteen of 24 epidemiological stud ies report a statistically significant association between chronic ETS exposure and a clinical endpoint, although there is little consistency from one report to the next when a specific endpoint is considered. A statistically significant asso ciation was reported in 2 of 9 studies for cough, 3 of 9 studies for phlegm and expectoration, 6 of 10 studies for dyspnea and shortness of breath, 3 of 6 stud ies for bronchitis, and 8 of 18 studies dealing with asthma incidence, exacerba tion, or symptoms. The inconsistency of association in the foregoing function al and clinical epidemiology studies could either reflect absence of such an association or methodology problems such as reliability of spirometric mea surement, lack of verification of clinical endpoint, errors in classification of smoking and ETS exposure status and inappropriate control of confounding variables. The effects of acute ETS exposure (at levels equivalent to or exceed ing real-life smoke-polluted environments) have been examined in experimen tal studies in which spirometric measures were obtained prior to, during, and after exposure of subjects to machine-generated tobacco smoke. Six of seven studies suggest that acute ETS exposure, while serving as an irritant to the upper respiratory tract, fails adversely to affect pulmonary function of normal adults. The effect of acute ETS exposure in asthmatic subjects has been exam ined in 15 studies. These studies suggest that acute exposure to ETS does not consistently evoke adverse pulmonary effects in most asthmatics. Several studies from a single research group suggest that a small sub-set of asthmatics may respond to acute ETS exposure with a ≥20% decrement in FEV1 as well as an increased responsiveness to bronchoconstrictors. The mechanism for this responsiveness does not appear to be allergic in nature and is subject to speculation.
Respirable Particulates and Oxides of Nitrogen Measured Inside a Building Alongside a Busy Road
Authors: Giess P.
Published: March 2007

Gravimetric determination and continuous monitoring of respirable dust in air has revealed that there are high levels of dust at some roadside and indoor locations in urban areas. Furthermore, where high dust levels are measured in roadside samples, high concentrations are also measured in adjacent build ings. The dust levels measured inside a building have been shown to be very closely correlated to ambient levels, and traffic emissions, particularly from diesel vehicles, are the principal source of respirable particulates. Other traf fic-related air pollutants have also been measured in high concentrations inside a building alongside a busy road. A clear decline in respirable dust con centration with height above ground level has been observed inside a building, and this is proposed as good evidence that a ground level source such as diesel exhaust emissions is important.
Crystalline Silica: Occurrence and Use
Authors: Moore Martin
Published: March 2007

Silica is the natural compound of the two most abundant elements on Earth - oxygen and silicon. It occurs in amorphous and crystalline forms, the most common of which is quartz. Quartz accounts for about 12 wt% of the Earth's crust and is present in all major rock types and top soils. Crystalline silica-containing airborne dusts are ubiquitous in the human environment, coming from un- consolidated materials on the Earth's surface, from natu ral raw materials processed by industry, and from many materials of construction.
Crystalline Silica and Lung Cancer: The Problem of Conflicting Evidence
Authors: McDonald Corbett , Cherry Nicola
Published: March 2007

The IARC Working Group, in 1997, had considerable diffi culty in reaching a decision and might well not have done so had it not been made clear that it was concerned with hazard identification, not risk. Other authors have explained the complexity of the mechanistic findings; we do so with the epidemiological. Of the many studies reviewed by the Working Group, excluding those of registered silicotics, nine were identified as providing the least confounded evidence. Four studies which we con sidered positive included two of refractory brick workers, one in the diatomite industry and our own in pottery workers; the five which seemed negative or equivocal included studies of South Dakota gold miners, Danish stone workers, US stone workers and US granite work ers. This further example that the truth is seldom pure and never simple underlines the difficulty of establishing a rational control policy for some carcinogenic materi als.
The New CO and Smoke Inhalation Advisory Service in the UK
Authors: Guy K.M.L. , Pimlott J.K. , Rogers M. , Cross M.
Published: March 2007

Physicians often have limited experience of carbon mon oxide poisoning, and regional and national poison units are regularly contacted for advice. To improve the situa tion a 24-hour/365 days a year advice line was created to advise both hospital accident and emergency depart ments and poison units. This service started in January 1996. All calls to the service are initially dealt with by a first responder whose aim is to identify 'critical answers' and act accordingly. If the patient's poisoning is suffi ciently severe, then onward referral to a hyperbaric unit may be appropriate. In addition to patient care, the CO advisory service provides training and lectures for all hospitals that request this support. To date the total referrals can be broken down as accidental poisoning (51%), smoke inhalation (27%), non-accidental poison ing (21 %) and cause unknown (1 %). This is in contrast to the general perception that non-accidental poisonings make up the vast majority of cases. The service under takes to follow the progress of the patient until all issues are resolved and to remain available to provide advice and support until it is no longer required. In the future the service hopes to provide data for research and eventual ly to provide leadership in organising and running treat ment trials including the efficacy and value of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Determination of Air Exchange Rates of Rooms and Deposition Factors for Fine Particles by Means of Photoelectric Aerosol Sensors
Authors: Skillas G. , Hüglin Ch. , Siegmann H.C.
Published: March 2007

Indoor and outdoor concentrations of airborne fine parti cles from internal combustion engines have been mea sured over periods of 24 h with a time resolution of 10 s. With this time series, the ventilation air exchange rate of different rooms has been computed using a novel ap proach to the solution of the mass balance equation. A 'mixing time' parameter has been introduced in order to account for the initial non-homogeneous distribution of the pollutants in the rooms. It is demonstrated that this method can be used to determine the impact of health- relevant outdoor particles on the indoor particle concen tration. This yields information on the protection a build ing offers against pollutants entering from outdoors.
A Survey of Indoor Pollution by Volatile Organohalogen Compounds in Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan
Authors: Amagai Takashi , Olansandan  , Matsushita Hidetsuru , Ono Masashi , Nakai Satoshi , Tamura Kenji , Maeda Kazuho
Published: March 2007

A survey of indoor and outdoor pollution by 10 volatile organohalogen compounds (VOHCs) was performed in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo, Japan. Thirteen houses in Feb ruary and 30 houses in July were sampled. Four consec utive 24-hour samples were collected by passive sam pling from living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and outdoors in February and July 1995. Indoor concentra tions of carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethylene were at nearly the same as outdoor concentrations; therefore, it was concluded that indoor pollution by these com pounds was primarily due to penetration of outdoor pol lutants. Indoor concentrations of some VOHCs were con siderably higher than outdoor concentrations and they varied widely between households. The list included: p- dichlorobenzene, tetrachloroethylene and trihalometh anes, for which emission sources were insect repellents, dry-cleaned clothes, and tap water, showers and bathtub water, respectively. Indoor concentrations of these com pounds were higher in reinforced concrete houses than in wooden houses or wooden houses with mortar walls. This suggests that airtightness of the rooms is responsi ble for high indoor VOHC concentrations.
Experimental Validation of CO2-Based Occupancy Detection for Demand-Controlled Ventilation
Authors: Wang Shengwei , Burnett John , Chong Hoishing
Published: March 2007

On-line ventilation control based on carbon dioxide (CO2) measurement and the dynamic CO 2 balance in indoor spaces has been validated using a dynamic algo rithm for two existing buildings. Occupancy profiles esti mated using the dynamic algorithm were compared with the true occupancy profiles and the occupancy profiles estimated using a steady-state algorithm based on the steady-state CO2 balance. The dynamic algorithm esti mates the changes of occupancy without significant de lay. The steady-state algorithm is comparable only at a high air change rate and shows a considerable delay when the number of air changes per hour in a space is small. This phenomenon was investigated using com puter simulation.
Information Sources in Occupational Socialisation
Authors: Dufty N.F.
Published: March 2007

One of the features of the Colleges of Advanced Education in Australia is their concentration on preparation for specific professions and vocations. A student enrolling in such an institution has, therefore, already made a tentative occupational choice. Newly enrolling students in such an institution provide an appropriate focus for an enquiry into sources of occupational information and influence. Four areas of occupational information were examined—the nature of the occupation, the remuneration expected, the labour market, and perceived avenue of access to jobs. In the latter case students already in the occupation were asked how they obtained it, in other cases, how they thought they were going to obtain it. Questions were also asked on sources of influence. The sample was the universe of newly-enrolling students at the Western Australian Institute of Technology in 1969 and 1970.
Now You See It, Now You Don't: The Restructuring of Commonwealth Government Child Care Policy, 1972-1982
Authors: Davis Lynne
Published: March 2007

An examination of the development and decline of Commonwealth government involvement in the provision of child care services over the past decade, focuses on services for young children whose parents are workforce participants. The growth of groups requiring child care, the level and types of service provision, and the consequences of inadequate supply of such services are discussed.

The emergence of child care policies over the decade 1972-82 is considered in relation to the political and economic context, in particular the shift from moderately progressive social reform policies in a period of economic growth and full employment to contractionist monetary policies in a period of little or no growth and high levels of unemployment. The paper concludes with a discussion of some of the implications of a restructured child care policy.
Dilemmas of Immigration — Australian Expectations, Migrant Responses: Germans in Melbourne
Authors: Seitz Anne , Foster Lois
Published: March 2007

The paper argues that from the early days of white settlement Australia's racial and ethnic relations operated with two distinct but fundamentally related concepts — assimilation and exclusivism. Both policies have been implemented in regard to German immigrants at various times in Australia's history. The settlement policies of the post- World War II period progressed from a somewhat virulent assimila tionist approach accompanied by an active interest in the concept and practice of naturalisation, to a policy of integration/interactionism identified with a less strident approach to the naturalisation issue, arriv ing eventually at the concept or ideology of multiculturalism and citizenship as propounded in contemporary Australia. A synoptic history of German immigration into South Australia and Victoria offers evidence of a long tradition of non-assimilation; cultural and social segregation being more pronounced and visible in rural areas and in the pre-war era. Although during the last 30 years Germans in Australia have remained a culturally distinct category of people, their geographical dispersion, a low public profile, a relatively favoured posi tion in the economic structure, and a high naturalisation rate have con tributed not only to the assumption that German immigrants are assimilated but also to the creation of the naturalisation/assimilation equation.
The Coming of the Counsellors: The Development of Marriage Guidance in Australia
Authors: Reiger Kerreen
Published: March 2007

In the aftermath of the Second World War, several factors came together in Australia to provide the context and motivation for the emergence of formal organisations offering help to couples experiencing marital difficulties. The marriage guidance move ment had already been established in the USA during the 1920s and in Britain in the late thirties. Models were already to hand, therefore, when the wartime pressures on family relationships led to increased concern in Australia too about problems of modern 'family life'. From its genesis in the late 1940s, to a resurgence of public interest in its role in the 1980s, marriage counselling and conciliation has received a mixed general response, but little serious attention from Australian social scientists. Although there have been some 'evaluative' studies (e.g., Krupinski and Marshall, 1967), the emergence of marriage guidance as one of a series of strategies aimed at personal life has been neglected. By discussing the movement's historical development in Australia, this paper suggests the direction in which a fuller analysis might proceed.1 Marital counselling organisations have been a significant part of a general process of redefining familial relationships during the twentieth century. The role of the new middle class in promoting 'modern' concepts of the individual and of the nature of social ties has received some attention in the theoretical literature, but I argue here that gender dynamics also warrant investigation.
Social Control Processes, Activities and Ideologies — The Case of School Non-attendance in Melbourne
Authors: Mulvany Julie
Published: March 2007

This paper contends that sociological understandings of the ways in which social control activities are carried out are both too general and lack sophisticated analytical conceptualis ations of the way such processes operate. Using data collected in a study carried out by the author, which examines the re sponses taken by three categories of official personnel to sec ondary school children in Melbourne who fail to attend school, an analysis is made of the operation of social control in a spe cific area. On the basis of the findings of this study it is argued that distinctions must be made between different kinds of con trol agents and different kinds of control and that the assump tion of comprehensive and coherent ideologies underpinning systematic and co-ordinated social control activities should be discarded. Attention must be directed to the structural location (both organisational and inter-organisational) of agents, and the notion of 'system', except as a shorthand term for ongoing relationships, should be treated with scepticism as a descrip tion of inter-organisational connections in the field of social control.
The Politics of Ethnic Identity: 'Conspirators' against the State or Institutional Racism?
Authors: Kondos Alex
Published: March 2007

In April 1978,180 or so Greek-born Australians in Sydney were arrested and charged with conspiring to defraud the Department of Social Security - an event popularly known as the 'Greek Conspiracy'. A number of published sociological accounts declare that this event constitutes an instance of eth nic/racial discrimination against the Greeks. This paper tries to go beyond that level of analysis and attempts to illustrate the way the racist ideology itself, in this instance 'institutional racism' was generated. To delineate the content of that ideolo gy the analysis focuses on the 'public discourse' of the event as articulated in the Anglophone media.
Regulation and Reform: Promoting Residents' Rights in Australian Nursing Homes
Authors: Gibson Diane , Turrell Gavin , Jenkins Anne
Published: March 2007

The residents' rights movement has a relatively recent history in Australia, although it is well established in the United States. The recent Ronalds consultancy (1988-1989) established a national policy agenda for the residents' rights movement in Australia, including a Charter of Residents' Rights and Responsibilities, a Resident/Proprietor Agreement, independent advocacy services and complaints units with the Department of Health, Housing and Community Services. A less well publicised aspect of recent reforms to the aged care system also converges significantly on the issue of residents' rights. In 1987, a new and sophisticated system of nursing home regulation was introduced by the Australian government. The standards monitoring program, which is at the forefront of international developments in this field, is resident centred and outcome oriented. The data presented here suggest that the program has contributed toward the development of residents' rights in nursing homes, via improved commitment amongst management, and greater participation by residents. Yet overall progress in residents' rights remains precarious. Several conflicts of interest and sources of constraint are identified.
Multiculturalism and Ethnic Identity: the Relationship between Racism and Resistance
Authors: Vasta Ellie
Published: March 2007

With the massive changes occurring in global migration, one issue which continues to attract particular attention is that of immigration policy and its effects on migrants' ethnic identity or ethnicity. An associated issue of great concern is the effects that immigrants have on national identity. In Australia, multiculturalism has taken on a generally positive meaning, especially for migrants, as an arrangement of specific social policies and programs. However, both multiculturalism and ethnic identity are frequently under attack from various sectors of the community. This paper examines both multiculturalism and ethnic identity and the relationship between them in order to understand the contradictions and ambivalences embedded within them today. Further, in order to understand the shifting position of multiculturalism, ethnic identity and national identity, the analysis focuses on the relationship between racism and resistance.
Multiculturalists, Monoculturalists and the many in between: Attitudes to Cultural Diversity and their Correlates
Authors: Goot Murray
Published: March 2007

The most comprehensive survey of Australian attitudes to multiculturalism has been variously interpreted as showing that multiculturalism enjoys a high level of support or very little support at all. A re-analysis of the data suggests that both views are mistaken: while multiculturalists appear to outnumber monoculturalists, many Australians — perhaps most — are caught somewhere in between. Attitudes to multiculturalism correlate strongly with several things: views about assimilation, equal opportunity, government support for ethnic organisations and multicultural programs; the teaching of European as well as Asian languages; and the number, source and kinds of migrants Australia should accept. Attitudes are also related to age, party preference and place of birth. Support for multiculturalism is strongest amongst those who came of age after the official birth of multiculturalism, among those who support Labor or the Australian Democrats, and especially among those born in Europe or Asia. This suggests, other things being equal, that support for multiculturalism is likely to grow.
Epidemiological knowledge and discriminatory practice: AIDS and the social relations of biomedicine
Authors: Waldby Catherine , Kippax Susan , Crawford June
Published: March 2007

This essay examines the relationship between epidemiological knowledge and AIDS-related discrimination. Much of the discrimination literature poses a relationship of mutual exclusion between the everyday practice of discrimination towards People Living With AIDS and biomedical knowledge about AIDS. We argue that if biomedicine is considered as a representational practice rather than a neutral scientific knowledge, numerous points of continuity can be discerned between biomedicine and discriminatory practices. This essay examines three of these points of continuity. They are: the constitution of the borders of 'risk groups', the need to identify the HIV-positive person, and the notion of the direction of infection as it is used to explain the spread of HIV. Comparisons are drawn between accounts of everyday discrimination and these aspects of epidemiological knowledge about HIV.
Leadership in the Tasmanian environmental movement: a research note
Authors: Tranter Bruce
Published: March 2007

This is an analysis of leadership in the Tasmanian environmental (Green) movement. It is argued that the movement is polycephalous with a complex leadership/influence structure and that movement leaders are able to overcome what Tarrow (1994: 149) terms 'the tyranny of decentralisation' through participation in semi-formal and informal interaction networks. It highlights the crucial importance of leadership in integrating and co-ordinating the activities of the Tasmanian green movement. Networks also form the basis of movement leaders' influence and the framework for leadership recruitment.
The puzzle of Australian union decline
Authors: Western Bruce
Published: March 2007

In the last 15 years, unionization rates in Australia dropped from more than 50% of the employed labor force to less than 40%-the lowest level of union organization since the 1930s. In contrast to western European trends, Australian unions declined while collective bargaining became more centralized and the Labor Party enjoyed unprecedented electoral success. Changes in the industrial or occupational structure account for little of the union decline. Analysis of social survey data suggests that narrowing differences in union ization across occupations and sectors accompany shrinking membership. Results also show that the gap in union organizing is growing between the young and middle-aged and workers in small and large firms. These develop ments are interpreted in the light of shifting institutional, work, and market conditions in the Australian economy.
Conceptualising and researching the transnational capitalist class in Australia
Authors: Sklair Leslie
Published: March 2007

Within the context of a sociology of the global system, this paper attempts to develop the concept of the transnational capitalist class (TCC) and how it can be researched in Australia. Four fractions of the TCC are distinguished: trans national corporation executives and their local affiliates; globalising bureaucrats, capitalist-inspired politicians and professionals; and consumerist elites. The history of tariff reform and the forces for and against protectionism provide fundamental historical background for explaining the forms of globalisation and the global dimensions of the TCC in the Australian case. The structure of the transnational capitalist class in Australia is analysed in terms of the economic base, political organisation and culture and ideology of its four fractions.
Gender and occupational change: women and retail pharmacy in New Zealand
Authors: Norris Pauline
Published: March 2007

Recent work on women and professions has suggested that gender is an important influence on occupations' success in establishing and maintaining professional privileges. It has been argued that women have been excluded from professionalising occupations, and that feminisation is linked with de skilling, declining rewards and the development of secondary labour markets, in which women are concentrated. However, the case study of New Zealand pharmacy suggests that this is an incomplete account of the links between gender and professionalisation. For instance, women were partially excluded from retail pharmacy in order to maintain the market structure desired by pharmacists, but their entry in large numbers in the 1960s was an unintended consequence of the success of pharmacists' professionalisation project.
Occupational returns to cultural participation in Australia
Authors: Crook Christopher J.
Published: March 2007

This paper synthesises modernisation and reproduction theories in order to examine whether cultural practices affect occupational success. It develops a cultural practices model that enables empirical tests of a key proposition in cultural reproduction theory. Multivariate analyses, using the 1993 NSSS data, refute the hypothesis that cultural practices boost the chances of occupational success, measured as both occupational status and as entry to professional and elite occupations. In Australian society, status groups and the incumbents of elite posts do not restrict entry to only those individuals who reveal their social background through distinctive cultural styles and repertoires. Instead, Australia appears to be an advanced and open society in which employers judge individuals on the basis of their achieved status, indicated by education.
Farm women and their work: why is it not recognised?
Authors: Alston Margaret
Published: March 2007

This paper examines the lack of recognition and devaluing of the work of Australian farm women by examining the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Eco nomics (ABARE) report, Women on Farms (Gooday 1995). The paper argues that the work of ABARE and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is fundamentally flawed by their definition of what constitutes valid work and by their perception that farm family labour can be differentiated by gender such that the work of men is accorded greater value while the work of women is reduced or ignored. By examining the nature of farm family labour, analysing the notions of work and by incorporating a radical fem inist framework to this analysis, this paper challenges ABS and ABARE to re-examine their position on the issue of work.
Reintegrative shaming and the 'frozen antithesis': Braithwaite and Elias
Authors: Russell Steven
Published: March 2007

This paper compares the use of the notion of 'shame' in the criminological theory of John Braithwaite and the theory of civilising processes elaborated by Norbert Elias. It examines Braithwaite's suggestion that there are some deep 'resonances' between Elias's work and his own and concludes that their work diverges considerably, not only in terms of their fundamental understanding of the meaning of shame itself, but also in terms of their broader theoretical assumptions and perspectives, their inten tions and the uses to which their work might be put.
Community views: women and the politics of neighbourhood in an Australian suburb
Authors: Stevenson Deborah
Published: March 2007

The study of neighbouring and community is a vexed endeavour. In Australia, analytical difficulties are exacerbated by the political nature of suburbia and the ambiguity which surrounds the place of the suburbs in Australian culture. What is well known, however, is that traditionally women have been at the centre of suburban life and are influential in establishing and maintaining everyday neighbourhood communities. Unfortunately, academic knowledge is scant in regards to the experiences and priorities of women in this regard, and of the criteria they use to delineate their communities and determine the boundaries of neighbourhood interaction. This paper considers these issues and reports on a study of neighbouring in an industrial Newcastle suburb. The paper argues that objective class position and life-cycle stage may not, as has previously been thought, be the crucial determinants of neighbouring. Rather, in playng their pivotal role of shaping and defining their residential communities, the women in the study set the boundaries of network inclusion and exclusion by privileging a particular form of housing tenure— ownership.
The response of health care workers to AIDS patients' requests for euthanasia
Authors: Magnusson Roger S. , Ballis Peter H.
Published: March 2007

This paper reports on research into the practice of euthanasia amongst Australian health care professionals specialising in HIV/AIDS. It draws on data from thirty-nine semi-structured interviews carried out in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra with physicians, general practitioners, hospital and community nurses, therapists and community workers. Using a qualitative methodology, the study seeks to identify how (illegal) euthanasia is currently practised, the degrees of involvement, the various forms that involvement takes, and the social relations which provide the context for involvement. In this paper we outline three categories of 'doers' to illustrate the range of attitudes and practices concerning euthanasia. This 'typology' carries a number of implications for recent policy debates over the legalisation of euthanasia. In particular it illustrates, at least within the context of AIDS care, the fragmentation of consensus over euthanasia amongst health care workers, the reality of current illegal euthanasia practices, and the limitations of a prohibitionist policy. While the legalisation of euthanasia within a regulatory framework is sometimes portrayed as an extreme or 'radical' response to terminal illness, the data presented in this paper suggest that prohibitionism is also radical in its failure to control euthanasia practice.
Development of the next generation medical imaging database for chromosome analysis
Authors: Tindle J. , Ryan H.M. , Tsai J.Y.L.
Published: March 2007

This paper presents an overview of medical imaging strategies with particular emphasis on research work associated with computerized chromosome analysis. The limitations of systems currently in use are discussed together with the future development of a medical imaging database. It is considered that such databases can be effectively integrated by new image oriented methods to provide a means for organizing a large mass of heterogeneous, varying, pictorial and symbolic data into a structured environment which can subsequently be rapidly synthesized, classified and presented in an organized efficient manner in order to facilitate optimal decision making in a health care environment. The thrust in this paper is to discuss the major issues relating to the development and implementation of an object-oriented database management system in a networking environment which should greatly speed-up and extend the opportunities offered for chromosome analysis.
Women workers and medical technology: friends or foes?
Authors: Shaw S.
Published: March 2007

This article is intended to stimulate debate. It centres on the past and present relationship women have with scientific knowledge and technology and how this relationship, coupled with the division of labour, might result in female radiographers losing out to their male colleagues in the career race within the new National Health Service.
Developing interactive multimedia for health care education and training
Authors: Lyte V.J. , Kerr J.
Published: March 2007

This paper outlines a project that explored the feasibility, development and implementation of interactive multi-media (IMM) in a health care education setting. The project took place at Manchester College of Midwifery & Nursing over a 12-month period from September 1994- 1995. It sought to resolve a resource-driven problem that existed in a pre- registration nurse training programme relating to the teaching and facilitation of community care.
Composition and Scientific Control in the Manufacture of Ice-Cream, Synthetic Cream and Other Emulsified Food Products
Authors: Read M.G.
Published: March 2007

Details are given of the necessary steps to be taken to manufacture, store and retain these food products under hygienic conditions. The value of scientific control is stressed, but it is pointed out that no one bacteriological test is in itself reliable. Finally, a plea is made for even greater co-operation between the sanitary authorities and the manufacturers, and for the problem of hygiene to be treated as a matter of the education of the masses.
Price of care: charging for services for people with learning disabilities
Authors: Bradley G. , Manthorpe J.
Published: March 2007

The recent increases in social services charges have impacted on the lives of people with learning disabilities and their families. Charges have been set for services that were previously free to service users and the levels of other charges have also risen. This paper explores the reactions of people with learning disabilities to such charges and the arguments used to oppose them politically. It seeks to explain why charges have been levied by local authorities at this time and explores in particular the reactions of local authority staff who are required to carry out means testing financial assessments.

The final section of this paper discusses issues for practitioners who may face questions from service users about practical responses to the new system. It locates the charging debate within a context of a move from medical to social models of disability.
Parents with learning disabilities: does everyone have the right to have children ?
Authors: Woodhouse A.E.
Published: March 2007

This paper presents an overview of the empirical background to issues surrounding parents with learning disabilities. The paper considers historical perspectives, hereditary, fertility and family size, parental compliance, child abuse and neglect, and child outcomes. This is followed by a brief discussion and report on a parental skills model, parent training and some of the more recent qualitative research in this area. The paper concludes that parents with learning disabilities do have the right to have children. The important issue is whether everyone has the right to keep these children.
Role of the Registered Nurse Learning Disability within community support teams for people with learning disabilities
Authors: Mansell I. , Harris P.
Published: March 2007

The role of the Registered Nurse Mental Handicap (RNLD) within multidisciplinary community support teams was explored within a single county in South Wales. A survey of six community support teams included all members with a professional background. The target population consisted of a total of 96 professionals including RNLDs, social workers, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, Mencap support workers, psychiatrists and team managers. Each professional was issued with a pre-tested questionnaire that examined their perceptions of their own role and the role of the RNLD. Eighty (83%) completed questionnaires were returned. The results suggested that the RNLDs were seen to contribute five key roles: client based interventions; co-ordination and planning of care; training; care management; and health promotion. Fifty-four per cent of respondents indicated that the role of the RNLD could not be taken by another. The roles and skills of the RNLD and the implications of referral and record keeping methods were discussed.