Population ecology of the eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus) in a montane woodland in southern New South Wales

The population dynamics of nectar-feeding non-flying mammals are poorly documented. We investigated aspects of the population ecology of the eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus) in southern New South Wales. We captured 65 individuals over a 4-year period during 5045 trap-nights and 1179 nest-box checks. The body mass of adult males (mean ± s.e. = 24.6 ± 1.0 g) was marginally not significantly different (P = 0.08) from that of non-parous adult females (28.2 ± 1.9 g). Females gave birth to a single litter each year of 3–4 young during February–May. No juveniles were detected in spring of any year. Mark–recapture modelling suggested that survival probability was constant over time (0.78) while recapture probability (0.04–0.81) varied with season and trap effort. The local population (estimated at ~20–25 individuals) underwent a regular seasonal variation in abundance, with a decline in spring coinciding with the cessation of flowering by Banksia. A population trough in spring has been observed elsewhere. This appears to represent some local migration from the study area, suggesting a strategy of high mobility to track floral resources. Conservation of this species will depend on a more detailed understanding of how flowering drives population dynamics.

Reduced salinity decreases the fertilization success and larval survival of two scleractinian coral species

Successful reproduction by scleractinian corals is essential for the maintenance of populations that form the foundation of coral reef ecosystems. Laboratory experiments were done to determine the effects of reduced salinity on the fertilization success and larval survival of two coral species, Platygyra daedalea and Acropora millepora, from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Fertilization rates of P. daedalea and A. millepora were significantly reduced at 25.8 psu and 33.1 psu, respectively, and completed blocked at 18.4 psu for A. millepora. The estimated larval survival times were similar from 36.8 to 25.8 psu (P. daedalea 291-312 h, A. millepora 207-264 h), whereas the 18.4 psu treatment resulted in estimates of 153 h and 24 h for P. daedalea and A. millepora, respectively. These results demonstrate that reduced salinity is detrimental to the reproductive success of these corals, and if salinity is lowered by natural or anthropogenic sources during spawning, this would lead to decreased reproductive success and recruitment on reefs.

Three year follow-up of an early childhood intervention: is movement skill sustained?

Background

Movement skill competence (e.g. the ability to throw, run and kick) is a potentially important physical activity determinant. However, little is known about the long-term impact of interventions to improve movement skills in early childhood. This study aimed to determine whether intervention preschool children were still more skill proficient than controls three years after a 10 month movement skill focused intervention: ‘Tooty Fruity Vegie in Preschools’.

Methods

Children from 18 intervention and 13 control preschools in NSW, Australia were assessed at ages four (Time1), five (T2) and eight years (T3) for locomotor (run, gallop, hop, leap, horizontal jump, slide) and object control proficiency (strike, bounce, catch, kick, overhand throw, underhand roll) using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2. Multi-level object control and locomotor regression models were fitted with variables time, intervention (yes/no) and a time*intervention interaction. Both models added sex of child and retained if significant, in which case interactions of sex of child with other variables were modelled and retained. SPSS (Version 17.0) was used.

Results

Overall follow-up rate was 29% (163/560). Of the 137 students used in the regression models, 53% were female (n = 73). Intervention girls maintained their object control skill advantage in comparison to controls at T3 (p = .002), but intervention boys did not (p = .591). At T3, there were no longer intervention/control differences in locomotor skill (p = .801).

Conclusion

Early childhood settings should implement movement skill interventions and more intensively target girls and object control skills.

Gender differences in motor skill proficiency from childhood to adolescence: a longitudinal study

Students' proficiency in three object control and three locomotor skills were assessed in 2000 (M age = 10.06 years, SD = 0.63) in New South Wales, Australia and in 2006-07 (M age = 16.44 years, SD = 0.64). In 2006-07, 266 students, 138 girls (51.9%) and 128 boys (48.1%), had at least one skill reassessed. Boys were more object control proficient than girls. Childhood object control proficiency significantly predicted (p = .001) adolescent object control proficiency (r2 = .39), and, while gender was significant (p = .001), it did not affect the relationship between these variables (p = .53). Because childhood object control proficiency is predictive of subsequent object control proficiency, developing skills in childhood is important.

Six year follow-up of students who participated in a school-based physical activity intervention: a longitudinal cohort study

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the long-term impact of a childhood motor skill intervention on adolescent motor skills and physical activity.

METHODS

In 2006, we undertook a follow-up of motor skill proficiency (catch, kick, throw, vertical jump, side gallop) and physical activity in adolescents who had participated in a one-year primary school intervention Move It Groove It (MIGI) in 2000. Logistic regression models were analysed for each skill to determine whether the probability of children in the intervention group achieving mastery or near mastery was either maintained or had increased in subsequent years, relative to controls. In these models the main predictor variable was intervention status, with adjustment for gender, grade, and skill level in 2000. A general linear model, controlling for gender and grade, examined whether former intervention students spent more time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at follow-up than control students.

RESULTS

Half (52%, n = 481) of the 928 MIGI participants were located in 28 schools, with 276 (57%) assessed. 52% were female, 58% in Grade 10, 40% in Grade 11 and 54% were former intervention students. At follow-up, intervention students had improved their catch ability relative to controls and were five times more likely to be able to catch: ORcatch = 5.51, CI (1.95 - 15.55), but had lost their advantage in the throw and kick: ORthrow = .43, CI (.23 - .82), ORkick = .39, CI (.20 - .78). For the other skills, intervention students appeared to maintain their advantage: ORjump = 1.14, CI (.56 - 2.34), ORgallop = 1.24, CI (.55 - 2.79). Intervention students were no more active at follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Six years after the 12-month MIGI intervention, whilst intervention students had increased their advantage relative to controls in one skill, and appeared to maintain their advantage in two, they lost their advantage in two skills and were no more active than controls at follow up. More longitudinal research is needed to explore whether gains in motor skill proficiency in children can be sustained and to determine the intervention characteristics that translate to subsequent physical activity.

Does childhood motor skill proficiency predict adolescent fitness?

PURPOSE

To determine whether childhood fundamental motor skill proficiency predicts subsequent adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness.

METHODS

In 2000, children's proficiency in a battery of skills was assessed as part of an elementary school-based intervention. Participants were followed up during 2006/2007 as part of the Physical Activity and Skills Study, and cardiorespiratory fitness was measured using the Multistage Fitness Test. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between childhood fundamental motor skill proficiency and adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness controlling for gender. Composite object control (kick, catch, throw) and locomotor skill (hop, side gallop, vertical jump) were constructed for analysis. A separate linear regression examined the ability of the sprint run to predict cardiorespiratory fitness.

RESULTS

Of the 928 original intervention participants, 481 were in 28 schools, 276 (57%) of whom were assessed. Two hundred and forty-four students (88.4%) completed the fitness test. One hundred and twenty-seven were females (52.1%), 60.1% of whom were in grade 10 and 39.0% were in grade 11. As children, almost all 244 completed each motor assessments, except for the sprint run (n = 154, 55.8%). The mean composite skill score in 2000 was 17.7 (SD 5.1). In 2006/2007, the mean number of laps on the Multistage Fitness Test was 50.5 (SD 24.4). Object control proficiency in childhood, adjusting for gender (P = 0.000), was associated with adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness (P = 0.012), accounting for 26% of fitness variation.

CONCLUSION

Children with good object control skills are more likely to become fit adolescents. Fundamental motor skill development in childhood may be an important component of interventions aiming to promote long-term fitness.

Childhood motor skill proficiency as a predictor of adolescent physical activity

PURPOSE

Cross-sectional evidence has demonstrated the importance of motor skill proficiency to physical activity participation, but it is unknown whether skill proficiency predicts subsequent physical activity.

METHODS

In 2000, children's proficiency in object control (kick, catch, throw) and locomotor (hop, side gallop, vertical jump) skills were assessed in a school intervention. In 2006/07, the physical activity of former participants was assessed using the Australian Physical Activity Recall Questionnaire. Linear regressions examined relationships between the reported time adolescents spent participating in moderate-to-vigorous or organized physical activity and their childhood skill proficiency, controlling for gender and school grade. A logistic regression examined the probability of participating in vigorous activity.

RESULTS

Of 481 original participants located, 297 (62%) consented and 276 (57%) were surveyed. All were in secondary school with females comprising 52% (144). Adolescent time in moderate-to-vigorous and organized activity was positively associated with childhood object control proficiency. Respective models accounted for 12.7% (p = .001), and 18.2% of the variation (p = .003). Object control proficient children became adolescents with a 10% to 20% higher chance of vigorous activity participation.

CONCLUSIONS

Object control proficient children were more likely to become active adolescents. Motor skill development should be a key strategy in childhood interventions aiming to promote long-term physical activity.

Incidence and outcomes of mental disorders in a regional population: the Northern Rivers Mental Health Study

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the incidence of mental disorders in a cohort of previously symptom-free individuals who are representatives of a regional Australian population. To map changing patterns of diagnosis and comorbidity within the cohort over a 2 year period.

METHOD

Two year follow-up of a community-based cohort drawn from a telephone screening of 9191 randomly selected adults. Subjects were administered a comprehensive face-to-face interview which included the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. A total of 1407 subjects were interviewed at baseline, and 968 subjects were reinterviewed (a 68.8% follow-up rate).

RESULTS

There was considerable change in disorder status over the study period, and analysis of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview scoring suggests that these changes reflected real changes in symptomatology. Of subjects interviewed at both baseline and follow-up, 638 were classified as disorder-free at their entry to the study. After 2 years, 98 of these met criteria for a mental disorder during the preceding 12 months. After adjusting for sampling and gender, the 12 month incidence of any mental disorder among subjects who had been disorder-free 2 years previously was 9.95 per hundred person-years at risk. At baseline, a further 330 subjects met ICD-10 criteria for a mental disorder during the previous 12 months. Two years later, 167 of these subjects (50.6%) were disorder-free, and 163 still met the criteria for a mental disorder, although there had often been considerable change in their diagnosis. Subjects with a mental disorder at the commencement of the study were significantly more likely than those without a disorder to have a positive diagnosis 2 years later (p < 0.001). The number of diagnoses at baseline was a strong predictor of the number of diagnoses at follow-up (p < 0.001), and each additional comorbid diagnosis at baseline also increased the probability of a persisting disorder at follow-up (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Over a 2 year period, the majority of subjects with a mental disorder will become disorder-free, while a significant number of previously disorder-free individuals will develop a positive diagnosis. Health services need to be designed to meet this labile demand.

Is it worth the RRISK? Evaluation of the RRISK (Reduce Risk Increase Student Knowledge) program for adolescents in rural Australia

PURPOSE

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an intervention targeting adolescent risk-taking associated with drug and alcohol use, driving, and celebrating.

METHODS

Pre- and post written surveys were administered in 21 intervention and 19 comparison schools in Northern New South Wales during March 2003 and 2004. The instrument covered knowledge and attitudes associated with self-reported potentially harmful and protective behaviors. Analysis was by multi-level regression.

RESULTS

There were 2705 baseline and 1996 follow-up respondents. Adolescents in the intervention area who attended the Reduce Risk Increase Student Knowledge (RRISK) seminar demonstrated some significant improvements in knowledge, attitudes and behavior compared with those who did not attend, and some significant improvements in knowledge compared with students in comparison schools.

CONCLUSIONS

A well-designed one-day seminar that builds on existing curricula, can achieve some significant medium-term benefits in knowledge attitudes and behaviors.

Essential oil composition of diploid and tetraploid clones of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) grown in Australia

Ginger oil, obtained by steam distillation of the rhizome of Zingiber officinale Roscoe, is used in the beverage and fragrance industries. Ginger oil displays considerable compositional diversity, but is typically characterized by a high content of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, including zingiberene, ar-curcumene, beta-bisabolene, and beta-sesquiphellandrene. Australian ginger oil has a reputation for possessing a particular "lemony" aroma, due to its high content of the isomers neral and geranial, often collectively referred to as citral. Fresh rhizomes of 17 clones of Australian ginger, including commercial cultivars and experimental tetraploid clones, were steam distilled 7 weeks post-harvest, and the resulting oils were analyzed by GC-MS. The essential oils of 16 of the 17 clones, including the tetraploid clones and their parent cultivar, were found to be of substantially similar composition. These oils were characterized by very high citral levels (51-71%) and relatively low levels of the sesquiterpene hydrocarbons typical of ginger oil. The citral levels of most of these oils exceeded those previously reported for ginger oils. The neral-to-geranial ratio was shown to be remarkably constant (0.61 +/- 0.01) across all 17 clones. One clone, the cultivar "Jamaican", yielded oil with a substantially different composition, lower citral content and higher levels of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. Because this cultivar also contains significantly higher concentrations of pungent gingerols, it possesses unique aroma and flavor characteristics, which should be of commercial interest.

The comprehensive osteoarthritis test: a simple index for measurement of treatment effects in clinical trials

OBJECTIVE

To assess the measurement properties of a simple index of symptom severity in osteoarthritis (OA) of the hips and knees.

METHODS

Both the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the proposed new Comprehensive Osteoarthritis Test (COAT) instrument were completed weekly by 125 subjects in the context of a randomized, 12-week, 3 parallel-arm clinical trial. The reliabilities of the various scales were assessed on a weekly basis by use of Cronbach's alpha coefficients. The validity of the COAT total scale was assessed by correlation with the WOMAC total scale on a weekly basis with correlation coefficients, and in terms of the correlations between subject-level intercepts and slopes over time. The relative responsiveness of the WOMAC and COAT total scales was assessed using a multilevel (longitudinal) multivariate (WOMAC, COAT) linear model.

RESULTS

The WOMAC and COAT total scales were highly reliable (mean over weeks: WOMAC alpha = 0.98; COAT alpha = 0.97). The correlations between the WOMAC and COAT scales were very high (mean over weeks = 0.92; subject-level intercepts = 0.91, slopes = 0.88). The COAT total scale was significantly more responsive than the WOMAC total scale in the active treatment (34.8% improvement vs 26.8%; p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

The COAT total scale is simple to administer, reliable, valid, and responsive to treatment effects.

Can we skill and activate children through primary school physical education lessons? "Move it Groove it"--a collaborative health promotion intervention

BACKGROUND

Physical education (PE) lessons are an ideal setting to improve child fundamental movement skills (FMSs) and increase physical activity (PA) for optimal health. Despite this, few studies have assessed the potential to do both simultaneously. The "Move It Groove It" primary school intervention in New South Wales, Australia, had this opportunity.

METHODS

A whole school approach to implementation included establishment of school project teams, a teacher "buddy" system, project Web site, teacher training workshops, and small grants for equipment. The quasi-experimental evaluation involved 1,045 year 3 and 4 children (aged 7 to 10 years) in nine intervention and nine control rural primary schools (53% boys/47% girls). It utilised pre- and postobservational surveys of (1) mastery or near mastery levels for each of eight FMSs, (2) proportion of PE lesson time spent in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) and vigorous PA (VPA), and (3) teacher- and lesson-related contextual covariates. Data were analysed by hierarchical logistic multiple regression.

RESULTS

For FMSs, overall mastery or near mastery level at baseline was 47% ranging from 22.7% for the overarm throw among girls to 75.4% for the static balance among boys. The intervention delivered substantial improvements in every FMS for both genders ranging from 7.2% to 25.7% (13 of 16 comparisons were significant). For PA level, mean MVPA at baseline was 34.7%. Baseline MVPA for boys was 38.7% and for girls was 33.2%. The intervention was associated with a nonsignificant 4.5% increase in MVPA and a significant 3.0% increase in VPA. This translates to a gain of <1 minute of MVPA per average 21-minute lesson.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to show that by modifying existing PE lessons, significant improvements in FMS mastery can be gained without adversely affecting children's MVPA and VPA. To increase PA levels, we recommend increasing the number of PE lessons per week.

How active are rural children in Australian physical education?

Physical education lessons offer a venue for children to accrue valuable and health-conferring time being physically active. The first Australian direct observational data are presented on activity of year 3 and 4 children during physical education. Analysis accounts for the nested nature of the data through multi level logistic regression using 13,080 records within 231 lessons within 18 randomly selected schools. Activity was analysed in relation to lesson context (focus of lesson), child gender, school year of child, teacher gender, lesson duration and start time. Children spent 36.7% of a lesson in moderate to vigorous and 12.9% in vigorous activity. Most of the lesson was spent in the context of management/instruction (37.4%), followed by games (25.0%), skill (21.4%), and fitness (14.7%). The highest level of moderate to vigorous activity was observed in the fitness lesson context (61.9%). followed by skill (46.4%), games (42.6%) and management/instruction (17.1%). Moderate to vigorous activity was significantly higher for boys than girls. There was no significant difference in moderate to vigorous activity in lessons led by male or female teachers. However vigorous activity was significantly higher for female led lessons. Children participated in less physical activity during physical education lessons timetabled in the afternoon, compared to physical education lessons time-tabled in the morning. Physical activity levels were not related to lesson duration. Physical education lessons can potentially be more active. However improvement rests on school capacity and may require a health promoting schools approach to implement curricular policy.

Active school playgrounds-myth or reality? Results of the "move it groove it" project

BACKGROUND

School playgrounds during break times provide potential opportunities for children to be active during the school day. However, there is limited research on how active children really are during these breaks.

METHODS

The CAST (Children's Activity Scanning Tool) instrument was developed, validated, and used to assess the percentages of children engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and vigorous physical activity (VPA-a subset of MVPA) in 18 primary schools (children ages 5-12) in rural Australia. Related environmental factors were also measured.

RESULTS

For a school of median size (200 students), 51.4% of boys and 41.6% of girls were engaged in MVPA while 14.7% of boys and 9.4% of girls were engaged in VPA. Levels of engagement in MVPA and VPA were significantly higher during lunch periods than during recess. MVPA and VPA engagement in smaller schools was significantly higher than in larger schools.

CONCLUSIONS

With growing concern about children's physical activity (PA), school playgrounds offer an opportunity to increase children's MVPA engagement especially among girls. Consideration may be given to the lengthening of recess periods in order to increase PA levels. More research is needed to investigate factors affecting PA levels in larger schools.

Response time during instruction

It may be useful to replace concern for years of instruction with greater interest in moments richest in educational progress. This note complements another in which a type of response-time analysis was suggested as a means of identifying less desirable items in an instructional program. It concerns response time considerations in forced pacing and suggests an alternative way of modifying student response times. It seems possible to increase the speed of an instructional process without impairing performance by differentially reinforcing especially quick, correct answers to questions designed to teach.

Note on revising instructional programs

An “identified point” scatter diagram may aid in program revision. Response times and error rates for program items are first obtained during laboratory study and then expressed as z scores. Pairs of z scores are plotted as points which are numbered according to the program item upon which each pair is based. The discrepancy of each point can be viewed from the location it would have occupied in the special case of perfect linear correlation. Discrepant would be the frequently incorrect, quickly answered item or the slowly but correctly answered item. These, especially, would deserve consideration in relation to the programmer's intent. Perhaps discrepancies between these or other measures of task difficulty for other tasks could also help guide task redesign.