Impact of seasonality on the prevalence and risk factors of Giardia lamblia infections among the aborigines

Objective: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of Giardia(G.) lamblia infections among the aboriginal community during the wet and dry seasons. Methods: A total of 473 stool samples from the aborigines in Temerloh, Pahang, Malaysia were collected during wet(n=256) and dry seasons(n=217). Smear of all the PVA-preserved stool samples were subjected to Trichrome staining and microscopic examination under 1 000 伊magnification(Nikon eclipse E100) for the detection of G. lamblia. Positivity was recorded based on the presence of G. lamblia in trophozoite and/or cyst forms. Results: The prevalence of giardiasis was 12.10% and 8.29% during the wet and dry season, respectively. Age of less or equal to 15 years old and presence of other family members with G. lamblia infection were found to be the significant risk factors to acquire G. lamblia infections during both seasons. Untreated water supply was the significant risk factor of giardiasis during the dry season. This study highlighted the possibility of anthroponotic transmission of G. lamblia during both seasons and waterborne transmission during the dry season in the aboriginal community. Conclusions: This study suggests that seasonal variation plays an important role in the prevalence and risk factor of G. lamblia infection in the aboriginal community. Therefore, close contact with Giardia-infected family members and water-related activities or usage of untreated water must be avoided to reduce the burden of G. lamblia infection in this community.

Current issues involved with the identification and nutritional value of wood grubs consumed by Australian Aborigines

The so called witchetty grub is a publicized food source for Australian Aborig- ines. Despite heavy use, the identities and number of species consumed is still not known because of the lack of identified voucher specimens. Taxonomy based on adults makes identification of larval forms difficult. Dwelling in the root, trunks, and stems of woody plants, grubs are a reliable and highly valued food source that may be in decline. Much information on edible insects may already be lost in parts of Australia heavily settled by Europeans. However, there are many parts of Australia where information on edible insects is still strong and needs to be recorded accurately for long-term use. Recent iden- tification of＂witchetty grubs＂ from the witchetty bush at Barrow Creek has revealed that those there, based on their DNA, are not Endoxyla leucomochla. As grubs are collected and eaten before they mature and scientific taxonomy is based on adults, there are many unanswered questions on the grub identification and biology, host plants, and plant and grub distributions.

Antioxidative status of patients with alcoholic liver disease in southeastern Taiwan

AIM:To investigate the antioxidative status of patients with alcoholic liver disease(ALD) in southeastern Taiwan.METHODS:Our study comprised 27 patients with ALD recruited from Taitung Mackay Memorial Hospital,located in southeastern Taiwan.Patients with ALD included 12 non-aborigines(12 men) and 15 aborigines(11 men and 4 women).According to the severity of ALD,patients with ALD included 10 with hepatitis(9 men and 1 woman) and 17 with cirrhosis(14 men and 3 women).Twenty-two age-and gender-matched healthy adultsserved as the control group in this study.Venous blood(10 mL) of each subject was drawn into EDTA-containing tubes after 8 h overnight fasting.RESULTS:Compared to the control group,patients with ALD showed significantly lower erythrocytic catalase(11.1 ± 0.7 U/mg Hb vs 8.0 ± 0.7 U/mg Hb,P < 0.05) and superoxide dismutase(9.5 ± 1.6 U/mg Hb vs 3.0 ± 0.2 U/mg Hb,P < 0.05) activities.Furthermore,the erythrocytic reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione ratio was signif icantly lower in ALD patients than that in the control group(38.1 ± 5.4 vs 15.7 ± 1.9,P < 0.05).The results revealed that patients with ALD experienced more oxidative stress than those in the control group.The non-aboriginal,but not the aboriginal,ALD group had higher erythrocytic glutathione peroxidase(GPX) activity than that in the control group(46.1 ± 7.8 U/g Hb vs 27.9 ± 2.2 U/g Hb,P < 0.05).Hepatitis,but not cirrhosis,ALD patients had higher erythrocytic GPX activity than that in the control group(44.3 ± 8.6 U/g Hb vs 27.9 ± 2.2 U/g Hb,P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:Our results indicate that both ethnicity and the severity of ALD may cause different erythrocytic antioxidative enzyme activities especially GPX activity.

Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in Indigenous Australians with diabetes in pregnancy

AIM: To perform a systematic review of reported neonatal and pregnancy outcomes of Indigenous Australians with diabetes in pregnancy(DIP).METHODS: Electronic searches of Pub Med and Web of Science were carried out. Articles were selected if they contained original data on DIP outcomes in Indigenous Australians. There were no specific exclusion criteria.RESULTS: A total of eight articles, predominantly from Queensland and Western Australia were identified once inclusion criteria were applied. Birth data from midwifery registries or paper charts encompassing years 1985-2008 were used. A total of 465591 pregnant women with and without DIP were included in the eight studies, with 1363 being Indigenous women with DIP. Indigenous Australians experienced increased rates of many known adverse outcomes of DIP including: macrosomia, caesarean section, congenital deformities, low birth weight, hypoglycaemia, and neonatal trauma. There were regional differences among Indigenous Australians, particularly regional/remote vs metropolitan populations where the regional/remote data showed worse outcomes. Two of the articles did not note a difference between Aboriginals and Caucasians in the rates of measured adverse outcome. Studies varied significantly in size, measured outcomes, and subsequent analysis.CONCLUSION: The health disparities between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians are further evidenced by poorer outcomes in DIP. This has broader implications for Indigenous health in general.

Chemo-profiling of eucalyptus and study of its hypoglycemic potential

Constant escalations in the number of diabetics worldwide and the failure of conventional therapy to restore normoglycemia without adverse effects,in spite of tremendous strides in modern medicine,calls for naturopathy and alternative medicine.Because diabetes is multi-factorial and has secondary complications,prevention of hyperglycemia is the central dogma for its management.To date,no oral hypoglycemic exists which can achieve tight glycemic control without side effects.Dietary adjuncts,lifestyle interventions and a resurgence of interest in phyto-therapy have consequently gained ground.Natural hypoglycemics have attracted attention due to ease of incorporation in everyday diet,affordability,less adverse effects,and long term safety.Ethno botanical literature reports more than 800 anti-diabetic plants species.Eucalyptus is well represented in the Aboriginal Pharmacopoeias for its various pharmacological activities.Its hot aqueous decoction has been used as a hypoglycemic in various regions of world.This editorial attempts to summarize the data on the hypoglycemic potential of the different eucalyptus species,highlight the value of its natural biomolecules for the prophylaxis and treatment of type2 diabetes,describe their mechanistic actions,shed light on the posology and safety aspects of eucalyptusand assess its applicability as a reinforcement to currently used therapy.

Autoimmune liver disease and the Canadian First Nations Aboriginal Communities of British Columbia's Pacific Northwest

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a well-known but uncommon chronic liver disease that is presumed to be of autoimmune etiology. Recently, investigations in British Columbia (BC), a province of Canada situated along the Pacific North-West of North America, have suggested that PBC is not a rare disease amongst BC's Aboriginal (i.e. First Nations) communities. Geographically, BC is adjacent to South East Alaska, an American state that has also reported an increased prevalence of PBC amongst its Aboriginal communities. In this article, the medical evidence supporting a hypothesis of increased risk of PBC amongst BC's First Nations communities is reviewed. Evidence suggesting that autoimmune hepatitis is also more likely amongst BC's First Nations communities is also presented.

Identifying Links between Ecosystem Services and Aboriginal Well-Being and Livelihoods in North Australia： Applying the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Framework

The livelihoods and well-being of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in remote and rural northern Australia are dependent upon the ecosystem services provided by tropical ecosystems. The well-being of all Australian citizens is measured by the Australia Bureau of Statistics （ABS） using socio-economic indicators. In this study we investigated the importance of non-market benefits derived from ecosystem services for Aboriginal well-being. Through a case study with the Mullunburra-Yidinji people in the Wet Tropics, Queensland, we applied the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment （MA） framework to identify the links between ecosystem services and the MA＇s six constituents of human well-being. The study demonstrated that cultural and provisioning services were key determinants of community well-being, and these are not currently measured by the ABS. We adapt the MA framework to include the ABS indicators and explore the potential strengths and weaknesses of the approach for measuring the well-being of contemporary remote and rural Aboriginal communities.

Cultural barriers lead to inequitable healthcare access for aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders

Aims: This article seeks to address some of the factors, particularly cultural barriers, contributing to inequity in healthcare service provisions for indigenous Australians. Furthermore, this article presents ways for healthcare professionals to take action on culture-related health equity issues. Finally, this article addresses what nurses can do to support more operational interventions and enhance the quality of services for indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders.Background: Recently, scholarly literature in Australia has focused on the issue of ensuring equitable access to healthcare for aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, who are regarded as economically, socially, politically and culturally disadvantaged(Larkins et al, 2016; Lowell, 2013).^(1,2)However, in spite of significant efforts on the part of the Australian government, scholars, policy makers and communities to provide fair and equitable healthcare, this challenging and longstanding issue remains unresolved and needs to be addressed immediately(Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2015; Australian Bureau of Statistics(ABS), 2011).^(3,4)Data sources: Using the Population, Intervention and Outcome framework, several databases(PUBMED,MEDLINE, and SCOPUS) and government web-based literature resources were searched to identify original research articles published from 2000 to 2016.Discussion: Health inequity exists among aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, and the cultural barriers are vital factors in addressing aboriginals' health inequity. Healthcare professionals could be part of an effective solution for diminishing racial/ethnic disparities in healthcare. Different types of nurses could play different roles in addressing aboriginal cultural barriers among aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders.Nurses are uniquely positioned to initiate and sustain contact with aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders in healthcare workplaces,as they can intervene at the points of greatest need in the community to address socially significant healthcare and social issues.Conclusions: The different roles of nurses in providing health and social care interventions to aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders could be utilized to increase equity in access to healthcare and help aboriginals attain better levels of health.

Community-based obesity prevention initiatives in aboriginal communities: The experience of the eat well be active community programs in South Australia

Childhood obesity is a growing concern world-wide, and obesity rates are higher in certain groups in the developed world, including Australian Aboriginal people. Community-based obesity prevention interventions (CBOPI) can help to address obesity, however the approach of such programs to reach diverse groups, including Aboriginal people, must be considered. This paper considers one mainstream1 CBOPI, the eat well be active (ewba) Community Programs in South Australia, which was delivered in two communities and sought to reach Aboriginal people as part of the overall program. This paper considers how well this approach was received by the Aboriginal people living and working in those communities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine Aboriginal workers who had some connection to the ewba program, and seven ewba project staff. Qualitative data analysis was performed and factors found to affect how well the program was received by Aboriginal people include relationships, approach and project target group, including geographical area. A different response was observed in the two communities, with a more positive response being observed in the community where more relationships were developed between ewba and Aboriginal staff. For any CBOPI seeking to work with Aboriginal (or other Indigenous) communities, it is vital to consider and plan how the program will meet the needs and preferences of Aboriginal people in all stages of the project, in order to reach this group.

The Interweaving of Native Culture and Traditional Healing Practices in the Treatment of Trauma Lessons Learned

The premise of this abstract focuses on lessons learned as a clinician through the process of being invited into the homes, lives and stories of trauma and incredible resilience for native survivors of Indian residential schools. Through the process of unravelling stories of past trauma with a view to recovery/freedom from symptoms, meaningful therapy requires the weaving together of traditional beliefs and practices with trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy approaches. Culturally, the relevant treatment respects traditional beliefs and focuses on their innate resiliency historically within their culture. As a clinician invited intimately through the therapeutic relationship into the lives of First Nations abuse survivors, the healing power of cultural identity was discovered along them. Similarly, the author＇s role as therapist was one of teachers, who guided them through the process of telling their stories to the peace and acceptance utilizing therapeutic techniques from an eclectic spectrum of therapeutic approaches. All the while, it should interweave their stories and native beliefs into the therapy journey. It was a process of co-creating healing through a mutual respect of the shared roles as guide, teacher, story teller and healer. Culturally, the relevant psychotherapy requires the weaving of two world views to create a basket of healing.

Towards building consensus: Revisiting key principles of CBPR within the First Nations/Aboriginal context

Community based participatory research as a preferred approach to research with First Nations and Aboriginal communities has contributed to new terminologies, new methodologies, and new directions in research relationships. One of the ongoing challenges is to articulate and operationalize the principles for CBPR with these communities. This paper reflects on the nine principles articulated by LaVeaux and Christopher in the context of a long term community-academic research partnership at Standing Buffalo First Nations, Saskatchewan, Canada. Within this application, we begin to critique the various principles and to reframe these principles to increase their utility in informing community based research in the First Nations/Aboriginal context.

The Aboriginal-White Relationship in The Secret River and Carpentaria

This paper mainly explores the Australian Aboriginal-white relationship in two novels： The Secret River （2005） by non-Indigenous writer Kate Grenville, and Carpentaria （2006） by Indigenous novelist Alexis Wright, and compares the discursive strategies and narrative devices the authors have adopted to represent whiteness and Indigeneity, one from the European settlers＇ point of view, the other from the standpoint of an Aboriginal author. In The Secret River, Grenville resorts to the genre of historical novel as a way of reconciling the past. Though the novel challenges the racialised stereotypes of the Aboriginal people by adopting a double perspective （a reconfigured white perspective to refute the colonists＇ views）, the moral ambiguity of the settler identity is still complicit with the colonial discourse. On the other hand, Carpentaria rejects a narrow, essentialist categorization of the Aboriginal people and defamiliarises the concept of whiteness by foregrounding it in a critique rather than as the default norm. Set in a narrative related to the oral tradition, the novel brings Aboriginal cosmology into full play A comparison of the two novels provides a panoramic view of how the Aboriginal-white relationships are presented through the literary imaginary in Australia.

Access to Healthy Food Stores for Residents of Aboriginal Reserves in Rural British Columbia

The rate of food insecurity has increased tremendously over the past decade in Canada. This increase has been more pronounced in rural and remote areas especially among Aboriginal peoples. Substantial studies indicated that nearly half of the on-reserve Aboriginal households in British Columbia （BC） suffer from some degree of food insecurity. Despite the valuable research about obtaining traditional food, the issue of access to market food has been less discussed in the literature. The aim of this study was to assess the local food environment of on-reserve Aboriginal peoples by using a proximity-based approach tool in terms of access to healthy food stores such as supermarket and grocery stores. In the first stage, the addresses of all healthy food stores were geocoded into a map layer. Then the locations of Aboriginal reserves were geocoded to a separate map layer. In the second stage, using ＂Closest Facility Analysis＂ tool in ArcGIS Version 10.3, the distance based on a 15-minute driving time was measured from each reserve to the closest healthy food destination on CanMapRouteLogistics network. The results indicated that 25% of Aboriginal reserves did not have reasonable access to healthy food stores. We concluded that Aboriginal peoples in low access rural reserves with lower socioeconomic status are at potential risk of perpetuate food insecurity.

Attempt and Practice of Improving Multicultural Literacy of Senior Middle School Students—Taking the K.S.H.S Volunteer Services in Aboriginal Areas as an Example

This study explores ways to cultivate the multicultural literacy of high school students.The high school stage is a critical period for the establishment of personal values,and the school mainly focuses on entrance courses.For the literacy connotation of non-important subjects,such as multiculturalism,it is impossible to provide relevant curriculum changes.Speculation and discussion;also because the scope of activities of high school students is mainly on campus,there is a lack of corresponding field identification and cultivation,the conversion of multicultural literacy differences is insufficient,and there are phenomena,such as discrimination and language bullying.Try to improve its multiculturalism,one is to carry out hometown service activities,and the other is to integrate courses.The research method uses the ethnographic perspective to record the experience of hometown service.Through hometown service,students can discover distinct cultural differences and appreciate the beautiful and profound aspects of aboriginal culture.Reading aboriginal literature in high-level Chinese textbooks can understand the uniqueness of aboriginal culture and sort out the historical context,so that students can understand that the aboriginal test bonus system is derived from complex social structure issues.From the above discussion,it is found that penetrating service,reflection,reading,and corrective actions allow high school students to truly realize cultural differences.Boots can overcome differences and understand social justice and equal opportunities for ethnic groups.

Aboriginal Domestic Tourism Leadership Towards Reconciliation in Australia

The world-making possibilities of domestic tourism provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia with the potential to take leadership over the challenging interpersonal encounters necessary to the process of reconciliation. This proposition is drawn from a philosophical hermeneutic view of domestic tourism hosts and guests as always already bound by complex histories they cannot change. The paper demonstrates that tourism can enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to operate enterprises based on customary cultural law of neutral meeting places attuned to the difficult interpersonal challenges of Reconciliation. Neutral meeting places do not impose reconciliation onto domestic tourists, the intent is to instead exercise everyday humanity and compassion while enabling visitors to fulfil their travel desires. The findings suggest that visitors can become oriented to Aboriginal ways of being and stimulated to learn. As interactions progress, visitors can reach readiness to take up opportunities for genuine dialogue with Aboriginal hosts. Outcomes raised in this paper highlight that tourism can enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, as colonised people, to implement their cultural authority to take leadership over perplexing historical legacies woven through the fabric of a Western-dominated society conditioned by colonialism.

Dreaming Forward: Postidentity and the Generative Thresholds of Tourism

This manuscript from Hollinshead and Vellah calls for researchers in Tourism Studies and related Fields to reflect upon their own role in refreshing the social imaginaries of“after-colonialism”under the nomadisms of our time.Deleuzian in outlook,it positions the“post”of postcolonialism not as an end to colonialism’s imperatives but as a generative-portal through which new-seeds-of-”becoming”are discernable as the postidentities(rather than the“identities”)of populations are interpretable in multidirectional,non-hierarchical,and not easily-predictable ways.In provoking(after Deleuze)thought per rhizomatic processes(rather than via fixed concepts),the manuscript-critiquing these dynamic matters of“postidentity”-then harnesses the insights of(Leela)Ghandi’s on hybrid-nomadic-subjects,and of Venn on alternative-(com)possible-futures.Thereafter,these concerns of and about“after-colonialism”are critically contextualised within Aboriginal“Australia”,via the views of a pool of Indigenous intellectuals there,who synthesise the disruptive dialectics of belonging-cum-aspiration which they maintain that they and fellow Aboriginal people(of many sorts)face today.Throughout this manuscript,the agency and authority of tourism hovers in its sometimes-manifest/sometimes-latent generative power to project empowering postidentities for the world’s“host”or“visited”populations today.

Variants on Australian Language and Their Origins

Australian English is one of the variants of English. The words usage, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary of Aus?tralian English differ from British English and American English because of its unique geographical environment, historical condi?tions, and aboriginal culture. A brief introduction to Australian English is given at the beginning. And then the authors will define the variants of Australian English from three perspectives respectively: historical influence, geographical characteristics and aborigi?nal factors. Aimed to improve understanding of Australian English and encourage more researchers to conduct further studies on international English.

An Exploration on Aboriginal Culture of Australia

Being an immigrated country in history,Australia is Well—know for its mulit-ture.The maintend of culture today still cannot throw off the onus of aboriginal art of Australia.When we Study it,we are greatly impacted by the influence which aboriginal culture has.

A dermatoglyphic study of the Amis aboriginal population of Taiwan

Amis is the largest aboriginal population in Taiwan. The previous dermatoglyphic studies of the Amis only reported limited data. In this study, we collected and analyzed the dermatoglyphs of 200 Amis in-dividuals, and we reported a wide range of dermatoglyphic variables including total finger ridge count, a-b ridge count, atd angle, axial triradius percent distance, and frequencies of fingerprint pattern, pal-mar thenar pattern, palmar interdigital pattern, and simian line. This study is the first comprehensive dermatoglyphic research of Amis since 1960s, and its dermatoglyphic data will be useful for future re-search in anthropology, genetics and medicine.

A dermatoglyphic study of the Kavalan aboriginal population of Taiwan

By the 1970s, a number of dermatoglyphic studies of Taiwan aborigines (Gaoshan nationality) had been published, however in each only a few dermatoglyphic variables were addressed. Since that time, little new research has been conducted. In this study, we collected and analyzed the dermatoglyphs of 100 individuals of Kavalan, a Taiwan aboriginal population, and we reported a wide range of dermatoglyphic variables including total finger ridge count (TFRC), a-b total ridge count (a-b RC), atd angle and axial triradius percent distance (tPD), and frequencies of fingerprint pattern, palmar thenar pattern, palmar interdigital pattern, palmar hypothenar pattern, and simian line. This study is the first comprehensive dermatoglyphic research of any Taiwan aboriginal population.