Suchergebnisse

No population-based data are available on the degree to which Chinese Americans have adopted smoke-free household policies and whether these policies are effective in reducing environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure. The present study examines the prevalence of smoke-free home rules among Chinese Americans living in New York City, describes predictors of adopting full smoking bans in the home, and explores the association between household smoking restrictions and ETS exposure at home. In-person interviews using a comprehensive household-based survey were conducted with 2,537 adults aged 18–74 years. Interviews were conducted in Mandarin, Cantonese, and other Chinese dialects. A total of 66% of respondents reported that smoking was not allowed inside the home, 22% reported a partial ban on smoking in the home, and 12% reported no smoking ban. Among current smokers, 38% reported a full household smoking ban. Current smoking status was the strongest predictor of less restrictive household smoking policies. Knowledge of the dangers of ETS, support of smoke-free air legislation, years in the United States, gender, income, and marital status also were associated with household smoking bans. Those living with a total household smoking ban were significantly less likely to report 30-day exposure to ETS than were those living in homes with a partial ban or no ban (7% vs. 68% and 73%, respectively). In homes of smokers and nonsmokers alike, exposure to ETS remains high. Smoke-free home rules and interventions among smokers and nonsmokers to raise awareness of the dangers of ETS have the potential to significantly reduce exposure to household ETS among this immigrant population.

Lecciones de la experiencia norirlandesa en relación con el final del terrorismo del IRA ante la posibilidad de que la organización terrorista ETA ponga término a su campaña de violencia. El alto el fuego de la organización terrorista ETA ha dado lugar a un nuevo escenario que, a pesar de las optimistas valoraciones que lógicamente suscita, continúa planteando importantes desafíos para el Estado español. El comunicado hecho público el 22 de marzo no anuncia la desaparición de la banda, de ahí que su permanencia requiera respuestas gubernamentales apropiadas destinadas a conseguir la definitiva erradicación del terrorismo. En este estadio de la lucha antiterrorista la experiencia de Irlanda del Norte aporta muy valiosas lecciones sobre los procedimientos que deben aplicarse con objeto de que la debilidad de la organización terrorista que ha motivado su declaración de tregua se traduzca en su absoluta y verdadera desaparición. La gestión que del proceso posterior al cese formal de la violencia por parte del IRA en 1994 han llevado a cabo los Gobiernos británico e irlandés ha facilitado la perpetuación de la organización terrorista que todavía hoy continúa involucrada en actividades ilegales al servicio de su brazo político, el Sinn Fein. Es por ello pertinente exponer los errores que se han cometido en el contexto de Irlanda del Norte con el fin de evitar su réplica en nuestro propio país, particularmente cuando se insiste en tomar como modelo dicho referente estableciéndose a menudo el paralelismo entre ambos escenarios con escaso rigor y desde la tergiversación.

This article deals with the escalation of German reprisal policy in occupied France in the years 1941 and 1942. The consequences of the German attack on the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941 became apparent to the occupiers in August and September 1941, when the number of cases of active resistance increased. After a demonstration on 13 August 1941, the first draconic measures were imposed by the Wehrmacht, leading to the execution of two communists and the imprisonment of c. 3000 Jews. Two months later, the first mass executions of hostages were ordered after two members of the German armed forces were assassinated. However, the military administration in Paris soon realized the negative impact of mass executions on the overall situation in France. Therefore, the military commander argued for limited executions and the mass deportation of 'Jewish Bolsheviks'. The following conflict between Berlin and Paris over the appropriate reprisal policy led to the resignation of the military commander Otto von Stülpnagel and the appointment of his cousin Carl Heinrich von Stülpnagel as his successor, as well as the creation of the post of Higher SS and Police Commander in Paris. It will be shown that, despite these changes in 1942, there was a strong continuity in reprisal policy which in 1941 and 1942 targeted the ideological enemies of the Third Reich: the Jews and the communists. Nevertheless, it has to be admitted that after the arrival of the Higher SS and Police Commander in the summer of 1942 reprisal policy became even more ideologically rooted. Accordingly, when discussing reprisal policy one cannot describe the occupation of France as benign.

Tagungsband der Potsdamer Abfalltage (22./23.05.2006): - Rechtlicher und politischer Rahmen: RADDE, C.-A.: Entwicklung des Regelungsrahmens und Anforderungen an die MBA ; PETERSEN, F.: Allgemeine Verwaltungsvorschrift zum Abfallbegriff sowie zur Abfallverwertung und Abfallbeseitigung nach dem Kreislaufwirtschaft und Abfallgesetz (AbfallVwV) - Ausgangslage, Inhalt, Verfahrenstand und Ausblick ; BLEICHER, R.: Künftige Abfallwirtschaft aus der Sicht der Kommunalpolitik ; ASMUSSEN, S.: Position der ATV-DVWK zur Novellierung der TASi ; REMDE, B.: Die Zukunft der mechanisch-biologischen Abfallbehandlung in der Abfallwirtschaft des Landes Brandenburg - Anforderungen und Leistungsvermögen: BILITEWSKI, B.: EU-Deponierichtlinie und deren Umsetzung in Europa ; SOYEZ, K.; THRÄN, D.; KOLLER, M.; HERMANN, T.: Ergebnisse von Forschungsvorhaben zur mechanisch-biologischen Behandlung von zu deponierenden Abfällen - Emissionen aus der MBV: CUHLS, C.: Emissionspotenziale und Verfahren zur Abluftreinigung ; CUHLS, C.; KNOTH, B.: Lufttechnische Anlagen an MBA - Verbesserte Minderung von Emissionen aus Biofiltern bei Einsatz einer vorgeschalteten Ammoniakwäsche sowie von inertem Trägermaterial ; KAHN, R.: MBA-Abluftreinigung mittels nichtkatalytischer Oxidation - Kosten und Optimierungspotentiale ; WENGENROTH, K.: Thermisch-regenerative Abluftbehandlung - Deponiebetrieb: DACH, J.: Anforderungen an die Deponierung von MBA-Abfällen ; BOCKREIS, A.; BROCKMANN, C.; JAGER, J.: Testmethoden für die Bewertung der Ablagerungseignung von MBA-Abfällen ; RETTENBERGER, G.: Anforderungen an eine sichere Deponie - mögliche Nachsorgestrategien am Beispiel der Deponie Halle-Lochau - Stoffstrommanagement: KOLLER, M.; THRÄN, D.; HERMANN, T.; PLICKERT, S.; SOYEZ, K.: Ökologische Potentiale der Wertstoffausschleusung ; MÜLLER, W.; HECKENKAMP, G.; NIESAR, M.; FRICKE, K.: Wertstoffgewinnung in der mechanischen Aufbereitung ; GALLENKEMPER, B.; WIEMER, K.; FLAMME, S.: Stand und Perspektiven der Gütesicherung von Sekundärbrennstoffen durch die Bundesgütegemeinschaft Sekundärbrennstoffe e. V. ; WILCZEK, M.; WOLF, C.; BERTLING, J.; KÜMMEL, R.: Gewinnung von feinteiligem Brennstoff aus Abfällen - Umsetzung: BRÖKER, E.; NIEWELER, A.; TEGTMEYER, E.: Status der niedersächsischen Anlagen ; VOLLMER, G.-R.: Erfahrungen mit anaeroben Anlagen ; FRANKE, J.; SPILLMANN, P.; ESCHKÖTTER, H.; MORSCHECK, G.: Ergebnisse der Biopuster-Demonstrationsanlage der BMA Stendal ; PUCHELT, A.: Trockenstabilisierung von Restabfällen - Anlagenbeispiel Rennerod / Westerwaldkreis ; KETELSEN, K.; FEHRE, E.: Kosten der mechanisch-biologischen Behandlung ; HEYER, K.-U.; HUPE, K.; STEGMANN, R.: Aerobe in situ Stabilisierung von Altdeponien ; HÜTTNER, E.; KEBEKUS, F.: Einsatzpotentiale der mechanisch-biologischen Abfallbehandlung in Entwicklungsländern

Background  Obesity and the health problems associated with it have substantial economic consequences for health care systems. Little information is available concerning obesity‐related problems among people with intellectual disabilities. The aims of this study were to analyse patterns of obesity among children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities in Taiwan and to compare these data with existing national norms in an attempt to identify the scale of the problem of obesity among this population.Methods  Information was collected by postal questionnaire on a total of 279 children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (age 4–18 years).Results  Sixty‐four per cent of participants in the study had multiple disabilities and 40% had additional health needs. In terms of general health status, most of the persons with intellectual disabilities were reported to be in fair or good health, with 9% of them being reported to be unhealthy or very unhealthy. Body mass index (BMI) was related to age, but not to gender, morbidity or prescribed medication at the time of the survey. However, average BMI was higher than relevant population norms reported in Taiwan's Third National Nutrition and Health Survey (1993–1996). The overall prevalence of obesity was 18%, with 14% of participants aged 4–6 years, 22% of participants aged 7–12 years and 16% of participants aged 13–18 years being obese. In a multiple regression analysis of BMI, age was the only significant predictor of obesity, accounting for 8% of variation.Conclusions  The findings suggest that the problem of obesity among children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities should be considered a major public health concern that warrants further attention in health care systems.

Across Europe, there are much fewer women than men employed in executive positions. On European average, only 10% of the members of the highest decision-making bodies in the top 50 publicly quoted companies are women. However, the situation varies substantially from country to country. The European countries with the highest shares of women managers are Slovenia and Latvia, at 22% each, while the country with the worst record is Italy, at 2%. Germany, with a 10% share of women managers, is in the middle of the ranking order. However, the picture in Germany becomes less favourable when the figures for enterprises and associations are examined separately. For example, women occupy only 1% of the seats on the boards of management and 8% of the seats on the supervisory boards of Germany's 87 largest 'old economy' joint-stock companies. The situation is more favourable in the workers' representative bodies and the professional associations, where women account for between one fifth and one quarter of the executives - a figure that is still far removed from parity, however. Even under the broader definition of specialist and managerial staff in all areas of white-collar and public-service employment, the share of women is still less than one third, although women account for 45% of total employment in these areas. The German business sector's agreement of 2001 with the German government to commit itself to voluntarily promoting equal opportunity for women and men in the private sector has had very little impact to date at managerial level. Substantial effort is still required if this situation is to improve.

During 2004, the Maltese social partners and government discussed a possible social pact, aimed at enhancing national competitiveness, and in November the chair of the tripartite Malta Council for Economic and Social Development proposed a draft of such an accord. However, by the end of the year, no consensus had been reached on a pact. The sluggish growth of the Maltese economy in 2004 prompted the social partners to try to join their efforts to enhance Malta's competitiveness. Trade unions and employers' organisations thus put forward suggestions intended to lead to the signature of a 'social pact' (MT0404101N (//www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/uhmproposes- social-pact) and MT0406102F (//www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories /eurwork/articles/debate-over-social-pact-continues)). In November 2004, the chair of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD (http://www.mcesd.org.mt/)), the country's highest national tripartite forum, presented a draft social pact to be debated by the representatives of the social partners. The chair argued that this proposed plan aimed to attract investment to Malta while generating better work opportunities and safeguarding the country's social welfare. He proposed that the pact should cover a three-year period (from January 2005 to December 2007) and suggested that MCESD should be given the role of scrutinising the implementation and eventual results of the social pact. The draft social pact consisted of 22 measures under four headings: stimulating work and economic activity; wages policy; development of human capital; and taxation of government expenditure. The measures were based on the suggestions made by the social partners. ; peer-reviewed

Mobbing ist ein Phänomen, das heute in den Medien sehr intensiv und umfassenddiskutiert wird. So wurde etwa von einer Sekretärin berichtet, die wochenlang von ihren Kollegen schikaniert wurde, bis sie schließlich einen Selbstmordversuch unternahm. Zurück im Büro begrüßten sie die Kollegen mit den Worten: "Ach, nicht mal das haben Sie geschafft? Versuchen Sie´s doch noch einmal". Bekannt wurde auch der Fall einer 22-jährigen Polizistin, die sich in Folge von Mobbinghandlungen und sexueller Belästigung mit ihrer Dienstwaffe erschossen hatte. Wenn Menschen im Berufsleben in einer Art "Zwangsgemeinschaft" zum Zweck der Arbeitsverrichtung zusammenkommen, sind einzelne Meinungsverschiedenheiten und Streitigkeiten nie gänzlich zu vermeiden. Was unterscheidet jedoch Mobbing - den Psychoterror am Arbeitsplatz - von alltäglichen, normalen Reibereien und Konflikten unter Kollegen? Das Landesarbeitsgericht (LAG) Thüringen definiert Mobbing in einem Grundsatzurteil vom 10.04.2001 als "fortgesetzte, aufeinander aufbauende […]der Anfeindung, Schikane oder Diskriminierung dienende Verhaltensweisen […]die in ihrer Gesamtheit das allgemeine Persönlichkeitsrecht oder andere ebenso geschützte Rechte, wie die Ehre oder die Gesundheit des Betroffenen verletzen". Aktuell leiden 2,5 % bis 3 % aller deutschen Beschäftigen unter Mobbing, so der "Mobbing-Report 2002" von der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin. Diese Tendenzen sind vor allem auf gesellschaftliche und wirtschaftliche Veränderungen zurückzuführen. Durch die zunehmende Globalisierung der Märkte verstärkt sich der Druck auf die einzelnen Unternehmen. Die Folge sind Umstrukturierungen ganzer Betriebe und ein permanenter Stellenabbau. Die verbleibenden Arbeitsabläufe werden immer komplexer und verantwortungsvoller. Durch den ständig steigenden Leistungsdruck und die Angst um die berufliche Existenz entwickelt sich der Arbeitsplatz mehr und mehr zum allgemeinen Spannungsfeld. Die Folge ist ein schlechtes Betriebsklima, indem Konflikte mittels Schikane und Ausgrenzung anderer kompensiert werden. Mobbing hat sowohl für die Betroffenen als auch für die gesamte Gesellschaft und Wirtschaft weitreichende Konsequenzen: Die Mehrzahl der Mobbing betroffenen klagt über ein negatives Wohlbefinden sowie über psychische und physische Beschwerden. Etwas 20 % der Selbstmorde in Deutschland können zudem auf Mobbingaktivitäten zurückgeführt werden. Neben diesen dramatischen Folgen für den einzelnen verursacht Mobbing in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD) zum anderen einen gesamtwirtschaftlichen Schaden in Höhe von ca. 25 Milliarden Euro. Mobbing kann und darf aufgrund der oben dargestellten gravierenden Folgen in einer demokratischen Gesellschaft nicht geduldet werden und verstößt eindeutig gegen die im Grundgesetz geschützten Persönlichkeitsrechte. Das deutsche Arbeitsrecht bietet zum heutigen Zeitpunkt bereits vielfältige juristische Möglichkeiten um gegen Mobbing vorzugehen, so dass Mobbing – der Kampf am Arbeitsplatz – keinesfalls hingenommen werden muss. Insbesondere der Arbeitgeber und die betriebliche Interessenvertretung sind gefordert, alles zu unternehmen, um Mobbing möglichst präventiv zu verhindern bzw. im konkreten Fall zu bekämpfen. Speziell dem Betriebsrat kommt per Gesetz die Aufgabe zu, die Interessen aller Arbeitnehmer zu vertreten und sie somit auch vor Mobbing zu schützen. Die vorliegende Arbeit wird sich mit der Frage beschäftigen, welche rechtlichen Handlungsmöglichkeiten dem Betriebsrat im Kampf gegen Mobbing zur Verfügung stehen.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate incidence of shigellosis in the Kaengkhoi district, Saraburi Province, Thailand. METHODS: Population-based surveillance of shigellosis based in treatment centres. The detected rates of treated shigellosis were corrected for the number of cases missed due to the low sensitivity of microbiological culture methods and participants' use of health-care providers not participating in the study. FINDINGS: The overall uncorrected incidence of shigellosis was 0.6/1000 population per year (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.5-0.8). The unadjusted incidence of treated shigellosis was highest among children less than 5 years old (4/1000 children per year; 95% CI = 3-6) and significantly lower among people aged > 5 years (0.3/1000 population per year; 95% CI = 0.2-0.5; P < 0.001). Adjusting for cases likely to be missed as a result of culture and surveillance methods increased estimates approximately five times. The majority of Shigella isolates (122/146; 84%) were S. sonnei; the rest were S. flexneri. Of the 22 S. flexneri isolates, the three most frequently encountered serotypes were 2a (36%), 1b (23%) and 3b (28%). A total of 90-95% of S. sonnei and S. flexneri isolates were resistant to tetracycline and co-trimoxazole. In contrast to S. sonnei isolates, more than 90% of the S. flexneri isolates were also resistant to ampicillin and chloramphenicol (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Estimates of incidence of Shigella infection in the community are 10-fold to 100-fold greater than those found from routine government surveillance. The high prevalence of Shigella strains resistant to multiple antibiotics adds urgency to the development of a vaccine to protect against shigellosis in this region of Thailand.

INTRODUCTION: Birmingham Children's Hospital (BCH) is the centre for a regional comprehensive cleft service attempting to implement the national guidelines for minimum standards of care. A national audit of cleft management (CSAG) found that 58% of alveolar bone grafts were successful; published series suggest that success rates can be of the order of 95%. We present the results of an audit of alveolar bone grafting over a 33-month period, after implementation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective clinical process audit was taken from the hospital notes and an analysis of radiological outcome by Bergland score was obtained by two independent assessors. RESULTS: The audit highlighted the difficulties of integrating the increased clinical workload. Other difficulties included poorly standardised pre- and postoperative occlusal radiography, inconsistent orthodontic management and a lack of prospective data collection. An 81% success rate for alveolar bone grafting compares favourably to the CSAG study. Of 82 patients, 68 had sufficient data for a retrospective review; 21 were our own patients and 47 were referred into the centralised service. The success of bone grafting as defined by CSAG (including Bergland scores) is based on only two-thirds of the patients as many have their orthodontic treatment managed in more distant units and radiographs are much harder to obtain. Bone grafting later than age 11 years, was true for 28% (6/21) of our BCH patients and 46% (22/47) for those referred to our service. CONCLUSIONS: This audit demonstrates what has been achieved in a re-organised service in the context of Real Politik in the NHS and suggests the areas that require improvement.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate incidence of shigellosis in the Kaengkhoi district, Saraburi Province, Thailand. METHODS: Population-based surveillance of shigellosis based in treatment centres. The detected rates of treated shigellosis were corrected for the number of cases missed due to the low sensitivity of microbiological culture methods and participants' use of health-care providers not participating in the study. FINDINGS: The overall uncorrected incidence of shigellosis was 0.6/1000 population per year (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.5-0.8). The unadjusted incidence of treated shigellosis was highest among children less than 5 years old (4/1000 children per year; 95% CI = 3-6) and significantly lower among people aged > 5 years (0.3/1000 population per year; 95% CI = 0.2-0.5; P < 0.001). Adjusting for cases likely to be missed as a result of culture and surveillance methods increased estimates approximately five times. The majority of Shigella isolates (122/146; 84%) were S. sonnei; the rest were S. flexneri. Of the 22 S. flexneri isolates, the three most frequently encountered serotypes were 2a (36%), 1b (23%) and 3b (28%). A total of 90-95% of S. sonnei and S. flexneri isolates were resistant to tetracycline and co-trimoxazole. In contrast to S. sonnei isolates, more than 90% of the S. flexneri isolates were also resistant to ampicillin and chloramphenicol (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Estimates of incidence of Shigella infection in the community are 10-fold to 100-fold greater than those found from routine government surveillance. The high prevalence of Shigella strains resistant to multiple antibiotics adds urgency to the development of a vaccine to protect against shigellosis in this region of Thailand.

Neuere epidemiologische und toxikologische Studien deuten darauf hin, dass Staubpartikel mit einem aerodynamischen Durchmesser von weniger als 10 µm (PM10) Auswirkungen auf die menschliche Gesundheit haben. Die Europäische Union hat daher zum Schutz der menschlichen Gesundheit Grenzwerte für PM10 erlassen. Die neuen Grenzwerte wurden mit der 22. BImSchV vom 11. September 2002 in Deutschland in nationales Umweltrecht umgesetzt. Es existiert eine Reihe von Quellen, die zur PM10-Immission beitragen, die im Rahmen dieser Arbeit detailliert vorgestellt werden. Die chemischen bzw. physikalischen Vorgänge, die zur Bildung, zum Wachstum und zur Deposition der Partikel führen, werden ebenso wie die Staubmesstechnik eingehend beschrieben. Desweiteren werden die wichtigsten Erkenntnisse der eingangs erwähnten epidemiologischen und toxikologischen Studien dargestellt. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es zunächst, die Berliner PM10-Immissionssituation hinsichtlich der neuen gesetzlichen Anforderungen zu beurteilen, um daraus etwaigen politischen Handlungsbedarf abzuleiten. Ferner bestand eine wesentliche Aufgabe dieser Arbeit darin, lokale, regionale und überregionale Quellen (Quellgebiete) zu identifizieren und deren Immissionsbeiträge zu quantifizieren, um hierdurch mögliche Ansätze für PM10-Minderungsstrategien aufzuzeigen. PM10-Immissionsdaten des Zeitraums 1990 - 2001 zeigen bereits heute, dass die Einhaltung der PM10-Grenzwerte für 2005 in Berlin zusätzliche Maßnahmen erfordern wird, um die ab 2005 gültigen Grenzwerte einzuhalten. Die in dieser Arbeit durchgeführten Analysen belegen, dass ein Großteil der PM10-Immission auf einen regionalen / überregionalen Ferntransport von PM10 in das Berliner Stadtgebiet zurückgeführt werden kann. Innerhalb Berlins kommt ein diffuser Stadtbeitrag aus einer Vielzahl von innerstädtischen PM10-Quellen hinzu, die in ihrer Gesamtheit einen erkennbaren Beitrag zur PM10-Immission leisten. Ferner lässt sich an einzelnen straßennahen Standorten ein Beitrag des lokalen Kfz-Verkehrs erkennen. PM10-Partikel, die über den Ferntransport nach Berlin gelangen, zeichnen sich in erster Linie durch einen hohen Anteil an Sulfat, Nitrat und Ammonium aus, was darauf hindeutet, dass diese Partikel hauptsächlich sekundär durch Gas-zu-Partikel-Umwandlung in der Atmosphäre gebildet wurden. Mit Hilfe eines Trajektorienmodells konnten diesbezüglich zu Berlin südöstlich gelegene Regionen als potentielle Quellgebiete identifiziert werden. Der diffuse Stadtbeitrag wird dominiert durch den Kfz-Verkehr, der wiederum sowohl durch Partikelemissionen aus dem Auspuff (Dieselrußpartikel), durch Abrieb von Straßenbelag, von Bremsen und von Reifen sowie über Wiederaufwirbelung sedimentierten Staubes zur PM10-Immission beiträgt. Hervorzuheben ist hierbei der offensichtlich stärkere Einfluss des Lkw-Verkehrs. Zur Reduktion der innerstädtischen PM10-Belastung beschränken sich die Maßnahmen der Berliner Behörde somit im Wesentlichen auf die Reduzierung der innerstädtisch verkehrsbedingten PM10-Immissionen. Eine deutliche Minderung des Ferntransportbeitrags ist jedoch nur durch überregionale Maßnahmen möglich.

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) escaped from quarantine facilities on Wardang Island in September 1995 and spread through South Australia to Queensland by December 1995. To determine the impact of this biological control agent on wild rabbit populations in Queensland, shot sample and spotlight count data were collected at six sites. RHDV spread across Queensland from the south-west to the east at a rate of at least 91 km month–1 between October 1995 and October 1996. The initial impact on rabbit density appeared highly variable, with an increase of 81% (255 ± 79 (s.e.) to 385 ± 73 rabbits km–2) at one site and a decrease of 83% (129 ± 27 to 22 ± 18 rabbits km–2) at another during the first outbreak. However, after 30 months of RHDV activity, counts were at least 90% below counts conducted before RHDV arrived. Using a population model to account for environmental conditions, the mean suppression of rabbit density caused by rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) was estimated to be 74% (ranging from 43% to 94% between sites). No outbreaks were observed when the density of susceptible rabbits was lower than 12 km–2. Where rabbit density remains low for long periods RHDV may not persist. This is perhaps most likely to occur in the isolated populations towards the northern edge of the range of rabbits in Australia. RHDV may have to be reintroduced into these populations. Further south in areas more suitable for rabbits, RHDV is more likely to persist, resulting in a high density of immune rabbits. In such areas conventional control techniques may be more important to enhance the influence of RHD.

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) escaped from quarantine facilities on Wardang Island in September 1995 and spread through South Australia to Queensland by December 1995. To determine the impact of this biological control agent on wild rabbit populations in Queensland, shot sample and spotlight count data were collected at six sites. RHDV spread across Queensland from the south-west to the east at a rate of at least 91 km month–1 between October 1995 and October 1996. The initial impact on rabbit density appeared highly variable, with an increase of 81% (255 ± 79 (s.e.) to 385 ± 73 rabbits km–2) at one site and a decrease of 83% (129 ± 27 to 22 ± 18 rabbits km–2) at another during the first outbreak. However, after 30 months of RHDV activity, counts were at least 90% below counts conducted before RHDV arrived. Using a population model to account for environmental conditions, the mean suppression of rabbit density caused by rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) was estimated to be 74% (ranging from 43% to 94% between sites). No outbreaks were observed when the density of susceptible rabbits was lower than 12 km–2. Where rabbit density remains low for long periods RHDV may not persist. This is perhaps most likely to occur in the isolated populations towards the northern edge of the range of rabbits in Australia. RHDV may have to be reintroduced into these populations. Further south in areas more suitable for rabbits, RHDV is more likely to persist, resulting in a high density of immune rabbits. In such areas conventional control techniques may be more important to enhance the influence of RHD.

Many factors influence the participation of women in political life in Arab societies. Some of these factors contribute to women's participation in political life, while others have a negative effect. In this study, the reasons for limited participation of women in Arab parliaments, ministers, and governmental councils are investigated. Its aim is to identify, explain, and determine the relationship between women's participation in political life in Arab societies and social, educational, economical, cultural, and health factors. Secondary data from several sources are used. Social, educational, economical, cultural, and health factors are assumed to be independent variables. Women's participation in political life is the dependent variable. The sample includes all Arab societies (22 countries). The results of correlation analysis indicate that family size, number of children in family, and fertility rate had a significant and negative association with women's participation in political life, while percent of family in urban areas was significant and positively related to the same variable. The results of path analysis show that the percent of women in Arab parliaments and in governmental organizations had significant direct effects on women's participation in political life, while life expectancy of women, GNP per capita, and families in rural areas had significant indirect effects. The most important recommendation, one that can be used as a plan for women's future in Arab societies, is to improve the social condition of women and increase their participation in decisionmaking at the local and national levels and to create conditions that will enhance the position of women. This can be accomplished by following a comprehensive method aiming at deepening women's consciousness of their political and legal rights.