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Selected AbstractsGardening at the edge: Documenting the limits of tropical Polynesian kumara horticulture in southern New ZealandGEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 3 2004Kari N. Bassett An Erratum has been published for this article in Geoarchaeology 19(6) 2004, 613. Kumara (Ipomoea batatus), a major food source for Maori, was brought to New Zealand from tropical Eastern Polynesia ,700 years ago. Maori successfully adapted their cultivation techniques to grow kumara in New Zealand's cooler, seasonal climate, although most kumara cultivation was limited to the warmer North Island, with cultivation becoming more marginal southward. Banks Peninsula area is considered to be the southernmost limit for kumara gardening. The Okuora Farm archeological site on the southern side of Banks Peninsula has five pits that appear to be of the raised-rim type used for over winter storage of kumara tubers. We conducted a preliminary investigation into the nature of the pits and surrounding 1 km2 area using nondestructive techniques in accordance with Maori designation of food storage sites as tapu. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) investigation of two of the pits revealed subsurface disturbances consistent with postholes and drains, typical of raised rim kumara storage pits. Soil modification typical of kumara gardening was identified on a 1 ha area on a warm north-northwest facing hillside. Several large borrow pits were identified as the likely source of the gravel added to the modified soil, possibly to retain heat and moisture. A plant phytolith study of soil samples identified several that appear to be from kumara. The combination of results strongly suggests this site was one of the southernmost Maori kumara gardening sites yet identified in New Zealand. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Artificial neural network inversion of magnetotelluric data in terms of three-dimensional earth macroparametersGEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2000Vjacheslav Spichak The possibility of solving the three-dimensional (3-D) inverse problem of geoelectrics using the artificial neural network (ANN) approach is investigated. The properties of a supervised ANN based on the back-propagation scheme with three layers of neurons are studied, and the ANN architecture is adjusted. A model class consisting of a dipping dyke in the basement of a two-layer earth with the dyke in contact with the overburden is used for numerical experiments. Six macroparameters of the 3-D model, namely the thickness of the top layer, which coincides with the depth of the dyke (D), the conductivity ratio between the first and second layers (C1,/C2,), the conductivity contrast of the dyke (C/C2,), and the width (W ), length (L ) and dip angle of the dyke (A), are used. Various groups of magnetotelluric field components and their transformations are studied in order to estimate the effect of the data type used on the ANN recognition ability. It is found that use of only the xy - and yx -components of impedance phases results in reasonable recognition errors for all unknown parameters (D: 0.02 per cent, C1/C2: 8.4 per cent, C/C2: 26.8 per cent, W : 0.02 per cent, L : 0.02 per cent, A: 0.24 per cent). The influence of the size and shape of the training data pool (including the ,gaps in education' and ,no target' effects) on the recognition properties is studied. Results from numerous ANN tests demonstrate that the ANN possesses good enough interpolation and extrapolation abilities if the training data pool contains a sufficient number of representative data sets. The effect of noise is estimated by means of mixing the synthetic data with 30, 50 and 100 per cent Gaussian noise. The unusual behaviour of the recognition errors for some of the model parameters when the data become more noisy (in particular, the fact that an increase in error is followed by a decrease) indicates that the use of standard techniques of noise reduction may give an opposite result, so the development of a special noise treatment methodology is required. Thus, it is shown that ANN-based recognition can be successfully used for inversion if the data correspond to the model class familiar to the ANN. No initial guess regarding the parameters of the 3-D target or 1-D layering is required. The ability of the ANN to teach itself using real geophysical (not only electromagnetic) data measured at a given location over a sufficiently long period means that there is the potential to use this approach for interpreting monitoring data. [source] Relevance of the developmental toxicity of ethanol in the occupational setting: a review,JOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 5 2003Lorraine F. H. Irvine Abstract Numerous studies have been conducted investigating the reproductive toxicology of ethanol, the overwhelming majority concerning the adverse effects of consuming alcohol in beverages during pregnancy. Because many of the in vivo studies were designed to model alcoholism, they used comparatively high doses and assessed relatively few endpoints. Outcomes may have been affected by disturbances of metabolism at such high exposures, giving rise to secondary effects on development. The available data on ethanol from ,conventional' developmental toxicity study test methods of the type used for regulatory hazard assessment of chemicals are limited. It is in this context, however, i.e. the use of ethanol as an industrial chemical rather than as a component of beverages, that this review is based. Using the usual criteria applied for the purpose of hazard assessment of industrial chemicals, it is concluded that there is no evidence that industrial exposure to ethanol is a developmental toxicity hazard. Developmental toxicity may result from drinking alcoholic beverages, the threshold level for all aspects of which has yet to be de,ned. This is not, however, considered relevant to the low blood alcohol concentrations resulting from any conceivable inhalation or dermal exposure in the workplace or through the directed use of any consumer product containing ethanol. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Mineralization improvement of phenol aqueous solutions through heterogeneous catalytic ozonationJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 12 2003Fernando J Beltrán Abstract To assess the mineralization level achieved, aqueous solutions of phenol have been treated with ozone in the presence of different solid catalysts. Activated carbon was the principal catalyst investigated, although some additional experiments were carried out by utilizing metal oxide-based catalysts (ie Ti, Co and Fe) supported onto alumina. Usage of Co/Al2O3 led to the highest values of phenol byproduct mineralization, nevertheless some metal leaching was experienced in the process. The operating variables studied when using activated carbon as the catalyst were ozone gas concentration, amount of catalyst added and temperature. Regardless of the catalyst type used, two different ozonation kinetic regimes were observed: (I) an initial period, corresponding to the presence of phenol in solution, characterized by small amounts of dissolved ozone and no improvement of the mineralization degree if comparing catalytic and non-catalytic runs; (II) a second period, free of phenol, in which dissolved ozone accumulated in water and the beneficial effects of catalysts on mineralization were noticed. Experimental data also demonstrated the improvement in oxalic acid elimination in the presence of heterogeneous catalysts. Finally, consumption of ozone per mass of carbon removed, reaction factors and Hatta numbers were also calculated. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Accelerating the analyses of 3-way and 4-way PARAFAC models utilizing multi-dimensional wavelet compressionJOURNAL OF CHEMOMETRICS, Issue 11-12 2005Jeff Cramer Abstract Parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) is one of the most popular methods for evaluating multi-way data sets, such as those typically acquired by hyphenated measurement techniques. One of the reasons for PARAFAC popularity is the ability to extract directly interpretable chemometric models with little a priori information and the capability to handle unknown interferents and missing values. However, PARAFAC requires long computation times that often prohibit sufficiently fast analyses for applications such as online sensing. An additional challenge faced by PARAFAC users is the handling and storage of very large, high-dimensional data sets. Accelerating computations and reducing storage requirements in multi-way analyses are the topics of this manuscript. This study introduces a data pre-processing method based on multi-dimensional wavelet transforms (WTs), which enables highly efficient data compression applied prior to data evaluation. Because multi-dimensional WTs are linear, the intrinsic underlying linear data construction is preserved in the wavelet domain. In almost all studied examples, computation times for analyzing the much smaller, compressed data sets could be reduced so much that the additional effort for wavelet compression was more than recompensated. For 3-way and 4-way synthetic and experimental data sets, acceleration factors up to 50 have been achieved; these data sets could be compressed down to a few per cent of the original size. Despite the high compression, accurate and interpretable models were derived, which are in good agreement with conventionally determined PARAFAC models. This study also found that the wavelet type used for compression is an important factor determining acceleration factors, data compression ratios and model quality. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Unified QSAR & network-based computational chemistry approach to antimicrobials.JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2010Abstract In the previous work, we reported a multitarget Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (mt-QSAR) model to predict drug activity against different fungal species. This mt-QSAR allowed us to construct a drug,drug multispecies Complex Network (msCN) to investigate drug,drug similarity (González-Díaz and Prado-Prado, J Comput Chem 2008, 29, 656). However, important methodological points remained unclear, such as follows: (1) the accuracy of the methods when applied to other problems; (2) the effect of the distance type used to construct the msCN; (3) how to perform the inverse procedure to study species,species similarity with multidrug resistance CNs (mdrCN); and (4) the implications and necessary steps to perform a substructural Triadic Census Analysis (TCA) of the msCN. To continue the present series with other important problem, we developed here a mt-QSAR model for more than 700 drugs tested in the literature against different parasites (predicting antiparasitic drugs). The data were processed by Linear Discriminate Analysis (LDA) and the model classifies correctly 93.62% (1160 out of 1239 cases) in training. The model validation was carried out by means of external predicting series; the model classified 573 out of 607, that is, 94.4% of cases. Next, we carried out the first comparative study of the topology of six different drug,drug msCNs based on six different distances such as Euclidean, Chebychev, Manhattan, etc. Furthermore, we compared the selected drug,drug msCN and species,species mdsCN with random networks. We also introduced here the inverse methodology to construct species,species msCN based on a mt-QSAR model. Last, we reported the first substructural analysis of drug,drug msCN using Triadic Census Analysis (TCA) algorithm. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 2010 [source] Microhabitat use and preferences of the endangered Cottus gobio in the River Voer, BelgiumJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2005C. Van Liefferinge Microhabitat use and preferences of juvenile and adult bullhead Cottus gobio, from the River Voer, Flanders, were studied and compared across different seasons. Water depth, water velocity near the substratum, surface water velocity and substratum type used by C. gobio differed between seasons. These differences, however, were not attributable to differences in microhabitat availability. Adults appeared to prefer higher water velocities and coarser substrata than the average ones available in the basin. Although water depth appeared to have little influence on seasonal variation of microhabitat use in adult C. gobio, juveniles preferred deeper water and coarser substrata in winter, whereas in summer they appeared to use shallower water. There was a difference in microhabitat use between juvenile and adult bullhead only in summer. [source] The Influence of Penetrative Trauma on the Rate of Decomposition,JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 2 2010Peter Cross M.Sc. Abstract:, An understanding of the factors affecting decomposition is important for the accurate estimation of postmortem interval. An experimental study on the influence of penetrating trauma on decomposition rate was carried out using the domestic pig, Sus scrofa. The results of this study were: (i) Diptera were preferentially attracted to and oviposited at natural orifices. Trauma sites were not preferentially selected for oviposition; (ii) no differences between trauma and non-trauma groups were found in time to skeletonization, weight loss (p = 0.906), total body score (p = 0.824), body temperature (p = 0.967), or changes in soil pH (p = 0.684); and (iii) the effect of investigator disturbance was significant when decomposition was measured as weight loss (p = 0.000). This study suggests that penetrating trauma of the type used in this study cannot be considered a major factor in the rate of decomposition and time to skeletonization of a gunshot trauma victim. [source] Accurate mass measurement in nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry by alternate switching of high voltage between sample and reference sprayersRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 4 2005Yoshinori Satomi An electrospray dual sprayer, which generates separate sample and reference sprays by alternately switching the high voltage between the two sprayers, is described. The technique permits accurate mass measurements in nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to be obtained using a quadrupole/orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Q-TOF). Similar to the method employed with a dual ESI source (Wolff JC et al., Anal. Chem. 2001; 73: 2605), the two sprays are orthogonal with respect to each other, but can be independently sampled without any baffle between these sprays. The reference sprayer is used in the original configuration of the ESI source and was optimized for a 1,2,,L/min flow, whereas the sample sprayer can be either a conventional glass capillary or a borosilicate tip of the type used for nano-ESI. Both sprayers can be positioned close to the cone so as to give maximum ion currents. The sample and reference sprays are independently generated by raising the potentials on the sample and reference sprayers to 1.4 and 3.0,kV, respectively; the high voltages can be rapidly turned on and off in ca. 1,ms. A nano-ESI-MS or nano-flow LC/ESI-MS experiment using a Q-TOF coupled with the above system gave mass accuracies within 3,ppm for measurements of ions up to m/z 1000 using subpicomole samples. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Experimental manipulation reveals the importance of refuge habitat temperature selected by lizardsAUSTRAL ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2010MICHA ANDERSSON Abstract Refuges provide shelter from predators, and protection from exposure to the elements, as well as other fitness benefits to animals that use them. In ectotherms, thermal benefits may be a critical aspect of refuges. We investigated microhabitat characteristics of refuges selected by a heliothermic scincid lizard, Carlia rubrigularis, which uses rainforest edges as habitat. We approached lizards in the field, simulating a predator attack, and quantified the refuge type used, and effect of environmental temperatures (air temperature, substrate temperature and refuge substrate temperature) on the amount of time skinks remained in refuges after hiding (emergence time). In respone to our approach, lizards were most likely to flee into leaf litter, rather than into rocks or woody debris, and emergence time was dependent on refuge substrate temperature, and on refuge substrate temperature relative to substrate temperature outside the refuge. Lizards remained for longer periods in warmer refuges, and in refuges that were similar in temperature to outside. We examined lizard refuge choice in response to temperature and substrate type in large, semi-natural outdoor enclosures. We experimentally manipulated refuge habitat temperature available to lizards, and offered them equal areas of leaf litter, woody debris and rocks. When refuge habitat temperature was unmanipulated, lizards (85%) preferred leaf litter, as they did in the field. However, when we experimentally manipulated the temperature of the leaf litter by shading, most skinks (75%) changed their preferred refuge habitat from leaf litter to woody debris or rocks. These results suggest that temperature is a critical determinant of refuge habitat choice for these diurnal ectotherms, both when fleeing from predators and when selecting daytime retreats. [source] Proliferation and apoptosis in a neuroblastoma cell line exposed to 900 MHz modulated radiofrequency fieldBIOELECTROMAGNETICS, Issue 3 2006P. Merola Abstract The aim of this study was to examine whether a modulated radiofrequency of the type used in cellular phone communications at a specific absorption rate (SAR) higher than International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) reference level for occupational exposure, could elicit alterations on proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis processes in a neuroblastoma cell line. The cell line was exposed for 24, 48, and 72 h to 900 MHz radiofrequency and proliferation and differentiation were tested by WST-I assay and by a molecular analysis of specific markers, two oncogenes and a cytoskeleton protein, in exponential growth phase and in synchronized cell cultures. Apoptosis was evaluated by caspase activation analysis and by molecular detection of Poly (ADP-ribose) polimerase (PARP) cleavage. Combined exposures to radiofrequency and to the differentiative agent retinoic acid or to the apoptotic inducer camptothecin were carried out to test possible interference between electromagnetic field and chemical agents. Overall our data suggest that 900 MHz radiofrequency exposure up to 72 h does not induce significant alterations in the three principal cell activities in a neuroblastoma cell line. Bioelectromagnetics 27:164,171, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Interactive Graphics for Computer Adaptive TestingCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 8 2009I. Cheng K.3.1 [Computer Milieux]: Computer and Education , Computer Uses in Education; I.3.8 [Computing Methodologies]: Computer Graphics , Application Abstract Interactive graphics are commonly used in games and have been shown to be successful in attracting the general audience. Instead of computer games, animations, cartoons, and videos being used only for entertainment, there is now an interest in using interactive graphics for ,innovative testing'. Rather than traditional pen-and-paper tests, audio, video and graphics are being conceived as alternative means for more effective testing in the future. In this paper, we review some examples of graphics item types for testing. As well, we outline how games can be used to interactively test concepts; discuss designing chemistry item types with interactive 3D graphics; suggest approaches for automatically adjusting difficulty level in interactive graphics based questions; and propose strategies for giving partial marks for incorrect answers. We study how to test different cognitive skills, such as music, using multimedia interfaces; and also evaluate the effectiveness of our model. Methods for estimating difficulty level of a mathematical item type using Item Response Theory (IRT) and a molecule construction item type using Graph Edit Distance are discussed. Evaluation of the graphics item types through extensive testing on some students is described. We also outline the application of using interactive graphics over cell phones. All of the graphics item types used in this paper are developed by members of our research group. [source] Retention in methadone maintenance drug treatment for prescription-type opioid primary users compared to heroin usersADDICTION, Issue 5 2009Caleb J. Banta-Green ABSTRACT Aims To assess retention in methadone maintenance treatment for prescription-type opioid primary (PTOP) users compared to heroin users. Design and participants A retrospective cohort study was carried out to examine the association between opiate types used on 12-month retention. The study population consisted of adults admitted to one of 11 not-for-profit methadone maintenance clinics in 2004 and 2005 throughout Washington State (n = 2308). Logistic regression analyses with fixed effects for treatment agencies were conducted. Measurements Opiate use type in past 30 days: any heroin use or primary prescription opioid without heroin use. Demographics, other drugs used, self-reported medical and psychiatric concerns, social, familial and legal issues, public assistance type and housing stability were documented at intake using a comprehensive biopsychosocial instrument, the Treatment and Assessment Reports Generation Tool. Findings The odds of being retained in treatment for PTOP compared to heroin users not adjusting for other factors was 1.33 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03, 1.71). In the final logistic regression model the odds of retention for PTOP compared to heroin users was 1.25 (95% CI, 0.93, 1.67), indicating that there was no statistically significant difference in treatment retention by opiate type after adjusting for demographics, treatment agencies, other drug use, public assistance type, medical, psychiatric, social, legal and familial factors. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that PTOP can be treated at methadone maintenance treatment facilities at least as effectively as heroin users in terms of treatment retention. [source] Variation in Vocal Performance in the Songs of a Wood-Warbler: Evidence for the Function of Distinct Singing ModesETHOLOGY, Issue 7 2004Martin D. Beebee Male North American wood-warblers (family Parulidae) subdivide their song repertoires into two different categories, or modes, of singing (first and second category songs). These two modes are thought to be specialized for interacting with females and males, although the data are inconclusive. I conducted an acoustic analysis of the song types used by yellow warblers (Dendroica petechia) for type I (first category) and type II (second category) singing to ask whether there are consistent structural differences between them which could provide insight into how they might function as separate signals. I found that type I songs are performed closer to the upper boundary of a song performance limit, measured in terms of the difficulty of production, compared with type II songs. By contrast, the performance of specific song types did not depend on whether they were used for type I singing vs. type II singing by different males. In addition, type I songs had a greater amplitude increase across the first two syllables compared with type II songs. There was no relationship between the performance of type I or type II songs and male condition. These results suggest that wood-warblers might subdivide their song repertoire into distinct categories to highlight the relative vocal performance of their songs. [source] Large predators and their prey in a southern African savanna: a predator's size determines its prey size rangeJOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2004Frans G. T. Radloff Summary 1A long-term (13-year) data set, based on > 4000 kills, was used to test whether a sympatric group of large predators adheres to the theoretical predictions that (1) mean prey body size and (2) prey diversity increase as functions of predator body size. 2All kills observed by safari guides are documented routinely in Mala Mala Private Game Reserve, South Africa. We analysed these records for lion (Panthera leo, Linnaeus), leopard (Panthera pardus, Linnaeus), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus, Schreber) and African wild dog (Lycaon pictus, Temminck). Males and females of the sexually dimorphic felid species were treated as functionally distinct predator types. Prey types were classified by species, sex and age class. 3Prey profiles were compared among predator types in terms of richness and evenness to consider how both the range of prey types used and the dominance of particular prey types within each range may be influenced by predator size. No significant size-dependent relationships were found, so factors separate from or additional to body size must explain variation in prey diversity across sympatric predators. 4A statistically strong relationship was found between mean prey mass and predator mass (r2 = 0·86, P= 0·002), although pairwise comparisons showed that most predators killed similar prey despite wide differences in predator size. Also, minimum prey mass was independent of predator mass while maximum prey mass was strongly dependent on predator mass (r2 = 0·71, P= 0·017). The ecological significance is that larger predators do not specialize on larger prey, but exploit a wider range of prey sizes. [source] Circadian preference, sleep and daytime behaviour in adolescenceJOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, Issue 3 2002Flavia Giannotti Summary The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between circadian preferences, regularity of sleep patterns, sleep problems, daytime sleepiness and daytime behaviour. As a part of an epidemiological survey on sleep in a representative sample of Italian high-school students, a total of 6631 adolescents, aged 14.1,18.6 years, completed the School Sleep Habits Survey, a comprehensive questionnaire including items regarding sleep, sleepiness, substance use, anxiety and depressed mood, use of sleeping pills, school attendance and a morningness/eveningness scale. The sample consisted of 742 evening-types (315 males and 427 females; mean age 17.1 years) and 1005 morning-types (451 males and 554 females; mean age 16.8 years). No significant sex differences were found for morningness/eveningness score. Eveningness was associated with later bedtime and wake-up time, especially on weekends, shorter time in bed during the week, longer weekend time in bed, irregular sleep,wake schedule, subjective poor sleep. Moreover, evening types used to nap more frequently during school days, complained of daytime sleepiness, referred more attention problems, poor school achievement, more injuries and were more emotionally upset than the other chronotype. They referred also greater caffeine-containing beverages and substances to promote sleep consumption. Our results suggest that circadian preference might be related not only to sleep pattern, but also to other adolescent behaviours. [source] QUANTIFICATION OF TERRESTRIAL HAUL-OUT AND ROOKERY CHARACTERISTICS OF STELLER SEA LIONSMARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2007Stephen Ban Abstract Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) are known to have occupied the same terrestrial haul-out and rookery sites across the North Pacific Rim for centuries, but it is not known why they choose and stay at these locations, or what defines their preferred habitat. Classifying and comparing the shoreline type of haul-outs and rookeries against sites not used by Steller sea lions showed that they preferentially locate their haul-outs and rookeries on exposed rocky shorelines and wave-cut platforms. However, no preference was found for selecting rookeries on sheltered shore types. Shoreline types used less frequently by sea lions included fine-to-medium-grained sand beaches, mixed sand and gravel beaches, gravel beaches, and sheltered rocky shores. Quantifying the shoreline types used by sea lions confirms anecdotal reports of habitat preferences and may prove useful in identifying and protecting sea lion terrestrial habitat, or in forecasting how climate change might affect the distribution of sea lions. [source] EXPLORING IDENTITY AND PLACE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE PROVENANCE OF PASSAGE GRAVE STONES ON GUERNSEY AND JERSEY IN THE MIDDLE NEOLITHICOXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 1 2003DAVID BUKACH Summary. This study examines the provenance of rock types used in the construction of Middle Neolithic passage grave stones on the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, focusing on the social dimensions of stone selection. The use of stones in passage grave construction includes both local and non-local rock types, which at some sites are organized in distinctive patterns. It is argued that the choice of stones was bound by concepts of identity, and that the communities which gathered to build these monuments may have used specific rock types to represent their community and their local mythologies. The relationship between identity and stone selection is supported both by analogy and by research into the role of landmarks in the development of local landscapes and ideology. The success of megalith provenance studies on Guernsey and Jersey suggests considerable potential for future research in other geologically diverse regions. [source] Young driver restrictions: Does the evidence support them?AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 6 2008Ross Blackman Abstract Objective:,To assess the suitability of Queensland's graduated licensing system in the context of rural and remote Queensland. Design:,Age-based comparison of crash data collected by the Rural and Remote Road Safety Study (RRRSS). Setting:,Rural and remote North Queensland. Participants:,A total of 367 vehicle controllers aged 16 years or over hospitalised at Townsville, Cairns or Mount Isa for at least 24 hours, or killed, as a result of a vehicle crash. Measurements:,Specific RRRSS variables are assessed in relation to Queensland's graduated licensing program, including rates of unlicensed driving/riding, late night crashes, crashes with multiple passengers, contributing factors in crashes and vehicle types involved. Results:,While people between 16 and 24 years of age comprise 16% of the target population, 25% of crashes meeting RRRSS criteria involved a vehicle controller in that age group. 12.8% of all cases involved an unlicensed driver/rider, within which 66% were below 25 years of age. Young drivers/riders were represented in 50% of crashes occurring between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., and 33% of crashes in vehicles with multiple passengers. Motorcyclists represented about 40% of cases in both age groups. There were no significant differences between age groups in vehicle types used, or circumstances that contributed to crashes. Conclusions:,The general overrepresentation of young drivers/riders in rural and remote North Queensland supports tailored interventions, such as graduated licensing. However, while some measures in the legislation are well supported, problems surrounding unlicensed driving/riding might be exacerbated. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||