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Solomon Islands (solomon + island)
Selected AbstractsEmergency Safe Spaces in Haiti and the Solomon IslandsDISASTERS, Issue 3 2010Josh Madfis This paper provides background information on emergency Safe Spaces for children and specific information for responses in Haiti and the Solomon Islands. In 2007, both countries experienced natural disasters that resulted in internal displacement of thousands of people. The Save the Children Alliance created Safe Spaces for children living in camps for internally displaced persons. The project sought to accomplish ,B-SAFE' strategies through emergency education, psychosocial, and protection interventions. The B-SAFE strategies are to (B)uild relationships, cooperation, and respect among peers; to (S)creen for high-risk children and youth; (A)ctive, structured learning and life saving information; to (F)acilitate children's natural resilience and a return to normalcy; and to (E)stablish a sense of security and self-esteem. The project made use of child and parent surveys and observation tools that measured B-SAFE indicators. Analysed data demonstrated an improvement in children's behavior participating in the programme. [source] ,Saving the Solomons': a New Geopolitics in the ,Arc of Instability'?GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2006JOHN CONNELL Abstract The recent crisis in the Solomon Islands is reviewed in the context of historical and regional antecedents. In the past two decades political and ethnic disputes have flared in several parts of Melanesia and nearby parts of the ,arc of instability'. Tensions and violence in the Solomon Islands, based on social, economic and political issues, exemplify regional development concerns. The collapse of the economy and civil order resulted in the Solomon Islands being characterised as a ,failed State'. Localised warfare brought external military intervention, with a regional assistance mission led by Australia, which paralleled other involvement in the region. Involvement has emphasised renewed Australian interest in the region, in the light of global geopolitical shifts, and a more controversial approach to regional security and development. [source] Change in mean temperature as a predictor of extreme temperature change in the Asia,Pacific regionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2005G. M. Griffiths Abstract Trends (1961,2003) in daily maximum and minimum temperatures, extremes and variance were found to be spatially coherent across the Asia,Pacific region. The majority of stations exhibited significant trends: increases in mean maximum and mean minimum temperature, decreases in cold nights and cool days, and increases in warm nights. No station showed a significant increase in cold days or cold nights, but a few sites showed significant decreases in hot days and warm nights. Significant decreases were observed in both maximum and minimum temperature standard deviation in China, Korea and some stations in Japan (probably reflecting urbanization effects), but also for some Thailand and coastal Australian sites. The South Pacific convergence zone (SPCZ) region between Fiji and the Solomon Islands showed a significant increase in maximum temperature variability. Correlations between mean temperature and the frequency of extreme temperatures were strongest in the tropical Pacific Ocean from French Polynesia to Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and southern Japan. Correlations were weaker at continental or higher latitude locations, which may partly reflect urbanization. For non-urban stations, the dominant distribution change for both maximum and minimum temperature involved a change in the mean, impacting on one or both extremes, with no change in standard deviation. This occurred from French Polynesia to Papua New Guinea (except for maximum temperature changes near the SPCZ), in Malaysia, the Philippines, and several outlying Japanese islands. For urbanized stations the dominant change was a change in the mean and variance, impacting on one or both extremes. This result was particularly evident for minimum temperature. The results presented here, for non-urban tropical and maritime locations in the Asia,Pacific region, support the hypothesis that changes in mean temperature may be used to predict changes in extreme temperatures. At urbanized or higher latitude locations, changes in variance should be incorporated. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society. [source] Drivers of lowland rain forest community assembly, species diversity and forest structure on islands in the tropical South PacificJOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Gunnar Keppel Summary 1.,Testing the comparative strength and influence of age and area of islands, proximity of source propagules and disturbances on community assembly, species diversity and vegetation structure has proved difficult at large scales. The little-studied rain forests in the Tropical South Pacific (TSP) provide a unique study area to investigate determinants of community dynamics, with islands varying in age, isolation, area and cyclone frequency. We tested the effects of biogeographical factors and cyclone frequency on the species composition, species diversity and forest structure of old-growth rain forest using 1-ha inventory plots on 12 islands between New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. 2.,As predicted by the General Dynamic Model of Oceanic Island Biogeography, the biogeographical variables of archipelago age and island area are the most important factors affecting species richness and diversity, with older and larger islands having higher richness and diversity. There is no significant effect of cyclone frequency on species diversity. 3.,The theory that diversity drives endemism is not supported in this system as endemism is not correlated with species diversity. Instead, age and isolation of an island best explain patterns of endemism, with the latter suggesting dispersal limitations between archipelagos. 4.,Proximity to source area influences species composition of lowland tropical rain forests in the TSP, which is also supported by a strong correlation between geographic distance and floristic similarity. Vector-fitting onto non-metric multidimensional scaling suggests that archipelago age and cyclone frequency may, in addition to proximity to source area, influence species composition. This implies that a species' tolerance to cyclones affects its abundance at different cyclone frequencies. 5.,Synthesis. Both biogeographical variables (island area and isolation) and cyclone frequency appear to affect community assembly in lowland rain forests in the TSP. While species are hence not ecologically equivalent, interspecific ecological differences do not seem to affect the overall patterns of species diversity, which are mostly determined by biogeographical variables, as predicted by the neutral theory. [source] Molecular epidemiological study of hepatitis B virus infection in two different ethnic populations from the Solomon IslandsJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 3 2007Takako Utsumi Abstract The Solomon Islands is a multi-ethnic nation with a high rate of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The prevalence relative to ethnicity was examined in relation to HBV infection, genotypes, and mutations. Asymptomatic populations (n,=,564, 308 Melanesian and 118 Micronesian) from the Western Province were enrolled. Positive samples for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were examined for serological status, genotyping, viral load, and mutations of the basic core promoter (BCP) and pre-core (Pre-C) regions. The positive rate for HBsAg was 21.5%. The major Melanesian genotype was C (HBV/C), whereas the major Micronesian genotype was D (HBV/D). The prevalence of Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) in serum was lower in carriers of HBV/D than of HBV/C. While the prevalence of the BCP mutation (T1762A1764) tended to be higher in HBV/C, that of the Pre-C mutation (T1846) was significantly higher in HBV/D (P,<,0.0001). Genetic distance and phylogenetic analyses based on complete genome sequences were also carried out for two strains of HBV/C and two strains of HBV/D, and the findings were compared with those in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank database. The full-length sequence revealed that strains from the Solomon Islands were classified into subgenotype C3 (HBV/C3) and D4 (HBV/D4), and that the HBV/D strains were related closely to those from Papua New Guinea. HBV infection in the Solomon Islands is hyperendemic, and the genotype is ethnicity-specific. HBeAg appears to clear from the serum in young adulthood in HBV/D infection, which may be influenced by genotype-dependent features in relation to viral mutations. J. Med. Virol. 79:229,235, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Commentary on "Indigenous Ecological Knowledge as Situated Practices: Understanding Fishers' Knowledge in the Western Solomon Islands" by Matthew Lauer and Shankar AswaniAMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, Issue 2 2010Eugene S. Hunn No abstract is available for this article. [source] Becoming Sinless: Converting to Islam in the Christian Solomon IslandsAMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, Issue 4 2009Debra McDougall ABSTRACT Islam is beginning to have a significant presence in the predominantly Christian nation of Solomon Islands. A few well-educated Islanders were drawn to Islam's elegant monotheism and promise of unity in the 1980s and early 1990s, but numbers have grown significantly in the years following a violent civil conflict (1998,2003). Many of these new Muslim converts, especially those from the island of Malaita, seem preoccupied with the problem of sin and blame Christianity for destroying customary rules, especially those enforcing gender segregation. Echoing long-standing Malaitan critiques of Christian freedom, they say that Christians rely too heavily on God's grace and their own ability to resist temptation. Unlike Christianity and similar to the traditional religion of the islands, Islam provides clear moral rules for living. Seeking an escape from a cycle of sin and redemption, these ex-evangelical Christians now see in Islam the possibility of becoming sinless. [source] Indigenous Ecological Knowledge as Situated Practices: Understanding Fishers' Knowledge in the Western Solomon IslandsAMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, Issue 3 2009Matthew Lauer ABSTRACT In this article, we draw on research among fisherfolk of Roviana Lagoon, Solomon Islands, to examine certain epistemological assumptions of the "indigenous knowledge" concept. We describe how approaches to knowledge in Roviana differ from prevailing models of knowledge that distinguish between cognitive aspects and other modalities of knowing. For many Roviana fishers, ecological knowledge is not analytically separated from the changing contexts of everyday activities such as navigating and fishing. Inspired by Roviana epistemologies, we argue that a practice-oriented approach provides a more sympathetic and informative theoretical framework for understanding knowledge and its role in contemporary marine-resource conservation efforts. The theoretical and methodological implications of the perspective are illustrated with examples from an ongoing marine conservation project in the western Solomon Islands that integrates indigenous knowledge, remote-sensing techniques, and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies. [source] Sebdenia cerebriformis sp. nov. (Sebdeniaceae, Sebdeniales) from the south and western Pacific OceanPHYCOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2008Antoine D.R. N'Yeurt SUMMARY A new species of red alga, Sebdenia cerebriformis N'Yeurt et Payri sp. nov. (Sebdeniaceae, Sebdeniales), is described from various localities in the south and western Pacific including Fiji, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Indonesia (Java Sea). The new species is characterized by a ruffled thallus with multiple perennial stipitate holdfasts, large conspicuous inner cortical stellate cells, and a lax filamentous medulla. [source] Biocultural interpretations of trauma in two prehistoric Pacific Island populations from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon IslandsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Rachel M. Scott Abstract Two Pacific Island skeletal samples originating from the inland site of Nebira, Papua New Guinea (1230,1650) and a coastal site on the small island of Taumako, Solomon Islands (1530,1698) were examined for evidence of skeletal trauma using a biocultural approach. The types of trauma identified were cranial trauma, postcranial fractures, and piercing and sharp force trauma. Both samples exhibit trauma (Nebira, n = 9/28, 32.1%; Taumako, n = 17/133, 12.8%). Postcranial fractures are significantly higher in males from Nebira (Fisher Exact P value = 0.025). The prevalence of cranial trauma (n = 6/28, 21.4%) is significantly higher in Nebira individuals (Fisher Exact P value = 0.007). There is no conclusive evidence of piercing trauma at Nebira unlike Taumako, which has four individuals with evidence of piercing or sharp force trauma. Both samples show evidence of interpersonal violence and warfare. The results suggest the environment may have contributed to the pattern of trauma at these sites. These patterns are discussed within their cultural and environmental contexts. Am J Phys Anthropol 142:509,518, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Coconut palm-related injuries in the pacific islandsANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 1 2001J. S. Mulford Introduction: Coconut palms are an integral part of life in the Solomon Islands, given the widespread dependence of subsistence agriculture. Injuries related to the coconut palm are thus inevitable. Hospital records from the Central Referral Hospital were reviewed to identify (i) how commonly the coconut palm is implicated in injuries referred to the surgery department; (ii) which patients are being injured; and (iii) the type of injuries sustained. Methods: The present study reviews all patients referred to the Department of Surgery and Orthopaedics between January 1994 and December 1999 who had a coconut palm-related injury. This was possible due to the trauma epidemiology form, which records the patient details, cause of injury, fracture details and other injury information. Results: A total of 3.4% of all injuries presenting to the surgical department was related to the coconut palm. Eighty-five patients fell from the coconut palm, 16 patients had a coconut fruit fall on them, three patients had a coconut palm fall on them and one patient kicked a coconut palm. The majority of patients who were injured by falling from a coconut palm were young (aged 6,25 years). Eleven of the 16 patients struck by falling fruit were under 25 years of age. The majority of injuries sustained were fractures. Patients falling from coconut palms sustained mainly upper limb fractures (60.1% of all fractures) or spinal fractures (16.3%). Patients injured by falling fruit sustained skull or upper limb fractures. All skull fractures occurred in patients under the age of 10 years. Conclusion: This is the largest review of coconut palm-related injuries. It highlights some epidemiological facts that raise considerations for preventative health measures in the Solomon Islands. Parents and young children must be warned of the dangers of playing beneath coconut trees. Boy and girls should be warned of the dangers of collecting fruit. With an increasing amount of schooling becoming available the Solomon Islands is an ideal place to direct an education programme about the dangers of coconut palms as well as many other primary health issues. Because subsistence farming plays a crucial role in the life of most Solomon Islanders, injuries that result in loss of function are crippling both to the patient and the village. Any preventative measure to reduce the rates of injury will be important. [source] The future of democracy in Melanesia: What role for outside powers?ASIA PACIFIC VIEWPOINT, Issue 3 2003John Henderson Abstract:,This paper critically examines the role of outside powers, particularly Australia and New Zealand, in meeting the challenges to democracy in Melanesia. The shortcomings of the Westminster political system in the fragmented societies of Melanesia are contrasted with the possible advantages of a Presidential system. The ,good governance' requirements of aid donors are considered, along with more direct forms of intervention , including armed forces in the case of the Solomon Islands. The paper concludes that democracy cannot be imposed, and that attempts to do so makes nonsense of the term. [source] Revision of the genus Chalcasthenes Arrow (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Oryctoderini) from the Solomon IslandsAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Mary Liz Jameson Abstract The genus Chalcasthenes Arrow (Dynastinae: Oryctoderini), a scarab beetle genus endemic to the Solomon Islands, is reviewed. Based on examination of type specimens, the genus Strehlia Frey (Rutelinae: Rutelini: Parastasiina) is a new junior synonym of Chalcasthenes. The historical classification of these genera (either in the subfamily Dynastinae or Rutelinae) and character-based criteria for assigning the taxa to the Dynastinae are provided. We discuss character states that support the monophyly of members of the genus Chalcasthenes, comment on the distribution and biogeography of species in the genus and provide a key to species. The genus includes four species: Chalcasthenes divinus Endrödi, Chalcasthenes pulcher Arrow, Chalcasthenes squamigerus Frey new combination and Chalcasthenes styracoceros Jameson and Ratcliffe n. sp. Species hypotheses are corroborated based on evidence from Pleistocene geological reconstructions of the Solomon Islands, geographic variation of bird species in the region and development in scarab beetles. [source] The fruit fly fauna (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) of Bougainville, the Solomon Islands and VanuatuAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2001Richard Ai Drew Abstract The Bougainville, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu dacine fauna is revised and 12 new species are described: Bactrocera atrabifasciata, B. fuscipennula, B. hamaceki, B. hollingsworthi, B. naucleae, B. neoxanthodes, B. obliquivenosa, B. pacificae, B. parafroggatti, B. peneobscura, B. unitaeniola, Dacus taui. Two new synonymies are established: Bactrocera honiarae Drew = Bactrocera confluens (Drew); Dacus varipes Malloch = Bactrocera quadrisetosa (Bezzi). Information is given on attractant records, geographical distributions and taxonomic relationships. A key to species is also provided. [source] Public sector refraction and spectacle dispensing in low-resource countries of the Western PacificCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Jacqueline Ramke Abstract Background:, Given that uncorrected refractive error is a frequent cause of vision impairment, and that there is a high unmet need for spectacles, an appraisal of public sector arrangements for the correction of refractive error was conducted in eight Pacific Island countries. Methods:, Mixed methods (questionnaire and semi-structured interviews) were used to collect information from eye care personnel (from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu) attending a regional eye health workshop in 2005. Results:, Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu had Vision 2020 eye care plans that included refraction services, but not spectacle provision. There was wide variation in public sector spectacle dispensing services, but, except in Samoa, ready-made spectacles and a full cost recovery pricing strategy were the mainstay. There were no systems for the registration of personnel, nor guidelines for clinical or systems management. The refraction staff to population ratio varied considerably. Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu had the best coverage by services, either fixed or outreach. Most services had little promotional activity or community engagement. Conclusions:, To be successful, it would seem that public sector refraction services should answer a real and perceived need, fit within prevailing policy and legislation, value, train, retain and equip employees, be well managed, be accessible and affordable, be responsive to consumers, and provide ongoing good quality outcomes. To this end, a checklist to aid the initiation and maintenance of refraction and spectacle systems in low-resource countries has been constructed. [source] | ||||||||||||||||