Background: Australia was the first country to implement a government-funded National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Programme. We assessed HPV vaccine uptake comparing self-reported and Register validated estimates, and the knowledge and attitudes of young women with regards to HPV vaccination post-implementation of the programme.Methods: Females, aged 16-25 years living in Victoria, Australia, were recruited using targeted advertising on Facebook from May to September 2010, to complete a web-based questionnaire.Results: Geographic distribution, Indigenous and socio-economic status of the 278 participants were representative of the target population. Overall, 210/278 (76%) had heard of HPV vaccines, with 1621278 (58%) reporting receipt of at least one dose of vaccine, and 54(19%) unsure. Verification of HPV vaccination status of 142 consenting participants (51%) showed 71% had received at least one dose. Main reasons for vaccination were for protection against HPV infection and cervical cancer (96%) and because it was free (87%), whereas unvaccinated women were uncertain of their eligibility (50%), concerned about adverse reactions (32%), or perceived that vaccination was not needed if they were monogamous (32%).Conclusion: The potential utility of a vaccination register in the context of a national programme is apparent from the large proportion of young women who were unsure of their vaccine status. HPV vaccine knowledge among participants was relatively high suggesting the national programme has successfully communicated to the majority of eligible women, the purpose and limitations of the vaccine. Vigilance is needed to ensure that young women follow through with Pap testing in vaccine eligible cohorts. The ongoing vaccination programme for pre-adolescent girls and boys should communicate to parents that those with one sexual partner can still acquire HPV and that the safety of the vaccine is now well demonstrated. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background Monitoring sexual health of young Australian women is a major research priority since introduction of the federally funded HPV vaccination programme, plus screening programmes for chlamydia. Social networking sites (SNS), commonly used by young people, present an opportunity for innovative recruitment modalities. We assessed young women’s knowledge and experience of chlamydia, HPV, HPV vaccines and cervical cytology (Pap smears) utilising Facebook Method This was part of a feasibility study assessing use of Facebook to recruit subjects for a larger prospective health study, the Young Female Health Initiative (YFHI). Women 16 to 25 years, from Victoria, Australia were eligible to participate. An advertisement was placed on Facebook for 6 months and visible to a random sample of eligible women. Women clicking on the advertisement were redirected to our website, then contacted and asked to complete a survey at the YFHI study centre, or the questionnaire online. The survey contained demographic questions, plus sexual health questions. Results We enrolled 426 respondents, of whom 278 completed the survey (50% study centre, 50% online). Respondents’ socioeconomic and geographical distribution (urban, regional, rural) were representative of the target population; those > 18 years were more likely to enrol than 16–17 year olds (p < 0.05). Overall, 76% had been sexually active, median age of coitarche was 16.9 years [CI 16.6–17.2], 63% had heard of HPV: of these, 73% knew HPV is sexually acquired and 94% that it causes cancer. 78% had heard of chlamydia: those who were sexually active were more likely to know of chlamydia than were virgins (p < 0.01), while 63% knew it could cause chronic pelvic pain, and 86% that it could cause infertility. This recruitment method also was cost-effective ($USD 20 per compliant participant). Conclusions SNS is an effective recruitment strategy to engage young women in sexual health research

Background: Chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis) is the commonest bacterial sexually transmissible infection worldwide and contributes to significant morbidity in females. We examined potential barriers and facilitating factors for screening in young Victorian women, using the social networking site, Facebook to recruit participants. Methods: This was part of a larger study on young women's health that assessed the feasibility of using social networking sites for recruitment. An advertisement was placed on Facebook between May and September 2010, and was visible to eligible women. Women who clicked on the advertisement and expressed their interest in participating were invited to complete a questionnaire either at a study site or online. Results: In total, 278 participants completed the survey, with 76% reporting willingness to participate in chlamydia screening by recruitment via an online system. Overall, 73% of participants indicated they were comfortable providing a urine sample collected at home for chlamydia screening, with older participants less comfortable with this method (P = 0.02, odds ratio (OR) = 0.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.01-0.7). Participants expressed comfort with their Pap smear and chlamydia screening being performed together (92.7%), especially those who were aware of human papillomavirus (P < 0.01, OR= 2.5, 95% CI = 1.3-4.7). Conclusions: This study demonstrated willingness by young Victorian women using Facebook to participate in screening for chlamydia. There was strong acceptance of self-collected sampling, and of combined chlamydia and cervical cytology screening. Facebook may therefore be a feasible way for improving screening coverage at a population level.

Objectives Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the commonest sexually transmitted infection. Despite the significant morbidity and mortality associated with HPV-related diseases, previous studies have demonstrated low HPV knowledge in the general population. The objectives of this study were to assess knowledge of cervical cancer and HPV among young women and investigate predictors of high knowledge.Methods Female subjects, aged 16-25 years living in Victoria, Australia, were recruited using targeted advertising on Facebook from May to September 2010. A web-based questionnaire was used in a cross-sectional pilot study for a large longitudinal study on women's health, The Young Female Health Initiative.Results A total of 278 women completed the questionnaire. The geographic region, indigenous status and socio-economic status of participants were representative of the target population. Overall, 63% knew what HPV was, but only 48% knew it was a common virus. Predictors of high HPV knowledge on multivariate analyses were older age (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.78, 95% CI 0.77 to 10.04), higher socio-economic status (aOR 1.39, 95% CI 0.66 to 2.95), being Australian-born (aOR 3.10, 95% CI 1.15 to 8.36), older age at first vaginal intercourse (aOR 1.84, 95% CI 0.66 to 5.14), awareness of HPV vaccines (aOR 2.16, 95% CI 0.68 to 6.85) and chlamydia (aOR 2.57, 95% CI 1.11 to 5.94), and self-reported HPV vaccination status (aOR 1.83, 95% CI 0.76 to 4.41).Conclusions HPV and cervical cancer knowledge among participants were relatively high compared with other studies conducted both worldwide and in Australia. However, deficits in knowledge exist and warrant address in educational initiatives.

Background: Recruitment of young people for health research by traditional methods has become more expensive and challenging over recent decades. The Internet presents an opportunity for innovative recruitment modalities.Objective: To assess the feasibility of recruiting young females using targeted advertising on the social networking site Facebook.Methods: We placed an advertisement on Facebook from May to September 2010, inviting 16- to 25-year-old females from Victoria, Australia, to participate in a health study. Those who clicked on the advertisement were redirected to the study website and were able to express interest by submitting their contact details online. They were contacted by a researcher who assessed eligibility and invited them to complete a health-related survey, which they could do confidentially and securely either at the study site or remotely online.Results: A total of 551 females responded to the advertisement, of whom 426 agreed to participate, with 278 completing the survey (139 at the study site and 139 remotely). Respondents' age distribution was representative of the target population, while 18- to 25-year-olds were more likely to be enrolled in the study and complete the survey than 16- to 17-year-olds (prevalence ratio = 1.37, 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.78, P = .02). The broad geographic distribution (major city, inner regional, and outer regional/remote) and socioeconomic profile of participants matched the target population. Predictors of participation were older age, higher education level, and higher body mass index. Average cost in advertising fees per compliant participant was US $20, making this highly cost effective.Conclusions: Results demonstrate the potential of using modern information and communication technologies to engage young women in health research and penetrate into nonurban communities. The success of this method has implications for future medical and population research in this and other demographics.

HPV is the most common STI and causes significant morbidity and mortality. However, there is limited research exploring HPV knowledge among young women in Australia post-implementation of a national HPV vaccination program. This study aims to explore HPV knowledge among young women in Victoria, Australia and to estimate the proportion of women who have had the HPV vaccine.

Chlamydia trachomatis is a common bacterial infection in the western world. Chlamydial infection contributes to significant morbidity in females. Untreated infections can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, with resultant chronic pelvic pain, tubal factor infertility and/or ectopic pregnancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of chlamydia and to determine potential barriers and facilitating factors for screening in young Victorian women.

Background Recruiting participants into population health studies has become increasingly challenging: traditional strategies have limitations including low participation rates and high costs. Social networking sites, commonly used for communication by young people, present an unique opportunity for innovative recruitment modalities. Method This is part of a larger feasibility study assessing use of Facebook to recruit subjects for a novel prospective health study, the Young Female Health Initiative (YFHI). Women aged 16 to 25 years, living in Victoria, Australia were eligible to participate. An advertisement was placed on Facebook between May—and October 2010 and was visible to a random sample of eligible women. Women clicking on the advertisement were redirected to our website ( http://www.yfhi.org ) and invited to provide their contact details. They were contacted by a researcher and asked to complete a survey at the YFHI study site, or to complete the questionnaire online. The survey contained demographic questions, plus sensitive questions about sexual history, experience and knowledge of Chlamydia trachomatis , human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV vaccines. Results 551 women responded to the advertisement (recruitment could be scaled up or down by changing the advertising frequency). We enrolled 426 respondents, of whom 278 completed the survey within the time available (50% at the study site, 50% online). Respondents' age and geographical distribution (urban, regional, rural) was representative of the target population; women over 18 years were 37% more likely to enrol and complete the survey than 16–17-year olds (p<0.05). Despite the sensitive nature of some questions, over 98% of participants found the survey not at all, or only slightly, embarrassing. Overall, 63% had heard of HPV: of these, 73% knew that HPV is sexually acquired and 94% knew that it causes cancer. 78% had heard of chlamydia: those who were sexually active were more likely to know of chlamydia than virgins (p<0.01), while 63% knew it could cause chronic pelvic pain, and 86% that it could cause infertility. This recruitment method also was cost-effective ($USD 20 per compliant participant). Conclusions Results demonstrate excellent potential for such information and communication technologies (ICT) to engage young women in health research, including those from regional and rural communities, and support the use of ICT in future population-based studies, including sexual health research.

We calculate multiwavelength spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from simulations of major galaxy mergers with black hole feedback that produce submillimeter bright galaxies (SMGs), using the self-consistent three-dimensional radiative transfer code RADISHE. These calculations allow us to predict multiwavelength correlations for this important class of galaxies. We review star formation rates, the time evolution of the 850 μm fluxes, along with the time evolution of the MBH − M⋆ relation of the SMGs formed in the mergers. We reproduce correlations for local AGNs observed in Spitzer Space Telescope's IRAC bands, and make definitive predictions for infrared X-ray correlations. Our dynamical approach allows us to directly correlate observed clustering in the data as seen in IRAC color-color plots with the relative amount of time the system spends in a region of color-color space. We also find that this clustering is positively correlated with the stars dominating in their contribution to the total bolometric luminosity. We compare our calculated SEDs to observations of SMGs and find good agreement. We introduce a simple, heuristic classification scheme which we present in terms of the LIR/LX ratios of these galaxies, which may be interpreted as an evolutionary scheme, as these galaxies evolve in LIR/LX while transiting from a X-ray underluminous infrared bright phase (class I, LIR/LX≳ 100), through a quasar phase (class II, LIR/LX ∼ 25), to a merger remnant (class III, LIR/LX≲ 10). We find that SMGs are a broader class of systems than starbursts or quasars, traversing the range from class I to class II systems.

We investigate the suggestion that there are stellar populations in some globular clusters with enhanced helium (Y ~ 0.28-0.40) compared to the primordial value. We assume that a previous generation of massive asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars have polluted the cluster. Two independent sets of AGB yields are used to follow the evolution of helium and CNO using a Salpeter initial mass function (IMF) and two top-heavy IMFs. In no case are we able to produce the postulated large Y ~ 0.35 without violating the observational constraint that the CNO content is nearly constant.

Using a chemical evolution model we investigate the intriguing suggestion that there are populations of stars in some globular clusters (e.g. NGC 2808, omega Centauri) with enhanced levels of helium (Y from about 0.28 to 0.40) compared to the majority of the population that presumably have a primordial helium abundance. We assume that a previous generation of massive low-metallicity Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars has polluted the cluster gas via a slow stellar wind. We use two independent sets of AGB yields computed from detailed models to follow the evolution of helium, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen in the cluster gas using a Salpeter initial mass function (IMF) and a number of top-heavy IMFs. In no case were we able to fit the observational constraints, Y > 0.30 and C+N+O approximately constant. Depending on the shape of the IMF and the yields, we either obtained Y approximately greater than 0.30 and large increases in C+N+O or Y < 0.30 and C+N+O approximately constant. These results suggest that either AGB stars alone are not responsible for the large helium enrichment or that any dredge-up from this generation of stars was less than predicted by standard models.

Using a chemical evolution model we investigate the intrigu in suggestion that there are populations of stars in some globular clusters (e. g. NGC 2808,ω Centauri) with enhanced levels of helium ( Y ∼ 0.28 to 0.40) compared to the majority of the population that presumably have a primordial helium abundance. We assu me that a previous generation of massive low-metallicity Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) s tars has polluted the cluster gas via a slow stellar wind. We use two independent sets of AGB yields computed from detailed models to follow the evolution of helium, carbon, n itrogen and oxygen in the cluster gas using a Salpeter initial mass function (IMF) and a number of top-heavy IMFs. In no case were we able to fit the observational constraints, Y > 0.30 and C+N+O ≈ constant. Depending on the shape of the IMF and the yields, we either obt ainedY & 0.30 and large increases in C+N+O or Y < 0.30 and C+N+O≈ constant. These results suggest that either AGB stars alone are not responsible for the large helium enri chment or that any dredge-up from this generation of stars was less than predicted by stan dard models.

From the analysis of recent high-resolution spectroscopy data of Cu in unevolved galactic stars at various metallicities, as compared with nucleosynthesis predictions in massive stars exploding as SNII, ([9], [6], [10]), we deduced that most of galactic Cu is built up by neutron capture in massive stars ([3], [1]). Its production depends linearly on the metallicity (see also Fig. 3 by [2]). Neutrons are mainly released by the 22Ne(α,n)25Mg reaction during pre-explosive hydrostatic core He burning followed by convective shell C burning. The production zone is essentially the oxygen-rich region.

The chemical properties of dwarf spheroidals in the local group are shown to be inconsistent with star formation being truncated after the reionization epoch (z ~ 8). Enhanced levels of [Ba/Y] in stars in dwarf spheroidals like Sculptor indicate strong s-process production from low-mass stars whose lifetimes are comparable with the duration of the pre-reionization epoch. The chemical evolution of Sculptor is followed using a model with SN II and SN Ia feedback and mass- and metallicity-dependent nucleosynthetic yields for elements from H to Pb. We are unable to reproduce the Ba/Y ratio unless stars formed over an interval long enough for the low-mass stars to pollute the interstellar medium with s-elements. This robust result challenges the suggestion that most of the local group dwarf spheroidals are fossils of reionization and supports the case for large initial dark matter halos.

We are in the process of testing a popular theory that the observed abundance anomalies in the Globular Cluster NGC 6752 are due to internal pollution' from intermediate mass asymptotic giant branch stars. To this end we are using a chemical evolution model incorporating custom-made stellar evolution yields calculated using a detailed stellar evolution code. By tracing the chemical evolution of the intracluster gas, which is polluted by two generations of stars, we are able to test the internal pollution scenario in which the Na- and Al-enhanced ejecta from intermediate mass stars is either accreted onto the surfaces of other stars, or goes toward forming new stars. In this paper we focus mainly on the nucleosynthetic yields of the AGB stars and discuss whether these stars are the source of the observed Na-O anticorrelation. Comparing our preliminary results with observational data suggests that the qualitative theory is not supported by this quantitative study. This study has recently been completed and published in [1]. Details of the stellar models will be in a forthcoming paper [2].

Motivated by the inability of Galactic chemical evolution models to reproduce some of the observed solar neighbourhood distribution of elements (and isotopes) with atomic numbers 6 <= Z <= 15, we have revisited the relevant stellar and Galactic models as part of an ambitious new program aimed at resolving these long-standing discrepancies. Avoiding the use of (traditional) parametric models for low- and intermediate-mass stellar evolution, we have generated a new, physically self-consistent, suite of stellar models and integrated the nucleosynthetic outputs into GEtool, our semi-analytical galactic chemical evolution software package. The predicted temporal evolution of several light-and intermediate-mass elements (and their isotopes) in the solar neighbourhood - from carbon to phosphorus - demonstrate the efficacy of the new yields in reconciling theory and observation.

The chemical evolution history of a galaxy hides clues about how it formed and has been changing through time. We have studied the chemical evolution history of the Milky Way (MW) and Andromeda (M31) to find which are common features in the chemical evolution of disc galaxies as well as which are galaxy-dependent. We use a semi-analytic multizone chemical evolution model. Such models have succeeded in explaining the mean trends of the observed chemical properties in these two Local Group spiral galaxies with similar mass and morphology. Our results suggest that while the evolution of the MW and M31 shares general similarities, differences in the formation history are required to explain the observations in detail. In particular, we found that the observed higher metallicity in the M31 halo can be explained by either (i) a higher halo star formation efficiency (SFE), or (ii) a larger reservoir of infalling halo gas with a longer halo formation phase. These two different pictures would lead to (i) a higher [O/Fe] at low metallicities, or (ii) younger stellar populations in the M31 halo, respectively. Both pictures result in a more massive stellar halo in M31, which suggests a possible correlation between the halo metallicity and its stellar mass.

We describe the technique of absorption-line imaging of galaxy discs using the Taurus Tunable Filter on the Anglo-Australian Telescope and demonstrate its sensitivity to the behaviour of spectral features associated with Mg and Fe. Radial profiles of Mg-2 and Fe5270 line strengths are presented for a sample of eight face-on spiral galaxies spanning a range of Hubble types. Signatures of phenomena including merger-induced star formation, H II rings and galactic bars are also reported. This study demonstrates the capacity of tunable filters to measure Mg and Fe line strengths across the face of spiral galaxies, which can ultimately reveal clues about the star formation history and chemical evolution.