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In a study of the spatial variability of rainfall across a network of 46 raingauges in a 4 km2 rainforest catchment in the interior of northeastern Borneo, seasonal rainfall totals were correlated with raingauge separation distance, aspect and relief. A very high degree of spatial variability in seasonal totals across a very small area was found, even in comparison with other regions experiencing convective rainfall. Moreover, it shows systematic, stochastic structure in rainfall is present over scales of 10s to 100s metres; these patterns change from the southwest monsoon (May-October) to the northeast monsoon (November-April). Local associations with aspect and relief are present but the seasonal changes in rainfall pattern over the whole 4 km2 catchment must relate to more complex local topographic effects on the regional windfield. Keywords: catchment, Malaysia,monsoon, rainfall, spatial variability

INTRODUCTION Malaysia has a long experience of forestry management, with the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia being established in 1901. Measures to improve the prospects of natural forest regeneration after the first cut were first applied in 1910, improved in 1927, and again in 1950 with the introduction of the Malayan Uniform System (MUS) and latterly with the application of the Selective Management System (SMS) since the late 1970s (Thang, 1987; Jusoff and Mustafa, 1996; Dawkins and Philip, 1998, p. 154). The guidelines associated with these management systems aim to enhance regeneration in part by limiting collateral damage to trees remaining after the cut. This has the indirect effect of: (a) restricting damage to natural canopies and hence reducing changes to transpiration and wet-canopy evaporation (Asdak, et al. , 1998, Chappell, et al. , 2001, van Dam, 2001), and (b) requiring more careful skidding or yarding systems, thereby reducing ground damage (Pinard et al. , 2000) and hence soil erosion (Douglas et al. , 1993; Chappell et al. , 1999). Methods of commercial forestry in Malaysia developed greatly from the mid-1950s onwards, with Malaysian companies now expanding their operations to other tropical countries. Inevitably, with the advancement of forestry technology has come a greater degree of mechanisation, and the potential for greater impact on the physical and biological environment (Wyatt-Smith et al. , 1964).

This paper assesses whether the same factors are predictive of health service utilization among this ethnic group as is true of the general population of seniors. The data suggest that the health of Chinese elders is just as bad as other seniors, and their utilization is very similar. They have a strong preference for Western over Chinese medicine and for Western trained doctors over Chinese practitioners, and use services with Chinese staff, probably because of language. Similarly, the predictors of service use are strikingly similar to predictors revealed in utilization studies throughout the industrialized world. Ability to speak English, immigration history, and country of origin are unrelated to the use of these services. However, approximately half of Chinese seniors also engage in traditional Chinese care. Religious beliefs and a preference for traditional Chinese medicine are strongly predictive of the use of traditional care. It would appear that distinctive culture is related to the use of traditional care, but not the use of the western health care system.

This article employs the cognitive appraisal model to examine the experience of burnout in a random sample of nursing assistants (N = 245). The three subscales of Maslach's Burnout Inventory--Emotional Exhaustion, Personal Accomplishment, Depersonalization--serve as the dependent variables in this study. The study found that both stressor and appraisal variables influence feelings of burnout. The stressor variable, frequency of disturbing patient behaviors, best explained feelings of reduced Personal Accomplishment. The appraisal variable, reaction to patient behaviors, best explained Emotional Exhaustion and contributed to the explanation of reduced Personal Accomplishment. Age, minutes spent giving physical care, appraisal of work tasks, and reaction to patient behavior, explained Depersonalization. The study found support for the cognitive appraisal model in that appraisal played an important role in determining burnout. The article concludes with some suggestions for relief of nursing assistant burnout.

The incomes, current positions, and work status of pharmacists were examined to assess whether the situation differs for males and females. Data on sex, region, age, marital status, education, and income were collected from a random sample of practicing pharmacists in six major urban centers in Canada. Women were more likely to earn less than +20,000 per year and to be employees rather than owners. Both men and women were just as likely to be managers. There is no sex difference in administrative positions for those under 30 years of age. It is at this age, when one starts moving up the professional ladder, that the sex differences emerge. It was also found that women are more likely than men to be part-time pharmacists. It is suggested that women's socialization and/or attitudinal or structural barriers at the work level account for the sex differences.

Among the several kinds of health care programs enabling the elderly to maintain community residence is the geriatric day hospital. An investigation was undertaken, utilizing structured interviews, to determine what factors influenced life satisfaction and functional disability among the elderly attending three day hospitals in Winnipeg, Canada. Findings indicate that the major predictors of functional disability include perceived health, Canadian ethnicity and differential services. Those for life satisfaction (activity, socio-economic status and health) were similar to those cited for elderly generally in the population.

This paper focuses on self-care, both expectations and actual behaviours, as health behaviour and as illness behaviour among a random sample of elderly individuals living in the community in a Canadian city (n = 743). The conceptualization of both health and illness behaviour follows Mechanic's (1,2) definition of illness behaviour as selective, interpretive, and evaluative. The data reveal a gap between intentions and behaviours, with elderly individuals de-emphasizing the importance of self-care and overemphasizing the importance of professional contact in their intentions compared with their behaviours. Further, self-care as health and as illness behaviour are uncorrelated with one another. Virtually all individuals engage in some health maintenance behaviours. Approximately two-thirds engage in self-care or do nothing as an initial response to common ailments. While different correlates emerge for each, health beliefs are significantly related, irrespective of whether it is health or illness behaviour.