Scientists pursue suicide blood test

A blood test may be able to tell if a person is suicidal. Picture: Thinkstock Source: Supplied

AUSTRALIAN scientists are helping to develop a blood test that could determine if people are suicidal.

Scientists from the University of New South Wales hope their research will also help with the development of a new generation of anti-depressants.

Until now the focus for depression has been on the neurotransmitter serotonin. However, it has been discovered that severely depressed people have high levels of another neurotransmitter, a chemical called quinolinic acid.

The Australian team have been asked to help a Swedish team that, according to research published in the US, found the chemical "was significantly higher in suicide attempters than in healthy controls".

"We now know the mechanism and the molecule involved, so we have to find a simple way of testing it," said Associate Professor Gilles Guillemin from UNSW Medicine.

"We think it will take about 12 months to develop a test that could give doctors results in 24 to 48 hours," he told AAP on Wednesday.

The aim was for doctors to be able to use the blood results to complement other diagnostic work.

The NSW team, who are world leaders on the chemical, had previously demonstrated quinolinic acid is involved in several brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, autism and schizophrenia.

Ultimately, it's hoped that doctors in the future will be able to stop the production of quinolinic acid by using specific enzyme inhibitors to block its production.

Bob Goldney, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Adelaide, said the concept of a blood test was exciting.

However, "all too often over the past 30 years we have been disappointed".

"The prediction of suicide is difficult. A blood test would be interesting but probably not very useful in terms of it being a specific predictor because so many factors influence suicidal behaviour."

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

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Hotel search warrants in Thomson case

Search warrants were executed at the Westin Hotel in Sydney. Source: Supplied

POLICE have seized documents from an upmarket Sydney hotel and a union-affiliated credit union as they step up investigations into former Labor MP Craig Thomson.

Search warrants were executed on Tuesday at the Westin Hotel in Sydney's CBD, fraud squad detectives seizing "a number of documents" as part of Operation Vespine, which is investigating claims Mr Thomson used union credit cards to pay for prostitutes and other unauthorised goods.

It is understood the documents include screen shots from hotel CCTV footage shot in 2005.

Police also took documents from the State Government Employees (SGE) credit union in Sydney as Victorian detectives continue their investigation into whether Mr Thomson broke the law while he was Health Services Union boss.

Mr Thomson - who has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in the HSU scandal - was this month charged with 154 fraud offences by Victorian police. He also faces civil proceedings in the Federal Court after Fair Work Australia alleged he used union credit cards to pay for escort services on a dozen occasions and breached industrial laws a total of 37 times.

Union records show Mr Thomson stayed at the five-star Westin Hotel in May 2005, paying an amount of $255.53 on May 8. Victorian police allege he "dishonestly" spent $770 on "sexual services" on May 7 through a company known as International Immobiliarie, trading as Boardroom Escorts.

The Westin hotel chain yesterday declined to comment on the police action, but the Federal Court heard last month that "documents captured as screen shots" from security cameras had been located.

In a statement, NSW police said that "detectives from the NSW Police Fraud and Cybercrime Squad's Strike Force Carnarvon (on Tuesday) executed a search warrant at a hotel in Martin Place, Sydney.

"Investigators also served a Notice to Produce at a state-government-employees credit union in Clarence Street, Sydney," the statement said. "The warrant and notice were executed with the assistance of Victorian police officers attached to Operation Vespine. Investigators seized a number of documents from each address. These have been transferred to the custody of Victoria Police."

Responding to the latest police actions, Mr Thomson's lawyer, Chris McArdle, told News Limited: "It's a pity they are wasting their time. They should be chasing real criminals."

Dave Taylor, the CEO of SGE Credit Union, said he was "astounded" that NSW police had disclosed information about the Thomson investigation.

Former HSU boss president Michael Williamson was chairman of the SGE Credit Union from 2003 until he resigned in mid-2012.

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It's the parents' turn to scream

Mother Gilce Oliveira with son Harley Pietro-Wills, 3 weeks / Pic: Simon Cocksedge Source: The Daily Telegraph

The warning sign from the Dee Why Grand shopping centre banning screaming kids. Source: The Daily Telegraph

UPSET parents want a Sydney shopping centre to shift a kids' play area away from its food court after it threatened to not tolerate loud and unruly children.

The Dee Why Grand was embroiled in a stoush yesterday after it introduced a controversial crackdown on "screaming" children, saying "mothers have to be more responsible".

The decision divided opinions over the right to eat in peace and whether the centre management was too harsh.

Dee Why mother Gilce Oliveira, 35, said she did not understand why management created a play area if they didn't want kids there.

"Kids can't control themselves, they are there to have fun, otherwise there is no reason to have a playground there," Ms Oliveira, who has a three-week-old son, said.

"If the general public is not happy, they should put it in an area that is not so close to the coffee shops or food court."

Grandmother Marilyn House, who has taken her granddaughter Ruby, 3, to the play area about once or twice a week for the past seven months, said she had never noticed any particularly noisy children in the food court.

"But kids can't be quiet all the time, especially when you have been shopping for a long time, that's why this area is nice, it breaks it up for them," she said.

Another man sitting in the food court said he had never noticed "screaming" children but supported the centre.

"There is a line between a child being a child, and being out of control," he said.

A sign in the centre near the children's play area asks parents to be considerate of others. "Screaming children will not be tolerated in the centre," it read.

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Your home is a toxic time bomb

CHEMICALS in everyday foods, cosmetics, homewares and medicines have been linked to cancer, birth defects, infertility, autism, ADHD, and even changes in the sex behaviour of fish.

Experts at the World Health Organisation have identified more than 800 chemicals they say may need to be banned.

They can be found in baby bottles, food containers, Teflon-coated saucepans, pesticides, electronics and even cosmetics.

They also may be present in household cleaners, building materials, paints, paper, clothing, and lawn and garden supplies.

They are used as flame retardants, antimicrobial and chemical stabilising agents, plasticisers, fragrances, solvents, preservatives, metals and pesticides.

Some countries have already banned chemicals such as Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), used to make plastic in children's toys more flexible, and Bisphenol A (BPA), used in baby bottles and plastic food containers.

WHO believes the array of chemicals can disrupt the endocrine system in humans, which regulates hormonal processes, metabolism, growth and development, sleep and mood.

A major WHO report says there is evidence endocrine-related conditions such as genital malformations, behavioural disorders, breast, prostate and ovarian cancer are all on the rise.

Other endocrine-related diseases such as diabetes and obesity are also increasing, and up to 40 per cent of men in some countries have low semen quality.

"Close to 800 chemicals are known or suspected to be capable of interfering with hormone receptors, hormone synthesis or hormone conversion," the report says.

"The speed with which the increase in disease incidence has occurred in recent decades rules out genetic factors as the sole plausible explanation."

The report calls for more studies to determine the impact of these chemicals, which are often not tested before they are released on to the market.

It suggests governments should consider banning more of the chemicals to reduce human exposure to them.

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Earning more super, but giving more away

AUSTRALIANS' super balances are back on the march upwards, but experts say workers are being ripped off in spending around $20 billion last year on fees.

ING research shows the average Australian spent close to $2000 on fees last year, while some older Australians are paying as much as $6000.

But the latest SuperRatings survey for January shows super funds got off to a flying start in 2013, registering their 12th monthly gain in the past 13 months.

The average median growth fund rose 2.6 per cent in January, putting the sector on track for a fourth consecutive positive financial year return.

The sharemarket rally has seen the total gain for the seven months since 1 July 2012 jump to almost 11 per cent.

The data also shows industry super funds have delivered slightly stronger long term returns over 3-10 year periods than most of their retail competitors.

Over the past five-year period industry funds have on average delivered an annual return of 2.8 per cent compared with 2.1 per cent for retail fund, according to ChantWest

But ING Direct's head of superannuation Michael Christofides said workers are often paying far more in fees than they think to both retail and industry funds.

"Too many Australians are getting ripped-off when it comes to fees they're paying for superannuation," he said.

"Consumers have the right to be frustrated at paying such large fees, particularly when the research shows there is no correlation between fees and performance."

The research shows most workers pay on average 1.26 per cent of their annual inflows in fees - but with some personal funds that can run to over 2c in every dollar lodged.

For someone who started work at 20 and retires at 67 years this could run to as much as $174,000 in super fees.

Financial services researcher Canstar warns says the high fees may put a major dent in some people's retirement income goals.

"Small differences in fees can have a large cumulative effect. Don't underestimate the effect fees have on your ultimate balance when looking for a superannuation fund," Canstar research manager Chris Goth said.

This comes as the banking industry joins the chorus of financial institutions calling on the Gillard government not to tinker with the superannuation system in this year's federal budget.

Australian Bankers' Association chief executive Steven Munchenberg says many bank customers are concerned that the government will increase the level of tax on super savings.

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Deficit to stay, but finances 'pristine'

Picture: Thinkstock Source: National Features

LABOR will go to the election with its budget still in the red, economists say.

The Government is already on course to deliver a $10 billion plus deficit this financial year and economists believe the May budget will reveal yet another deficit for 2013-14, albeit a slightly smaller one.

They say it doesn't matter too much, however, so long as there is a credible plan in place to get the budget back to black in the long term.

And while the Coalition has promised to deliver bigger and earlier surpluses, economists want to see more details.

Of eight private sector economists surveyed by News Limited, all expect a budget deficit this year, of between $16 billion and $5 billion. The average guesstimate was a deficit of $11 billion.

For the 2013-14 year which will be the real focus of the upcoming May budget six out of eight economists expect another deficit, of between $12 billion and $3 billion. One believed the budget would be in perfect balance, one in surplus. But the average response was a deficit of $4 billion.

Running counter to the tide, Macroeconomics' Stephen Anthony said he expects the budget deficit to grow in size from $10 billion this year to $12 billion the next.

But AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver cautioned against worrying too much about the budget being in deficit.

"Australia's public finances are pristine by global standards and as long as the budget deficit is continuing to shrink noticeably from this year's 1.5 per cent or so of gross domestic product, Europe is around 6 per cent, the US around 8 per cent and Japan around 10 per cent, then I think that will be ok."

"However, it is important that the Government be able to demonstrate that a surplus will be achievable in the next few years as we do need to start putting money aside for the next rainy day."

Dr Oliver is tipping a deficit of $15 billion this year, but a smaller deficit of $5 billion in 2013-14. He predicted an Abbott government would deliver a smaller deficit next financial year.

"I expect that an Abbott-led government would more aggressively cut spending in its first year," Dr Oliver said.

However, HSBC Australia chief economist Paul Bloxham said the size of the deficit would be largely determined by the economy. He expects a return to balance in 2013-14.

"Assuming the global economy improves as we expect in 2013-14, we should see the budget moving back to surplus by then," he said.

ANZ economist Ivan Colhoun also expects a smaller deficit from an Abbott government, but wants to see the detail.

"While the Opposition has made this claim and stated that this is their policy, so far, they seem to be abolishing a lot and delivering few details of how this will be funded (apart from public sector job cuts, fewer refugee places and school kids bonus)."

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No easy fix on asylum boat issue

Sri Lankan sailors assist a Myanmar national on a stretcher off a navy ship at the southern port of Galle, following a rescue at sea. AFP PHOTO/SRI LANKAN NAVY Source: AFP

NEW Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor says he has no short-term way to stop asylum boats, as he digests the first horrifying loss of life since he took the role this month.

He said the 98 Australia-bound asylum seekers thrown overboard by shipmates as they died one by one after weeks without food off Sri Lanka were likely not the only victims.

The Sri Lankan navy released shocking photographs of some of the 32 emaciated survivors who ran out of food 21 days ago and who had been at sea for two months.

"People floating around, people emaciated and 100 people sounds like might have perished. It just has to end," Mr O'Connor said.

"It was nowhere near (Australia), I am advised it was on its way here.

"A lot of people are just disappearing, out of sight out of mind. Boats disappearing. It is very hard to put a number on it. Too many."

Mr O'Connor said stopping boats would not be done quickly and that the government would continue to work through Houston panel recommendations.

Labor has seen more than 33,000 people arrive since its election in November 2007 when it dismantled Howard government measures, which Mr O'Connor said would fail today.

He said boat arrivals were a "constant pressure" for successive governments.

"This cannot be done overnight, it can only be done over time," he said.

"Anyone who says they can stop the boats will have to eat a lot of words if they're ever put into a position to have to do this."

He blames a lack of cooperation from the Coalition, but is yet to make contact with Opposition counterpart Scott Morrison.

Mr O'Connor is also yet to speak with counterparts in Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka but plans to and is focusing on building permanent camps in Nauru and PNG.

A migrant himself, Mr O'Connor's first memory of life in Australia was in a Nissen hut in a migrant hostel with his Irish parents and siblings.

His parents migrated to Australia in the late 1960s to fill a labour shortage and Mr O'Connor said it was not "right" or "safe" for people to come by boat.

"If I can do anything to reduce that, I will," he said.

Mr O'Connor rushed from East Timor to Christmas Island on the day of the 2010 boat crash and comforted rescuers as they described seeing doomed women clinging to their babies rather than taking ropes to save themselves.

"I saw things I wouldn't want to see again," he said.

"If anyone tells me it is just a line that you don't want to endanger people's lives, it's not just a line."

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Judge clears child to start sex change

A 12-YEAR-old child who was born a boy but raised as a girl since "early in life" will be given puberty-blocking drugs.

The Family Court of Australia has granted approval for the mother of "Jodie" to start urgent but reversible "Stage 1" quarterly injections to suppress male puberty after doctors warned the child was at risk of "self harm".

The ruling is likely to spark further debate over changing the gender of children in Australia as the legal system grapples over whether oestrogen treatment should be given to a child when they turn 16.

It is only the fourth case in Australia involving a child so young, with the other cases involving two pre-pubescent children changing their gender from female to male, most recently an 11-year-old child known as "Jamie".

The decision over whether to start "Jodie" on the "Stage 2" drugs hinges on a Full Court appeal currently under way involving "Jamie" whose parents want her to undergo oestrogen treatment to become female at the age of 16.

In the current case, Justice Christine Dawe declared the "evidence is compelling and clearly indicates that the child is likely to suffer significant, detrimental, psychological and emotional effects" if stage 1 treatment is not commenced.

Her ruling means Jodie, who has been known as a girl since mid-2007, will receive injections every three months to prevent her voice deepening and facial hair growth.

According to the judgment, she has undergone psychiatric treatment for a decade and was diagnosed by an infant child psychiatrist in 2008 as having Gender Identity Disorder.

Three other doctors backed up the psychiatric disorder diagnosis, declaring treatment with puberty-blocking drugs was the only option because she had lived as a "girl for a significant period".

Her mother, step-father, extended family, teachers and doctors had all acknowledged her as a girl.

A paediatric endocrinologist told the court the drugs can be stopped at any time and any long-term effects are completely reversible. The doctor also warned that without the treatment Jodie would suffer "significant depression".

"It is also likely to undermine her personal dreams and ambitions," he said.

Australian Transgender Support Association of Australia Queensland president Gina Mather said up to 6000 Queensland transgendering adults and children had sought help in the past 20 years.

"We get them as young as five and six years old," Ms Mather said.

The doctor also warned Jodie would suffer "significant depression" and was likely to "feel despairing and hopeless", putting her at risk of "self harm. It is also likely to undermine her personal dreams and ambitions," the doctor said.

He added she had "demonstrated capacity to seriously think about issues such as the possibility of adopting or fostering children of her own (and) definitely agrees to the procedure".

"Jodie is likely to experience increasing distress with puberty and should be considered for the use of puberty blocking hormones," the expert said.

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