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1
Potter, TD, and PI McLoud. "Evaluation of sunflower cultivars in South Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 25, no. 1 (1985): 178. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9850178.
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Seed yields and oil contents were determined for several sunflower cultivars grown in the south-east of South Australia over a range of environments which included different locations and years. Data were analysed by modified joint regression techniques. Each cultivar was included in at least four experiments to allow analysis by modified joint regression. The highest seed yields were produced by Hysun 3 1, Sungold, Suncross 52, Sunking and Hysun 30, which produced 16.4, 15.4, 14.7, 12.4 and 7.4% more seed, respectively, than Peredovik. Seeds with the highest oil contents were produced by Suncross 52 (48.6% w/w) and Hysun 31 (48.3%); Hysun 10 and Stepniak produced seeds with the lowest oil content (43.7 %) . Later flowering cultivars had significantly higher seed yields and oil contents than earlier flowering cultivars, indicating that they were better adapted to the environment. For every day that flowering of a cultivar was later than that of Perodovik, mean seed yield increased by 56.6 kg/ha and oil content by 0.4%.
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Dolan, Kate, David Lowe, and James Shearer. "Evaluation of the Condom Distribution Program in New South Wales Prisons, Australia." Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 32, no. 1 (2004): 124–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-720x.2004.tb00457.x.
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Male to male unprotected anal sex is the main route of HIV transmission in Australia. The Australian Study of Health and Relationships, a large, representative population survey of sexual health behaviors, found that six percent of males in the general population have engaged in homosexual activity. These findings were consistent with studies in Europeand North America. Condoms have been shown to reduce the transmission of HIV in the community. Barriers to the use of condoms include access,stigma,and cost? Nevertheless, increased condom use has been reported among homosexual males, sex workers and injecting drug users although recent declines in condom use among homosexuals has presented new challenges in HIV prevention.The prevalence of male to male sexual activity may be higher in prison than in the general population. Sexual activity in prison can be consensual and non-consensual involving both homosexual / bisexual and heterosexual men.
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Li, Guangdi D., Zhongnan Nie, Amanda Bonython, Suzanne P. Boschma, Richard C. Hayes, Andrew D. Craig, Greg M. Lodge, et al. "Evaluation of chicory cultivars and accessions for forage in south-eastern Australia." Crop and Pasture Science 61, no. 7 (2010): 554. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp10011.
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The comparative herbage production and persistence of 7 chicory cultivars and 14 accessions collected from diverse regions of the world were evaluated over 3 years in 5 agro-ecological environments across New South Wales (NSW), Victoria (Vic.) and South Australia (SA). Results showed that all cultivars had higher herbage yields than the accessions, but varied greatly among sites. Averaged across all cultivars, total herbage yields were up to 24.6 t DM/ha over 3 years at the Hamilton, Vic. site, but as low as 6.9 and 5.7 t DM/ha at the Wagga Wagga and Bookham, NSW sites, respectively, where chicory only persisted for 2 years. In contrast, the average herbage yield of all accessions was only one-half of that produced by the cultivars at the Hamilton site and about one-third of that at the other 4 sites. All cultivars and accessions persisted well under the favourable climate conditions experienced at the Hamilton site. In contrast, severe drought in 2006 resulted in the death of chicory swards at the Wagga Wagga and Bookham sites, and substantial declines in persistence at the Manilla, NSW and Willalooka, SA sites. Nevertheless, accessions collected from Australia and Asia were more persistent than some of the cultivars and may provide opportunities to select genotypes better adapted to intermittently dry mixed farming systems in south-eastern Australia. Our findings indicated that the current cultivars were best suited to sites similar to the Hamilton site in the winter-dominant, higher rainfall zone of south-eastern Australia. Under these conditions chicory was likely to be productive and persistent for 4 years or longer. In the drier mixed farming zone, chicory may be more suitable in shorter (2–3-year) pasture phases. Further research is required to identify those factors contributing to poor persistence.
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Humphries, A. W., X. G. Zhang, K. S. McDonald, R. A. Latta, and G. C. Auricht. "Persistence of diverse lucerne (Medicago sativa sspp.) germplasm under farmer management across a range of soil types in southern Australia." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 59, no. 2 (2008): 139. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar07037.
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The persistence of a diverse group of lucerne (Medicago sativa sspp.) germplasm was evaluated under farmer management across a range of acidic and neutral-alkaline soils at 8 sites in South and Western Australia. Dryland field trials were sown in parallel with commercial lucerne paddocks being grown in rotation with cereal crops, remaining unfenced and under management by the farmer for the life of the stand. The combined differences in soil type, grazing management, and low rainfall contributed to large differences in average lucerne persistence between sites in South Australia and Western Australia. After 3 years, plant frequency (a measure of plant density used to monitor persistence) averaged 17% (at least 17 plants/m2) on the strongly acidic soils in Western Australia and 30% on the neutral-alkaline soils in South Australia (at least 30 plants/m2). Differences in persistence were attributed to the combined stresses of soil pH, drought conditions, and grazing management. Genetic correlation analyses between sites failed to show any clear patterns in the performance of entries at each site, except for a high correlation between 2 South Australian sites in close proximity. Highly winter-active germplasm was less persistent than other winter activity groups, but was higher yielding when assessed in an additional trial at Katanning, WA. Highly winter-active lucerne (class 9–10) should continue to be recommended for short (2–4 year) phases in rotation with cereals, and winter-active groups (6–8) should be recommend for longer (4–7 year) phases in rotations. The results of this evaluation are also being used to identify broadly adapted, elite genotypes in the breeding of new lucerne cultivars for the southern Australian cropping districts.
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Alexander, E., and J. Morton. "SELECTING THE WINNING BID." APPEA Journal 42, no. 1 (2002): 523. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj01029.
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Work program bidding is established as the favoured method of allocating petroleum exploration tenements in offshore Australian waters and most of onshore Australia. However, the selection of winning bids can be complicated by the ranking of 2D versus 3D seismic, seismic versus drilling, program timing issues etc. On occasion the selection of the winning bids has been contentious. This paper summarises the process developed by the Petroleum Group in South Australia to select the winning work program bids for prospective onshore blocks for which bids have been gazetted. No other Australian jurisdiction has yet publicly released their detailed bid assessment processes.Onshore acreage releases with work program bidding have been used in South Australia since the 1980s by Petroleum Group to:focus industry onto specific prospective areas of the State (e.g. the Cooper Basin post expiry of PELs 5 and 6 in 1999); maximise exploration commitments; and achieve competition policy.The South Australian Petroleum Act 2000 allows cash or work program bidding to be used depending on the acreage. Acreage releases are announced by Ministerial press release. Associated clear bid assessment criteria are published together with promotional material to aid applicants. The date and time for close of bidding are also established, usually allowing a 6–9 month acreage evaluation period, the timeframe depending on the volume of data involved, i.e. the exploration maturity of the area.Applications received as a result of a gazettal process (i.e. competing bids) are assessed by a process designed to ensure probity and to achieve the over-arching aim of the bidding process i.e. the suitability of the applicants proposed work program for evaluating the prospectivity of the licence area and discovering petroleum.A scoring system has been developed which establishes, for each bid what is effectively a risked net present value in well equivalents. In this system, guaranteed work scores higher than non-guaranteed work; early work scores higher than later work; wells with multiple targets are scored higher than single target wells; 2D and 3D seismic and other exploration activity is converted into well equivalents; and loading of the later, non-guaranteed years of work programs are heavily discounted.The scoring system may also take into account differences in the amount and density of exploration data and minor variations may be made to the system to take this into account. It is intended that details of the scoring system to be used in bid assessment will be published each time bids are sought to ensure transparency and a level playing field.Comparisons are made with acreage management philosophy and processes used by other regulatory regimes in Australia and internationally.
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Lisson, S. N., and N. J. Mendham. "Agronomic studies of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) in south-eastern Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 40, no. 8 (2000): 1101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea00059.
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This paper reports on field agronomy studies into flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) conducted in Tasmania, Australia from 1994 to 1997. These studies investigated the performance of selected cultivars, and responses to sowing date, plant density and irrigation. The work formed part of a feasibility study assessing the potential of fibre hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and flax as sources of fibre for the Australian newsprint industry. Two cultivar evaluation trials were conducted at the University of Tasmania Farm, Cambridge, in Tasmania’s south-east. One of these included 7 European and Australian flax cultivars, and the other, 4 mucilage linseed cultivars. The European flax cultivars yielded significantly more stem and bark fibre than the Australian flax cultivars. Of the former group, Ariane (841 g/m 2 ) and Marina (883 g/m 2 ) performed the best in terms of stem yield production, while Viking had comparable bark yields to these 2 cultivars. With the exception of cv. Kreola (543 g/m 2 ), which produced comparable stem yields to the Australian flax cultivars, the linseed cultivars were short and produced relatively low stem yields. Interestingly, seed yields (149–194 g/m 2 ) were not superior to those for the flax cultivars (156–218 g/m 2 ). While offering little dual-purpose seed/fibre potential, they may supply a future niche market for seed production. Three other trials were conducted to investigate the response of flax to seeding rate and sowing date, and the interactions between seeding rate, sowing date and irrigation availability. Autumn sowings of flax gave higher yields of both stem and seed compared with winter and spring sowings. Reasonable stem and seed yields were achieved from dryland cropping of flax. However, good results from such rainfed crops in Tasmania will depend on autumn sowing and good rainfall during winter and spring seasons. There were clear yield benefits from irrigation between early November and January, when the amount and distribution of rainfall was poor. The selection of an optimum seeding rate will depend on the sowing date and involve a compromise between maximising yield and minimising potential losses from lodging. The decreased occurrence of lodging with winter and spring sowings in this study, suggests that later sowings can accommodate higher seeding rates.
7
Redden, R. J., P. M. Kroonenberg, and K. E. Basford. "Adaptation analysis of diversity in adzuki germplasm introduced into Australia." Crop and Pasture Science 63, no. 2 (2012): 142. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp11327.
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Adzuki bean germplasm was introduced to Australia from China as part of a program to develop better adapted varieties for the Australian sub-tropics than the current standard varieties derived from Japan, and to develop an export industry targeting Japan. Since adzuki was a new crop in Australia, the key questions were whether suitably adapted genotypes could be obtained from China, and whether these were higher yielding than the Japanese derived local standards and of acceptable seed quality. A geographically stratified core collection of adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) landraces from China was field evaluated for agronomic and phenologic traits at sites in China in a related study, and also at Hermitage Research Station, Queensland, in the main target region for adzuki cultivation in Australia. A relationship was found between the regional patterns of adaptation in the core collection grown in China and yield performance at Hermitage. In particular, the late maturing gene pool which originated from South China had the greatest yield at the lower latitude location in Australia, and a gene pool from central China combined both high yield and acceptable seed quality. These lines from China were superior in yield to the local standards, and many also had suitable seed quality for the Japanese market. In further screening of these selections from Hermitage, they were also superior in yield to the local standards in central Queensland, but not in central New South Wales. The breeding of higher yielding varieties for Queensland with suitable quality for the Japanese market is suggested, both by direct releases of identified Chinese accessions and by further crossing of the medium and late maturing superior selections from China with the local standard varieties Erimo and Bloodwood, which have the large red seed desired in Japan. For New South Wales, one accession from China was comparable to the local checks and appears useful for gene pool diversification, however a separate introductory screening evaluation of Chinese germplasm in New South Wales is suggested to better identify promising accessions with phenology suited to the more temperate latitudes. Thus characterisation of genetic diversity for adaptation can assist with the introduction of germplasm for a new crop. The diversity in the adzuki germplasm from China provided the needed phenologic flexibility for introduction of the crop to southern Queensland, with superior yield to the standard varieties from Japan and acceptable seed quality.
8
Reid, PE, NJ Thomson, PK Lawrence, DJ Luckett, GT McIntyre, and ER Williams. "Regional evaluation of cotton cultivars in eastern Australia, 1974-85." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 29, no. 5 (1989): 679. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9890679.
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In 1974, a district cotton cultivar trial was initiated to assess the yield and fibre quality of promising cultivars in all major Australian cotton growing areas over 1 or more years. A nearly 5-fold range in site yields (595-2451 kg/ha) occurred across locations and years. Yields were usually higher in the last 6 years of the trial (overall mean 1688 kg/ha) than in the first half (overall mean 1223 kg/ha). Queensland sites (except Theodore) were lower yielding than average, while New South Wales sites (except Warren) were higher yielding. Deltapine cultivars from the U.S.A. have been the dominant commercial cultivars during 1974-85, and in the first 9 years of the trials USA. or Australian-bred Deltapine types produced the highest overall lint yields. Since 1982, Australian-bred Siokra lines have been the highest yielding with their resistance to bacterial blight apparently being an important factor in their performance. The rate of genetic gain in lint yield, as assessed from the overall year means and the mean yield of the 2 control cultivars (Deltapine 16 and Namcala) grown in all 12 years of the trials, was 2.3% per year. These yield increases were also accompanied by improvements in fibre strength and micronaire value in some of the recently developed lines or cultivars. A number of genotypes with mutant traits associated with host plant resistance to insect pests were compared with their near-isogenic counterparts. Superokra leaf yielded 6% less than normal leaf, nectariless yielded similarly to nectaried, and glabrous yielded similarly to delta-smooth pubescence. Frego bract yielded less in 1 comparison but in 2 others was similar to the normal counterpart, while glabrous and frego bract together led to reduced yields. Intra-varietal selection was shown to produce useful gains in yield between 3 to 6.5%.
9
Rickert, KG, RH Sedgley, and WR Stern. "Environmental response of spring wheat in the south-western Australian cereal belt." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 38, no. 4 (1987): 655. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar9870655.
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The performance of the spring wheat cultivar Gamenya, the leading cultivar in Western Australia since 1968, was studied to identify key aspects of its response to the environment under typically dry conditions on two contrasting soil types: a heavy clay loam and a light loamy sand overlying clay in the Merredin region.In the rain-fed treatments the total water use was similar on both soils and was of the order of 240 mm. On the heavy-textured soil at high nitrogen, the foliage canopy developed more rapidly than on the light soil, resulting in earlier soil water depletion and haying off. Water use efficiencies of about 10 kg grain ha-1 per mm of water were similar to those reported for winter rainfall areas in south-eastern Australia. This suggests a greater degree of buffering against spring drought than is indicated by the high ratio of pre-anthesis to post-anthesis water use (3-4.7:l) relative to values of 2-2.7:l in other parts of the Australian wheatbelt. Data on the partitioning of dry matter indicated that this buffering of the harsh spring conditions at Merredin may be due to a greater contribution of assimilates from pre-anthesis storage, to grain filling. In dry environments, further critical evaluation is needed of the role of stored assimilates in grain formation.Faster canopy closure on the heavy soil resulted from a higher density of shoots and possibly larger leaves. This led to the suggestion that on heavier, more fertile soils, an ideotype with restricted tillering, may be higher yielding. By the end of the season ear bearing shoot densities and total water use were the same on both soil types, thus masking earlier important differences.
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Irrgang, H. R. "EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THIN OIL COLUMN RESERVOIRS IN AUSTRALIA." APPEA Journal 34, no. 1 (1994): 64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj93005.
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Thin oil columns represent a common and important class of hydrocarbon reserve which are notoriously difficult to evaluate and produce. This paper provides case studies of examples of these reservoirs in Australia and summarises the production methods, well performance and recovery efficiencies.Thin oil column reservoirs are defined here as reservoirs which will cone both water and gas when produced at commercial rates. The oil zone can have a pancake or rim geometry. Examples within Australia include Bream and Snapper (Gippsland Basin), South Pepper and Chervil (Carnarvon Basin), Chookoo (Eromanga Basin) and Taylor (Surat Basin).Parameters which are particularly important in defining the performance of these reservoirs are: horizontal and vertical permeability, column height, stratigraphie dip, well spacing, and oil viscosity. High horizontal permeability is more critical than in other reservoir types as it controls the effectiveness of gravitational forces in opposing coning and other unwanted flows by reducing pressure gradients. Low vertical permeability mitigates coning but can limit across strike drainage in dipping strata. Oil viscosity is also particularly important, even when the mobility ratio is favourable, as it controls the gas/oil ratio and water cut during coning.As coning (by definition) is inevitable the key production issue is gas cap management. The main options are:Limit gas coning by controlling completion depth and production rates.Allow gas cap shrinkage and 'chase' the oil column upwards via recompletions.Reinject gas to control gas-oil contact position.For the latter two options in particular, ultimate reserves are a strong function of the capacity of the installed production facilities, especially offshore, where fixed operating costs are high. When gas cap management is not compromised, reserves increase with higher total fluid withdrawal rates. Examples of the various gas cap management and production strategies are included.Both horizontal (South Pepper, Bream) and conventional (Chookoo, Taylor) completion techniques have been applied to thin oil column reservoirs in Australia. Horizontal completions can increase productivity, mitigate coning and increase the well drainage areas (particularly if drilled across dip in heterogeneous reservoirs). However, horizontal completions are particularly vulnerable to poor cement jobs, natural fractures and undesirable fluid contact movements.A variety of other completion techniques have been tried worldwide in thin oil columns with mixed success. These include multiple completions in the water, oil and/or gas to allow separate production, and injection of fluids to make permeability barriers or alter relative permeability.A number of scaling rules are included to assist in using offset field data for evaluation of thin oil column reservoirs. Improved understanding of these complex reservoirs will maximise their economic potential.
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Ewart, AJW, R. Gawel, SP Thistlewood, and MG McCarthy. "Evaluation of must composition and wine quality of six clones of Vitis vinifera cv. Sauvignon Blanc." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 33, no. 7 (1993): 945. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9930945.
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The evaluation of 6 clonal selections of Sauvignon blanc grapes grown at McLaren Vale in South Australia identified 2 significantly (P<0.05) higher yielding clones, F4V6 and F14V9. F4V6 and F14V9 had significantly lower total soluble solids TTS) in the years where all clones were harvested together. In 1 year, F4V6 and F14V9 were harvested 9 days later than the remaining clones. Their TSS values were not significantly different, The titratable acidities of F4V6 and F14V9 were lower due to lower tartrate and malate levels. The pH of F4V6 was higher than that of any other clone at a similar maturity level. (Clones F4V6 and F14V9 had greater yields per vine in all 3 years.
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Yu, B., and C. J. Rosewell. "Evaluation of WEPP for runoff and soil loss prediction at Gunnedah, NSW, Australia." Soil Research 39, no. 5 (2001): 1131. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr00091.
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It is important to use historical data to test physically based runoff and soil erosion prediction models as well as the method to estimate model parameters. WEPP (Water Erosion Prediction Project) was validated for bare fallow and annual wheat treatments at Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia. Wheat stubble was either burned or mulched. Climate, soil, management, and runoff and soil loss data were collected for the period 1980–87 for 3 bare fallow plots, and 1950–74 for 10 annual wheat plots. Three slope lengths from 21 to 62 m were established for the treatment with stubble burned. Slope steepness varied from 8% to 9% at the site. Effective saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil erodibility parameters were estimated from measured soil properties. No further calibration of these parameters was attempted in order to assess the true potential of the model for runoff and soil loss predictions. WEPP worked well for the bare fallow plots with prediction efficiency of 0.97 for event runoff and soil losses. WEPP generally over-predicted the runoff, and consequently, the soil loss for annual wheat treatments for the site. WEPP was able to predict the effect of slope length on sediment concentration and soil loss for the site. CLIGEN, which provides the continuous climate input to WEPP, was found to produce adequately the mean daily rainfall, but produced higher than expected peak rainfall intensity, resulting in higher runoff and soil loss for all treatments.
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Peña-Arancibia, Jorge L., Albert I. J. M. van Dijk, Luigi J. Renzullo, and Mark Mulligan. "Evaluation of Precipitation Estimation Accuracy in Reanalyses, Satellite Products, and an Ensemble Method for Regions in Australia and South and East Asia." Journal of Hydrometeorology 14, no. 4 (August 1, 2013): 1323–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/jhm-d-12-0132.1.
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Abstract Precipitation estimates from reanalyses and satellite observations are routinely used in hydrologic applications, but their accuracy is seldom systematically evaluated. This study used high-resolution gauge-only daily precipitation analyses for Australia (SILO) and South and East Asia [Asian Precipitation—Highly-Resolved Observational Data Integration Towards Evaluation (APHRODITE)] to calculate the daily detection and accuracy metrics for three reanalyses [ECMWF Re-Analysis Interim (ERA-Interim), Japanese 25-yr Reanalysis (JRA-25), and NCEP–Department of Energy (DOE) Global Reanalysis 2] and three satellite-based precipitation products [Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B42V6, Climate Prediction Center morphing technique (CMORPH), and Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Imagery Using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN)]. A depth-frequency-adjusted ensemble mean of the reanalyses and satellite products was also evaluated. Reanalyses precipitation from ERA-Interim in southern Australia (SAu) and northern Australasia (NAu) showed higher detection performance. JRA-25 had a better performance in South and East Asia (SEA) except for the monsoon period, in which satellite estimates from TRMM and CMORPH outperformed the reanalyses. In terms of accuracy metrics (correlation coefficient, root-mean-square difference, and a precipitation intensity proxy, which is the ratio of monthly precipitation amount to total days with precipitation) and over the three subdomains, the depth-frequency-adjusted ensemble mean generally outperformed or was nearly as good as any of the single members. The results of the ensemble show that additional information is captured from the different precipitation products. This finding suggests that, depending on precipitation regime and location, combining (re)analysis and satellite products can lead to better precipitation estimates and, thus, more accurate hydrological applications than selecting any single product.
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Wassie, Molla Mesele, Lisa N. Yelland, Lisa G. Smithers, Enzo Ranieri, and Shao Jia Zhou. "Comparison of iodine status pre- and post-mandatory iodine fortification of bread in South Australia: a population study using newborn thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration as a marker." Public Health Nutrition 22, no. 16 (August 9, 2019): 3063–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1368980019001915.
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AbstractObjective:The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of mandatory iodine fortification of bread on the iodine status of South Australian populations using newborn thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration as a marker.Design:The study used an interrupted time-series design.Setting:TSH data collected between 2005 and 2016 (n 211 033) were extracted from the routine newborn screening programme in South Australia for analysis. Iodine deficiency is indicated when more than 3 % of newborns have TSH > 5 mIU/l.Participants:Newborns were classified into three groups: the pre-fortification group (those born before October 2009); the transition group (born between October 2009 and June 2010); and the post-fortification group (born after June 2010).Results:The percentage of newborns with TSH > 5 mIU/l was 5·1, 6·2 and 4·6 % in the pre-fortification, transition and post-fortification groups, respectively. Based on a segmented regression model, newborns in the post-fortification period had a 10 % lower risk of having TSH > 5 mIU/l than newborns in the pre-fortification group (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0·90; 95 % CI 0·87, 0·94), while newborns in the transitional period had a 22 % higher risk of having TSH > 5 mIU/l compared with newborns in the pre-fortification period (IRR = 1·22; 95 % CI 1·13, 1·31).Conclusions:Using TSH as a marker, South Australia would be classified as mild iodine deficiency post-fortification in contrast to iodine sufficiency using median urinary iodine concentration as a population marker. Re-evaluation of the current TSH criteria to define iodine status in populations is warranted in this context.
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Stone, Kane A., Olaf Morgenstern, David J. Karoly, Andrew R. Klekociuk, W. John French, N. Luke Abraham, and Robyn Schofield. "Evaluation of the ACCESS – chemistry–climate model for the Southern Hemisphere." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 16, no. 4 (February 29, 2016): 2401–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-2401-2016.
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Abstract. Chemistry–climate models are important tools for addressing interactions of composition and climate in the Earth system. In particular, they are used to assess the combined roles of greenhouse gases and ozone in Southern Hemisphere climate and weather. Here we present an evaluation of the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator – chemistry–climate model (ACCESS-CCM), focusing on the Southern Hemisphere and the Australian region. This model is used for the Australian contribution to the international Chemistry–Climate Model Initiative, which is soliciting hindcast, future projection and sensitivity simulations. The model simulates global total column ozone (TCO) distributions accurately, with a slight delay in the onset and recovery of springtime Antarctic ozone depletion, and consistently higher ozone values. However, October-averaged Antarctic TCO from 1960 to 2010 shows a similar amount of depletion compared to observations. Comparison with model precursors shows large improvements in the representation of the Southern Hemisphere stratosphere, especially in TCO concentrations. A significant innovation is seen in the evaluation of simulated vertical profiles of ozone and temperature with ozonesonde data from Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica from 38 to 90° S. Excess ozone concentrations (greater than 26 % at Davis and the South Pole during winter) and stratospheric cold biases (up to 10 K at the South Pole during summer and autumn) outside the period of perturbed springtime ozone depletion are seen during all seasons compared to ozonesondes. A disparity in the vertical location of ozone depletion is seen: centred around 100 hPa in ozonesonde data compared to above 50 hPa in the model. Analysis of vertical chlorine monoxide profiles indicates that colder Antarctic stratospheric temperatures (possibly due to reduced mid-latitude heat flux) are artificially enhancing polar stratospheric cloud formation at high altitudes. The model's inability to explicitly simulate a supercooled ternary solution may also explain the lack of depletion at lower altitudes. Analysis of the simulated Southern Annular Mode (SAM) index compares well with ERA-Interim data, an important metric for correct representation of Australian climate. Accompanying these modulations of the SAM, 50 hPa zonal wind differences between 2001–2010 and 1979–1998 show increasing zonal wind strength southward of 60° S during December for both the model simulations and ERA-Interim data. These model diagnostics show that the model reasonably captures the stratospheric ozone-driven chemistry–climate interactions important for Australian climate and weather while highlighting areas for future model development.
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Cockfield, Geoff, Linda Courtenay Botterill, and Simon Kelly. "A prospective evaluation of contingent loans as a means of financing wild dog exclusion fences." Rangeland Journal 40, no. 6 (2018): 591. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj18054.
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Invasive species, such as wild dogs can be considered an externality arising from the activities of pastoral enterprises, with producers having limited responsibility for the problem and limited capacity to mitigate it. There are therefore arguments for government intervention through encouraging both individual and collective control measures. Governments are however increasingly inclined to ensure recipients of support make some contribution where there are private benefits. An example of this, in Australia, is the requirement that students repay some of the cost of their tertiary education. Using the issue of wild dog exclusion fencing in south-west Queensland as a case study, this paper considers if and how a policy instrument adopted for higher education (HECS-HELP), contingent loans, could be adapted to address problems of externalities in rural Australia. Central to the issue of exclusion fences are high upfront costs and highly variable incomes that limit the ability to recoup those costs according to a predictable timeline. Considering a range of incomes and a variety of private/government shares of the cost of the fences, we examine the effects of revenue contingent loans for the construction of these fences, using model farms developed from survey data for farm businesses in south-west Queensland. We find that contingent loans could mitigate the hardship effects of additional debt and variable incomes. Businesses with smaller properties and relatively lower incomes may however struggle to pay back larger loans. Using south-west Queensland as a case study, we show how different shares of contributions change the time to pay back loans, outline how a contingent loan scheme might be administered and note some issues with integrating personal contingent loans into a collective fence arrangement.
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Atlantis, E., R. Goldney, K. Eckert, A. Taylor, and P. Phillips. "FC21-07 - Trends in health-related quality of life and health service use associated with comorbid diabetes and major depression in South Australia, 1998–2008." European Psychiatry 26, S2 (March 2011): 1933. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0924-9338(11)73637-9.
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PurposeTo investigate trends in health-related quality of life and health service use associated with diabetes and/or major depression in South Australia from 1998 to 2008.MethodsData analyzed were from 9,059 persons aged ≥15 years who participated in representative surveys of the South Australian population in 1998, 2004 and 2008. Major depression was determined using the mood module of the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD). Diagnosed diabetes and health service use was determined by self-report. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the 15-item Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL) instruments. Weighted age-standardized and multiple-adjusted means of dependent measures were computed.ResultsThe prevalence of diabetes only, major depression only, and comorbid diabetes and major depression increased by 74%, 36% and 53% from 1998 to 2008. Mean health-related quality of life scores were 9% to 41% lower (worse), and health service use was 49% higher for persons with comorbid diabetes and major depression than for those with diabetes only (all P-values < 0.05), consistently over the 10-year period.ConclusionsIf past trends continue, our results suggest that the population health and economic burden of comorbid diabetes and major depression will grow similarly over the next decade or so. These trends have important implications for making health policy and resource allocation decisions.
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Jahufer, M. Z. Z., M. Cooper, R. A. Bray, and J. F. Ayres. "Evaluation of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) populations for summer moisture stress adaptation in Australia." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 50, no. 4 (1999): 561. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/a98141.
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A genetic experiment was conducted using 80 full-sib families in irrigated and dryland treatments under the summer moisture stress conditions of the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, over 3 years. This paper reports on the effects of climatic and soil moisture conditions, the genetic variation for stolon attributes and seasonal herbage yield, and the development of new recombinant genotypes in relation to the association between stolon attributes and herbage yield. Large components of variance were estimated for genotype-by-environment-by-year interactions for the attributes stolon density, number of branches, number of nodes, number of rooted nodes, stolon thickness, root diameter, internode length, and summer herbage yield. The combined analysis of variance across environments and years indicated the presence of genetic variation for the stolon attributes stolon density, number of branches, number of nodes, stolon thickness, internode length, and herbage yield. Crossing of the morphologically contrasting cultivars El Lucero × Tahora × Duron, and Barbian × El Lucero, resulted in generating genotypic recombinants with new associations between herbage yield and stolon density, number of branches, number of nodes, and number of rooted nodes. Evaluation of the full-sib families and check cultivars (cvv. Haifa and Huia) identified 5 full-sib families with relatively higher herbage yield, stolon density, number of branches, number of nodes, and number of rooted nodes than cultivars Haifa and Huia.
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Turner, S. R., D. J. Merritt, C. C. Baskin, K. W. Dixon, and J. M. Baskin. "Physical dormancy in seeds of six genera of Australian Rhamnaceae." Seed Science Research 15, no. 1 (March 2005): 51–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/ssr2004197.
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Physical dormancy (PY) was identified in six genera representative of Australian Rhamnaceae and subsequently was broken, based on identification of key seed dormancy characteristics: (1) isolation and classification of embryo features; (2) imbibition experiments to determine the rate and amount of water uptake in seeds; and (3) determination of optimum temperature regimes for germination. All six species had relatively large spatulate embryos. Imbibition studies showed all species possessed PY (i.e. a water-impervious seed coat) that was broken by a hot-water treatment. Alleviation of PY resulted in high germination (<70%) at 7/18°C, temperatures similar to winter in south-west Western Australia. Germination was suppressed at higher temperatures and in the presence of light. The study adds information to our knowledge of seed dormancy in Australian Rhamnaceae, and highlights the benefits of understanding dormancy states in seeds prior to evaluating dormancy-release mechanisms on wild species used in restoration ecology and horticulture.
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Hordacre, Ann-Louise, Anne Taylor, Christy Pirone, and Robert J. Adams. "Assessing patient satisfaction: implications for South Australian public hospitals." Australian Health Review 29, no. 4 (2005): 439. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah050439.
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This paper reports on the results from 2620 South Australians who participated in the 2003 Patient Evaluation of Hospital Services. Patients were found to be generally satisfied with the care, services and amenities provided, with a statewide overall score of 86.3. Satisfaction was lowest in the patients? assessment of their involvement in their own care and treatment. Three demographic factors (younger age, female sex or tertiary education) predicted lower levels of satisfaction in the multivariate analysis, whereas living with others, non-emergency admission or admission to smaller hospitals were found to predict higher satisfaction. Despite administrative and organisational difficulties, and limited current evidence of increased quality or satisfaction, it is considered important to continue satisfaction research with the goal of encouraging the development of action plans for improvement of care, services and amenities.
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Mullan, B. P., J. R. Pluske, J. Allen, and D. J. Harris. "Evaluation of Western Australian canola meal for growing pigs." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 51, no. 5 (2000): 547. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar99123.
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Twenty samples of canola seed collected throughout south-western Australia after the 1995 harvest were analysed for oil and total glucosinolate levels. Average oil and total glucosinolate levels were 378 g/kg and 14.0 mmol/kg (oil-free dry matter, DM), respectively. The subsequent single-press canola meal [containing an average of 96 g/kg oil and 10.5 mmol/kg total glucosinolates (oil-free DM)] extracted from 8 batches of the original canola seed was then used in 2 growth experiments. In Expt 1, canola meal was included in diets for growing–finishing pigs at levels of 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 g/kg in the diet, and replaced Australian sweet lupins. In this study, feed was offered on an ad libitum basis between 23 and 110 kg liveweight (LW). In Expt 2, the same inclusion levels of canola meal were used; however, feed intake was standardised across treatments (approximately 3 times maintenance) to assess the impact of glucosinolate intake on performance and thyroid weight in pigs between 19 and 94 kg LW. In Expt 1, performance was similar (P > 0.05) in pigs offered up to 200 g/kg of canola meal. In Expt 2, average daily gain was similar between treatments (P > 0.05), although a linear decline in both daily gain (P = 0.244) and feed : gain (P < 0.05) with increasing canola meal levels was detected. Increasing amounts of canola meal in the diet were associated with heavier (P < 0.001) thyroid weights, suggesting a negative influence of the products of glucosinolate hydrolysis on thyroid function. Single-press canola meal is a suitable alternative to other protein sources; however, at levels >150 g/kg for growing–finishing pigs, higher intakes of glucosinolates were associated with a tendency for decreased pig performance and thyroid hypertrophy despite the canola varieties used being ‘low glucosinolate’.
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Parker, K. A. "THE EXPLORATION AND APPRAISAL HISTORY OF THE KATNOOK AND LADBROKE GROVE GAS FIELDS, ONSHORE OTWAY BASIN, SOUTH AUSTRALIA." APPEA Journal 32, no. 1 (1992): 67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj91007.
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The discoveries of the Katnook Field and, later, the Ladbroke Grove Field were significant milestones for hydrocarbon exploration in the southeast of South Australia as well as for the Otway Basin in general. The initial 1987 discovery at Katnook-1 of a relatively shallow gas accumulation in the basal part of the Eumeralla Formation was eclipsed in late 1988 at the Katnook-2 appraisal stage where deeper and more significant gas reserves were discovered in the Pretty Hill Sandstone.Technological improvement, in seismic acquisition, in particular, use of longer offset configurations and higher fold, and in filtering and correction techniques at the processing stage, are discussed in relation to improved geologic understanding. These aspects ultimately led to drilling success in both exploration and appraisal.At the deep Katnook discovery stage several significant problem areas remained unresolved. These related to uncertainties in vertical distribution of gas pay, level of a gas-water contact, and unreliable reserve estimates the result of the inability of conventional log analysis techniques to distinguish gas-bearing from water-bearing sands. Both in the evaluation of Katnook-2 and at the Katnook-3 appraisal stage, expensive cased-hole testing programs were undertaken to determine the size, extent and producibility of the gas accumulation. A key development between drilling Katnook-2 and Katnook-3 was the discovery of carbon dioxide-rich gas at Ladbroke Grove during 1989 in an adjacent structure to the south.The Katnook Field was the first commercial gas field development in the southeast, South Australian part of the Otway Basin, with gas sales commencing in March 1991, within a year of completing field appraisal. The discoveries, and subsequent development, have led to a renewed focus on the Otway Basin as a prospective hydrocarbon province.
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Davies, B. L., A. R. Alford, and G. R. Griffith. "Economic effects of alternate growth path, time of calving and breed type combinations across southern Australian beef cattle environments: feedlot finishing at the New South Wales experimental site." Animal Production Science 49, no. 6 (2009): 535. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea08265.
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The ‘Regional Combinations’ project and its biophysical outcomes have been described in several other papers in this special edition. The information provided in these papers allows an evaluation of the most profitable beef cattle production systems across different environments in southern Australia. In this paper, the focus is on the New South Wales experimental site where the trial animals were finished in a feedlot. The data identified liveweight gain as the biggest driver of profitability of production. Between growth treatments, there was a large difference in the gross margins before feedlot entry between the ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ treatments favouring the fast-grown animals, even after accounting for the higher cost of producing pasture capable of sustaining faster growth. However, the slow growth treatments consistently outperformed the fast growth treatments in the feedlot. In terms of breeds, the European breed types consistently outperformed the Wagyu breeds. There were no time-of-calving experiments in New South Wales.
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Stone, K. A., O. Morgenstern, D. J. Karoly, A. R. Klekociuk, W. J. R. French, N. L. Abraham, and R. Schofield. "Evaluation of the Australian Community Climate and Earth-System Simulator Chemistry-Climate Model." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 15, no. 13 (July 13, 2015): 19161–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-15-19161-2015.
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Abstract. Chemistry climate models are important tools for addressing interactions of composition and climate in the Earth System. In particular, they are used for assessing the combined roles of greenhouse gases and ozone in Southern Hemisphere climate and weather. Here we present an evaluation of the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator-Chemistry Climate Model, focusing on the Southern Hemisphere and the Australian region. This model is used for the Australian contribution to the international Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative, which is soliciting hindcast, future projection and sensitivity simulations. The model simulates global total column ozone (TCO) distributions accurately, with a slight delay in the onset and recovery of springtime Antarctic ozone depletion, and consistently higher ozone values. However, October averaged Antarctic TCO from 1960 to 2010 show a similar amount of depletion compared to observations. A significant innovation is the evaluation of simulated vertical profiles of ozone and temperature with ozonesonde data from Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica from 38 to 90° S. Excess ozone concentrations (up to 26.4 % at Davis during winter) and stratospheric cold biases (up to 10.1 K at the South Pole) outside the period of perturbed springtime ozone depletion are seen during all seasons compared to ozonesondes. A disparity in the vertical location of ozone depletion is seen: centered around 100 hPa in ozonesonde data compared to above 50 hPa in the model. Analysis of vertical chlorine monoxide profiles indicates that colder Antarctic stratospheric temperatures (possibly due to reduced mid-latitude heat flux) are artificially enhancing polar stratospheric cloud formation at high altitudes. The models inability to explicitly simulated supercooled ternary solution may also explain the lack of depletion at lower altitudes. The simulated Southern Annular Mode (SAM) index compares well with ERA-Interim data. Accompanying these modulations of the SAM, 50 hPa zonal wind differences between 2001–2010 and 1979–1998 show increasing zonal wind strength southward of 60° S during December for both the model simulations and ERA-Interim data. These model diagnostics shows that the model reasonably captures the stratospheric ozone driven chemistry-climate interactions important for Australian climate and weather while highlighting areas for future model development.
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Kirkegaard, J. A., J. M. Lilley, R. D. Brill, S. J. Sprague, N. A. Fettell, and G. C. Pengilley. "Re-evaluating sowing time of spring canola (Brassica napus L.) in south-eastern Australia—how early is too early?" Crop and Pasture Science 67, no. 4 (2016): 381. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp15282.
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Optimising the sowing date of canola (Brassica napus L.) in specific environments is an important determinant of yield worldwide. In eastern Australia, late April to early May has traditionally been considered the optimum sowing window for spring canola, with significant reduction in yield and oil in later sown crops. Recent and projected changes in climate, new vigorous hybrids, and improved fallow management and seeding equipment have stimulated a re-evaluation of early-April sowing to capture physiological advantages of greater biomass production and earlier flowering under contemporary conditions. Early–mid-April sowing generated the highest or equal highest yield and oil content in eight of nine field experiments conducted from 2002 to 2012 in south-eastern Australia. Declines in seed yield (–6.0% to –6.5%), oil content (–0.5% to –1.5%) and water-use efficiency (–3.8% to –5.5%) per week delay in sowing after early April reflected levels reported in previous studies with sowings from late April. Interactions with cultivar phenology were evident at some sites depending on seasonal conditions. There was no consistent difference in performance between hybrid and non-hybrid cultivars at the earliest sowing dates. Despite low temperatures thought to damage early pods at some sites (<−2°C), frost damage did not significantly compromise the yield of the early-sown crops, presumably because of greater impact of heat and water-stress in the later sown crops. A validated APSIM-Canola simulation study using 50 years of weather data at selected sites predicted highest potential yields from early-April sowing. However, the application of a frost-heat sensitivity index to account for impacts of temperature stress during the reproductive phase predicted lower yields and higher yield variability from early-April sowing. The frost–heat-limited yields predicted optimum sowing times of mid-April at southern sites, and late April to early May at the northern sites with lower median yield and higher yield variability in crops sown in early April. The experimental and simulation data are potentially compatible given that the experiments occurred during the decade of the Millennium drought in south-eastern Australia (2002–10), with dry and hot spring conditions favouring earlier sowing. However, the study reveals the need for more accurate and validated prediction of the frost and heat impacts on field-grown canola if simulation models are to provide more accurate prediction of attainable yield as new combinations of cultivar and sowing dates are explored.
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Orgill, S. E., C. M. Waters, G. Melville, I. Toole, Y. Alemseged, and W. Smith. "Sensitivity of soil organic carbon to grazing management in the semi-arid rangelands of south-eastern Australia." Rangeland Journal 39, no. 2 (2017): 153. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj16020.
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This study compared the effects of grazing management on soil organic carbon (OC) stocks in the semi-arid rangelands of New South Wales, Australia. A field survey was conducted at three locations (Brewarrina, Cobar–North and Cobar–South), with paired sites of long-term (>8 years) rotational grazing management and continuously grazed pastures (either set stocked or no stocking). At each location, soil OC, carbon (C) fractions, soil nitrogen (N) and microsite and site factors (including ground cover and woody vegetation) were measured. The control of total grazing pressure (TGP) through rotational grazing and exclusion fencing did not increase soil C stocks compared with continuous grazing for the majority of comparisons. However, in some parts of the landscape, higher soil C stock was found with TGP control, for example on the ridges (21.6 vs 13.3 t C ha–1 to 0.3 m). C stocks increased with litter and perennial ground cover and with close proximity to trees. At Brewarrina, C stocks were positively affected by perennial plant cover (P < 0.001) and litter (P < 0.05), whereas at Cobar–North and Cobar–South C stocks were positively affected by the presence of trees (P < 0.001), with higher C stocks in close proximity to trees, and with increasing litter cover (P < 0.01). The present study demonstrates that natural resource benefits, such as increased perennial cover, can be achieved through controlling TGP in the rangelands but increases in soil C may be limited in certain parts of the landscape. These findings also highlight that interactions between managed and unmanaged TGP and microsite factors, such as ground cover and proximity to woody vegetation, need to be considered when evaluating the role of changed grazing management on soil C.
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Hunt, J. R., and J. A. Kirkegaard. "Re-evaluating the contribution of summer fallow rain to wheat yield in southern Australia." Crop and Pasture Science 62, no. 11 (2011): 915. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp11268.
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In southern Australia, summer fallow rain (SFR) has not traditionally been valued for winter crop production. Modern, higher yielding farming practices combined with a decade of below-average growing-season rainfall and a predicted increase in the proportion of summer rain under future climate patterns have stimulated a re-evaluation of this notion. We used a widely validated crop simulation model (APSIM-Wheat) to quantify the potential value of SFR to wheat yield under contemporary farming practices using long-term climatic data at 37 locations throughout southern Australia. The potential value of SFR was high, contributing on average 1.0 t/ha or 33% of water-limited attainable yield. Yield increases were due to both increased water use and increased water-use efficiency through higher harvest index. The contribution to yield varied significantly according to the rainfall distribution and soil type across sites. In central-west New South Wales, the equi-seasonal rainfall pattern, high soil water-holding capacity and variable spring rainfall resulted in SFR contributing up to 2.0 t/ha or 72% of mean simulated wheat yield. In contrast, in the north-western grain belt of Western Australia, SFR contributed as little as 0.1 t/ha or 3% of mean simulated yield due to strong Mediterranean rainfall pattern, low soil water-holding capacity and reliable growing-season rainfall. At all locations there was significant year-to-year variation in the simulated yield contribution of SFR. At a given site, soils with higher water-holding capacity in the surface tended to reduce summer fallow efficiency (proportion of summer rainfall stored at sowing) due to the failure of most summer rain to penetrate below the evaporation zone. Despite seasonal variability in yield contribution, interventions to preserve summer rainfall, such as strict summer weed control generated high return on investment (range 6–1328%; mean 733%). Risk of financial loss due to strict summer weed control varied across sites, with failure to achieve a return on investment occurring in 1–70% of years depending on location. The proportion of annual rain falling during the summer fallow period in some locations has increased in the last 10 years and this forecast result of climate change is likely to increase the value of SFR to wheat production in the future.
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Lillee, Alyssa, Aesen Thambiran, and Jonathan Laugharne. "Evaluating the mental health of recently arrived refugee adults in Western Australia." Journal of Public Mental Health 14, no. 2 (June 15, 2015): 56–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jpmh-05-2013-0033.
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to measure the levels of psychological distress in adults entering Western Australia (WA) as refugees through the Australian Humanitarian Programme. To determine if the introduction of mental health screening instruments impacts on the level of referrals for further psychological/psychiatric assessment and treatment. Design/methodology/approach – Participants were 300 consecutive consenting refugee adults attending the Humanitarian Entrant Health Service in Perth, WA. This service is government funded for the general health screening of refugees. The Kessler-10 (K10) and the World Health Organisation’s post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screener were the principal outcome measures used. Findings – Refugees had a high rate of current probable PTSD (17.2 per cent) as measured with the PTSD screener and mean K10 scores were significantly higher than general population norms. The K10 showed high accuracy for discriminating those with or without probable PTSD. Being married and having more children increased the risk of probable PTSD. In regard to region of origin, refugees from Western and Southern Asia had significantly higher scores on both screeners followed by those from Africa with those from South-Eastern Asia having the lowest scores. Referral rate for psychiatric/psychological treatment was 18 per cent compared to 4.2 per cent in the year prior to the study. Practical implications – This study demonstrates increased psychological distress including a high rate of probable PTSD in a recently arrived multi-ethnic refugee population and also demonstrates significant variations based on region of origin. In addition, it supports the feasibility of using brief screening instruments to improve identification and referral of refugees with significant psychological distress in the context of a comprehensive general medical review. Originality/value – This was an Australian study conducted in a non-psychiatric setting. The outcomes of this study pertain to refugee mental health assessed in a general health setting. The implications of the study findings are of far reaching relevance, inclusive of primary care doctors and general physicians as well as mental health clinicians. In particular the authors note that the findings of this study are to the authors’ knowledge unique in the refugee mental health literature as the participants are recently arrived refugees from diverse ethnic groups.
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Cockshell, C. D., and M. Malavazos. "ASSESSMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PETROLEUM ACTIVITY IMPACTS: COONGIE LAKES CASE STUDY." APPEA Journal 38, no. 1 (1998): 584. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj97034.
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The introduction of changes to petroleum regulation in South Australia will, and have, resulted in some concern by industry, particularly in the area of public consultation. Primary Industry and Resources South Australia (PIRSA)-Petroleum Group's development of a set of guidelines for determination of project environmental significance is aimed to give a clearer indication of the level of consultation, documentation and assessment appropriate for each project. The Coongie Lakes assessment case study gives an indication of how these concepts can be applied in a practical sense.The assessment process establishes scales for the level of certainty (predictability) of the potential environmental impacts and the degree to which the consequences of the potential impacts can be managed or avoided (manageability). This process was undertaken for the seismic proposal in the Coongie Lakes area and provides an innovative approach to project assessment. The predictability and manageability charts prepared for all potential impacts provides a method of presenting a vast amount of information very concisely. The definition of assessment guidelines allows potential environmental impacts to be expressed in a quantitative manner, and leads to evaluation of these impacts against a defined level of community acceptability. The approach also demonstrates a degree of rigour in the assessment process and is transparent to all stakeholders. In addition, the predictability and manageability charts focus attention to issues which have higher ratings, and thus a need for closer attention. The feedback from stakeholders on this innovative assessment technique indicates a general acceptance of the approach and the criteria definitions used, although some adjustment and refinement is required.
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Dear, BS, and M. Zorin. "Persistence and productivity of Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb. (Caucasian clover) in a high altitude region of south-eastern Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 25, no. 1 (1985): 124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9850124.
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The persistence and productivity of 12 lines of Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb., encompassing three ploidy groups, and one line of T. montanum subsp. hurnboldtianum were compared in an elevated environment (1150 m) over a 4-year period with one cultivar each of T. repens L. and T. pratense L. Trifolium ambiguum was found to be well adapted to the cold winters and dry summers, all lines persisting throughout the experimental period, whereas the T. repens and T. pratense cultivars disappeared by the fourth year. The T. arnbiguum lines 'Monaro' and 'Kirovakan' (both hexaploid) and 'Alpine' and Forest (diploids) had the highest dry matter production. The control cultivars of T. repens and T. pratense outyielded T. ambiguum in the first year but were substantially less productive in later years as their density declined. T. montanum persisted but produced less dry matter than T. ambiguum and did not produce rhizomes or daughter plants. Ploidy of T. ambiguum was found to affect the date of flowering, persistence, leaflet shape and leaflet area. Productivity was not closely related to ploidy; however, the two most productive lines were hexaploids. All the T. ambiguum lines remained well nodulated over the 4 years, but the diploids had higher leaf nitrogen contents than the other two groups (3.4% vs. 2.5 and 2.4% N). The number of daughter plants produced was positively correlated (r=0.84) with rhizome length, which varied between lines but was not influenced by ploidy. Two bred lines, 'Alpine' (diploid) and 'Monaro' (hexaploid) exhibited superior vigour and spreading ability and warrant further evaluation as possible pasture legumes.
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Mostert, Jemona, and Helene Loxton. "Exploring the Effectiveness of the FRIENDS Program in Reducing Anxiety Symptoms Among South African Children." Behaviour Change 25, no. 2 (June 1, 2008): 85–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1375/bech.25.2.85.
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AbstractThe prevalence of anxiety symptoms among South African children is reported to be significantly higher than in other parts of the world. The need for an effective anxiety prevention and early intervention program for use with South African children is urgently needed. The aim of the present study was therefore to determine whether the Australian FRIENDS program could effectively reduce the anxiety symptoms, as measured by the Spence Children's Anxiety scale (SCAS), among a sample of South African children from low socioeconomic background. The program evaluation employed a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group design that followed participants (N = 46) over a course of 10 months. Within group effects and between group effects revealed that the FRIENDS program had little statistically significant postintervention effect on the anxiety symptoms of this sample, but had significant effects in the longer term, at 4 months and 6 months follow-up. The implications of these results for the South African context are discussed.
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Cockfield, Geoff, Uttam Shrestha, and Cathy Waters. "Evaluating the potential financial contributions of carbon farming to grazing enterprises in Western NSW." Rangeland Journal 41, no. 3 (2019): 211. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj18032.
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This article reports on modelling of the farm-level financial implications of changing land use from rangelands grazing to ‘carbon farming’ (vegetation-based carbon sequestration) in north-western New South Wales, Australia. Four model farm businesses were created by combining information from existing carbon projects funded under the Australian Government’s Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF), data from surveys of farm businesses in the study regions and biomass estimations from the pasture growth model, GRASP. Scenarios for each of the businesses were: baseline (current grazing system); clearing vegetation to increase carrying capacity; establishing a carbon project; and establishing a carbon project and reinvesting some of the additional income in exclusion fencing to increase carrying capacity on non-project areas. The carbon project scenarios were based on either of two approved carbon sequestration methodologies within the ERF: avoided deforestation; and human-induced regeneration. In comparing the financial outcomes of these scenarios across the modelled businesses, we found potential advantages for landholders in having projects where livestock carrying capacity was at medium to low levels for the study region and where woody vegetation biomass potential was medium to high for the region. The case for sequestration projects on land with higher carrying capacity and therefore higher opportunity cost was much less compelling. In most cases, reinvestment in exclusion fencing resulted in similar financial returns to just having a carbon project but farm business income increased in later years.
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Polychronopolous, M., K. Dudley, G. Ryan, and J. Hearn. "Investigation of factors contributing to dirty water events in reticulation systems and evaluation of flushing methods to remove deposited particles." Water Supply 3, no. 1-2 (March 1, 2003): 295–306. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2003.0117.
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This investigation was to evaluate the factors contributing to dirty water customer complaints within the area supplied by South East Water Limited, a wholesale water company in Melbourne, Australia. It also evaluated the potential to derive a predictive method to facilitate proactive mains flushing. The study focused on a single reticulation network, within the suburb of Wantirna. A desktop and field study were undertaken. The desktop study evaluated a range of parameters and their association with dirty water customer complaints over an 8-year period. Parameters evaluated included distance from the water source, street topography, population distribution, and variations in water velocity. The field investigation focused on evaluating the quantity of turbid material deposited in key locations, identified from the desktop investigations. Several factors appeared to influence the likelihood of a dirty water complaint. These were: population density and the associated complexity of the reticulation network; the presence of an undulating topography in the street of concern; and the presence of a dead end. Evaluation of hydrant flushing indicated there might be potential to reduce water usage and improve flushing efficiency by flushing at a reduced flow rate of 5L.s-1, down from the typical 10L.s-1 or higher currently used. Time to clear at a hydrant appeared to be the most effective measure of settled material in a water main, however more work is required to confirm a threshold value that could be used as a predictive measure for proactive mains cleaning.
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Corbet, N. J., R. K. Shepherd, H. M. Burrow, J. van der Westhuizen, P. E. Strydom, and D. J. Bosman. "Evaluation of Bonsmara and Belmont Red cattle breeds in South Africa. 1. Productive performance." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, no. 2 (2006): 199. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea05223.
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The productive performance of progeny by Bonsmara and Belmont Red sires was compared in contemporarily reared groups in South Africa. Measurements on 4279 pedigreed progeny of 96 Bonsmara sires and 18 Belmont Red sires were recorded over 15 years in 4 diverse climatic regions of South Africa. Growth traits were measured on growing stock from birth to 18 months at pasture. Weight gain, feed conversion rate, frame size, scrotal circumference and visually assessed ‘functional efficiency’ scores were recorded on male progeny fed high protein rations. Carcass traits were measured on a subset of the male progeny. Age at first calving, and repeated measurements of calving date and calving interval were recorded on breeding females as indicators of reproductive performance. Tick counts were made on males and females across a range of ages during times of heavy field infestation. There were differences in progeny performance for some traits. Bonsmara sired animals generally scored higher than Belmont Red progeny for functional efficiency. Belmont Red sired calves were lighter at birth (35.9 v. 37.3; P0.05) and cows by Belmont Red sires had a shorter average calving interval (440 v. 455; P<0.05). Sire breed by region interaction was not important. The differences in scored and measured traits generally reflected differences in selection policies adopted by the breed societies. Variation in growth and fertility traits due to sire was greater than variation due to breed and demonstrated the potential for identifying superior individuals. The performance of the sire breeds for the range of traits and environments studied advocated that selected Bonsmara and Belmont Red animals from South African herds would be suitable for inclusion in breeding programs in Australian Belmont Red herds.
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Gudes, O., S. Glackin, and C. Pettit. "DESIGNING PRECINCTS IN THE DENSIFYING CITY – THE ROLE OF PLANNING SUPPORT SYSTEMS." ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences XLII-4/W11 (September 20, 2018): 3–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-xlii-4-w11-3-2018.
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<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Australia’s cities face significant social, economic and environmental challenges, driven by population growth and rapid urbanisation. The pressure to increase housing availability will lead to greater levels of high-density and medium-density stock. However, there is enormous political and community pushback against this. One way to address this challenge is to encourage medium-density living solutions through “precinct” scale development. Precinct-scale development has the potential to include additional hard and soft infrastructure that may offset the perceived negativities of higher densities. As part of Australian research into precinct-scale development, and as part of our broader Smart Cities approach, or more specifically City Analytics approach, new digital planning tools &ndash; Envision and ESP &ndash; have been developed to support scenario planning and design needs. They utilise a data-driven and scenario planning approach underpinned by Geographic Information System (GIS) functionality.</p><p>We focus on a case study in the City of Blacktown, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. By 2036 Blacktown is forecast to grow to approximately 500,000 people (an increase of over 30<span class="thinspace"></span>%) and 180,000 dwellings. Most new dwellings will be delivered through urban infill. The Blacktown master plan promotes higher density housing, mixed employment uses and continued improvements to the public domain. Our study provides a unique opportunity to implement this broad strategy within a specific case and location. Specifically, this paper provides information on how these digital planning tools supported Blacktown planners in identifying, co-designing and implementing a new approach for precinct level planning. It also presents the results of an evaluation of digital-planning tools in the context of the Blacktown case study.</p>
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McCormick, Jeffrey I., Jim M. Virgona, Julianne M. Lilley, and John A. Kirkegaard. "Evaluating the feasibility of dual-purpose canola in a medium-rainfall zone of south-eastern Australia: a simulation approach." Crop and Pasture Science 66, no. 4 (2015): 318. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp13421.
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Canola (Brassica napus L.) has recently been adopted as a dual-purpose crop (graze and grain) in the higher rainfall areas (>550 mm) of eastern Australia, but the feasibility in drier inland areas with a shorter growing season is uncertain. We modified the APSIM-Canola model by using observations from an irrigated grazing experiment, with the aim of using a simulation approach to investigate various aspects of dual-purpose canola production. Sowing opportunities, forage production for grazing and grain production were considered in the simulations, and effects of variables such as sowing date, cultivar type, plant density and nitrogen supply were investigated in simulations for 109 years of climate data from Wagga Wagga, NSW. APSIM-Canola predictions of vegetative growth and grain yield for recent varieties were inadequate when using existing parameters, but were improved by increasing the maximum leaf area parameter to reflect those of modern hybrid types. For grazed crops, APSIM-Canola overestimated the initial rate of regrowth, but accurately simulated biomass at flowering. Simulations of a range of management options to generate different pre-grazing biomass predicted that sowing before 15 May, using vigorous (hybrid) cultivars, high plant density (60–80 plants m–2) and adequate soil nitrogen, maximised biomass production. Assuming a rainfall-based sowing opportunity of 25 mm over 3 days and a minimum pre-grazing biomass of 1000 kg ha–1, grazing was possible in 53% of years, with 50% of those years providing grazing opportunities before 7 June at Wagga Wagga. Depending on stocking rate, crops could be grazed until early to mid-July, providing 400–1000 dry sheep equivalent days ha–1 of grazing, and allow regrowth to achieve a target biomass of 5000 kg ha–1 at flowering, which was required to maximise potential yield. The simulation analysis confirms significant opportunities to achieve valuable livestock grazing from canola crops sown in an early window (before May) without compromising potential yield, and the simulation framework developed can be readily applied to other regions.
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McFarlane, JD, GJ Judson, RK Turnbull, and BR Kempe. "An evaluation of copper-containing soluble glass pellets, copper oxide particles and injectable copper as supplements for cattle and sheep." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 31, no. 2 (1991): 165. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9910165.
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The efficacy of 3 copper (Cu) supplements in maintaining adequate Cu status in Shorthorn heifers and Merino wethers was investigated in 3 experiments on alkaline peat soils in the South East of South Australia. The Cu supplements used were: soluble glass pellets containing Cu; copper oxide particles (CuO); Cu as a subcutaneous injection. Pasture contained moderate to high concentrations of molybdenum (Mo) (2.9-12.3 mg/kg), moderate Cu (3.8-8.7 mg/kg) and adequate sulfur (>1.7 g/kg) to limit the absorption of dietary Cu in ruminants. Shorthom heifers with normal Cu status were given 1 of 6 treatments (no Cu; 2 glass pellets; CuO at 3 doses; Cu injection) and introduced to the pasture (experiment 1). There was no liveweight response to any supplement. Relative to untreated heifers, mean liver Cu concentrations were raised only in heifers receiving the glass pellets or the highest dosage of CuO (20 g). The glass pellets maintained an adequate mean liver Cu concentration for at least 44 weeks but the CuO was effective for less than 24 weeks. Hypocupraemic heifers given 1 of 3 treatments (2 glass pellets; CuO; Cu injection) were significantly heavier (P<0.05) than the untreated heifers after 30 weeks (experiment 2). Mean plasma Cu concentrations were adequate at 30 weeks in the glass pellet and CuO groups, but mean liver concentrations indicated severe deficiency in all groups at 30 weeks. There was considerable individual variability in response to the glass pellet and CuO particle treatments, possibly due to the partial regurgitation of some of these orally dosed supplements. Merino wethers with adequate plasma and liver Cu concentrations received 1 of 5 treatments (no Cu; 1 glass pellet; 2 glass pellets; CuO; Cu injection) and were then grazed on a peat soil for a period of 1 year. Plasma Cu concentrations in the control group only indicated hypocupraemia at week 42. Liver Cu concentrations were higher (P<0.001) in all supplemented groups from week 18 to after week 30. Under the conditions of the experiments, 20 g CuO (the suggested dose) for the glass pellets or a single Cu injection were not sufficient to maintain the Cu status of heifers for 1 year. Repeat treatments or higher dose rates were required. The recommended dose rates of the supplements were adequate for wethers.
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Russo, V. M., J. L. Jacobs, M. C. Hannah, P. J. Moate, F. R. Dunshea, and B. J. Leury. "In vitro evaluation of the methane mitigation potential of a range of grape marc products." Animal Production Science 57, no. 7 (2017): 1437. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an16495.
Full textAbstract:
Grape marc consists of the skins, seeds and stems remaining after grapes have been pressed to make wine. Interest in grape marc for use as a dietary feed additive for ruminants has grown after recent research showed that inclusion of grape marc in the diet of dairy cows reduced their enteric methane (CH4) emissions. In the present research, in vitro fermentations were conducted on 20 diverse grape marcs to evaluate their potential as ruminant feed supplements and, in particular, mitigants of enteric CH4 emissions. The grape marcs, which were sourced from vineyards in south-eastern Australia, contained a range of red and white grape varieties with different proportions of skins, seeds and stalks, and had diverse chemical compositions. For each grape marc, four replicate samples, each of 1 g DM, were incubated in vitro with ruminal fluid. The volumes of total gas and CH4 produced after 48 h of incubation were determined. Total gas production ranged from 21.8 to 146.9 mL and CH4 production from 6.8 to 30.3 mL. White grape marcs produced more (P < 0.05) total gas (81.8 mL) than did red grape marcs (61.0 mL), but had a lower (P < 0.05) percentage of CH4 (25.3% and 30.3% of total gas). Grape marcs with a higher proportion of seeds produced less (P < 0.05) total gas than did the types composed of either skin or stalks; however, the seed types produced the greatest (P < 0.05) percentage of CH4 (49.8% of total gas). It is concluded that grape marcs differ greatly in their potential as mitigants of enteric CH4 emissions for ruminal production systems.
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Pitman, A. J., and S. E. Perkins. "Regional Projections of Future Seasonal and Annual Changes in Rainfall and Temperature over Australia Based on Skill-Selected AR4 Models." Earth Interactions 12, no. 12 (August 1, 2008): 1–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/2008ei260.1.
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Abstract Daily data from climate models submitted to the Fourth Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are compared with daily data from observations over Australia by measuring the overlap of the probability density functions (PDFs). The capacity of these models to simulate maximum temperature, minimum temperature, and precipitation is assessed. The resulting skill score is then used to exclude models with relatively poor skill region by region over Australia. The remaining sample of coupled climate models is then used to determine the seasonal changes in these three variables under a high- (A2) and low- (B1) emission scenario for 2050 and 2100. The authors demonstrate that some projected phenomena, such as the projected drying over southwest Western Australia, are robust and not caused by the inclusion of some weak models in earlier assessments. Some other results, such as the projected change in the monsoon, are more consistent among the good climate models. Consistent with earlier work, a consistent pattern of mean warming is identified in the projections. The amount of warming in the 99.7th percentile is not dramatically higher than the warming in the mean. However, while the mean warming is generally least in the south, the amount of warming in the 99.7th percentile is substantially higher along the southern coast of Australia. This is due to a coupling of the temperature response with reduced rainfall, which causes drying and allows extreme maximum temperatures to increase dramatically. The authors show that, in general, the amount of rainfall is projected to change relatively little, but the frequency of rainfall decreases and the intensity of rainfall at the upper tail of the distribution increases. However, the scale of the increase in extreme rainfall is not large on the time scales analyzed here. The range in projected temperature changes among those climate models with skill in simulating the observations is at least twice as large for the 99.7th/0.3rd percentiles as for the mean. For rainfall, the range among the good models is of order 10 times greater in the 99.7th percentile than in the mean. Since the impact of changes in extremes is increasingly recognized as societally important, this result strongly limits the use of climate model data to explore sectors that are vulnerable to extremes. This suggests an evaluation strategy that focuses on model capacity to simulate whole PDFs since capacity to simulate the mean is a necessary but insufficient criterion for determining a model’s value for future projection.
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Michalk, D. L., P. M. Dowling, D. R. Kemp, W. McG King, I. J. Packer, P. J. Holst, R. E. Jones, et al. "Sustainable grazing systems for the Central Tablelands, New South Wales." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43, no. 8 (2003): 861. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea02180.
Full textAbstract:
Pasture degradation is a major issue in the high rainfall zone (>600 mm) of temperate Australia. Characterised by a decline in the perennial grass component, this degradation is responsible for reduced livestock production and implicated in environmental problems, such as dryland salinity, through changed water-use patterns. This paper reports on a multi-disciplinary research program conducted at Carcoar in central New South Wales, one of 6 sites that comprised the Sustainable Grazing Systems National Experiment. The aim of the experiment was to develop more profitable and sustainable pasture systems by evaluating the impact of changes in the perennial grass component on animal production and water-use patterns. Tactical management strategies were evaluated on naturalised and sown perennial grass pastures and on chicory (Cichorium intybus), using a Merino ewe-based first cross lamb enterprise. Data presented showed that grazing deferment over summer, combined with reduced stocking rate, increased perenniality and reduced annual grass weeds compared with continuous grazing. Livestock performance, however, did not always follow trends in available perennial herbage mass. Naturalised and sown pastures were suitable for raising prime lambs, but only chicory had the capacity to finish lambs to market specification without supplementation. With respect to water-use patterns, sown perennial pastures were more successful than naturalised pastures in reducing leakage of water from the root zone, although this seemed to be related mostly to the abundance of the perennial grass in the pasture. From a sustainability perspective, continuously grazed pastures generated higher net cash flows, but had negative environmental impacts, whereas tactically grazed pastures had positive on- and off-farm impacts but lower net cash flows. The implications of these findings for incorporation into future management strategies for sustainable production in high rainfall environments are discussed.
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Barnett, Stephen, Joan Henderson, Adam Hodgkins, Christopher Harrison, Abhijeet Ghosh, Bridget Dijkmans-Hadley, Helena Britt, and Andrew Bonney. "A valuable approach to the use of electronic medical data in primary care research: Panning for gold." Health Information Management Journal 46, no. 2 (October 12, 2016): 51–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1833358316669888.
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Background: Electronic medical data (EMD) from electronic health records of general practice computer systems have enormous research potential, yet many variables are unreliable. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare selected data variables from general practice EMD with a reliable, representative national dataset (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH)) in order to validate their use for primary care research. Method: EMD variables were compared with encounter data from the nationally representative BEACH program using χ2 tests and robust 95% confidence intervals to test their validity (measure what they reportedly measure). The variables focused on for this study were patient age, sex, smoking status and medications prescribed at the visit. Results: The EMD sample from six general practices in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, yielded data on 196,515 patient encounters. Details of 90,553 encounters were recorded in the 2013 BEACH dataset from 924 general practitioners. No significant differences in patient age ( p = 0.36) or sex ( p = 0.39) were found. EMD had a lower rate of current smokers and higher average scripts per visit, but similar prescribing distribution patterns. Conclusion: Validating EMD variables offers avenues for improving primary care delivery and measuring outcomes of care to inform clinical practice and health policy.
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O'Neill, Michael F., George M. Leigh, You-Gan Wang, J. Matías Braccini, and Matthew C. Ives. "Linking spatial stock dynamics and economics: evaluation of indicators and fishery management for the travelling eastern king prawn (Melicertus plebejus)." ICES Journal of Marine Science 71, no. 7 (February 3, 2014): 1818–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fst218.
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Abstract Reduced economic circumstances have moved management goals towards higher profit, rather than maximum sustainable yields in several Australian fisheries. The eastern king prawn is one such fishery, for which we have developed new methodology for stock dynamics, calculation of model-based and data-based reference points and management strategy evaluation. The fishery is notable for the northward movement of prawns in eastern Australian waters, from the State jurisdiction of New South Wales to that of Queensland, as they grow to spawning size, so that vessels fishing in the northern deeper waters harvest more large prawns. Bioeconomic fishing data were standardized for calibrating a length-structured spatial operating model. Model simulations identified that reduced boat numbers and fishing effort could improve profitability while retaining viable fishing in each jurisdiction. Simulations also identified catch rate levels that were effective for monitoring in simple within-year effort-control rules. However, favourable performance of catch rate indicators was achieved only when a meaningful upper limit was placed on total allowed fishing effort. The methods and findings will allow improved measures for monitoring fisheries and inform decision makers on the uncertainty and assumptions affecting economic indicators.
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Ju, Xiangqun, Karen Canfell, Kirsten Howard, Gail Garvey, Joanne Hedges, Megan Smith, and Lisa Jamieson. "Population-based utility scores for HPV infection and cervical squamous cell carcinoma among Australian Indigenous women." PLOS ONE 16, no. 7 (July 22, 2021): e0254575. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254575.
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Objective Working in partnership with Indigenous communities in South Australia, we aimed to develop, pilot test and estimate utility scores for health states relating to cervical cancer screening, precancer, and invasive cervical cancer and precancer/cancer treatment among Indigenous women. Methods Development and pilot testing of hypothetical cervical cancer health states, specifically through the lens of being an Indigenous Australian woman, was done with an Indigenous Reference Group in conjunction with five female Indigenous community members. Six health states were developed. These included: (1) Screened: cytology normal; (2) human papillomaviruses (HPV) positive with cytology normal; (3) low grade cytology (LSIL);(4) high grade cytology (HSIL); (5) early stage cervical cancer and; (6) later stage cervical cancer. Utility scores were calculated using a two-stage standard gamble approach among a large cohort of Indigenous Australian women taking part in a broader study involving oral HPV infection. The mean and standard deviation (SD) of the rank, percentage of respondents with a utility = 1 (perfect health) and utility score of each health state was summarised. Mean (SD) and medians and inter-quartile range (IQR) over 12 months and lifetime duration were calculated. Potential differences by age and residential location were assessed using the Wilcox Sum Rank test. Results Data was obtained from 513 Indigenous women aged 19+ years. Mean utility scores were higher for the four non-cancer health states than for invasive cervical cancer states (p-values <0.05). Lower mean utility scores were observed for late stage cervical cancer, with 0.69 at 12 months and 0.70 for lifetime duration (Intra-class correlation coefficients = 0.425). Higher utility scores were observed for the four non-cancer health states among non-metropolitan participants (ranged from 0.93 to 0.98) compared with metropolitan participants (ranged from 0.86 to 0.93) (p-values<0.05). Conclusion Among a large cohort of Indigenous Australian women, the reduction in quality of life (which utilities reflect) was perceived to be greater with increasing severity of cervical cancer health states. There were differences observed by geographic location, with positive cervical screening and precursor cancer-related quality of life being much higher among non-metropolitan-dwelling participants. These utility values, from one of the largest such studies ever performed in any population will be uniquely able to inform modelled evaluations of the benefits and costs of cervical cancer prevention interventions in Indigenous women.
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Khan, Sajjad, Shahzad Aslam, Iqra Mustafa, and Sheraz Aslam. "Short-Term Electricity Price Forecasting by Employing Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition and Extreme Learning Machine." Forecasting 3, no. 3 (June 22, 2021): 460–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/forecast3030028.
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Day-ahead electricity price forecasting plays a critical role in balancing energy consumption and generation, optimizing the decisions of electricity market participants, formulating energy trading strategies, and dispatching independent system operators. Despite the fact that much research on price forecasting has been published in recent years, it remains a difficult task because of the challenging nature of electricity prices that includes seasonality, sharp fluctuations in price, and high volatility. This study presents a three-stage short-term electricity price forecasting model by employing ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and extreme learning machine (ELM). In the proposed model, the EEMD is employed to decompose the actual price signals to overcome the non-linear and non-stationary components in the electricity price data. Then, a day-ahead forecasting is performed using the ELM model. We conduct several experiments on real-time data obtained from three different states of the electricity market in Australia, i.e., Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. We also implement various deep learning approaches as benchmark methods, i.e., recurrent neural network, multi-layer perception, support vector machine, and ELM. In order to affirm the performance of our proposed and benchmark approaches, this study performs several performance evaluation metric, including the Diebold–Mariano (DM) test. The results from the experiments show the productiveness of our developed model (in terms of higher accuracy) over its counterparts.
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Cameron, Helen E., Frances T. Boreland, Jocelyn R. Morris, David M. Lyle, David A. Perkins, Parker J. Magin, Melanie J. Marshall, and Nicholas A. Zwar. "New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory Researcher Development Program 2005–07: modest investment, considerable outcomes." Australian Journal of Primary Health 19, no. 1 (2013): 59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py11155.
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This evaluation of the Researcher Development Program (RDP) in NSW and ACT aimed to determine whether the RDP was effective in assisting novice researchers to undertake primary health care research. In mid-2008, 47 participants of the NSW and ACT RDP during 2005–07 were invited to participate in a postal survey. The survey included questions regarding previous research training and experience, outcomes during and after participation in the program, and organisational aspects of the program. Follow-up interviews were conducted with selected participants. Interview questions covered time in the program, supervision, organisational support and placement outcomes. Thirty-seven participants responded to the survey and 23 (62%) participants took part in the semi-structured interviews. Seventy-eight per cent of survey respondents felt that the RDP helped them move from novice to a more experienced researcher with effective supervision identified by participants as a key element in determining the success of the program. Many felt that time allocation was inadequate and 20% thought their capacity to maintain their workload was adversely affected by participating. Outcomes were considerable given the modest nature of the program. Notable outcomes were that most participants published their research and presented their research at a conference. Furthermore, one-fifth of survey respondents had enrolled in higher degrees. Several interviewees reported that their research led to changes in practice. Most respondents found the RDP valuable and considered that undertaking the program increased their research knowledge.
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Moreira, Conrad, Kate Svoboda, Ann Poulos, Richard Taylor, Andrew Page, and Mary Rickard. "Comparison of the validity and reliability of two image classification systems for the assessment of mammogram quality." Journal of Medical Screening 12, no. 1 (March 1, 2005): 38–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1258/0969141053279149.
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Objective: To compare the reliability and validity of two classification systems used to evaluate the quality of mammograms: PGMI ('perfect', 'good', 'moderate' and 'inadequate') and EAR ('excellent', 'acceptable' and 'repeat'). Setting: New South Wales (Australia)population-based mammography screening programme (BreastScreen NSW). Methods: Thirty sets of mammograms were rated by 21 radiographers and an expert panel. PGMI and EAR criteria were used to assign ratings to the medio-lateral oblique (MLO) and cranio-caudal (CC) views for each setof films. Inter-observer reliability and criterion validity (compared with expert panel ratings) were assessed using mean weighted observed agreement and kappa statistics. Results: Reliability : Kappa values for both classification systems were low (0.01–0.17). PGMI producedsignificantly higher values than EAR. Agreement between raters was higher using PGMI than EAR for the MLO view (77% versus 74%, P<0.05), but was similar for the CC view. Dichotomized ratings ('acceptable' or 'needs repeating') did not improve reliability estimates. Validity : Kappavalues between raters and the reference standard were low for both classification systems (0.05–0.15). Agreement between raters and the reference standard was higher using PGMI than EAR for the MLO view (74% versus 63%), but was similar for the CC view. Dichotomized ratings of the MLOview showed slightly higher observer agreement. Conclusions: Both PGMI and EAR have poor reliability and validity in evaluating mammogram quality. EAR is not a suitable alternative to PGMI, which must be improved if it is to be useful.
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Hearnshaw, H., P. F. Arthur, P. J. Kohun, and R. Barlow. "Evaluation of Hereford and first-cross cows on three pasture systems. II. Growth of Hereford and Brahman sired calves out of mature cows." Journal of Agricultural Science 122, no. 1 (February 1994): 131–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0021859600065874.
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SUMMARYThe preweaning growth of the progeny of mature cows grazing high, medium or low quality pasture was evaluated. The cows were 5–9 years of age at the beginning of the study and were either purebred Hereford (H x H), first-cross Brahman x Hereford (B x H), Simmental x Hereford (S x H) or Friesian x Hereford (F x H). Hereford and Brahman bulls were mated to these cows for three mating seasons commencing in 1982, at Grafton, New South Wales, Australia. Records on 634 calves born over three consecutive years were used.Most traits were subject to significant sire breed or dam breed effects or their interactions with one or more of the other main effects (pasture, year of birth of calf, cow age and sex of calf). The incidences of calving difficulty and stillbirths were exceptions. Stillbirths (mean of 3·8%) were not affected by any of the effects studied, while calving difficulty was affected only by sex of calf effect (males, 3·9%; females, 0·8%). The mean calving date of Brahman-sired calves was 11·4 days later (P < 0·05) than that of Hereford-sired calves. Differences between Brahman-sired and Hereford-sired calves for weaning weight were not significant for S x H (Brahman, 237 kg; Hereford, 232 kg) and FxH (Brahman, 238kg; Hereford, 238kg) dams. For HxH dams however, calves sired by Brahman were heavier at weaning (205 kg) than those sired by Hereford (193 kg) bulls, while for B x H dams the reverse was true (Brahman, 222 kg; Hereford, 231 kg). For calves with B x H dams average daily gain (ADG) was the same (957 g/day) for each sire breed, while for the other dam breeds, Brahman-sired calves had a higher ADG than Hereford-sired calves (862 v. 779, 1014 v. 946 and 1022 v. 950 g/day for H x H, S x H and FxH, respectively). Calves sired by Brahman bulls had > 90% eyelid pigmentation while Hereford-sired calves had 44–74%. On high quality pasture, the weaning weights and ADG of calves of F x H and S x H dams were higher than those of B x H and HxH dams. On medium quality pasture, weaning weight of calves of crossbred dams (B x H, S x H and FxH) were similar but higher than those of H x H dams. On low quality pasture, mean weaning weight of calves of B x H was higher than those of S x H and F x H dams, which in turn, were higher than that of H x H dams.
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Neil, Sarah, Kylie Murphy, and Glenda Chapman. "The Health Literacy Environment of a Regional Australian Elective Surgery Access Unit: consumer perspectives from pre-admission to post-discharge." Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management 14, no. 2 (July 21, 2019): 49–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.24083/apjhm.v14i2.259.
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Background: Healthcare services should conscientiously ensure their health literacy environment (HLE) supports wayfinding, and provides comprehensible health information. Despite the increasing focus on the importance of evaluating and enhancing the HLE, consumer perspectives about HLE barriers and enablers have received limited attention in the published literature.
Objective: This study aimed to identify barriers and enablers in the HLE of the Elective Surgery Access Unit (ESAU) at Albury Wodonga Health in regional south-east Australia.
Methods:Three consumers participated in the study. Two of these participants completed a wayfinding interview, verbalizing the barriers and enablers encountered during wayfinding from the nearest carpark to the ESAU. All participants reviewed samples of written materials for ESAU consumers. Two participants, who had been discharged, commented on whether any important information was overlooked, from a post-discharge perspective. The data was categorized into inter-related themes within broader overarching domains.
Results:The helpfulness of the physical environment was one domain, involving three themes: signage, parking, and visual cues. The helpfulness of written information was another domain, involving three themes: comprehensiveness, readability and relevance. A third overlapping domain was: the importance of verbal information-giving. This domain also involved three themes: the importance of a phone number to seek assistance, a clearly identifiable reception area, and in-person communication.
Conclusions: The insights of these three service users can inform health services trying to enhance access for everyone needing healthcare. If more Australian health services reviewed their HLE, the findings could inform organizational improvements towards safer, more efficient, and higher quality healthcare.
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Culvenor, R. A., J. T. Wood, A. L. Avery, W. Dempsey, S. E. McDonald, G. Ronnfeldt, and P. E. Veness. "Multi-site evaluation on acid soils of a Phalaris aquatica × P. arundinacea × P. aquatica backcross population bred for acid soil tolerance." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 55, no. 6 (2004): 681. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar03262.
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Half-sib families in the AT98 Phalaris aquatica × P. arundinacea × P. aquatica backcross population bred for acid soil tolerance were compared for establishment, persistence, and yield with phalaris (P. aquatica L.) controls and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L. cv. Porto) at 4 sites in south-eastern Australia with the aim of selecting the parents of a new cultivar. The sites had strongly acid soils but differed in parent material, pH profile, soil fertility, and suitability for phalaris. Establishment by AT98 was clearly superior to all phalaris controls and similar to cocksfoot in an acid soil high in Al to depth at Chiltern, north-eastern Victoria, after sowing in early spring 2000. It was considered likely that better establishment by AT98 was due to its higher Al tolerance. In contrast, little variation in establishment was observed at 3 other sites sown in late autumn 1999, possibly due to a longer period free of moisture stress compared with the later sown Chiltern site. Once established, the control cultivars of phalaris at the autumn-sown sites in general persisted and yielded similarly to the mean of the AT98 families. Significant family variation was observed and predicted heritability on a family mean basis was high for persistence measured as basal frequency and moderately high for yield in the third year. Family by site interaction was relatively low for both attributes. A cultivar based on the best families should give more reliable establishment on acid soils high in Al under conditions where rapid root growth to depth is needed for survival, and give more flexibility of sowing date on these soils. Its best performance relative to cv. Landmaster in terms of third-year yield was predicted to occur on granite-derived soils in north-eastern Victoria.
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Somaratne, Nara. "Characterization of the Effects of Redox Condition on Fe(III)/Fe(II) Transformation in a Small Karstic Aquifer: Poocher Swamp Freshwater Lens, South Australia." Environment and Natural Resources Research 6, no. 3 (September 28, 2016): 134. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/enrr.v6n3p134.
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<p class="1Body">The presence of iron in potable water supply aquifers poses a major water quality problem and may render the supply unsuitable for domestic or industrial uses, unless appropriate treatments is undertaken. Evaluation of redox conditions in groundwater is a prerequisite for studies involving Fe(III)/Fe(II) transformation in aquifers. This study characterizes the redox conditions, geochemical evolution and distribution of iron in a small karstic freshwater aquifer, the Poocher Swamp freshwater lens, located in south-east of South Australia. The freshwater lens is formed as a result of flows from Tatiara Creek that enter Poocher Swamp and recharge the aquifer through two sinkholes located in the northwest section of the swamp. Stable isotopes of water molecules, δ<sup>2</sup>H<em> </em>and δ<sup>18</sup>O, indicate that both Tatiara Creek and Poocher Swamp waters are isotopically more enriched due to evaporation than the pristine water of the aquifer. The Na<sup>+</sup>/Cl<sup>-</sup> ion ratio >0.85 for Tatiara Creek, Poocher Swamp and wells within the lens suggest additional sodium source(s) are involved in the evolution of groundwater chemistry. This study use redox potential, dissolved oxygen (DO) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) contents to describe Fe(III)/Fe(II) transformation in the groundwater, and relate this to iron distribution within the lens. Three distinct redox zones are present in the freshwater lens; anoxic zone up to one kilometre from Poocher Swamp where dissolved oxygen (DO) is <1 mg.L<sup>-1</sup>, redox potential (Eh) <100 mV, and iron (Fe) in groundwater 2.3-9.3 mgL<sup>-1</sup>. Following the anoxic zone is the suboxic zone (from 1to1.5 km from Poocher Swamp), where DO is <1 mg.L<sup>-1</sup>, Eh is about 110-275 mV and Fe is 0.4-0.6 mg.L<sup>-1</sup>. The oxic zone is 1.5 to 2.3 km from Poocher Swamp and is characterized by high DO (2-4 mg.L<sup>-1</sup>), higher Eh (>300 mV) and low in Fe (<0.015 mg.L<sup>-1</sup>). Only 0.4 km<sup>2</sup> of the 13 km<sup>2</sup> area of the freshwater lens is oxygenated, thus limiting further developments of the lens as potable water supply source.</p>