Research UNE (University of New England)
Not a member yet
39143 research outputs found
Sort by
Illegal hunting and shooting
No full textIllegal hunting/shooting (and poaching) involves the illegal killing or taking of wildlife. It is a phenomenon which, amongst an array of impacts, has driven some species towards extinction, and can take many forms depending on its location and target. This entry provides a definition of illegal hunting/shooting, placing it within the wider gambit of environmental crimes, and overviews the phenomenon and those involved. The notion of hunters possessing a social licence and their overall motivations are considered, along with consideration of preventive and enforcement measures. Such criminal behaviour is oftentimes difficult to detect and enforce owing to the remoteness of where the offending frequently occurs, and thus there is a lack of both formal and informal guardianship. The entry concludes with a discussion of measures used to promote legal hunting
Reflections on genetic improvement
No full textDr Helen Newton-Turner introduced a powerful model of bringing science into practice by working closely with breeders and the wider industry. This collaboration model has led to considerable achievements in genetic improvement in the Australian animal industries, with efficient genetic evaluation systems being implemented, providing a platform to achieve well defined breeding objectives and the introduction of new technologies such as genomic selection. The same model can be used to foster future development to achieve sustainable further improvements, allowing further technologies such as functional genomics to be used where they add value
Network connectivity between psychological resilience and depression in prostate cancer patients
No full textObjectives: Prostate cancer (PCa) patients often experience depression. One possible buffer against stress‐related depression is psychological resilience (PR), which has been described as heterogeneous in structure, like major depressive disorder (MDD). Although both of these constructs are central to understanding and assisting distressed PCa patients, no data have been reported on how they connect via network arrays at a component and symptom level. Such information has the potential to inform clinical practice with depressed PCa patients. Methods: Using a cross‐sectional design, 555 PCa patients completed the Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9) and the Connor–Davison Resilience Scale (CDRISC). Data were analysed via network analysis. Results: Network analysis indicated that various CDRISC factors interacted with different PHQ‐9 symptoms. For example, trust in one's instincts, tolerance of negative affect, and strengthening effects of stress (CDRISC) was associated with concentration problems and suicidal ideation (PHQ‐9); positive acceptance of change, and secure relationships (CDRISC) was linked to low self‐worth, anhedonia, fatigue/lethargy, motor problems, depressed mood, and concentration and appetite problems (PHQ‐9). Similarly heterogeneous associations were found between individual CDRISC items and PHQ‐9 symptoms. Network analytic figures depict both these sets of associations. Conclusions: As well as confirming the heterogeneous nature of PR and MDD in PCa patients, these findings argue for the further development of ‘individualised’ medicine approaches when working with PCa patients and their experiences of depression
Ecological factors infuencing invasive predator survival and movement: insights from a continental‑scale study of feral cats in Australia
No full textFeral cats (Felis catus) pose a significant global threat to biodiversity, primarily through predation, disease and competition. A key gap in parameterizing models for improving management decisions for feral cat control relates to factors that drive feral cat survival and movement in the wild. Our study objective was to conduct the first continental-scale analysis of survival rates and displacement distances for feral cats. We collated data on 528 feral cats from telemetry studies in naturally-vegetated landscapes across Australia. Using Cox-proportional hazards models, we investigated the effects of sex, presence of larger predators (dingoes, Canis familiarise and introduced foxes, Vulpes vulpes), presence of introduced prey (rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus), body mass, landscape productivity and feral cat density on feral cat survival. We also analysed the efects of sex, body mass and landscape productivity on feral cat displacement using linear mixed model analysis. Feral cat survival was positively associated with presence of dingoes and increasing body mass, whereas there was no clear association between feral cat survival and sex, presence of rabbits, or cat density. Presence of foxes had a strong negative effect on feral cat survival, but the hazard ratio was associated with considerable uncertainty. Net displacement of male feral cats was nearly two times further than that of females, and the proportion of feral cats making long-distance movements was greater in landscapes with low productivity. Increasing body mass of feral cats was positively related to net displacement, with heavier cats moving further. Analysis of metadata from telemetry studies can provide valuable insights into wildlife survival rates and movement behaviour. Our findings will help inform the development of effective management strategies and improve feral cat management for biodiversity conservation
The readiness of accounting students of Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi, Ayutthaya Wasukri Campus towards ASEAN
No full textCausation and improved epidemiological understanding of major clinical syndromes constraining goat production in Lao PDR
No full textThe popularity of goat farming in Lao PDR is constrained by diseases. Information on the type and prevalence of diseases in Lao goats is scattered in both the formal and informal literature, and the actual causes of common clinical syndromes are not known definitively. The situation is exacerbated by a lack of veterinary and extension services in rural areas and clear control strategies. Therefore, the work reported in this thesis was designed with four broad objectives: 1) collate the disparate data on diseases of Lao goats within the context of goat production, marketing systems and the available veterinary services in the country; 2) determine animal-level and herd-level prevalence of common clinical syndromes in Lao goats, to determine risk factors for herd-level occurrence of the most prevalent clinical syndromes; 3) determine causation for important clinical syndromes of goats in Lao PDR (eye infection, proliferative lip and facial lesions and respiratory disease) and pathogen genetic relatedness by conducting phylogenetic analysis; and 4) introduce and establish molecular diagnostic methods relevant to most common goat diseases at the Lao National Animal Health Laboratory (NAHL). Initially a review of the existing literature on goat diseases in Lao PDR was conducted to collate scattered data in the formal and informal literature. Secondly, a monthly survey based on the observations of smallholder goat farmers was conducted over 22 months to identify the prevalence of clinical syndromes and associated risk factors. Then a case-control study was conducted using PCR-based diagnostics and sequencing to identify causative infectious agents for three of the clinical syndromes in Lao goats. Lip and mouth lesions (presented on 12.2% of monthly visits), diarrhoea (9.3%) and eye lesions (9%) were the most prevalent syndromes based on farmer observations. Occurrence of any type of clinical syndrome and eye lesions were positively associated with increasing herd size and provision of salt respectively. The case-control study was used to determine the causation of eye infection, proliferative lip and facial lesions and respiratory disease, but not diarrhoea due to the unavailability of adequate number of samples. The case-control study involved 41 – 50 samples from cases and the same number from matched controls for each syndrome. The main cause of eye infections was infectious keratoconjunctivitis (pinkeye) caused by Mycoplasma conjunctivae. The main cause of proliferative lip and facial lesions was orf (contagious ecthyma, scabby mouth) caused by the orf virus. The main cause of the chronic respiratory syndrome was atypical pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae. These provided the first definitive determination of causation of three important clinical syndromes in Lao goats. The findings of this thesis have important implications for improved disease diagnosis, control and future research to support Lao goat production
Visible Light-Based Three-Dimensional Printing of Drug-Loaded Scaffolds: A Comparative Study of Initiating Systems and Drug Release Profiles
No full textThree-dimensional (3D) printing offers a transformative approach to personalized medicine, particularly in the fabrication of bespoke drug delivery systems. Our previous work showcased the customization of release profiles through intricate channel-pore structures and geometries of 3D printed scaffolds using photoinitiator reversible addition−fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization under UV light. Building upon this foundation, our current study further refines the control of drug release kinetics from 3D printed drug-loaded scaffolds by exploring three different photoreaction mechanisms. We introduce a versatile and widely applicable visible light-based rapid high-resolution 3D printing method, marking a significant departure from traditional high-energy UV light. This shift enables high-resolution printing while addressing constraints associated with high-energy UV light, thereby broadening the scope of accessible materials in 3D printing applications. Our study demonstrates that both the photopolymerization activation mechanism and the design of the interconnected channel-pore structure critically affect the drug release rate and amount. Specifically, the type of photopolymerization significantly influences the cross-linking density and the uniformity of the cross-linked networks, which in turn affect the swelling ratio and the homogeneity of drug distribution within the scaffolds. The drug release profiles showed a clear correlation with scaffold porosity, where higher porosity facilitated greater water ingress and enhanced drug release. However, beyond a certain threshold, further increases in porosity had a negligible impact. These findings highlight the potential of optimizing both the photopolymerization activation mechanism and the design of the interconnected channel-pore structure to control drug release from 3D printed scaffolds for personalized medicine
A Developmental Gene Expression Atlas Reveals Novel Biological Basis of Complex Phenotypes in Sheep
No full textSheep (Ovis aries) represents one of the most important livestock species for animal protein and wool production worldwide. However, little is known about the genetic and biological basis of ovine phenotypes, particularly for those of high economic value and environmental impact. Here, by integrating 1413 RNA-seq samples from 51 distinct tissues across 14 developmental time points, representing early prenatal, late prenatal, neonate, lamb, juvenile, adult, and elderly stages, we built a high-resolution developmental Gene Expression Atlas (dGEA) in sheep. We observed dynamic patterns of gene expression and regulatory networks across tissues and developmental stages. When harnessing this resource for interpreting genetic associations of 48 monogenetic and 12 complex traits in sheep, we found that genes upregulated at prenatal developmental stages played more important roles in shaping these phenotypes than those upregulated at postnatal stages. For instance, genetic associations of crimp number, mean staple length (MSL), and individual birth weight were significantly enriched in the prenatal rather than postnatal skin and immune tissues. By comprehensively integrating GWAS fine-mapping results and the sheep dGEA, we proposed several candidate genes for complex traits in sheep, such as SOX9 for MSL, GNRHR for litter size at birth, and PRKDC for live weight. These results provide novel insights into the developmental and molecular architecture underlying ovine phenotypes
Exploring Liminality Through the Linguistic, Visual, and Material Design of There’s a Ghost in this House
No full textLiminality is a temporal and spatial concept that readers can encounter in various children’s literary texts. In Oliver Jeffers’ There’s a Ghost in This House readers are invited to explore the liminal spaces between what is ‘real’ and ‘not real’ as they engage with the narrator to find the ghost who is said to live in the house. In this article, the combination of linguistic, visual, and material elements in Jeffers’ book are analysed through the lens of liminality. The analysis shows that multimodal grammar resources of negotiation, modality, graduation, and visual resources of colour, vector, and layout create ambiguity about who the ghost in the house really is. It explores the playfulness of the visual and material design and considers how this text might encourage readers to think about how we know what is real. These insights aim to guide educators in developing metalinguistic awareness among children as they read and interpret the text
School readiness priorities and school transition practices: kindergarten teachers’ and primary school teachers’ perceptions
No full textIn this study, 843 kindergarten teachers and 258 primary school teachers in Mainland China were surveyed to investigate their views on school readiness priorities and school transition practices. With few exceptions, both teacher groups rated the examined school readiness priorities and school transition practices as ranging from Very important but not essential to Absolutely essential. Kindergarten teachers attached greater importance to each dimension of school readiness and category of transition practices than primary school teachers. Teachers' educational qualifications played a significant role in explaining differing perceptions of the importance of Motor skills, Interest and engagement, Executive function and self-regulation, and Kindergarten- or school-based events. Teachers' professional rank and monthly income were significantly linked to their prioritisation of Health. Teachers' age was significantly associated with differences in Practical efforts, while monthly income had significant associations with the differentiations in perceiving Classroom practices. Limitations and implications of the study are also discussed