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Traffic in a nursery: Ship strike risk from commercial vessels to migrating humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in a rapidly developing Australian urban embayment
No full textThe rapid recovery of the Australian humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) population and parallel increase in maritime traffic, has increased the spatial overlap between whales and vessels in Australian waters. Ship strike is a recognized global anthropogenic source of mortality or injury to large whales, and a potentially increasing risk in Australia. However, our understanding and evaluation of this threat to humpback whales around Australia, is hindered by the lack of seasonal whale distribution data in high marine traffic areas. Here, we present five consecutive years (2017–2021) of both north and south migrating humpback whale distribution data to quantify the relative risk of ship strike based on the co-occurrence with commercial ships in Moreton Bay. This marine embayment is home to Australia’s fastest growing container port (The Port of Brisbane) and has recently been identified for its ecological importance to this migrating species. We quantified co-occurrence by multiplying predicted whale and ship densities together to estimate both intra- and inter-annual ship strike risk. Ship strike risk increased during the humpback whale’s southern migration (September-October), coinciding with a substantial habitat shift into the Bay during this time. Groups containing calves were a predominant pod type in Moreton Bay. Given their increased vulnerability to ship strike, this study underscores the need for immediate and effective mitigation actions, such as seasonal vessel speed reductions as well as mariner education and outreach programs
Drama teacher education – a long-view perspective
No full textFrom the mid-twentieth century in Australia there has been a remarkable growth in drama teacher education founded on emerging theory and practice. In this chapter, I explore characteristics of effective drama teacher education, based on my own drama teacher education and my experiences of setting up a greenfield drama teacher education course. In that process, focus groups were used to identify gaps and strengths in knowledge, skills and values. The drama education course designed focused on drama education as field, theory, history and practice. At this point in the twenty-first century, there are signs of shifting priorities in universities and school curriculum implementation that challenge this model of drama teacher education. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic adds complexity. “Traditional” university-based drama teacher education is being tested through innovations observed in Singapore, North America and Turkey. Dilemmas in drama teacher education are contextualised in a discussion of “abyssal thinking” and how drama teacher educators can respond through robust schema for drama teacher education
Hypoiconicity as intentionality
Get PDFThe paper analyses Peirce’s hypoiconicity through the lens of Husserlian intentionality. Peirce’s triple structure of hypoiconicity as resemblance relation, diagrammatical reasoning and metaphoric displacement is shown to require intentional acts in its production and interpretation. Regarding hypoiconicity as a semiotic schematization of Vorstellung, the paper places it in the context of Husserl’s conception of intentionality in which iconicity appears as a stepping-stone towards the skeletonization of resemblance in diagrammatical abstraction and as schematic displacement in metaphor. As such, hypoiconic intentionality is argued to play a role also in Peirce’s community conception of language. The paper’s core claim is that intentionality provides an avenue for revealing hypoiconicity as a major, critical concept of semiotics, functioning as paradigm case for investigating the convergence of semiotics and phenomenology
Pricing European currency options with high-frequency data
Get PDFTechnological innovation has changed the financial market significantly with the increasing application of high-frequency data in research and practice. This study examines the performance of intraday implied volatility (IV) in estimating currency options prices. Options quotations at a different trading time, such as the opening period, midday period and closing period of a trading day with one-month, two months’ and three months’ maturity, are employed to compute intraday IV for pricing currency options. We use the Mincer–Zarnowitz regression test to analyse the volatility forecast power of IV for three different forecast horizons (within a week, one week and one month). Intraday IV’s capability in estimating currency options price is measured by the mean squared error, mean absolute error and mean absolute percentage error measure. The empirical findings show that intraday IV is the key to accurately forecasting volatility and estimating currency options prices precisely. Moreover, IV at the closing period of the beginning of the week contains crucial information for options price estimation. Furthermore, the shorter maturity intraday IV is suitable for pricing options for a shorter horizon. In comparison, the intraday IV based on the longer maturity options subsumes appropriate information to price options with higher accuracy for the longer horizon. Our paper proposes a new approach to accurately pricing currency options using high-frequency data
Seropositivity to Coxiella burnetii in primiparous and multiparous ewes from southern Australia: A cross-sectional study
Get PDFThe role of infectious diseases including coxiellosis in causing poorer reproductive performance of primiparous ewes are not well studied. The aims of this study were to determine if natural exposure to Coxiella burnetii is widespread in breeding ewes and whether seropositivity is associated with poor reproductive performance of primiparous ewes. Seropositivity to Coxiella burnetii was 0.08% (CI95% 0.01, 0.36) in primiparous ewes and 0.36% (CI95% 0.07, 1.14) in mature ewes. Coxiella burnetii was not detected in aborted or stillborn lambs using qPCR. These findings suggest C. burnetii infection was unlikely to be an important contributor to abortion and perinatal mortalities observed for primiparous ewe flocks, and exposure to C. burnetii was not widespread in ewes on farms located over wide geographical region of southern Australia. Whilst ewes on these farms were not an important reservoir for C. burnetii, sporadic zoonotic transmission from sheep is reported and has public health implications
Effect of ilmenite properties on synthetic rutile quality
No full textIlmenite (TiO2 > 52%) can be upgraded to synthetic rutile (TiO2 > 88%) using a reduction and leaching process. Australian ilmenites (FeTiO3) contain variable amounts of titanium dioxide, iron oxide and other impurities. Ilmenites from different deposits can have different physical and chemical properties that affect ilmenite reduction and the final TiO2 content in synthetic rutile (SR). The main aim of this study was to characterise feed ilmenites using a wide range of traditional and advanced analytical techniques and to determine the effects of feed properties on the quality of the SR. Three different ilmenite samples were upgraded to SR using a comparable ilmenite to coal ratio, heating rate, reduction temperature, holding time, cooling temperature and acid leaching parameters. Differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface analysis and sizing analysis data indicated a difference in physical and surface properties among the samples. Head samples had a TiO2 content between 60% and 65% and Fe2O3 content between 25% and 34%. XRF assay by size data confirmed a variation in the content of TiO2, Fe2O3 and impurities among different size fractions. XRD phase analysis indicated the samples were composed of ilmenite, pseudorutile and rutile. SEM morphology studies revealed that ilmenite particle shapes were sub-angular, sub-rounded or rounded. The study found a linear relationship between the metallisation as a result of processing and feed BET surface area. Feed ilmenites with higher BET surface area and fewer impurities resulted in higher SR quality
Maternal depression and early parenting: A comparison between culturally and linguistically diverse and Australian born mothers
No full textObjective:
To examine the risk of perinatal depression, parenting stress and infant sleep practices in Australian culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) women.
Method:
Within the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study, we examined 487 pregnant women of whom 52 were CaLD and 435 non-CaLD. Depression was measured using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. In addition, Parenting Stress Index and infant sleep measures were collected.
Results:
Fewer CaLD women had a depression diagnosis but there were no differences between CaLD and non-CaLD women for perinatal mental health symptoms. More mothers in the CaLD group were bed sharing with their infant during the night at six months; however, bedsharing was only associated with higher parenting stress for non-CaLD mothers.
Conclusions:
Findings suggest both differences in infant sleep parenting practices and in parenting stress but not general emotional wellbeing. Future research is required to replicate these findings
The Scientific Protagonist: A study of character in fiction and drama
Get PDFThe intention of this research project is to present the Scientific Protagonist as a defined character type and valid means of literary analysis, and to explore the potential benefit this concept offers to academic enquiry within theatre and drama regarding the representation of scientific stories in fiction.
I present the concept of the ‘Scientific Protagonist’ as a main character within a fictional narrative that promotes scientific stories, and solves their problems through the non-martial use of scientific knowledge, innovation or invention. Within dramatic texts, this character-type allows the audience or reader an opportunity to access scientific discourse and learning through a relatable character-led journey, promoting interaction between the imagination and scientific stories.
The aim of this research project is to present this concept of the Scientific Protagonist as a valid form of analysis for the critical reading and creation of modern drama and fiction and to demonstrate the interpretive value this concept has to offer in the context of academic interests in the institutions of both theatre and science.
This project draws on primary examples of literary art ranging in origin from Renaissance plays to modern novels and film which highlight the gradual emergence of a ‘Scientific Protagonist’ character-type within our cultural stories in recent centuries. Textual examples of the Scientific Protagonist will demonstrate the critical analysis of this character-type with a methodology of creative practice-led research applied simultaneously with post-modern reading methods appropriated from contemporary performance-theory. This research aims to achieve this presentation through a combined approach of Practice-led research along with the reading and analysis practices of New Historicism and Cultural Materialism. This methodology will be applied to samples of literary art in order to support the argument that the use of a Scientific Protagonist as a concept allows audiences to interact with scientific discourse and topics
Dairy Intake and Parkinson's Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study
No full textBackground
Previous prospective studies highlighted dairy intake as a risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD), particularly in men. It is unclear whether this association is causal or explained by reverse causation or confounding.
Objective
The aim is to examine the association between genetically predicted dairy intake and PD using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR).
Methods
We genotyped a well-established instrumental variable for dairy intake located in the lactase gene (rs4988235) within the Courage-PD consortium (23 studies; 9823 patients and 8376 controls of European ancestry).
Results
Based on a dominant model, there was an association between genetic predisposition toward higher dairy intake and PD (odds ratio [OR] per one serving per day = 1.70, 95% confidence interval = 1.12–2.60, P = 0.013) that was restricted to men (OR = 2.50 [1.37–4.56], P = 0.003; P-difference with women = 0.029).
Conclusions
Using MR, our findings provide further support for a causal relationship between dairy intake and higher PD risk, not biased by confounding or reverse causation. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. © 2022 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Societ
Food waste digestate as a source of nitrogen for the cultivation of Dunaliella salina: Influence on growth and carotenogenesis under hyper osmotic stress
No full textDunaliella salina is well-known for its ability to accumulate high amounts of carotenoids when cultivated under high salinity and high irradiance. However, as with all microalgae, cultivation processes are expensive when synthetic fertilizers are used for cultivation. In this study, we assessed the feasibility of utilizing anaerobic digestate of food waste as a source of nitrogen for the cultivation. Dunaliella salina MUR 8 was cultivated in F-medium with partial to complete replacement of the nitrogen (0–100% digestate nitrogen) source under high salinity (150–250‰) conditions to study both cell growth and carotenogenesis. Further investigation of the physiological response of D. salina was performed under varying irradiance and temperature levels. Maximum growth rate of 0.141 ± 0.022 day−1 and carotenoid content of 3.53 ± 0.47 mg g−1 were achieved at 150‰ salinity and under mild irradiance of 180 µmol photons m−2 s−1, in medium where nitrogen was completely replaced with food waste digestate nitrogen. Higher irradiance above 400 µmol photons m−2 s−1 and higher salinity had combined negative effects on growth and carotenogenesis, reducing growth rate and carotenoid content to 0.047 ± 0.01 day−1 and 1.797 ± 0.37 mg g−1, respectively, due to the NH3–N species present in the digestate. However, under increased irradiation and temperature, in comparison with cultures grown in synthetic medium with nitrate salts as nitrogen source, there was no significant difference in biomass productivity when the strain was cultivated using food waste digestate as sole nitrogen source