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Children in social research: do higher payments encourage participation in riskier studies?
No full textThe MESSI (Managing Ethical Studies on Sensitive Issues) study used hypothetical scenarios, presented via a brief online survey, to explore whether payment amounts influenced Australian children and young people to participate in social research of different sensitivity. They were more likely to participate in the lower sensitivity study than in the higher at all payment levels (A30, or $100). Offering payments to children and young people increased the likelihood that they would agree to participate in the studies and, in general, the higher the payments, the higher the likelihood of their participating. No evidence of undue influence was detected: payments can be used to increase the participation of children and young people in research without concerns of undue influence on their behavior in the face of relatively risky research. When considering the level of payment, however, the overriding consideration should be the level of risk to the children and young people
Developing robust standardised analytical procedures for cannabinoid quantification: laying the foundations for an emerging cannabis-based pharmaceutical industry
No full textDNA barcoding a unique avifauna: an important tool for evolution, systematics and conservation
No full textBackground: DNA barcoding utilises a standardised region of the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene to identify specimens to the species level. It has proven to be an effective tool for identification of avian samples. The unique island avifauna of New Zealand is taxonomically and evolutionarily distinct. We analysed COI sequence data in order to determine if DNA barcoding could accurately identify New Zealand birds.
Results: We sequenced 928 specimens from 180 species. Additional Genbank sequences expanded the dataset to 1416 sequences from 211 of the estimated 236 New Zealand species. Furthermore, to improve the assessment of genetic variation in non-endemic species, and to assess the overall accuracy of our approach, sequences from 404 specimens collected outside of New Zealand were also included in our analyses. Of the 191 species represented by multiple sequences, 88.5% could be successfully identified by their DNA barcodes. This is likely a conservative estimate of the power of DNA barcoding in New Zealand, given our extensive geographic sampling. The majority of the 13 groups that could not be distinguished contain recently diverged taxa, indicating incomplete lineage sorting and in some cases hybridisation. In contrast, 16 species showed evidence of distinct intra-species lineages, some of these corresponding to recognised subspecies. For species identification purposes a character-based method was more successful than distance and phylogenetic tree-based methods. Conclusions: DNA barcodes accurately identify most New Zealand bird species. However, low levels of COI sequence divergence in some recently diverged taxa limit the identification power of DNA barcoding. A small number of currently recognised species would benefit from further systematic investigations. The reference database and analysis presented will provide valuable insights into the evolution, systematics and conservation of New Zealand birds
Pokémon Go-ing or staying: exploring the effect of age and gender on augmented reality game player experiences in public spaces
No full textWhile the benefits of play and discovery in cities have been widely discussed, the impact of augmented reality games, such as Pokémon Go, induced urban discovery on different demographics and their impact on perceptions of public spaces is yet to be studied. This paper examines the perceptions and usage of public spaces by different demographics of augmented reality gamers. The study finds that there are several statistically significant differences between the experiences of men and women, and players of different ages playing Pokémon Go in public spaces in Australia, particularly in their mobility, sense of marginalization and sense of place
DNA paternity testing indicates unexpectedly high levels of self-fertilisation in macadamia
No full textThe recently domesticated nut crop macadamia is partially self-incompatible. Variation in the capacity for self-fertilisation is likely to have significant consequences, both for commercial nut production and the conservation of native populations. Molecular paternity testing using 11 microsatellite markers was conducted on open-pollinated seedling progeny of cultivar ‘741’, and mature kernel from eight different cultivars, seven of which have been used in previous self- and cross-pollination studies. The study was based in a varietal trial plot containing 40 different cultivars. Paternity was assigned to 92% of seedlings and 87% of kernel assessed. For four cultivars, selfing rates of 20–40% were detected. Estimates of relatedness between cultivars indicate a first-degree relationship between the two most widely grown cultivars in Australia, ‘741’ and ‘344’, at the level of fullsib or parent-offspring. Insight into the breeding system of macadamia is likely to have major implications for landscape and orchard-scale management. Our results point to significant differences in the capacity for self-fertilisation between cultivars and provide new molecular evidence of pollen flow under orchard conditions
Waste to watt: Anaerobic digestion of wastewater irrigated biomass for energy and fertiliser production
No full textThis study aimed to investigate the potential of energy crops for biomethaneproduction by examining the influence of abattoir and municipal wastewater irrigation on biomass production and the Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP). The experiments covered seven energy crops including sugar beet, alfalfa, maize, giant reed, napier grass, sunflower and canola. The biomass was harvested at three months of planting and BMP of each energy crops was assessed using anaerobic digestion. Giant reed yielded the highest biomass (22.3 t ha−1) from A800 treatment compared to the other species. The best performance for BMP (793.56 Nml CH4 g VS−1) was recorded for maize biomass irrigated with abattoir wastewater which is equivalent to gross energy yield 1041 GJ ha−1 yr−1 or electricity yield 284.8 MW h ha−1 yr−1. The digestate samples collected after anaerobic digestion of biomass from plants were analysed for their nutrient value. Nutrient content of digestates varied between energy crops, waste water sources and irrigation levels. The highest nitrate content was measured for giant reed (A800) and phosphate and sulphate contents for sugar beet leaf (A800). The results indicated that wastewater sources can be used to grow energy crops, thereby producing biomethane for energy and digestate for plant nutrition through anaerobic digestion process
Lifetime prevalence of exostoses in New Zealand surfers
No full textINTRODUCTION: External auditory exostosis (EAE) is a benign, irreversible bony outgrowth that arises from the temporal bone. EAE projects into the external ear canal, potentially causing recurrent otitis externa and conductive hearing loss. AIM: To determine lifetime prevalence of EAE in New Zealand (NZ) surfers. METHODS: This study used an online national survey. RESULTS: Respondents were 1376 NZ surfers (recreational = 868, competitive = 508). Mean surfing experience was 16.2 years. Most self-classified as advanced surfers (36.5%), followed by intermediate (30.2%), expert (20.1%) and beginner (13.2%). Surfers reported an average of 214.2 h surfing (28.6% during winter) for the previous year. Overall lifetime prevalence of EAE was 28.9% (32.1% male, 14.6% female P \u3c 0.001), with the highest proportion of EAE was observed bilaterally (21.3%). Competitive surfers reported a significantly (P \u3c 0.001) higher lifetime prevalence of EAE than recreational surfers (45.3% vs. 19.2%). A significantly higher (P \u3c 0.001) lifetime prevalence of EAE was identified as skill level increased (7.1% in beginners to 55.6% in experts) and a two-fold increase (P \u3c 0.001) of EAE in the highest (vs. lowest) quartile of surfing exposure. Neither winter surfing exposure nor which Island surfed were associated with EAE prevalence. DISCUSSION: Although not as prevalent as in previous NZ research using otologic examinations, this study indicated that almost one-third of NZ surfers reported having had a diagnosis of EAE. Regular general practitioner otologic assessment and advice on appropriate prevention strategies for patients who surf may help prevent large lesions, recurrent ear infections and progressive hearing loss
Surface flux and vertical profile of dimethyl sulfide in acid sulfate soils at Cudgen Lake, northern New South Wales, Australia
No full textA dimethyl sulfide (DMS) vertical concentration profile and DMS surface emission flux were quantified in undisturbed acid sulfate soils (ASS) at Cudgen Lake on the north coast of New South Wales, Australia. A deuterated internal standard was used to account for soil adsorption characteristics. The DMS vertical concentration profile increased exponentially from 0.6 m depth to the surface layer. This profile reflected the adsorption properties of the ASS horizons present and the experimentally determined octanol/water partition coefficient for DMS of 1.36, suggesting that DMS would be mobilised in the soil water medium for upward translocation in time due to surface evaporation. The organic material in the oxidised ASS crustal layer had a chemically strong adsorption affinity for DMS, which appeared to restrain its emission from surface soil particles to the atmosphere. The seasonally averaged DMS surface flux estimate from the Cudgen Lake ASS was 9 ng S m−2 min−1, which is relatively low by comparison to DMS fluxes reported from other wetland soils such as salt-marshes and acidic peat bogs. The worldwide annual average DMS emission from ASS was estimated to be 1.14 × 10−3 Tg S, which is globally insignificant by comparison to DMS emission from the world\u27s oceans
Experiential learning in nursing and allied health education: Do we need a national framework to guide ethical practice?
No full textExperiential learning is widely used in health courses to develop students\u27 clinical skills. Students act as models for demonstrations of practical techniques and work in small groups to practise clinical skills. These classes present a number of ethical challenges including removing clothing, physical touch and disclosing personal information. The aim of this study was to ascertain the views of nursing and allied health regulators and professional associations regarding the need for a national framework to facilitate ethical experiential learning in health courses. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted either face-to-face or by phone and their audio-recordings transcribed verbatim for thematic analysis. Students\u27 willingness to participate as models was taken-for-granted by educators. Risks to students\u27 wellbeing were considered minor and outweighed by the benefits of experiential learning. The increasing diversity of students enrolled in health courses has increased awareness of students\u27 rights, including choosing not to participate in some learning activities. Ongoing cycles of curriculum review provided an opportunity to respond to changing social values, including increased collective awareness and respect for, students\u27 rights, cultural diversity, professional standards, and risk/benefit analysis of all student activities. There is a need for a national framework to guide ethical experiential learning in practical classes