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A Rapid Evidence Review of Interventions to Identify, Prevent, and Address Intimate Partner Violence Experienced by Refugee Women in Post-Settlement Settings
No full textIntimate partner violence (IPV) occurs across cultures with adverse health and social outcomes for women. Refugee women experience additional challenges that hinder help-seeking in post-settlement contexts. The aim of this review was to identify interventions that identify and respond to post-settlement IPV experiences of refugee women. An electronic search was undertaken, between May and June 2022, of the following databases: Scopus, PsycINFO, Proquest, Web of Science, PubMed, and PTSDpubs for publications. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. This rapid evidence review using narrative synthesis identified seven studies from six databases. Four narratives for interventions for refugee women in post-settlement settings were identified: (1) working across cultural barriers; (2) gender inequality as a barrier to accessing IPV interventions; (3) understanding rights, responsibilities, systems, and supports are central; and (4) coordinated responses are essential to interventions. Cultural barriers and gender inequality were identified as hindering the implementation of IPV interventions. Interventions aimed to ensure refugees understood post-settlement rights, responsibilities, systems, and supports are warranted. Furthermore, when language barriers were overcome, coordinated service responses produced favorable outcomes for refugee women experiencing IPV. The results identified possible means of addressing challenges to IPV interventions with refugee communities including overcoming language barriers, enacting cultural responsiveness, addressing pre-and post-migration stressors, and providing education to support women to understand rights, responsibilities, and post-settlement systems. Future research, practice, and policy should consider coordinated service responses for IPV interventions with refugee women in post-settlement settings.</p
Advancement in Converter Topology, Control, and Power Management: Magnetic Linked Power Converter for Emerging Applications
No full textThe magnetic linked converter plays a significant role in the power electronics industry due to its merits of being flexible to control, the high efficiency of power transmission, the performance of galvanic isolation, etc. These features make magnetic linked converter a prominent candidate for an effective interface for renewable energy integration to the traditional power grid, more electric aircraft applications, electric vehicle charging implementation, etc. The traditional controller of the magnetic linked converter is the linear control method which cannot ensure smooth bidirectional power routing and a high level of decoupling especially for the electric vehicle charging application. In the worst-case scenario, the traditional controllers can be fully saturated and cause severe system-wide unbalancing issues. Recently, the magnetic linked converter technology with advanced control decisions has been adopted for the electric vehicle charging application. The magnetic linked converter technology for electric vehicle charging applications provides a higher degree of control flexibility to supply multiple loads simultaneously in terms of soft-switching ability, galvanic isolation, and high-density power transmission. With regard to the control methods, numerous advanced controls are developed and proposed for the magnetic linked converter to ensure robust voltage control, smooth bidirectional power routing control, and high degree of decoupling to avoid any control interactions up to date. There have been a few review studies on the converter topology, control, and power management for magnetic-linked power converters for future for renewable energy integration to the traditional power grid, more electric aircraft applications, and electric vehicle charging implementation in the literature. However, a detailed review of magnetic-linked power converter topologies, controls, and power management on these applications is still limited in terms of a variety of power electronic interfaces with appropriate controls and power management. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive review with a more specific assessment of the variety of magnetic-linked power electronic interfaces with controls and power management for the widespread emerging applications.</p
The influence of service quality on student satisfaction and student loyalty in Vietnam: the moderating role of the university image
No full textPurposeImproving service quality, student satisfaction and student loyalty is important to higher education institutions’ sustainable growth. The objectives of this study are a twofold: first, the study seeks to determine the dimensions of higher education service quality with a specific focus on Vietnam. Second, it examines how the service quality dimensions impact student satisfaction and student loyalty, with the moderating role of the university image.Design/methodology/approachThis study followed a rigorous procedure, including interviews, a survey, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability analysis to identify higher education service quality dimensions and their measures. After that, using the data obtained from 1,550 university students in Vietnam, confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the identified dimensions and structural equation modeling was used to test a proposed model explaining the outcomes of higher education service quality.FindingsThe findings reveal five dimensions of higher education service quality: academic aspect, nonacademic aspect, programming issues, facilities and industry interaction. Most of these factors have a positive influence on student satisfaction. In addition, the university image moderates the positive relationship between student satisfaction and student loyalty.Practical implicationsThis study’s findings highlight the complexity of service quality in the higher education context and encourage higher education institutions to improve their service quality in image to enhance student satisfaction and loyalty.Originality/valueThis study suggests a unique measure of higher education service quality dimensions and provides fresh insights into how they impact student satisfaction and loyalty in Vietnam.</p
M proteins of group A Streptococcus bind hyaluronic acid via arginine–arginine/serine–arginine motifs
No full textTissue injury, including extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, is a hallmark of group A Streptococcus (GAS) skin infection and is partially mediated by M proteins which possess lectin-like properties. Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan enriched in the cutaneous ECM, yet an interaction with M proteins has yet to be explored. This study revealed that hyaluronic acid binding was conserved across phylogenetically diverse M proteins, mediated by RR/SR motifs predominantly localized in the C repeat region. Keratinocyte wound healing was decreased through the recruitment of hyaluronic acid by M proteins in an M type-specific manner. GAS strains 5448 (M1 serotype) and ALAB49 (M53 serotype) also bound hyaluronic acid via M proteins, but hyaluronic acid could increase bacterial adherence independently of M proteins. The identification of host–pathogen mechanisms that affect ECM composition and cell repair responses may facilitate the development of nonantibiotic therapeutics that arrest GAS disease progression in the skin.</p
Does infection with chytrid fungus influence male advertisement behaviour and colour expression in Brown toadlets?
No full textIn the last four decades, amphibian declines have increased globally, with many species becoming threatened with extinction. These declines have been attributed to habitat loss, overharvesting and the introduction of invasive species, although the most prominent threat to amphibian biodiversity is the emergence of the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Population declines associated with this pathogen are well documented, however, not all amphibian species show declines when infected with Bd, with several species co-existing with the pathogen. This raises the question, what are the sublethal effects of Bd infection? A growing field of research has identified several sublethal impacts of Bd on anuran behaviour such as locomotion and reproduction, but few studies consider interrelationships between Bd and phenotypic traits and environmental factors that are also known to influence anuran behaviour. Furthermore, very few studies consider the sublethal effects of Bd on morphological attributes involved in signalling and communication. Using the Brown toadlet, Pseudophryne bibronii, as a study species, the aims of this thesis were twofold; to firstly investigate the sublethal effect of Bd infection on reproductive investment in calling, relative to other important phenotypic traits and environmental factors, and secondly to investigate the sublethal effect of Bd on colour expression, relative to phenotypic traits known to be associated with colour production. Field observations of P. bibronii were conducted over a period of two weeks, where males’ calls were recorded to measure temporal and spectral parameters of calling investment, and males were photographed to quantify colour parameters from aposematic shoulder patch colouration and a potentially testosterone-mediated throat colouration. Male phenotypic traits of snout-vent length and body condition, and nest site characteristics of soil pH, salinity, moisture and ambient temperature were also recorded. Although a low rate of Bd infection was observed in the study population (10.2%), infected males had more pulsatile calls than uninfected males. This suggests that when P. bibronii males iv become infected they increase reproductive investment. This supports either the terminal investment hypothesis, where diseased individuals increase reproductive investment to ensure fitness contributions, or the parasite manipulation hypothesis, where Bd could be manipulating host males to increase reproduction to facilitate pathogen transmission. In conjunction with Bd, several phenotypic and environmental factors were found to affect calling, with negative relationships observed between snout-vent length and call frequency, and between ambient temperature and call duration. These well-established relationships are suggested to be related to the properties of anuran vocal apparatus. Interestingly, novel relationships between soil pH and the proportion of advertisement calls, and between salinity and call rate were also found. Males increased investment in advertisement calls in lower pH soils, potentially due to favourable nesting conditions, and called at higher rates in soils with higher salinity, potentially indicating a terminal investment response. For P. bibronii colour expression, Bd was found to have no significant effect on either shoulder patch or throat colouration. However, a non-significant trend of Bd-infected males possessing darker throats, possibly associated with higher testosterone levels, than uninfected males was observed. This potentially supports the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis, which postulates that testosterone suppresses the immune system, thus increasing susceptibility to pathogens. Surprisingly, for the phenotypic traits, a negative relationship between snout-vent length and shoulder patch saturation was found, although this may be related to a differential age-dependent investment in aposematism. The present study advances our knowledge of the sublethal impacts of Bd on anurans, with preliminary trends found between Bd and colour expression warranting further research into this emerging field. The finding that males increase reproductive investment when infected with Bd, in conjunction with similar findings in other studies, has the potential to inform future conservation initiatives
Friend or Foe? Investigating Long-Spined Urchins (Centrostephanus rodgersii) as a biogenic ecosystem engineer and potential symbiotic relationships with other invertebrates and fishes.
No full textBiogenic ecosystem engineers play significant roles in providing habitat for other organisms through their own physical structures. In marine ecosystems, benthic organisms are well known to provide sheltered-mediated benefits to a range of taxa. However, mobile benthic organisms like echinoids (Phylum Echinodermata) are rarely studied relative to other sedentary taxa like anemones and corals (Phylum Cnidaria). Considering the previous reports of Australian sea urchin species and their contribution to rocky reef habitats, they provide a perfect opportunity to investigate potential associative relationships with other invertebrates and fish. The long-spined sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii is a native species in New South Wales that is ecologically important due to their ability to modify habitats. Other ecological purposes, like symbiotic associations with other organisms are possible but remain unknown. To examine this hypothesis, our study provided a comprehensive investigation of individual C. rodgersii using observational and experimental approaches to assess the potential of symbiont-mediated sheltering by fish and invertebrates within and adjacent to the structures of C. rodgersii. We sampled C. rodgersii individuals at a site that is primarily an urchin-dominated barren, Bass point, NSW. The presence of an ‘associate’ (i.e. an organism associating with an urchin) was quantified through ten 10 m transect snorkel surveys. In addition, possible symbionts were investigated through deployment of remote underwater videos (RUV) of 32 C. rodgersii individuals for 35 min. Finally, a subset of RUV-sampled C. rodgersii were subjected to an experimental removal and artificial-urchin substitutions protocol, to decern the causal relationship between urchin presence and associates. We found a large guild of associative fauna including reef fish (primarily Lepidoblennius haplodactylos and Aspasmogaster costata), decapod crustaceans (Rhynchocinetes serratus and Pagurus lacertosus), gastropod molluscs (Astraea tentoriiformis and Turbo torquatus) and various other echinoderm species (Ophicomella spp., Phyllacanthus parvispinus and Ptilometa australis). However, the hypothesised drivers of symbiont-associative behaviour (i.e. C. rodgersii test diameter) were not significant predictors in this study. In addition, the experimental manipulation of urchin 3 presence did not influence close associations of individuals with C. rodgersii. Findings suggest that behaviours exhibited from associating individuals seem to be species dependent. Our study is novel in investigating associative behaviours of both invertebrates and fishes as symbionts of C. rodgersii, and provides strong evidence of a variety of relationships of different degrees with sea urchins. However, the nature and predictors of these relationships, as well as the specific benefits received from host and symbiont remain unclear. These findings provide a foundation to understand C. rodgersii as a biogenic ecosystem engineer and indicate the ecological importance of sea urchins beyond habitat modification
The Song Culture of the Endangered Eastern Bristlebird, Dasyornis brachypterus
No full textConservation interventions are increasingly being used to manage populations of threatened species, but they require careful planning, tailored to the species’ requirements, to ensure positive conservation outcomes. The Eastern Bristlebird, Dasyornis brachypterus, is a highly cryptic, semi-flightless songbird confined to three isolated regions along Australia’s east coast. The species has received active conservation management since being listed as endangered nationally in 1999, and as of April 2022, has been subject to the first of three conservation translocations, with the goal of establishing a stable and genetically resilient second population of the species in Victoria. First, I present a literature review discussing how conservation translocations can lead to issues with animal behaviour and highlight the potential consequences this may have for species that rely on social learning to develop behavioural skills and maintain communication pathways. Mechanisms of social learning are particularly important for the oscine passerines, known as the songbirds, who possess unique song cultures that are critical for information sharing, conspecific recognition, and fitness. A systematic literature review conducted to quantify the impact of translocation on song culture produced only four studies, thereby identifying a considerable knowledge gap in the literature when it comes to understanding the impact of the translocation process on culture and sociality. Second, I help to address this knowledge gap by providing the first quantitative study of Eastern Bristlebird song, using a valuable source population located at Bherwerre Peninsula in Jervis Bay, Australia. An extensive database of recordings collected using autonomous acoustic recorders enabled the investigation of song characteristics, singing behaviours, and patterns of geographic variation in song sharing across the extent of the populations range. I found that song sharing was correlated with geographic distance, resulting in nearby individuals sharing a greater proportion of their song type repertoires with one another, than with those situated in distant territories. Consequently, three geographically distinct dialect groups were identified. Interestingly, a consistent species-specific song syntax was present in the population with the ‘introductory’ elements of the song being structurally invariant and culturally stable across sites, and the ‘body’ elements exhibiting greater variability in their acoustic features. Third, I conducted a pilot study to test the efficacy of playback for measuring changes in singing behaviour and song complexity following the removal of individuals for a 4 translocation. I found no detectable changes in either parameter, but difficulties with the experiment design inhibited my ability to make robust conclusions. Nevertheless, this study helped to identify alternative research avenues for which experimental playback may be suitable. In sum, this thesis presents the first study of song culture in the endangered Eastern Bristlebird, provisions new baseline data for future comparative research, and discusses the efficacy of experimental playback techniques in measuring song culture, so as to inform, refine and improve conservation management efforts. The in-depth discussion presented here advocates for the importance of gaining a wholistic overview of the target species acoustic ecology. Only then can species-appropriate methods be used to adequately monitor and manage cultural and acoustic diversity in this highly vocal species. For the Eastern Bristlebird, ongoing conservation management that takes into account the importance of song culture, will hopefully lead to favourable outcomes for this species into the future
Investigating the effect of reproductive seasonality and geographic location on diversity of Symbiodiniaceae in Western Australia in Acropora corals.
No full textSymbiodiniaceae is family of unicellular photosynthetic microalgae which commonly form endosymbiotic relationships with reef-building corals, providing up to 95% of their photosynthetic products to their coral host, contributing a significant portion of the coral’s energy needs. Within the family Symbiodiniaceae there are several named genera, with many genetically distinct ‘types’ or ‘strains’ within each genus. There is a high level of physiological and ecological variation between types, which in many cases allows corals to adapt to local environmental conditions by associating with better suited symbionts. On multiple reefs off the coast of Western Australia there are several coral species in which conspecific colonies spawn in different seasons, and genetic analysis has shown that colonies which reproduce in different seasons represent genetically distinct cohorts. The aim of this thesis was to determine whether genetic variation in Symbiodiniaceae hosted by Acropora species in Western Australia is greatest between (a) different geographical locations, (b) different Acropora species (Acropora millepora and Acropora samoensis), or (c) conspecific individuals which reproduce in different seasons. Low-coverage whole genome sequencing of 49 coral colonies from Ashmore Reef, Barrow Island and Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia was used to investigate patterns in variation of symbionts. Population structure was examined using principal component analysis (PCA) and permutational analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) to find patterns in genetic variation among colonies and statistically test which factors (spawning time, host species identity, and geographic location) were significant influences on this variation. The proportion of different symbiont genera in each sample was also calculated, along with phylogenetic analysis to identify which symbiont types were present. Population structure analysis revealed that the most influential factor on Symbiodiniaceae variation was latitude, with significant differences in genetic composition between northern (Ashmore Reef), and southern (Barrow Island and Ningaloo Reef) sites. There was no detected effect of either coral host species identity or reproductive timing on Symbiodiniaceae composition. >99% of symbiont DNA sequences in each sample were identified as belonging to genus Cladocopium, which is the most widespread genus of symbiont, dominating most Acropora vi communities. Further phylogenetic analysis suggested that the dominant symbiont type in the northern site (Ashmore Reef) was Cladocopium type C40, while the dominant type in both southern sites (Ningaloo Reef and Barrow Island) was Cladocopium type C123. This is the first study to find differences in the dominant symbiont type in conspecific Acropora corals between locations of varying latitude in Western Australia. The most probable cause of this difference is the variation in environmental conditions between sites, with temperature and light availability being the most common predictors of Symbiodiniaceae distribution. Future studies could include investigation into how these environmental conditions vary between these locations, and whether there are other Symbiodiniaceae types present in smaller densities which were unable to be detected using the methods in this study
Examining storms, sediment supply, and coastal change within the historical record
No full textBeaches that receive more sediment than can be removed by storm erosion will not recede as the sea level rises from future global warming. This research examines the interplay between sediment supply and the frequency and magnitude of storms within the historical record at Bengello Beach, Moruya, New South Wales. During a series of large storms in May-June 1974, Bengello Beach lost approximately 50% of its sand volume and evidence of this erosion is preserved by a 40+ year beach profile campaign that recorded subsequent sediment accumulation. This historical beach-profile history can be contextualised with the barrier’s stratigraphic record captured by the progradation in the past 7,000 years allowing inferences to be made of larger scale changes. The three main objectives of this study are: 1) Examine the links between river flooding, coastal storms and beach changes during large storm events 2) Determine if the Moruya River is delivering sediment to the beach and 3) Analyse the frequency and magnitude of river flooding, coastal storms and beach changes from the historical record and beyond. This methodological approach will focus on analysing pre-existing datasets including: a 40+ year beach profile dataset, a 34- and 46-year wave buoy dataset from Batemans Bay and Port Kembla, peak discharge from the Moruya River and estuarine hydrodynamic models. While it is common to observe intense rain and river flooding in association with coastal storms, preliminary results from the analyses indicate that no strong correlation exist between the occurrence of high river discharge and high significant wave height. However, estuarine hydrodynamic models indicate that sediment reaching the river mouth during floods appears to coincide with increased coastal accretion. Furthermore, within the wave rider buoy records, differences in the quantity, peak significant wave height, duration and period of moderate to extreme storms were noticed on the seasonal scale in addition to an increasing occurrence of severe events (Hsig 5-6m) which have appeared throughout the record since 2000. In response to the observed trends in storm wave 3 characteristics, the effect of various climatic influences can be inferred. The implications of this study will highlight the sensitivity of coastal barriers to storm erosion and changing storm frequency relationships seen throughout the early 21st century
Lasting Impact: Fire-Affected Mangrove Regeneration in the Clyde River Estuary, Batemans Marine Park
No full textThe 2019-20 bushfire season impacted a range of ecosystems across Australia, including several coastal vegetation types that have not been subject to burning historically. In the Clyde River estuary of southern New South Wales (NSW), mangrove species Avicennia marina and Aegiceras corniculatum were burnt in the Black Summer bushfires. The slow recovery of these poorly fire adapted species reflects the lasting impacts of the event. This study aimed to quantify the ongoing processes, patterns, and capabilities of post-fire mangrove regeneration for both species in the Clyde River estuary. Assessments of fire-affected mangroves were undertaken through field data collection and analysis of remotely sensed aerial imagery. Long term study site Chinamans Point exhibited limited resprouting of severely impacted A. marina, for the third year of monitoring. At Mays Road and Buckenbowra entrance, change detection analyses suggested only 19 – 28% of the total defoliated mangroves exhibited regrowth. Expanses of landward A. marina and A. corniculatum were determined to be dead at both sites, with minimal resprouting observed farther from the terrestrial forest. Dead mangroves were dominantly located at the highest elevations of the upper intertidal zone within all surveyed sites, reflecting the landward position and proximity to fire spread. Mangrove seedlings planted in April at Chinamans Point and Mundarlow Creek were monitored 3 months after placement, and most seedlings had been dislodged from the plots. Natural recruitment of A. marina at these two sites appears to be concentrated at the highest elevations rather than across the entire upper intertidal zone. The results from this study emphasize the need to trial different planting methodologies to improve future success rates. A. marina and A. corniculatum have shown some capability in recovering from a severe bushfire, although resprouting is not prevalent across sites and is occurring on a slower timescale than typical of fire-adapted ecosystems. Resprouting was observed in both species, although resprouting A. marina were more common than A. corniculatum across surveyed sites. The results of this study can offer insights into the resilience of mangroves in recovering from extreme disturbance events and inform longer-term management of mangrove communities