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Rice blast in the Indo-Pacific Region impacting food security highlights the need for better biosecurity
Get PDFPlant pests significantly reduce crop yield, which impacts access, availability and food utilisation. Rice is a staple crop for almost half of the world’s population. Asia (including the Indo-Pacific Region, IPR) contributes 90% and consumes 86% of global rice production, but is among the most food-insecure regions in the world, with an increase of 16 million (to 113 million) moderately/severely food-insecure people in the region in the last 5 years. Outbreaks of the rice blast pathogen Pyricularia oryzae in the IPR could significantly affect global food security. Modelling indicates that an extreme case of 80% loss of rice crops across the IPR could increase global rice prices by 50–95%, increasing food insecurity for net exporter countries while creating price shocks in importing countries. This study used the four pillars of food security as a framework to evaluate the impact of rice blast on food availability, access, utilisation, and stability. The objective was to determine if biosecurity measures might be easily implemented to reduce the risk of the disease and increase food security in the region. Biosecurity was claimed as essential for managing rice blast across the pre-border/border/post-border continuum to reduce the risk to food security. Australia and New Zealand may be able to assist with the implementation of biosecurity measures as they are the most significant leaders in this field in the IPR. Regional agencies such as the Asia and Pacific Plant Protection Commission might assist the IPR in identifying threats through intelligence gathering and pathway modelling for pre-border activities. To be effective, the biosecurity system needs all stakeholders to work together
Optimising Long-Range Agricultural Land Use Under Climate Uncertainty
No full textTo address the difficult problem of maintaining profitable and resilient agriculture under a changed climate, long-term prediction and planning are needed. One approach capable of helping with this endeavour is mathematical modelling and optimisation. Using a temporal framework, this paper outlines a spatio-temporal agricultural land use sequencer (STALS) model, where feasible climate-aware annual crop land uses are determined for a real-world case study region, the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area in Australia. The results of this approach identified desirable transitions in land use and changes in the production system. The analysis revealed two differing possibilities of land use: one with a concentrated crop mix, the other more diverse. However, both suggest higher-value crops, such as horticultural species, will maximise regional economic benefit with comparable minimal water usage under climate change. To maintain regional agricultural economic benefit under reduced water availability and increased temperature, a transformation of land use is needed
Expanding the evidence base for the oral narrative inferential comprehension programme: a pilot within a speech-language pathology coaching model
Get PDFA school in Perth sought to evaluate the Oral Narrative Inferential Comprehension (ONIC) programme (Dawes, Citation2017) as a small group inferential comprehension intervention. This clinical research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the programme for Year 1 students with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) when delivered by Education Assistants (EAs). The ONIC (Dawes, Citation2017) has previously been shown as effective when delivered by a SLP. In this research a SLP provided coaching to EAs on the delivery of the ONIC for the duration of the programme within a school term. 16 Year 1 students with DLD took part in the ONIC programme as delivered by two EAs. Students were included in four groups of four students each, with each EA delivering the ONIC programme to two groups. EAs were trained in the ONIC programme delivery and supported through the programme delivery by a school SLP. Results showed that inferential but not literal comprehension skills improved significantly after the programme. These findings are similar to those observed in the original study where the programme was delivered by the SLP (Dawes et al, Citation2019). This preliminary research demonstrates that the ONIC has utility when delivered by EAs within a SLP coaching model
Who Is an Employee? The Unfortunate Tax and Superannuation Legacy of a Transplanted Category
No full textPsychotropic medications versus non-pharmacologic approaches for managing behavioural and psychological symptoms in Australian aged care residents with dementia: general practitioners’ and physicians’ perspectives
No full textThe Abundance, Diversity and Distribution of Marine Communities Across an Inverse Salinity Gradient, Shark Bay UNESCO World Heritage Area, Western Australia
Get PDFHypersaline coastal environments with inverse salinity gradients are globally rare and understudied. My research examined the ecology of marine organisms across an inverse salinity gradient in Shark Bay UNESCO World Heritage Area, Western Australia. Baited remote underwater stereo-videos and environmental DNA were used to assess the relative abundance, diversity and distribution of marine assemblages, with a particular emphasis on fish, within this unique environment
Effects of Additives on the Crystallisation of Solids Contributing to Crystal Arthritis
No full textGout and psuedogout are highly prevalent arthritic conditions, especially for the
elderly. These conditions are associated with the inflammation within joints that
are caused by the formation of crystals. Despite the similar symptoms and name,
the crystals formed within the joint are significantly different with gout being
caused by monosodium urate monohydrate and psuedogout being from a result
of calcium pyrophosphate formation. Although these conditions globally effect
approximately 4% of the world’s population the treatments are limited to mainly
the use of anti-inflammatories or the modification of diet. This research aims to
elucidate the nucleation pathway and/or the effects of various additives on the
crystallisation of these solids. To achieve this multiple techniques were used to
investigate the nucleation of the solids, the resulting morphology as well as both
the vibrational and X-Ray characterisation of the formed particles. These solids
were investigated in various mediums beginning with a sodium chloride solution
and then progressing to a synthetic synovial fluid (with similar ionic components
to a synovial fluid). Monosodium urate monohydrate has been thoroughly re searched regarding the nucleation and growth of the particle, however, there were
few articles investigating the effect of additives. The additives with the strongest
interactions on the formation of these solids are the carboxylic acids which re sulted in various levels of nucleation inhibition as well as evidence of incorporation
of the carboxylic acids into the solids formed. The investigation of calcium py rophosphate revealed a nonclassical nucleation pathway, as determined from the
formation of an amorphous solid prior to the formation of crystalline particles.
Further, the presence of tartaric acid at high concentrations resulted in the for mation of calcium tartrate. Meanwhile, both lysine and d-proline showed some
significant changes to the nucleation pathway with lysine inhibiting the formation
of crystalline solids while d-proline resulted in a slowed formation of the amor phous solids formation. The addition of magnesium ions resulted in changes to
the behaviour of some additives (lysine and lactic acid), with additives tartaric
and lactic acid being possible candidates for further research. Overall, it is clear
that there are some promising additives (such as succinic acid for monosodium
urate monohydrate and tartaric acid for calcium pyrophosphate), requiring more
research, that may ultimately lead to possible therapeutics for these crystal forms
Applying fish wariness to assess impacts of anthropogenic pressures and survey methodology
No full textI demonstrate that behaviour is a sensitive metric for quantifying human impacts on fish at both broad and small scales. Minimum Approach Distance (a measure of wariness) can be used as a complimentary metric to traditional monitoring measures to provide insight into how anthropogenic pressures impact fish assemblage health and ecosystem functionality and can be used to assess the observational bias of new survey methodologies