Genetic associations at 53 loci highlight cell types and biological pathways relevant for kidney function
- Pattaro, C, Teumer, A, Gorski, M, Chu, A.Y., Li, M, Mijatovic, V, Garnaas, M, Tin, A, Charchar, Fadi
- Authors: Pattaro, C , Teumer, A , Gorski, M , Chu, A.Y. , Li, M , Mijatovic, V , Garnaas, M , Tin, A , Charchar, Fadi
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nature Communications Vol. 7, no. (2016), p. 1-19
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Reduced glomerular filtration rate defines chronic kidney disease and is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), combining data across 133,413 individuals with replication in up to 42,166 individuals. We identify 24 new and confirm 29 previously identified loci. Of these 53 loci, 19 associate with eGFR among individuals with diabetes. Using bioinformatics, we show that identified genes at eGFR loci are enriched for expression in kidney tissues and in pathways relevant for kidney development and transmembrane transporter activity, kidney structure, and regulation of glucose metabolism. Chromatin state mapping and DNase I hypersensitivity analyses across adult tissues demonstrate preferential mapping of associated variants to regulatory regions in kidney but not extra-renal tissues. These findings suggest that genetic determinants of eGFR are mediated largely through direct effects within the kidney and highlight important cell types and biological pathways. © 2016, Nature Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Please note that there are two hundred and six authors for this article and we have included only the Federation University Australia affiliate.
- Authors: Pattaro, C , Teumer, A , Gorski, M , Chu, A.Y. , Li, M , Mijatovic, V , Garnaas, M , Tin, A , Charchar, Fadi
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nature Communications Vol. 7, no. (2016), p. 1-19
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Reduced glomerular filtration rate defines chronic kidney disease and is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), combining data across 133,413 individuals with replication in up to 42,166 individuals. We identify 24 new and confirm 29 previously identified loci. Of these 53 loci, 19 associate with eGFR among individuals with diabetes. Using bioinformatics, we show that identified genes at eGFR loci are enriched for expression in kidney tissues and in pathways relevant for kidney development and transmembrane transporter activity, kidney structure, and regulation of glucose metabolism. Chromatin state mapping and DNase I hypersensitivity analyses across adult tissues demonstrate preferential mapping of associated variants to regulatory regions in kidney but not extra-renal tissues. These findings suggest that genetic determinants of eGFR are mediated largely through direct effects within the kidney and highlight important cell types and biological pathways. © 2016, Nature Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Please note that there are two hundred and six authors for this article and we have included only the Federation University Australia affiliate.
Global optimal trajectory in Chaos and NP-Hardness
- Latorre, Vittorio, Gao, David
- Authors: Latorre, Vittorio , Gao, David
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos Vol. 26, no. 8 (2016), p. 1-14
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper presents an unconventional theory and method for solving general nonlinear dynamical systems. Instead of the direct iterative methods, the discretized nonlinear system is first formulated as a global optimization problem via the least squares method. A newly developed canonical duality theory shows that this nonconvex minimization problem can be solved deterministically in polynomial time if a global optimality condition is satisfied. The so-called pseudo-chaos produced by linear iterative methods are mainly due to the intrinsic numerical error accumulations. Otherwise, the global optimization problem could be NP-hard and the nonlinear system can be really chaotic. A conjecture is proposed, which reveals the connection between chaos in nonlinear dynamics and NP-hardness in computer science. The methodology and the conjecture are verified by applications to the well-known logistic equation, a forced memristive circuit and the Lorenz system. Computational results show that the canonical duality theory can be used to identify chaotic systems and to obtain realistic global optimal solutions in nonlinear dynamical systems. The method and results presented in this paper should bring some new insights into nonlinear dynamical systems and NP-hardness in computational complexity theory. © 2016 World Scientific Publishing Company.
- Authors: Latorre, Vittorio , Gao, David
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos Vol. 26, no. 8 (2016), p. 1-14
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper presents an unconventional theory and method for solving general nonlinear dynamical systems. Instead of the direct iterative methods, the discretized nonlinear system is first formulated as a global optimization problem via the least squares method. A newly developed canonical duality theory shows that this nonconvex minimization problem can be solved deterministically in polynomial time if a global optimality condition is satisfied. The so-called pseudo-chaos produced by linear iterative methods are mainly due to the intrinsic numerical error accumulations. Otherwise, the global optimization problem could be NP-hard and the nonlinear system can be really chaotic. A conjecture is proposed, which reveals the connection between chaos in nonlinear dynamics and NP-hardness in computer science. The methodology and the conjecture are verified by applications to the well-known logistic equation, a forced memristive circuit and the Lorenz system. Computational results show that the canonical duality theory can be used to identify chaotic systems and to obtain realistic global optimal solutions in nonlinear dynamical systems. The method and results presented in this paper should bring some new insights into nonlinear dynamical systems and NP-hardness in computational complexity theory. © 2016 World Scientific Publishing Company.
Global solutions to a class of CEC benchmark constrained optimization problems
- Zhou, Xiaojun, Gao, David, Yang, Chunhua
- Authors: Zhou, Xiaojun , Gao, David , Yang, Chunhua
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Optimization Letters Vol. 10, no. 3 (2016), p. 457-472
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper aims to solve a class of CEC benchmark constrained optimization problems that have been widely studied by nature-inspired optimization algorithms. Based on canonical duality theory, these challenging problems can be reformulated as a unified canonical dual problem over a convex set, which can be solved deterministically to obtain global optimal solutions in polynomial time. Applications are illustrated by some well-known CEC benchmark problems, and comparisons with other methods have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed approach. © 2014, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
- Authors: Zhou, Xiaojun , Gao, David , Yang, Chunhua
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Optimization Letters Vol. 10, no. 3 (2016), p. 457-472
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper aims to solve a class of CEC benchmark constrained optimization problems that have been widely studied by nature-inspired optimization algorithms. Based on canonical duality theory, these challenging problems can be reformulated as a unified canonical dual problem over a convex set, which can be solved deterministically to obtain global optimal solutions in polynomial time. Applications are illustrated by some well-known CEC benchmark problems, and comparisons with other methods have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed approach. © 2014, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
Global solutions to nonconvex optimization of 4th-order polynomial and log-sum-exp functions
- Authors: Chen, Yi , Gao, David
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Global Optimization Vol. 64, no. 3 (2016), p. 417-431
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper presents a canonical dual approach for solving a nonconvex global optimization problem governed by a sum of 4th-order polynomial and a log-sum-exp function. Such a problem arises extensively in engineering and sciences. Based on the canonical duality–triality theory, this nonconvex problem is transformed to an equivalent dual problem, which can be solved easily under certain conditions. We proved that both global minimizer and the biggest local extrema of the primal problem can be obtained analytically from the canonical dual solutions. As two special cases, a quartic polynomial minimization and a minimax problem are discussed. Existence conditions are derived, which can be used to classify easy and relative hard instances. Applications are illustrated by several nonconvex and nonsmooth examples. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.
- Authors: Chen, Yi , Gao, David
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Global Optimization Vol. 64, no. 3 (2016), p. 417-431
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper presents a canonical dual approach for solving a nonconvex global optimization problem governed by a sum of 4th-order polynomial and a log-sum-exp function. Such a problem arises extensively in engineering and sciences. Based on the canonical duality–triality theory, this nonconvex problem is transformed to an equivalent dual problem, which can be solved easily under certain conditions. We proved that both global minimizer and the biggest local extrema of the primal problem can be obtained analytically from the canonical dual solutions. As two special cases, a quartic polynomial minimization and a minimax problem are discussed. Existence conditions are derived, which can be used to classify easy and relative hard instances. Applications are illustrated by several nonconvex and nonsmooth examples. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.
Glyphosate Resistance of C-3 and C-4 Weeds under Rising Atmospheric CO2
- Fernando, Nimesha, Manalil, Sudheesh, Florentine, Singarayer, Chauhan, Bhagirath, Seneweera, Saman
- Authors: Fernando, Nimesha , Manalil, Sudheesh , Florentine, Singarayer , Chauhan, Bhagirath , Seneweera, Saman
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Frontiers in Plant Science Vol. 7, no. (Jun 2016), p. 1-11
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The present paper reviews current knowledge on how changes of plant metabolism under elevated CO2 concentrations (e[CO2]) can affect the development of the glyphosate resistance of C-3 and C-4 weeds. Among the chemical herbicides, glyphosate, which is a non-selective and post-emergence herbicide, is currently the most widely used herbicide in global agriculture. As a consequence, glyphosate resistant weeds, particularly in major field crops, are a widespread problem and are becoming a significant challenge to future global food production. Of particular interest here it is known that the biochemical processes involved in photosynthetic pathways of C-3 and C-4 plants are different, which may have relevance to their competitive development under changing environmental conditions. It has already been shown that plant anatomical, morphological, and physiological changes under e[CO2] can be different, based on (i) the plant's functional group, (ii) the available soil nutrients, and (iii) the governing water status. In this respect, C-3 species are likely to have a major developmental advantage under a CO2 rich atmosphere, by being able to capitalize on the overall stimulatory effect of e[CO2]. For example, many tropical weed grass species fix CO2 from the atmosphere via the C-4 photosynthetic pathway, which is a complex anatomical and biochemical variant of the C-3 pathway. Thus, based on our current knowledge of CO2 fixing, it would appear obvious that the development of a glyphosate-resistant mechanism would be easier under an e[CO2] in C-3 weeds which have a simpler photosynthetic pathway, than for C-4 weeds. However, notwithstanding this logical argument, a better understanding of the biochemical, genetic, and molecular measures by which plants develop glyphosate resistance and how e[CO2] affects these measures will be important before attempting to innovate sustainable technology to manage the glyphosate-resistant evolution of weeds under e[CO2]. Such information will be of essential in managing weed control by herbicide use, and to thus ensure an increase in global food production in the event of increased atmospheric [CO2] levels.
- Authors: Fernando, Nimesha , Manalil, Sudheesh , Florentine, Singarayer , Chauhan, Bhagirath , Seneweera, Saman
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Frontiers in Plant Science Vol. 7, no. (Jun 2016), p. 1-11
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The present paper reviews current knowledge on how changes of plant metabolism under elevated CO2 concentrations (e[CO2]) can affect the development of the glyphosate resistance of C-3 and C-4 weeds. Among the chemical herbicides, glyphosate, which is a non-selective and post-emergence herbicide, is currently the most widely used herbicide in global agriculture. As a consequence, glyphosate resistant weeds, particularly in major field crops, are a widespread problem and are becoming a significant challenge to future global food production. Of particular interest here it is known that the biochemical processes involved in photosynthetic pathways of C-3 and C-4 plants are different, which may have relevance to their competitive development under changing environmental conditions. It has already been shown that plant anatomical, morphological, and physiological changes under e[CO2] can be different, based on (i) the plant's functional group, (ii) the available soil nutrients, and (iii) the governing water status. In this respect, C-3 species are likely to have a major developmental advantage under a CO2 rich atmosphere, by being able to capitalize on the overall stimulatory effect of e[CO2]. For example, many tropical weed grass species fix CO2 from the atmosphere via the C-4 photosynthetic pathway, which is a complex anatomical and biochemical variant of the C-3 pathway. Thus, based on our current knowledge of CO2 fixing, it would appear obvious that the development of a glyphosate-resistant mechanism would be easier under an e[CO2] in C-3 weeds which have a simpler photosynthetic pathway, than for C-4 weeds. However, notwithstanding this logical argument, a better understanding of the biochemical, genetic, and molecular measures by which plants develop glyphosate resistance and how e[CO2] affects these measures will be important before attempting to innovate sustainable technology to manage the glyphosate-resistant evolution of weeds under e[CO2]. Such information will be of essential in managing weed control by herbicide use, and to thus ensure an increase in global food production in the event of increased atmospheric [CO2] levels.
Group decision making in health care : A case study of multidisciplinary meetings
- Sharma, Vishakha, Stranieri, Andrew, Burstein, Frada, Warren, Jim, Daly, Sharon, Patterson, Louise, Yearwood, John, Wolff, Alan
- Authors: Sharma, Vishakha , Stranieri, Andrew , Burstein, Frada , Warren, Jim , Daly, Sharon , Patterson, Louise , Yearwood, John , Wolff, Alan
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Decision Systems Vol. 25, no. (2016), p. 476-485
- Full Text:
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- Description: Abstract: Recent studies have demonstrated that Multi-Disciplinary Meetings (MDM) practiced in some medical contexts can contribute to positive health care outcomes. The group reasoning and decision-making in MDMs has been found to be most effective when deliberations revolve around the patient’s needs, comprehensive information is available during the meeting, core members attend and the MDM is effectively facilitated. This article presents a case study of the MDMs in cancer care in a region of Australia. The case study draws on a group reasoning model called the Reasoning Community model to analyse MDM deliberations to illustrate that many factors are important to support group reasoning, not solely the provision of pertinent information. The case study has implications for the use of data analytics in any group reasoning context. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
- Authors: Sharma, Vishakha , Stranieri, Andrew , Burstein, Frada , Warren, Jim , Daly, Sharon , Patterson, Louise , Yearwood, John , Wolff, Alan
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Decision Systems Vol. 25, no. (2016), p. 476-485
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Abstract: Recent studies have demonstrated that Multi-Disciplinary Meetings (MDM) practiced in some medical contexts can contribute to positive health care outcomes. The group reasoning and decision-making in MDMs has been found to be most effective when deliberations revolve around the patient’s needs, comprehensive information is available during the meeting, core members attend and the MDM is effectively facilitated. This article presents a case study of the MDMs in cancer care in a region of Australia. The case study draws on a group reasoning model called the Reasoning Community model to analyse MDM deliberations to illustrate that many factors are important to support group reasoning, not solely the provision of pertinent information. The case study has implications for the use of data analytics in any group reasoning context. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Herbivory and fire interact to affect forest understory habitat, but not its use by small vertebrates
- Foster, Claire, Barton, Philip, Sato, C. F., Wood, J. T., Macgregor, C. I., Lindenmayer, David
- Authors: Foster, Claire , Barton, Philip , Sato, C. F. , Wood, J. T. , Macgregor, C. I. , Lindenmayer, David
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Animal Conservation Vol. 19, no. 1 (2016), p. 15-25
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Herbivory and fire are two disturbances that often co-occur, but studies of their interactive effects are rare outside of grassland ecosystems. We experimentally tested the interactive effects of prescribed fire and macropod herbivory on forest understory vegetation and its vertebrate fauna. Fire and herbivory interacted synergistically to affect forest understory vegetation, with palatable plants showing poor post-fire recovery in unfenced sites compared with herbivore exclusion sites. Despite this strong interactive effect on vegetation, small vertebrates responded to the individual, and not the interactive effects of disturbance. The native insectivorous mammal Antechinus stuartii was more frequently encountered on large herbivore exclusion sites, as was the introduced European rabbit. In contrast, the small skink Lampropholis delicata was more common on sites with high densities of large herbivores. Skinks, snakes and European rabbits were also more active on burnt than unburnt sites. Our results suggest that it may be necessary to manage the macropod herbivore population after fire to prevent the decline of palatable plants, and maintain the dense habitat required by some small mammals. However, as the invasive rabbit was most active in macropod-free sites after fire, any management must include control of both types of herbivores. A mix of understory densities may also need to be maintained to ensure the persistence of species preferring more open habitats. Our study demonstrates that interactive effects of disturbance on vegetation communities may not lead to predictable effects on animals, and highlights the importance of considering both multiple stressors, and multiple species, in the management of disturbance regimes. © 2016 The Zoological Society of London.
- Authors: Foster, Claire , Barton, Philip , Sato, C. F. , Wood, J. T. , Macgregor, C. I. , Lindenmayer, David
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Animal Conservation Vol. 19, no. 1 (2016), p. 15-25
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Herbivory and fire are two disturbances that often co-occur, but studies of their interactive effects are rare outside of grassland ecosystems. We experimentally tested the interactive effects of prescribed fire and macropod herbivory on forest understory vegetation and its vertebrate fauna. Fire and herbivory interacted synergistically to affect forest understory vegetation, with palatable plants showing poor post-fire recovery in unfenced sites compared with herbivore exclusion sites. Despite this strong interactive effect on vegetation, small vertebrates responded to the individual, and not the interactive effects of disturbance. The native insectivorous mammal Antechinus stuartii was more frequently encountered on large herbivore exclusion sites, as was the introduced European rabbit. In contrast, the small skink Lampropholis delicata was more common on sites with high densities of large herbivores. Skinks, snakes and European rabbits were also more active on burnt than unburnt sites. Our results suggest that it may be necessary to manage the macropod herbivore population after fire to prevent the decline of palatable plants, and maintain the dense habitat required by some small mammals. However, as the invasive rabbit was most active in macropod-free sites after fire, any management must include control of both types of herbivores. A mix of understory densities may also need to be maintained to ensure the persistence of species preferring more open habitats. Our study demonstrates that interactive effects of disturbance on vegetation communities may not lead to predictable effects on animals, and highlights the importance of considering both multiple stressors, and multiple species, in the management of disturbance regimes. © 2016 The Zoological Society of London.
Higher education massification and pedagogic adaptation : An investigation of business teaching excellence in inclusive university environments
- Authors: Baker, Adam
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Massification, a phenomenon driven by both the collective aspirations of citizens and governmental encouragement of a highly skilled workforce, is revolutionising the field of higher education. The student body, particularly in widened participation universities, has expanded in number and diversity increasing the demands on HE institutions and their teaching staff. Australian business school graduates are expected to drive national success in fast-changing, globally competitive business environments. This qualitative study investigates characteristics of teaching excellence in widened-participation teaching environments in Australian business schools. The recency of the massification phenomenon has meant theoretical conceptualisations are sparse so Grounded Theory was used to generate new theory. Using university entry scores as a surrogate for an academically inclusive student cohort, 23 award winning teachers from the business schools of eight universities were interviewed. These exemplary business educators displayed strong similarities in terms of their approach to teaching. Seven dimensions of diversity that significantly impact teaching within a widened-participation environment were identified. This thesis argues that alignment between the diversity of cohort and both the type of educators and the pedagogic strategies they employ is the key to unlocking teaching excellence within widened-participation universities, thus giving rise to the notion of context mediated pedagogy and the associated conceptual model. Findings from this study are significant because extreme student diversity is now the norm in many university environments and a better understanding of teaching excellence may offer specific insights for policymakers, academic leaders and educators seeking to adapt pedagogy for the massified HE environment. Improving teaching quality in these widened-participation universities has the power to significantly impact on individual student success, whilst driving innovation on the global stage.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Baker, Adam
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Massification, a phenomenon driven by both the collective aspirations of citizens and governmental encouragement of a highly skilled workforce, is revolutionising the field of higher education. The student body, particularly in widened participation universities, has expanded in number and diversity increasing the demands on HE institutions and their teaching staff. Australian business school graduates are expected to drive national success in fast-changing, globally competitive business environments. This qualitative study investigates characteristics of teaching excellence in widened-participation teaching environments in Australian business schools. The recency of the massification phenomenon has meant theoretical conceptualisations are sparse so Grounded Theory was used to generate new theory. Using university entry scores as a surrogate for an academically inclusive student cohort, 23 award winning teachers from the business schools of eight universities were interviewed. These exemplary business educators displayed strong similarities in terms of their approach to teaching. Seven dimensions of diversity that significantly impact teaching within a widened-participation environment were identified. This thesis argues that alignment between the diversity of cohort and both the type of educators and the pedagogic strategies they employ is the key to unlocking teaching excellence within widened-participation universities, thus giving rise to the notion of context mediated pedagogy and the associated conceptual model. Findings from this study are significant because extreme student diversity is now the norm in many university environments and a better understanding of teaching excellence may offer specific insights for policymakers, academic leaders and educators seeking to adapt pedagogy for the massified HE environment. Improving teaching quality in these widened-participation universities has the power to significantly impact on individual student success, whilst driving innovation on the global stage.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Historic urban landscapes and visualising Ballarat : Citizen participation for sustainable urban planning and design
- Murphy, Angela, Dahlhaus, Peter, Thompson, Helen
- Authors: Murphy, Angela , Dahlhaus, Peter , Thompson, Helen
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings , Conference paper
- Relation: 3rd Annual Conference of Research@Locate, R@Loc 2016; Melbourne, Australia; 12th-14th April 2016; published in CEUR Workshop Proceedings
- Full Text:
- Description: Technological innovation has provided enhanced capacity for knowledge building, for connection and for improved infrastructure planning in the development of the modern city. In parallel to the building of technology supported urban planning and design capacity, a debate has emerged around the need to maximise citizen participation in urban planning. The role of identity, culture and social context has been assessed as being as integral to sustainability in urban planning as is infrastructure management. In 2011 UNESCO, through the mechanism of the recommendation for Historic Urban Landscapes (HUL), created an imperative for the overt recognition of the role of culture, place and identity in sustainable urban planning. The City of Ballarat, Victoria, was the first of a series of international cities to pilot HUL and commit to inclusive citizen based collaboration in urban planning. Through online technology, a platform for partnership building was established. Developed and supported through the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation at Federation University Australia, the HUL and Visualising Ballarat portals track the diversity of urban landscapes-from built environment to geomorphology to cultural identity-and facilitate their inclusion in planning and resource allocation. Crowdsourcing was promoted as pivotal in this process, while spatial innovation provided a means through which to bring to life the notion of distinctiveness, identity and place. Through mapping intangibles across complex and diverse groups within community, the potential for improving the quality and management of the planning process was found to be enhanced. Local Area Planning provided a mechanism for a conceptual alignment of past and present and the voice of community has gained a stronger (and more disruptive) voice in determining what communities' value within their lived environment. This shift was assessed as playing an important, and increasingly recognised, role in sustainable urban planning and design.
- Description: CEUR Workshop Proceedings
- Authors: Murphy, Angela , Dahlhaus, Peter , Thompson, Helen
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings , Conference paper
- Relation: 3rd Annual Conference of Research@Locate, R@Loc 2016; Melbourne, Australia; 12th-14th April 2016; published in CEUR Workshop Proceedings
- Full Text:
- Description: Technological innovation has provided enhanced capacity for knowledge building, for connection and for improved infrastructure planning in the development of the modern city. In parallel to the building of technology supported urban planning and design capacity, a debate has emerged around the need to maximise citizen participation in urban planning. The role of identity, culture and social context has been assessed as being as integral to sustainability in urban planning as is infrastructure management. In 2011 UNESCO, through the mechanism of the recommendation for Historic Urban Landscapes (HUL), created an imperative for the overt recognition of the role of culture, place and identity in sustainable urban planning. The City of Ballarat, Victoria, was the first of a series of international cities to pilot HUL and commit to inclusive citizen based collaboration in urban planning. Through online technology, a platform for partnership building was established. Developed and supported through the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation at Federation University Australia, the HUL and Visualising Ballarat portals track the diversity of urban landscapes-from built environment to geomorphology to cultural identity-and facilitate their inclusion in planning and resource allocation. Crowdsourcing was promoted as pivotal in this process, while spatial innovation provided a means through which to bring to life the notion of distinctiveness, identity and place. Through mapping intangibles across complex and diverse groups within community, the potential for improving the quality and management of the planning process was found to be enhanced. Local Area Planning provided a mechanism for a conceptual alignment of past and present and the voice of community has gained a stronger (and more disruptive) voice in determining what communities' value within their lived environment. This shift was assessed as playing an important, and increasingly recognised, role in sustainable urban planning and design.
- Description: CEUR Workshop Proceedings
Implementation of service systems on the shop-floor level in financial service companies. Empirical evidence from Australia and Germany
- Leyer, Michael, Kronsbein, Daniel, Willis, Richard, Chakraborty, Ayon, Moormann, Jurgen
- Authors: Leyer, Michael , Kronsbein, Daniel , Willis, Richard , Chakraborty, Ayon , Moormann, Jurgen
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Production Research Vol. 54, no. 11 (2016), p. 3229-3242
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This article presents the practices of Australian and German financial service providers regarding the implementation of shop-floor control within different types of service systems. The results delivered in this article should serve as a guideline for future research to develop and adapt methods for shop-floor control in financial service systems. Interviews with 25 experts from the Australian and German financial services industry reveal novel insights into the practice of shop-floor control, suggesting that methods and concepts from manufacturing are only used to a limited extent for shop-floor control. Shop-floor control is mostly used to react quickly to unexpected deviations due to a low usage of forecasts and information systems. Thus, there seems to be improvement potential in the financial services industry in comparison with in the manufacturing industry in terms of shop-floor control. Further research within the production research area should use the empirical insights to test and adapt existing methods and to develop new ones, taking cultural differences into account. © 2015 Taylor & Francis.
- Authors: Leyer, Michael , Kronsbein, Daniel , Willis, Richard , Chakraborty, Ayon , Moormann, Jurgen
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Production Research Vol. 54, no. 11 (2016), p. 3229-3242
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This article presents the practices of Australian and German financial service providers regarding the implementation of shop-floor control within different types of service systems. The results delivered in this article should serve as a guideline for future research to develop and adapt methods for shop-floor control in financial service systems. Interviews with 25 experts from the Australian and German financial services industry reveal novel insights into the practice of shop-floor control, suggesting that methods and concepts from manufacturing are only used to a limited extent for shop-floor control. Shop-floor control is mostly used to react quickly to unexpected deviations due to a low usage of forecasts and information systems. Thus, there seems to be improvement potential in the financial services industry in comparison with in the manufacturing industry in terms of shop-floor control. Further research within the production research area should use the empirical insights to test and adapt existing methods and to develop new ones, taking cultural differences into account. © 2015 Taylor & Francis.
Improving reliability of service operation using FMEA Review and new opportunity for investigations
- Sutrisno, Agung, Gunawan, Indra
- Authors: Sutrisno, Agung , Gunawan, Indra
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: International Conference on Engineering and Technology for Sustainable Development, ICET4SD 2015; Yogyakarta; Indonesia; 11th-12th; IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, Vol. 105 Vol. 105
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Despite its growing contribution to the global economy, investigation on the application status of service FMEA study to support realization of reliable service operation is very limited in literature. Motivated by such situation, the paper presented an initial survey on the status and research gaps in developing and applying FMEA in service sectors. Systematic preliminary survey using specific criteria are undertaken. Our study indicated that development and application of service FMEA are partially addressing the characteristics of service operations and it is still applied into the good deed and profit oriented operations. Opportunities for further investigation pertaining to advancement of its decision supporting tool for service risk appraisal, its modification to cope with sustainability related requirements and application of service FMEA in not for profit oriented operations are presented as new avenues for further investigation
- Authors: Sutrisno, Agung , Gunawan, Indra
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: International Conference on Engineering and Technology for Sustainable Development, ICET4SD 2015; Yogyakarta; Indonesia; 11th-12th; IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, Vol. 105 Vol. 105
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Despite its growing contribution to the global economy, investigation on the application status of service FMEA study to support realization of reliable service operation is very limited in literature. Motivated by such situation, the paper presented an initial survey on the status and research gaps in developing and applying FMEA in service sectors. Systematic preliminary survey using specific criteria are undertaken. Our study indicated that development and application of service FMEA are partially addressing the characteristics of service operations and it is still applied into the good deed and profit oriented operations. Opportunities for further investigation pertaining to advancement of its decision supporting tool for service risk appraisal, its modification to cope with sustainability related requirements and application of service FMEA in not for profit oriented operations are presented as new avenues for further investigation
Improving the understanding of psychological factors contributing to horse-related accident and injury : Context, loss of focus, cognitive errors and rigidity
- DeAraugo, Jodi, McLaren, Suzanne, McManus, Phil, McGreevy, Paul
- Authors: DeAraugo, Jodi , McLaren, Suzanne , McManus, Phil , McGreevy, Paul
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Animals Vol. 6, no. 2 (2016), p. 1-10
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: While the role of the horse in riding hazards is well recognised, little attention has been paid to the role of specific theoretical psychological processes of humans in contributing to and mitigating risk. The injury, mortality or compensation claim rates for participants in the horse-racing industry, veterinary medicine and equestrian disciplines provide compelling evidence for improving risk mitigation models. There is a paucity of theoretical principles regarding the risk of injury and mortality associated with human-horse interactions. In this paper we introduce and apply the four psychological principles of context, loss of focus, global cognitive style and the application of self as the frame of reference as a potential approach for assessing and managing human-horse risks. When these principles produce errors that are combined with a rigid self-referenced point, it becomes clear how rapidly risk emerges and how other people and animals may repeatedly become at risk over time. Here, with a focus on the thoroughbred racing industry, veterinary practice and equestrian disciplines, we review the merits of contextually applied strategies, an evolving reappraisal of risk, flexibility, and focused specifics of situations that may serve to modify human behaviour and mitigate risk.
- Authors: DeAraugo, Jodi , McLaren, Suzanne , McManus, Phil , McGreevy, Paul
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Animals Vol. 6, no. 2 (2016), p. 1-10
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: While the role of the horse in riding hazards is well recognised, little attention has been paid to the role of specific theoretical psychological processes of humans in contributing to and mitigating risk. The injury, mortality or compensation claim rates for participants in the horse-racing industry, veterinary medicine and equestrian disciplines provide compelling evidence for improving risk mitigation models. There is a paucity of theoretical principles regarding the risk of injury and mortality associated with human-horse interactions. In this paper we introduce and apply the four psychological principles of context, loss of focus, global cognitive style and the application of self as the frame of reference as a potential approach for assessing and managing human-horse risks. When these principles produce errors that are combined with a rigid self-referenced point, it becomes clear how rapidly risk emerges and how other people and animals may repeatedly become at risk over time. Here, with a focus on the thoroughbred racing industry, veterinary practice and equestrian disciplines, we review the merits of contextually applied strategies, an evolving reappraisal of risk, flexibility, and focused specifics of situations that may serve to modify human behaviour and mitigate risk.
Incorporating regional-scale ecological knowledge to improve the effectiveness of large-scale conservation programmes
- Kay, G., Barton, Philip, Driscoll, D., Cunningham, S., Blanchard, Wade
- Authors: Kay, G. , Barton, Philip , Driscoll, D. , Cunningham, S. , Blanchard, Wade
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Animal Conservation Vol. 19, no. 6 (2016), p. 515-525
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Land-stewardship programmes are a major focus of investment by governments for conserving biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. These programmes are generally large-scale (e.g. >1000 km) spanning multiple biogeographic regions but developed using spatially limited (e.g. landscape-scale; <100 km) ecological data interpolated across broad areas for one, or a few, well-studied taxonomic groups. Information about how less-studied taxa respond to regional differences in management and environmental effects has potential to further inform land-stewardship conservation programmes, but suitable data sets are rarely available. In this study, we sought to enhance planning of large-scale conservation programmes by quantifying relationships between reptile assemblages and key environmental attributes at regional scales within a large-scale (>172 000 km2) Australian land-stewardship programme. Using 234 remnant woodland monitoring sites spanning four distinct biogeographic regions, we asked: Do reptile assemblages show different environmental associations across biogeographically distinct regions? We found that environmental features important to reptile diversity differed over each region. Abundance and rare species richness of reptiles responded at regional-scales to elevation, native groundcover and aspect. We identified four implications from our study: (1) large-scale conservation schemes can achieve better outcomes for reptiles using regional-scale knowledge of environmental associations; (2) regional-scale knowledge is particularly valuable for conservation of rare reptile taxa; (3) consideration of abiotic environmental features which cannot be directly managed (e.g. aspect, elevation) is important; (4) programmes can be tailored to better support reptile groups at higher conservation risk. Our study shows that reptile-environment associations differ among biogeographic regions, and this presents opportunity for tailoring stronger policy and management strategies for conserving large-scale agricultural landscapes globally. © 2016 The Zoological Society of London. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton” is provided in this record**
- Authors: Kay, G. , Barton, Philip , Driscoll, D. , Cunningham, S. , Blanchard, Wade
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Animal Conservation Vol. 19, no. 6 (2016), p. 515-525
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Land-stewardship programmes are a major focus of investment by governments for conserving biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. These programmes are generally large-scale (e.g. >1000 km) spanning multiple biogeographic regions but developed using spatially limited (e.g. landscape-scale; <100 km) ecological data interpolated across broad areas for one, or a few, well-studied taxonomic groups. Information about how less-studied taxa respond to regional differences in management and environmental effects has potential to further inform land-stewardship conservation programmes, but suitable data sets are rarely available. In this study, we sought to enhance planning of large-scale conservation programmes by quantifying relationships between reptile assemblages and key environmental attributes at regional scales within a large-scale (>172 000 km2) Australian land-stewardship programme. Using 234 remnant woodland monitoring sites spanning four distinct biogeographic regions, we asked: Do reptile assemblages show different environmental associations across biogeographically distinct regions? We found that environmental features important to reptile diversity differed over each region. Abundance and rare species richness of reptiles responded at regional-scales to elevation, native groundcover and aspect. We identified four implications from our study: (1) large-scale conservation schemes can achieve better outcomes for reptiles using regional-scale knowledge of environmental associations; (2) regional-scale knowledge is particularly valuable for conservation of rare reptile taxa; (3) consideration of abiotic environmental features which cannot be directly managed (e.g. aspect, elevation) is important; (4) programmes can be tailored to better support reptile groups at higher conservation risk. Our study shows that reptile-environment associations differ among biogeographic regions, and this presents opportunity for tailoring stronger policy and management strategies for conserving large-scale agricultural landscapes globally. © 2016 The Zoological Society of London. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Philip Barton” is provided in this record**
Injury epidemiology among Australian female cricketers
- Authors: Perera, Nirmala
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Cricket is a male-dominated sport; however, its popularity among females is increasing. Like other sports, participation in cricket poses the risk of injury to players. Injury problems for female cricketers are virtually unknown, as studies examining cricket injuries include almost exclusively male participants. In other sports, the types of injuries experienced by men and women are known to be different. Therefore, a clear understanding of the extent and types of injuries sustained by female cricket players is required, to underpin appropriately targeted injury prevention strategies. This thesis provides the first detailed epidemiological profile of cricket injuries sustained by women, by: 1. conducting a systematic review describing injuries in competitive team bat or stick sports in women, to enable cricket injuries to be viewed within the perspective of wider, but relevant, injury data, 2. evaluating existing data sources relating to hospital admissions from Victoria and Queensland and successful insurance claims across Australia, 3. examining the nature and incidence of cricket injuries in elite female players using Cricket Australia’s Athlete Management System, and 4. conducting a nationwide self-report survey of injuries during the 2014–15 season. This PhD research represents participants from different levels of play, across age groups and across Australia. The findings indicate that incidence of injuries for female cricketers were higher than expected based on previous findings in comparable sports, except when considered in relation to insurance claims. The cricket injury rate across hospital presentations, insurance claims, the AMS (Fair Play AMS 2016) and self-reported survey data, each of which represents different level of the sports injury pyramid, identified all-rounders and pace bowlers as having a higher incidence of injury than players in other positions. The highest frequency of reported injuries were in the head, hands, knees and ankles. The nature of the most common injuries were dislocations/sprains/strains, fractures, muscle injury, joint injury and gradual onset injuries. At the elite-level, lumber spine stress fractures accounted for a significant amount of time-loss from the sport. In this thesis, findings from the insurance claims, self-reported survey and AMS (Fair Play AMS 2016) data indicated that most injuries were of a low severity and were more likely to be treated outside of healthcare facilities such as hospitals. In summary, patterns of the most common injuries, in terms of anatomical location and nature of the injuries, were consistent throughout community-level players with some similarities to elite-level players. However, the injury mechanisms and risk factors may differ depending on the level of competition and player’s skill. Recommendations are that ongoing injury surveillance should be conducted at all levels of the sport, and surveillance methodology should be tailored to the specific setting, personnel and available resources. Therefore, before implementing an injury surveillance system at the community-level of the sport, more research is needed to fully understand what type of injury surveillance system might be feasible and suitable in this context.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Perera, Nirmala
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Cricket is a male-dominated sport; however, its popularity among females is increasing. Like other sports, participation in cricket poses the risk of injury to players. Injury problems for female cricketers are virtually unknown, as studies examining cricket injuries include almost exclusively male participants. In other sports, the types of injuries experienced by men and women are known to be different. Therefore, a clear understanding of the extent and types of injuries sustained by female cricket players is required, to underpin appropriately targeted injury prevention strategies. This thesis provides the first detailed epidemiological profile of cricket injuries sustained by women, by: 1. conducting a systematic review describing injuries in competitive team bat or stick sports in women, to enable cricket injuries to be viewed within the perspective of wider, but relevant, injury data, 2. evaluating existing data sources relating to hospital admissions from Victoria and Queensland and successful insurance claims across Australia, 3. examining the nature and incidence of cricket injuries in elite female players using Cricket Australia’s Athlete Management System, and 4. conducting a nationwide self-report survey of injuries during the 2014–15 season. This PhD research represents participants from different levels of play, across age groups and across Australia. The findings indicate that incidence of injuries for female cricketers were higher than expected based on previous findings in comparable sports, except when considered in relation to insurance claims. The cricket injury rate across hospital presentations, insurance claims, the AMS (Fair Play AMS 2016) and self-reported survey data, each of which represents different level of the sports injury pyramid, identified all-rounders and pace bowlers as having a higher incidence of injury than players in other positions. The highest frequency of reported injuries were in the head, hands, knees and ankles. The nature of the most common injuries were dislocations/sprains/strains, fractures, muscle injury, joint injury and gradual onset injuries. At the elite-level, lumber spine stress fractures accounted for a significant amount of time-loss from the sport. In this thesis, findings from the insurance claims, self-reported survey and AMS (Fair Play AMS 2016) data indicated that most injuries were of a low severity and were more likely to be treated outside of healthcare facilities such as hospitals. In summary, patterns of the most common injuries, in terms of anatomical location and nature of the injuries, were consistent throughout community-level players with some similarities to elite-level players. However, the injury mechanisms and risk factors may differ depending on the level of competition and player’s skill. Recommendations are that ongoing injury surveillance should be conducted at all levels of the sport, and surveillance methodology should be tailored to the specific setting, personnel and available resources. Therefore, before implementing an injury surveillance system at the community-level of the sport, more research is needed to fully understand what type of injury surveillance system might be feasible and suitable in this context.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Injury prevention exercise programmes in professional youth soccer : Understanding the perceptions of programme deliverers
- O'Brien, James, Finch, Caroline
- Authors: O'Brien, James , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine Vol. 2, no. 1 (2016), p. e000075
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1058737
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: BACKGROUND: There are well-known challenges to implementing injury prevention strategies in amateur soccer, but information from other soccer settings is scarce. This cross-sectional survey analysed the injury prevention perceptions of soccer coaches, fitness coaches and physiotherapists from 4 male teams in a professional youth soccer academy. METHODS: The respondents (n=18) completed a web-based survey relating to lower limb (LL) soccer injuries, the value and practicality of injury prevention exercise programmes (IPEPs) in general and, more specifically, the IPEP endorsed by FIFA, the FIFA 11+. RESULTS: There were very high levels of agreement regarding players' susceptibility to LL injury and the seriousness of these injuries. Respondents agreed unanimously that players should perform evidence-based injury prevention exercises. Despite 61% of respondents having previously heard of the FIFA 11+, just 6% reported current use of the full programme, with a further 22% reporting modified use. 22% believed the FIFA 11+ contained adequate variation and progression for their team and 78% felt it needed improvement. Respondents identified multiple barriers and facilitators to maintaining IPEPs, relating either to the programme content (eg, exercise variation), or the delivery and support of the programme (eg, coach acceptance). CONCLUSIONS: The coaches, fitness coaches and physiotherapists of professional youth teams support the use of IPEPs, but enhancing their impact requires tailoring of programme content, along with adequate delivery and support at multiple levels. The findings suggest that the FIFA 11+ needs modification for use in professional youth soccer teams.
- Authors: O'Brien, James , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine Vol. 2, no. 1 (2016), p. e000075
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1058737
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: BACKGROUND: There are well-known challenges to implementing injury prevention strategies in amateur soccer, but information from other soccer settings is scarce. This cross-sectional survey analysed the injury prevention perceptions of soccer coaches, fitness coaches and physiotherapists from 4 male teams in a professional youth soccer academy. METHODS: The respondents (n=18) completed a web-based survey relating to lower limb (LL) soccer injuries, the value and practicality of injury prevention exercise programmes (IPEPs) in general and, more specifically, the IPEP endorsed by FIFA, the FIFA 11+. RESULTS: There were very high levels of agreement regarding players' susceptibility to LL injury and the seriousness of these injuries. Respondents agreed unanimously that players should perform evidence-based injury prevention exercises. Despite 61% of respondents having previously heard of the FIFA 11+, just 6% reported current use of the full programme, with a further 22% reporting modified use. 22% believed the FIFA 11+ contained adequate variation and progression for their team and 78% felt it needed improvement. Respondents identified multiple barriers and facilitators to maintaining IPEPs, relating either to the programme content (eg, exercise variation), or the delivery and support of the programme (eg, coach acceptance). CONCLUSIONS: The coaches, fitness coaches and physiotherapists of professional youth teams support the use of IPEPs, but enhancing their impact requires tailoring of programme content, along with adequate delivery and support at multiple levels. The findings suggest that the FIFA 11+ needs modification for use in professional youth soccer teams.
Integrated and consumer-directed care : a necessary paradigm shift for rural chronic ill health
- Ranson, Nicole, Terry, Daniel, Glenister, Kristen, Adam, Bill, Wright, Julian
- Authors: Ranson, Nicole , Terry, Daniel , Glenister, Kristen , Adam, Bill , Wright, Julian
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Australian Journal of Primary Health Vol. 22, no. 3 (2016), p. 176-180
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Chronic ill health has recently emerged as the most important health issue on a global scale. Rural communities are disproportionally affected by chronic ill health. Many health systems are centred on the management of acute conditions and are often poorly equipped to deal with chronic ill health. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the most prominent chronic ill health conditions and the principal cause of mortality worldwide. In this paper, CVD is used as an example to demonstrate the disparity between rural and urban experience of chronic ill health, access to medical care and clinical outcomes. Advances have been made to address chronic ill health through improving self-management strategies, health literacy and access to medical services. However, given the higher incidence of chronic health conditions and poorer clinical outcomes in rural communities, it is imperative that integrated health care emphasises greater collaboration between services. It is also vital that rural GPs are better supported to work with their patients, and that they use consumer-directed approaches to empower patients to direct and coordinate their own care. © La Trobe University 2016.
- Authors: Ranson, Nicole , Terry, Daniel , Glenister, Kristen , Adam, Bill , Wright, Julian
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Australian Journal of Primary Health Vol. 22, no. 3 (2016), p. 176-180
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Chronic ill health has recently emerged as the most important health issue on a global scale. Rural communities are disproportionally affected by chronic ill health. Many health systems are centred on the management of acute conditions and are often poorly equipped to deal with chronic ill health. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the most prominent chronic ill health conditions and the principal cause of mortality worldwide. In this paper, CVD is used as an example to demonstrate the disparity between rural and urban experience of chronic ill health, access to medical care and clinical outcomes. Advances have been made to address chronic ill health through improving self-management strategies, health literacy and access to medical services. However, given the higher incidence of chronic health conditions and poorer clinical outcomes in rural communities, it is imperative that integrated health care emphasises greater collaboration between services. It is also vital that rural GPs are better supported to work with their patients, and that they use consumer-directed approaches to empower patients to direct and coordinate their own care. © La Trobe University 2016.
Integrating theory into disturbance interaction experiments to better inform ecosystem management
- Foster, Claire, Sato, Chloe, Lindenmayer, David, Barton, Philip
- Authors: Foster, Claire , Sato, Chloe , Lindenmayer, David , Barton, Philip
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Global Change Biology Vol. 22, no. 4 (2016), p. 1325-1335
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Managing multiple, interacting disturbances is a key challenge to biodiversity conservation, and one that will only increase as global change drivers continue to alter disturbance regimes. Theoretical studies have highlighted the importance of a mechanistic understanding of stressor interactions for improving the prediction and management of interactive effects. However, many conservation studies are not designed or interpreted in the context of theory and instead focus on case-specific management questions. This is a problem as it means that few studies test the relationships highlighted in theoretical models as being important for ecological management. We explore the extent of this problem among studies of interacting disturbances by reviewing recent experimental studies of the interaction between fire and grazing in terrestrial ecosystems. Interactions between fire and grazing can occur via a number of pathways; one disturbance can modify the other's likelihood, intensity or spatial distribution, or one disturbance can alter the other's impacts on individual organisms. The strength of such interactions will vary depending on disturbance attributes (e.g. size or intensity), and this variation is likely to be nonlinear. We show that few experiments testing fire-grazing interactions are able to identify the mechanistic pathway driving an observed interaction, and most are unable to detect nonlinear effects. We demonstrate how these limitations compromise the ability of experimental studies to effectively inform ecological management. We propose a series of adjustments to the design of disturbance interaction experiments that would enable tests of key theoretical pathways and provide the deeper ecological understanding necessary for effective management. Such considerations are relevant to studies of a broad range of ecological interactions and are critical to informing the management of disturbance regimes in the context of accelerating global change. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Authors: Foster, Claire , Sato, Chloe , Lindenmayer, David , Barton, Philip
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Global Change Biology Vol. 22, no. 4 (2016), p. 1325-1335
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Managing multiple, interacting disturbances is a key challenge to biodiversity conservation, and one that will only increase as global change drivers continue to alter disturbance regimes. Theoretical studies have highlighted the importance of a mechanistic understanding of stressor interactions for improving the prediction and management of interactive effects. However, many conservation studies are not designed or interpreted in the context of theory and instead focus on case-specific management questions. This is a problem as it means that few studies test the relationships highlighted in theoretical models as being important for ecological management. We explore the extent of this problem among studies of interacting disturbances by reviewing recent experimental studies of the interaction between fire and grazing in terrestrial ecosystems. Interactions between fire and grazing can occur via a number of pathways; one disturbance can modify the other's likelihood, intensity or spatial distribution, or one disturbance can alter the other's impacts on individual organisms. The strength of such interactions will vary depending on disturbance attributes (e.g. size or intensity), and this variation is likely to be nonlinear. We show that few experiments testing fire-grazing interactions are able to identify the mechanistic pathway driving an observed interaction, and most are unable to detect nonlinear effects. We demonstrate how these limitations compromise the ability of experimental studies to effectively inform ecological management. We propose a series of adjustments to the design of disturbance interaction experiments that would enable tests of key theoretical pathways and provide the deeper ecological understanding necessary for effective management. Such considerations are relevant to studies of a broad range of ecological interactions and are critical to informing the management of disturbance regimes in the context of accelerating global change. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Investigations into the ecology and management of the invasive plant Galenia pubescens within the native temperate grasslands of Victoria, Australia
- Authors: Mahmood, Ako
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Plant invasions of natural ecosystems are one of the major threats to the conservation of biological diversity across nearly all biogeographical regions in the world. This thesis focuses on Galenia pubescens (Carpet weed) as a case study of possible approaches to the potential management of environmental weed species. G. pubescens is a woody prostrate perennial plant that is becoming a serious threat to Australian temperate grasslands, surrounding agricultural areas and conservation reserves. It is indigenous to South Africa and was first recorded in Australia in the early 1900s, and it is an aggressive competitor against native species. It is difficult to control, and little information exists about its effects on natural ecosystems, and aspects of its biology and ecology. This study has investigated some important ecological characteristics of G. pubescens’ seeds and has experimented with different management strategies in combination with chemical control. It has also considered the potential for the expansion of the distribution of this species across suitable habitat in Australia under predicted elevated CO2 and drought conditions. Seeds of G. pubescens are shown to be able to germinate over a broad range of temperatures, but short bursts (5 minutes) of high temperatures (80oC to 120oC replicating possible exposures to a fire) reduced seed germination. Seed germination was positively favored by light and declined rapidly in darkness, decreasing by > 80% at a depth of only 0.5 cm in soil. This suggests that fire regimes might be useful in removing mature plants and controlling seed numbers on the surface, and that subsequent native seeding of undisturbed areas may assist in the long-term management of this noxious weed. A trial was conducted to determine the effect of treatment with a plant essential oil (pine oil) to limit the seed germination and seedling emergence of G. pubescens. This trial showed that the effects of pine oil application were significant (P<0.05). Germination was completely inhibited by application of pine oil at 5% or higher concentrations directly to seeds, and seedling emergence was reduced by between 90 and 100% in pot trials. These outcomes demonstrate the potential viability of pine oil as a long-term control option for this species. In field-based experiments, control strategies including herbicide control with glyphosate, organic herbicide control with pine oil, the application of mulch, and the addition of native seeds to the available seedbank (and all possible combinations of these techniques), were tested. The study showed that one single treatment of a G. pubescens infestation without undertaking a secondary treatment is insufficient to control the G. pubescens infestation or to encourage native regeneration, but that a combined strategy, employing all the aforementioned techniques, is more effective. It is however suggested that full regeneration of the area may not be possible unless further restoration programs are instituted after the cycle of G. pubescens’ treatment has been completed. The thesis also assessed the control effects of chemical control combined with a prescribed spring burning. Assessment of the resulting aboveground vegetation of G. pubescens has shown that a combination of chemical control and late-spring burning can reduce the cover of non-native species such as G. pubescens, suggesting that this could be a useful tool in their management. Finally, this study has supported the view that the growth of G. pubescens will be significantly enhanced in a future climate with an enriched atmospheric CO2 concentration. These climatic changes will have important implications for management of this noxious weed in the future.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Mahmood, Ako
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Plant invasions of natural ecosystems are one of the major threats to the conservation of biological diversity across nearly all biogeographical regions in the world. This thesis focuses on Galenia pubescens (Carpet weed) as a case study of possible approaches to the potential management of environmental weed species. G. pubescens is a woody prostrate perennial plant that is becoming a serious threat to Australian temperate grasslands, surrounding agricultural areas and conservation reserves. It is indigenous to South Africa and was first recorded in Australia in the early 1900s, and it is an aggressive competitor against native species. It is difficult to control, and little information exists about its effects on natural ecosystems, and aspects of its biology and ecology. This study has investigated some important ecological characteristics of G. pubescens’ seeds and has experimented with different management strategies in combination with chemical control. It has also considered the potential for the expansion of the distribution of this species across suitable habitat in Australia under predicted elevated CO2 and drought conditions. Seeds of G. pubescens are shown to be able to germinate over a broad range of temperatures, but short bursts (5 minutes) of high temperatures (80oC to 120oC replicating possible exposures to a fire) reduced seed germination. Seed germination was positively favored by light and declined rapidly in darkness, decreasing by > 80% at a depth of only 0.5 cm in soil. This suggests that fire regimes might be useful in removing mature plants and controlling seed numbers on the surface, and that subsequent native seeding of undisturbed areas may assist in the long-term management of this noxious weed. A trial was conducted to determine the effect of treatment with a plant essential oil (pine oil) to limit the seed germination and seedling emergence of G. pubescens. This trial showed that the effects of pine oil application were significant (P<0.05). Germination was completely inhibited by application of pine oil at 5% or higher concentrations directly to seeds, and seedling emergence was reduced by between 90 and 100% in pot trials. These outcomes demonstrate the potential viability of pine oil as a long-term control option for this species. In field-based experiments, control strategies including herbicide control with glyphosate, organic herbicide control with pine oil, the application of mulch, and the addition of native seeds to the available seedbank (and all possible combinations of these techniques), were tested. The study showed that one single treatment of a G. pubescens infestation without undertaking a secondary treatment is insufficient to control the G. pubescens infestation or to encourage native regeneration, but that a combined strategy, employing all the aforementioned techniques, is more effective. It is however suggested that full regeneration of the area may not be possible unless further restoration programs are instituted after the cycle of G. pubescens’ treatment has been completed. The thesis also assessed the control effects of chemical control combined with a prescribed spring burning. Assessment of the resulting aboveground vegetation of G. pubescens has shown that a combination of chemical control and late-spring burning can reduce the cover of non-native species such as G. pubescens, suggesting that this could be a useful tool in their management. Finally, this study has supported the view that the growth of G. pubescens will be significantly enhanced in a future climate with an enriched atmospheric CO2 concentration. These climatic changes will have important implications for management of this noxious weed in the future.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Investigations into the effects of elevated carbon dioxide and drought on the growth and physiology of carpet weed (Galenia pubescens Eckl. & Zeyh.)
- Mahmood, Ako, Florentine, Singarayer, Fernando, Nimesha, Wright, Wendy, Palmer, Grant, McLaren, David, Sillitoe, Jim
- Authors: Mahmood, Ako , Florentine, Singarayer , Fernando, Nimesha , Wright, Wendy , Palmer, Grant , McLaren, David , Sillitoe, Jim
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings
- Relation: 20th Australasian Weeds Conference 2016; Perth, Western Australia; 11th-15th September 2016 p. 347-350
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The present study aimed to examine the interactive effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and drought stress on the growth and some of the physiological processes of Galenia pubescens. Photosynthetic rate of plants increased under elevated CO2 concentration, however drought caused significant reduction in net photosynthetic rate by (45% in 400 ppm CO2) and (27% in 700 ppm CO2) after five days simulating the drought treatment when compared with well-watered plants. Plants grown under elevated CO2 level and well-watered produced a greater biomass (17.5 ± 0.5 g per plant) compared to the plants which were grown under the ambient CO2 concentration.
- Authors: Mahmood, Ako , Florentine, Singarayer , Fernando, Nimesha , Wright, Wendy , Palmer, Grant , McLaren, David , Sillitoe, Jim
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings
- Relation: 20th Australasian Weeds Conference 2016; Perth, Western Australia; 11th-15th September 2016 p. 347-350
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The present study aimed to examine the interactive effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and drought stress on the growth and some of the physiological processes of Galenia pubescens. Photosynthetic rate of plants increased under elevated CO2 concentration, however drought caused significant reduction in net photosynthetic rate by (45% in 400 ppm CO2) and (27% in 700 ppm CO2) after five days simulating the drought treatment when compared with well-watered plants. Plants grown under elevated CO2 level and well-watered produced a greater biomass (17.5 ± 0.5 g per plant) compared to the plants which were grown under the ambient CO2 concentration.
Is self-reporting workplace activity worthwhile? Validity and reliability of Occupational Sitting and Physical Activity Questionnaire in desk-based workers BMC Public Health
- Pedersen, Scott, Kitic, Cecilia, Bird, Marie-Louise, Mainsbridge, Casey, Cooley, Dean
- Authors: Pedersen, Scott , Kitic, Cecilia , Bird, Marie-Louise , Mainsbridge, Casey , Cooley, Dean
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMC Public Health. Vol. 16, no. 1 (2016), p.1-6
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: Accelerometers can obtain precise measurements of movements during the day. However, the individual activity pattern varies from day-to-day and there is limited evidence on measurement days needed to obtain sufficient reliability. The aim of this study was to examine variability in accelerometer derived data on sedentary behaviour and physical activity at work and in leisure-time during week days among Danish office employees. Methods: We included control participants (n = 135) from the Take a Stand! Intervention; a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in 19 offices. Sitting time and physical activity were measured using an ActiGraph GT3X+ fixed on the thigh and data were processed using Acti4 software. Variability was examined for sitting time, standing time, steps and time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day by multilevel mixed linear regression modelling. Results: Results of this study showed that the number of days needed to obtain a reliability of 80% when measuring sitting time was 4.7 days for work and 5.5 days for leisure time. For physical activity at work, 4.0 days and 4.2 days were required to measure steps and MVPA, respectively. During leisure time, more monitoring time was needed to reliably estimate physical activity (6.8 days for steps and 5.8 days for MVPA). Conclusions: The number of measurement days needed to reliably estimate activity patterns was greater for leisure time than for work time. The domain specific variability is of great importance to researchers and health promotion workers planning to use objective measures of sedentary behaviour and physical activity.
- Authors: Pedersen, Scott , Kitic, Cecilia , Bird, Marie-Louise , Mainsbridge, Casey , Cooley, Dean
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMC Public Health. Vol. 16, no. 1 (2016), p.1-6
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- Description: Background: Accelerometers can obtain precise measurements of movements during the day. However, the individual activity pattern varies from day-to-day and there is limited evidence on measurement days needed to obtain sufficient reliability. The aim of this study was to examine variability in accelerometer derived data on sedentary behaviour and physical activity at work and in leisure-time during week days among Danish office employees. Methods: We included control participants (n = 135) from the Take a Stand! Intervention; a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in 19 offices. Sitting time and physical activity were measured using an ActiGraph GT3X+ fixed on the thigh and data were processed using Acti4 software. Variability was examined for sitting time, standing time, steps and time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day by multilevel mixed linear regression modelling. Results: Results of this study showed that the number of days needed to obtain a reliability of 80% when measuring sitting time was 4.7 days for work and 5.5 days for leisure time. For physical activity at work, 4.0 days and 4.2 days were required to measure steps and MVPA, respectively. During leisure time, more monitoring time was needed to reliably estimate physical activity (6.8 days for steps and 5.8 days for MVPA). Conclusions: The number of measurement days needed to reliably estimate activity patterns was greater for leisure time than for work time. The domain specific variability is of great importance to researchers and health promotion workers planning to use objective measures of sedentary behaviour and physical activity.