Impact of a change in tillage and crop residue management practice on soil chemical and microbiological properties in a cereal-producing red duplex soil in NSW, Australia

The effect of a change of tillage and crop residue management practice on the chemical and micro-biological properties of a cereal-producing red duplex soil was investigated by superimposing each of three management practices (CC: conventional cultivation, stubble burnt, crop conventionally sown; DD: direct-drilling, stubble retained, no cultivation, crop direct-drilled; SI: stubble incorporated with a single cultivation, crop conventionally sown), for a 3-year period on plots previously managed with each of the same three practices for 14 years. A change from DD to CC or SI practice resulted in a significant decline, in the top 0-5 cm of soil, in organic C, total N, electrical conductivity, NH4-N, NO3-N, soil moisture holding capacity, microbial biomass and CO2 respiration as well as a decline in the microbial quotient (the ratio of microbial biomass C to organic C; P <0.05). In contrast, a change from SI to DD or CC practice or a change from CC to DD or SI practice had only negligible impact on soil chemical properties (P >0.05). However, there was a significant increase in microbial biomass and the microbial quotient in the top 0-5 cm of soil following the change from CC to DD or SI practice and with the change from SI to DD practice (P <0.05). Analysis of ester-linked fatty acid methyl esters (EL-FAMEs) extracted from the 0- to 5-cm and 5- to 10-cm layers of the soils of the various treatments detected changes in the FAME profiles following a change in tillage practice. A change from DD practice to SI or CC practice was associated with a significant decline in the ratio of fungal to bacterial fatty acids in the 0- to 5-cm soil (P <0.05). The results show that a change in tillage practice, particularly the cultivation of a previously minimum-tilled (direct-drilled) soil, will result in significant changes in soil chemical and microbiological properties within a 3-year period. They also show that soil microbiological properties are sensitive indicators of a change in tillage practice.

Effect of broadcast baiting on abundance patterns of red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and key local ant genera at long-term monitoring sites in Brisbane, Australia

In 2001, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) was identified in Brisbane, Australia. An eradication program involving broadcast bait treatment with two insect growth regulators and a metabolic inhibitor began in September of that year and is currently ongoing. To gauge the impacts of these treatments on local ant populations, we examined long-term monitoring data and quantified abundance patterns of S. invicta and common local ant genera using a linear mixed-effects model. For S. invicta, presence in pitfalls reduced over time to zero on every site. Significantly higher numbers of S. invicta workers were collected on high-density polygyne sites, which took longer to disinfest compared with monogyne and low-density polygyne sites. For local ants, nine genus groups of the 10 most common genera analyzed either increased in abundance or showed no significant trend. Five of these genus groups were significantly less abundant at the start of monitoring on high-density polygyne sites compared with monogyne and low-density polygyne sites. The genus Pheidole significantly reduced in abundance over time, suggesting that it was affected by treatment efforts. These results demonstrate that the treatment regime used at the time successfully removed S. invicta from these sites in Brisbane, and that most local ant genera were not seriously impacted by the treatment. These results have important implications for current and future prophylactic treatment efforts, and suggest that native ants remain in treated areas to provide some biological resistance to S. invicta.

Wine weekend in New Zealand

A travel article about the vineyards around Queenstown, New Zealand. GRANT Taylor holds a glass of pinot noir to his ear and says, "I listen to it." It's 11 in the morning. I steal a glance at my guide, Mike Stevens, an English ex-pat who's lived in Queenstown for nearly 20 years, and so is very nearly a local. He's brought me here and knows Taylor well. We are all quite sober...

"The red dress or the blue?" How do staff perceive that they support decision making for people with dementia living in residential aged care facilities?

Respect for a person's right to make choices and participate in decision making is generally seen as central to quality of life and well-being. When a person moves into a residential aged care facility (RACF), however, decision making becomes more complicated, particularly if the person has a diagnosis of dementia. Little is known about how staff in RACFs perceive that they support decision making for people with dementia within their everyday practice, and this article seeks to address this knowledge gap. The article reports on the findings of a qualitative study conducted in the states of Victoria and Queensland, Australia with 80 direct care staff members. Findings revealed that the participants utilized a number of strategies in their intention to support decision making for people with dementia, and had an overall perception that "a little effort goes a long way."

A comparison of lungworm faecal larval counts and trichostrongyloid faecal egg counts between Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) and Red DeerXWapiti F1 hybrids.

To determine if breed differences in susceptibility to trichostrongyloid and lungworm infection exist, two groups of weaner deer containing seven red deer and red deer X wapiti F1 hybrids were compared using faecal egg counts and faecal larval counts. All animals were run on the same pasture at the same time and treated with the same anthelmintics at the same time. Results indicated that there were significant differences between red deer and red deer X wapiti hybrids, with red deer having higher faecal lungworm counts and red deer X wapiti hybrids having significantly higher faecal egg counts. It is likely that these differences were due to breed. Differences in the efficacy of anthelmintic treatments were also noted between the two groups, with oral oxfendazole being less effective at reducing faecal lungworm counts in red deer X wapiti hybrids than red deer.

Deformation of a three-dimensional red blood cell in a stenosed micro-capillary

Red blood cells (RBCs) exhibit different types of motions and deformations when the blood flows through capillaries. Interestingly, due to the complex three-dimensional structure of the RBC membrane, RBCs show three-dimensional motions and deformations in the blood flow. These motions and deformations of the RBCs highly depend on the stiffness of the RBC membrane and on the geometrical parameters of the capillary through which blood flows. However, capillaries always do not have uniform cross sections and some capillaries have stenosed segments, where cross sectional area suddenly reduces. Further, some diseases can alter the stiffness of the RBC membrane drastically. In this study, the deformation behaviour of a single three-dimensional RBC is examined, when it moves through a stenosed capillary. A three-dimensional spring network is used to model the RBC membrane. The RBC’s inside and outside fluids are discretized into a finite number of mass points and treated by smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method. The capillary is considered as a rigid tube with a stenosed section. The deformation index, mean velocity and total energy of the RBC are analysed when it flows through the stenosed capillary. Further, motion and deformation of the RBCs with different membrane stiffness (KB) are compared when they flow through the stenosed segment of the capillary. The simulation results demonstrate the RBCs are subjected to a larger deformation when they move through the stenosed part of the capillary and the RBCs with lower KBvalues easily pass through the stenosed segment of the capillary. Further, RBCs having higher KBvalues have a lower mean velocity and it leads to slow down the overall blood flow rate

Deformation of a single red blood cell in a microvessel

Red blood cells (RBCs) are the most common type of cells in human blood and they exhibit different types of motions and deformed shapes in capillary flows. The behaviour of the RBCs should be studied in order to explain the RBC motion and deformation mechanism. This article presents a numerical simulation method for RBC deformation in microvessels. A two dimensional spring network model is used to represent the RBC membrane, where the elastic stretch/compression energy and the bending energy are considered with the constraint of constant RBC surface area. The forces acting on the RBC membrane are obtained from the principle of virtual work. The whole fluid domain is discretized into a finite number of particles using smoothed particle hydrodynamics concepts and the motions of all the particles are solved using Navier--Stokes equations. Minimum energy concepts are used to simulate the deformed shape of the RBC model. To verify the model, the motion of a single RBC is simulated in a Poiseuille flow and the characteristic parachute shape of the RBC is observed. Further simulations reveal that the RBC shows a tank treading motion when it flows in a linear shear flow.

Formation of the three-dimensional geometry of the red blood cell membrane

Red blood cells (RBCs) are nonnucleated liquid capsules, enclosed in deformable viscoelastic membranes with complex three dimensional geometrical structures. Generally, RBC membranes are highly incompressible and resistant to areal changes. However, RBC membranes show a planar shear deformation and out of plane bending deformation. The behaviour of RBCs in blood vessels is investigated using numerical models. All the characteristics of RBC membranes should be addressed to develop a more accurate and stable model. This article presents an effective methodology to model the three dimensional geometry of the RBC membrane with the aid of commercial software COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2a and Fortran programming. Initially, a mesh is generated for a sphere using the COMSOL Multiphysics software to represent the RBC membrane. The elastic energy of the membrane is considered to determine a stable membrane shape. Then, the actual biconcave shape of the membrane is obtained based on the principle of virtual work, when the total energy is minimised. The geometry of the RBC membrane could be used with meshfree particle methods to simulate motion and deformation of RBCs in micro-capillaries

Balancing information disclosure and “Red Tape” : Queensland’s proposal of seller disclosure

The Queensland Property Law Review is currently reviewing seller disclosure laws in Queensland. The review will consider if the desire to provide consumers of real estate with valuable timely information about a property offered for sale can be effectively delivered with a minimum of red tape. This article examines the principles proposed by the first discussion paper on seller disclosure and their likely effect in practice.

Red Hill

Synopsis and review of the Australian feature film Red Hill, directed by Patrick Hughes and starring Ryan Kwanten.

Raman and infrared spectroscopic studies of phurcalite from Red Canyon, Utah, USA – Implications for the molecular structure

Raman and infrared spectra of the uranyl mineral phurcalite, Ca2(UO2)3O2(PO4)2⋅7H2O, from Red Canyon, Utah, USA, were studied and tentatively interpreted. Observed bands were assigned to the stretching and bending vibrations of (UO2)2+ and (PO4)3− units and to the stretching and bending vibrations and libration modes of water molecules. Approximate lengths of U–O in (UO2)2+ and O–H⋯O hydrogen bond lengths were inferred from observed stretching vibrations. The presence of structurally nonequivalent U6+ and P5+ was inferred from the number of corresponding stretching bands of (UO2)2+ and (PO4)3− units observed in the Raman and infrared spectra..

Numerical investigation of motion and deformation of a single red blood cell in a stenosed capillary

It is generally assumed that influence of the red blood cells (RBCs) is predominant in blood rheology. The healthy RBCs are highly deformable and can thus easily squeeze through the smallest capillaries having internal diameter less than their characteristic size. On the other hand, RBCs infected by malaria or other diseases are stiffer and so less deformable. Thus it is harder for them to flow through the smallest capillaries. Therefore, it is very important to critically and realistically investigate the mechanical behavior of both healthy and infected RBCs which is a current gap in knowledge. The motion and the steady state deformed shape of the RBCs depend on many factors, such as the geometrical parameters of the capillary through which blood flows, the membrane bending stiffness and the mean velocity of the blood flow. In this study, motion and deformation of a single two-dimensional RBC in a stenosed capillary is explored by using smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method. An elastic spring network is used to model the RBC membrane, while the RBC's inside fluid and outside fluid are treated as SPH particles. The effect of RBC's membrane stiffness (kb), inlet pressure (P) and geometrical parameters of the capillary on the motion and deformation of the RBC is studied. The deformation index, RBC's mean velocity and the cell membrane energy are analyzed when the cell passes through the stenosed capillary. The simulation results demonstrate that the kb, P and the geometrical parameters of the capillary have a significant impact on the RBCs' motion and deformation in the stenosed section.

Examining the role of wine brand love on brand loyalty: A multi-country comparison

This study develops and tests a model through a multi-country study that considers consumer wine knowledge and wine experience, wine brand trust and wine brand satisfaction as antecedents of wine brand love, and wine brand loyalty as a consequence of wine brand love. Data were collected in five wine-producing countries (Australia, Chile, France, Mexico and Portugal) with a final sample of 3462 completed surveys. Hypotheses were tested with structural equation modeling and the findings confirm the importance of brand love as both a mediator and direct influence on brand loyalty for wine consumers. Furthermore, brand satisfaction was positively and significantly related to brand love. In addition, wine experience, rather than wine knowledge, positively influenced brand trust and satisfaction. Finally, results also identify differences between countries thereby providing insights into how companies should focus their marketing strategies internationally.

The social inclusion policy agenda in Australia: A case of old wine, new bottles?

The election of an Australian Labor Government in Australia in 2007 saw ‘social inclusion’ emerge as the official and overarching social policy agenda. Being ‘included’ was subsequently defined by the ALP Government as being able to ‘have the resources, opportunities and capabilities needed to learn, work, engage and have a voice’. Various researchers in Australia demonstrated an interest in social inclusion, as it enabled them to construct a multi-dimensional framework for measuring disadvantage. This research program resulted in various forms of statistical modelling based on some agreement about what it means to be included in society. The multi-dimensional approach taken by academic researchers, however, did not necessarily translate to a new model of social policy development or implementation. We argue that, similar to the experience of the UK, Australia’s social inclusion policy agenda was for the most part narrowly and individually defined by politicians and policy makers, particularly in terms of equating being employed with being included. We conclude with discussion about the need to strengthen the social inclusion framework by adopting an understanding of social inequality and social justice that is more relational and less categorical.

The grapes of wrath: The Coonawarra dispute, geographical indications and international trade

The famous wine region of Coonawarra in South Australia has been promoted as ’Australia's other Red Centre', emphasizing its terra rossa soil and its cabernet sauvignon. In his atlas of the wine regions of Australia, John Beeston comments upon the rich and contested history of the region: ’Coonawarra is certainly the most famous cabernet sauvignon region in Australia, and some would argue, the most renowned wine region in Australia per se'. A reporter, Penelope Debelle, captures a sense of the legal conflict over the parameters of the boundaries of Coonawarra: ’Behind the name Coonawarra, an inglorious contest is being waged that pits the romance of South Australia's terra rossa cool-climate wine region against the cold commercial reality of the label.'This Chapter tells the story behind the Coonawarra litigation, addressing the parties to the dispute; the legal and historical context of the case; and the immediate impact case, as well as its lingering significance. It considers the ’Coonawarra' case as, very literally, a landmark in Australian jurisprudence in respect of intellectual property. This chapter engages in the methodology of ’legal storytelling'. In the field of new historicism, the use of anecdotes - petite histoire - has been seen as a useful way of challenging grand historical narratives. Joel Fineman has observed that the anecdote is ’the literary form or genre that uniquely refers to the real.' This chapter has three parts. Part 1 outlines the European Community - Australia Wine Agreement 1994, and the operation of the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation Act 1980 (Cth). Part 2 considers the various stages of the dispute over the Coonawarra region - moving from the decision of the Geographical Indications Committee, to the ruling of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal; and the conclusive decision of the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia. Part 3 examines the implications of the Coonawarra litigation for other wine regions of Australia - most notably, the King Valley in Victoria; but also the Hunter Valley in the New South Wales; and the Margaret River in Western Australia. The conclusion considers the ramifications of the European Community-Australia Wine Agreement 2007, which has been initialed by both sides.