Modelling the distribution of Bonelli's eagle in Spain: Implications for conservation planning

Bonelli’s eagle, Hieraaetus fasciatus , has recently suffered a severe population decline and is currently endangered. Spain supports about 70% of the European population. We used stepwise logistic regression on a set of environmental, spatial and human variables to model Bonelli’s eagle distribution in the 5167 UTM 10 × 10 km quadrats of peninsular Spain. We obtained a model based on 16 variables, which allowed us to identify favourable and unfavourable areas for this species in Spain, as well as intermediate favourability areas. We assessed the stepwise progression of the model by comparing the model’s predictions in each step with those of the final model, and selected a parsimonious explanatory model based on three variables — slope, July temperature and precipitation — comprising 76% of the predictive capacity of the

Characterisation of soluble components and PAH in PM10 atmospheric particulate matter in Brisbane

Fours sets of PM10 samples were collected in three sites in SEQ from December 2002 to August 2004. Three of these sets of samples were collected by QLD EPA as a part of their regular air monitoring program at Woolloongabba, Rocklea and Eagle Farm. Half of the samples were used in this study for the analysis of water-soluble ions, which are Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NH4 +, Cl-, NO3 -, SO4 2-, F-, Br-, NO2 -, PO4 -3 and the other half was retained by QLD EPA. The fourth set of samples was collected at Rocklea, specifically for this study. A quarter of the samples obtained from this set of samples were used to analyse water-soluble ions; a quarter of the sample was used to analyse Pb, Cu, Al, Fe, Mn and Zn; and the rests were used to analyse US EPA 16 priority PAHs. The water-soluble ions were extracted ultrasonically with water and the major watersoluble anions as well as NH4 + were analysed using IC. Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+ Pb, Cu, Al, Fe, Mn and Zn were analysed using ICP-AES while PAHs were extracted by acetonitrile and analysed using HPLC. Of the analysed water-soluble ions, Cl-, NO3 -, SO4 2-, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ were high in concentration and determined in all the samples. F-, Br-, NO2 -, PO4 -3 and NH4 + ions were lower in concentration and determined only in some samples. Na+ and Cl- were high in all samples indicating the importance of a marine source. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to examine the temporal variations of the water-soluble ions at the three sites. The results indicated that there was no major difference between the three sites. However, comparing the average concentrations of ions and Cl-/Na+ it was concluded that Woolloongabba had more marine influence than the other sites. Al, Fe and Zn were detected in all samples. Al and Fe were high in all samples indicating the significance of a source of crustal matter. Cu, Mn and Pb were in low concentrations and were determined only in some samples. The lower Pb concentrations observed in the study than in previous studies indicate that the phasing-out of leaded petrol had an appreciable impact on Pb levels in SEQ. This study reports for the first time, simultaneous data on the water-soluble, metal ion and PAH levels of PM10 aerosols in Brisbane, and provides information on the most likely sources of these chemical species. Such information can be used alongside those that already exist to formulate PM10 pollution reduction strategies for SEQ in order to protect the community from the adverse effects of PM pollution.

GIS-based mapping and statistical analysis of air pollution and mortality in Brisbane, Australia

In this thesis, the relationship between air pollution and human health has been investigated utilising Geographic Information System (GIS) as an analysis tool. The research focused on how vehicular air pollution affects human health. The main objective of this study was to analyse the spatial variability of pollutants, taking Brisbane City in Australia as a case study, by the identification of the areas of high concentration of air pollutants and their relationship with the numbers of death caused by air pollutants. A correlation test was performed to establish the relationship between air pollution, number of deaths from respiratory disease, and total distance travelled by road vehicles in Brisbane. GIS was utilized to investigate the spatial distribution of the air pollutants. The main finding of this research is the comparison between spatial and non-spatial analysis approaches, which indicated that correlation analysis and simple buffer analysis of GIS using the average levels of air pollutants from a single monitoring station or by group of few monitoring stations is a relatively simple method for assessing the health effects of air pollution. There was a significant positive correlation between variable under consideration, and the research shows a decreasing trend of concentration of nitrogen dioxide at the Eagle Farm and Springwood sites and an increasing trend at CBD site. Statistical analysis shows that there exists a positive relationship between the level of emission and number of deaths, though the impact is not uniform as certain sections of the population are more vulnerable to exposure. Further statistical tests found that the elderly people of over 75 years age and children between 0-15 years of age are the more vulnerable people exposed to air pollution. A non-spatial approach alone may be insufficient for an appropriate evaluation of the impact of air pollutant variables and their inter-relationships. It is important to evaluate the spatial features of air pollutants before modeling the air pollution-health relationships.

Pore structure characterization of North American shale gas reservoirs using USANS/SANS, gas adsorption, and mercury intrusion

Small-angle and ultra-small-angle neutron scattering (SANS and USANS), low-pressure adsorption (N2 and CO2), and high-pressure mercury intrusion measurements were performed on a suite of North American shale reservoir samples providing the first ever comparison of all these techniques for characterizing the complex pore structure of shales. The techniques were used to gain insight into the nature of the pore structure including pore geometry, pore size distribution and accessible versus inaccessible porosity. Reservoir samples for analysis were taken from currently-active shale gas plays including the Barnett, Marcellus, Haynesville, Eagle Ford, Woodford, Muskwa, and Duvernay shales. Low-pressure adsorption revealed strong differences in BET surface area and pore volumes for the sample suite, consistent with variability in composition of the samples. The combination of CO2 and N2 adsorption data allowed pore size distributions to be created for micro–meso–macroporosity up to a limit of �1000 Å. Pore size distributions are either uni- or multi-modal. The adsorption-derived pore size distributions for some samples are inconsistent with mercury intrusion data, likely owing to a combination of grain compression during high-pressure intrusion, and the fact that mercury intrusion yields information about pore throat rather than pore body distributions. SANS/USANS scattering data indicate a fractal geometry (power-law scattering) for a wide range of pore sizes and provide evidence that nanometer-scale spatial ordering occurs in lower mesopore–micropore range for some samples, which may be associated with inter-layer spacing in clay minerals. SANS/USANS pore radius distributions were converted to pore volume distributions for direct comparison with adsorption data. For the overlap region between the two methods, the agreement is quite good. Accessible porosity in the pore size (radius) range 5 nm–10 lm was determined for a Barnett shale sample using the contrast matching method with pressurized deuterated methane fluid. The results demonstrate that accessible porosity is pore-size dependent.

Flight validation of a feedforward gust-attenuation controller for an autonomous helicopter

This paper presents a practical scheme to control heave motion for hover and automatic landing of a Rotary-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (RUAV) in the presence of strong horizontal gusts. A heave motion model is constructed for the purpose of capturing dynamic variations of thrust due to horizontal gusts. Through construction of an effective gust estimator, a feedback-feedforward controller is developed which uses available measurements from onboard sensors. The proposed controller dynamically and synchronously compensates for aerodynamic variations of heave motion, enhancing disturbance-attenuation capability of the RUAV. Simulation results justify the reliability and efficiency of the suggested gust estimator. Moreover, flight tests conducted on our Eagle helicopter verify suitability of the proposed control strategy for small RUAVs operating in a gusty environment.

Achieving world leadership in sustainable buildings - a Brisbane case study

In Australia, the building and construction industry is taking significant steps towards the enhancement of environmental performance of the built environment. A large number of world class sustainable buildings have been constructed in recent years, offering researchers and practitioners alike a good opportunity to identify the best practices and real life experiences in delivering high performance buildings. A case study of ONE ONE ONE Eagle Street, a 6 Star Green Star office building in Brisbane, was conducted to investigate the best practice in achieving this “world leader” green office building. The study identified a number of key factors relating to project delivery system, contractor selection method, client’s early commitment, design integration, communication as major contributors to the successful delivery of this project. Additionally, key environmentally sustainable features and their cost implications were explored through in-depth interviews with the main contractor. The findings of this study will shed lights on the successful delivery of sustainable buildings and provide practical implications for different stakeholders.

Save Your Life Tonight : Heads Up

Save Your Life Tonight is a factual entertainment series produced by WildBear Entertainment for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and was filmed in front of a live studio audience at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH). Save Your Life Tonight is a unique studio based medical series that explores Australia’s top 10 health issues in an exciting and entertaining way. Driven by charismatic host Andrew Daddo, along with resident GP Dr Liz Marles and a panel of leading experts, each episode is a fast-paced, dynamic exploration of the causes, symptoms, treatments and, most importantly, prevention of these leading health issues. But Save Your Life Tonight doesn't just talk about the issues, it shows the issues! Save Your Life Tonight features real patients, real doctors, real tests, real diagnoses, and real surgical procedures – live on stage! For the "Heads Up" episode, the program explores the issues of mental health. Only half of the Australians suffering from severe mental heath issues are receiving treatment. Featuring Ian Hickie on the panel, we also see a young mum face her crippling bird phobia with the help of a Wedge Tailed Eagle.

Permissionary work

The Los Angeles-based collaborative duo responds to the community-focused mission of the Center for the Arts Eagle Rock by asking themselves what kinds of invitations they want to extend to others publicly and privately. The resulting works depict various attempts at engagement and include examples that are insider, narcissistic, exclusive, inclusive, and imaginary. This new body of work furthers CamLab’s ongoing investigation into intimacy and how the political becomes personal by making its existing networks palpable and by giving its potential networks form.

A 1H MRS study of probable Alzheimer's disease and normal aging: Implications for longitudinal monitoring of dementia progression

In order to evaluate the capability of 1H MRS to monitor longitudinal changes in subjects with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD), the temporal stability of the metabolite measures N-acetylaspartate and N- acetylaspartylglutamate (NA), total Creatine (Cr), myo-Inositol (mI), total Choline (Chol), NA/Cr, mI/Cr, Chol/Cr and NA/mI were investigated in a cohort of normal older adults. Only the metabolite measures NA, mI, Cr, NA/Cr, mI/Cr, and NA/mI were found to be stable after a mean interval of 260 days. Relative and absolute metabolite measures from a cohort of patients with probable AD were subsequently compared with data from a sample of normal older adult control subjects, and correlated with mental status and the degree of atrophy in the localized voxel. Concentrations of NA, NA/Cr, and NA/mI were significantly reduced in the AD group with concomitant significant increases in mI and mI/Cr. There were no differences between the two groups in measures of Cr, Chol, or Chol/Cr. Significant correlations between mental status as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination and NA/mI, mI/Cr and NA were found. These metabolite measures were also significantly correlated with the extent of atrophy (as measured by CSF and GM composition) in the spectroscopy voxel.

Results of a fish health survey of North Biscayne Bay, June 1976-June 1977

Fish were collected weekly in Biscayne Bay using a monofilament gill net set from a small skiff during 20-30 minute intervals. Although weekly sampling took place for 2.5 years, only the data from samples collected from June 1976 to June 1977 were used in this document. Abnormal external conditions of fins and body were observed on each fish and recorded. Fish were returned immediately to their habitats. Fish collected in the time period for this study numbered 3,765 and included 32 species. Of these, 16 species, totaling 3,556 fish, were caught in sufficient numbers (20 or more) to warrant data analysis. Only 3 of the 16 species could be considered relatively unafflicted: Aetobatus narinari (spotted eagle ray), Diodon hystrix (porcupinefish), and Selene vomer (lookdown). More than 80% of the examined specimens of these three species were unaffected. Less than 20% of the specimens of Diapterus plumieri (striped mojarra), Micropogonias undulatus (Atlantic croaker), and Pogonias cromis (black drum) displayed normal conditions. The three most afflicted species were Diapterus plumieri, striped mojarra; Micropogonias undulatus, Atlantic croaker; and Pogonias cromis, black drum. Only 7, 3, and 7% respectively showed no external evidence of disease. Data described in this document were originally tabulated in the mid-1970s, remained unpublished, and are no longer available. This document was based on archived unpublished text, a data summary table, and figures. Most of the text and cited references were the ones used in the original manuscript and no attempt was made to update them. (PDF contains 44 pages)

Economics of co-managing water quality and invasive species for California and Baja California coastal boats

Regulatory action to protect California’s coastal water quality from degradation by copper from recreational boats’ antifouling paints interacts with efforts to prevent transport of invasive, hull-fouling species. A copper regulatory program is in place for a major yacht basin in northern San Diego Bay and in process for other major, California boat basins. “Companion” fouling control strategies are used with copper-based antifouling paints, as some invasive species have developed resistance to the copper biocide. Such strategies are critical for boats with less toxic or nontoxic hull coatings. Boat traffic along over 3,000 miles of coastline in California and Baja California increases invasive species transport risks. For example, 80% of boats in Baja California marinas are from the United States, especially California. Policy makers, boating businesses and boat owners need information on costs and supply-side capacity for effective fouling control measures to co-manage water quality and invasive species concerns. (PDF contains 3 pages)

Neutral red uptake (NRU) entseguaren optimizazioa lur-zizareen sistema immuneko zelulen kultibo primarioetan

Azken urteotan eman diren kutsatzaile desberdinen gehiegizko isurpen edo erabilpena dela eta, lurzoruetan metal astunak metatu dira eta horrek , kate trofikoaren oinarrian dauden organismoen gainean k altea k sorrarazi d itu. Eisenia fetida zizarea espezie zent inela gisa erabili da lur entsegu ekotoxikologi koet an . Esperimentu honetan Eisenia fetida - ren jariakin zelomikoan dauden eta babes funtzioa duten zelomozitoak pH desberdinetara edo Kadmio bezalako metalera esposatzeak Neutral Red (NR) edo gorri neutro tindatzaile kationikoaren harreran eta fagoz itosi ahalmenean , eragina duen aztertu nahi izan da. Esperimentua in vitro egin zen 3R filosofia jarraituz. Alde batetik, pH desberdinen eragin ari dagokio nez gorri neutroaren harrera ( NRU ) entsegua n erantzun bimodal bat behatu zen eta beste alde bate tik, f agozitatzeko ahalmenari dagokiola zelomozitoak Eagle medioan kultibatzean ez zen aldaketa esangarria ikusi kadmioa ren, kontr olaren eta kontrol positi boaren artean. Bai ordea L - 1 5 medioarekin, non kontrol posit iboa k beste biak baino absorbantzia handiagoa erakutsi zuen. Emaitza hauek erakusten dute zelomozitoe n mintza gradualki kaltetzen doala pH neutrotik aldentzen doan heinean eta puntu batetik aurrera NRU emendatzen da zelomozito batzuen (amebozitoen) fagozitosia aktibatzen d el a ko .