Beef carcasses with larger eye muscle areas, lower ossification scores and improved nutrition have a lower incidence of dark cutting

This study evaluated the effect of eye muscle area (EMA), ossification, carcass weight, marbling and rib fat depth on the incidence of dark cutting (pH u > 5.7) using routinely collected Meat Standards Australia (MSA) data. Data was obtained from 204,072 carcasses at a Western Australian processor between 2002 and 2008. Binomial data of pH u compliance was analysed using a logit model in a Bayesian framework. Increasing eye muscle area from 40 to 80 cm 2, increased pH u compliance by around 14% (P < 0.001) in carcasses less than 350 kg. As carcass weight increased from 150 kg to 220 kg, compliance increased by 13% (P < 0.001) and younger cattle with lower ossification were also 7% more compliant (P < 0.001). As rib fat depth increased from 0 to 20 mm, pH u compliance increased by around 10% (P < 0.001) yet marbling had no effect on dark cutting. Increasing musculature and growth combined with good nutrition will minimise dark cutting beef in Australia.

Cutting down the Cypress leylandii, pittosporums, and cotoneasters on your neighbours' land - the resolution of spite hedges

Queensland, New South Wales, and the United Kingdom have enacted legislation that governs what are colloquially known as spite hedges. These are barriers, commonly horticultural, that once constructed, block the view or sunlight from a neighbouring property. The matter was also recently raised in the Tasmanian Parliament. This article examines whether legislation should be enacted to deal with this issue, and if so, what is the regulatory model that need be adopted. The conclusion is that a layered nuanced response is needed to balance the interests and obligations of neighbouring landowners.

Cutting on action : interference strategies in contemporary art practice

The domestication of creative software and hardware has been a significant factor in the recent proliferation of still and moving image creation. Booming numbers of amateur image-makers have the resources, skills and ambitions to create and distribute their work on a mass scale. At the same time, contemporary art seems increasingly dominated by ‘post-medium’ practices that adopt and adapt the representational techniques of mass culture, rather than overtly reject or oppose them. As a consequence of this network of forces, the field of image and video production is no longer the exclusive specialty of art and the mass media, and art may no longer be the most prominent watchdog of mass image culture. Intuitively and intentionally, contemporary artists are responding to these shifting conditions. From the position of a creative practitioner and researcher, this paper examines the strategies that contemporary artists use to engage with the changing relationships between image culture, lived experience and artistic practice. By examining the intersections between W.J.T. Mitchell’s detailed understanding of visual literacy and Jacques Derrida’s philosophical models of reading and writing, I identify ‘editing’ as a broad methodology that describes how practitioners creatively and critically engage with the field of still and moving images. My contention is that by emphasising the intersections of looking and making, ‘reading’ and ‘writing’, artists provide crucial jump cuts, pauses and distortions in the medley of our mediated experiences.

Correct procedures and cutting corners: a qualitative study of women's occupational health and safety in a beauty therapy industry

Objective: To examine the context of occupational health and safety related to blood-borne communicable diseases practice. Methods: A case study approach using qualitative semi-structured interviews with five key informants who represented different sectors of the beauty therapy industry in South Australia. Results: Four main themes were identified: (i) exposure to blood and blood-borne communicable diseases; (ii) prevention in practice; (iii) OH&S problems; and (iv) industry needs. Conclusion: Key OH&S issues in the beauty therapy industry include: power relationships between employers and employees, equipment costs, the need for more continuing education, and monitoring of practitioners. Implications: Economic constraints, continuing education, and government regulation of the beauty therapy industry are highlighted as significant areas for further consideration in addressing the OH&S needs of practitioners and their clients.

Proteases and proteomics : cutting to the core of human skin pathologies

Preserving the integrity of the skin's outermost layer (the epidermis) is vital for humans to thrive in hostile surroundings. Covering the entire body, the epidermis forms a thin but impenetrable cellular cordon that repels external assaults and blocks escape of water and electrolytes from within. This structure exists in a perpetual state of regeneration where the production of new cellular subunits at the base of the epidermis is offset by the release of terminally differentiated corneocytes from the surface. It is becoming increasingly clear that proteases hold vital roles in assembling and maintaining the epidermal barrier. More than 30 proteases are expressed by keratinocytes or infiltrating immune cells and the activity of each must be maintained within narrow limits and confined to the correct time and place. Accordingly, over- or under-exertion of proteolytic activity is a common factor in a multitude of skin disorders that range in severity from relatively mild to life-threatening. This review explores the current state of knowledge on the involvement of proteases in skin diseases and the latest findings from proteomic and transcriptomic studies focused on uncovering novel (patho)physiological roles for these enzymes.

Plasma-aided nanofabrication: where is the cutting edge?

Plasma-aided nanofabrication is a rapidly expanding area of research spanning disciplines ranging from physics and chemistry of plasmas and gas discharges to solid state physics, materials science, surface science, nanoscience and nanotechnology and related engineering subjects. The current status of the research field is discussed and examples of superior performance and competitive advantage of plasma processes and techniques are given. These examples are selected to represent a range of applications of two major types of plasmas suitable for nanoscale synthesis and processing, namely thermally non-equilibrium and thermal plasmas. Major concepts and terminology used in the field are introduced. The paper also pinpoints the major challenges facing plasma-aided nanofabrication and identifies some emerging topics for future research. © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Cutting the Gordian knot of futility : a case for law reform on unilateral withholding and withdrawal of potentially life-sustaining treatment

In this paper, we propose law reform with respect to the unilateral withholding or withdrawal of potentially life-sustaining treatment in Australia and New Zealand. That is, where a doctor withholds or withdraws potentially life-sustaining treatment without consent from a patient or a patient’s substitute decision-maker (where the patient lacks capacity), or authorisation from a court or tribunal, or by operation of a statute or justifiable government or institutional policy. Our proposal is grounded in the core values that do (or should) underpin a regulatory framework on an issue such as this; these values are drawn from existing commitments made by Australia and New Zealand through legislation, the common law, and conventions and treaties. It is also grounded in a critical review of the law on unilateral withholding and withdrawal as well as the legal context within which this issue sits in Australasia. We argue that the current law is inconsistent with the core values and develop a proposal for a legal response to this issue that more closely aligns with the core values it is supposed to serve.

Female genital cutting : An overview of Australian legal principles, ethical controversies, and medical, legal and social challenges

Female genital cutting (also often called female genital mutilation, or female circumcision) is a cultural practice that originated thousands of years ago. Female genital cutting has various forms, some of which are more invasive than others, but all of which produce health, legal and social consequences for those involved. Due to patterns of immigration in Australia, especially since the 1990s, there are women in Australia who have experienced female genital cutting. There may be some families, or some parents, who still hold a cultural commitment to female genital cutting. As a result, female genital cutting presents complex legal, ethical, medical and social challenges in contemporary Australian society. Medical practitioners and other health and welfare workers may encounter women who have experienced genital cutting and who require treatment for its sequelae. Currently, legislative frameworks for female genital cutting vary across states and territories, including the penalties for conducting it, and for removing a child for the purpose of conducting it outside Australia. This presentation provides an overview of the history, nature and consequences of the various forms of female genital cutting, and of the major Australian legal principles, ethical controversies, and medical, legal and social challenges in this field.

Cord Cutting Anxiety Oversimplifies Distribution Revolution

Cord cutting refers to the act of cable and satellite consumers cancelling their subscriptions and opting instead for non-traditional distribution outlets, like streaming media platforms. The trend has been the subject of much debate in the trade press and a source of much concern for the industry. Yet many questions remain unanswered: Is it really a major trend? Does it save consumers money? Can viewers still find the content they love? How do we even “cut the cord” anyway?

Fresh thinking in services marketing: Contemporary, cutting-edge and creative thoughts

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight and promote fresh thinking in services marketing research. Design/methodology/approach The topic of the special issue was deliberately chosen to encourage fresh ideas and concepts that will move the discipline forward. The accepted papers have been categorised for ease and convenience of reading by scholars and practitioners, with a short commentary on each category. Findings There is a wealth of forward-thinking by service(s) marketing researchers that bodes well for the future of the sub-discipline. Research limitations/implications The special issue does not address fresh thinking in all areas of services marketing research. Other potential areas for fresh thinking are identified. Originality/value New thinking in a scholarly field is necessary to propel the discipline forward.

Structural characteristics of a giant tropical liana and its mode of canopy spread in an alien environment

To circumvent the practical difficulties in research on tropical rainforest lianas in their natural habitat due to prevailing weather conditions, dense camouflaging vegetation and problems in transporting equipment for experimental investigations, Entada pursaetha DC (syn. Entada scandens Benth., Leguminosae) was grown inside a research campus in a dry subtropical environment. A solitary genet has attained a gigantic size in 17 years, infesting crowns of semi-evergreen trees growing in an area roughly equivalent to 1.6 ha. It has used aerially formed, cable-like stolons for navigating and spreading its canopy across tree gaps. Some of its parts which had remained unseen in its natural habitat due to dense vegetation are described. The attained size of this liana in a climatically different environment raises the question as to why it is restricted to evergreen rainforests. Some research problems for which this liana will be useful are pointed out.

Infinite Dimensional Slow Modulations In A Delayed Model For Orthogonal Cutting Vibrations

We apply the method of multiple scales (MMS) to a well known model of regenerative cutting vibrations in the large delay regime. By ``large'' we mean the delay is much larger than the time scale of typical cutting tool oscillations. The MMS upto second order for such systems has been developed recently, and is applied here to study tool dynamics in the large delay regime. The second order analysis is found to be much more accurate than first order analysis. Numerical integration of the MMS slow flow is much faster than for the original equation, yet shows excellent accuracy. The main advantage of the present analysis is that infinite dimensional dynamics is retained in the slow flow, while the more usual center manifold reduction gives a planar phase space. Lower-dimensional dynamical features, such as Hopf bifurcations and families of periodic solutions, are also captured by the MMS. Finally, the strong sensitivity of the dynamics to small changes in parameter values is seen clearly.

Control of the invasive liana, Hiptage benghalensis

The liana, hiptage (Hiptage benghalensis), is currently invading the wet tropics of northern Queensland and remnant bushland in south-eastern Queensland, Australia. Trials using seven herbicides and three application methods (foliar, basal bark, and cut stump) were undertaken at a site in north Queensland (158 700 hiptage plants ha−1). The foliar-applied herbicides were only effective in controlling the hiptage seedlings. Of the foliar herbicides trialed, dicamba, fluroxypyr, and triclopyr/picloram controlled >75% of the treated seedlings. On the larger plants, the cut stump applications were more effective than the basal bark treatments. Kills of >95% were obtained when the plants were cut close to ground level (5 cm) and treated with herbicides that were mixed with diesel (fluroxypyr and triclopyr/picloram), with water (glyphosate), or were applied neat (picloram). The costings for the cut stump treatment of a hiptage infestation (85 000 plants ha−1), excluding labor, would be $A14 324 ha−1 using picloram and $A5294 ha−1 and $A2676 ha−1, respectively, using glyphosate and fluroxypyr. Foliar application using dicamba for seedling control would cost $A1830 ha−1. The costs range from 2–17 cents per plant depending on the treatment. A lack of hiptage seeds below the soil surface, a high germinability (>98%) of the viable seeds, a low viability (0%) of 2 year old, laboratory-stored fruit, and a seedling density of 0.1 seedlings m−2 12 months after a control program indicate that hiptage might have a short-term seed bank. Protracted recolonization from the seed bank would therefore be unlikely after established seed-producing plants have been controlled.

What lies beneath? The pattern and abundance of the subterranean tuber bank of the invasive liana cat's claw creeper, Macfadyena unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae)

Cat’s claw creeper, Macfadyena unguis-cati (L.) Gentry (Bignoniaceae) is a major environmental weed of riparian areas, rainforest communities and remnant natural vegetation in coastal Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. In densely infested areas, it smothers standing vegetation, including large trees, and causes canopy collapse. Quantitative data on the ecology of this invasive vine are generally lacking. The present study examines the underground tuber traits of M. unguis-cati and explores their links with aboveground parameters at five infested sites spanning both riparian and inland vegetation. Tubers were abundant in terms of density (~1000 per m2), although small in size and low in level of interconnectivity. M. unguis-cati also exhibits multiple stems per plant. Of all traits screened, the link between stand (stem density) and tuber density was the most significant and yielded a promising bivariate relationship for the purposes of estimation, prediction and management of what lies beneath the soil surface of a given M. unguis-cati infestation site. The study also suggests that new recruitment is primarily from seeds, not from vegetative propagation as previously thought. The results highlight the need for future biological-control efforts to focus on introducing specialist seed- and pod-feeding insects to reduce seed-output.

Response of an invasive liana to simulated herbivory: implications for its biological control

Pre-release evaluation of the efficacy of biological control agents is often not possible in the case of many invasive species targeted for biocontrol. In such circumstances simulating herbivory could yield significant insights into plant response to damage, thereby improving the efficiency of agent prioritisation, increasing the chances of regulating the performance of invasive plants through herbivory and minimising potential risks posed by release of multiple herbivores. We adopted this approach to understand the weaknesses herbivores could exploit, to manage the invasive liana, Macfadyena unguis-cati. We simulated herbivory by damaging the leaves, stem, root and tuber of the plant, in isolation and in combination. We also applied these treatments at multiple frequencies. Plant response in terms of biomass allocation showed that at least two severe defoliation treatments were required to diminish this liana's climbing habit and reduce its allocation to belowground tuber reserves. Belowground damage appears to have negligible effect on the plant's biomass production and tuber damage appears to trigger a compensatory response. Plant response to combinations of different types of damage did not differ significantly to that from leaf damage. This suggests that specialist herbivores in the leaf-feeding guild capable of removing over 50% of the leaf tissue may be desirable in the biological control of this invasive species.