Management of 'Tough' fish syndrome (TFS) in tropical Saddletail Snapper to re-instill market confidence

Successful identification of these factors influence upon TFS will empower stakeholders to make informed decisions as to how to best utilise the resource, boost consumer confidence thus ensuring the improved profitability of the fishery into the future.

Sweetpotato consumer research: insights to increasing consumption

This report provides an evaluation of the behaviours and purchasing drivers of key sweetpotato consumers defined by Nielsen consumer research as Established Couples (two or more adults with no children 17 and under, and head of house 35-59), Senior Couples (two or more adults with no children 17 or under, and head of house 60 or over), and Independent Singles (one person household 35 or over, no children 17 or under). Research was qualitative in nature. Methods used included focus groups, depth interviews and shop-a-longs. The report found that preferences for sweetpotato amongst these groups were varied. In general a smaller torpedo shaped vegetable was valued for ease of preparation and the convenience of being of sufficient size for a meal for two. Satisfaction with sweetpotato was high with negative comments on quality exceedingly rare within discussions. However, shop-a-longs revealed that some quality issues were apparent at retail such as withered product, pitting and occasionally damage. A display with stock resting in any amount of water was a barrier to purchase for consumers and this was apparent on two out 15 occasions. A high quality sweetpotato was of a deep orange/red colour, had a smooth skin and was extremely dense and hard. An inferior sweetpotato was wrinkly, spongy, pitted and damaged. Awareness of sweetpotato was a relatively recent phenomenon amongst the respondents of this study with most recalling eating the vegetable in the last five to 10 years. Life-time eating patterns emerged as a consequence of childhood food experiences such as growing up with a ‘meat and three’ veg philosophy and traditional Australian meals. However, this was dependent on cultural background and those with ties to diverse cultures were more likely to have always known of the vegetable. Sweetpotato trial and consumption coincided with a breaking away from these traditional patterns, or was integrated into conventional meals such as a baked vegetable to accompany roasts. Increased health consciousness also led to awareness of the vegetable. A primary catalyst for consumption within the Established and Senior Couples groups was the health benefits associated with sweetpotato. Consumers had very little knowledge of the specific health properties of the vegetable and were surprised at the number of benefits consumption provided. Sweetpotato was important for diabetics for its low Glycemic Index status. Top-of-the-mind awareness of the vegetable resulted from the onset of the disease. Increasing fibre was a key motive for this demographic and this provided a significant link between consumption and preventing bowel cancer. For those on a weight loss regime, sweetpotato was perceived as a tasty, satisfying food that was low in carbohydrates. Swapping behaviours where white potato was replaced by sweetpotato was often a response to these health concerns. Other health properties mentioned by participants through the course of the research included the precursor β-carotene and Vitamins A & C. The sweetpotato was appreciated for its hedonic and timesaving qualities. For consumers with a high involvement in food, the vegetable was valued for its versatility in meals. These consumers took pride in cooking and the flavour and texture of sweetpotato lent itself to a variety of meals such as soups, salads, roasts, curries, tagines and so on. Participants who had little time or desire to prepare and cook meals valued sweetpotato because it was an easy way to add colour and variety to the plate and because including an orange vegetable to meals is a shortcut to ensuring vitamin intake. Several recommendations are made to the sweetpotato industry. • Vigorously promote the distinct nutritional and health properties of sweetpotatoes, particularly if they can be favourably compared to other vegetables or foods • Promote the salient properties to specific targets such as diabetics, those that are at risk to bowel cancer, and those embarking on a weight-loss regime. Utilise specialist channels of communication such as diabetic magazines and websites • Promote styles of cooking of sweetpotato that would appeal to traditionalists such as roasts and BBQs • Promote the vegetable as a low maintenance vegetable, easy to store, easy to cook and particularly focusing on it as a simple way to boost the appearance and nutritional value of meals. • Promote the vegetable to high food involvement consumers through exotic recipes and linking it to feelings of accomplishment with cooking • Promote the versatility of the vegetable • Devise promotions that link images and tone of communications with enjoying life to the fullest, having time to enjoy family and grandchildren, and of partaking in social activities • Educate retailers on consumer perceptions of quality and ensuring moisture and mould is not present at displays Qualitative information while providing a wealth of detail cannot be extrapolated to the overall target population and this may be considered a limitation to the research. However, within research theory, effective quantitative design is believed to stem from the insights developed from qualitative studies. • Develop and implement a quantitative study on sweetpotato attitudes and behaviours based on the results of this study.

Potential Distribution and Risk Assessment of an Invasive Plant Species: A Case Study of Hymenachne amplexicaulis in Australia

Given the limited resources available for weed management, a strategic approach is required to give the best bang for your buck. The current study incorporates: (1) a model ensemble approach to identify areas of uncertainty and commonality regarding a species invasive potential, (2) current distribution of the invaded species, and (3) connectivity of systems to identify target regions and focus efforts for more effective management. Uncertainty in the prediction of suitable habitat for H. amplexicaulis (study species) in Australia was addressed in an ensemble-forecasting approach to compare distributional scenarios from four models (CLIMATCH; CLIMEX; boosted regression trees [BRT]; maximum entropy [Maxent]). Models were built using subsets of occurrence and environmental data. Catchment risk was determined through incorporating habitat suitability, the current abundance and distribution of H. amplexicaulis, and catchment connectivity. Our results indicate geographic differences between predictions of different approaches. Despite these differences a number of catchments in northern, central, and southern Australia were identified as high risk of invasion or further spread by all models suggesting they should be given priority for the management of H. amplexicaulis. The study also highlighted the utility of ensemble approaches in indentifying areas of uncertainty and commonality regarding the species invasive potential.

Age and leadership: The moderating role of legacy beliefs

Age and age-related motivations have been neglected in leadership research. This study examined the moderating influence of legacy beliefs on the relationships between age and transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant leadership behaviors. Legacy beliefs involve individuals' convictions about whether they and their actions will be remembered, have an enduring influence, and leave something behind after death. It was expected that at higher ages, low legacy beliefs impede transformational and transactional leadership behaviors and boost passive-avoidant leadership behaviors. One hundred and six university professors, between 30 and 70 years old, provided ratings of their legacy beliefs; each professor's leadership behaviors were evaluated by one of his or her employees. Results confirmed the assumptions for overall transformational leadership and its charisma subdimension as well as for overall transactional leadership and its active management-by-exception subdimension but not for passive-avoidant leadership.

Review of productivity decline in sown grass pastures

Productivity decline in sown grass pastures is widespread in northern Australia and reduces production by approximately 50%, a farm gate cost to industry of > $17B over the next 30 years. Buffel grass is the most widely established sown species (>75% of plantings) and has been estimated to be “dominant” on 5.8 M hectares and “common” on a further 25.9 M hectares of Queensland. Legumes are the most cost effective mitigation option and can reclaim 30-50% of lost production. Commercial use of legumes has achieved mixed results with notable successes but many failures. There is significant opportunity to improve commercial results from legumes using existing technologies, however there is a need for targeted research to improve the reliability of establishment and productivity of legumes. This review recommends the grazing industry invest in targeted R,D&E to assist industry in improving production and sustainability of rundown pastures.

Fertilising for yield and quality in sown grass pastures and forage crops

Sown pasture rundown and declining soil fertility for forage crops are too serious to ignore with losses in beef production of up to 50% across Queensland. The feasibility of using strategic applications of nitrogen (N) fertiliser to address these losses was assessed by analysing a series of scenarios using data drawn from published studies, local fertiliser trials and expert opinion. While N fertilser can dramatically increase productivity (growth, feed quality and beef production gains of over 200% in some scenarios), the estimated economic benefits, derived from paddock level enterprise budgets for a fattening operation, were much more modest. In the best-performing sown grass scenarios, average gross margins were doubled or tripled at the assumed fertiliser response rates, and internal rates of return of up to 11% were achieved. Using fertiliser on forage sorghum or oats was a much less attractive option and, under the paddock level analysis and assumptions used, forages struggled to be profitable even on fertile sites with no fertiliser input. The economics of nitrogen fertilising on grass pasture were sensitive to the assumed response rates in both pasture growth and liveweight gain. Consequently, targeted research is proposed to re-assess the responses used in this analysis, which are largely based on research 25-40 years ago when soils were generally more fertile and pastures less rundown.

AndroMedia - Towards a Context-aware Mobile Music Recommender

Portable music players have made it possible to listen to a personal collection of music in almost every situation, and they are often used during some activity to provide a stimulating audio environment. Studies have demonstrated the effects of music on the human body and mind, indicating that selecting music according to situation can, besides making the situation more enjoyable, also make humans perform better. For example, music can boost performance during physical exercises, alleviate stress and positively affect learning. We believe that people intuitively select different types of music for different situations. Based on this hypothesis, we propose a portable music player, AndroMedia, designed to provide personalised music recommendations using the user’s current context and listening habits together with other user’s situational listening patterns. We have developed a prototype that consists of a central server and a PDA client. The client uses Bluetooth sensors to acquire context information and logs user interaction to infer implicit user feedback. The user interface also allows the user to give explicit feedback. Large user interface elements facilitate touch-based usage in busy environments. The prototype provides the necessary framework for using the collected information together with other user’s listening history in a context- enhanced collaborative filtering algorithm to generate context-sensitive recommendations. The current implementation is limited to using traditional collaborative filtering algorithms. We outline the techniques required to create context-aware recommendations and present a survey on mobile context-aware music recommenders found in literature. As opposed to the explored systems, AndroMedia utilises other users’ listening habits when suggesting tunes, and does not require any laborious set up processes.

Enhancing ethical data translation in educational qualitative research

Many educational researchers conducting studies in non-English speaking settings attempt to report on their project in English to boost their scholarly impact. It requires preparing and presenting translations of data collected from interviews and observations. This paper discusses the process and ethical considerations involved in this invisible methodological phase. The process includes activities prior to data analysis and to its presentation to be undertaken by the bilingual researcher as translator in order to convey participants’ original meanings as well as to establish and fulfil translation ethics. This paper offers strategies to address such issues; the most appropriate translation method for qualitative study; and approaches to address political issues when presenting such data.

Essays on Labor Market Frictions, Technological Change and Macroeconomic Fluctuations

The dissertation consists of an introductory chapter and three essays that apply search-matching theory to study the interaction of labor market frictions, technological change and macroeconomic fluctuations. The first essay studies the impact of capital-embodied growth on equilibrium unemployment by extending a vintage capital/search model to incorporate vintage human capital. In addition to the capital obsolescence (or creative destruction) effect that tends to raise unemployment, vintage human capital introduces a skill obsolescence effect of faster growth that has the opposite sign. Faster skill obsolescence reduces the value of unemployment, hence wages and leads to more job creation and less job destruction, unambiguously reducing unemployment. The second essay studies the effect of skill biased technological change on skill mismatch and the allocation of workers and firms in the labor market. By allowing workers to invest in education, we extend a matching model with two-sided heterogeneity to incorporate an endogenous distribution of high and low skill workers. We consider various possibilities for the cost of acquiring skills and show that while unemployment increases in most scenarios, the effect on the distribution of vacancy and worker types varies according to the structure of skill costs. When the model is extended to incorporate endogenous labor market participation, we show that the unemployment rate becomes less informative of the state of the labor market as the participation margin absorbs employment effects. The third essay studies the effects of labor taxes on equilibrium labor market outcomes and macroeconomic dynamics in a New Keynesian model with matching frictions. Three policy instruments are considered: a marginal tax and a tax subsidy to produce tax progression schemes, and a replacement ratio to account for variability in outside options. In equilibrium, the marginal tax rate and replacement ratio dampen economic activity whereas tax subsidies boost the economy. The marginal tax rate and replacement ratio amplify shock responses whereas employment subsidies weaken them. The tax instruments affect the degree to which the wage absorbs shocks. We show that increasing tax progression when taxation is initially progressive is harmful for steady state employment and output, and amplifies the sensitivity of macroeconomic variables to shocks. When taxation is initially proportional, increasing progression is beneficial for output and employment and dampens shock responses.

G20 tax reform plan should prevent another Lux leaks

The G20 Communique is good news on the international tax reform front. As part of the G20 commitment to boost economic resilience the Communique commits G20 nations to taking action to ensure fairness in the international tax system. This means they are looking at ways to ensure profits are taxed where economic activities deriving the profits are performed and where value is created.

Posters versus lurkers. Improving participation in enterprise social networks through management interventions

This thesis investigated the phenomenon of underutilised Enterprise social networks (ESNs). Guided by established theories, we identified key reasons that drive ESN members to either post (i.e., create content) or lurk (i.e., read others' content) and examined the influence of three management interventions - aim to boost participation - on lurkers' and posters' beliefs and participation. We test our model with data collected from 366 members in Google⁺ communities in a large Australian retail organization. We find that posters and lurkers are motivated and hindered by different factors. Moreover, management interventions do not – always – yield the hoped-for results among lurkers.