Tracking the Origin of a Rabbit Haemorrhagic Virus 2 Outbreak in a Wild Rabbit Breeding Centre in Portugal; Epidemiological and Genetic Investigation

As key prey, the wild rabbit downsize constitutes a major drawback on the endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) re-introduction in the Iberia. Several captive breeding units mostly located in Alentejo, endeavour the wild rabbit repopulation of depleted areas assigned for the lynx re-introduction. Here we report an RHDV2 outbreak that occurred in early 2016 in a wild rabbit captive breeding unit located in Barrancos municipality. The estimated mortality rate between March and April 2016 was approximately 8.67%. Anatomopathologic examination was carried out for 13 victimized rabbits. Molecular characterization was based on the complete vp60 capsid gene. The 13 rabbit carcasses investigated showed typical macroscopic RHD lesions testing positive to RHDV2- RNA. Comparison of the vp60 nucleotide sequences obtained from two specimens with others publically available disclosed similarities below 98.22% with RHDV2 strains originated in the Iberia and Azores and revealed that the two identical strains from Barrancos-2016 contain six unique single synonymous nucleotide polymorphisms. In the phylogenetic analysis performed, the Barrancos-2016 strains clustered apart from other known strains, meaning they may represent new evolutionary RHDV2 lineages. No clear epidemiological link could be traced for this outbreak where the mortalities were lower compared with previous years. Yet, network analysis suggested a possible connection between the missing intermediates from which the strains from Barrancos 2013, 2014 and 2016 have derived. It is therefore possible that RHDV2 has circulated endemically in the region since 2012, with periodic epizootic occurrences. Still, six years after its emergence in wild rabbits, RHDV2 continues to pose difficulties to the establishment of natural wild rabbit populations that are crucial for the self-sustainability of the local ecosystems.

Interactive image manipulation for surgical planning

The Australian e-Health Research Centre in collaboration with the Queensland University of Technology's Paediatric Spine Research Group is developing software for visualisation and manipulation of large three-dimensional (3D) medical image data sets. The software allows the extraction of anatomical data from individual patients for use in preoperative planning. State-of-the-art computer technology makes it possible to slice through the image dataset at any angle, or manipulate 3D representations of the data instantly. Although the software was initially developed to support planning for scoliosis surgery, it can be applied to any dataset whether obtained from computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging or any other imaging modality.

Building engaged, sustainable online communities : a case study of an adventure travel website

This paper will provide an overview of a join research initiative being developed by the Queensland University of Technology in conjunction with the Australian Smart Services Cooperative Research Centre in relation to the development and analysis of online communities. The intention of this project is to initially create an exciting and innovative web space around the concept of adventure travel and then to analyse the level of user engagement to uncover possible patterns and processes that could be used in the future development of other virtual online communities. Travel websites are not a new concept and there are many successful examples currently operating and generating profit. The intention of the QUT/Smart Services CRC project is to analyse the site metrics to determine the following: what specific conditions/parameters are required to foster a growing and engaged virtual community; when does the shift occur from external moderation to a more sustainable system of self-moderation within the online community; when do users begin to take ownership of a site and take an invested interested in the content and growth of an online community; and how to retain active contributors and high-impact power users on a long-term basis. With the travel website rapidly approaching release, this paper begins the process of reflection, outlining the process undertaken and the findings so far aggregated whilst also positioning the project within the greater context of current online user participation and user generated content research.

Tissue viability imaging of skin microcirculation following exposure to whole body cryotherapy (-110°C) and cold water immersion (8°C)

Cryotherapy is currently used in various clinical, rehabilitative, and sporting settings. However, very little is known regarding the impact of cooling on the microcirculatory response. Objectives: The present study sought to examine the influence of two commonly employed modalities of cryotherapy, whole body cryotherapy (WBC; -110°C) and cold water immersion(CWI; 8±1°C), on skin microcirculation in the mid- thigh region. Methods: The skin area examined was a 3 × 3 cm located between the most anterior aspect of the inguinal fold and the patella. Following 10 minutes of rest, 5 healthy, active males were exposed to either WBC for 3 minutes or CWI for 5 minutes in a randomised order. Volunteers lay supine for five minutes after treatment, in order to monitor the variation of red blood cell (RBC) concentration in the region of interest for a duration of 40 minutes. Microcirculation response was assessed using a non-invasive, portable instrument known as a Tissue Viability imaging system. After a minimum of seven days, the protocol was repeated. Subjective assessment of the volunteer’s thermal comfort and thermal sensation was also recorded. Results: RBC was altered following exposure to both WBC and CWI but appeared to stabilise approximately 35 minutes after treatments. Both WBC and CWI affected thermal sensation (p < 0.05); however no betweengroup differences in thermal comfort or sensation were recorded (p > 0.05). Conclusions: As both WBC and CWI altered RBC, further study is necessary to examine the mechanism for this alteration during whole body cooling.

A question of agency : applying Sen’s theory of human capability to the concept of secondary school student career ‘choice’

In this paper, we seek to operationalize Amartya Sen's concept of human capability to guide a scholarly investigation of student career choice capability. We begin by outlining factors affecting youth labour markets in Australia; a prosperous country that is affected by a ‘two-speed’ national economy. We then examine recent government initiatives that have been designed to combat youth unemployment and cyclical disadvantage by enhancing the aspirations and career knowledge of secondary school students. We argue that these policy measures are based on four assumptions: first, that career choice capability is a problem of individual agency; second, that the dissemination of career information can empower students to act as ‘consumers’ in an unequal job market; third, that agency is simply a question of will; and finally, that school education and career advice – as a means to freedom in the space of career development – is of equal quality, distribution and value to an increasingly diverse range of upper secondary school students. The paper concludes by outlining a conceptual framework capable of informing an empirical research project that aims to test these assumptions by measuring and comparing differences between groups in the range of freedom to achieve and, therefore, to choose.

Polybridge Technical Report

This study examined the physical and chemical properties of a novel, fully-recirculated prawn and polychaete production system that incorporated polychaete-assisted sand filters (PASF). The aims were to assess and demonstrate the potential of this system for industrialisation, and to provide optimisations for wastewater treatment by PASF. Two successive seasons were studied at commercially-relevant scales in a prototype system constructed at the Bribie Island Research Centre in Southeast Queensland. The project produced over 5.4 tonnes of high quality black tiger prawns at rates up to 9.9 tonnes per hectare, with feed conversion of up to 1.1. Additionally, the project produced about 930 kg of high value polychaete biomass at rates up to 1.5 kg per square metre of PASF, with the worms feeding predominantly on waste nutrients. Importantly, this closed production system demonstrated rapid growth of healthy prawns at commercially relevant production levels, using methods that appear feasible for application at large scale. Deeper (23 cm) PASF beds provided similar but more reliable wastewater treatment efficacies compared with shallower (13 cm) beds, but did not demonstrate significantly greater polychaete productivity than (easier to harvest) shallow beds. The nutrient dynamics associated with seasonal and tidal operations of the system were studied in detail, providing technical and practical insights into how PASF could be optimised for the mitigation of nutrient discharge. The study also highlighted some of the other important advantages of this integrated system, including low sludge production, no water discharge during the culture phase, high ecosystem health, good prospects for biosecurity controls, and the sustainable production of a fishery-limited resource (polychaetes) that may be essential for the expansion of prawn farming industries throughout the world. Regarding nutrient discharge from this prototype mariculture system, when PASF was operating correctly it proved feasible to have no water (or nutrient) discharge during the entire prawn growing season. However, the final drain harvest and emptying of ponds that is necessary at the end of the prawn farming season released 58.4 kg ha-1 of nitrogen and 6 kg ha-1 of phosphorus (in Season 2). Whilst this is well below (i.e., one-third to one-half of) the current load-based licencing conditions for many prawn farms in Australia, the levels of nitrogen and chlorophyll a in the ponds remained higher than the more-stringent maximum limits at the Bribie Island study site. Zero-net-nutrient discharge was not achieved, but waste nutrients were low where 5.91 kg of nitrogen and 0.61 kg of phosphorus was discharged per tonne of prawns produced. This was from a system that deployed PASF at 14.4% of total ponded farm area which treated an average of 5.8% of pond water daily and did not use settlement ponds or other natural or artificial water remediation systems. Four supplemental appendices complement this research by studying several additional aspects that are central to the industrialisation of PASF. The first details an economic model and decision tool which allows potential users to interactively assess construction and operational variables of PASF at different scales. The second provides the qualitative results of a prawn maturation trial conducted collaboratively with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to assess dietary inclusions of PASF-produced worms. The third provides the reproductive results from industry-based assessments of prawn broodstock produced using PASF. And the fourth appendix provides detailed elemental and nutritional analyses of bacterial biofilm produced by PASF and assesses its potential to improve the growth of prawns in recirculated culture systems.

Muuttoliike ja vetovoimatekijät Helsingissä : - Kyselyaineiston analyysi

This thesis explores migration and the attractiveness of urban living in the Greater Helsinki region. The aim of the thesis is to explore the attractiveness of the city of Helsinki in terms of regional migration and to identify what characterizes migration to Helsinki. The study focuses in particular on housing, which is a key factor influencing migration decisions in the region. Other central themes in the study are housing policy and regional competition among municipalities. This study focuses solely on households moving within Finnish borders excluding international migration. Migration is examined by comparing in- and out-migration in Helsinki, as well as studying migration to the city s inner and outer areas. The primary research material in the study is a questionnaire data collected by the National Consumer Research Centre. In this thesis the data is used for studying migrants aged 25 45. The main research method is analyzing the data statistically using the SPSS software. Methods include frequency analysis, cross tabulation, factor analysis and descriptive analysis. Additionally, statistical data is used to complement the questionnaire data. The research results indicate that Helsinki s in- and out-migration differs both in terms of the type of households that migrate as well as in the reasons why they migrate. Furthermore, differences can also be detected between migration to the inner and outer parts of Helsinki. According to the research results, a household s current phase of life is crucial in determining where and why they move within the Greater Helsinki region. A household s set of values on the other hand, seems to have a lesser impact on migration within the region, even though households moving to Helsinki seem to value a somewhat more urban lifestyle than the ones moving out of the city. The research also shows a direct correlation between the values of migrants and their current phase of life. Decisions of migrating are heavily influenced by wider societal issues. In the Greater Helsinki region the labor and housing market appear to have a great influence on the direction of migration streams. According to the results, households move to and from Helsinki for different reasons. The primary reasons for moving to Helsinki are related to the city s diverse labor market and to the working careers of households. Issues related to urban living and an urban lifestyle seem to be relevant although not the main reason why people move to Helsinki. The research material indicates that Helsinki s urban environment is both a pull and a push factor affecting the decisions of migrants. The city attracts those seeking urban living, but on the contrary does not appeal to households seeking more space and wishing to live closer to nature. According to the research, Helsinki with its densely built urban environment mainly attracts singles and childless couples, whereas the city region s other municipalities are more attractive for families with children. Housing policy is one of the main reasons determining where people move within the Helsinki region. As for the city of Helsinki, improving the city s attractiveness seems to be closely linked to how well the city manages to execute its future housing policies and how well alternative living preferences can be taken into account in planning.

Questão para a pesquisa em educação: um debate teórico - metodológico

O tema central desta investigação, desenvolvida através da pesquisa bibliográfica, é a prática da pesquisa em educação. O objetivo principal foi analisar os aspectos teóricos- metodológicos dessa prática. A análise foi feita a partir de uma discussão conceitual sobre os fundamentos teórico-metodológicos da investigação científica em educação. As questões que o trabalho investigativo buscou responder foram as seguintes: como tem sido a prática investigativa na área da educação? Existe, na prática da pesquisa em educação, um debate teórico-metodológico? A discussão de teoria e de metodologia encaminhou para a elaboração de questões no que concerne às fragilidades teórico-metodológicas na pesquisa em educação e sobre as denominadas pesquisas nos/dos/com os cotidianos, uma perspectiva que nega tais fragilidades. Por fim, em face destas questões, foi apresentada outra perspectiva epistemológica para se pensar a prática investigativa em educação, a partir das contribuições de Miriam Limoeiro Cardoso (1976, 1978, 1990). Em linhas gerais, ao longo da dissertação, foram levantadas questões, discussões que, de modo geral, são concernentes ao processo de produção de conhecimento, a partir da investigação na área da educação, no que tange aos aspectos teóricos, metodológicos, epistemológicos.

Críticas da pesquisa educacional brasileira: presença constante do empirismo.

O tema central desta investigação, desenvolvida através de pesquisa bibliográfica, é a prática da pesquisa em educação no Brasil. O objetivo principal foi apresentar as análises sobre os aspectos teóricos-metodológicos dessa prática. A pesquisa foi feita a partir de uma discussão conceitual sobre os fundamentos teórico-metodológicos da investigação científica em educação. As questões abordadas pela dissertação acerca dos pressupostos teórico-metodológicos indicam a presença da empiria como opção epistemológica na prática investigativa em educação. Com ênfase especial às críticas à presença da perspectiva empírica no trabalho de conhecimento da realidade educativa, a dissertação busca identificar as fragilidades teórico-metodológicas na pesquisa em educação. Por fim, em face destas questões, foi apresentada outra perspectiva epistemológica para se pensar a prática investigativa em educação, a partir das contribuições de Miriam Limoeiro Cardoso (1976, 1978, 1990). Em linhas gerais, ao longo da dissertação, foram levantadas questões, discussões que, de modo geral, são concernentes ao processo de produção de conhecimento, a partir da investigação na área da educação, no que tange aos aspectos teóricos, metodológicos, epistemológicos.