Equine herpesvirus infections in yearlings in South-East Queensland.

Twelve nasal swabs were collected from yearling horses with respiratory distress and tested for equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and equid herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) by real-time PCR targeting the glycoprotein B gene. All samples were negative for EHV-1; however, 3 were positive for EHV-4. When these samples were tested for EHV-2 and EHV-5 by PCR, all samples were negative for EHV-2 and 11 were positive for EHV-5. All three samples that were positive for EHV-4 were also positive for EHV-5. These three samples gave a limited CPE in ED cells reminiscent of EHV-4 CPE. EHV-4 CPE was obvious after 3 days and was characterised by syncytia. None of the samples produced cytopathic effect (CPE) on African green monkey kidney (Vero) cells or hamster kidney (BSR) cells. Four of the samples, which were positive in the EHV-5 PCR, produced CPE on rabbit kidney (RK13) cells and equine dermis (ED) cells. EHV-5 CPE on both cell lines was slow and was apparent after four 7-day passages. On RK13 cells, the CPE was characteristic of equid herpesvirus, with the formation of syncytia. However, in ED cells, the CPE was characterised by ring-shaped syncytia. For the first time, a case of equine respiratory disease involving dual infection with EHV-4 and EHV-5 has been reported in Queensland (Australia). This was shown by simultaneously isolating EHV-4 and EHV-5 from clinical samples. EHV5 was recovered from all samples except one, suggesting that EHV5 was more prevalent in young horses than EHV2.

The value of having no wild rabbits in south-east Queensland

Rabbits released in Australia in 1859 spread to most areas of suitable habitat by 1910 causing great damage to the environment and primary industries. Measurement of damage is essential to justify spending money and utilising resources to remove rabbits. Damage to pasture and biodiversity may be irreversible and therefore difficult to measure without comparison with an area that has never suffered such damage. A rabbit proof fence completed in 1906 protected a large part of south east Queensland from rabbits. The Darling Downs Moreton Rabbit Board (DDMRB) continues to maintain the fence and keep the area relatively free of rabbits. This area is unique because it is highly suitable for rabbits and yet it has never ‘experienced’ the damage caused by plagues of uncontrolled rabbits. A study site was established where the DDMRB fence separates an area heavily used by rabbits (‘dirty side’) from an area that has never been infested by rabbits (‘clean side’). The number and location of all rabbit warrens and log piles were recorded. The absence of warrens from the ‘clean side’ shows clearly that the rabbit proof fence has prevented rabbits from establishing warren systems. The ‘dirty side’ is characterised by a high number of warrens, a high density of rabbits, fewer pasture species and low macropod activity. Future work will determine whether the rabbit populations are viable in the absence of rabbit warrens. We plan to radio collar rabbits on both sides of the fence to measure their survival rate. In selected warrens and log piles of varying degrees of complexity and size, rabbits will be trapped and information on reproduction and age structure will be collected. This will allow better targeting of the source of rabbits during control operations. Once the initial comparative analysis of the site has been completed, all rabbit warrens will be destroyed on the dirty side of the fence. After rabbits are removed from this area, monitoring will continue to determine if pasture and biodiversity on opposite sides of the fence begin to mirror each other.

The control of climbing asparagus (Asparagus africanus Lam.) in remnant Brigalow scrub in south-east Queensland

A replicated trial was conducted at Tallegalla in south-east Queensland to assess the effectiveness of a range of control methods for climbing asparagus Asparagus africanus Lam. A total of 18 treatments using mechanical, cut stump, basal bark, foliar spray and splatter gun techniques were trialled with a range of herbicides and application rates. Removing the plant and placing it above the ground surface was most effective in killing climbing asparagus. Basal bark spraying of 24 g triclopyr ester (40 mL Garlon® 600) or 10 g fluroxypyr ester (50 mL Starane® 200) L-1 diesel and the cut stump application of neat diesel or 225 g glyphosate (500 mL Glyphosate CT®) L-1 water offered the best chemical control of climbing asparagus.

"We don't tell people what to do": An ethnography of health promotion with Indigenous Australians in South East Queensland

This thesis contributes to the decolonisation of health promotion by examining Indigenous-led health promotion practice in an urban setting. Using critical ethnography, the study revealed dialogical, identity-based approaches that centred relationship, community control and choice. Based on the findings, the thesis proposes four interrelated principles for decolonising health promotion and argues that Indigenous-led health promotion presents a way to bridge the rhetoric and practice of empowerment in Australian mainstream health promotion practice.

Seasonal abundance of thrips (Thysanoptera) in capsicum and chilli crops in south-east Queensland, Australia

Thrips can be important pests of capsicum and chilli crops, causing damage through their feeding and by vectoring viral diseases. As different species vary in their ability to transmit viruses and in their susceptibility to insecticides, it is important to know which species are present in a crop. The seasonal occurrence of thrips in capsicum and chilli crops in the Bundaberg district of south-east Queensland was investigated from July 2002 to June 2003. Fifty flowers were collected weekly from crops on seven farms and the adult thrips extracted and identified. Thrips palmi Karny and Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) were collected in the greatest numbers, with T. palmi predominant in autumn crops (March to July) and F. occidentalis predominant in spring crops (August to November). Pseudanaphothrips achaetus (Bagnall) was common, while Thrips tabaci Lindeman, Thrips imaginis Bagnall and Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom) were collected in low numbers.

Fuel manipulation with herbicide treatments to reduce fire hazard in young pine (Pinus elliottii × P. caribaea) plantations in south-east Queensland, Australia

Wildfire represents a major risk to pine plantations. This risk is particularly great for young plantations (generally less than 10 m in height) where prescribed fire cannot be used to manipulate fuel biomass, and where flammable grasses are abundant in the understorey. We report results from a replicated field experiment designed to determine the effects of two rates of glyphosate (450 g L–1) application, two extents of application (inter-row only and inter-row and row) with applications being applied once or twice, on understorey fine fuel biomass, fuel structure and composition in south-east Queensland, Australia. Two herbicide applications (~9 months apart) were more effective than a once-off treatment for reducing standing biomass, grass continuity, grass height, percentage grass dry weight and the density of shrubs. In addition, the 6-L ha–1 rate of application was more effective than the 3-L ha–1 rate of application in periodically reducing grass continuity and shrub density in the inter-rows and in reducing standing biomass in the tree rows, and application in the inter-rows and rows significantly reduced shrub density relative to the inter-row-only application. Herbicide treatment in the inter-rows and rows is likely to be useful for managing fuels before prescribed fire in young pine plantations because such treatment minimised tree scorch height during prescribed burns. Further, herbicide treatments had no adverse effects on plantation trees, and in some cases tree growth was enhanced by treatments. However, the effectiveness of herbicide treatments in reducing the risk of tree damage or mortality under wildfire conditions remains untested.

Effect of temperature and precipitation on salmonellosis cases in South-East Queensland, Australia: An observational study

Objective Foodborne illnesses in Australia, including salmonellosis, are estimated to cost over $A1.25 billion annually. The weather has been identified as being influential on salmonellosis incidence, as cases increase during summer, however time series modelling of salmonellosis is challenging because outbreaks cause strong autocorrelation. This study assesses whether switching models is an improved method of estimating weather–salmonellosis associations. Design We analysed weather and salmonellosis in South-East Queensland between 2004 and 2013 using 2 common regression models and a switching model, each with 21-day lags for temperature and precipitation. Results The switching model best fit the data, as judged by its substantial improvement in deviance information criterion over the regression models, less autocorrelated residuals and control of seasonality. The switching model estimated a 5°C increase in mean temperature and 10 mm precipitation were associated with increases in salmonellosis cases of 45.4% (95% CrI 40.4%, 50.5%) and 24.1% (95% CrI 17.0%, 31.6%), respectively. Conclusions Switching models improve on traditional time series models in quantifying weather–salmonellosis associations. A better understanding of how temperature and precipitation influence salmonellosis may identify where interventions can be made to lower the health and economic costs of salmonellosis.

The assessment of ecological condition in south-east Queensland, Australia: An evaluation of reliability across variable environments and surrogate efficacy for biodiversity values

Multimetric ecological condition assessment has become an important biodiversity management tool. This study was the first to examine the reliability of these ecological surrogates across variable environments, and the implications for surrogate efficacy. It was demonstrated that through strategic application and design of the multimetric ecological condition index, the effects of environmental gradients and disturbance regimes can be mitigated, and that ecological condition assessment may serve as a scientifically rigorous approach for conservation planning.

Can British multinational enterprises finance economic development in South East Asia?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to shed new light on the debate about the role of foreign direct investment (FDI) and public policy in fostering economic development. Specifically, can the capital inflow of multinational enterprises (MNEs) and the ability of the subsidiaries to raise funds locally help promote development? This paper addresses this issue by examining the capital structure and financing sources of foreign subsidiaries of MNEs. Design/methodology/approach – This paper integrates the capital structure theories in finance with internalization theory in international business. It uses an original primary dataset collected by a survey of 101 foreign subsidiaries of British MNEs in six emerging economies in the ASEAN region. Findings – There are three significant findings. First, these subsidiaries rely heavily on internal funds generated within the MNEs and less on external debts raised in the host countries. Second, the foreign subsidiary's capital structure is influenced by the home country of origin of the parent firm and the parent firm's financing sources. Third, these subsidiaries have used the financial resources to develop business networks with local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which contribute to economic development of the host countries. Originality/value – This paper examines the internal capital market within the MNE. It provides theoretical and empirical support for the capital structure theory of the hierarchy financing approach and also for internalization theory by addressing FDI inflows by MNEs and the raising of funds locally. These findings have important implications for public policy, namely the facilitation of MNE entry to encourage economic development.

Time-series of seagrass and land cover maps from 1972 to 2010, in South East Queensland, Australia, with links to GeoTIFFs

Long term global archives of high-moderate spatial resolution, multi-spectral satellite imagery are now readily accessible, but are not being fully utilised by management agencies due to the lack of appropriate methods to consistently produce accurate and timely management ready information. This work developed an object-based remote sensing approach to map land cover and seagrass distribution in an Australian coastal environment for a 38 year Landsat image time-series archive (1972-2010). Landsat Multi-Spectral Scanner (MSS), Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) imagery were used without in situ field data input (but still using field knowledge) to produce land and seagrass cover maps every year data were available, resulting in over 60 map products over the 38 year archive. Land cover was mapped annually using vegetation, bare ground, urban and agricultural classes. Seagrass distribution was also mapped annually, and in some years monthly, via horizontal projected foliage cover classes, sand and deep water. Land cover products were validated using aerial photography and seagrass maps were validated with field survey data, producing several measures of accuracy. An average overall accuracy of 65% and 80% was reported for seagrass and land cover products respectively, which is consistent with other studies in the area. This study is the first to show moderate spatial resolution, long term annual changes in land cover and seagrass in an Australian environment, created without the use of in situ data; and only one of a few similar studies globally. The land cover products identify several long term trends; such as significant increases in South East Queensland's urban density and extent, vegetation clearing in rural and rural-residential areas, and inter-annual variation in dry vegetation types in western South East Queensland. The seagrass cover products show that there has been a minimal overall change in seagrass extent, but that seagrass cover level distribution is extremely dynamic; evidenced by large scale migrations of higher seagrass cover levels and several sudden and significant changes in cover level. These mapping products will allow management agencies to build a baseline assessment of their resources, understand past changes and help inform implementation and planning of management policy to address potential future changes.

Egg parasitoids of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), from south-east Queensland

Field surveys of egg parasitoids of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, were conducted at Redlands and Gatton, south-east Queensland. Eggs of P. xylostella were present all year round in both localities, and parasitized eggs were consistently found between late spring and early winter. Percent parasitism in the range 30-75% was recorded on many occasions, although rates less than 10% were more common. The major parasitoids included Trichogrammatoidea bactrae Nagaraja and Trichogramma pretiosum Riley. Laboratory evaluation showed that the T. pretiosum from Gatton has a high capacity to parasitize P. xylostella eggs under suitable conditions. This study represents the first record of egg parasitoids of P. xylostella from Australia.

Spider fauna of soybean crops in south-east Queensland and their potential as predators of Helicoverpa spp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Spiders are among the most abundant predators recorded in grain crops in Australia. They are voracious predators, and combined with their high abundance, may play an important role in the reduction of pest populations. The significance of spider assemblages as biological control agents of key pests such as Helicoverpa spp. in Australian agroecosystems is largely unknown. A thorough inventory was made of the spider fauna inhabiting unsprayed soybean fields at Gatton, south-east Queensland. One-hundred-and-two morphospecies from 28 families were collected using vacuum sampling and pitfall traps across two summer seasons (2000-01, 2001-02). No-choice feeding tests in the laboratory, using eggs and larvae of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) as prey, were used to ascertain the predatory potential of each spider group. The field-collected spider assemblage ate on average 2.4 (+/-0.7 standard error) to 5.0 (+/-0.8) eggs per 24 h per spider (10-25% of those available), depending on level of starvation. Clubionidae were the only spiders to readily consume eggs in the laboratory (mean of 18.4 +/- 1.5 eggs per starved spider and 8.2 +/- 3.9 per non-starved spider after 24 h). Starved spiders consumed 9.4 (+/- 0.1) first-instar larvae per 24 h per spider (90% of those available). This information was combined with field observations and literature from Australian and overseas studies to assess the potential of spider groups as predators of Helicoverpa spp. Lycosidae, Clubionidae, Oxyopidae, Salticidae and Thomisidae have the capacity to contribute to control of Helicoverpa spp.