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Event-based rainfall-runoff models are practical tools commonly used to predict catchments' response to a rainfall event. However, one of the main concerns is that the characteristics of rain events are neglected in the model development. This paper develops a novel event-based rainfall-runoff equation to incorporate rainfall characteristics into account. The performance of the new equation is evaluated based on the root mean square error, Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient, and per cent bias for 13,339 rainfall-runoff events between 2005 and 2020 over 23 catchments across New Zealand and Australia with oceanic, mediterranean, tropical, subtropical, and semiarid climates. Compared to the previous event-based models, the new equation shows an improvement in runoff estimation in almost all case studies. Furthermore, considering the new equation is simple, efficient, and takes the rain event duration into account, the new equation has the potential to become a robust alternative method to the conventional curve number method in hydrological engineering projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term air temperature prediction is of major importance in a large number of applications, including climate-related studies, energy, agricultural, or medical. This paper examines the performance of two Machine Learning algorithms (Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP)) in a problem of monthly mean air temperature prediction, from the previous measured values in observational stations of Australia and New Zealand, and climate indices of importance in the region. The performance of the two considered algorithms is discussed in the paper and compared to alternative approaches. The results indicate that the SVR algorithm is able to obtain the best prediction performance among all the algorithms compared in the paper. Moreover, the results obtained have shown that the mean absolute error made by the two algorithms considered is significantly larger for the last 20 years than in the previous decades, in what can be interpreted as a change in the relationship among the prediction variables involved in the training of the algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Harris--Todaro model of labour migration was developed almost four decades ago, and since has become a classic method of migration analysis in less developed countries. This paper explores the applicability of the Harris--Todaro (HT) framework outside its traditional use, by modelling frontier--metropolis migration in Canada. If appropriate, the framework can potentially be used in other countries with similar regional dichotomies, such as Russia and Australia. The paper argues that the HT model is generally applicable in the context of migration from the resource frontier to large metropolitan areas of the Canadian south, although it requires several modifications. The classic HT model is extended to account for northern labour-force heterogeneity (Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal), the possibility of having or losing jobs in the declining and undiversified frontier economy, and living cost differentials. Further analysis is focused on Aboriginal migration from isolated northern communities. The plausibility of the modified HT model is demonstrated using an empirical test, in which the model is used to assess migration probabilities of Aboriginal labour migrants. These new insights into the mechanisms of frontier--metropolis migration could provide a better basis for developing planning strategies, aimed to sustain human capital in the Canadian North, and for optimizing welfare policies both in the North and in the South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of the US sub-prime mortgage meltdown into a global financial crisis clearly demonstrates the increasingly integrated nature of mortgage and capital markets. However, notwithstanding the global scale and severity of the recent financial crisis, the effects of the credit crunch were mediated by nationally constituted housing markets, the activities of local financial institutions and national housing policies. Adopting an institutional perspective this paper critically examines the manner in which the financial crisis impacted upon the Australian and New Zealand housing markets. These countries had actively participated in the liberalisation of mortgage markets and experienced significant house price inflation post-2000 but, in contrast to the USA and some European experiences, they escaped a severe housing downturn. It is argued that a combination of pre-existing institutional practices, market conditions and government policies acted to shelter these markets and created the potential conditions for a new housing boom. While avoiding a deep housing slump, both Australia and New Zealand have to address the on-going macroeconomic implications of a system predicated on housing inflation and capital gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing demand for global food production is leading to greater use of irrigation to supplement rainfall and enable more intensive use of land. Minimizing adverse impacts of this intensification on surface water and groundwater resources is of critical importance for the achievement of sustainable land use. In this paper we examine the linkages between irrigation runoff and resulting changes in quality of receiving surface waters and groundwaters in Australia and New Zealand. Case studies are used to illustrate impacts under different irrigation techniques (notably flood and sprinkler systems) and land uses, particularly where irrigation has led to intensification of land use. For flood irrigation, changes in surface water contaminant concentrations are directly influenced by the amount of runoff, and the intensity and kind of land use. Mitigation for flood irrigation is best achieved by optimizing irrigation efficiency. For sprinkler irrigation, leaching to groundwater is the main transport path for contaminants, notably nitrate. Mitigation measures for sprinkler irrigation should take into account irrigation efficiency and the proximity of intensive land uses to sensitive waters. Relating contaminant concentrations in receiving groundwaters to their dominant causes is often complicated by uncertainty about the subsurface flow paths and the possible pollutant sources, viz. drainage from irrigated land. This highlights the need for identification of the patterns and dynamics of surface and subsurface waters to identify such sources of contaminants and minimize their impacts on the receiving environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses missionization in New Zealand and Australia during the nineteenth century. Despite sharing aspects of colonial history and a geographical proximity in the South Pacific, the development of missions in both countries was disparate, leading to two very different types of missions, types I have identified as the “household” mission in New Zealand and the “institutional” mission in Australia. In both types common themes can be found, concerned with the “civilizing mission,” domesticity, and gender roles. These two types of missions were replicated in other parts of the globe, such as North America and the Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of recent fertility trends in the West has been dominated by examinations of Europe. A better perspective on twentieth-century fertility movements can be gained by giving an equal emphasis to trends in the 'Offshoots' (USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand). This paper focuses on the periods of rapid fertility decline and to a greater extent on the intervening periods of near-equilibrium. It is suggested that the 'late twentieth century compromise' is more stable than is suggested by reports on its internal strains, and that only massive government intervention could raise fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Train drivers work long hours on 24 h schedules and many factors impact their fatigue risk at work, creating a clear imperative for good rostering practice. Adopting a systems approach, this study investigated the relationship between multiple interrelated factors (train drivers' schedule, sleep, wellbeing, and fatigue) and the perceived influence of these factors on train driving performance and safety using an online survey distributed in Australia and New Zealand. In addition to demographics and work schedule, passenger and freight train drivers (n = 751) answered questions about: (1) Sleep duration; (2) wellbeing, including physical and mental health, the extent to which shiftwork causes sleep, social, domestic, and work problems, and (3) the extent to which ten fatigue, health and wellbeing factors in the work and home environment negatively impact their driving performance. The key factor that emerged from analyses, with the largest and most consistent negative effects (and controlling for other factors) was schedule irregularity. Approved rosters were ranked as having the most important impact on day-to-day driving performance, followed by physical and mental health, and outside work factors. Results also suggested that schedule irregularity may amplify the negative impacts of the roster, impaired physical and mental health, and outside work factors on driving performance. As shift variability and schedule irregularity are often poorly represented in existing industry guidance, these results provide evidence for increased reflection on current fatigue management guidelines for train drivers and suggest a need for greater focus on schedule irregularity through the lens of a systems approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia and New Zealand share many historical and contemporary commonalities. These define five contemporary forest environmental frontiers—for First Nations peoples, between agriculture and forestry, in forest management, in urban and peri-urban environments, and in relation to climate change. In both countries, the First Nations frontier is expanding in scale and significance with those peoples' rights to land and forests. Frontiers with agriculture and in forest management are longstanding but dynamic and as yet little realised in relation to the need for forest and landscape restoration. Both countries are highly urbanised, elevating the significance of the urban and peri-urban frontier, particularly in the context of climate change. In both countries, forests will be profoundly impacted by climate change and are central to mitigation and adaptation strategies. Experience within and intersections between the frontiers offer encouraging prospects for synergies and for learning between the two countries and more widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating organic compounds in marine sediments can potentially unlock a wealth of new information in these climate archives. Here, we present pilot study results of organic geochemical features of long-chain n-alkanes and alkenones and individual carbon isotope ratios of long-chain n-alkanes from a newly collected, approximately 8 m long, located in the far reaches of the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean. We analyzed a suite of organic compounds in the core. The results show abundant long-chain n-alkanes (C29–C35) with predominant odd-over-even carbon preference, suggesting an origin of terrestrial higher plant waxes via long-range transport of dust, possibly from Australia and New Zealand. The δ13C values of the C31n-alkane range from −29.4 to −24.8‰, in which the higher δ13C values suggest more contributions from C4 plant waxes. In the analysis, we found that the mid-chain n-alkanes (C23–C25) have a small odd-over-even carbon preference, indicating that they were derived from marine non-diatom pelagic phytoplankton and microalgae and terrestrial sources. Furthermore, the C26 and C28 with lower δ13C values (~−34‰) indicate an origin from marine chemoautotrophic bacteria. We found that the abundances of tetra-unsaturated alkenones (C37:4) in this Southern Ocean sediment core ranges from 11 to 37%, perhaps a marker of low sea surface temperature (SST). The results of this study strongly indicate that the δ13C values of long-chain n-alkanes and U 37 k index are potentially useful to reconstruct the detailed history of C3/C4 plants and SST change in the higher latitudes of the Southern Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the fertility transition in Ireland during 1880-1911. The decline in Irish marital fertility was neither uniform nor universal. Between 1881 and 1911, there were increases in Counties Galway, Mayo, Roscommon and Donegal, while the decline in several other counties was small. Cohort parity analysis (CPA), a fertility measure devised by researcher Paul David and his research associates, provides a means of inferring the extent and timing of birth control within marriage from distributions of married women by number of children born. A key aspect of CPA is the extent to which married couples resort to contraception in order to "space" births. Ireland has played an important part in the development of CPA, because David and his colleagues believe that the rural Irish of 1911 provide a suitable model, not only for urban Ireland in 1911 and the United States around the turn of the century, but also for Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, from the mid-nineteenth through the early twentieth centuries.

The difficulty in finding causative mutations has hampered their use in genomic prediction. Here, we present a methodology to fine-map potentially causal variants genome-wide by integrating the functional, evolutionary and pleiotropic information of variants using GWAS, variant clustering and Bayesian mixture models. Our analysis of 17 million sequence variants in 44,000+ Australian dairy cattle for 34 traits suggests, on average, one pleiotropic QTL existing in each 50 kb chromosome-segment. We selected a set of 80k variants representing potentially causal variants within each chromosome segment to develop a bovine XT-50K genotyping array. The custom array contains many pleiotropic variants with biological functions, including splicing QTLs and variants at conserved sites across 100 vertebrate species. This biology-informed custom array outperformed the standard array in predicting genetic value of multiple traits across populations in independent datasets of 90,000+ dairy cattle from the USA, Australia and New Zealand. Genomic prediction of phenotype may be improved by using DNA mutations with functional, evolutionary, and pleiotropic consequences. Here the authors describe a method for genome-wide fine-mapping of QTLs and develop a genotyping array for improved prediction of genetic values for cattle traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Netball is estimated to be played by more than 20 million people worldwide, but there is evidence of high injury incidence. A thorough understanding of the types and rates of netball injuries is essential for effective injury management and prevention strategies to be developed and implemented. This systematic review summarises the published findings with respect to injury types, participant characteristics and any identified risk factors for netball injuries. Methods: A librarian-assisted computer search of seven scientific databases was conducted for studies reporting on netball injuries. Inclusion criteria were studies published in English, in peer-reviewed journals, which reported data on injuries and variables (e.g. age and competition level) that have been proposed as possibly associated with netball injury risk. Results: Forty-six studies (43.5% prospective, 37% hospital/insurance records, 19.5% retrospective) from 45 articles were included after screening. The majority of studies (74%) were conducted in Australia or New Zealand. There was little consistency in the definition of 'injury'. Elite or sub-elite level players were included in 69% of studies where the level of competition was reported. The duration of injury surveillance was generally related to the format of competition from which data were collected. Self-report questionnaires were used in 48% of studies and only 26% of studies used qualified health professionals to collect data courtside. Injuries to the ankle and knee were the most common (in 19 studies) although the incidence varied considerably across the studies (ankle 13–84% and knee 8–50% of injuries). Prevention of ankle and knee injuries should be a priority. Children sustained more upper limb injuries (e.g. fractures) compared with adults who sustained more lower limb injuries (e.g. ankle and knee sprains/strains). A large number of potential risk factors for injury in netball have been investigated in small numbers of studies. The main circumstances of injury are landings, collisions and falls. Conclusion: Further studies should be directed towards recreational netball, reporting on injury incidence in players by age and utilising high-quality, standardised methods and criteria. Specific injury diagnosis and a better understanding of the circumstances and mechanisms of injury would provide more meaningful data for developing prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Large, multicentre studies are required in emergency medicine to advance clinical care and improve patient outcomes. The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine clinical trials network is available to researchers to assist with facilitating large, multicentre research. However, there is no current information about the research capacity of emergency departments (EDs) in Australia and New Zealand. Methods: All EDs accredited for emergency medicine training in Australia and New Zealand were eligible to participate. Research leads or ED directors were invited via email and telephone to complete a survey. Data were collected regarding the presence of a research lead; their research experience; available research resources including colleagues, funding, departmental paid research time; publications; and research culture. Results: One hundred and twelve responses were received on behalf of 122 (84%) sites (10 satellite plus main) from a possible 143 sites with all types of hospitals and regions represented. Research leads were identified at 66 (59%) sites; 32 (29%) had a director of emergency medicine research. A wide range of research was underway. Ninety-six sites (66%) contributed data to multicentre projects. Twenty-one centres (17%) were highly productive with multiple resources (skilled colleagues, funding, staffing), a positive research culture and high-volume output. Sixty to seventy centres (50–58%) had limited resources, experienced an unsupportive research culture and authored manuscripts infrequently. Paid time for research directors was associated with increased research outputs. Discussion: ACEM sites have the capacity to undertake large multicentre studies with a varied network of sites and researchers. While some sites are well equipped for research, the majority of EDs had minimal research output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Globally there are several operational definitions for sarcopenia, complicating clinical and research applications.Objective: The objective of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Sarcopenia and Frailty Research (ANZSSFR) Task Force on Diagnostic Criteria for Sarcopenia was to reach consensus on the operational definition of sarcopenia for regional use by clinicians and researchers.Method: A four-Phase modified Delphi process was undertaken in which 24 individuals with expertise or a recognised interest in sarcopenia from different fields across Australia and New Zealand were invited to be Task Force members. An initial face-to-face meeting was held in Adelaide, South Australia, in November 2017, followed by two subsequent online Phases conducted by electronic surveys. A final Phase was used to approve the final statements. Responses were analysed using a pre-specified strategy. The level of agreement required for consensus was 80%.Results: In Phase 2, 94.1% of Task Force respondents voted in favour of adopting an existing operational definition of sarcopenia. In Phase 3, 94.4% of respondents voted in favour of adopting the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) definition as the operational definition for sarcopenia in Australia and New Zealand.Conclusion: With consensus achieved, the ANZSSFR will adopt, promote and validate the EWGSOP operational definition of sarcopenia for use by clinicians and researchers in Australia and New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an abstracts of the research paper "An International Examination of Country-Specific Determinants of Audit Fees," by Michele Lecouteur Wingate. This research addresses the question of whether auditor fee functions differ across countries. Auditor fee functions have been represented as a theoretical relationship between the audit fee charged by the audit firm and characteristics of the audit environment. These characteristics may include client factors, audit firm factors and country-specific factors. Prior research in this area has found significant relationships between audit fees and client size and complexity and audit firm size. The form of the auditor fee function has previously been studied using data from Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and Great Britain. Researchers assumed that the business and audit environments in these countries were similar and therefore should not be considered as a factor in explaining any variation in audit fees. This study contributes to the existing research in this area in two ways.

The article offers information on the assessment of the impact of publicly funded research by Australia and New Zealand. It presents the statement of Peter Gluckman, chief science adviser to the prime minister of New Zealand, regarding values of research conducted. It further informs about Canberra, Australia situated the Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organisation (CSIRO), the largest of the portfolio-funded research agencies of Australian government.

Policy responses for local and global fire management as well as international green-gas inventories depend heavily on the proper understanding of the annual fire extend as well as its spatial variation across any given study area. Proper statistical models are important tools in quantifying these fire risks. We propose Bayesian methods to model jointly the probability of ignition and fire sizes in Australia and New Zeland. The data set on which we base our model and results consists of annual observations of several meteorological and topographical explanatory variables, together with the percentage of land burned over a grid with resolution of 1° across Austalia and New Zealand. Our model and conclusions bring improvements on the results reported by Russell-Smith et al. in Int J Wildland Fire, 16:361-377 (2007) based on a similar data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A proficiency test to assess the capabilities of laboratories to determine melamine in a milk powder and a baking mix, representing starch-containing foods like bread and biscuits, was carried out in January 2009. The need for such an interlaboratory comparison arose from a health scare in China about melamine-tainted powdered milk in the second half of 2008. Laboratories in 31 countries, including Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and the USA, and 21 of the 27 Member States of the European Union participated and reported back 114 results for the milk powder and 112 for the baking mix test materials. The reported results were compared to reference values determined by exact-matching double isotope dilution mass spectrometry. The so-determined assigned values were 10.0 ± 0.6 mg/kg melamine in the milk powder and 3.18 ± 0.17 mg/kg melamine in the baking mix. A coverage factor k of 2 was applied to calculate the expanded uncertainties. Three quarters of all reported results for both materials had associated z scores which were satisfactory ( z ≤ |2|). Of the reported results, 90% was accompanied by a measurement uncertainty statement, and the majority of the measurement uncertainty ranges were reasonable. A number of laboratories were found to underestimate their measurement uncertainties. Methods that involved the use of stable-isotope-labelled melamine were shown to be clearly advantageous with regard to the accuracy of the results. However, no significant influence by other method parameters could be identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health and social indicators that capture the distinct historical, social, and cultural contexts of Indigenous communities can play an important role in informing the planning and delivery of community interventions. There is currently considerable interest in cataloguing and vetting meaningful community-level health and social indicators that could be applied to research and health promotion activities in Indigenous communities in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, inclusive of conventional indicators as well as measures developed specifically for use in or with Indigenous communities. To avoid haphazard selection of indicators, and to assure the comprehensiveness and relevance of any given set of indicators, a framework that can accommodate and conceptually classify indicators representing a full range of domains is required. We report here on the development of a conceptual framework, by which Indigenous community indicators, and more general community-level social indicators, can be sorted, catalogued, and systematically classified within four hierarchical levels. The indicator framework was developed across Canada, Australia and New Zealand in consultation with academic researchers and Indigenous community stakeholders, building from established health and social indicator systems. The Indigenous indicator framework permits Indigenous communities, public health researchers, and funding agencies to compare and select the most appropriate indicators for application in specific contexts from the multitude of existing indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article summarizes a research project that investigated the use, performance, cost, and evaluation of nonstructural measures to improve urban stormwater quality. A survey of urban stormwater managers from Australia, New Zealand, and the United States revealed a widespread trend of increasing use of nonstructural measures among leading stormwater management agencies, with at least 76% of 41 types of nonstructural measures being found to be increasing in use. Data gathered from the survey, an international literature review, and a multicriteria analysis highlighted four nonstructural measures of greatest potential value: mandatory town planning controls that promote the adoption of low-impact development principles and techniques; development of strategic urban stormwater management plans for a city, shire, or catchment; stormwater management measures and programs for construction/building sites; and stormwater management activities related to municipal maintenance operations such as maintenance of the stormwater drainage network and manual litter collections. Knowledge gained on the use and performance of nonstructural measures from the survey, literature review, and three trial evaluation projects was used to develop tailored monitoring and evaluation guidelines for these types of measure. These guidelines incorporate a new evaluation framework based on seven alternative styles of evaluation that range from simply monitoring whether a nonstructural measure has been fully implemented to monitoring its impact on waterway health. This research helps to build the stormwater management industry’s knowledge base concerning nonstructural measures and provides a practical tool to address common impediments associated with monitoring and evaluating the performance and cost of these measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a international mail survey covering 169 subsidiaries of MNCs headquartered in the USA, Japan, the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands, we investigate the impact of geographical distance on the role that subsidiaries play in the MNC network and the way they are managed. To this end, we compare Australian and New Zealand subsidiaries – which provide a significant example of geographically isolation – compared to subsidiaries located in other countries. Referring to the typology constructed by Gupta & Govindarajan (1991), we show that Australian and New Zealand subsidiaries are more likely than subsidiaries in other countries to be Local Innovators rather than Global Innovators. In addition, both intra-company flows and the type of control mechanisms applied by HQ reflect the geographical isolation of Australian and New Zealand subsidiaries. The overall level of capabilities of Australian and New Zealand subsidiaries is equal to that of other subsidiaries, although lower relative capabilities in R{&}D and production seem to be associated with lower levels of local R{&}D and production. We discuss the implications of these findings and provide recommendations for management and competitiveness issues in Australia and New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article compares leadership in Australia and New Zealand based on data collected as a part of the GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness) 62 nation culture and leadership project. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to demonstrate that etic dimensions of "Charismatic" and "Self-Protective" leadership are evident in both cultures, but that the dimensions have emic culturally determined manifestations.

The scandals of the 1980s, extending into the 1990s, came as a profound shock to Australians and New Zealanders. Both countries have prided themselves -- somewhat smugly and naively -- on being open, fair and honest societies. So it was very disillusioning to see both corruption and gross dereliction of duty exposed in virtually every sphere of public life. Perhaps the most positive outcome, however, amidst an almost daily diet of amazing revelations, has been the ability of the 'system' -- and especially the judiciary and the media -- to expose and deal with corruption even at the highest level. Following an extensive survey and literature review, it is clear that there is now widespread awareness of the need for reform in many areas of public administration, corporate governance and professional behaviour. However, a continuing cause for concern is the lack of leadership in identifying and addressing complex ethical dilemmas, particularly in the areas of conflict of interest and disclosure. Feedback from professional bodies, industry associations and university business schools indicates slow but uneven progress in ethics education. While several ethic centres and prominent individual ethicists have introduced innovative programs and given ethical issues greater prominence in the media, narrow vocationalism still takes precedence over personal values in the business and management curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the process of international entry by Australian franchisors is explored. A small number of Australian franchisors was examined - composed of those planning to internationalise as well as those which had already started international operations. A range of influences, both internal and external to the firm, was found to be important in encouraging or pushing the franchisor along the road to international entry - most important being the approach by an interested foreign party. The research revealed a general preference for low commitment foreign entry methods. As with U.S. franchisors the master licensing method was the most preferred approach. The overwhelming bulk of the international franchising by Australian companies has occurred in just three countries: New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the research assessment in Australia and New Zealand. According to Jonathan Boston of Victoria University of Wellington, researches study could lead to issues such as compulsion for publishing articles in high-impact international journals, pressure for changing research focus to better align with mainstream, or encouragement to accept a position as a non-Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) teaching fellow.

Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have higher incidence, severity and hospital length of stay for their acute burn injuries than other Australian children. We examined factors contributing to longer length of stay for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with an acute burn injury. Methods: Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand admissions of children < 16 years of age between October 2009 and July 2018 were analysed. Descriptive statistics explored patient and injury characteristics; Cox-regression models estimated characteristics associated with longer length of stay. Knowledge Interface methodology and Indigenous research methods were used throughout. Results: A total of 723 children were identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and 6257 as other Australian. The median hospital length of stay for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (5 days [CI 5–6]) was 4 days longer than other Australian children (1 day [CI 1–2]). Remoteness, flame burns, high percentage total body surface area (%TBSA) and full thickness burns were factors associated with longer length of stay for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Similar prognostic factors were identified for other Australian children along with Streptococcus sp. and Staphylococcus sp. infection. Conclusion: Remoteness, flame burns, %TBSA, and full thickness burns are prognostic factors contributing to extended hospital length of stay for all Australian children. These factors are more prevalent in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, impacting length of stay. Treatment programs, clinical guidelines, and burns policies should engage with the unique circumstances of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to mitigate inequities in health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Funds to combat biodiversity loss are insufficient, requiring conservation managers to make trade-offs between costs for actions to avoid further loss and costs for research and monitoring to guide effective actions. Using species' management plans for 2328 listed species from three countries we show that 50% of species' proposed recovery plan budgets are allocated to research and monitoring. The proportion of budgets allocated to research and monitoring vary among jurisdictions and taxa, but overall, species with higher proportions of budgets allocated to research and monitoring have poorer recovery outcomes. The proportion allocated to research and monitoring is lower for more recent recovery plans, but for some species, plans have allocated the majority of funds to information gathering for decades. We provide recommendations for careful examination of the value of collecting new information in recovery planning to ensure that conservation programs emphasize action or research and monitoring that directly informs action. How to best allocate limited resources for conserving imperilled species is a difficult challenge. Here the authors analyse data on over 2000 threatened species from USA, Australia, and New Zealand, finding that on average half of the budget is allocated to research and monitoring. Species with higher budget allocation to research and monitoring tend to have poorer recovery outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]