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Eating disorders (EDs) are serious, deadly disorders that emerge in adolescence and early adulthood. Further, reported incidences of EDs are increasing worldwide. As such, accessible, affordable, and effective early intervention and prevention efforts are critical. The Body Project is a well-established ED prevention program with demonstrated success at reducing ED symptom severity and the risk of onset of EDs in young females. However, it has not yet been formally evaluated in an Australian population, nor have the benefits of the treatment for young people of all genders been thoroughly investigated. This protocol paper outlines the design for a study which aims to investigate the outcomes and feasibility of the Body Project as a brief ED prevention program within an Australian youth mental health service: headspace Camperdown. This pragmatic trial will compare outcomes between a Body Project treatment group and a Treatment-as-usual control group. Primary outcomes include body image concerns, ED symptomatology and general psychological distress, measured pre- and post-treatment, and at one-month follow-up. All young people attending headspace Camperdown for care are eligible for participation in the trial. The Body Project program is comprised of four group-based 1.5 h sessions run over 4 consecutive weeks. Overall, a trial of the Body Project as an ED prevention program is warranted to investigate the outcomes of the intervention in this sample and will provide valuable information about the feasibility for widespread implementation of the treatment as part of a stepped-care approach to intervention for EDs at youth mental health service locations across Australia. ANZCTR Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12623000695606 (registered 29 June 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Best practice guidelines are available for the management of Maternal and Merino ewes across southern Australia; however, these are lacking for Composite and shedding breeds. Through a telephone interview, the management practices of a unique group of southern Australian sheep producers, and the motivations behind these practices, were explored. A large proportion of respondents reported mating and lambing practices that aligned with best practice guidelines; however, a smaller cohort did not see value in meeting the nutritional and mating length recommendations. Additionally, most producers are also seeking new information frequently and have implemented management changes within the last five years. Further work is required to understand the perceived barriers to best practice adoption, and for management guidelines to be developed for all sheep breeds to ensure sheep enterprises are operating in the most productive and profitable manner. The management of ewes across southern Australia may vary with breed and can change over time and, as such, a greater understanding of producer management practices and the motivations that influence these practices is required. A cross-sectional study was performed by telephone interview with sheep producers managing Composite, Maternal, Merino or shedding ewe breeds mated in either spring, summer, or autumn. The surveyed producers were a unique subset of southern Australian producers. A large proportion of the surveyed producers followed current best practice guidelines for ewe mating and lambing nutritional management; however, some producers did not align with these targets. Further, some producers did not see the value in attaining the current recommendations. Pregnancy scanning was widely practiced, likely an artefact of the recruitment process; however, a few producers did not utilize this information for nutritional management at lambing time. Finally, most producers were active in their search for new information, seeking information regularly from a wide range of sources and reported making management changes within the last five years. Further work is required to understand why some producers are not adopting best practice where possible and to understand current barriers for adoption. Management guidelines for all sheep breeds are required to best manage sheep across southern Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The conditions and management practices imposed during mating can influence the success of a sheep production enterprise. However, the impact of mating practices across southern Australian sheep production systems are relatively unknown. Mating liveweight and body condition score data were collected at mating from four sheep breeds and during three seasons of mating across southern Australia. Further, the seasonal conditions during mating were ranked by the producers and ram percentage and region were also recorded. Bayesian Network analysis was used to explore the relationships between these variables and pregnancy and fetal number at scanning. The results of this survey study emphasize the interrelatedness of the explored mating conditions and practices and the importance of understanding their interactions for optimizing sheep reproduction and nutrition from mating. Sheep production in southern Australia may vary by breed, time of year, production output (wool, meat, or both), region and seasonal influence. Sheep producers with flocks of approximately 300–500 ewes (n = 58) were recruited across southern Australia to take part in a survey and mating variables were collected from over 30,000 ewes between October 2020 and August 2021. A Bayesian Network (BN) was developed to identify the interrelatedness and most influential variable on pregnancy and fetal number (of pregnant ewes) outcomes under different scenarios. The BN analysis indicated a low association between the variables explored, however, were breed dependent. In wool-based breeds a mating liveweight of 60–69.5 kg predicted the lowest non-pregnant and greatest number of fetuses, and in shedding ewes 70–79.5 kg predicted the lowest non-pregnant rate and 90–99.5 kg the greatest number of fetuses. Pregnancy rate and fetuses per ewe were optimized at ram percentages of 1.5% for Composite and Merino ewes and 2% for Maternal ewes. A mating BCS 4 resulted in greatest pregnancy rate and number of fetuses across all breeds. Curvilinear relationships between mating liveweight, BCS and ram percentage were observed with pregnancy rate and fetal number. Practically, reproductive potential is best managed on a breed basis and with consideration of all variables explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher stocking rates of lambing ewes have been associated with poorer ewe-lamb behaviour and lamb survival. This study tested the hypothesis that increasing the mob size and stocking rate of lambing ewes on commercial farms will reduce the survival of their lambs. Data were collected from 66 producers in Australia for Experiment one and 22 producers in New Zealand for Experiment two. Survival of single- and twin-born lambs decreased by 1.4% and 3.5% per extra 100 ewes in the mob, regardless of breed, in Experiment one. The survival of Merino lambs in Experiment two decreased by 0.9% per extra 100 ewes in the mob, regardless of birth type. Increasing stocking rate by 1 ewe/ha also decreased lamb survival by 0.7% in Experiment one. However, this was not evident in Experiment two. These findings highlight the scope to optimise ewe mob size and stocking rate at lambing to improve lamb survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can be assessed through monitoring of urinary mono-hydroxylated PAHs (OH-PAHs). The aim of this study was to provide the first assessment of exposure to PAHs in a large sample of the population in Queensland, Australia including exposure to infant (0–4 years). De-identified urine specimens, obtained from a pathology laboratory, were stratified by age and sex, and pooled (n = 24 pools of 100) and OH-PAHs were measured by gas chromatography–isotope dilution–tandem mass spectrometry. Geometric mean (GM) concentrations ranged from 30 ng/L (4-hydroxyphenanthrene) to 9221 ng/L (1-naphthol). GM of 1-hydroxypyrene, the most commonly used PAH exposure biomarker, was 142 ng/L. The concentrations of OH-PAHs found in this study are consistent with those in developed countries and lower than those in developing countries. We observed no association between sex and OH-PAH concentrations. However, we observed lower urinary concentrations of all OH-PAHs in samples from infants (0–4 years), children (5–14 years) and the elderly (> 60 year old) compared with samples from other age groups (15–29, 30–44 and 45–59 years) which may be attributed to age-dependent behaviour-specific exposure sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychologists tend to report high levels of occupational stress, with serious implications for themselves, their clients, and the discipline as a whole. Recent research suggests that self-compassion is a promising construct for psychologists in terms of its ability to promote psychological wellbeing and resilience to stress; however, the potential benefits of self-compassion are yet to be thoroughly explored amongst this occupational group. Additionally, while a growing body of research supports self-compassion as a key predictor of psychopathology, understanding of the processes by which self-compassion exerts effects on mental health outcomes is limited. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test an emotion regulation model of self-compassion and stress among psychologists, including postgraduate trainees undertaking clinical work (n = 198). Self-compassion significantly negatively predicted emotion regulation difficulties and stress symptoms. Support was also found for our preliminary explanatory model of self-compassion, which demonstrates the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties in the self-compassion-stress relationship. The final self-compassion model accounted for 26.2% of variance in stress symptoms. Implications of the findings and limitations of the study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Used frequently in food contact materials, bisphenol A (BPA) has been studied extensively in recent years, and ubiquitous exposure in the general population has been demonstrated worldwide. Characterizing within- and between-individual variability of BPA concentrations is important for characterizing exposure in biomonitoring studies, and this has been investigated previously in adults, but not in children. The aim of this study was to characterize the short-term variability of BPA in spot urine samples in young children. Children aged ≥2–<4years (n =25) were recruited from an existing cohort in Queensland, Australia, and donated four spot urine samples each over a two day period. Samples were analysed for total BPA using isotope dilution online solid phase extraction–liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, and concentrations ranged from 0.53 to 74.5ng/ml, with geometric mean and standard deviation of 2.70ng/ml and 2.94ng/ml, respectively. Sex and time of sample collection were not significant predictors of BPA concentration. The between-individual variability was approximately equal to the within-individual variability (ICC=0.51), and this ICC is somewhat higher than previously reported literature values. This may be the result of physiological or behavioural differences between children and adults or of the relatively short exposure window assessed. Using a bootstrapping methodology, a single sample resulted in correct tertile classification approximately 70% of the time. This study suggests that single spot samples obtained from young children provide a reliable characterization of absolute and relative exposure over the short time window studied, but this may not hold true over longer timeframes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The success of species reintroduction programmes depends on many factors, including habitat quality and predator occurrence at release locations. For the critically endangered eastern barred bandicoot Perameles gunnii in Australia, successful releases have been achieved only in the absence of predation by the introduced red fox Vulpes vulpes. However, few fox-free sites exist, but those that are fox free may have low habitat suitability, potentially leading to reintroduction failure. We studied a reintroduced population of eastern barred bandicoots at Mt Rothwell, a 420-ha fox-free reserve which appeared to have a degraded foraging range and a lack of nesting material due to overgrazing by marsupial herbivores. We quantified habitat use and measured several variables representing movement distances and nest use. Bandicoots foraged in open grassy areas and nested at sites containing high values of litter, lateral cover and concealment cover. Mean (± SE) home ranges (37.2 ha ± 11.8), daily movement distances (494.6 m ± 32.5) and distances between consecutive nests (122.6 m ± 29.0) were large for males. On average, the length of stay at each nest (2.8 days ± 0.4) was longer than previously recorded values for males, and 13.2%of the nests were used by at least two individuals, suggesting that nesting opportunities were limited. Despite behaviour indicating a low resource base, bandicoots appeared to be surviving and reproducing in our study area, indicating a capacity to live in structurally simple habitat in the absence of predators. Our results are consistent with predator exclusion being a critical factor for successful bandicoot reintroduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earth observation (EO) satellites facilitate hazard monitoring and mapping over large-scale and remote areas. Despite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites being well-documented as a hazard monitoring tool, the uptake of these data is geographically variable, with the Australian continent being one example where the use of SAR data is limited. Consequently, less is known about how these data apply in the Australian context, how they could aid national hazard monitoring and assessment, and what new insights could be gleaned for the benefit of the international disaster risk reduction community. The European Space Agency Sentinel-1 satellite mission now provides the first spatially and temporally complete global SAR dataset and the first opportunity to use these data to systematically assess hazards in new locations. Using the example of Australia, where floods and uncontrolled bushfires, earthquakes, resource extraction (groundwater, mining, hydrocarbons) and geomorphological changes each pose potential risks to communities, we review past usage of EO for hazard monitoring and present a suite of new case studies that demonstrate the potential added benefits of SAR. The outcomes provide a baseline understanding of the potential role of SAR in national hazard monitoring and assessment in an Australian context. Future opportunities to improve national hazard identification will arise from: new SAR sensing capabilities, which for Australia includes a first-ever civilian EO capability, NovaSAR-1; the integration of Sentinel-1 SAR with other EO datasets; and the provision of standardised SAR products via Analysis Ready Data and Open Data Cubes to support operational applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background older people coping with the impacts of living with multimorbidity are at increased risk of developing a depressive disorder. Objective this article reports the 24-month results of a randomised controlled trial of an internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy, which aimed to test whether depressive disorders could be prevented in this population. Participants community-based participants aged 65 years and over, who had two or more chronic physical health conditions and were assessed as having no current depressive disorder. Methods in total, 302 participants were randomised to an 8-week, five-lesson, internet-delivered intervention program (n  = 150) or treatment as usual (TAU, n  = 152). The primary outcomes were cases of depressive disorder, assessed post-intervention and at 3-month intervals throughout the trial, and depressive symptoms, assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, 6, 12 and 24 months following the intervention. Results there were significantly fewer cases of depressive disorder in the intervention group (n  = 23, 15%) compared with the TAU group (n  = 41, 27%) during the 24 months after the intervention (χ2(1, N  = 302) = 6.13, P  = 0.013, odds ratio = 0.490 [95% confidence interval: 0.277, 0.867]), representing a 44% reduction in cases of depressive disorder. No differences were found on depressive symptoms at 24-month follow-up. Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy had high engagement and acceptability. Conclusions the results provide support that depressive disorders can be prevented in older people with multimorbidity through participation in internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy. With access to internet-delivered interventions in clinical care settings increasing, this has implications for older patient care where multimorbidity is extremely common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digging mammals are often considered ecosystem engineers, as they affect important properties of soils and in turn nutrient exchange, vegetation dynamics and habitat quality. Returning such species, and their functions, to areas from where they have been extirpated could help restore degraded landscapes and is increasingly being trialled as a conservation tool. Studies examining the effects of digging mammals have largely been from arid and semi‐arid environments, with little known about their impacts and importance in mesic systems. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the ecological role of a recently introduced population of eastern barred bandicoots (Perameles gunnii) on Churchill Island, Victoria, south‐eastern Australia, from which all digging mammals have been lost. We quantified the annual rate of soil turnover by estimating the number of foraging pits bandicoots created in 100‐m2 plots over a 24‐h period. Foraging pit counts could not be completed in each season, and the overall turnover estimate assumes that autumn/winter months represent turnover rates for the entire year; however, this is likely to fluctuate between seasons. Ten fresh and ten old pits were compared to paired undug control sites to quantify the effect soil disturbance had on soil hydrophobicity, moisture content and soil strength. Plots contained between zero and 64 new foraging pits each day. We estimated that an individual eastern barred bandicoot digs ~487 (95% CI = 416–526) small foraging pits per night, displacing ~13.15 kg (95% CI = 11.2–14.2 kg) of soil, equating to ~400 kg (95% CI = 341–431 kg) of soil in a winter month. Foraging pits were associated with decreased soil compaction and increased soil moisture along the foraging pit profile. Eastern barred bandicoots likely play an important role in ecosystems through their effects on soil, which adds to an increasing body of knowledge suggesting restoration of ecosystems, via the return of ecosystem engineers and their functions, holds much promise for conserving biodiversity and ecological function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Paravalvular aortic regurgitation (PAR) following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is well acknowledged. Despite improvements, echocardiographic measurement of PAR largely remains qualitative. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) directly quantifies AR with accuracy and reproducibility. We compared CMR and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) analysis of pre-operative and post-operative aortic regurgitation in patients undergoing both TAVI and surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR). Methods: Eighty-seven patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing TAVI (56 patients) or AVR were recruited. CMR (1.5 T) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) were carried out pre-operatively and a median of 6 days post-operatively. The CMR protocol included regurgitant aortic flows using through-plane phase-contrast velocity. None/ trivial, mild, moderate and severe AR by CMR was defined as ≤8%, 9-20%, 21-39%, >40% regurgitant fractions respectively. Results: Pre- and post-operative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was similar. Post-procedure aortic regurgitant fraction using CMR was higher in the TAVI group (TAVI 16 ± 13% vs. AVR 4 ± 4%, p < 0.01). Comparing CMR to TTE, 27 of 56 (48%) TAVI patients had PAR which was at least one grade more severe on CMR than TTE (Z = −4.56, p <0.001). Sensitivity analysis confirmed the difference in PAR grade between TTE and CMR in the TAVI group (Z = −4.49, p < 0.001). Conclusion: When compared to CMR based quantitative analysis, TTE underestimated the degree of paravalvular aortic regurgitation. This underestimation may in part explain the findings of increased mortality associated with mild or greater AR by TTE in the PARTNER trial. Paravalvular aortic regurgitation post TAVI assessed as mild by TTE may in fact be more severe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]