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We aimed to investigate the effects of delivering 3 gait retraining interventions (toe-in, toe-out, and placebo gait) on proxy measures of medial knee load (early- and late-stance peak knee adduction moment [KAM], KAM impulse, and varus thrust) in people with knee osteoarthritis, using a hybrid model of face-to-face and telehealth-delivered sessions over 5 months. This was an originally planned 3-arm randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. However, during the 2021 COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown in Sydney, Australia, the study became a pilot randomized controlled trial with the remainder of interventions delivered via telehealth. Nine individuals with symptomatic medial knee osteoarthritis were allocated to receive either a toe-in, toe-out, or posture re-education (placebo) gait retraining intervention. Primary outcomes of early- and late-stance peak KAM, KAM impulse, and varus thrust were assessed at baseline and follow-up. Eight participants returned for their follow-up gait assessment. Participants in both active intervention groups (toe-in and toe-out) achieved foot progression angle changes at follow-up. Overall, knee biomechanics in the placebo group did not change at follow-up. It is possible to achieve biomechanical changes in individuals with medial knee osteoarthritis when delivering gait retraining interventions via a hybrid model of face-to-face and telehealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River regulation and water extraction has significantly altered flow regimes and reduced flood events in many inland river systems. Environmental flows have been adopted in many systems to mitigate the ecological impacts of river regulation, however a lack of knowledge regarding the interrelationship between flow regimes, carbon transport and instream productivity make prioritising water management difficult. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a study on the Namoi River in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia, monitoring changes in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nutrient dynamics and planktonic food web structure during a period of variable flows. Nutrient and DOC concentrations were positively correlated with river discharge and zooplankton concentrations were highest post flow events. Planktonic chlorophyll-a, increased DOC concentration and higher discharge were the most influential drivers of change in zooplankton communities. Further, our results indicated that flow events increased production through both heterotrophic and autotrophic pathways, significantly boosting zooplankton concentration compared to base flow conditions across all measured flow events. We suggest even small in-channel flow events can be important for increasing basal and zooplankton production in rivers, and therefore should be protected or promoted by environmental flow management, particularly during drought conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Relationship quality plays an important role in mental health, but little is known about its importance among resettled refugees. We investigated the association between perceived relationship quality and psychological symptoms among refugees resettled in Australia. Methods: Participants were 738 adult refugees (principal applicants, 83.5% male, M = 43.2 years, SD = 12.3) and their partners who participated in the Building a New Life in Australia (BNLA) study across 5 years from 2013 to 2017. Participants were assessed for psychological distress, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and perceived relationship quality, using the Kessler scale (K6), the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder-8 (PTSD-8), and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale-4 (DAS-4), respectively. Results: Multiple regression analyses found that, among principal applicants, perceived relationship quality predicted psychological distress (p =.0006) at post-arrival, and changes in perceived relationship quality predicted changes in PTSS (p =.0003) across a one-year interval. When partners were analyzed, results were broadly consistent with those of the principal applicants, except that changes in relationship quality did predict changes in psychological distress, but not changes in PTSS. Discussion: Relationship quality appeared to be associated with psychological distress, but improvements in relationship quality may have particular utility for reductions in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. These results highlight the importance of relationship quality as a key correlate of refugee mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a seasonal inventory management model for raw materials, such as iron ore and coal, for multiple suppliers and multiple mills. The Nippon Steel Corporation imports more than 100 million tons of raw material annually by vessels from Australia, Brazil, Canada, and other countries. Once these raw materials arrive in Japan, they are transported to domestic mills and stored in yards before being treated in a blast furnace. A critical problem currently facing the industry is the limited capacity of the yards, which leads to high demurrage costs while ships wait for space to open up in the yards before they can unload. To reduce the demurrage costs, the inventory levels of the raw materials must be kept as low as possible. However, inventory levels that are too low may lead to inventory shortage resulting from seasonal supply disruptions (e.g., a cyclone in Australia) that delay the supply of raw materials. Because both excess and depleted inventory levels lead to increased costs, optimal inventory levels must be determined. To solve this problem, we developed an inventory management model that considers variations on the supply side, differences that should be observable upon looking at the ship operations. The concept is to model the probability distribution of ship arrival intervals by brand groups and mills. We divided ship operations into two stages: arrival at all mills (in Japan) and arrival at individual mills. We modeled the former as a nonhomogeneous Poisson process and the latter as a nonhomogeneous Gamma process. Our proposed model enables inventory levels to be reduced by 14% in summer and 6% in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study offers an overview of the low-frequency (i.e., monthly to seasonal) evolution, dynamics, predictability, and surface impacts of a rare Southern Hemisphere (SH) stratospheric warming that occurred in austral spring 2019. Between late August and mid-September 2019, the stratospheric circumpolar westerly jet weakened rapidly, and Antarctic stratospheric temperatures rose dramatically. The deceleration of the vortex at 10 hPa was as drastic as that of the first-ever-observed major sudden stratospheric warming in the SH during 2002, while the mean Antarctic warming over the course of spring 2019 broke the previous record of 2002 by ∼50% in the midstratosphere. This event was preceded by a poleward shift of the SH polar night jet in the uppermost stratosphere in early winter, which was then followed by record-strong planetary wave-1 activity propagating upward from the troposphere in August that acted to dramatically weaken the polar vortex throughout the depth of the stratosphere. The weakened vortex winds and elevated temperatures moved downward to the surface from mid-October to December, promoting a record strong swing of the southern annular mode (SAM) to its negative phase. This record-negative SAM appeared to be a primary driver of the extreme hot and dry conditions over subtropical eastern Australia that accompanied the severe wildfires that occurred in late spring 2019. State-of-the-art dynamical seasonal forecast systems skillfully predicted the significant vortex weakening of spring 2019 and subsequent development of negative SAM from as early as late July. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater wetlands are a key component of the global carbon cycle. Wet–dry tropics wetlands function as wet-season carbon sinks and dry-season carbon sources with low aquatic metabolism controlled by predictably seasonal, yet magnitude-variable flow regimes and inundation patterns. However, these dynamics have not been adequately quantified in Australia's relatively unmodified wet–dry tropics freshwater wetlands. A baseline understanding is required before analysis of land-use or climate change impacts on these aquatic ecosystems can occur. This study characterises geomorphology and sedimentology within a seasonally connected wet–dry tropics freshwater wetland system at Kings Plains, Queensland, Australia, and quantifies soil carbon stocks and wet- and dry-season aquatic metabolism. Soil carbon stocks derived from loss-on-ignition on samples to 1 m depth were 51.5 ± 7.8 kg C m−2, higher than other wet–dry tropics wetlands globally, with potential for long-term retention at greater depths. Gross primary productivity of phytoplankton (GPP) and planktonic respiration (PR) measured through biological oxygen demand bottle experiments in the water column of sediment inundated under laboratory conditions show overall low GPP and PR in both wet- and dry-season samples (all wetland samples were heterotrophic with GPP/PR < 1). Despite the short-term dominance of aquatic respiration processes leading to net release of carbon in the water column under these conditions, there is appreciable long-term storage of carbon in sediment in the Kings Plains wetlands. This demonstrates the importance of wet–dry-tropics wetland systems as hotspots of carbon sequestration, locally, regionally and globally, and consideration should be given to their conservation and management in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floodplain wetland ecosystems respond dynamically to flooding, fire and geomorphological processes. We employed a combined geomorphological and environmental proxy approach to assess allochthonous and autochthonous macro-charcoal accumulation in the Macquarie Marshes, Australia, with implications for the reconstruction of fire regimes and environmental conditions in large, open-system wetlands. After accounting for fluvial macro-charcoal flux (1.05 ± 0.32 no. cm-2 a-1), autochthonous macro-charcoal in ~1 m deep sediment profiles spanning ~1.7 ka were highly variable and inconsistent between cores and wetlands (concentrations from 0 to 438 no. cm-3, mean accumulation rates from 0 to 3.86 no. cm-2 a-1). A positive correlation existed between the number of recent fires, satellite-observed ignition points, and macro-charcoal concentrations at the surface of the wetlands. Sedimentology, geochemistry, and carbon stable isotopes (δ13C range -15 to -25 ‰) were similar in all cores from both wetlands and varied little with depth. Application of macro-charcoal and other environmental proxy techniques is inherently difficult in large, dynamic wetland systems due to variations in charcoal sources, sediment and charcoal deposition rates, and taphonomic processes. Major problems facing fire history reconstruction using macro-charcoal records in these wetlands include: (1) spatial and temporal variations in fire activity and ash and charcoal products within the wetlands, (2) variations in allochthonous inputs of charcoal from upstream sources, (3) tendency for geomorphic dynamism to affect flow dispersal and sediment and charcoal accumulation, and (4) propensity for post-depositional modification and/or destruction of macro-charcoal by flooding and taphonomic processes. Recognition of complex fire-climate-hydrology-vegetation interactions is essential. High-resolution, multifaceted approaches with reliable geochronologies are required to assess spatial and temporal patterns of fire and to reconstruct in order to interpret wetland fire regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(−)-Rotundone is an oxygenated sesquiterpene responsible for the peppery aroma in grapes, wines, herbs, and spices, and it was first identified in 'Syrah' wine from Australia. In this study, we demonstrated the expression profiles of genes related to (−)-rotundone biosynthesis during the maturation of 'Syrah' grapes from two different vineyards, namely, the Iwaimura and Johnohira vineyards in Japan. The α -guaiene and (−)-rotundone accumulation levels in the grape exocarp from the Johnohira vineyard, which has a cool climatic condition located at a high altitude, were extremely higher than those from the Iwaimura vineyard. Among the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathway genes, the transcript levels of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase gene (DXS) in the grape exocarp from the Johnohira vineyard were higher than those from the Iwaimura vineyard after véraison. The expression levels of the mevalonate pathway genes, Vitis vinifera terpene synthase gene (VvTPS24) and cytochrome P450 gene (CYP71BE5) in the final step of (−)-rotundone biosynthesis were not significantly different between samples from the two vineyards during grape maturation. In contrast, the farnesyl diphosphate synthase gene (FPPS) expression level was considerably higher in the grape exocarp from the Johnohira vineyard than in that from the Iwaimura vineyard. Consistent with these observations, FPPS was constantly expressed at higher level in 'Syrah' grape exocarp compared with 'Merlot' grape which is a low-rotundone cultivar. These findings suggest that FPPS may play a key role in determining the accumulation level of (−)-rotundone, which can provide abundant substrates for VvTPS24 catalysis to produce α-guaiene as a precursor of (−)-rotundone. In addition, among the MEP pathway genes, DXS may have a regulatory role for a precursor supply from the plastids to (−)-rotundone biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floodplain wetlands in semi-arid regions have intricate channel-floodplain networks with highly variable and unpredictable wet and dry phases related to changes in hydrology and geomorphology. We tested the hypothesis that the presence of different hydro-geomorphic habitats in those systems drives structural and functional differences in aquatic communities. To test this hypothesis, we examined the densities and species composition (structural variables), and primary productivity and respiration (functional variables) of plankton communities, and water chemistry in three spatially explicit channel, floodout and lagoon habitat types inundated by environmental water releases in the Macquarie Marshes, semi-arid Australia. Significant differences were recorded among the community-level structural and functional variables among the three habitats. Greater densities of phytoplankton, zooplankton and planktonic bacteria were observed in a hydrologically isolated floodplain lagoon. The lagoon habitat also had greater primary productivity of phytoplankton and planktonic respiration compared with the channel and floodout. Our results suggest that water release to meet environmental flow requirements can be an important driver of planktonic diversity and functional responses in semi-arid wetland systems by inundating diverse, hydro-geomorphically distinct habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gross primary productivity (GPP) of phytoplankton and planktonic respiration (PR) (i.e., planktonic metabolism) are critical pathways for carbon transformation in many aquatic ecosystems. In inland floodplain wetlands with variable inundation regimes, quantitative measurements of GPP and PR are rare and their relationships with wetland environmental conditions are largely unknown. We measured PR and the GPP of phytoplankton using light and dark biological oxygen demand bottles in open waters of channel and non-channel floodplain habitats of inland floodplain wetlands of southeast Australia that had been inundated by environmental water. Overall, GPP varied from 3.7 to 405.5 mg C m h (mean ± standard error: 89.4 ± 9.2 mg C m h, n = 81), PR from 1.5 to 251.6 mg C m h (43.2 ± 5.6 mg C m h, n = 81), and GPP/PR from 0.2 to 15.6 (3.0 ± 0.3, n = 81). In terms of wetland environmental conditions, total nitrogen (TN) ranged from 682.0 to 14,700.0 mg m (mean ± standard error: 2,643.0 ± 241.6 mg m, n = 81), total phosphorus (TP) from 48.0 to 1,405.0 mg m (316.8 ± 31.4 mg m, n = 81), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from 1.9 to 46.3 g m (22.0 ± 1.6 g m, n = 81). Using ordinary least-squares multiple regression analyses, the rates of GPP and PR, and their ratio (GPP/PR) were modeled as a function of TN, TP, and DOC that had been measured concomitantly. The 'best' models predicted GPP and GPP/PR ratio in channel habitats as a function of DOC; and GPP, PR, and GPP/PR in non-channel floodplain habitats as a function of TN and/or TP. The models explained between 46 and 74 % of the variance in channel habitats and between 17 and 87 % of the variance in non-channel floodplain habitats. Net autotrophy (mean GPP/PR 3.0) of planktonic metabolism in our work supports the prevailing view that wetlands are a net sink for carbon dioxide. We propose a nutrient-DOC framework, combined with hydrological and geomorphological delineations, to better predict and understand the planktonic metabolism in inland floodplain wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variations of water properties in surface and intermediate layers along 32°S in the southern Indian Ocean were examined using a 50-year (1960-2010) time series reproduced from historical hydrographic and Argo data by using optimum interpolation. Salinity in the 26.7-27.3σ density layer decreased significantly over the whole section, at a maximum rate of 0.02 decade at 26.8-26.9σ, for the 50-year average. Three deoxygenating cores were identified east of 75°E, and the increasing rate of apparent oxygen utilization in the most prominent core (26.9-27.0σ) exceeded 0.05 ml l decade. The pycnostad core of Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) and the salinity minimum of Antarctic Intermediate Water shifted slightly toward the lighter layers. Comparisons with trans-Indian Ocean survey data from 1936 suggest that the tendencies found in the time series began before 1960. Interestingly, cores of many prominent trends were located just offshore of Australia at 26.7-27.0σ, which is in the SAMW density range. Spectrum analysis revealed that two oscillation components with time scales of about 40 and 10 years were dominant in the subsurface layers. Our results are fairly consistent with, and thus support, the oceanic responses in the southern Indian Ocean to anthropogenic climate change predicted by model studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On Australian semiarid floodplains, large herbivores such as kangaroos have a role in the cycling of energy (carbon) through the mechanism of feeding and defaecation of vegetative material. The degree to which kangaroos are vectors of energy within this system is not fully understood. This study describes the stable carbon isotope signature of floodplain plants and kangaroo scats at two close study sites. Kangaroos were found to deposit scats that mirrored the forage composition at each particular feeding site. Scats were 3.94‰ higher in δ13C values at the site where C4grasses were available, indicating that this grass contributed ~25–30% of the diet of these kangaroos. The difference in diet due to the relative availability of C3and C4forage, detectable in the carbon stable isotope signature of scats, is used to demonstrate that kangaroos are recycling and redistributing energy locally, rather than transporting it more broadly across the floodplain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biotic introductions are an ongoing disruption for many ecosystems. For passively dispersed freshwater zooplankton, transcontinental introductions have been common but are poorly studied in the southern hemisphere. Here we assess the hypothesis of recent introduction for populations of the Chydorus sphaericus group (Crustacea: Cladocera) in Australia. We analyzed 254 sequences (63 original sequences) from the cytochrome oxidase I region of mitochondrial DNA of Chydorus sp., which included global representation. Three Australian populations were connected with separate clades in the northern hemisphere, suggesting multiple colonization events for Australia. The timescale of the divergences was consistent with recent (Quaternary) dispersal. As Australian populations are exposed to migrating birds from the northern hemisphere, both avian and anthropogenic sources are candidates for dispersal vectors. We concluded that recent cross-hemisphere dispersal in the Chydorus sphaericus group is more common than previously believed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The survival and subsequent growth potential of Anabaena spp. and other filamentous cyanobacteria and the cells of Aulacoseira spp. (diatom) and Ceratium hirundinella (dinoflagellate) following passage through the Multi Level Inlet Tower (MLIT) and offtake works at Chaffey Reservoir in New South Wales, Australia was investigated in late summer. The study aimed to test whether the phytoplankton cells were destroyed or otherwise rendered less viable during passage through the outlet works. The reservoir was strongly thermally stratified with a shallow surface mixed layer, which contributed to considerable temporal variability in the numbers of phytoplankton cells present immediately opposite the intake portal of the outlet works. To compensate, considerable replicate sampling was undertaken both upstream and downstream of the MLIT. Results indicate limited destruction of cyanobacteria, with fewer cells present immediately downstream compared to upstream. Greater destruction of cells was indicated at lower mean daily discharge rates compared to higher discharge rates. Filament lengths of both cyanobacteria and Aulacoseira were also reduced during passage. There was no apparent reduction in Ceratium cell number. Laboratory incubation studies on surviving cells collected downstream indicated no impairment on the viability of any taxa. Calculations of rates-of-strain likely to be experienced by the phytoplankton as they transited through the offtake revealed very high stress being applied to the filaments and cells at the valve, and within the spillway sections of the works. These were several orders of magnitude greater than published values shown to disrupt cells and filaments, and to impair viability for subsequent growth in laboratory studies. However, exposure times to the high rates-of-strain at Chaffey Reservoir were brief, which may reduce the impacts of the high turbulence. The conclusions were that unless cyanobacterial cell destruction during passage through an outlet works can be shown to be more effective at larger reservoirs, the withdrawal of warm, cyanobacterial infested waters from close to the surface is unlikely to provide an acceptable management action for the prevention of cold water pollution downstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The initial electronic apex locator (EAL) length measurement is generally established with a small-sized file. It is not known whether file size would be interfering with the reading accuracy of the EAL. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of file size on the accuracy of Root ZX apex locator using an agar model when sodium hypochlorite solution or blood was present during electronic measurements in enlarged root canals.Methods: A total of 36 extracted lower premolars were used. In stage 1, the canals were instrumented using size 10-40 K-files with a size 40 K-file as the master apical file (MAF). The teeth were then divided randomly into two groups of 18 teeth each. In group A, the teeth were mounted in one per cent agar and irrigated with six per cent sodium hypochlorite solution (NaOCl), while in group B the teeth were mounted in agar and irrigated with human blood. In stage 2, the canals were enlarged using a size 60 K-file as the MAF. In stages 1 and 2, the apical portions of the canals were instrumented using the step-back sequence (up to a size 80 K-file). In stage 3, the canals were enlarged using a size 80 K-file as the MAF. In each stage, the length was measured with a Root ZX until the meter value reached 'APEX' using small and large size files.Results: Three-way ANOVA and Bonferroni test showed that file size, stage of preparation and type of irrigant all had a significant influence on the measurement error (P < 0.0001), with all the interactions between these three factors being significant (P < 0.0001).Conclusions: As the diameter of the root canal increased, the measured length with the smaller size files became shorter. A file of a size close to the prepared canal diameter should be used for root length measurement in the presence of blood. In the presence of NaOCl, the Root ZX was highly accurate even when the file was much smaller than the diameter of the canal. The agar model was effective and suitable for testing EALs in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the community structure of freshwater zooplankton at different sites in the Hawkesbury-Nepean River in Australia. Seasonal and horizontal variation in zooplankton community density; Associational patterns between the river environmental variables and zooplankton community density; Community structure of zooplankton.

Understanding hydrothermal fluid flow events related to orogenic events is important because they provide large-scale redistribution of metals which may become concentrated in ore deposits. In this study we determine the origin of tourmaline-bearing quartz veins and pegmatites in the Western fold belt of the Proterozoic Mount Isa inlier, a region which host numerous syn-orogenic Cu deposits. This paper uses tourmaline mineral chemistry and isotopic analyses (in-situ B and bulk O and H isotopes) to fingerprint the fluid reservoirs that contributed to the fluid budget during the Isan orogeny. All the tourmaline samples have schorl--dravite solid solution compositions. Quartz--tourmaline δ18O (11.0-12.6 and 7.7-9.4‰ V-SMOW, respectively) pairs yield equilibrium formation temperatures of 305 to 575 °C with the higher temperatures related to pegmatitic tourmaline. Tourmaline δD values have a relatively narrow range from -68 to -56‰ V-SMOW. In most cases calculated δ18OFluid and δDFluid values are compatible with primary magmatic water with a small component of metamorphic/18O-enriched formation waters. However, there are large variations in tourmaline δ11B values which range from + 10.7 to -17.0‰, with the majority of values between - 10 and - 15‰. Variations in δ11BTur in the pegmatites suggest that boron degassing generated relative 11B depletion during crystallization. Similar δ11BTur values in quartz--tourmaline veins spatially associated with the pegmatites, in cordierite- and sillimanite-bearing metamorphic rocks west of the Mount Isa fault, demonstrate a similar origin for B in this tourmaline. In contrast, quartz--tourmaline veins of similar timing hosted by greenschist grade metamorphic rocks east of the Mount Isa fault have much higher δ11BTur values (+ 6.2 to + 10.7‰) which reflect the involvement of a distinct B isotopic reservoir; mostly likely a near-surface derived evaporitic brine. Thus, the B isotopic data reveal important differences in fluid origin that are not reflected in the δ18O values. Therefore, at least two isotopically distinct fluids, one sourced from fractionating anatectic pegmatites and the other from external basinal brines, circulated contemporaneously in separate areas during the Isan orogeny. There is no evidence, based on the tourmaline isotopic data, to suggest that these fluids mixed, which demonstrates that the hydrothermal plumbing system in the Western fold belt during the Isan orogeny was disconnected, probably due to differences in thermal structure/metamorphic grade across the Western fold belt during orogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world's first Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) Carrier which will transport LH2 from Australia to Japan has been built. At Japanese port, reducing the tank pressure will be required for the safe tank operation. However, pressure reduction will cause flashing, leading to an excess of the venting capacity or liquid leakage. Hence, the purpose of this research is to clarify the pressure reduction rate and liquid behavior through experimental and numerical approaches respectively. Pressure reduction experiment under high liquid level condition was conducted by using 30 m3 tank filled with saturated LH2. The experiment showed that the pressure recovery occurred at the beginning of depressurization, and then the pressure decreased based on the equilibrium state. From numerical analysis by VOF based in-house CFD code, it was found that the pressure recovery was caused by the boiling delay, and the tank pressure followed the saturation pressure after the liquid fully stirred. • Pressure reduction experiment with large-scale LH2 tank was conducted under the high liquid level condition. • Pressure recovery occurred at the beginning of the experiment. • Based on thermodynamic analysis, pressure decreased following the equilibrium state after the pressure recovery. • The boiling delay caused the pressure recovery phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of lysosomal storage disorders that impair degradation of glycosaminoglycans (GAG). The specific GAGs that accumulate depend on the type of MPS, leading to unique characteristic clinical features. Development of guidelines for treatment of MPS has traditionally been multifaceted and largely based on palliative care. In the last three decades, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and enzyme replacement therapy have been developed based on experimental and clinical studies. Guidelines have been established with the accumulation of the clinical data from natural history of the disease and therapeutic consequences, mainly sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. In recent years, committees in three countries, Australia (2015), Japan (2017), and Brazil (2018) have adopted guidelines for the treatment of MPS II, sponsored and authorized by each government. As novel treatments for MPS including substrate reduction therapy, pharmacological chaperone therapy, and gene therapy become clinically available, it is increasingly necessary to establish the optimal guideline for each type of MPS, considering multiple factors including therapeutic efficacy, adverse effects, age, disease stage, prognosis, feasibility and availability of access to treatment, and cost- performance. In this article, we discuss the historical guidelines for specific MPS types and the most recently adopted guidelines for MPS II and propose the development of future guidelines without conflict of interest and bias leading to mutual benefits to all parties including patients and families, professionals, tax payers, and governments. Highlights 2 2 Historical treatment of MPS disorders relies on palliative, symptom-based clinical therapy. Shunji Tomatsu is a Principal Investigator for this project and has contributed to the concept and planning of the project, interpretation of published data, and reporting of the work described • Development of new therapies including ERT, HSCT, and surgical procedures provides an opportunity for a better quality of life. • Preemptive treatment requires the development of disease specific guidelines • Development of guidelines for treatment of rare diseases should involve international participation of specialists from multiple fields • Development of guidelines without bias should be sponsored by nonprofit organizations and/or governmental agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arid and semi-arid floodplain wetlands play important ecological roles and are among the most vulnerable ecosystems worldwide. However, studies of environmental change from such systems are rare. Sediment cores from the northern Macquarie Marshes, Murray-Darling Basin, provide a high-resolution (decadal-centennial scale) multi-proxy record of the past diversity and ecological successions of a wetland system from semi-arid inland Australia. In Loudens Lagoon on the eastern Marshes, a hiatus separates the Late Pleistocene-age sediments (50–27 ka BP) from late Holocene sediments ( c. 2.3 ka BP) which are barren of microfossils until the 13th century AD. Charophytes and emergent vegetation are recorded from c. 1200 AD and become richer in recent times, with a concomitant increase of dry-tolerant Chenopodiaceae, indicating variable water cover at the site. The approximately 500-year old record from adjacent ‘Bora Lagoon’ indicates that, by comparison, this site was more frequently inundated. The charophytes Sphaerochara (= Tolypella sect. Rothia) and Chara australis are only present between the 16th and 17th centuries, suggesting a relatively deep wetland which became shallower by the 1940s. Between the 1940s and 1960s, charophytes indicating shallow water are diverse and abundant, with diatoms appearing c. 1955 AD. The reduction in charophytes and change in the diatom assemblages indicates increasing turbidity and pH after 1965 AD. The increased sedimentation rate and turbidity between the 1940s and 1970s are related to land use change. Our results suggest that livestock grazing, the building of levees/channels in the Marshes, and river regulation (Burrendong Dam) have contributed to the deterioration of the Marshes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We tested two methods for dating groundwaters that cannot be reliably measured by 36Cl dating alone, one based on groundwater flow velocity plus distance along a flow path and the other based on 4He accumulation rates calibrated with 36Cl dates. We sampled groundwaters along six inferred regional groundwater flow paths in the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) of Australia. We selected three groundwater paths where the decrease in 36Cl was largely controlled by cosmogenic 36Cl radioactive decay without a significant increase in chloride concentration. The extrapolated groundwater velocities were 0.133±0.018 m/y to 0.433±0.140 m/y. The estimated residence time of 1.06×106 y at the discharge area around Lake Eyre was comparable to the estimate of (1–2.2)×106 y in previous studies. On the other hand, our estimated 4He accumulation rates for the selected three groundwater flow paths (1.85±0.31×10−11 to 1.51±0.63×10−10 ccSTP/cm3∙y) were approximately 2–15 times lower than previously reported rates for the central GAB. Our estimated rate of 1.51×10−10 ccSTP/cm3∙y−1 in the western GAB is compatible with previous estimates based on 81Kr ages. The groundwater residence time estimated from the 4He accumulation rate was approximately 7×105 y near the discharge area at Lake Eyre. Finally, both estimations were mutually compatible with a 30% error. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Many catchments in Australia have experienced increased sediment and nutrient loadings and concomitant declines in water quality and increases in problematic blue–green algal blooms over the past several decades. This paper describes an integrated hydrologic, sediment and nutrient export modelling framework known as catchment-scale management of diffuse sources (CatchMODS). The modelling framework is designed to simulate and assess catchment-scale land and water management activities designed to reduce nutrient and sediment delivery to receiving waters. The Ben Chifley Dam Catchment in New South Wales, Australia is used as a case study for describing the development of the framework. Improving water quality through reduction of sediment and nutrient loads will reduce the probability of algal bloom occurrence in the dam. The innovation of the system is the integration of otherwise separate modelling approaches to enable biophysical and economic assessment of different management options. The outputs from the research are used to improve and focus on-ground remediation, targeted to specific stream reaches or subcatchment areas, as well as to encourage sustainable management practices more broadly in the catchment. With minimal modification, the methods developed are applicable elsewhere to address water quality decline. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study investigated the effect of three ageing methods (dry, wet and stepwise wet-then-dry) and ageing time on pH, colour, yield, lipid and protein oxidation and eating quality of beef loins using Meat Standards Australia (MSA) sensory protocols with 900 and 540 consumers in Australia and Japan, respectively. Australian beef loins (Longissimus thoracis et lumborum) at four days post mortem were subjected to wet ageing (boneless; for 7, 21, 35 or 56 days), dry ageing (bone-in; for 35 or 56 days) or a wet-then-dry ageing method (bone-in; 21 days wet ageing followed by 35 days dry ageing). The pH was higher in dry aged than wet aged beef loins (P <.001). Instrumental measurement of surface colour of trimmed dry and wet aged steaks showed significant differences in a*, b* and hue angle. Weight loss was higher in dry aged primals (P <.001), however, total water content was similar among the two ageing methods (P =.934). Retail yield did not differ between 35 and 56 days dry aged primals. Lipid (TBARS) and protein (total carbonyl content) oxidation between the dry and wet aged samples differed depending on the ageing time. When comparing the wet-then-dry and 56 days dry aged samples, only pH and retail yield differed. Australian and Japanese consumers rated dry aged steaks significantly higher (P <.001) than the wet aged counterparts for tenderness, juiciness, flavour, overall liking and weighted palatability scores. The wet-then-dry steaks were also rated higher than the 56 days wet aged steaks for flavour, overall liking and palatability within the Japanese sensory panels. The Japanese consumers also consistently rated all MSA sensory attributes lower (P <.001) than the Australian consumers. The results from this study show dry ageing provides a value adding opportunity for the meat industry in both domestic and export markets. Unlabelled Image • Dry ageing resulted in beef loins with higher pH and more desirable colour compared to wet ageing. • Dry and stepwise ageing resulted in beef with similar physical and chemical properties. • Australian and Japanese consumers preferred dry aged and stepwise aged beef to wet aged products. • 21 days and 35 days are recommended for wet and dry ageing, respectively, to maximise palatability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]