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This cross-cultural ethnography explored the global student mobility patterns of international students from English-speaking countries in China and asked research questions about (a) their motivational factors and acculturation expectations before arrival; (b) linguistic factors influencing their acculturative stressors in the host group community's culture and its academic, social, and public systems after arrival; and (c) their reflections on intergroup ideologies with the host community after graduation, based on looking ahead. This study collected data through fieldwork by observing and interacting with approximately 80 individuals from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand in university towns in East China during the academic years from 2012 to 2023. In turn, 17 individuals who graduated before 2021 were selected as the final sample to conduct in-depth interviews. The study placed the concepts of acculturation expectations and intergroup ideologies at the nexus of linguistic hegemony, symbolic power, and social space. The overarching findings showed that despite positive motivations to visit China, language barriers led participants to express confusion, culture shock, anxiety, and perceived discrimination in their academic, social, and public domains. However, some participants who remained in China after graduation expressed their authentic voices regarding changes in attitude toward the host community culture and their heritage language. Therefore, this study focused on a different dimension of acculturation and linguistic ideology by examining how a linguistically and culturally dominant cohort faced acculturative challenges and negotiated to cope with their stressors in power dynamics.

International students undergo both language and academic culture shocks in their study in destination countries such as the UK, the US and Australia. However, most of the research on international students tends to adopt a deficit discourse when portraying this group of students. This research is a response to the call of researchers in the field for a paradigm shift that focuses on international students' agency and asset. Using the agency theory and Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) model as the framework, this study reports findings from a qualitative study of 22 Chinese students on 2 + 2 joint programs between an Australian university and four Chinese higher education institutions. While the in-depth interview findings support past studies about the language and academic culture shocks that international students experience, more importantly this study reveals that Chinese international students exercised agency by leveraging mainly four forms of CCW--navigational capital, linguistic capital, social capital and inspirational capital to overcome language and academic culture shocks. Chinese students' agentic exercise reveals temporal and social nature of their agency: It is not only informed by their habitus, directed and guided by the emerging demands and future goals, but also embedded in social engagement. Implications and policy advice for program managers on both sides of the joint programs as well as for host university teaching staff are discussed.

Teacher-student relationship (TSR) is, despite its importance, an under-researched area in higher education, and this is particularly the case with TSR between international students and their teachers at the host institutions. Past research has found that social integration plays an important role in university students' academic performance and in international students' satisfaction with their overseas experience. By using rich interview data, this study examined the TSRs Chinese international students experienced on 2+2 tertiary joint programs between Chinese institutions and an Australian university. Three major themes emerged from this study: Students' experiences of TSR at their Chinese home institutions, their experiences of TSR at the Australian university, and the student-initiated reasons for cross-cultural differences. This study contributes to the literature by calling the attention of policy makers and program managers of 2+2 joint programs (and other joint tertiary programs) to the important issues of intercultural communication and intercultural awareness.

The critical role of teacher-student interaction in students' educational outcomes, sense of belonging, and psychological and social well-being makes teacher-student interaction between international students and their teachers at the host universities worthy of research. Using Norton's model of language, identity and investment to examine Chinese students' in-class interaction with their Australian teachers, we found Chinese students tended to avoid classroom interaction. Although this finding appears to be due to language and cultural reasons, Norton's model seems to provide a more profound interpretation of our participants' reluctance to invest in in-class teacher-student interaction, particularly with the addition of the 'culture' element to the model. Students' out-of-class interaction with their Australian teachers seems to reveal a tension in intercultural communication: most participants favoured oral, face-to-face and immediate communication by using phones and social media apps rather than emails. Suggestions for enhancing intercultural understanding and interaction between international students and their host university teachers are discussed.

Despite a large number of Sino-foreign joint education programmes, little research has examined the pre-departure academic preparations of students on these programmes. This study aims to fill the research gap by interviewing 22 Chinese students on 2 + 2 programmes studying at an Australian host university. Findings show that while more than half of the participants acknowledged the preparing effort made by their home institutions, more participants pinpointed areas for improvements: little study pressure at home, the general and theoretical nature of the foundation disciplinary courses, and the disconnection between English and Chinese business terminologies. The implications of the findings are discussed.

As a response to the increasing number of Chinese students seeking higher education in Western countries, joint programmes have been set up between universities in these destination countries and China. The unfamiliar host academic cultures can pose challenges for international students. Using the 'acculturation model' to frame the study, we interviewed 22 Chinese students on Sino-Australian 2 + 2 joint tertiary study programmes to examine their pre-departure academic acculturation at Chinese home institutions. By comparing and contrasting academic cultures in their home and host universities, the participants reported major differences in academic cultures, particularly in the lecture-tutorial model, learning and teaching approaches, and assessment methods. The findings suggest that these 2 + 2 students were not well prepared at their home institutions for the Australian academic culture. Based on the findings, the acculturation model was extended, with the outcome being a new model constructed towards developing students' pre-departure academic acculturation on joint programmes.

Purpose: Biological nitrogen (N) fixation (BNF) of understory acacia species presents a potential way for effectively restoring N in forest systems. This study aimed to quantify the impact of acacia species and biochar application rates on BNF and soil mineral N in a suburban native forest of subtropical Australia in the first 4–5 years after prescribed burning. Method: Plant growth values and BNF were measured to assess the impact of biochar rates at 0, 5, and 10 t ha−1 on different acacia species. Soil NH4+-N and NO3−-N along with their N isotope composition (δ15N) were determined to investigate soil–plant interactions in response to acacia species and biochar application. Results: The application of 10 t ha−1 biochar significantly enhanced the growth of acacia species, and concurrently reduced the loss of NO3−-N at soil depths of 0–5 and 5–10 cm. Compared with Acacia disparimma (percentage of N derived from the atmosphere or %Ndfa: 78.2%), A. leiocalyx demonstrated significant higher BNF ability (%Ndfa: 91.3%). Similarly, A. leiocalyx had better growth, in terms of height (269.1 cm versus 179.6 cm), diameter at ground level (2.62 cm versus 1.94 cm), basal area (6.49 cm2 versus 3.43 cm2) and volume (692.2 cm3 versus 258.0 cm3). This was associated with its ability to promote organic matter mineralization, resulting in the accumulation of 15N-depleted NH4+-N. NH4+-N, acting as a substrate, was transformed into NO3−-N through nitrification. From regression analysis, the efficient absorption of NH4+-N by A. leiocalyx significantly mitigated NH4+-N leaching with increasing soil moisture concentration (SMC), resulting in lower δ15N of NH4+-N, which was more negatively related to SMC (R2 = 0.401), compared to that of A. disparimma (R2 = 0.250) at soil depth of 0–5 cm. The production of NO3−-N was reduced, leading to lower NO3−-N concentrations of A. leiocalyx than A. disparimma at soil depth of 0–5 cm (8.06 µg N g−1 versus 9.61 µg N g−1) and that of 5–10 cm (8.24 µg N g−1 versus 9.21 µg N g−1) respectively. Conclusions: As an effective soil amendment, biochar exhibited promise in reducing mineral N loss and stimulating plant growth in long-term applications of exceeding three years. Higher BNF capacity and greater plant growth were observed with A. leiocalyx, compared with those of A. disparimma. The retention and utilisation of mineral N by A. leiocalyx can be considered as strategy to restore forest soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The primary goal of this paper is to investigate the relationship between stock market liquidity and firm dividend policy within a market implementing the tax imputation system. The main aim is to understand how the tax imputation system influences the relationship between firm dividend policy and stock market liquidity within a cross-sectional framework. Design/methodology/approach: This paper investigates the relationship between stock market liquidity and the dividend payout policy under the full tax imputation system in the Australian market. This study uses the Generalized Least Squares regressions with firm- and year-fixed effects. Findings: In contrast to the negative relationship between the liquidity of common shares and the firms' dividends documented in countries with the double tax system, the study reveals that in Australia, the dividend payout ratios are positively associated with liquidity after controlling for various explanatory variables with both the contemporaneous and lagged time periods. Such a finding is robust to the use of alternative liquidity proxies and to the sub-period tests and remains during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Research limitations/implications: The insights derived from this study have significant implications for various stakeholders within the economy. The findings provide regulators with valuable insights to conduct a more holistic assessment of how the tax system impacts the economy, especially concerning the dividend choices of firms. Within the context of a full tax imputation system, investors can make investment decisions without factoring in the taxation impact. Simultaneously, firms can be relieved of concerns about losing investors who prioritize liquidity, particularly when a high dividend payout might not align optimally with their financial strategy. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature by extending the literature on the tax clientele effects on dividend policy, providing evidence that the tax imputation system can moderate the impact of liquidity on dividend policy. This study examines the impact of the dividend tax imputation system on the substitution effect between dividends and liquidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the socioecological conceptual model, the physical environment within the home, childcare and neighbourhood domains are key factors that influence preschool children's physical activity; however, the relative importance of each of these domains for preschool children's physical activity is unclear. We explored the physical environment characteristics within three latent profiles of 115 preschool children aged 2–5 years based on where they accumulated moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) across five GPS-derived environmental domains. The three profiles were "Active at home" (n = 41), "Active except close to home" (n = 61), and "Active except in local neighbourhood" (n = 13). Compared to other profiles, "Active at home" had fewer parks and playgrounds within their 500–1600 m neighbourhood. Findings suggest preschool children's MVPA profiles are reflections of their physical environmental opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to pollutants is a potentially crucial but overlooked driver of population declines in shorebirds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. We combined knowledge of moult strategy and life history with a standardised sampling protocol to assess mercury (Hg) contamination in 984 individuals across 33 migratory shorebird species on an intercontinental scale. Over one-third of the samples exceeded toxicity benchmarks. Feather Hg was best explained by moulting region, while habitat preference (coastal obligate vs. non-coastal obligate), the proportion of invertebrates in the diet and foraging stratum (foraging mostly on the surface vs. at depth) also contributed, but were less pronounced. Feather Hg was substantially higher in South China (Mai Po and Leizhou), Australia and the Yellow Sea than in temperate and Arctic breeding ranges. Non-coastal obligate species (Tringa genus) frequently encountered in freshwater habitats were at the highest risk. It is important to continue and expand biomonitoring research to assess how other pollutants might impact shorebirds. Over one-third of the sampled shorebirds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway are facing Hg risk. Tringa genus in South China was at the highest risk. Feather Hg was best explained by feathers' moulting region, while habitat preference, diet, and foraging stratum were less important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major challenges for the Australian feedlot and meat sectors is to have accurate and robust long-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data. Long-term measurements of methane (CH4) emissions (2015–2017) were made at two Australian beef feedlots having different climates, cattle types, and management practices. Emissions were measured using the inverse-dispersion model (IDM) micrometeorological technique, using CH4 concentrations measured at the feedlots with a closed-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic technique (CP-FTIR). The emissions data were used to evaluate methods used by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to estimate CH4 emissions from feedlots in Australian national inventory calculations. Expressed as a CH4 yield (emissions per unit dry matter intake, DMI), the two feedlots had emissions of 13.1 and 18.9 g CH4 kg−1 DMI. The lower-emitting feedlot had emissions that were 30% lower than the national inventory calculations based on feed intakes, while the second feedlot had emissions that were similar to the inventory calculations. The accurate quantification of emissions from feedlots, as demonstrated as part of this study, is important for validating the national accounting methods and therefore the sector's GHG emissions profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The OECD in May 2021 adopted a recommendation that governments "ensure competitive neutrality to the maximum extent practicable and unless overriding Public Policy Objectives require otherwise." This article discusses practical issues surrounding the formal implementation of competitive neutrality in a jurisdiction, using the well-established Australian framework as an exemplar. It illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of the Australian system and provides guidance to other jurisdictions in formulating their approaches to implementing the Recommendation. It demonstrates that implementation of competitive neutrality at a practical level is a complex exercise, which demands both strategic vision and detailed planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, global epidemic models that use climatological factors have been proposed to explain influenza activities for both temperate and tropical regions. In this paper, these global models were extended by including interactions of climatological factors. This study was aimed to estimate the relative benefits of such interactions in explaining the global influenza epidemics. The effects of four climatological factors on laboratory-confirmed influenza cases were investigated, i.e., weekly temperature, precipitation, absolute humidity and relative humidity. It was found that countries in Europe and Australia have higher forecast skill, indicating the stronger relationship of influenza with climatological factors, than regions in other continents. The influenza activities of 47 (83%) countries can be explained with a closer match using multi-factor interactions along with original factors than only using the original factors. The temperate countries are characterized by the interaction of factors of temperature and absolute/relative humidity. In contrast, the interaction of factors of precipitation and absolute/relative humidity are dominant in tropical countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transformative urban development is urgent to achieve future sustainable development and wellbeing. Transformation can benefit from shared and cumulative learning on strategies to guide urban development across local to national scales, while also reflecting the complex emergent nature of urban systems, and the need for context-specific and place-based solutions. The article addresses this challenge, drawing on extensive transdisciplinary engagement and National Strategy co-development processes for Australia. This includes generation of two frameworks as boundary objects to assist such transdisciplinary strategy development. An 'enabling urban systems transformation' framework comprises four generic overarching transformation enablers and a set of necessary underpinning urban capacities. This also built cumulatively on other sustainability and urban transformation studies. A complementary 'knowledge for urban systems transformation' framework comprises key knowledge themes that can support an integrated systems approach to mission-focused urban transformations, such as decarbonising cities. The article provides insights on the transdisciplinary processes, urban systems frameworks, and scoping of key strategies that may help those developing transformation strategies from local to national scales. Science highlights • Transdisciplinary national urban strategy development is used to distil generic frameworks and strategy scopes with potential international application. • The frameworks also build on other published framings to support convergent, cumulative and transdisciplinary urban science. • The 'enabling transformations' and 'urban knowledge' frameworks include the perspective of those developing sustainable urban systems strategies. • The enabling framework also informs 'National Urban Policy' and 'Knowledge and Innovation Hub' strategies, and prevailing power imbalances. • The knowledge framework can help frame urban challenges, missions and knowledge programs. Policy and practice recommendations • An urban 'transformation imperative' and 'strategic response' can be co-developed from local to national scales. • Local initiative is crucial to drive urban strategies, but sustained national leadership with coherent policy across sectors and scales is also key. • Diversity in engagement participation and processes generates whole-of-urban-systems and local-to-national perspectives. • Urban solutions are context-specific but generic frameworks can help collaborative issue framing and responses. • Collaborative issue framing informed by generic frameworks can bring broader perspectives to context-specific and contested policy and practice issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic activities have drastically impacted the climate system since the Industrial Revolution. However, to what extent anthropogenic emissions influence the cloud droplet number concentration (Nd), the critical parameter for understanding aerosol‐cloud interactions, is poorly known on the hemispheric scale due to the considerable retrieval uncertainty. We employed multiple widely used Nd retrieval sampling methods to evaluate the long‐term trend in Nd contrast (ΔNd(NH‐SH)) between the Northern Hemisphere (NH) and Southern Hemisphere (SH). Here we show that the ΔNd(NH‐SH) was halved from 2003 to 2020 using different sampling methods and channels, even though the range of magnitudes of ΔNd(NH‐SH) from different retrieval sampling methods is large. Such dramatic changes in ΔNd(NH‐SH) are dominated by the significantly decreased Nd over the NH (∼20%) due to emission reductions compared to the relatively stable and pristine nature of the SH. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) and aerosol index (AI) correlate poorly with Nd based on long‐term trends, even though they replicate the contrast trends. This poor correlation is partly contributed by stratospheric smoke from wildfires in Australia that had little influence on Nd in the SH. The northwest Atlantic shows the largest contribution, ∼38%, to the Nd trend, whereas the northwest Pacific dominates the change in AOD and AI, contributing more than 60% to AOD and ∼50% to the AI trend in the NH. Our results imply that emission reductions significantly reduced ΔNd(NH‐SH) and provide strong observational evidence that anthropogenic activities have extensively altered liquid clouds in the NH in the last two decades. Plain Language Summary: Cloud droplet number concentration (Nd) is essential in understanding cloud physics, precipitation formation, and quantifying the effective radiative forcing associated with aerosol‐cloud interactions. Under the background of emission reductions over the past two decades, this study used global satellite observations to explore the long‐term (2003–2020) trend in Nd over the ocean and its hemispheric contrast (ΔNd(NH‐SH)) between the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere. We found that Nd decreased ∼20% over the Northern Hemisphere, but no clear Nd trend was found over the Southern Hemisphere. As a result, the fractional change (defined as the trend divided by its climatology) of ΔNd(NH‐SH) is about −60% from 2003 to 2020. We further quantify the regional contribution and found that the northwest Atlantic shows the largest contribution, ∼38%, to the Nd trend over the Northern Hemisphere. Our results provide strong observational evidence that anthropogenic activities have extensively modified the microphysical properties of liquid clouds in the Northern Hemisphere over the past two decades. Key Points: The interhemispheric contrast of cloud droplet number concentration (Nd) was halved during 2003–2020 mainly due to emission reductionsAlthough Aerosol optical depth (AOD) and aerosol index (AI) replicated the contrast trends, they correlate poorly with NdIn the Northern Hemisphere, the northwest Atlantic contributes the most to Nd long‐term change, whereas the northwest Pacific dominates the AOD/AI trend [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work is to present the research progress and applications of fly ash-based geopolymer, and summarize the future research hotpots. Since 1998, scholars have made important contributions to the study of fly ash-based geopolymer, and a large number of research studies have been published. Therefore, a bibliometric analysis for the determination of the research status, trend, and history of fly ash-based geopolymer was conducted in the present study. A total of 4352 publications on fly ash-based geopolymer were collected between 1998 and 2022, with an increasing trend year by year. China and Australia are the largest contributors to the field, and the research institutions in each country cooperate closely. In addition, the most contributing research areas are MATERIALS SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, and CONSTRUCTION & BUILDING TECHNOLOGY. The keywords including fly ash, compressive strength, and mechanical property are the most frequently appearing words. On the whole, the development of fly ash-based geopolymer could be divided into three stages including the replacement of ordinary Portland cement, the development of multifunctional materials, and the reduction of environmental impact by the conversion of solid waste. This overview could provide an important guidance for the development of fly ash-based geopolymer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: With a high proportion of variable renewable energy integration, accurate forecasting approach is of vital importance in ensuring the reliable and economic operation of power system. Therefore, in this article, a novel method for predicting photovoltaic (PV) power generation based on convolutional neural network (CNN) is proposed. Analytical models of PV systems are formulated, thereby providing physical knowledge about the relationship between PV output and critical meteorological features. To explore the nonlinear and time‐varying properties of PV output, CNN is adopted in this article, which matches the patterns of similar days. Case studies based on realistic datasets in Australia demonstrate that the forecasting performance for solar power can be effectively improved by taking advantage of the proposed CNN‐based learning method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Prescribed burning is a useful tool in a suburban forest of subtropical Australia for bushfire risk management. Toohey Forest has been managed by controlled burns and was used in this study. This study examined the long-term impacts of prescribed burning on biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) of understory acacia species estimated by 15 N natural abundance method, water use efficiency (WUE) as reflected in foliar carbon isotope composition (δ13C), and plant growth 6–14 years after prescribed burning in a suburban Toohey forest ecosystem of subtropical Australia. Materials and methods: Four sites (S1, S2, S3, and S4) were established in Toohey Forest, Queensland, Australia. Foliar samples were collected from two understory species of acacia (A. leiocalyx and A. disparimma) and reference plants (E. psammitica) at each study site for three seasons (growing seasons of Spring October 2018 and Autumn May 2019, and non-growing season of Winter August 2019). Results and discussion: Foliar total nitrogen (N) concentrations of A. leiocalyx were higher at sites of S1, S3, and S4 than those of A. disparimma after 6–14 years of prescribed burning. Both species still depended upon BNF for their N supply, with a higher dependence maybe in winter than in summer at S3. The highest BNF rates for A. leiocalyx at all sites were also found in the winter of August 2019, while the lowest BNF rates were detected during the autumn of May 2019. The BNF was estimated as 56.5% for A. leiocalyx and 52.8% for A. disparimma at S1, with the corresponding values of 74.6% at S2, 63.4% at S3, and 85.0% at S4, respectively. This study demonstrates that A. disparimma for S1, S2, S3, and S4 had relative higher WUE than A. leiocalyx in the winter of August 2019 after 6–14 years of prescribed burning. There was a significant higher plant growth rate (tree height) of A. leiocalyx at sites of S1, S2, and S4, compared with that of A. disparimma. Conclusions: Both young acacia plants were more active in BNF than older plants, with the BNF peaked between 6 and 8 years after prescribed burning. Conversely, BNF was lower after 9–14 years of prescribed burning. There were significant and positive relationship between foliar δ13C and δ15N, highlighting the role of BNF in improving plant WUE and subsequently tree growth in the suburban native forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yellow peach moth, Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is a very destructive fruit borer in Eastern Asia and Australia. A successful artificial diet and rearing protocol are urgently needed for its biological control and research. In this study, we developed and assessed four artificial diets: AD‐1, AD‐2, AD‐3 and AD‐4, for rearing yellow peach moth larvae. AD‐1 is effective supplements, leading to the larval survival rate of 82.05%, percentage of pupation 79.48%, mean pupa weight of 76.53 mg, emergence rate of 95.25%, and an adult fecundity rate of 121 eggs/female. Using it to feed can shorten the whole generation developmental period to 33 days. Based on this diet AD‐1, we also develop a suitable mass rearing method. During the larval stages providing three‐ to four‐time fresh diet can keep a healthy larval colony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The harsh Australian environment makes the use of steel reinforcement in concrete structures problematic on account of corrosion. The probability of corrosion damage will significantly increase in the years to come and will become a major problem not only in coastal regions but also in inland parts of Australia due to increasing carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, and relative humidity as a consequence of climate change. In the last two decades, glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite bars have become an alternative to steel reinforcement for reinforcing concrete structures exposed to harsh environments. The reinforcing material is noncorrodible, nonmagnetic, lightweight, and has high tensile strength, thus making it a viable reinforcing material for concrete structures. This paper provides the state-of-the-practice in the research, development, and application of GFRP bars, with the aim of properly informing the engineering community about this alternative, noncorrodible reinforcing technology. The paper also presents a strategy toward the development of fiber-reinforced polymer bar material specifications with the aim to ensure quality use and application of the GFRP material in a wide range of applications in Australia in the years to come. Moreover, the best practices and data presented in this paper will be very useful in the development of unified international standards and specifications for GFRP bars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview and the results of the Australia-Japan 2020 Quasi Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) Emergency Warning System trial project. The project aimed to evaluate and demonstrate the feasibility of utilising the QZSS system to support emergency warning and response in Australia. The trial has focussed on bushfire and tsunami warnings with an emphasis on the message structure and standards for incorporation on the available signal bandwidth, and the spatial coverage extent of the messages. It also aimed to address the need for a space-based communication capability in Australia, which could potentially facilitate effective emergency warning system unconstrained by the limitations of terrestrial telecommunications.A newly dedicated MobileApp was developed to decode the warning message and visualise relevant information on a map. Two messages for bushfire and tsunami warnings were generated in Australia and sent to the QZSS ground station for satellite transmission. The developed application was tested in Victoria and New South Wales. The trial was successful in the sense that the emergency warning message could be received and decoded using the QZSS enabled receivers and the dedicated MobileApp. The field tests showed that the systems are capable of delivering the required information to users with the required timeliness and completeness. Several technical issues encountered during testing can be primarily attributed to the alpha state of the app, and the specific receiver used for testing. Neither of which are considered to be significant barriers to the on-going development of an operational satellite EWS system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to examine how flows of immigration and emigration to and from Australia over the past 35 years have evolved across settlement areas. This is achieved by studying the changes to the sources of immigration, measured by country or region of birth, the relative propensities of immigrants to remain in Australia, and the differences exhibited by females and males. The analyses utilise a unique set of data on immigration and emigration flows that have been recently harmonised across various sources of existing data, both over time and across geographic units. Specifically, we show how the patterns have evolved for 18 different immigrant groups and the Australia-born population since 1981. This research provides new insights into the patterns of international migration that are greatly influencing population and ethnic change across Australia. We show how the diversity of immigration has increased between 1981 and 2016 and the significance of China and India as new sources of immigration. The increasing diversity is found across all 47 geographic areas that we examine, albeit with variations in the levels and sources of immigration. We also find that retention of immigrants and ratios of returning Australia-born persons have been declining over time. Finally, we show how most immigrant groups exhibit distinct patterns of immigration and emigration by sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining variations in groundwater replenishment over a variety of time scales remains a challenge in the management and protection of groundwater resources. Specifically, capacity to use hydraulic data collected in small windows of time to infer long‐term changes can be limited by system responses. Groundwater ages offer an alternative approach as they represent the time since recharge occurred. Here we use spatial variations in groundwater ages and environmental tracer concentrations to infer temporal variations in groundwater recharge and apply the method to a mine site in northwest Australia, where a stream has been modified from ephemeral to perennial, resulting in enhanced recharge to groundwater. Measurements of 14C and CFC‐12 at five transects along an ephemeral stream were interpreted with the new model to identify recharge rates and the proportion of recharge attributable to enhanced versus natural recharge from flood events. Enhanced recharge varied between 0.03 and 0.66 m/year compared to flood‐generated recharge values ranging between 0.07 and 1.3 m/year. Our results show that spatial variations of groundwater ages and environmental tracer concentrations preserve information about past flow regimes. While our study has demonstrated decadal variations in recharge, application of the method on larger scales could infer much greater extent of temporal variability in recharge, with the potential for significant insight into climate effects on groundwater. Plain Language Summary: Groundwater is a very important source of water supplying 40% of population globally. The process that replenishes groundwater is known as recharge and reflects climate, plants, and soil conditions, so changes in any of these factors will modify the groundwater recharge. Much of the water in aquifers is thousands of years old, so it is challenging to understand the conditions that led to this recharge using measurements taken today. Our study uses the variability of groundwater ages at different locations in an aquifer to determine how recharge has changed over time. We can also better understand these systems using environmental tracers, which are chemical compounds with distinct signals that change over time. The amount of groundwater replenishment can be determined by measuring the same compounds in groundwater, and having a model of how they move through the groundwater system. We investigated a system where a usually dry creek (ephemeral) had been made permanently wet (perennial). We were able to show that in areas of the stream close to where flow is added, the natural replenishment of groundwater was supplemented by additional infiltration of mine discharge water. This effect reduced along the creek further from the discharge point. Our approach can now be used to better predict how changing climate and land management may impact on sustainable use of groundwater. Key Points: We demonstrate that spatial variations in groundwater ages can be used to infer temporal changes in rechargeWe used measurements of 14C and CFC‐12 to quantify changes in ephemeral recharge from a stream in northwest AustraliaWe found that infiltration of mine discharge water increased recharge by up to 75% of natural recharge values [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The ELM model is applied to predict the ionospheric propagation factor M(3000)F2. • The ELM achieves slightly higher accuracy at a faster training speed than BPNN. • Better average accuracy of ELM over the IRI in high and low solar activity years. This paper presents an novel extreme learning machine (ELM)-based prediction model for the ionospheric propagation factor M(3000)F2 at Darwin station (12.4°S, 131.5°E; −44.5°dip) in Australia. The proposed ELM model is trained with hourly daily values of M(3000)F2 from the period 1998–2014 except 2001 and 2009. The hourly daily values of 2001 (high solar activity) and 2009 (low solar activity) are used for validating the prediction accuracy. The proposed ELM for modeling M(3000)F2 can achieve faster training process and similar testing accuracy compared with backward propagation neural network (BPNN). In addition, the performance of the ELM is verified by comparing the predicted values of M(3000)F2 with observed values and the international reference ionosphere (IRI −2016) model predicted values. Based on the error differences (the root mean square error (RMSE) and the M(3000)F2 percentage improvement values M(3000)F2 IMP (%)), the result demonstrates the effectiveness of the ELM model compared with the IRI-2016 model at hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly in high (2001) and low (2009) solar activity years. The ELM also shows good agreement with observations compared with the IRI during disturbed magnetic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manure composting is a common management practice for cattle feedlots, but gaseous emissions from composting are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to quantify ammonia (NH3), nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) emissions from windrow composting (turning) and static stockpiling (nonturning) of manure at a commercial feedlot in Australia. An inverse‐dispersion technique using an open‐path Fourier transform infrared (OP–FTIR) spectrometer gas sensor was deployed to measure emissions of NH3, N2O, CO2, and CH4 over a 165‐d study period, and 29 and 15% of the total data intervals were actually used to calculate the fluxes for the windrow and stockpile, respectively. The nitrogen (N) lost as NH3 and N2O emissions represented 26.4 and 3.8% of the initial N in windrow, and 5.3 and 0.8% of that in the stockpile, respectively. The carbon (C) lost as CO2 and CH4 emissions represented 44 and 0.3% of the initial C in windrow, and 54.8 and 0.7% of that in the stockpile, respectively. Total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the manure windrow were 2.7 times higher than those of the stockpiled manure. This work highlights the value that could be accrued if one could reduce emissions of NH3–N and N2O‐N from composting, which would retain manure N content while reducing GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Prescribed burning is a forest management practice which can lead to nitrogen (N)-limited conditions. This study aimed to explore whether biological N2 fixation (BNF) remained the main source of N acquisition for two understorey Acacia species in a Eucalyptus-dominated suburban forest of subtropical Australia, 3 to 6 years after prescribed burning. Root-nodule bacteria associated with these acacias were also characterised to unravel the differences in rhizobial communities between sites and species. Material and methods: Two sites, burned 3 and 6 years before sample collection, were selected within a dry subtropical forest of south-east Queensland, Australia. Leaves were collected from individuals of Acacia disparrima and A. leiocalyx at each site to determine leaf total carbon (C) and N content, C and N isotope composition (δ13C and δ15N) and the percentage of N derived from atmospheric N2. Nodules were harvested from both acacia species at each site to isolate root nodule bacteria. Bacterial isolates were processed for 16S rDNA gene sequencing. Results and discussion: Generally, no differences were found in plant physiological variables between the two acacia species. Six years after the fire, both species still depended upon BNF for their N supply, with a higher dependence in winter than in summer. Fire, although of low intensity, was likely to have created a N-limited environment which induced the reliance of legumes on BNF. Root nodule bacteria were dominated by non-rhizobial endophytes, mainly from the Firmicutes phylum. No difference in nodule bacterial diversity was found between sites. The relative abundance of rhizobial genera varied amongst plant species and sites, with a shift in dominance from Bradyrhizobium to Rhizobium species between sites 1 and 2. Conclusions: Our results show that even 6 years after burning, ecosystem remained under N stress and BNF was still the main mechanism for N acquisition by the understorey legumes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to understand the mechanisms of the variations in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools and examine the possibility of differentiating the burning effects from seasonal and pre-existed N limitations in a native suburban forest ecosystem influenced by prescribed burning in subtropical Australia. Materials and methods: Soil and litterfall samples were collected from two study sites from 1 to 23 months since last burnt. Soil labile C and N pools, soil C and N isotopic compositions (δ13C and δ15N), litterfall mass production (LM), and litterfall total C, total N, δ13C and δ15N were analysed. In-situ gas exchange measurements were also conducted during dry and wet seasons for Eucalyptus baileyana and E. planchoniana. Results and discussion: The results indicated that labile C and N pools increased within the first few months after burning, with no correlations with climatic factors. Therefore, it was possible that the increase was due to the burning-induced factors such as the incorporation of ashes into the soil. The highest values of soil and litterfall δ15N, observed when the study was commenced at the experimental sites, and their high correlations with climatic factors were indicative of long-term N and water limitation. The 13C signals showed that soil N concentrations and climatic factors were also two of the main factors controlling litterfall and foliage properties mainly through the changes in photosynthetic capacity and stomatal conductance. Conclusions: Long-term soil N availabilities and climatic factors were the two of the main driving factors of C and N cycling in the studied forest sites. Further studies are needed to compare soil and litterfall properties before and after burning to profoundly understand the effects of prescribed burning on soil labile C and N variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mutual information is effective to analyze dependence of foF2 on R 12 and F10.7 12. • Dependence of foF2 on R 12 and F10.7 12 differ in different solar activity years. • Mutual information provides an effective selection of inputs for foF2 prediction. This paper analyzes the dependence of the ionospheric F2 layer critical frequency, f oF2, on two widely used solar activity indices (12-month running mean of the sunspot number (R 12) and the solar radio flux of 10.7 cm wavelength (F10.7 12)) by using mutual information method at the ionospheric station of Darwin (geographic 12.4°S, 131.5°E) in Australia. The results show that the f oF2 have different responses to R 12 and F10.7 12 in different solar activity years. In the high and low solar activity years, the f oF2 is more dependent on R 12 rather than F10.7 12. In the moderate solar activity years, the f oF2 is more dependent on F10.7 12 rather than R 12. We further verify the effectiveness of the mutual information on the selection of the solar activity index by developing the prediction models of the f oF2. Additionally, the results are compared against the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model. The data of training period used in the model is from 1998 to 2015, except 2000, 2009 and 2013. Data for 2000, 2009 and 2013 are used to validate the prediction accuracy, for high, low and moderate solar activity years, respectively. The results demonstrate that the favorable prediction results can be obtained when the solar activity index with large mutual information is used as the input variable of the fo F2 prediction model. The proposed method not only can quantitatively analyze the nonlinear relationship between the fo F2 and solar activity indices but also provides an effective way of selecting the solar activity indices for the fo F2 prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Reviewed recent progress and directed future research for modular buildings. • Commonly used in UK, Sweden, Japan and USA with growing interest in Australia and China. • Prefabricated components have demonstrated satisfactory structural performance. • Uptake barriers are mainly related to the lack of logistical support. • Prefabricated modular buildings is the next generation of housing. Abstract Modular construction offers faster and safer manufacturing, better predictability to completion time, superior quality, less workers on site, less resource wastage, and a more environmentally friendly solution than the conventional construction process. Despite having several advantages of modular construction, the private sector still relies heavily on the traditional on-site construction method. To understand the scientific reason behind this situation, this paper critically reviews the recent developments, performances, challenges and future opportunities of modular buildings. Modular constructions are extensively used for low-rise buildings and further attracts strong interest for multi-storey building structures. Prefabricated modules demonstrated satisfactory performance under static, dynamic impact, cyclic, seismic, blast, fire and long-term sustained loading, and offer environmental, economic and social benefits. The acceptance and application of modular construction will further spread with the development of design guidelines, more skilled workers, addressing handing and transportation difficulties, and the development of novel interlocking connections between modules. Recently, composite materials demonstrated high potential to manufacture prefabricated building modules. In Australia, it is expected that modular construction will increase from the current stage of 3% to 5–10% by year 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel application of olive stone biochar produced from biomass gasification as a green construction fill material. • Engineering properties of olive stone biochar are compared to those of recycled glass. • The geotechnical properties of olive stone biochar and recycled glass blends are evaluated. • All blends satisfy the minimum strength requirement for pavement subgrade. The rapid growth in biomass waste generation from industrial and agricultural sectors has emerged as a significant global challenge. One potential solution to address this challenge is to utilize biomass waste materials as sustainable construction materials, which can mitigate landfilling concerns, reduce the need for natural materials and ultimately minimize carbon emissions. This study focused on the evaluation of the engineering and environmental properties of olive stone biochar (OSB) as a green construction fill material. OSB is the solid residue resulting from biomass gasification in a waste-to-energy plant. The properties of OSB were compared to those of recycled glass (RG), a mainstream construction and demolition (C&D) waste material in Australia, for benchmarking purposes. Extensive laboratory tests were conducted on unbound OSB, RG and OSB/RG blends. The results indicated that gasified OSB was a stable biomass material and it exhibited good engineering performance when used as a construction fill material. In cases where higher strength was required, OSB can be blended with RG to achieve higher values of California bearing ratio (CBR) and resilient modulus. All OSB/RG blends were found to meet the minimum CBR requirement for subgrade materials as specified by the local road authority. Environmental tests revealed that the application of OSB as a construction fill material would not have any adverse environmental impact. This research highlighted the potential for OSB to replace virgin quarry materials in geotechnical fill and road subgrade applications. The involvement of biochar as a carbon sink in construction works also aligns well with the strategy to manufacture green materials within the construction industry, as it serves the dual purpose of locking carbon in a stable state within infrastructures and boosting waste reutilization rates simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, the past decade has seen many countries, including the United Kingdom, United States and Canada, introducing legislation that creates distinctive hybrid legal models for social enterprise. Although Australia has no dedicated legal model for social enterprise, its growing salience poses a challenge to competitive neutrality policy regimes. The challenge posed by social enterprise is both conceptual and practical. At the conceptual level, we argue that the underlying analytical framework of competitive neutrality sits uneasily with the premises of social enterprise. At the practical level, we show how the qualitative cost-benefit balancing flowing from the public interest test embedded in the Australian competitive neutrality regime is quite different from the way social enterprises achieve their social objectives, despite some apparent initial similarities. This challenge arises from the implicit baseline of competitive neutrality, which tends to generate analyses that place efficiency values in competition with social, environmental or other 'non-economic' values. Articulating and responding to this challenge is important for the enhancement of opportunities for social enterprise to grow and strengthen, and thereby contributes to rising political and consumer demand for more sustainable business models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of the coal fines production and the impact of these fines on the permeability of two coals from the Bowen Basin, Australia, were performed at different flow conditions (single-phase water or gas, two-phase water and gas) and pressure conditions. The fines collected from each coal samples ranged in size from 1 μm to 14 μm. For both coal samples, during the first 50 h, the permeability decreases from 0.005 mD and 0.048 mD by 60.9% and 85%, respectively, followed by gradual decline with fluctuations. By the end of water injection, the permeability drops by 88% and 89%, respectively. This phenomenon is attributed to the counteraction between formation damage (cleats plugging and coal fines settlement) and breakthrough of coal fines from the samples (widened cleats). It was found that coal fines volumetric production is proportional to the third power of flow velocity once the flow paths for coal fines are established. The critical flow velocities of coal fines production for both samples were also obtained. For hydrophobic coal, water-drive-gas two-phase flow introduces abrupt permeability loss due to coal fines generation and migration. Furthermore, pauses (well shut-in) in the experiments cause slight permeability drops. A comparison between the two samples indicates that narrower and less connected cleating system results in more frequent coal fines generation and migration, resulting in significant permeability fluctuations with general decreasing trend. Tortuosity of the cleats can enhance the deterioration in permeability by coal fines behaviours. This study delivers fundamental understandings of coal fines generation and migration during the CSG production process, and useful guidelines are suggested to be implemented in the field to minimize production loss induced by coal fines behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eucalyptus spp. is a dominant tree genus in Australia and most Eucalyptus spp. are canopy dominant species. In Australian natural forests, Eucalyptus spp. commonly are associated with understorey legumes which play a crucial role for ecological restoration owing to their nitrogen (N) fixing ability for replenishing the soil N lost after frequent prescribed burning. This study aimed to explore to what extent physiological responses of these species differ 7 and 12 years after last fire. Two most common understorey Acacia spp., Acacia leiocalyx and A. disparrima, as well as one non-leguminous Eucalyptus resinifera, were studied due to their dominance in the forest. Both A. leiocalyx and A. disparrima showed higher carbon (C) assimilation capacity, maximum photosynthetic capacity, and moderate foliar C/N ratio compared with E. resinifera. A. leiocalyx showed various advantages compared to A. disparrima such as higher photosynthetic capacity, adaptation to wider light range and higher foliar total N (TN. A. leiocalyx also relied on N-fixing ability for longer time compared to A. disparrima. The results suggested that the two Acacia spp. were more beneficial to C and N cycles for the post burning ecosystem than the non-N-fixing species E. resinifera. A. leiocalyx had greater contribution to complementing soil N cycle long after burning compared to A. disparrima. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the associations between socio-demographic status, lifestyle factors, dietary patterns and urinary total phthalate concentration in a cohort of South Australian men. Method: We randomly selected 1527 males aged 39 to 84 from wave two of the Men Androgen Inflammation Lifestyle Environment and Stress (MAILES) study. Total phthalate concentration was examined in fasting morning urine samples. Socio-demographic and lifestyle factors were assessed by questionnaire. Food intake was assessed by food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Dietary patterns were constructed using factor analysis. Results: Total phthalates were detected in 99.6% of the urine samples. The overall geometric mean (95% CI) of total phthalate concentration was 112.4 (107.5–117.5) ng/mL. The least square geometric means (LSGMs) of total phthalate concentration were significantly higher among people who were obese (127.8 ng/mL), consuming less than two serves fruit per day (125.7 ng/mL) and drinking more than one can (375mL) of carbonated soft drink per day (131.9 ng/mL). Two dietary patterns were identified: a prudent dietary pattern and a western dietary pattern. Both the western dietary pattern (p = 0.002) and multiple lifestyle risk factors including smoking, obesity, insufficient physical activity and the highest quartile of the western dietary pattern (p<0.001), were positively associated with total phthalate levels. There was no significant relationship between total phthalate concentration and socio-demographic status. Conclusion: Phthalate exposure is ubiquitous and positively associated with lifestyle risk factors in urban dwelling Australian men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little information is available on As contamination dynamics in the soil-plant systems of wetlands. Total arsenic (As) in soil and plant samples from Suaeda salsa and Phragmites australis wetlands was measured in the Yellow River Estuary (YRE) in summer and autumn of 2007 to investigate the seasonal changes in As concentrations in different wetlands. The results showed that soil As levels greatly exceeded the global and regional background values. As levels in soil and the roots and stems of both types of plants were much higher in summer than in autumn, whereas leaf As showed higher level in autumn. Soil sulfur was the main factor influencing As levels in Suaeda salsa wetlands, whereas soil porosity was the most important factor for Phragmites australis wetlands. The contamination factor (CF) showed moderately to considerably polluted levels of As in both wetland soils. Plant roots and leaves of Suaeda salsa had higher As concentrations and biological concentration factors (BCFs) than stems, while the leaves and stems of Phragmites australis showed higher As levels and BCFs than roots. Compared to Phragmites australis, Suaeda salsa generally showed higher translocation factor (TF), while TF values for both plant species were higher in summer than in autumn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enteric methane (CH4) emission from cattle is a source of greenhouse gas and is an energy loss that contributes to production inefficiency for cattle. Direct measurements of enteric CH4 emissions are useful to quantify the magnitude and variation and to evaluate mitigation of this important greenhouse gas source. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the impact of stocking density of cattle and source configuration (i.e., point source vs. area source and elevation of area source) on CH4 emissions from grazing beef cattle in Queensland, Australia. This was accomplished using nonintrusive atmospheric measurements and a gas dispersion model. The average measured CH4 emission for the point and area source was between 240 and 250 g animal-1 d-1 over the entire study. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in emission when using an elevated area source (0.5 m) or a ground area source (0 m). For the point-source configuration, there was a difference in CH4 emission due to stocking density; likewise, some differences existed for the area-source emissions. This study demonstrates the flexibility of the area-source configuration of the dispersion model to estimate CH4 emissions even at a low stocking density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To successfully establish revegetation, there is a need for weed control. Herbicide application and top soil removal (scalping) may be used to suppress weeds. However, scalping alters soil water and nitrogen availability which in turn may affect plant physiology and performance during the early phase of establishment. Materials and methods: A field trial was established in south east Queensland, Australia, to examine weed control methods, including herbicide application and scalping. Plant survival, mean periodic height gain, specific leaf area and leaf-level physiological traits were measured for Acacia concurrens Pedley and Eucalyptus crebra F. Muell. for 17 months following tree establishment. Results and discussion: Plant survival and growth of A. concurrens were superior in the scalped area compared to the herbicide area, whereas neither survival nor growth of E. crebra was influenced by weed control methods. In general, there were no or little effect of site preparation practices on carbon and nitrogen isotope composition, specific leaf area, photosynthesis, maximum photosynthesis and instantaneous water-use efficiency. Photosynthetic capacity was not influenced by site preparation practices as reflected through the maximum rate of carboxylation and maximum rate of electron transport. Conclusions: Despite altering soil nutrient availability in the scalped areas and high weed coverage in the herbicide areas, there was no substantial alteration in plant physiology for both species. E. crebra was less affected by either low nutrient availability in the scalped areas or high weed coverage in the herbicide areas compared to A. concurrens. Therefore, E. crebra could be considered as a valuable species to revegetate degraded lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During revegetation, the maintenance of soil carbon (C) pools and nitrogen (N) availability is considered essential for soil fertility and this study aimed to evaluate contrasting methods of site preparation (herbicide and scalping) with respect to the effects on soil organic matter (SOM) during the critical early establishment phase. Soil total C (TC), total N (TN), hot-water extractable organic C (HWEOC), hot-water extractable total N (HWETN), microbial biomass C and N (MBC and MBN), total inorganic N (TIN) and potentially mineralizable N (PMN) were measured over 53 weeks. MBC and MBN were the only variables affected by herbicide application. Scalping caused an immediate reduction in all variables, and the values remained low without any sign of recovery for the period of the study. The impact of scalping on HWETN and TIN lasted 22 weeks and stabilised afterwards. MBC and MBN were affected by both herbicide and scalping after initial treatment application and remained lower than control during the period of the study but did not decrease over time. While scalping had an inevitable impact on all soil properties that were measured, that impact did not worsen over time, and actually improved plant growth (unpublished data) while reducing site establishment costs. Therefore, it provides a useful alternative for weed control in revegetation projects where it is applied only once at site establishment and where SOM would be expected to recover as canopy closure is obtained and nutrient cycling through litterfall commences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved understanding of important ecophysiological mechanisms underpinning tree water and nutrient use is necessary for developing and testing effective revegetation and restoration techniques in disturbed landscapes. A field trial was established in Central Queensland, Australia, to evaluate tree ecophysiological response to site management methods, including site preparation, herbicide application versus top soil removal (scalping) and fertilisation versus non-fertilisation. The influence of site management practices on plant survival, growth and foliar ecophysiological traits of Acacia disparrima (M. W. McDonald and Maslin) and Eucalyptus crebra (F. Muell.) seedlings was investigated within 22 months following tree planting. There was no difference in the survival of A. disparrima and E. crebra in response to the site preparation. However, there was a significant difference in growth response with both species showing greater mean periodic height gain in the herbicide areas compared to the scalped areas. Plant growth and survival of both species were unaffected by fertilisation, regardless of site preparation treatment. We suggest that the effects of fertiliser may have been masked by drought conditions experienced by seedlings in the first 6 months after planting. Neither site preparation nor fertilisation affected the leaf-level ecophysiological traits of seedlings, including foliar total N, photosynthetic capacity, instantaneous water-use efficiency, carbon isotope composition and stomatal conductance, irrespective of species. Scalping was more effective than herbicide application to suppress weeds and reduced the costs of site preparation and maintenance. Surprisingly, scalping had no impact on plant survival and foliar ecophysiological traits. However, it should be noted that the scalping may not be a sustainable practice in plantation establishment with short rotations where organic matter levels may not have a chance to recover between disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Weed control is a key factor affecting early plant growth and establishment in revegetation projects in South-east Queensland of sub-tropical Australia. Costs associated with weed control are significant and methods which reduce establishment costs and effectively suppress weeds are of great interest. However, different methods may have implications for soil quality and fertility and require a detailed investigation. Understanding the response of soil organic matter (SOM) and microbial functional diversity to different weed control methods is crucial as they affect soil quality and nutrient availability. A field trial was established in South-east Queensland to identify the effects of three methods of weed control: (1) glyphosate, (2) a mixture of glyphosate and MCPA and (3) topsoil removal or scalping on SOM, microbial biomass, soil respiration, NH4 +-N availability, potentially mineralisable N (PMN) and soil microbial community functional diversity (as assessed by carbon substrate utilisation using Biolog GN2 plates). The scalped area had lower SOM and microbial activity compared to the herbicide and control plots. There was no significant difference in water soluble organic carbon (WSOC), hot water extractable organic C (HWEOC), hot water extractable total N (HWETN) and microbial biomass C and N (MBC and MBN) between the herbicide and control plots, particularly at week 20. NH4 +-N and PMN values were lower at week 20 than week 1 in the herbicide and scalping treatments. Week 20 was the end of the growing season and reduction in N availability may have been the result of decreasing temperature. Principal component analyses (PCA) from Biolog GN2 results indicated a separation in soil microbial community function in the scalped area compared to the other treatments which may have implications for soil properties in the long term. Scalping proved to be the most cost-effective method of site preparation, requiring fewer site visits for weed control compared to herbicide application. However, SOM was significantly affected by scalping due to topsoil removal and it may not be a sustainable practice in short rotation plantation establishment. Single herbicide application at field rates did not impact soil organisms but also failed to achieve proper weed control. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: It is anticipated that global climate change will increase the frequency of wildfires in native forests of eastern Australia. Understorey legumes such as Acacia species play an important role in maintaining ecosystem nitrogen (N) balance through biological N fixation (BNF). This is particularly important in Australian native forests with soils of low nutrient status and frequent disturbance of the nutrient cycles by fires. This study aimed to examine N enrichment and N natural abundance techniques in terms of their utilisation for evaluation of N fixation of understorey acacias and determine the relationship between species ecophysiological traits and N fixation. Materials and methods: A trial was established at sites 1 and 2 located at Toohey Forest, Queensland, Australia, a eucalypt-dominated native forest, to examine the determination of BNF using N enrichment and N natural abundance methods. Toohey Forest is an urban forest and subjected to frequent fuel reduction burns to protect the adjacent properties. Plant physiological status was measured to determine the relationship between physiological and N fixation activities. Results and discussion: Both N enrichment and N natural abundance techniques may be used to estimate N fixation of acacia tree species. The estimation of BNF using N enrichment was higher than those of the N natural abundance method. A grass reference plant, Themeda triandra, as well as tree reference plants provided an appropriate δN signal. Potential B values for Acacia spp. between −0.3‰ and 1.0‰ provided an acceptable BNF estimation. This suburban forest is located nearby a busy highway leading to N deposition over time with consequent negative δN signal. This N deposition may explain the separation between the δN signal of the acacias and that of the reference plants which led to the successful use of the N natural abundance technique. Acacia leiocalyx demonstrated greater N fixation as well as photosynthesis and instantaneous water use efficiency than Acacia disparimma. However, no strong relationship between plant photosynthesis and N fixation was observed in this study. A high within-treatment variation may have masked the relationships between plant BNF activities and photosynthesis Conclusions: The N natural abundance technique is preferred to be used for future studies as it is simple and inexpensive compared with N enrichment method. The dependence of both species on BNF at site 2, where fuel reduction burning had not taken place for 8 years, suggests that the frequent burning impoverished the soil, and this has wider implications as higher fire frequencies are to be expected in other Australian ecosystems as a result of global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is considerable interest in finding a cost-effective method of site preparation that effectively controls weeds during planting and further reduces the need for recurring herbicide applications. In this study, two weed control methods, herbicide and scalping, were examined. Both methods may have implications for soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics and nitrogen (N) which could consequently affect plant survival and vegetation establishment. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of SOM, carbon (C) and N pools under site manipulation practices and the associated early plant survival and growth in tropical Australia. Materials and methods: A field trial was established in Central Queensland to examine the recovery of SOM, C and N pools following scalping and the alternative site preparation technique of sequential herbicide application. Both were contrasted with control plots which received neither treatment. Plant survival and growth were also monitored to improve our understanding of plant response to site preparation practices. Results and discussion: Scalped plots showed significantly lower values for labile C and N pools compared with the herbicide treatment and control. Generally, there was no significant difference between the herbicide and control for any of the parameters tested. Our observation indicated that herbicide application was significantly less effective than scalping to control weeds. A general decline in SOM parameters was observed in all the plots, including the control during the trial. Drought conditions were considered to be a major factor in the overall decline of SOM. Despite removal of the top soil, there was no significant difference in plant survival between herbicide and scalped areas (81% and 79% survival, respectively). Plant growth was not affected by the treatments in the first 6 months when weed competition in the herbicide areas and low nutrient availability in the scalped plots would have been significant factors in controlling growth rates. However, plants in the herbicide areas, irrespective of species, showed stronger growth than those in the scalped plots at week 61 when they had outgrown the weed competition. It is likely that differences in plant growth response to treatments will become negligible over time. Conclusions: Top soil removal was more effective than the use of herbicide in the long-term control of weeds. However, lower SOM and N availability in the scalped areas did not affect plant survival rates when compared with that of the herbicide areas. Whilst the preservation of soil organic matter is considered to be vital in short-term cropping systems, our results indicate that this is not the case for woody vegetation establishment and, in terms of cost and reduction of chemical use, removal of the organically rich top soil, with its accompanying seed burden may be both practical and desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact and its change on the Earth's biosphere from climate and non-climate factors are of grave concern due to increasing human activities. In this study we used a systematic method to assess the relative importance of climate and non-climate factors on annual global and continental vegetation dynamics based on global NDVI at 1-km resolution and surface climate data from main stations of the World Meteorological Organization between April 1998 and December 2002. The indices of relative importance of climate and non-climate fluctuations on vegetation dynamics at each continent before and after July 2000 (two equal time periods) were also compared. Our results indicated that the vegetation dynamics on a continental and global scale during this short time period was dominated by climate fluctuations, however, the relative importance of climate and non-climate factors on yearly vegetation dynamics differed among continents. Despite the dominant role of climate on vegetation dynamics during these two time periods for all continents, the relative importance of climate on vegetation dynamics increased slightly in south-east Asia, North America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, but decreased slightly in South America, Central America, west Asia, north Asia, Europe and globally. This method may be helpful in monitoring the impacts from climate and non-climate factors on global vegetation dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australia–United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) came into force on 1 January 2005. Before and subsequently to the AUSFTA being concluded, controversy surrounded the debate over its impact on Australia's health policy, specifically on regulation of pharmaceutical patents and Australia's cost-effectiveness system relating to prescription medicine prices known as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). This article examines the expectations of both parties in the pharmaceutical sector with regard to the AUSFTA, as well as how successfully they were achieved. It seeks to analyse important relevant outcomes for regulators, the public and pharmaceutical industry, as well as lessons about how trade negotiations relating to health and medicines policy should be approached in future. To investigate whether AUSFTA-related regulatory changes may lead to higher medicines prices in Australia, we looked at recent PBS Public Summary Documents to discover examples of PBS-approved F1 (patented) drugs, over the period from July 2008 until June 2009, that failed to establish cost-effectiveness over F2 (generic) comparators (with mandated price cuts) and were thence cost-minimised. This period was chosen because the major price effects of the potentially AUSFTA-related National Health Amendment (Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme) Act 2007 (Cth) came into effect from August 2008. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land degradation is always with us but its causes, extent and severity are contested. We define land degradation as a long-term decline in ecosystem function and productivity, which may be assessed using long-term, remotely sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data. Deviation from the norm may serve as a proxy assessment of land degradation and improvement – if other factors that may be responsible are taken into account. These other factors include rainfall effects which may be assessed by rain-use efficiency, calculated from NDVI and rainfall. Results from the analysis of the 23-year Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) NDVI data indicate declining rain-use efficiency-adjusted NDVI on ca. 24% of the global land area with degrading areas mainly in Africa south of the equator, South-East Asia and south China, north-central Australia, the Pampas and swaths of the Siberian and north American taiga; 1.5 billion people live in these areas. The results are very different from previous assessments which compounded what is happening now with historical land degradation. Economic appraisal can be undertaken when land degradation is expressed in terms of net primary productivity and the resultant data allow statistical comparison with other variables to reveal possible drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately forecasting the output of grid connected wind and solar systems is critical to increasing the overall penetration of renewables on the electrical network. This is especially the case in Australia, where there has been a massive increase in solar and wind farms in the last 15 years, as well as in roof top solar, both domestic and commercial. For example, in 2020, 27% of the electricity in Australia was from renewable sources, and in South Australia almost 60% was from wind and solar. In the literature, there has been extensive research reported on solar and wind resource, entailing both point and interval forecasts, but there has been much less focus on the forecasting of output from wind and solar systems. In this review, we canvass both what has been reported and also what gaps remain. In the case of the latter topic, there are numerous aspects that are not well dealt with in the literature. We have added discussion on the value of forecasts, rather than just focusing on forecast skill. Further, we present a section on how to deal with conditionally changing variance, a topic that has little focus in the literature. One other topic may be particularly important in Australia at the moment, but may become more widespread. This is how to deal with the concept of a clear sky output from a solar farm when the field is oversized compared to the inverter capacity, resulting in a plateau for the output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]