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Children and young people who live in out-of-home care (OoHC) can display aggressive behaviours when their emerging self-regulation and executive functioning systems are overwhelmed. Consequently, their carers can experience incidents that may cause some carers' ongoing stress symptoms. Early intervention with occupational health supports is important; however, including a specific trauma treatment such as Eye-Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is unusual. EMDR supports the resolution of stress symptoms and helps carers promote a stable home environment. Stability contributes to calm home environments and incident reduction. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to better understand the inclusion of EMDR into a workforce wellbeing model and explore changes in incident numbers in houses, staff retention, and time-loss injury. Interviews with senior managers and focus groups with therapeutic practitioners from two Australian states were conducted. Descriptive statistics for administrative data were calculated after a quantitative audit. Several programs including EMDR and occupational health policies were working towards enhanced workplace safety. A reduction in the monthly average incident rate from 11.9 (2019–2020) to 6.9 (2022–2023) was identified. Offering an effective treatment to staff that promotes wellbeing, retention, and stability in care homes may be a critically important policy recommendation for organisations with staff at risk of traumatic incidents. IMPLICATIONS Eye -Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective trauma therapy that works for residential out-of-home care staff. EMDR enhances carers' emotional wellbeing and capacity when working with the young people in their care. More stable relationships between carers, children, and young people can lead to reductions in stressful workplace incidents and a more stable workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature cycling stability studies can be appropriately designed and utilized to ensure that drug product quality, efficacy, and safety are not compromised when materials are subjected to short term temperature excursions from intended storage that may occur during e.g., shipping, transport, or patient use. Some countries, such as Australia and Brazil, impose specific regulations that specify the need to conduct stability studies that are supportive of "real world" excursions as part of licensing approval requirements. These temperature cycling stability studies extend beyond what is described in ICH Guidelines Q1A(R2) and Q5C, and companies may be challenged in designing studies that not only satisfy country specific regulations, but also satisfy all global regulatory health authority expectations. This article focuses on responses to a cross-industry survey conducted within the International Consortium for Innovation and Quality (iqconsortium.org) member companies, regarding practices related to temperature cycling stability studies, in order to determine how these requirements are being interpreted and met. The results indicate that while there is no one-size-fits-all approach to performing temperature cycling stability studies, there are common and best practices that can be followed to satisfy global health authority regulatory guidelines and requirements. The purpose of this paper is to describe the outcome of an industry survey and common/best practices on temperature cycling stability studies performed on drug product (DP) to satisfy the requirements established for marketing authorizations in Australia and Brazil or any other countries that may have similar requirements. The framework is proposed within the context of late phase and commercial development of common biological and/or large molecule modalities, such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs, including bispecific antibodies), fusion proteins, complex proteins, oligonucleotides, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), but many of the general principles involved may be applied to other therapeutics, such as Virus Like Particles (VLP), gene or cell therapies (GTx or CTx), or vaccines. For the purposes of this paper, temperature cycling stability studies refer to studies that are designed, in part, to support short term temperature excursions that drug product may be subjected to during shipping and storage activities and is outside of the labeled storage condition of the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the stability of 10 symptoms of psychological distress measured by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) in an Australian adult sample. Data were collected at seven time points, 2 years apart, between 2007 and 2019. The average stability of the 10 symptoms was 49%. However, there were differences between items. The items can be categorised based on two characteristics: Degree of extremity and arousal. More extreme symptoms (i.e., those beginning with 'so', such as 'so sad that...') tended to change more over time, whereas milder symptoms (e.g., "nervous") tended to be more stable. Symptoms with low levels of arousal (e.g., 'hopeless') tended to reflect more situation‐specific influences, whereas symptoms with high levels of arousal (e.g., 'restless or fidgety') tended to reflect more nonsystematic influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between postural control and fundamental motor skills in girls. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in 47 girls, aged 8–10 years. Postural control (postural sway centre of pressure) was evaluated during tandem stance, leading with dominant and non-dominant limbs with eyes open and closed, using an AMTI force platform. Fundamental motor skills were assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development 2nd Edition, examining total, locomotor and object control scores. Data were analysed using linear regression, adjusted for body mass index percentile and household income. For locomotor skills, significant relationships were found with a number of postural sway outcomes for adjusted and unadjusted analyses (r − 0.287 to r − 0.425, p ≤ 0.042). Total motor skill score was significantly related to postural sway in the tandem dominant eyes closed condition for unadjusted and adjusted analyses (r ≥ −0.294, p ≤ 0.04). In conclusion, our findings indicate that postural control may be important for fundamental motor skill proficiency and movement quality in pre-adolescent girls, particularly for locomotor skills. Our study provides evidence supporting the clinical practice of assessing postural control in girls presenting with motor skill deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dose administration aids (DAAs) are commonly used to assist patients with chronic disease to manage multiple medications and thus improve adherence. Several brands of telmisartan, commonly prescribed for hypertension, are available in Australia. Manufacturer's storage advice is to leave tablets in the blister strip until administered to patients. This study aimed to investigate the stability of telmisartan tablets when repackaged and stored in DAAs, to identify a brand, which is sufficiently stable to be repackaged. All available brands of telmisartan tablets in Australia, which contain different excipients, were repackaged into DAAs and stored at 30 °C, 75% RH for 28 days before screening, using visual inspection and physical testing. A candidate brand was then selected for physicochemical and photostability testing using pharmacopoeial methods. Repackaged Mizart® tablets were shown to be sufficiently stable, when repackaged and stored under tropical conditions (30 °C, 75% RH) for 28 days. Several of the other brands were deemed inappropriate for repackaging, due to physical instability, highlighting the importance of considering not only the drug, but also excipients to ensure the stability of repackaged medicines. Although the repackaging of telmisartan tablets is not advised, this study provides evidence to support the Mizart® brand as an option for pharmacists to recommend for repackaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blowflies use open wounds or the accumulation of feces or urine in wool to lay their eggs. The larvae that emerge cause lesions in the host sheep, which can lead to death. They are found in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Nicholson's model describes the population dynamics of the Australian blowfly (Lucilia Cuprina). It incorporates environmental variation. The extinction of these flies depends on the time to oviposition and the time between generations. The Lyapunov function, which is positive with a negative derivative, provides the condition for the stability of the equilibrium point: the oviposition period must be sufficiently short, because the shorter it is, the more it favors the extinction of the species. The zero solution is the only equilibrium point, synonymous with the extinction of the population. Another species of blowfly, Lucilia Sericata, also attacks sheep in Australia. Both blowflies are ectoparasites of warm-blooded vertebrates, particularly domestic sheep. These two blowflies are related to share same mitochondrial DNA sequences, although the two species are distinct. Presumably to avoid competition between them. the egg-laying time of each species does not occur at the same time of year: L. Sericata prefers warmer months, thus in summer, while L. Cuprina is mainly active in autumn. Laying of eggs in different months allows avoiding competition between these species. This also binds them together. A sufficiently small egglaying delay then leads to the rapid extinction of both blowfly populations, provided they do not adapt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of hundreds of kilometres of roads around the world every year results in the consumption of large amounts of raw materials and the depletion of natural resources. In addition, technologically advanced countries such as Australia are currently facing a major issue regarding the waste materials produced daily by their citizens. The disposal of these waste materials is a critical issue faced by municipalities in modern cities. Currently, using waste materials in civil and construction engineering is of great interest to researchers and industry. This study investigates the impact of using waste polyethylene terephthalate to modify asphalt mixtures following Australian design guidelines and criteria. Different types of asphalt are used to investigate and determine the mechanical properties of modified asphalt mixtures. The Marshall stability, Marshall flow, Marshall quotient, and wheel-tracking tests were tested. The Marshall stability, Marshall flow, and MQ of the Marshall test results exhibited significant improvements when using PET in modified SMA and AC mixtures. It can be seen that the 8% PET produced a mixture with the highest stability of 19.78 kN. The lowest rut depth was about 2.08 mm for samples modified with 8% PET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticide applications during surface inversions can lead to spray drift causing severe damage up to several kilometers off-target. Current regulations in Australia prohibit spray application of certain agricultural chemicals when hazardous surface inversions exist. This severely limits spray opportunities. Surface inversions can be classified as weakly or strongly stable. In the weakly stable case, moderate to strong turbulent mixing is not supportive of long-distance concentrated drift. In the very stable case, weak turbulent mixing can support the transport of high concentrations of fine material over long distances. A review of the literature and our analyses indicate that if the turbulence, as measured by the standard deviation of the vertical wind speed σw, is greater than about 0.2 m s−1 then turbulence-driven mixing and dispersion is moderate to strong and conversely if σw is less than about 0.2 m s−1 then turbulence-driven mixing and dispersion is weaker (an order of magnitude). The concept of maximum downward heat flux as a natural division between the regimes is applied within Monin–Obukhov stability theory, and it is shown that the observed mean σw of 0.2 m s−1 aligns with the ridge line of maximum heat flux in stable conditions. The level of turbulence in the weakly stable regime is comparable to the turbulence typically observed in near-neutral conditions that are recommended under current guidelines as suitable for spraying and is therefore seen as an acceptable prerequisite to avoid nondispersive spraying conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical activity (PA) decreases and sedentary time (SED) increases across childhood, with both behaviours tracking. However, no studies have examined how accumulation patterns of PA and SED (i.e., prolonged bouts, frequency of breaks in sedentary time) change and track over time. The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinal changes in and tracking of total volume and accumulation patterns of SED, light-intensity PA (LPA), moderate-intensity PA (MPA), vigorous-intensity PA (VPA) among boys and girls. Methods: In 2008/09 (T1), children in HAPPY (3-5y; n = 758) in Melbourne, Australia wore ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers to objectively assess SED, LPA, MPA and VPA. This was repeated at age 6-8y (T2; n = 473) and 9-11y (T3; n = 478). Ten pattern variables were computed: bouts of ≥ 5-, ≥ 10-, ≥ 15- and ≥ 20-min for SED, ≥ 1- and ≥ 5-min for LPA, ≥ 1-min for MPA, ≥ 1- and ≥ 5-min for VPA, and breaks in SED (interruptions of > 25 counts 15 s− 1). Longitudinal mixed models examined changes from T1-3, controlling for T1 age. Generalized estimating equations assessed tracking over the three time points, controlling for T1 age and time between measurements. Analyses were stratified by sex. Results: Total volume and bouts of SED and SED breaks increased, while total volume and bouts of LPA decreased for both sexes. There was a small decrease in total volume of MPA for girls, but time spent in ≥ 1-min bouts increased for both sexes. Total volume of VPA increased for both sexes, with time spent in ≥ 1-min bouts increasing for boys only. All volume and pattern variables tracked moderately for boys, except for all SED bouts ≥ 15-min, LPA bouts ≥ 5-min and MPA bouts ≥ 1-min (which tracked weakly). For girls, total SED and SED bouts ≥ 1-min tracked strongly, total volume of LPA, MPA and VPA, ≥ 5- and ≥ 10-min SED bouts, and ≥ 1-min LPA and MPA bouts tracked moderately, and SED breaks, all SED bouts ≥ 15 min, LPA bouts ≥ 5 min and all VPA bouts tracked weakly. Conclusions: Patterns of SED and PA change from early to late childhood; with the exception of SED breaks and VPA, changes were detrimental. Total volumes and short bouts tended to track more strongly than longer bouts. Interventions to prevent declines in PA and increases in SED are important from early in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This constructivist grounded theory study explored the concept of placement stability from the perspective of statutory kinship carers who self-identified as providing a stable kinship placement in Queensland, Australia. Twenty statutory kinship carers participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews. The study developed a substantive grounded theory of how Kinship Carers perceive a stable statutory kinship care placement and found six social processes that underpinned how the kinship carer felt, thought and acted. The core category was feeling connected. The five non-core categories were seeing the need, being constant, empathising with, championing for, and being aware and accepting of the kinship context. The study found no differences between familial and non-familial kinship carers perception of stability. It found that some of the categories were influenced when the kinship carer family identified as Australian Aboriginal or a preplacement relationship existed between the kinship carer and the child. The substantive theory developed by this study was applied to social worker practice in out-of-home care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk attitude is known to influence physicians' decision-making under uncertainty. Research on the risk attitudes of physicians is therefore important in facilitating a better understanding of physicians' decisions. However, little is known about the stability of physicians' risk attitudes across domains. Using five waves of data from a prospective panel study of Australian physicians from 2013 to 2017, we explored the stability of risk attitudes over a four-year period and examined the association between negative life events and risk attitudes among 4417 physicians. Further, we tested the stability of risk attitude across three domains most relevant to a physician's career and clinical decision-making (financial, career and clinical). The results showed that risk attitude was stable over time at both the mean and individual levels but the correlation between domains was modest. There were no significant associations between negative life events and risk attitude changes in all three domains. These findings suggest that risk attitude can be assumed to be constant but domain-specificity needs to be considered in analyses of physician decision-making. • Little is known about the stability of risk attitudes among the physician population. • Financial, career and clinical risk attitudes remained stable across four years. • Modest correlations were observed between domain-specific risk attitudes. • Negative life events were not associated with risk attitude changes. • Domain specificity of risk attitudes may need to be considered in physicians' decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses two key strategies detailing how "relationship-focused" and "trauma-informed" intervention practices, which form the basis of an Australian therapeutic program called Treatment and Care for Kids (TrACK), made a difference in the lives of highly traumatised children. The TrACK program fosters highly traumatised children who, due to the complexity of their trauma needs, cannot be placed in traditional generalist foster care. Case files of 48 children were reviewed. Children were either current or former clients over a period of 18 years since the program was initiated. In analysing the data, we noticed that children who were once highly dysregulated in the domains of foster care placement, education, arousal regulation and peer relationships were now enjoying an enhanced level of stability in their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim was to examine the role of alexithymia on therapeutic outcome in a naturalistic group therapy setting, as well as the effectiveness of cognitive‐behavioural group therapy in reducing alexithymia. Methods: A pre‐test/post‐test research design was used to examine alexithymia before and after treatment. Pre‐ and post‐alexithymia and psychological distress scores from routinely administered measures were retrieved for 61 psychiatric outpatients referred for group therapy at a mental health facility. Correlation, repeated measures t‐test, and regression analyses were conducted to explore the data. Results: Baseline alexithymia was not a significant predictor of group therapy outcome (change in psychological distress) once baseline psychological distress was controlled for. There was a small but significant reduction in mean‐level alexithymia scores over the course of therapy. A high level of relative stability was observed in alexithymia scores, independent of change in psychological distress severity. A reduction in alexithymia during treatment was a significant predictor of a reduction in psychological distress over the course of therapy. Conclusions: High baseline alexithymia does not present a therapeutic disadvantage for patients receiving cognitive‐behavioural group therapy. However, cognitive‐behavioural group therapy is somewhat effective at improving alexithymic features, and this improvement can provide symptom relief by the end of treatment. Thus, it may advantageous for clinicians to treat alexithymia in order to enhance therapeutic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The Lumbar Spine Instability Questionnaire (LSIQ) is a self-report measure of 15 items. Previous studies have used the LSIQ as a measure of clinical instability; however, a comprehensive evaluation of its clinimetric properties has not been conducted. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinimetric properties of the LSIQ in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (LBP). METHODS: In this clinical measurement study the authors included patients with nonspecific LBP presenting to primary care clinicians in Australia. Rasch analysis was conducted to assess item hierarchy targeting, unidimensionality person fit, internal consistency and differential item functioning. The researchers assessed test-retest reliability of total scores and individual item scores, as well as convergent and divergent validity RESULTS: A total of 107 participants with LBP (60 men and 47 women) were recruited. The results were variable. The LSIQ appeared to constitute a unidimensional measure, targeted the sample well, and showed adequate test-retest reliability However, the scale had poor internal consistency, did not appear to function as an interval-level measure, and had unclear construct validity Although no items appeared to be redundant, several items were biased by factors other than the proposed construct of the measure. CONCLUSION: The LSIQ does not seem to be ready to be implemented in clinical practice and may require theoretical reconsideration. Although the LSIQ provided satisfactory estimates for some clinimetric features, the authors do not consider the instrument to be useful as an interval-level measure but rather as an index. Future studies are needed to investigate whether the LSIQ could measure clinical instability or some other construct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stability data tested at 25°C may not be suitable for use in the tropics in the home intravenous infusions (Home‐IV) setting. A 24‐h solution temperature profile is needed to investigate medication stability in this setting. Aim: This study investigated and mapped the solution temperature within the Baxter LV10 elastomeric infusor device in a tropical environment over a 24‐h period. Methods: Volunteer patients from Home‐IV clinics in two tropical Australian cities wore elastomeric infusor devices for 24 h over the summer months. Temperature devices were inserted into the solution to directly log solution temperature. Results: Solution temperature was >25°C 79.8% of the time. Mean time to inflection (temperature stops rising and begins fluctuating) was 9.4 h (95% confidence interval (CI) 8.6–10.2), with a maximum inflection point of 14.5 h. The mean (95% CI) temperature at inflection and after inflection was 30.6°C (29.8–31.5) and 29.5°C (29.3–29.6), respectively; the 90th percentile temperature after inflection was 32.5°C. Analysis of variance revealed a significant difference of 3.1°C between air‐conditioned and non‐air‐conditioned data (F1,28 = 13.06, p = 0.001). The 90th percentile temperature after inflection for non‐air‐conditioned data was 33.1°C. Conclusions: Stability studies performed at 25°C are inappropriate for tropical regions. Possible factors contributing to the higher temperatures include body and ambient room temperature. We recommend that medications are tested in 24‐h elastomeric infusor devices in three steps: (1) refrigerated for up to 7 days; (2) steady increase from refrigerated to 34°C over 9 h; and (3) maintained at 34°C for the remaining 15 h. This more accurately reflects the temperature profile experienced in warmer climates. Furthermore, Home‐IV patients should be encouraged to remain in an air‐conditioned environment, or at least indoors, over the summer months to decrease the potential for antibiotic degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NATM (new Austrian tunneling method) tunnel construction is unable to proceed under instable states of working face, so the stability of working face has been regarded as a key scientific issue. In this paper, a horizontal slice method based on the limit equilibrium analysis theory is employed to establish a model for the tunnel face stability. This model can overcome the shortcomings of the intersections between the slices and the bolts. In particular, an equivalent pressure coefficient is proposed to analyze the reinforcement of tunnel face bolts. Furthermore, based on the model, the influence of soil parameters and reinforcing strength of tunnel face bolt on the limit support forces are investigated. Moreover, based on the limit analysis upper bound theorem, the tunnel face failure model is also established, and the factors such as the soil parameters, the length and support force for unsupported section, tunnel depth and reinforcing strength of tunnel face bolt, are studied in order to investigate the limit support forces for tunnel faces. It is found that the tunnel face bolts can effectively increase the shearing strength of the front core soil. However, the strength of surrounding rocks cannot be enhanced too much because such an enhancement is not economical and effective. Finally, based on the comparison analysis, it is demonstrated that the variation trends of support force with the above relevant factors are almost the same in the proposed stability models, indicating the promising and wide applications of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to derive and compare longitudinal trajectories of dietary scores and patterns from 2–3 to 10–11 years and from 4–5 to 14–15 years of age. In waves two to six of the Baby (B) Cohort and one to six of the Kindergarten (K) Cohort of the population-based Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, parents or children reported biennially on the study child’s consumption of twelve to sixteen healthy and less healthy food or drink items for the previous 24 h. For each wave, we derived a dietary score from 0 to 14, based on the 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines (higher scores indicating healthier diet). We then used factor analyses to empirically derive dietary patterns for separate waves. Using group-based trajectory modelling, we generated trajectories of dietary scores and empirical patterns in 4504 B and 4640 K Cohort children. Four similar trajectories of dietary scores emerged for the B and K Cohorts, containing comparable proportions of children in each cohort: ‘never healthy’ (8·8 and 11·9 %, respectively), ‘moderately healthy’ (24·0 and 20·7 %), ‘becoming less healthy’ (16·6 and 27·3 %) and ‘always healthy’ (50·7 and 40·2 %). Deriving trajectories based on dietary patterns, rather than dietary scores, produced similar findings. For ‘becoming less healthy’ trajectories, dietary quality appeared to worsen from 7 years of age in both cohorts. In conclusion, a brief dietary measure administered repeatedly across childhood generated robust, nuanced dietary trajectories that were replicable across two cohorts and two methodologies. These trajectories appear ideal for future research into dietary determinants and health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aim: We tested the hypothesis that areas that acted as historical refugia during restrictive climate regimes currently harbour higher levels of biodiversity than areas that lacked refugia. Location: The rain forests of Australia's Wet Tropics, the largest remaining fragments of the humid forest habitats that once covered the Australian continent. Methods: We generated a model of climatic suitability for arachnids in the genus Austropurcellia, a group of small, dispersal-limited mite harvestmen that are found throughout the Wet Tropics. We then projected this model onto palaeoclimate data layers from time slices going back to the Last Glacial Maximum and summed suitability over time to arrive at a measure of stability. We compared the power of metrics of present and past climatic suitability and stability to predict diversity (species richness and phylogenetic diversity) across subregions of the Wet Tropics. Results: We found statistically significant correlations between measures of diversity (species richness and phylogenetic diversity) and present climatic suitability, LGM climatic suitability and our stability metric across subregions of the Wet Tropics. Although stability lost predictive power when analyses were corrected for spatial autocorrelation, and present-day mean climatic suitability lost predictive power when corrected for spatial autocorrelation under one of our geographical binning schemes, mean climatic suitability during the Last Glacial Maximum had a positive and significant relationship to both number of species and phylogenetic diversity in all analyses. Main Conclusions: Our results support a model of biodiversity preservation within historical refugia, resulting in higher present-day diversity in refugial areas than in non-refugial areas. Although previous studies of the Wet Tropics biota have demonstrated a relationship between habitat stability and diversity, ours is the first such study to consider phylogenetic diversity in addition to number of species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystems world-wide increasingly are subject to multiple interacting disturbances. Biodiversity in anthropogenic landscapes can be enhanced by manipulating landscape patterns, but could such landscape management also assist biota to cope with the effects of extreme climatic events, such as drought?, We surveyed woodland bird communities in 24 'whole' landscapes (each 100 km2) in an agricultural region of south-eastern Australia near the beginning (2002-2003), middle (2006-2007) and after (2011-2012) an extreme drought (the 'Millennium Drought'). We quantified the resistance, resilience and stability of the avifauna to the decade of drought and related these measures to properties of the study landscapes: the extent of wooded habitat, configuration of habitat, land-use composition, landscape productivity and geographic context., Landscape productivity, represented by the extent of riparian tree cover in the landscape, was the strongest driver of the resistance, resilience and stability of avifaunal richness to severe drought. Woodland bird communities in landscapes with larger areas of riparian tree cover retained a larger proportion of their species richness during the Millennium Drought and consequently had greater stability over the drought's duration., Synthesis and applications. Landscape properties can influence the resistance, resilience and stability of faunal communities to an extreme climatic event. By protecting, restoring and enhancing native vegetation in productive areas of landscapes along stream systems, drainage lines and floodplains, land managers can effectively build climatic refugia and thereby enhance the resistance of biota to climatic extremes. However, a net decline over the entire study period suggests this will not, by itself, arrest decline during periods of extreme drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major decline in the catch of the banana prawn [shrimp], Penaeus (Fenneropenaeus) merguiensis, occurred over a six-year period in the Weipa region of the northeastern Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia. Three main hypotheses have been developed to explain this decline: (1) prawn recruitment collapsed due to overfishing; (2) recruitment collapsed due to a change in the prawn's environment; and (3) adult banana prawns were still present, but fishers could no longer effectively find or catch them. Qualitative mathematical models were used to link population biology, environmental factors, and fishery dynamics to evaluate the alternative hypotheses. This modeling approach provides the means to rapidly integrate knowledge across disciplines and consider alternative hypotheses about how the structure and function of an ecosystem affects its dynamics. Alternative models were constructed to address the different hypotheses and also to encompass a diversity of opinion about the underlying dynamics of the system. Key findings from these analyses are that: instability in the system can arise when discarded fishery bycatch supports relatively high predation pressure; system stability can be enhanced by management of fishing effort or stock catchability; catch per unit effort is not necessarily a reliable indicator of stock abundance; a change in early-season rainfall should affect all stages in the banana prawn's life cycle; and a reduced catch in the Weipa region can create and reinforce a shift in fishing effort away from Weipa. Results from the models informed an approach to test the hypotheses (i.e., an experimental fishing program), and promoted understanding of the system among researchers, management agencies, and industry. The analytical tools developed in this work to address stages of a prawn life cycle and fishery dynamics are generally applicable to any exploited natural resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children who hope to be adopted from the care system frequently experience delays, unproductive disruption in attachments and difficulties locating new families. This article seeks to contribute to the search for effective adoption practice by exploring an approach developed in Australia, whereby restoration and ‘long-term foster care with the view to adoption’ are undertaken intensively but sequentially. When the child cannot return home, adoption is one of the options considered but no decision is made until a long-term foster family is well established. While planning happens concurrently, placements never have dual purposes and are therefore different from what is known as concurrent planning.This study is based on an internal agency examination of adoption records over a 10-year period. Open adoptions were ultimately achieved for one-third of those who entered long-term care, and the children had a wide range of ages and included sibling groups and those with behavioural difficulties. Adoption took, on average, 4.4 years to finalise but there was wide variation in timeframes, with younger children being adopted more quickly. Perhaps most significantly, a permanent placement was found relatively soon for children of all ages, as they did not have to wait for a family willing to commit to adoption or endure lengthy legal proceedings. The adoption was most timely when both restoration and long-term care teams were managed within one agency (albeit in separate programmes). Furthermore, permanent families were located for children for whom adoption ultimately proved to be inappropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Language impairment (LI) in the preschool years is known to vary over time. Stability in the diagnosis of LI may be influenced by children's individual variability, the measurement error of commonly used assessment instruments and the cut-points used to define impairment. Aims To investigate the agreement between two different age-based versions of a language assessment instrument and the stability of the classification of LI using the two measures over a 12-month period. Methods & Procedures A total of 945 participants completed the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF-Preschool 2 or 4th Edn) at 4 and 5 years of age. Agreement and stability were analysed using Bland-Altman plots, correlation and odds ratios. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for two thresholds of the CELF-P2 using the diagnostic category on the child's subsequent CELF-4. Outcomes & Results For all CELF scores, mean differences for the cohort between 4 and 5 years were within 1.5 scale score units. In contrast, at the individual level variability was found across the range of scores and was of a greater magnitude than previously reported. Stability in LI classification was low, with 36% of 5-year-olds with LI (defined as a standard score below -1.25) classified as typical at 4 years, even though odds ratios calculated from classifications at the two time points suggested that 4-year-olds with LI had 23 times greater odds than their typical peers to receive a diagnosis of LI at 5 years. The CELF-P2 did not demonstrate adequate levels of diagnostic accuracy for LI at 5 years: sensitivity of 64% and specificity of 92.9%. Conclusions Substantial variability across the entire range of possible CELF scores was observed in this community cohort between the ages of 4 and 5 years. The stability of LI classification was lower than that reported in previous research conducted primarily on smaller clinical cohorts. The current study's results suggest that the variability observed in developmental language pathways is the result of a combination of limitations in measurement instruments, individual children's abilities and the arbitrary nature of the boundaries defining LI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite concerns about declining interest and enrolments in mathematics, little research has examined change in a broad range of constructs reflecting mathematics motivation and engagement. The current study used an 11-factor model of motivation and engagement to evaluate levels of maths motivation compared to general academic motivation and to assess group-level and individual-level changes in maths motivation during secondary school. In a multicohort-multioccasion design, Australian students completed an adaptation of the Motivation and Engagement Scale in two consecutive school years. Ratings in mathematics were lower than general academic motivation on several scales but particularly on the planning and task management scales and for the year seven cohort. Mean ratings of valuing and task management decreased over the two years, while stability of mathematics motivation was moderate. Girls reported stronger anxiety, uncertain control and failure avoidance than boys, despite also reporting greater mastery focus. The findings demonstrate that a multidimensional model facilitates a differentiated analysis of possible reasons for a waning interest in mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Biodiversity may provide insurance against ecosystem collapse by stabilizing assemblages that perform particular ecological functions (the "portfolio effect"). However, the extent to which this occurs in nature and the importance of different mechanisms that generate portfolio effects remain controversial. On coral reefs, herbivory helps maintain coral dominated states, so volatility in levels of herbivory has important implications for reef ecosystems. Here, we used an extensive time series of abundances on 35 reefs of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia to quantify the strength of the portfolio effect for herbivorous fishes. Then, we disentangled the contributions of two mechanisms that underlie it (compensatory interactions and differential responses to environmental fluctuations ["response diversity"]) by fitting a community-dynamic model that explicitly includes terms for both mechanisms. We found that portfolio effects operate strongly in herbivorous fishes, as shown by nearly independent fluctuations in abundances over time. Moreover, we found strong evidence for high response diversity, with nearly independent responses to environmental fluctuations. In contrast, we found little evidence that the portfolio effect in this system was enhanced by compensatory ecological interactions. Our results show that portfolio effects are driven principally by response diversity for herbivorous fishes on coral reefs. We conclude that portfolio effects can be very strong in nature and that, for coral reefs in particular, response diversity may help maintain herbivory above the threshold levels that trigger regime shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occasional references to the relative tectonic instability of the Australian continent have been published over the last hundred years or so. Youthful tectonic forms were described from various parts of the continent throughout that period. Despite this, it was repeatedly claimed that the shield lands in particular were tectonically stable, and as recently as this century reference has been made to a concept embracing a tectonically inert continent. However, some 60 years ago, the accumulated evidence convinced E.S. Hills that in Australia all land surfaces, including the shield lands, and even recent alluvial plains, were tectonically disturbed. This conclusion was reinforced by analyses of seismicity and faulting; by regional geological mapping that revealed widely distributed tectonic forms and especially fault-related features, many of them of neotectonic age; by technological advances that allow faulting episodes to be closely dated; by the recognition of underprinting; and by the realization that many minor forms, previously unrecognized or attributed to other mechanisms or processes, are associated with crustal stress and are of tectonic origin. Thus, while Australia is a relatively stable continent, it is subject to widespread small-magnitude earth movements. Ironically, in view of earlier thinking, neotectonic forms may be better developed and preserved on the shields than elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper documents the development of a time series of Australian input-output tables. It describes the construction techniques employed in order to overcome the major issues encountered. Environmentally important processes were delineated using a range of detailed commodity data, thus expanding the original tables from roughly 100 industries into a temporally consistent 344 industries. Data confidentiality and inconsistency were overcome using an iterative constrained optimisation method called KRAS - a recent modification of RAS (Lenzen et al. 2006; 2007; 2009). The article concludes by analysing the stability of input-output coefficients over time similar to work in Dietzenbacher and Hoen (2006). The issue of stability of coefficients and multipliers was investigated under the Leontief and Ghosh models of supply/demand. Finally, the predictability of the models was examined under updated final demand or primary inputs and over varying time scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This brief is concerned with delay-dependent stability for neural networks with two additive time-varying delay components. By constructing a new Lyapunov functional and using a convex polyhedron method to estimate the derivative of the Lyapunov functional, some new delay-dependent stability criteria are derived. These stability criteria are less conservative than some existing ones. An example is given to demonstrate the less conservatism of the stability results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escherichia coli (E. coli) are common bacteria that colonize the human and animal gastrointestinal tract, where they help maintain a balanced microbiome. However, some E. coli strains are pathogenic and can cause serious infectious diseases and life-threatening complications. Due to the overuse of antibiotics and limited development of novel antibiotics, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains has threatened modern medicine, whereby common infections can become lethal. Phage therapy has once again attracted interest in recent years as an alternative treatment option to antibiotics for severe infections with antibiotic-resistant strains. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize phage against multi-drug resistant E. coli isolated from clinical samples and hospital wastewater. For phage isolation, wastewater samples were collected from The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Adelaide, SA, Australia) followed by phage enrichment as required. Microbiological assays, electron microscopy and genomic sequencing were carried out to characterize the phage. From the 10 isolated E. coli phages, E. coli phage APTC-EC-2A was the most promising and could lyse 6/7 E. coli clinical isolates. APTC-EC-2A was stable at a broad pH range (3–11) and could lyse the host E. coli at temperatures ranging between 30–50 °C. Furthermore, APTC-EC-2A could kill E. coli in planktonic and biofilm form. Electron microscopy and genomic sequencing indicated the phage to be from the Myoviridae family and of lytic nature. In conclusion, the newly isolated phage APTC-EC-2A has the desired properties that support its potential for development as a therapeutic agent against therapy refractory E. coli infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Research assessing the direct relationship between static and dynamic balance ability of athletes is sparse. The aim of this project was to determine the relationship between a static balance task on a firm surface with a stepping balance task on an unstable surface. Thirty-seven Australian male professional footballers participated in the study. The static test involved maintaining single limb stance on a force platform. The other balance test involved stepping on to a balance mat on top of the force platform and maintaining single limb stance. The centre of pressure was monitored and the maximum excursion in the medial–lateral direction was recorded and used as the balance value. It was found that the magnitude of the maximum centre of pressure excursion was significantly greater (53%) for the stepping balance task. There were significant but low correlations for the centre of pressure excursion values between the two balance tests for the right limb and average of both limbs. There was no significant correlation between the test values for the left limb. Only a small proportion of the variance could be explained by each test: 16% for right limb values, 7% for left limb values and 11% for the average of both limbs. Given the overall weak associations between the two balance test values, it was concluded that performance in the static balance test was not reflective of performance in the dynamic balance test. Attempting to infer dynamic balance ability based on static balance ability should be avoided. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract Aim Anecdotal historical and photographic evidence suggests that woody vegetation is increasing dramatically in some northern Australian savanna habitats. Vegetation change in savannas has important implications for pastoral land-use, conservation management, and landscape-scale carbon storage, and informs theoretical debates about ecosystem function. This study seeks to determine the nature, extent and cause(s) of woody vegetation change in a seasonally flooded alluvial savanna habitat. Location The study area is located within the seasonally inundated alluvial zone of the tidal portion of the Victoria River, Northern Territory, Australia. The study area has been grazed by domestic stock since c. 1900, prior to which the area was inhabited and more likely regularly burnt by Aboriginal people for thousands of years. Methods Digital georeferenced aerial photographic coverages were used to examine and quantify woody vegetation change between 1948 and 1993. Transect surveys of woody and herbaceous vegetation were carried out to ground-truth air-photo results and determine the nature and causes of observed vegetation changes. Results There has been a dramatic increase in woody vegetation cover throughout the study area. Vegetation change patterns are roughly uniform across the full range of edaphic habitat variation and are unrelated to the depositional age of fluvial sediments. Two woody species, Eucalyptus microtheca and Excoecaria parvifolia , are predominantly responsible for observed increases. Demographic analyses reveal that woody invasions have been episodic and indicate that in most locations peak woody species establishment occurred in the mid-1970s. Grasses are almost absent in a majority of habitats within the study area. Instead, large areas are covered by scalded soil, dense invasive weed populations, and unpalatable forbs and sedges. What grasses do occur are predominantly of very low value for grazing. The condition of the herbaceous layer renders most of the study area almost completely non-flammable; what fires do burn are small and of low intensity. Main conclusions Multiple working hypotheses explaining observed patterns of woody vegetation increase were considered and rejected in turn. The only hypothesis consistent with the evidence is as follows: (1) observed changes are a direct consequence of extreme overgrazing by cattle, most likely when stocking rates peaked in the mid-1970s; (2) prolonged heavy grazing effected the complete transformation of much of the herbaceous vegetation to a new state that is not flammable; and (3) in the absence of regular fire mortality, woody vegetation increased rapidly. The relatively treeless system that existed in 1948 was apparently stable and resilient to moderate grazing levels, and perhaps also to episodic heavy grazing events. However, grazing intensity in excess of a sustainable threshold has forced a transition that is irreversible in the foreseeable future. Stable-state transitions such as this one inform debates at the heart of ecological theory, such as the nature of stability, resilience, equilibrium and carrying capacity in dynamic savanna ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Challenging frequency control issues, such as the reliability and security of the power system, arise when increasing penetration levels of inverter-interfaced generation are imposed. As a result of the displacement of convention generation in favour of renewable energy sources, the reduction of frequency response capabilities can be seen. A promising method of overcoming the aforementioned challenges is to utilise Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), which provides frequency support by injecting instantaneous power to the grid and back up the conventional generation systems. However, large battery systems increase the cost while inadequate battery capacities result in poor performance. This paper, therefore, proposes an approach for finding the optimum BESS size for an islanded microgrid power system. The determination of the optimum BESS size is based on an existing case study, under which the most severe contingencies of generation loss and load loss have been accounted for, as well as different levels of penetration of renewable energy sources. As a result of using meta-heuristic optimization (Grey Wolf Optimization), the constraint optimization problem has been identified as BESS sizing. Through the use of real-time simulation DIgSILENT PowerFactory software, estimated BESS size can be applied to a standalone microgrid to test the frequency of support capabilities. The simulation has made it apparent that through the selection of the optimum BESS size, the system frequency response is not only mitigated, but improved. • Proposing a novel optimization model for determining the optimal size of the battery devices of standalone microgrids. • Propose an intelligent approach to mitigate the frequency response of standalone microgrids based on hybridization sources. • Combining the advantages of the BESS controller and the meta-heuristic Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) algorithm. • Validate the system performance based on a real case study under different scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human consumption of illicit novel psychoactive substances (NPS) is a continuing problem. New derivatives are constantly appearing, circumventing national and international laws. The use of these compounds tend to be sporadic and many are consumed as mixtures, meaning very low amounts of each are detectable at any one time. The analysis of excreted NPS in wastewater provides information on community prevalence. A wastewater-based epidemiology approach has been applied in the current study for the quantification of 21 NPS. These include three phenethylamines (25B–NBOMe, 25C–NBOMe, 25I–NBOMe), ten synthetic cathinones (3-ethylmethcathinone (3-EMC), 3-methylbuphedrone, 3-methylmethcathinone (3-MMC), 4-fluoromethcathinone (4-FMC), 4-methylbuphedrone, 4-methylethcathinone (4-MEC), buphedrone, butylone, N -ethylpentylone and pentylone), five synthetic opioid analgesics (AH-7921, butyryl fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, U-47700 and valeryl fentanyl) as well as the synthetic amphetamine 4-fluoroamphemtaine (4-FA), ketamine analogue methoxetamine and methiopropamine. Limits of detection were between 0.01 and 0.5 ng/L and limits of quantification were between 0.05 and 1 ng/L. The method was applied to wastewater samples from South Australia collected over the Christmas-New Year period when recreational drug use tends to be high. Seven NPS (butylone, butyryl fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, methoxetamine, N -ethylpentylone, pentylone and valeryl fentanyl) were found, with N -ethylpentylone showing the highest mass loads at 36 mg/day/1000 inhabitants. Image 1 • LC-MS/MS method for 21 new psychoactive substances in wastewater. • Validated method includes synthetic cathinones, phenethylamines and opioids. • Limits of quantification between 0.05 and 1 ng/L. • Method applied during the New Year period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum eye drops (SED) have shown beneficial effects in patients suffering from dry eye syndrome and are manufactured for an increasing number of patients in Australia every year. Previous studies have examined the stability of serum growth factors during storage in either experimental vessels not used as the final packaging system or in eye drop bottles. To ensure the quality and safety of SED product manufactured in Australia, the stability of growth factors in serum packaged into two different systems during storage at different temperatures was examined. Healthy blood donors provided a whole blood donation, from which serum was prepared, diluted to 20% and dispensed into either a tube or a vial packaging system. The stability of growth factors, fibronectin and total protein in tube segments was comparable to matched vials samples during storage at −30 °C, 4 °C, 22 °C and 37 °C, with the exception of EGF and fibronectin in 20% SED stored in tube segments, which were more sensitive to storage conditions at 4 °C and 22 °C when compared to vials. Additionally, the growth factor, fibronectin and total protein concentration in both tube segments and vials was stable during storage at −30 °C for at least 9 months. This study highlights the impact of different manufacturing procedures on serum growth factor stability during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]