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0000-0003-3378-799X
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Charles Sturt University - Orange Campus
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Publisher: Common Ground Research Networks
Date: 2013
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-06-2013
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 04-01-2022
DOI: 10.20944/PREPRINTS202201.0011.V1
Abstract: AAs the global energy market undergoes a wholesale transformation accelerated by the need to decarbonise, a rapid transition to renewable energy and the mass deployment of distributed energy resources, autonomous energy networks or microgrids are emerging as an attractive mechanism for the delivery of electricity to end users. Yet in Australia, at least, relatively little is known about key aspects of microgrids that are fundamental to their successful deployment, not least the more commercial and economic elements rather than the purely technical. Drawing on the extant global literature on microgrids, this paper explores the most important of these aspects including business models, ownership and investment. Identifying the ambiguity, inconsistency and uncertainty evident in many of the feasibility studies currently in train across Australia, this paper highlights specific areas for future research that need to be addressed if the full potential of microgrids is to be realised in the context of a global energy transition both domestically and internationally.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-1996
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 06-05-2014
DOI: 10.1108/IJLM-07-2012-0057
Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to analyze supply chain practices, and supply chain food quality performance indicator in the Australian beef processing industry. – A conceptual model was developed to test how supply chain practices: strategic alliance, customer focus, information sharing, information quality, Lean system and antecedent cooperative behavior: trust and commitment impact on food quality. A survey questionnaire to 600 Australian beef processors was conducted to collect the empirical data for testing of the formulated hypotheses. The stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to test the hypothesized relationships. – Strategic alliance, information quality and trust and commitment are significantly related to food quality. In particular, the standardized coefficient shows that information quality has a significant positive relationship with food quality. – As Lean principles have been widely adopted in the red meat industry, strategic alliance becomes even critical for maintaining cost and operation effectiveness in the beef supply chain. A various approaches in terms of innovative technologies can improve information quality and promote information sharing in the beef supply chain. To build trust and commitment among supply chain partners requires perception of mutual long-term goals. – Australian Meat Manufacturers face greater regulatory challenges and restraints (product labeling, food safety and carbon tax) over the next five years. Therefore, to tackle the challenges, the findings of this research have significant practical implications. – This study intends to fill the research gap and explore how advanced supply chain systems have a potential to provide contributions to Australian beef processing industry performance. Vertical integration between livestock producers, meat processors, wholesalers and retailers provides the opportunities for greater economies of scale in production and distribution.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2009
Publisher: Pluto Journals
Date: 06-1983
DOI: 10.1080/08109028308628922
Abstract: Diverse methods are available for evaluating benefits and costs of rural research projects. They have been developed in response to a felt need for information in a highly uncertain environment. These formal evaluation schemes are compared in an attempt to show whether any offer useful guidelines for rational allocation of research funds. The outcome is a series of conjectures on the level of effort to devote to research evaluation, and hence on the techniques which should be used. In most circumstances encountered in Australian rural research the optimal type of evaluation would be relatively unsophisticated.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-02-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-01-2008
DOI: 10.1111/J.1440-1584.2007.00945.X
Abstract: This paper addresses a very important issue in Australian rural and remote regions: the effects of climate change on various aspects including natural resources, agricultural activity, population health, and social and economic development. The objective is to briefly characterise the consequences of climate change in rural Australia and what we can do to prevent further impact in our rural communities.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2003
DOI: 10.1046/J.1445-5994.2003.00354.X
Abstract: To characterize long-term mortality trends for infectious and parasitic diseases in Australia during the twentieth century, explore influencing factors and provide suggestions to health policy-makers. A descriptive study was conducted. Deaths due to communicable diseases from 1907 to 1997 were tallied, according to the International Classification of Diseases version 9 (ICD-9). Trends in infectious disease mortality in overall population and in the 0-4 years age group were examined and standardized by sex. Death rates were also studied for: (i) diarrhoea/enteritis, (ii) pneumonia and all respiratory diseases and (iii) tuberculosis. There has been a substantial decline in -mortality from communicable diseases over the study period. The death rate dropped from 258.9 per 100,000 population in 1907 to 7.2 per 100,000 population in 1997. Six phases of the decline were observed. A combination of improved living conditions and access to readily available treatments over the twentieth century played an important role in the reduction of infectious disease mortality in Australia.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-09-2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2008
DOI: 10.1016/J.JINF.2008.08.004
Abstract: The relationship between weather and food-borne diseases has been of great concern recently. However, the impact of weather variations on food-borne disease may vary in different areas with various geographic, weather and demographic characteristics. This study was designed to quantify the relationship between weather variables and C ylobacter infections in two Australian cities with different local climatic conditions. An ecological-epidemiological study was conducted, using weekly disease surveillance data and meteorological data, over the period 1990-2005, to quantify the relationship between maximum and minimum temperatures, rainfall, relative humidity and notifications of C ylobacter infections in Adelaide, with a temperate Mediterranean climate, and Brisbane, with a sub-tropical climate. Spearman correlation and time-series adjusted Poisson regression analyses were performed taking into account seasonality, lag effects and long-term trends. The results indicate that weekly maximum and minimum temperatures were inversely associated with the weekly number of cases in Adelaide, but positively correlated with the number of cases in Brisbane, with relevant lagged effects. The effects of rainfall and relative humidity on C ylobacter infection rates varied in the two cities. Weather might have different effect on C ylobacter infections in different cities. Further studies are needed for a better understanding of these relationships for they may indicate epidemiologic factors important for control of these infections.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 18-06-2018
Publisher: Pluto Journals
Date: 06-1991
DOI: 10.1080/08109029108631905
Abstract: The project described in the paper is the first attempt to provide an economic evaluation of export-crop research in PNG. The institutional framework is outlined to provide a context for understanding the methods used. Past performance of two agricultural research projects was assessed and then eleven ex ante research evaluations were performed. After reviewing the overall results, suggestions are made for institutionalising research evaluation procedures at various levels of the public administration system.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2000
DOI: 10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00304-4
Abstract: To identify the determinants of self-medication and antibiotics abuse by parents treating their children aged between 2 and 18 over the previous year, an investigation was conducted in Hefei City, China in April, 1995. A total of 1596 students from a kindergarten, a primary school and a high school were included in the study, and 1459 completed questionnaires were collected (the response rate: 91.4%). The results showed the rate of parental self-medication for their children in the s le was 59.4%. It increased with children's age about 51% of children had received parental self-medication on six or more occasions during the 1-year period and 32.8% on four to five occasions there were associations between parental self-prescribers and sources of medicine and severity of disease. The rate of antibiotics abuse was 35.7%. Logistic regression analysis showed that there were significant associations between self-medication and payment of the mother's medical fees by employers, severity of diseases as well as the mother's educational level.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2000
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2002
DOI: 10.1071/PY02027
Abstract: To examine the maternal attitudinal status among primiparous women, to explore the potential risk factors of their neonates' birth weight and to provide suggestions to improve the quality of perinatal health care, a survey was conducted in a medium city of China. Using a cluster s ling method, four hospitals were selected from Hefei City, China. Social and biomedical information was collected on 394 primiparous women and their neonates over the period of 10 May to 9 June, 1995 both from their medical records and from the mothers' responses to a questionnaire. Data analyses including univariate analysis, F test and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted. It was found that the primiparous women who had a high educational level, an occupation with a stable income and an optimal delivery age (23-29 years old) had a more stable maternal attitudinal status, and their neonates tended to have a higher birth weight. The parents' height, mother's weight, maternal nutritional status, neonate's gender, vagina bleeding history, location of the family home, whether the mother had regular check-ups and mother's negative feeling during pregnancy were also significantly correlated with the neonates' birth weight. The results suggested that the improvement of educational levels, raising economic status, particularly maternal nutrition status during pregnancy and the choice of an optimal delivery age among primiparous women might be helpful in reduction lower birth weight incidence.
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 09-2003
DOI: 10.1089/153036603768395807
Abstract: A time-series analysis was conducted to study the impact of climate variability on the transmission of Japanese encephalitis in eastern China. Correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between monthly climatic variables and monthly incidence of Japanese encephalitis in Jieshou County, China over the period 1980-96. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that maximum and minimum temperatures and rainfall were all associated with the transmission of Japanese encephalitis in the county. Regression analysis suggested that monthly mean minimum temperature and monthly precipitation had a significant relationship with the transmission of Japanese encephalitis, with a 1-month lag effect. The results indicated that these climatic variables might be treated as possible predictors for regions with similar geographic, climatic, and socio-economic conditions to Jieshou County.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-2009
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 08-01-2003
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-04-2021
DOI: 10.1111/ADD.15493
Abstract: To determine trends in 3,4 methylenedioxymeth hetamine (MDMA)‐related death rates across Australia, Finland, Portugal and Turkey and to analyse the toxicology and causes of death across countries. Analysis of MDMA‐related deaths extracted from a national coronial database in Australia (2001–19) and national forensic toxicology databases in Finland (2001–17), Portugal (2008–19) and Turkey (2007–17). Presentation of MDMA use and seizure data (market indicators). Australia, Finland, Portugal and Turkey. All deaths in which MDMA was considered by the forensic pathologist to be contributory to death. Information collected on cause and circumstances of death, demographics and toxicology. A total of 1400 MDMA‐related deaths were identified in Turkey, 507 in Australia, 100 in Finland and 45 in Portugal. The median age ranged from 24 to 27.5 years, and males represented between 81 and 94% of the deaths across countries. Standardized mortality rates significantly increased across all four countries from 2011 to 2017 during a period of increased purity and availability of MDMA. The underlying cause of death was predominantly due to drug toxicity in Australia ( n = 309, 61%), Finland ( n = 70, 70%) and Turkey ( n = 840, 60%) and other causes in Portugal ( n = 25, 56%). Minorities of all deaths across the countries were due to MDMA toxicity alone (13–25%). These deaths had a significantly higher blood MDMA concentration than multiple drug toxicity deaths in Australia, Finland and Turkey. Drugs other than MDMA commonly detected were stimulants (including cocaine, hetamine and meth hetamine) (Australia 52% and Finland 61%) and alcohol (Australia 46% and Portugal 49%). In addition to MDMA toxicity, benzodiazepines (81%) and opioids (64%) were commonly identified in these deaths in Finland. In comparison, synthetic cannabinoids (15%) and cannabis (33%) were present in a minority of deaths in Turkey. Deaths related to 3,4 methylenedioxymeth hetamine (MDMA) increased in Australia, Finland, Portugal and Turkey between 2011 and 2017. Findings show MDMA toxicity alone can be fatal, but multiple drug toxicity remains more prevalent.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2004
DOI: 10.1016/J.IJID.2003.05.002
Abstract: To examine the frequency distribution of co-existing conditions for deaths where the underlying cause was infectious and parasitic diseases. Besides the underlying cause of death, the distributions of co-existing conditions for deaths from infectious and parasitic diseases were examined in total and by various age and sex groups, at in idual and chapter levels, using 1998 Australian mortality data. In addition to the underlying cause of death, the average number of reported co-existing conditions for a single infectious and parasitic death was 1.62. The most common co-existing conditions were respiratory failure, acute renal failure - non-specific causes, ischaemic heart disease, pneumonia and diabetes. When studying the distribution of co-existing conditions at the ICD-9 chapter level, it was found that the circulatory system diseases were the most important. There was an increasing trend in the number of reported co-existing conditions from 60 years of age upwards. Gender differences existed in the frequency of some reported co-existing conditions. The most common organism types of co-existing conditions were other bacterial infection and other viruses. The study indicated that the quality of death certificates is less than satisfactory for the 1998 Australian mortality data. The findings may be helpful in clarifying the ICD coding rules and the development of disease prevention strategies.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.1071/AR06200
Abstract: Seasonal climate forecasts (SCFs) from public institutions have been issued to Australian farmers since the late 1980s. Surveys suggest that 30–50% of farmers take seasonal climate forecasts into account when making farm management decisions. Even for the farmers who have adopted SCFs, integrating them into decisions on the farm seems to be a greater challenge than first thought. We use adoption theory to consider SCFs as an innovation presented to farmers. We consider the problem that SCFs is seeking to solve, the nature of the innovation, and how SCFs compare with other innovations that Australian farmers are encouraged to adopt. We conclude that there are unique challenges presented by the problem of managing climate uncertainty. Demonstrating the relative advantage of a probabilistic SCF is difficult because it is an information-based public good, relatively complex, difficult to trial, and only partially compatible with existing practices. In their favour, SCFs are free or relatively low cost and the information can be applied across different paddocks and different enterprises. We compare and contrast SCFs with other innovations that Australian farmers have been encouraged to adopt over their working life time, such as grain-price forecasts, new wheat varieties, the increased use of nitrogen fertiliser, no-tillage, and precision agriculture.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-1985
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 1993
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2005
DOI: 10.1016/J.DIABRES.2005.03.035
Abstract: To characterise long-term mortality trends for diabetes in Australia during the 20th century, and to provide suggestions to health policy-makers. A descriptive study was conducted using existing dataset. Deaths due to diabetes, as underlying cause of death, from 1907 to 1998 were tallied, according to the ICD-9. Trends in diabetes mortality (overall population, under-19 and over 40-year-old age groups) by gender were examined. There was a slightly increasing trend in the mortality rate in males over the study period, from 14.38/100,000 in 1907 to 16.05/100,000 in 1998. Among females, it started from 19.6/100,000 in 1907, reached the peak in early 1940s and then decreased to 10.61/100,000 in 1998. There was a reversal sex ratio after late 1960s with mortality rates among males were higher than females after 1969. There was a significant difference in overall mortality between males and females over study period (p<0.001). The mortality trend among the 40 years and over group was similar to the overall population. The death rates for the under-19 group declined significantly over the study period (p 0.05). The application of insulin played an important role in the reduction of diabetes mortality among the under-19-year-old group. New medical treatment methods to reduce chronic complications and other public health interventions could have made a recent contribution to reducing death rates. It is also probable that over the study period there has been an increase in the likelihood of diabetes being correctly diagnosed.
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 06-08-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2022
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 25-07-2019
DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2019.1623936
Abstract: There is a certain complacency about air pollution in rural towns in Australia. An image of crystal clear skies seems to dominate general perceptions, and few locations actually monitor air pollution levels. Nevertheless, where measurements have been made, particulates have been shown to be the major type of air pollution, and they do reach levels expected to impact on human health. In this article, the contemporary attitudes and behaviour of the government and the population in rural and regional Australia are shown to have a strong resemblance to those that were prevalent prior to the smog events in London in December 1952. Wood smoke poses similar significant health issues in many countries. Insights obtained from the London events, together with more recent research results, are applied to the Australian situation to suggest policy options that are likely to be successful in overcoming the health effects of particulate pollution.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 23-02-2022
DOI: 10.3390/SU14052585
Abstract: As the global energy market undergoes a wholesale transformation accelerated by the need to decarbonise, a rapid transition to renewable energy and the mass deployment of distributed energy resources, autonomous energy networks or microgrids are emerging as an attractive mechanism for the delivery of electricity to end users. Yet in Australia, at least, relatively little is known about key aspects of microgrids that are fundamental to their successful deployment, not least the more commercial and economic elements rather than the purely technical. Drawing on the extant global literature on microgrids, in this paper, we explore the most important of these aspects including business models, ownership and investment. Identifying the ambiguity, inconsistency and uncertainty evident in many of the feasibility studies currently in train across Australia, in this paper, we highlight specific areas for future research. These research areas must be addressed if the full potential of microgrids is to be realised in the context of a global energy transition both domestically and internationally.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 02-2002
DOI: 10.1093/IJE/31.1.189
Abstract: Being a zoonosis, the transmission of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is influenced by climatic, reservoir and occupational factors. This paper has quantified the incidence and potential risk factors of HFRS in Yingshang County, a low-lying epidemic focus of the disease in China. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted among climatic variables, the density of mice, autumn crop production and annual incidence of HFRS during the autumn-winter seasons in the County over the period 1980-1996. Rainfall (r = -0.63, P = 0.009), the density of mice (r = 0.90, P = 0.000) and autumn crop production (r = 0.67, P = 0.01) were statistically correlated with the incidence of HFRS. Multiple regression analysis indicated that these factors are potential predictors for HFRS transmission. Rainfall, the density of mice and autumn crop production could be used as predictors of HFRS transmission in low-lying epidemic foci.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2019
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 22-12-2006
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2011.11.011
Abstract: Climate change projections have drawn attention to the risks of extreme heat and the importance of public health interventions to minimise the impact. The city of Perth, Western Australia, frequently experiences hot summer conditions, with recent summers showing above average temperatures. Daily maximum and minimum temperatures, mortality, emergency department (ED) presentations and hospital admissions data were acquired for Perth for the period 1994 to 2008. Using an observed/expected analysis, the temperature thresholds for mortality were estimated at 34-36°C (maximum) and 20°C (minimum). Generalised estimating equations (GEEs) were used to estimate the percentage increase in mortality and morbidity outcomes with a 10°C increment in temperature, with adjustment for air pollutants. Effect estimates are reported as incidence rate ratios (IRRs). The health impact of heatwave days (three or more days of ≥35°C) was also investigated. A 9.8% increase in daily mortality (IRR 1.098 95%CI: 1.007-1.196) was associated with a 10°C increase in maximum temperature above threshold. Total ED presentations increased by 4.4% (IRR 1.044 95%CI: 1.033-1.054) and renal-related ED presentations by 10.2% (IRR 1.102 95%CI: 1.071-1.135) per 10°C increase in maximum temperature. Heatwave days were associated with increases in daily mortality and ED presentations, while total hospital admissions were decreased on heatwave days. Public health interventions will be increasingly important to minimise the adverse health impacts of hot weather in Perth, particularly if the recent trend of rising average temperatures and more hot days continues as projected.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-2009
DOI: 10.1890/09.WB.015
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 11-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.AUSMJ.2013.09.001
Abstract: Public support for policies that address climate change, in Australia and elsewhere, has become polarised, and has declined in Australia. The polarisation and decline has occurred despite considerable efforts by government, non-government and scientific bodies to raise levels of support. In this research, therefore, we aim to better understand the preferences of politically salient household segments with the objective of more effectively communicating to those segments the desirability of addressing climate change. Replicating an American market segmentation study, we find that 26% of participants fell into the most politically salient household segment, labelled Cautious. This segment is relatively open to changing its views about climate change, and is supportive of both government and opposition policies. These findings suggest that segment members will potentially be influenced by targeted media c aigns by either side of politics. Additional findings relate to effective communication channels, and trusted sources including the use of celebrities.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-1979
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-1995
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-1981
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-2013
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2003
Publisher: Inderscience Publishers
Date: 2012
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 28-06-2013
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to present an integrated modelling framework that links management action to supply chain processes and then to competitive advantage. Using survey responses about supply chain management in the Australian beef processing industry, regression analysis was used to develop a model simultaneously explaining the links from management action to supply chain processes and on to competitive advantage. A relatively simple regression model was established that should be widely applicable in agri‐food processing industries. In the context of our ex le industry, the results suggest that there is a strong link from some supply chain practices to competitive advantage, with trust and information quality being important drivers of the process. Being based on a survey approach, a limitation is that that the results show managers' perceived influences on supply chain performance, not the influences observed by the researchers. The regression method provides an easy way of summarising the links between supply chain practices and competitive advantage. This method may be generally applicable across agri‐food industries, particularly those with many small and medium‐size food enterprises. This research provides a new method of integrating various aspects of supply chain management and competitive advantage. The method has the great advantage of parsimony.
Publisher: Common Ground Research Networks
Date: 2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2021
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 06-08-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-1999
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-1992
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-08-1978
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 08-1998
DOI: 10.1093/OXFORDJOURNALS.AJE.A009636
Abstract: To investigate determinants of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in low-lying areas of China, the authors studied Chuigang and Wanggang communities in Anhui Province. These adjacent farming communities have a population of about 100,000. Data were collected from the two communities in 1961-1977 and from Yingshang County in 1983-1995 information covered the incidence of HFRS, amount of precipitation, differences in the water level of the Huai River, density of Apodemus agrarius, autumn crop production, and areas of inundated farmland. Correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were used to estimate the relation between seasonal rainfall, density of mice, occupational factors, and occurrence of the disease. Associations were observed between the incidence of HFRS and the amount of precipitation, the water level of the Huai River, and the areas of inundated farmland in Chuigang community. The smaller the water-level difference, the less farmland was inundated and the higher the incidence of HFRS. In Wanggang community, the density of A. agrarius (r1=0.63, p=0.02), the water-level difference in the Huai River (r2=-0.81, p=0.007), and crop production (r3=0.96, p=0.005) were correlated with the incidence of HFRS. The regression analyses based on Wanggang community suggested that these indexes could be used as predictive variables, and the results from the model were well calibrated with the actual incidence of HFRS in that community (R2=0.88, p < 0.01) and Yingshang County (R2=0.91, p < 0.01).
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-09-2019
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2002
DOI: 10.1071/PY02044
Abstract: The objective of this study was to identify secular change in Australian all-cause mortality over the period 1907-1998. The authors found that there was a decreasing trend in all-cause mortality, with five phases, over the study period. Phase I: 1907 to 1916, with relatively stable, but high, mortality rates. Phase II: 1917 to 1929, with great variations. Phase III: 1930 to 1943, a more stable period with lower mortality. Phase IV: 1944 to 1970, a slightly decreasing trend, with stagnation over the period 1958-69. Phase V: 1971 to 1998, with continuous decline. The mortality trends for major causes of death including infectious diseases, respiratory diseases, circulatory diseases, cancers, and injury are discussed. Possible reasons for the secular changes are explored.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 1981
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2007
DOI: 10.1016/J.JINF.2007.07.004
Abstract: To identify weather-related risk factors and their roles in Japanese encephalitis transmission and to provide policy implications for local health authorities and communities. Data on notified cases of Japanese encephalitis and weather variables over the period 1959-1979 were collected from Jinan city, a temperate city in China. Due to seasonality of the disease, the data analysis was restricted to five months from June to October each year. Spearman correlation analysis and time-series adjusted Poisson regression analysis were performed to quantify the relationship between weather and the number of cases. The Hockey Stick model was used to detect potential threshold temperatures. Monthly mean maximum and minimum temperatures, monthly total rainfall and monthly mean relative humidity were positively correlated to monthly notification of Japanese encephalitis, while monthly mean air pressure was inversely correlated. Lag times varied from one to two months. All these weather variables were significant in the adjusted Poisson regression model. Thresholds of 25.2 degrees C for maximum temperature and 21.0 degrees C for minimum temperature were also detected. Weather variables could have affected the transmission of Japanese encephalitis in this urban area of China. Public health interventions should be developed at this stage to reduce future risks related to climate change.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-1995
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/AR05052
Abstract: Part 1 analysed the difficulties experienced in the field of academic Farm Management in making complex theoretical models relevant to farming. This paper highlights the important connections developed between the field of Farm Management economics and 3 key ‘systems’ ideas and tools in agricultural science in response to difficulties and opportunities. The first systems approach reviewed is the 20-year experiment by agricultural economists in using crop and animal production simulation models in management analyses. The second systems approach reviewed is Farming Systems Research (FSR), an approach characterised by on-farm experimentation with a management orientation. Many pioneers of FSR were Farm Management economists disenchanted by the inapplicability of economic theory to farm management. The FSR that emerged is interpreted as a scion of the early era of Farm Management prior to the coup by economics theorists in the 1940s. A third systems approach reviewed is a ‘soft’ intervention to facilitate farmer learning. Although evolving from FSR, this approach has surprising similarities to the ‘goal adjusting’ consulting performed by the legendary Australian Farm Management consultant cum academic, Jack Makeham. The paper concludes with discussion of a recent innovation that combines these 3 approaches. It uses a soft intervention approach that features farmers shaping their goals and expectations by ‘experimenting’ in a local, but virtual, environment provided by simulation of the production system using ‘hard’ models.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-2015
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 2000
DOI: 10.1136/JECH.54.1.69
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-1978
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-1997
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-07-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
Publisher: American Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS)
Date: 2019
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/AR05051
Abstract: A potential source of lessons for agricultural modellers aspiring to influence farm decision making is the historical experience of agricultural economists in the field, variously termed ‘Farm Management Research’ or ‘Farm Management’. Although the histories of Farm Management in the USA and in Australia differ significantly, in both cases the field was originally characterised by pragmatic on-farm research by agricultural scientists and later taken over by agricultural economists committed to theory-based economic analysis to enable rational planning and decision making. But in both countries, it became painfully evident to reflective participants that model-based Farm Management was not proving relevant to practical managers of farms. An insightful few went further to conclude not just that theoretical models of practice had not been relevant but that they could not be relevant, and since the late 1970s, the field has been in crisis. In this series of 2 papers, we seek insights that might explain this extraordinary ‘market’ failure of models that generate theoretical best practice as a basis for intervention. As an ‘experiment’, the history of Farm Management is enriched by the discontinuity between 2 ‘eras’ characterised by 2 contrasting intervention approaches, an ‘early’ interactive and pragmatic era and a ‘late’ academic and theoretical era. In this first paper, after a brief history of the early pragmatic era and the ‘take-over’ by economic theorists, we analyse the ‘crisis of relevance’ that led to demise, relying heavily on the remarkable intellectual journey of John Dillon, the first Professor of Farm Management in Australia who turned from being elder economic theoretician to pioneer philosopher of pragmatic Farming Systems Research. The significant turn to Farming Systems Research by disillusioned Farm Management economists in the 1980s was preceded by a turn to another systems approach 2 decades earlier, that of agricultural systems modelling. Learning from the autecology of these significant systems efforts to influence the management of farms is the aim of the second paper in this series.
Publisher: American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Date: 11-09-2023
DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-23-0131
Abstract: H3K27M-mutant diffuse midline glioma (DMG) patients have no proven effective therapies. ONC201 has recently demonstrated efficacy in these patients, but the mechanism behind this remains unknown. We assessed clinical outcomes, tumor sequencing, and tissue/CSF correlate s les from patients treated in two completed multi-site clinical studies. Patients treated with ONC201 following initial radiation but prior to recurrence demonstrated a median overall survival of 21.7 months, while those treated after recurrence had a median overall survival of 9.3 months. Radiographic response was associated with increased expression of key tricarboxylic acid cycle-related genes in baseline tumor sequencing. ONC201 treatment increased 2-hydroxyglutarate levels in cultured H3K27M-DMG cells and patient CSF s les. This corresponded with increases in repressive H3K27me3 in vitro and in human tumors accompanied by epigenetic downregulation of cell cycle regulation and neuro-glial differentiation genes. Overall, ONC201 demonstrates efficacy in H3K27M-DMG by disrupting integrated metabolic and epigenetic pathways and reversing pathognomonic H3K27me3 reduction.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-01-2021
DOI: 10.3390/SU13031375
Abstract: In recent years in northern Thailand, the traditional surface-water irrigation system known as muang fai has been challenged by the introduction of small-scale, groundwater pumping technology. This trend presents concerns about the sustainability of the system, as the new technology uses more water but produces lower-quality agricultural outputs. In this paper, we provide evidence that farmers who use relatively modern irrigation technology (ground water pumping systems) are willing to switch to a more traditional (hundreds of years old) and more sustainable surface water irrigation system. In the Sop Rong region in northern Thailand, we surveyed 570 longan farmers, approximately half being muang fai members and half using pumped groundwater. We designed an experiment for the second group to check whether they were interested in becoming muang fai members in a scenario where they have access to the canal system. We found that almost half of them were willing to pay fees to become members and that the negative relationship between membership fees and the willingness to join is robust after controlling for all other relevant factors. Despite this positive result for sustainability, suggesting that there is a price at which many farmers would be willing to switch to a more water-saving system, few farmers are making the shift. We conclude that there are strong social pressures that discourage them from doing so. Such social influences are probably an important and often overlooked determinant of efforts to achieve sustainability.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-1998
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2011.11.038
Abstract: Climate change projections have highlighted the need for public health planning for extreme heat. In Adelaide, South Australia, hot weather is characteristic of summer and heatwaves can have a significant health burden. This study examines the heat thresholds and temperature relationships for mortality and morbidity outcomes in Adelaide. Daily maximum and minimum temperatures, daily mortality, ambulance call-outs, emergency department (ED) presentations and hospital admissions were obtained for Adelaide, between 1993 and 2009. Heat thresholds for health outcomes were estimated using an observed/expected analysis. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the percentage increase in mortality and morbidity outcomes above the threshold temperatures, with adjustment for the effects of ozone (O(3)) and particulate matter<10 μm in mass median aerodynamic diameter (PM(10)). Effect estimates are reported as incidence rate ratios (IRRs). Heat-related mortality and morbidity become apparent above maximum and minimum temperature thresholds of 30 °C and 16 °C for mortality 26 °C and 18 °C for ambulance call-outs and 34 °C and 22 °C for heat-related ED presentations. Most health outcomes showed a positive relationship with daily temperatures over thresholds. When adjusted for air pollutants, a 10 °C increase in maximum temperature was associated with a 4.9% increase in daily ambulance call-outs (IRR 1.049 95% CI 1.027-1.072), and a 3.4% increase in mental health related hospital admissions (IRR 1.034 95% CI 1.009-1.059) for the all-age population. Heat-related ED presentations increased over 6-fold per 10 °C increase in maximum temperature. Daily temperatures were also associated with all-cause and mental health related ED presentations. Associations between temperature over thresholds and daily mortality and renal hospital admissions were not significant when adjusted for ozone and PM(10) however at extreme temperatures mortality increased significantly with increasing heat duration. Heat-attributable mortality and morbidity are associated with elevated summer temperatures in Adelaide, particularly ambulance call-outs, mental health and heat-related illness.
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 06-2005
Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between monthly Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and monthly incidences of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and malaria in Anhui Province, China, over the periods 1971-1992 and 1966-1987, respectively. On the basis of monthly data over a 22-year period, results indicated that there were positive and negative relationships, respectively, between the SOI and monthly incidences of malaria and HFRS. The results suggest that the SOI could be used as an index in the study of the association of climate variability with the transmission of such diseases, particularly over larger areas, such as at a provincial or even state level, where averaging rainfall or temperature data across regions is inappropriate.
No related grants have been discovered for Kevin Parton.