University of Tasmania

With the changing climate, soil waterlogging is a growing threat to food security. Yet, contemporary approaches employed in crop models to simulate waterlogging are in their infancy. By analysing 21 crop models, we show that critical deficiencies persist in accurately simulating capillary rise, crop resistance to transient periods of waterlogging, crop recovery mechanisms, and the effects on soil nitrogen processes, phenology and yield components. This hinders the ability of such models to reliably simulate the impacts of excessive soil moisture. Advanced crop modelling analytics will enable scenario analysis and, with time, farming systems adaptation to climate change and increasing frequency of crop failure due to waterlogging.

This study examines the evolving landscape of the shipping industry in the context of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), with a focus on the critical role of Maritime Education and Training (MET). As the sector undergoes rapid transformation, there is a pressing need for MET providers to adapt their curricula and training programs to meet emerging industry standards. Despite growing research interest in future skills and competencies for the MASS workforce, a comprehensive framework for assessing and ranking these skills remains lacking. To address this gap, we propose the application of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques, specifically fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to evaluate and prioritise proficiency requirements for MASS. The analysis, based on the responses of 174 experts, yields consistent and robust results, identifying ‘Operational Skills’, ‘Digital Skills’, and ‘Maritime Competency’ as the most crucial skills and competencies for MASS operations. A number of insights and recommendations are provided to guide MET institutions in updating their educational offerings to meet the demands of the evolving maritime industry.

Carbon dioxide removal has emerged as a critical component of efforts to achieve the temperature targets of the Paris Agreement, and thus to avoid catastrophic climate change. Most experts believe that effectuating the massive scale of carbon removal contemplated in recent models will require a portfolio of both terrestrial and marine carbon removal options. One of the most often discussed, and researched, marine-based approaches is ocean iron fertilization (OIF). OIF is an approach that would seek to seed portions of the oceans with iron to stimulate phytoplankton production, which could ultimately result in uptake of more carbon dioxide by these species and subsequent burial of carbon dioxide in ocean sediments and drawdown of more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This chapter seeks to explain the science behind OIF, the potential effectiveness of the approach, potential risks of large-scale deployment, and critical questions of monitoring and verifying sequestration of carbon through deployment.

Density functional theory is used to explore the geometries and properties of 55 heterocyclic carbenes containing N, P, As, Sb, Bi, O, S, Se, Te and Po. Planar and non-planar structures have been systematically evaluated and a variety of measures (including Wiberg bond indices, orbital occupancies, HOMO–LUMO gaps, proton affinities, J( ¹³ C– ¹ H) coupling constants and isodesmic reaction energies) have been considered for all systems. The main conclusions are that the heavier heteroatoms can be effective π-donors towards the carbene carbon if planarity can be attained, and that the cost of attaining this planarity is actually quite low for the majority of the heterocyclic carbenes considered.

Objective Sarcopenia and knee osteoarthritis (KOA) are common conditions in older adults, but their relationship is controversial. We aimed to examine the potential role of sarcopenia in KOA progression and subsequent knee replacement (KR). Methods Using data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, baseline sarcopenia was first screened according to the EWGSOP2 algorithm using the SARC‐F (Strength, Assistance with walking, Rise from a chair, Climb stairs, and Falls) questionnaire (screened sarcopenia [Scre‐S]), then further assessed combined with the five times chair‐stand‐test (probable sarcopenia [Prob‐S]). Radiographic KOA progression was evaluated by changes in Kellgren‐Lawrence Grade and Osteoarthritis Research Society International atlas scores from baseline to the 24‐ and 48‐month follow‐ups. Symptomatic progression was evaluated similarly using the Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis Index. The associations of sarcopenia with radiographic or symptomatic progression and subsequent KR were analyzed before and after adjusting for potential confounders and propensity score (PS) matching. Results A total of 4,316 participants were included; 27.2% were Scre‐S and 16.8% were Prob‐S. Baseline Scre‐S and Prob‐S were positively associated with both radiographic and symptomatic progression in KOA over 24 and 48 months. Both Scre‐S and Prob‐S were associated with a higher risk of subsequent KR (Scre‐S: hazard ratio [HR] 3.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.18 to 4.62; Prob‐S: HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.87 to 2.81). These results remained significant in the PS‐matched cohort. Conclusion Scre‐S and Prob‐S were significantly and longitudinally associated with both radiographic and symptomatic progression in KOA and subsequent KR. Our findings indicated a potential causal role of sarcopenia in KOA progression and highlighted its potentially therapeutic effect in KOA management. image

A series of rare earth (RE) 'triangles' have been synthesised to investigate the low energy excitations of toroic molecules using inelastic neutron scattering (INS) experiments. β-Diketonate, 1-(2-pyridinyl)-1,3-butandione (o-pbdH) has been employed to synthesise [{Ho3(O)2(o-pbd)3Cl(H2O)5}2]·8Cl·3H2O·0.5EtOH (1) and [{Dy3(O)2(o-pbd)3Cl(H2O)5}2]·6Cl·2EtOH·2hexane (2). With further examples, [Ho3(OH)2(o-pbd)3Cl(H2O)3(EtOH)2]·3Cl (3), [{Ho3(OH)2(o-pbd)3Cl(H2O)5}2]·6Cl·2H2O (4) and [Dy3(O)(OH)(o-pbd)3(NO3)4(H2O)2]·2NO3·H2O (5) aimed towards the generation of variation in coordinated ancillary ligands that are capable of reducing symmetry and inhibiting toroic behaviour. A sterically bulky 3-(1-naphthyl)-1-(2-pyridyl)-propane-1,3-dione (o-nppdH) ligand impeded the formation of the RE3 motif with [Dy2(O)2(o-nppd)5(H2O)]·6Cl (6) isolated. The RE3 complexes are structurally similar to known trinuclear based single molecular toroics (SMTs), including RE-β-diketonate analogues prone to mixing between electronic states. Consistent with these, a non-magnetic SMT ground state was not observable in the new complexes utilising conventional magnetometry. Spectroscopic confirmation of toroic properties with INS was attempted for the first time on 1 and the structurally similar SMT [Ho3(OH)2(o-dppd-d10)3Cl(H2O)5]. The observed intensity of a broad Lorentzian at 0.69(1) meV for [Ho3(OH)2(o-dppd)3Cl(H2O)5] and 0.44(1) meV for 1, is remarkably close to the calculated energy gap ∼5 cm-1 (or 0.62 meV) and potentially provides a new probe that can validate complexes with a poorly separated toroidic ground state.

Plain Language Summary Loading of the surface of the Earth causes deformation that varies from an elastic response over short timescales—like loading and unloading a spring—to a viscous response of the underlying mantle as it flows over long timescales. The transition from elastic to viscous behavior depends on the viscosity of the mantle and can occur on timescales as short as decades in regions with low viscosity, such as the Antarctic Peninsula (AP). In the AP, variations in snow and ice accumulation over the past few decades cause displacements of the solid Earth measurable by Global Positioning System (GPS). It is commonly assumed that these are elastic displacements, but in this study, we show that a model‐predicted viscoelastic response fits the GPS‐observed displacement time series better than an elastic‐only model. We can place bounds on the upper mantle viscosity from our modeling, which shows lower mantle viscosity in the northern AP than in the mid‐to southern AP. Accounting for the viscoelastic response to snow and ice accumulation could increase resulting GPS‐estimated uplift rates by up to 3 mm/yr.

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes is associated with elevated large artery stiffening, but arterial stiffening may also precede the development of type 2 diabetes. Whether the change in arterial stiffness over time is associated with dysglycemia across the entire spectrum of blood glucose concentration is unknown. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to quantify the association between the change in arterial stiffness (exposure) and glycemic concentration (outcome). METHODS Within the prospective WHS II (Whitehall II Study), arterial stiffness was first measured in the 2007/09 examination round (baseline for the current study) and again in 2012/13, using the noninvasive, gold-standard method of carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV). Change in cfPWV was determined as cfPWV in 2012/13-cfPWV−cfPWV in 2007/09. Fasting blood glucose concentrations were measured at baseline (2007/09) and follow-up in 2012/13 and 2015/16. RESULTS There were 2632 participants without prior type 2 diabetes and cfPWV measured at 2 timepoints with follow-up in 2012/13 and 2282 with follow-up in 2015/16. Greater change in cfPWV was associated with significantly higher fasting glucose concentration at follow-up in 2012/13 and 2015/16 independently of confounders including cfPWV and fasting glucose levels at baseline ( P <0.001 for both). Greater change in cfPWV was significantly and independently associated with a greater change in fasting glucose concentration over the same period (2007/09–2012/13) and beyond (2007/09–2015/16). CONCLUSIONS Minimizing premature arterial stiffening over time could be a valuable strategy for the prevention of glucose dysregulation and overt type 2 diabetes.

Hypertension is the most common problem managed in Australian general practice, yet most adults with hypertension do not have their blood pressure (BP) treated to target. Hypertension diagnosis and management rely upon accurate BP measurements performed using a standardised protocol. However, health system barriers prevent doctors from following measurement protocols, leading to inaccurate BP assessments. A practical BP measurement protocol that can be widely implemented is urgently warranted. Automated office BP (AOBP) is the recommended measurement standard for the diagnosis and management of hypertension. AOBP involves using a validated automated upper-arm cuff BP device programmed to record multiple BP readings at set intervals starting after a rest period. It is done by a trained operator using a standardised protocol in a quiet setting with the correct patient setup, no distractions, and in the absence of a doctor. The device automatically calculates the average of the AOBP recordings and this is comparable to the 24-h ambulatory BP daytime mean. The hypertension threshold based on AOBP is 135/85 mmHg. AOBP can also be applied in other community settings (e.g. pharmacies), provided all the above criteria are met along with communication of results to the person's usual general practitioner. In Australia, nation-wide systematic implementation of evidence based AOBP measurement is strongly recommended. This standardised approach will support healthcare professionals, especially general practitioners, in obtaining high-quality BP values with increasing confidence in clinical decision-making. Policy and practice changes, to address barriers and provide enabling mechanisms for sustained implementation of AOBP, are required.

Background Hesperocyparis macrocarpa (Hartw.) Bartel 2009 is a versatile hardwood species that exhibits a morphological resemblance to Cupressus tonkinensis , a threatened and endemic species in Vietnam. Because of the near depletion of its gene pool, conservation and development programs for C. tonkinensis have been initiated. As part of these efforts, Cypress has been introduced and cultivated in Vietnam. In this study, the chloroplast (cp) genome of H. macrocarpa was assembled and characterized for the first time. Methods The leaves of H. macrocarpa were collected from Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. Genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted using a commercial purification kit, and sequencing was performed using a BGISEQ-50 sequencer. The obtained reads were assembled de novo using NOVOPlasty, and gene annotation was conducted using MITOS2. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on the IQ-TREE webserver using the maximum likelihood method based on the protein-coding genes (PCGs). Results The complete cp genome of H. macrocarpa was 126,916 base pair in length, consisting of 110 genes in total, including 83 PCGs, 33 transfer RNA genes, and 4 Ribosomal RNA genes. Inverted repeat regions were absent from the H. macrocarpa cp genome. The overall guanine–cytosine content was 34.7%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that H. macrocarpa was the earliest divergent species in the Hesperocyparis genus. Conclusion This study provided the first cp genome of H. macrocarpa and enriched the genetic resources of the Hesperocyparis genus. The plastome data provided valuable insights for genetic research across various fields, including evolutionary phylogenetics, taxonomy, conservation, and DNA barcoding for species identification.

Qualitative research methods play a central role in pain and health research, especially in enhancing understandings of lived experiences. This article focuses on the experiences of a researcher living with a chronic pain condition completing in-depth qualitative interviews exploring knee pain and osteoarthritis experiences, treatment and management. Using a collaborative autoethnographic approach, the article considers how the lived experience of the researcher (i.e. I), as a person living with pain and (dis)ability, impacted the research process. To do so, the research team (i.e. we) critically reflect on three important moments in interviews with participants and introduce the notion of hyperembodiment to explore responses that the research process elicited for the researcher. We advocate for hyperembodied reflexive approaches in qualitative research and outline the importance of researcher-centred ethics-of-care frameworks more broadly in health research, and especially in studies involving people with lived experiences of health conditions as researchers.

An extensive literature and debate exist on how and why temperature impacts animal, and especially ectotherm, body sizes. However, there remain considerable discrepancies and misunderstandings in the key definitions and concepts of body size used to describe observed temperature impacts across studies. For fish and other animals that continue growing throughout life, body size can be defined as size‐at‐maturity, adult size, asymptotic size, maximum observed size, population‐averaged length or mass, or average size‐at‐(arbitrary)‐age. These concepts of size are not equivalent, and temperature is likely to affect each in different ways. Some disagreement about temperature impacts on fish body sizes might relate to the different body size and growth metrics used, especially when combined with different biological scales (individual, population, or community) and empirical contexts (laboratory, field). Here, we review six common confusions associated with the measurement of “size” in fish and other water‐breathing ectotherms and recommend consistent and accurate use of terms and methodology to ensure that studies of global warming impacts on fish sizes can be compared and interpreted unequivocally.

By studying deep‐sea drilled records from the North Atlantic Ocean, several magnetic instabilities of short duration, such as the Iceland Basin (188 ka), the Björn (1,255 ka) and the Gardar (1,460 ka) excursions, were discovered. These records have contributed to our understanding of Earth's magnetic field and are the foundation of the Geomagnetic Instability Time Scale (GITS) in the Quaternary. Here, we present the magnetostratigraphy from Sites U1555 (0 to ∼2.7 Ma) and U1563 (0 to ∼5.2 Ma) drilled during the International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 395C on the eastern side of the modern Mid‐Atlantic Ridge (∼60°N, 20–30°W). Shipboard paleomagnetic and microfossil data provided a preliminary age model, extending the regional record to 3.4 Ma. The Virtual Geomagnetic Pole latitudes from archive halves, corroborated with data from discrete samples, were used to build a high‐resolution magnetostratigraphy, which contained the expected Brunhes and Matuyama Chrons and their respective Subchrons. We also identified most of the magnetic events reported in the GITS, including the less well‐documented ones, such as Osaka, Kamitzukara, Huckleberry Ridge, Reunion, Gardar, Halawa and L4 events. The high‐resolution magnetostratigraphy from Sites U1555 and U1563 is compared with two previous legacy sites and contributes toward an increasingly robust GITS, expanding its use as a correlation and dating tool.

On shallow rocky and coral reefs, cultural and recreational values, like aesthetics, are critical aspects of Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP) that support human well-being and provide billions of dollars in tourism revenue. Quantifying the aesthetic value of reef ecosystems and uncovering the conditions that enhance it could support NCP-based management. Here, we combine a global dataset of reef fish surveys, species-level aesthetic values, and causal modeling to assess the global status and drivers of reef fish assemblage aesthetic value. We find that aesthetic value is inherently linked to species richness, displaying a latitudinal gradient with peaks in the tropics, but varies strongly with the presence of exceptionally beautiful or less-beautiful species. Sea surface temperature, primary productivity, human gravity, and protection status are the strongest drivers of assemblage-level aesthetic value. Protection against human impacts consistently enhances aesthetic value by boosting taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity, and this effect is greatest in species-rich, tropical ecoregions. Economic development has little influence, indicating that low-income countries are not constrained from maintaining beautiful fish assemblages. Our results therefore suggest that marine protected areas (MPAs) can support multiple NCPs simultaneously, particularly in developing tropical countries. While we highlight the effectiveness of MPAs, given the low level of marine protection globally and the sensitivity of aesthetic value to environmental conditions, the beauty of the world’s reefs appears severely threatened. Aesthetic value should be immediately integrated into reef conservation and management plans.

Avian fatalities caused by collisions with overhead power lines are an important conservation issue worldwide. Although mitigation strategies can help reduce mortalities, given their considerable cost and the vast scale of power line infrastructure, cost‐effective action requires that these efforts be prioritised to areas with the highest potential risk to birds. To date, this risk assessment has usually been guided by potentially biased information on the location of recorded fatalities. Here we use 6 years of GPS‐tracking data from endangered Tasmanian wedge‐tailed eagles to develop an alternative approach to risk assessment: fine‐scale spatial risk models based on behavioural analyses. We built and cross‐validated a model that generates spatially explicit predictions of the probability that eagles would cross power lines at hazardous altitudes throughout the entire Tasmanian electricity distribution network. In our model, the probability of power line crossings was most strongly associated with the proportion of open habitat, forest edges, rural residential developments, wet forest and freshwater sources in the area surrounding the power lines. Cross‐validation indicated that the model effectively predicted where Tasmanian wedge‐tailed eagles cross power lines at low altitude. Model validation suggested our approach was a powerful predictor of the locations of power line collisions involving eagles. The locations of almost all (94%) confirmed eagle fatalities were in the half of the total Tasmanian power line area assigned the higher risk by the model, and 50% of incidents occurred in the 20% of the power line area estimated to be highest risk. Synthesis and applications. Our study illustrates a framework for using bird movement data to provide insights into avian behaviour and the risk they encounter around power line infrastructure. Electricity delivery industries can use these models to identify the electrical infrastructure that poses the highest risk to avian survival and prioritise mitigation efforts, thereby optimising the benefit of investments to reduce detrimental effects on biodiversity. Our model can inform pre‐emptive mitigation across Tasmania's 20,310 km of distribution infrastructure to meet management targets aiming to reduce the negative effects of power lines on the Tasmanian wedge‐tailed eagle.

Australian peat-forming wetlands are some of the most biodiverse in Oceania. King Island, the second largest offshore island from mainland Tasmania, has the largest Ramsar-wetland area in Tasmania—the Lavinia State Reserve (LSR). The reserve has been under threat of peat loss from swamps over past decades due to wildfires, deforestation and drainage. To provide a framework and baseline to assess the resilience or susceptibility to future climate change and fire impacts at the LSR, we apply a palaeoecological approach to understand Holocene peat dynamics in two different LSR wetlands. This contributes to resolving the dynamics and rate of peat loss, thereby assisting in prioritising areas for further swamp conservation actions. Both LSR wetlands were once lakes, and peat accumulation only started due to terrestrialisation during a period of low water levels and drought in the Mid-Holocene. Fires have resulted in the loss of at least 4000 years' worth of accumulated peat in the largest peat-forming swamp, with the greatest loss likely linked to summer fires in the LSR in the 2000s. This finding shows the long-term vulnerability of the LSR wetlands to climate and fire impact, underscoring the need for effective fire management to conserve the remaining peat through fire control and careful hydrological management.

Background Athletes with strong sports nutrition knowledge are believed to have sound nutritional practices and better performance. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a dual-method personalized nutrition education program in improving sports nutrition knowledge (SNK) among Sri Lankan track and field athletes. Methods This parallel-group, randomized controlled trial recruited national-level track and field athletes aged 18 and above. The intervention group (IG) received personalized sports nutrition consultations at 0, 4th, and 8th weeks, along with online educational materials via WhatsApp from weeks 10 to 16, while the control group (CG) did not receive any intervention. A per-protocol analysis was followed, and t-tests were used to compare the means. Results Of the 30 participants enrolled, 13 from IG and 14 from CG completed the study. Following the 16-week intervention, the IG demonstrated significant improvements in total nutrition knowledge (TNK) relative to the CG (IG: 34.41 ± 4.15 vs. CG: 20.96 ± 4.38; p = 0.01), with significant increases in general nutrition knowledge (GNK) (IG:24.54 ± 3.66 vs. CG:15.64 ± 2.33; p = 0.004) and SNK (9.87 ± 3.87 vs. 5.32 ± 4.07; p = 0.006). Changes in TNK were also significantly greater in the IG compared to the CG; (IG:9.45 ± 0.10 vs. CG: −2.63 ± 0.37; p < 0.0001), GNK (IG:4.47 ± 0.08 vs. CG: −1.28 ± 0.09; p < 0.0001), and SNK (IG:4.99 ± 0.72 vs. CG: −1.25 ± 0.74; p < 0.0001). Conclusions The 16-week dual-method nutrition education intervention was effective in improving TNK, GNK, and SNK among track and field athletes in Sri Lanka. Trial registration This trial is registered at the Sri Lanka Clinical Trials Registry (SLCTR/2024/013), Universal Trial Number (UTN): U1111–1304–8890 on 10 April 2024.

Microplastic (MP; plastic particles < 5 mm) pollution is pervasive in the marine environment, generating interest in their prevalence, fate, and associated environmental threats. The diversity of MPs poses complex analytical challenges in isolating these particles from their sample medium for data analysis. Here, we present an efficient methodology for isolating suspected MPs in sea ice at high sample volumes (liters) with respect to filters being used for micro-Fourier-Transform Infrared (µFTIR) spectroscopy. Our approach is novel in that it employs sand filtration for faster sample size reduction and oxidative digestion to reduce concurrent biological matter while leaving polymers unaltered for µFTIR spectroscopy and automated polymer analysis. Demonstrated on five sea-ice cores with varying levels of biomass from the East Antarctica, we identified 369 MPs, with a mean concentration of 67.4 particles L⁻¹ (2.3 × 10⁷ μm³ L⁻¹ assuming spherical dimensions) and sample concentrations ranging from 4 to 116.4 particles L⁻¹. Fourteen polymer types were identified, including those most common in marine samples (polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, polyamide). Over 80% of the isolated MPs were ≤ 1000 µm².

Objectives This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the effect on blood pressure – measured as changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) using standardised measurement methods – of substituting sodium salt with other edible salts (e.g. potassium chloride, magnesium chloride) in people with diabetes mellitus.

Conservation translocations are increasingly important for threatened species management. Translocations can achieve a range of positive conservation outcomes, such as recovering or expanding the range of a threatened species or increasing the size and genetic diversity of a population. The eastern quoll—a mesopredator extirpated from mainland Australia and declining across the island of Tasmania—is a species in need of conservation intervention, with captive to wild translocation at the forefront of current management techniques. However, efforts thus far have focused on reintroduction onto mainland Australia, rather than addressing the ongoing declines experienced by extant Tasmanian populations. To begin combatting declines of Tasmanian populations, a trial reinforcement of a wild eastern quoll population was conducted in November 2020 using 20 individuals from captive populations. This trial aimed to determine whether reinforcement could bolster population size and genetic diversity, reducing the likelihood of the population entering an extinction vortex. Following the reinforcement, we assessed the contribution of translocated adults to the subsequent cohort by genotyping both local and translocated adults, as well as juveniles born the following season. This allowed us to infer juvenile parentage and assess the contribution of translocated adults to the subsequent generation. We found that none of the genotyped juvenile cohort ( n = 20) were conceived from translocated adults. Possible explanations include incomplete sampling of the juvenile cohort, age, naivety, intraspecific competition and increased rates of mortality or dispersal of translocated adults relative to the local population.