Enhancing a Permanent Sample Plot System in Natural Forests

Permanent sample plots (PSPs) provide the basis for growth models and thus determine the quality of inferences made from decision support systems for forest management. Existing plots may have been adequate in the past, but changing needs and possibilities may have made data suboptimal for present demands. Funds for the establishment of additional plots are generally limited, so supplementary sampling should be based on an optimal sampling strategy employing prior information. This case study in south-east Queensland used topoclimatic strata and existing inventory data to identify where additional PSPs should be established, so as to increase the geographical and silvicultural range of the growth data collected. Some existing PSPs in areas considered over-sampled may be abandoned

Aboriginal young people’s perspectives and experiences of accessing sexual health services and sex education in Australia: A qualitative study

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) young people seek information and access health services for their sexual health needs. This study examined Aboriginal young people’s perspectives on sexual health services and sex education in Australia. Overall, 51 Aboriginal people aged 16–26 years were interviewed by peer researchers in Sydney, Australia in 2019–2020. The findings suggest that the internet was used to assess information quickly and confidentially, but Aboriginal young people questioned its reliability and accuracy. Family, Elders and peers were seen as sources of advice because they had real-life experience and highlighted intergenerational learning that occurs in Aboriginal communities. School-based sex education programmes had mixed reviews, with a preference for programmes delivered by external specialists providing anonymity, clear and accurate information about sex and relationships and positive approaches to sex education, including how to gain consent before sex. There was a need identified for school-based programmes to better consider the needs of Aboriginal young people, including those who identified as LGBTQI +. Aboriginal Medical Services were highly valued for providing culturally safe access to services, while sexual health clinics were valued for providing specialised confidential clinical services with low levels of judgement

Realizing Opportunities in Forest Growth Modelling

The world is continually changing: the emergence of new technology and new demands for pertinent information pose new challenges and possibilities for forest management. Are forest growth models keeping up with client needs? To remain relevant, modelers need to anticipate client needs, gauge the data needed to satisfy these demands, develop the tools to collect and analyze these data efficiently, and resolve how best to deliver the resulting models and other findings. Researchers and managers should jointly identify and articulate anticipated needs for the future, and initiate action to satisfy them. New technology that offers potential for innovation in forest growth modelling include modelling software, automated data collection, and animation of model outputs. New sensors in the sky and on forest machines can routinely provide data previously considered unattainable (e.g., tree coordinates, crown dimensions), as census rather than sample data. What does this revolution in data availability imply for forest growth models, especially for our choice of driving variables

Experiment Designs to Evaluate Inter- and Intra-Specific Interactions in Mixed Plantings of Forest Trees

A review of three mixed-species trials reveals the utility of competition indices for evaluating inter- and intra-specific interactions between trees, the desirability of experiments that span a range of tree spacing and composition to inform calibration of these competition indices, the need for extremes of species composition and stand density to calibrate response surfaces, and the far-reaching impact of edge-effects. Experiment layouts commonly used for mixed-species trials in forestry (such as replacement series) rarely provide a strong basis to calibrate competition indices and response surfaces. Alternative designs involving systematic changes in species composition may offer a better basis for calibrating response surfaces, especially when used in conjunction with designs that vary tree spacing systematically. Systematic spacing designs (such as Pudden clinal plots, Marynen plaids and Nelder fans) are well established, but designs that vary composition systematically are less common. The Goelz triangle and an alternative are contrasted to illustrate how both may offer inspiration when designing trials for mixed-species research in forestry

A panel of genes methylated with high frequency in colorectal cancer

Background: The development of colorectal cancer (CRC) is accompanied by extensive epigenetic changes, including frequent regional hypermethylation particularly of gene promoter regions. Specific genes, including SEPT9, VIM1 and TMEFF2 become methylated in a high fraction of cancers and diagnostic assays for detection of cancer-derived methylated DNA sequences in blood and/or fecal samples are being developed. There is considerable potential for the development of new DNA methylation biomarkers or panels to improve the sensitivity and specificity of current cancer detection tests. Methods: Combined epigenomic methods - activation of gene expression in CRC cell lines following DNA demethylating treatment, and two novel methods of genome-wide methylation assessment - were used to identify candidate genes methylated in a high fraction of CRCs. Multiplexed amplicon sequencing of PCR products from bisulfite-treated DNA of matched CRC and non-neoplastic tissue as well as healthy donor peripheral blood was performed using Roche 454 sequencing. Levels of DNA methylation in colorectal tissues and blood were determined by quantitative methylation specific PCR (qMSP). Results: Combined analyses identified 42 candidate genes for evaluation as DNA methylation biomarkers. DNA methylation profiles of 24 of these genes were characterised by multiplexed bisulfite-sequencing in ten matched tumor/normal tissue samples; differential methylation in CRC was confirmed for 23 of these genes. qMSP assays were developed for 32 genes, including 15 of the sequenced genes, and used to quantify methylation in tumor, adenoma and non-neoplastic colorectal tissue and from healthy donor peripheral blood. 24 of the 32 genes were methylated in \u3e50% of neoplastic samples, including 11 genes that were methylated in 80% or more CRCs and a similar fraction of adenomas. Conclusions: This study has characterised a panel of 23 genes that show elevated DNA methylation in \u3e50% of CRC tissue relative to non-neoplastic tissue. Six of these genes (SOX21, SLC6A15, NPY, GRASP, ST8SIA1 and ZSCAN18) show very low methylation in non-neoplastic colorectal tissue and are candidate biomarkers for stool-based assays, while 11 genes (BCAT1, COL4A2, DLX5, FGF5, FOXF1, FOXI2, GRASP, IKZF1, IRF4, SDC2 and SOX21) have very low methylation in peripheral blood DNA and are suitable for further evaluation as blood-based diagnostic markers

Risk factors associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy within an urban indigenous population in South Western Sydney

Background: The prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in Australia's urban Indigenous women is unknown. Aim: To explore the risk factors associated with HDP for a cohort of urban Indigenous women in South-Western Sydney, Australia METHODS AND MATERIALS: This study was conducted in partnership with the Tharawal Aboriginal Medical Service (TAMS). Women (18-45 years) were recruited at the clinic and community events. The quantitative questionnaire included obstetric history, personal and family history of hypertension. Anthropometric measurements and blood pressure were conducted. Rates were compared with Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) national rates. Results: Eighty three participants completed the questionnaire. The rate of ever having HDP in a pregnancy was 36.1%. The overall ABS rate was 9.8% and for Indigenous women, 14%. The mean maternal age at first pregnancy was 20.8 years (S.D. 3.7 years). The mean body mass index (BMI) of the sample population (n=81) was 32.2kg/m2 (S.D. 9.5kg/m2 ) and BMI was not related to HDP (p = 0.197). Of those questioned, 25.3% had an individual history and 63.9% had a family history of hypertension. The effect of family history of hypertension (p = 0.020) (OR 4.29; 95%CI; 1.42-12.93) and individual history of hypertension (p<0.001) (OR 15.69; 95%CI; 4.50-54.76) were associated with HDP. Conclusion: There was a higher rate of HDP in urban indigenous women compared to the national Indigenous prevalence. The family history, or individual history of hypertension were the most significant risk factors and BMI was not identified as a risk factor for HDP in this population