Navigating VET to university: Students' perceptions of their transition to university study

<p><em>This paper examines preliminary findings from research into the transition experiences of students entering university through a VET pathway. Participants’ responses obtained in an online survey are analysed to explore their perceptions of how their VET background influenced their transition, including their expectations and adjustment to university. Findings indicate that participants are largely experiencing transition as a positive experience, but in particular those who perceived their VET background as very influential on their transition have significantly higher levels of adjustment and fulfilled expectations. The survey is part of a larger research project including focus groups and interviews that will allow a deeper analysis of students’ experiences. The research also aims to contribute to a deeper conceptual understanding of the transition process. </em></p><p> </p

Innovating transcriptomics for practitioners in freshwater fish management and conservation: best practices across diverse resource-sector users

Thriving freshwater fish populations contribute to people’s economic prosperity and wellbeing. Yet, freshwater fish populations are in critical condition around the globe. Most stressors to freshwater fishes, fisheries, and culture stem from habitat impacts, water-quality issues, and aquatic invasive species. Logistical difficulties of monitoring fish health are compounded by the limitations of conventional (capture-based) sampling methods, which provide only a temporal “snapshot” and generate data lacking in sensitivity and prognostic ability. Here, we propose an innovative genomics approach to develop a health toolkit that will allow resource-sector users to determine the health status of freshwater fishes, including their coping capacity, to environmental stressors. The stress-response transcription profile (STP)-chip is a suite of quantitative gene transcription assays that represents key gene pathways broadly associated with fish functional responses to environmental stress; therefore, the differential expression of well-selected genes can provide sensitive fish-health status indicators. Despite the scientific achievement of using genomics tools, actualizing the toolkit in practice is only successful if resource-sector users have full buy-in. We present seven case studies representing different practitioners and resource users – Indigenous rightsholders, environmental consultants (industry), commercial aquaculture, environmental charities (ENGO), and fishery commissions and managers (government) where each explores the benefits and risks associated with the adoption of a genomics fish-health toolkit. Using a co-production approach, wherein practitioners and resource users are engaged from the outset, these case studies reveal translational pathways that would be needed to overcome barriers to technological adoption and, hence, accelerate the responsible uptake of genomics-based applications in fisheries assessment, management, and conservation

Field Studies Reveal Strong Postmating Isolation between Ecologically Divergent Butterfly Populations

A mismatch between hybrid butterflies and their ecological environment restricts gene flow between populations that feed on different host plants, highlighting the potential importance of a seldom-studied mechanism of reproductive isolation

Calibration and evaluation of the Lemaitre damage model using axial- torsion fatigue tests on five engineering alloys

The Lemaitre damage model is evaluated using fatigue test data from five engineering alloys: 1045 steel, 16MnR steel, 7075-T651 Al alloy, extruded AZ61A Mg alloy, and extruded AZ31B Mg alloy. Tension-compression, torsion, proportional axial-torsion, and 90° out-of-phase axial-torsion loadings were investigated. The results show that the overall accuracy of the fatigue life estimates made by using the Lemaitre model is comparable to those obtained by fatigue models that require the definition of a loading cycle. A simple and effective method is described for determining the material constants of the Lemaitre model

Sea grass trials in salt land battle

The science behind a new salt-tolerant wheat may unlock hundreds of thousands of hectares of salt-affected farmland across the Wheatbelt. Agriculture Department principal research officer, Dr Ed Barrett-Lennard, who is also the Future Farm Industries CRC program manager, said that the project had performed well over the past six years in greenhouse trials to now graduate to a field trial. Westonia is one of the most salt waterlogging-tolerant grasses in Western Australia. Agriculture Department project leader Tim Colmer and University of Adelaide cytogeneticist Dr Rafiq Islam were the pioneers of this work. A sub-article titled: Salty wheat crop could be peppered with other plants, discusses the new Grains Research and Development Corporation funded salt-tolerant wheat variety which may be used with a combination of plants across the Wheatbelt. Dr Barrett-Lennard said the trial to be held at Lake Grace was a high priority project. This article contains an image of Dr Ed Barrett-Lennard holding a potted Westonia wheat and a sea barley grass. PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to provide a public view of this newspaper article as the copyright is held by the publisher of Farm Weekly. If you would like to obtain a copy of this newspaper article for research purposes, please ‘request a copy'. This article is part of the WISALTS (Whittington Interceptor Sustainable Agriculture Land Treatment Society Incorporated) Collection