Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Psychometrically and qualitatively validating a cross-national cumulative measure of fear-based xenophobia

.40. The result, a cross-national 5-item scale measuring fear-based xenophobia, was tested by means of the Three-step Test-Interview (Hak, Van der Veer and Jansen 2008) with 10 students in The Netherlands and 10 students in Norway. The analysis of these qualitative interviews shows that individual respondents’ criteria for the ranking of the scale items strongly depend on the way immigrants are framed. Ranking according to different levels of fear turned out to be only one criterion out of several possible ones used by individual respondents. Keywords Xenophobia . Measurement . Mokken Scale Procedure . Cross-cultural . qualitative validation . Three-Step Test-Intervie

A Bayesian Approach to Assessing Regional Climate Change Pressures on Natural Resource Conditions in the Central West of NSW, Australia

Climate change is now being acknowledged in environmental planning strategies in Australia. However, there are still difficulties in linking strategic level responses to climate change with local impacts. To date, only limited research has been conducted in predicting the effects climate change may have on meeting natural resource condition targets at regional and local levels. Recently, Catchment Action Plans (CAPs) have been developed by Catchment Management Authorities in NSW. These identify a range of natural resource management targets that are seen as achievable within the next ten years. However, the implications of climate change in meeting these targets have not yet been considered by the CMAs. In this paper, we describe a modelling approach that we have used to develop a Decision Support System (DSS) for the Central West Catchment Management Authority (CMA) in NSW. The DSS will assist the Central West Catchment Management Authority (CMA) of NSW in assessing the likelihood of meeting their existing natural resource condition targets in the context of several climate change scenarios. CAP targets in the Central West region of NSW refer to both water dependent agricultural systems and high value ecological assets that are susceptible to climate change

Alternative System Views of Climate Change in the Central West of New South Wales (Australia)

The interrelationships between humans and nature are an essential element of the culture of Aboriginal peoples. In contrast to 'western' or 'European' utilitarian views of ecosystems, Aboriginal peoples value landscapes in a more integrated and holistic style. Following European settlement of Australia, policies and actions for natural resource management resulted in fragmentation of people from their landscape and fragmentation in the management of natural resources. This contrasts with the Aboriginal people's holistic view of the land. Holistic system views are more akin to the modern approach to sustainable development of landscapes; however, our understanding and our actions in managing landscapes are still disjointed. Increasingly, the knowledge of Aboriginal people and their approaches to natural resource management (NRM) are being recognised in the governance structures of Australia. Climate change is an emerging threat to both humans and natural systems, particularly in environments already stressed by past land management practices. In this paper, we present both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal conceptual understandings of a system under the threat of climate change, and we discuss how Aboriginal knowledge can add to our understanding of climate change impacts in Australia. Our focus area is the Central West of NSW, a system with a developed rural economy and ecological values of international significance

CSIRO and land research in Papua New Guinea 1950-2000: part 1: pre-Independence

During the period 1953-69, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) conducted fourteen integrated land resource surveys in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea with the aim of identifying areas suitable for accelerated development. The resulting reconnaissance-level regional survey reports and maps provided extensive baseline information for national development planning. Related disciplinary publications expanded scientific knowledge of land resources and resource use in the wet tropics more generally. Substantial botanical collections carried out during the surveys contributed to building the Papua New Guinea (PNG) national collection at the Lae Herbarium and to the establishment of what is now the Australian National Herbarium

Evaluating the ecological benefits of management actions to complement environmental flows in river systems

Globally, many river systems are under stress due to overconsumption of water. Governments have responded with programmes to deliver environmental water to improve environmental outcomes. Although such programmes are essential, they may not be sufficient to achieve all desired environmental outcomes. The benefits of environmental water allocation may be improved using ‘complementary measures’, which are non-flow-based actions, such as infrastructure works, vegetation management and pest control. The value of complementary measures is recognised globally, but their ecological benefits are rarely well understood, either because there is limited experience with their application, or the importance of context- and location-specific factors make it difficult to generalise benefits. In this study, we developed an approach to evaluate complementary measures at different levels of detail as a mechanism to aid decision-making. For systems that require a rapid, high-level evaluation, we propose a score-based multi-criteria benefit assessment module. If more ecological detail is necessary, we outline a method based on conceptual models, expert elicitation and probability assessment. These results are used to populate a cumulative benefit assessment tool. The tool evaluates the benefits of proposed measures in the wider context by including variables such as flow, dependence on ongoing maintenance and additional ecological values. We illustrate our approach through application to the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia. As many water recovery programmes mature into their evaluation phases, there is an increasing need to evaluate the ecological benefits of including complementary measures in the toolkit available to policy makers

Managing Ambivalent Prejudices

Not all biases are equivalent, and not all biases are uniformly negative. Two fundamental dimensions differentiate stereotyped groups in cultures across the globe: status predicts perceived competence, and cooperation predicts perceived warmth. Crossing the competence and warmth dimensions, two combinations produce ambivalent prejudices: pitied groups (often traditional women or older people) appear warm but incompetent, and envied groups (often nontraditional women or outsider entrepreneurs) appear competent but cold. Case studies in ambivalent sexism, heterosexism, racism, anti-immigrant biases, ageism, and classism illustrate both the dynamics and the management of these complex but knowable prejudices