Investigating the relationships between environmental stressors and stream condition using Bayesian belief networks

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/92037/1/j.1365-2427.2011.02683.x.pd

MHC gene copy number variation in Tasmanian devils: implications for the spread of a contagious cancer

Tasmanian devils face extinction owing to the emergence of a contagious cancer. Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) is a clonal cancer spread owing to a lack of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) barriers in Tasmanian devil populations. We present a comprehensive screen of MHC diversity in devils and identify 25 MHC types and 53 novel sequences, but conclude that overall levels of MHC diversity at the sequence level are low. The majority of MHC Class I variation can be explained by allelic copy number variation with two to seven sequence variants identified per individual. MHC sequences are divided into two distinct groups based on sequence similarity. DFTD cells and most devils have sequences from both groups. Twenty per cent of individuals have a restricted MHC repertoire and contain only group I or only group II sequences. Counterintuitively, we postulate that the immune system of individuals with a restricted MHC repertoire may recognize foreign MHC antigens on the surface of the DFTD cell. The implication of these results for management of DFTD and this endangered species are discussed

Pesticides and Integrated Pest Management Practice, Practicality and Policy in Australia

Policy settings influence how farmers manage pests. To successfully grow and market a crop an individual farmer has to engage in pest management. Their management strategy is subject to the relevant domestic policies. These policies are in turn shaped by international agreements concerning maximum residue levels for pesticides and the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreements on trade. Policies are designed to solicit a response by using incentives and penalties to achieve a set of social objectives. These policies create signals to which the wider domestic settings and international economies respond. Consequently the ultimate outcome from these signals may be counter to the initial design (or intention) of the policy. This chapter outlines some of the economic underpinnings required for good pest management policy and it explores why farmers respond to the same pest problem differently. The discussion will examine the national drivers behind pest management in Australia and discuss the implications for both on-farm pest management and the wider community. To enable this discussion the economics of integrated pest management is presented to articulate individual responses to a policy setting. Finally we examine the policies required to create successful area- wide management systems in rural Australia.David Adamson, Myron P Zalucki and Michael J Furlon