Threatened Trichoptera (caddisflies) from the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area

Trichoptera were collected in the Tasmanian WildernessWorld Heritage Area (WHA) between November 1998 and February 1999 using automatic UV light traps, sweep nets and aquatic hand-picking. The surveys targeted the four species listed on the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 which had been recorded from the WHA: Taskiria mccubbini, Taskiropsyche lacustris (both endangered), Orphninotrichia maculata (rare) and Oxyethira mienica (rare). In total 88 species were identified, approximately half of the 174 species now known from Tasmania. Taskiria mccubbini and Taskiropsyche lacustris were recorded for the fi rst time since they were first collected from the original Lake Pedder in 1965. Orphninotrichia maculatawas recorded from a new location. Diplectrona Iyella (rare) was recorded from two widely separated sites and is a new threatened species record for the WHA. One species ofEcnomidae was newly recorded from Tasmania

Indigenous fruit trees and fruits in Zimbabwe: some preliminary results from a survey 1993-94

A research survey on the trees and nutritious value of the indigenous fruits of Zimbabwe.Indigenous fruits have long been collected from the wild and formed part of the diet. Their importance is greatest in drought seasons because of the drought tolerance of the trees which bear them. As part of a programme on the development of drought- tolerant fruit tree crops a survey on indigenous fruits was conducted in 1993/94 with the help of the Agricultural Technical and Extension Services (AGRITEX). Uapaca kirkiana (Shona: muzhanje) and Strychnos species (Shona: mutamba, muzhumwi, man’ono, and hakwa) were found in almost all natural regions. Ziziphus mauritiana (Shona: musau) was confined to parts of Mashonaland. Sclerocarya birrea (Shona: mupfura or shomho) was mainly found in the drier areas. Most of the indigenous fruit trees are found in forests or grazing areas but the popularity of Ziziphus mauritiana, Azanza garkeana (Shona: mutohwe) Uapaca kirkiana, Strychnos sp., Ximenia sp., (Shona: tsvanzva or nhengeni) Ficus sp. and Vangueriopsis lanciflora (Shona: muganacha) is shown by their frequent presence around homesteads and in the main cultivated fields. Ziziphus mauritiana, Uapaca kirkiana and Berchemia (Shona: nyii) fruits are sold on local markets. The seasons of the fruits availability is spread throughout the year e.g. Ziziphus in winter, Uapaca, some Ficus and Strychnos in the spring and early summer and Vangueria and Sclerocarya in late summer and autumn. Azanza is eaten in summer in Natural Region (NR) V and in winter and winter-spring in NR III and IV. Despite their consumption most of the people surveyed were less interested in the indigenous fruits than in the conventional exotic fruits. The perceived disadvantages of the indigenous fruits were: 1. Difficulties in propagation 2. Lack of improved planting material: a low proportion of flesh to seed and low yields 3. A long period before the trees come into crop and slow growth rate 4. Lack of production information 5. Free availability in the forests discourages planting. 6. A poor “image” and low demand In contrast some respondents pointed out the following advantages: 1. Ease of establishment 2. Adaptation to the harsh environment 3. Minimal management requirements 4. Some fruit trees are fast growing and high yielding with a good demand for the fruits 5. The trees are multiple-purpose and their use could help preserve the environment. This survey-derived information is being used in the development of a research programme which includes work on selection of improved genotypes and on propagation methods

Professorial roles: a study of the professorial populations within nursing and midwifery, social work and allied health professions

The professorial populations in nursing/midwifery, social work and allied health are relatively new in academia compared to longer established professions such as medicine and dentistry. Less is known about the roles, career pathways, characteristics and career aspirations of the professoriate within these emerging professions. A survey was undertaken from sample populations in each of the three professorial groups in order to obtain qualitative and quantitative data on professorial roles and activities, career pathway information and support mechanisms for professorial positions. This paper discusses the findings of the survey which relate specifically to professorial roles and activities and whether the identified roles reflect the professorial activities proposed by the National Conference of University Professors (NCUP) Other aspects of this survey including career pathways, findings relating to gender and support mechanisms will form the basis of future papers. Result

Transpleural systemic artery-pulmonary artery communications in the absence of chronic inflammatory lung disease. A case series and review of the literature

AIM: To describe the causes and computed tomography (CT) and angiographic appearances of transpleural systemic artery-pulmonary artery shunts in patients without chronic inflammatory lung disease and determine their best management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients referred to a tertiary referral unit between January 2013 and January 2020 in whom a diagnosis of a systemic-pulmonary artery communication without underlying chronic inflammatory lung disease was subsequently made have been included in this report. Medical records and imaging findings were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Ten patients (male: female ratio = 7:3; median age 42 years [range 22-70 years]) with systemic artery-pulmonary artery shunts without chronic inflammatory lung disease were identified. Five were misdiagnosed as having a pulmonary arteriovenous malformation and had been referred for embolisation. In six patients, there was either a history of accidental or iatrogenic thoracic trauma or of inflammatory disease involving the pleura, and in two patients, in whom a previous medical history could not be obtained, there were CT features suggesting previous pleural inflammatory disease. Two shunts were thought to be congenital. All individuals were asymptomatic other than one with localised thoracic discomfort that dated from the time of surgery. All patients were managed conservatively and have remained well with a median follow-up of 4.5 years (range 1-11.3 years). CONCLUSIONS: Localised transpleural systemic artery-pulmonary artery shunts in the absence of chronic inflammatory lung disease are usually related to previous thoracic trauma/intervention or abdominal or pulmonary sepsis involving a pleural or diaphragmatic surface. Congenital shunts are rare. The present study and much of the literature supports conservative management

Transcriptome-wide analysis reveals different categories of response to a standardised immune challenge in a wild rodent

Individuals vary in their immune response and, as a result, some are more susceptible to infectious disease than others. Little is known about the nature of this individual variation in natural populations, or which components of immune pathways are most responsible, but defining this underlying landscape of variation is an essential first step to understanding the drivers of this variation and, ultimately, predicting the outcome of infection. We describe transcriptome-wide variation in response to a standardised immune challenge in wild field voles. We find that markers can be categorised into a limited number of types. For the majority of markers, the response of an individual is dependent on its baseline expression level, with significant enrichment in this category for conventional immune pathways. Another, moderately sized, category contains markers for which the responses of different individuals are also variable but independent of their baseline expression levels. This category lacks any enrichment for conventional immune pathways. We further identify markers which display particularly high individual variability in response, and could be used as markers of immune response in larger studies. Our work shows how a standardised challenge performed on a natural population can reveal the patterns of natural variation in immune response

Is there an association between the use of complementary medicine and vaccine uptake: Results of a pilot study

© 2018 The Author(s). Objective: Despite the incredible success of paediatric immunisation, support is not universal. It has been suggested that complementary medicine practitioners enable vaccine rejection and his study aims to explore the relationship between complementary medicine use and paediatric vaccination. A total of 149 Australian parents were recruited via a parenting website and Facebook groups to complete an online questionnaire. Results: The majority of parents (66.4%) stated that their children's vaccination status was up-to-date. Vaccination status was associated with parental education, area of residence, income, private health insurance, and having a Health Care Card (p < 0.05). Children's vaccinations were more likely to be up-to-date if they had consulted a general practitioner in the previous 12 months (OR 21.75; p < 0.001), and less likely to be up-to-date if they had consulted a complementary medicine practitioner (OR 0.10; p < 0.001) in the same period. Concerns about vaccine safety and efficacy were the most common reasons for a child's immunisation status not being up-to-date. These findings highlight an interface between lower vaccine uptake and visits to complementary medicine practitioners. These results emphasise the need to examine the routine paediatric care practices of complementary medicine practitioners as a crucial piece of the puzzle in understanding vaccine rejection

High pressure Raman, optical absorption, and resistivity study of SrCrO4

We studied the electronic and vibrational properties of monazite-type SrCrO4 under compression. The study extended the pressure range of previous studies from 26 to 58 GPa. The existence of two previously reported phase transitions was confirmed at 9 and 14 GPa, and two new phase transitions were found at 35 and 48 GPa. These transitions involve several changes in the vibrational and transport properties with the new high-pressure phases having a conductivity lower than that of the previously known phases. No evidence of chemical decomposition or metallization of SrCrO4 was detected. A tentative explanation for the reported observations is discussed