2019-20 Statewide Recreational Fishing Survey - Social and Attitudinal Results

This report presents results from Phase 3 (social and attitudinal survey; also referred to as the washup survey) of the 2019–20 statewide recreational fishing survey. The washup survey was conducted at the completion of the 12-month logbook survey (Phase 2), which is presented in the Key results report (Teixeira et al. 2021). The washup survey aimed to collect social and attitudinal data from recreational fishers on a range of fisheries topics to help inform the social dimensions of recreational fisheries management. Key results of the washup survey include: • Fishing frequency: Most fishers (70 per cent) reported a decline in fishing frequency during the logbook survey relative to the previous five years. • Satisfaction with fishing: Overall fishing satisfaction was high, with 70 per cent of fishers reporting that they were satisfied with fishing during the previous 12 months. • Catch orientation: Most fishers were not highly catch-oriented, suggesting that people went fishing for more reasons than to just catch fish. • Centrality of fishing to lifestyle: Most fishers agreed that while fishing is highly enjoyable, other recreational activities are also important and socialising with friends is not reliant on fishing. • Stocked Impoundments: 22 per cent of fishers stated that they had fished in a stocked impoundment at any time. • Biosecurity: 50 per cent of fishers said that they recalled hearing advice to not use supermarket prawns as bait. • Vessel ownership: 53 per cent of fishing households owned a boat, kayak or jet ski. • Information: Friends and family were the most common source of fishing information. • Engagement with Fisheries Queensland: Over 75 per cent of fishers were extremely satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their engagement with Fisheries Queensland. 78 per cent of fishers stated that Fisheries Queensland was very genuine or somewhat genuine about engaging with recreational fishers. • Management performance: 53 per cent of fishers thought that Fisheries Queensland does a good job managing Queensland’s fisheries. • Management strategies: When asked where money should be spent on recreational fisheries, over half of fishers mentioned fish stocking programs and fisheries science. 76 per cent of fishers thought that management should be based on fisheries science. • Enforcement: 27 per cent of fishers mentioned the need to improve compliance and enforcement of regulations

2019/20 Statewide Recreational Fishing Survey Key Results

This report presents the key results from Phase 1 and Phase 2 components of the 2019/20 Statewide Recreational Fishing Survey. The social aspects of the washup survey results (Phase 3) will be reported separately. The survey commenced in early 2019 with a screening survey (Phase 1). The screening survey used telephone interviews to speak to over 9 000 households in Queensland. Households were selected from landline and mobile phone sampling frames. The screening survey was done to recruit fishing households into a 12-month logbook survey (Phase 2) and estimate the number of fishers in Queensland in the 12 months prior to the survey based on their recalled activity. The logbook survey ran from 29 April 2019 to 28 April 2020 and collected data on catch, effort and expenditure. This survey estimated that approximately 943,000 Queenslanders went recreational fishing in Queensland in the 12 months prior to the survey based on recalled fishing trips. It also estimated that approximately 660,000 fishers went fishing during the 12 month logbook survey based on reported fishing events. The survey estimated that Queensland residents fished on 2.8 million days (± 158 000 days), most of which occurred in south-east waters. Whiting (sand whiting complex and whiting unspecified) were the most commonly harvested fish. Queensland fishers spent approximately $630 000 000 on recreational fishing items and activities during the 12-month survey. These data will contribute to assessments of the sustainability of fisheries and the economic contribution of recreation fishing by Queenslanders. Additional information is available on the Fisheries Queensland website (www.daf.qld.gov.au)

Parental Perspective: Toddlers with Clefts Using Touch Screen Technology

This investigation assessed the parental perspectives of parents of toddlers with cleft lip and palate and their use of touchscreen technology. Findings will highlight parental perspectives on touchscreen technology in early intervention with their toddler

Stock Assessment of Queensland East Coast black jewfish (Protonibea diacanthus), Australia, with data to December 2021

Black jewfish (Protonibea diacanthus) are caught on the east coast of Queensland by commercial, recreational, charter and Indigenous fishers. The fishery is focused around Central Queensland, and has recently experienced a large shift in commercial effort and gear types. The species was historically considered a byproduct species within the inshore net fishery, but has now become a targeted line caught species. In Australia, black jewfish are found from Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia, north and east across Northern Australia, to the east coast of Queensland. Research suggests that stocks cover hundreds of kilometres. This is the first stock assessment of the Queensland East Coast stock. The stock assessment was conducted on calendar years and included input data through to December 2021. Eight model scenarios were run, covering different combinations of recreational dead catch and population steepness (productivity parameter). Base case (preferred) scenario results suggested that biomass declined gradually from the 1940s to the 1980s and has increased slightly since then. The spawning stock level at the beginning of 2022 for base-case scenarios was estimated to be between 56% and 99% with a median estimate of 79%. The estimates from other scenarios ranged from 80% to 92%. Despite high uncertainty around the exact level of biomass, the model outputs indicate that the biomass is probably at or above the target reference point of 60% unfished biomass

Surface modification of a POSS-nanocomposite material to enhance cellular integration of a synthetic bioscaffold

AbstractPolyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane poly(carbonate-urea) urethane (POSS-PCU) is a versatile nanocomposite biomaterial with growing applications as a bioscaffold for tissue engineering. Integration of synthetic implants with host tissue can be problematic but could be improved by topographical modifications. We describe optimization of POSS-PCU by dispersion of porogens (sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), sodium chloride (NaCl) and sucrose) onto the material surface, with the principle aim of increasing surface porosity, thus providing additional opportunities for improved cellular and vascular ingrowth. We assess the effect of the porogens on the material's mechanical strength, surface chemistry, wettability and cytocompatibilty. Surface porosity was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). There was no alteration in surface chemistry and wettability and only modest changes in mechanical properties were detected. The size of porogens correlated well with the porosity of the construct produced and larger porogens improved interconnectivity of spaces within constructs. Using primary human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) we demonstrate moderate in vitro cytocompatibility for all surface modifications; however, larger pores resulted in cellular aggregation. These cells were able to differentiate on POSS-PCU scaffolds. Implantation of the scaffold in vivo demonstrated that larger pore sizes favor cellular integration and vascular ingrowth. These experiments demonstrate that surface modification with large porogens can improve POSS-PCU nanocomposite scaffold integration and suggest the need to strike a balance between the non-porous surfaces required for epithelial coverage and the porous structure required for integration and vascularization of synthetic scaffolds in future construct design

The 2014 BFA Graduating Class Department of Visual Arts

Congratulations on the opening of this, your graduate exhibition. Your presence in this catalogue not only celebrates your achievements while you’ve been with us, but also serves to signal your transition to the next chapter of your life and career. Whatever your goals, whatever your desire in life, it is my hope that your studies with the visual arts program serve you well, that you continue to explore, search, question, and, it is also my hope that you keep making art. The Division of Fine Arts is extremely proud of all its graduates and this catalogue, and your presence in it, will serve as a reminder over the years that you were here, and that you made a contribution and a difference to the visual arts program. All the very best and please keep in touch

Single-cell multi-omics analysis of the immune response in COVID-19

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

European soybean to benefit people and the environment.

Europe imports large amounts of soybean that are predominantly used for livestock feed, mainly sourced from Brazil, USA and Argentina. In addition, the demand for GM-free soybean for human consumption is project to increase. Soybean has higher protein quality and digestibility than other legumes, along with high concentrations of isoflavones, phytosterols and minerals that enhance the nutritional value as a human food ingredient. Here, we examine the potential to increase soybean production across Europe for livestock feed and direct human consumption, and review possible effects on the environment and human health. Simulations and field data indicate rainfed soybean yields of 3.1 ± 1.2 t ha-1 from southern UK through to southern Europe (compared to a 3.5 t ha-1 average from North America). Drought-prone southern regions and cooler northern regions require breeding to incorporate stress-tolerance traits. Literature synthesized in this work evidenced soybean properties important to human nutrition, health, and traits related to food processing compared to alternative protein sources. While acknowledging the uncertainties inherent in any modelling exercise, our findings suggest that further integrating soybean into European agriculture could reduce GHG emissions by 37-291 Mt CO2e year-1 and fertiliser N use by 0.6-1.2 Mt year-1, concurrently improving human health and nutrition

A Fluorescent Glycolipid-Binding Peptide Probe Traces Cholesterol Dependent Microdomain-Derived Trafficking Pathways

10.1371/journal.pone.0002933PLoS ONE38

Allele-Specific HLA Loss and Immune Escape in Lung Cancer Evolution

Immune evasion is a hallmark of cancer. Losing the ability to present neoantigens through human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loss may facilitate immune evasion. However, the polymorphic nature of the locus has precluded accurate HLA copy-number analysis. Here, we present loss of heterozygosity in human leukocyte antigen (LOHHLA), a computational tool to determine HLA allele-specific copy number from sequencing data. Using LOHHLA, we find that HLA LOH occurs in 40% of non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) and is associated with a high subclonal neoantigen burden, APOBEC-mediated mutagenesis, upregulation of cytolytic activity, and PD-L1 positivity. The focal nature of HLA LOH alterations, their subclonal frequencies, enrichment in metastatic sites, and occurrence as parallel events suggests that HLA LOH is an immune escape mechanism that is subject to strong microenvironmental selection pressures later in tumor evolution. Characterizing HLA LOH with LOHHLA refines neoantigen prediction and may have implications for our understanding of resistance mechanisms and immunotherapeutic approaches targeting neoantigens. Video Abstract [Figure presented] Development of the bioinformatics tool LOHHLA allows precise measurement of allele-specific HLA copy number, improves the accuracy in neoantigen prediction, and uncovers insights into how immune escape contributes to tumor evolution in non-small-cell lung cancer