Learning to Look -Purpose and Design of an Awareness- Raising Online Course in Veterinary Sciences

Abstract. This paper reports on a work in progress: an online self-instruction course created to stimulate students' awareness processes when dealing with pictures. Using non-clinical material, the "Learning to Look" course was designed as a preliminary training to the observation of histological sections, radiological graphs, and other specialized visual material. Following a presentation of the project, salient results of a feedback questionnaire completed by 382 students about their experience of the course are provided

Crop Updates 2008 - Farming Systems

This session covers thirty nine papers from different authors: PLENARY 1. Developments in grain end use, Dr John de Majnik, New Grain Products, GRDC, Mr Paul Meibusch, New Farm Products and Services, GRDC, Mr Vince Logan, New Products Executive Manager, GRDC PRESENTATIONS 2. Global warming potential of wheat production in Western Australia: A life cycle assessment, Louise Barton1, Wahid Biswas2 and Daniel Carter3, 1School of Earth & Geographical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 2Centre of Excellence in Cleaner Production, Division of Science and Engineering, Curtin University of Technology, 3Department of Agriculture and Food 3. How much fuel does your farm use for different farm operations? Nicolyn Short1, Jodie Bowling1, Glen Riethmuller1, James Fisher2 and Moin Salam1, 1Department of Agriculture and Food, 2Muresk Institute, Curtin University of Technology 4. Poor soil water storage and soil constraints are common in WA cropping soils, Stephen Davies, Jim Dixon, Dennis Van Gool and Alison Slade, Department of Agriculture and Food, Bob Gilkes, School of Earth and Geographical Sciences, University of Western Australia 5. Developing potential adaptations to climate change for low rainfall farming system using economic analysis tool. STEP, Megan Abrahams, Caroline Peek, Dennis Van Gool, Daniel Gardiner and Kari-Lee Falconer, Department of Agriculture and Food 6. What soil limitations affect the profitability of claying on non-wetting sandplain soils? David Hall1, Jeremy Lemon1, Harvey Jones1, Yvette Oliver2 and Tania Butler1, 1Department of Agriculture and Food, 2CSIRO Div Sustainable Ecology, Perth 7. Farming systems adapting to a variable climate; Two case studies, Kari-Lee Falconer, Department of Agriculture and Food 8. Importance of accounting for variation in crop yield potential when making fertiliser decisions, Michael Robertson and Yvette Oliver, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Floreat 9. Soil acidity is a widespread problem across the Avon River Basin, Stephen Carr1, Chris Gazey2, David York1 and Joel Andrew1, 1Precision SoilTech, 2Department of Agriculture and Food 10. The use of soil testing kits and ion-selective electrodes for the analysis of plant available nutrients in Western Australian soils, Michael Simeoni and Bob Gilkes School of Earth and Geographical Sciences, University of Western Australia 11. Redlegged earth mite resistance and integrated strategies for their control in Western Australia, Mangano G. Peter and Micic Svetlana, Department of Agriculture and Food 12. The economics of treating soil pH (liming), Chris Gazey, Steve Davies, Dave Gartner and Adam Clune, Department of Agriculture and Food, 13. Health benefits – A future differentiator for high value grains, Matthew Morell, Theme Leader, CSIRO Food Futures Flagship 14. Carbon in Sustralian cropping soils – We need to be realistic, Alan Umbers (M Rur Sc), GRDC/DAFF Sustainable Industries Initiative Project 15. AGWEST® Bartolo bladder clover (Trifolium spumosum) − a low cost annual pasture legume for the wheat/sheep zone, Angelo Loi, Brad Nutt and Clinton Revell, Department of Agriculture and Food 16. Maximising the value of point based soil sampling: Monitering trends in soil pH through time, Joel Andrew1, David York1, Stephen Carr1 and Chris Gazey2, 1Precision SoilTech, 2Department of Agriculture and Food 17. Improved crop root growth and productivity with deep ripping and deep placed lime, Stephen Davies1, Geoff Kew2*, Chris Gazey1, David Gartner1 and Adam Clune1, 1Department of Agriculture and Food, 2School of Earth and Geographical Sciences University of Western Australia, *Presenting author 18. The role of pastures in hosting Root Lesion Nematode (RLN, Pratylenchus neglectus), Vivien Vanstone, Ali Bhatti and Ming Pei You, Department of Agriculture and Food 19. To rip or not to rip. When does it pay? Imma Farre, Bill Bowden and Stephen Davies, Department of Agriculture and Food 20. Can yield be predicted from remotely sensed data, Henry Smolinski, Jane Speijers and John Bruce, Department of Agriculture and Food 21. Rotations for profit, David McCarthy and Gary Lang, Facey Group, Wickepin, WA 22. Rewriting rules for the new cropping economics, David Rees, Consultant, Albany 23. Reducing business risk in Binnu! – A case study, Rob Grima, Department of Agriculture and Food 24. Does improved ewe management offer grain farmers much extra profit? John Young, Farming Systems Analysis Service, Ross Kingwell, Department of Agriculture and Food, and UWA, Chris Oldham, Department of Agriculture and Food RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS 25. Crop establishment and productivity with improved root zone drainage, Dr Derk Bakker, Research Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food 26. Will wheat production in Western Australia be more risky in the future? Imma Farre and Ian Foster, Department of Agriculture and Food PAPERS 27. Building farmers’ adaptive capacity to manage seasonal variability and climate change, David Beard, Department of Agriculture and Food 28. Precision placement increases crop phosphorus uptake under variable rainfall: Simulation studies, Wen Chen1 2, Richard Bell1, Bill Bowden2, Ross Brennan2, Art Diggle2 and Reg Lunt2, 1School of Environmental Science, Murdoch University, 2Department of Agriculture and Food 29. What is the role of grain legumes on red soil farms? Rob Grima, Department of Agriculture and Food 30. Fertiliser placement influences plant growth and seed yield of grain crops at different locations of WA, Qifu Ma1, Zed Rengel1, Bill Bowden2, Ross Brennan2, Reg Lunt2 and Tim Hilder2, 1Soil Science & Plant Nutrition, University of Western Australia, 2Department of Agriculture and Food 31. A review of pest and disease occurrences for 2007, Peter Mangano and Dusty Severtson, Department of Agriculture and Food 32. Effect of stocking rates on grain yield and quality of wheat in Western Australia in 2007, Shahajahan Miyan, Sam Clune, Barb Sage and Tenielle Martin, Department of Agriculture and Food 33. Storing grain is not ‘set and forget’ management, Chris Newman, Department of Agriculture and Food 34. Improving understanding of soil plant available water capacity (PAWC): The WA soil water database (APSoil), Yvette Oliver, Neal Dalgliesh and Michael Robertson, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems 35. The impact of management decisions in drought on a low rainfall northern wheatbelt farm, Caroline Peek and Andrew Blake, Department of Agriculture and Food 37. Cullen – A native pasture legume shows promise for the low-medium rainfall cropping zone, Megan Ryan, Richard Bennett, Tim Colmer, Daniel Real, Jiayin Pang, Lori Kroiss, Dion Nicol and Tammy Edmonds-Tibbett, School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia and Future Farm Industries CRC 38. Climate risk management tools – useful, or just another gadget? Lisa Sherriff, Kari-Lee Falconer, Daniel Gardiner and Ron McTaggart Department of Agriculture and Food 39. Benefits of crop rotation for management of Root Lesion Nematode (RLN, Pratylenchus neglectus), Vivien Vanstone, Sean Kelly and Helen Hunter, Department of Agriculture and Foo

Between objects and images: drawing diagrams of perception

This research is concerned with the recognition of objects, by which I mean those artefacts made by humans for use in everyday life. To ‘recognize’ something has several possible meanings – to identify it by sight, to see something of your self in it, or to acknowledge that it has special importance or validity. My MFA project explores the territory between these possibilities, in theory and concept, and through drawings on paper and three-dimensional objects. In this paper, objects are considered as an expression of self. I propose that in choosing and arranging the everyday objects in my life, I try to secure some part of my existence or find some objective confirmation of my identity, a tangible point of order to hold on to in the face of an ever-changing universe. In pursuing this theme as a drawing project, I ask: what does it mean to draw these objects, and what does it mean to draw on objects? The psychology of visual perception demonstrates that what we see is a result of what we expect, remember, understand or feel. Looking is active and subjective. Therefore, I suggest that to draw these objects is to examine my self, simultaneously and intuitively mapping the external and internal, objective and subjective. My research moves in this area between seeing and feeling to create diagrams of perception, or drawings about recognition. During this project, the sub-category of objects which I call ‘things’ – those objects that we cannot recognize or name, became central to my work. I argue that our experience of a ‘thing’ is different, more direct and possibly more poetic, than of other objects because it is not mediated by culture or language. The ‘thing’ as an image, occupies a position between abstraction and representation, allowing many interpretations, but refusing certainty. While we look ‘through’ objects to their meanings as signs, things create a still point of doubt and uncertainty. The drawings of and on objects made during my MFA address those moments in life where recognition prompts a search for answers, but no final truth can be determined

Change in blood antioxidant status of horses moved from a stable following diagnosis of equine motor neuron disease.Can Vet J. 2007 Nov;48(11):1165-7.

The antioxidant status of 10 horses living in stable 1 where 2 cases of equine motor neuron disease had previously been diagnosed was assessed before and 9 weeks after moving to another stable. Duration of residence in stable 1, subsequent moving, or both, significantly affected several parameters of the antioxidant status

G4 Project - Environmental regulations pertaining to rail: towards a case for change: project report

The Australian rail industry consists of a complex network of technical operations and owners. Ranged against this background are separate regulatory regimes for safety, access, economic and environmental functions, which are overseen by a mix of State governments and the Commonwealth. Within the rail industry, these regimes are regarded as leading to inefficiencies within the rail sector, while the need to comply with different and sometimes contradictory laws is believed to create unnecessary red tape. The Australian railway industry perceives that the existing environmental regulations that it faces are in thorough need of improvement. It is a commonly held view that there is a need for harmonisation in three areas: (1) the structure of environmental legislation (the framework); (2) the administration or regulatory processes; and (3) the actual prescriptive regulations. An in‐depth review of the literature has indicated that there is little information regarding the nature and extent of inconsistencies in environmental legislation and regulation that impact on Australian railway operations. The Commonwealth, State and Territory governments each have the power to regulate in three major areas of the railway business, viz., structural form, access and safety (accreditation) regulations. Various levels of regulatory reform have been undertaken in each of these areas. Environmental regulation is a fourth area impacting on railway operations, although no investigation of regulatory harmonisation has been undertaken to date. This research enables a better insight into the various ways that the environment is protected in various jurisdictions. The intent, here, is to establish the current methods used to protect the environment, and the degree to which they have been successful. In addition to lessons derived from the literature, findings from interviews undertaken with key industry stakeholders to determine the problems with environmental regulation faced by the industry are included. From these interviews, it is clear that inconsistencies between State environmental regulations have a negative economic impact on the industry, particularly with regard to the State regulation of noise, most notably in New South Wales. Industry participants from the following organisations were interviewed: Pacific National, Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), QR, RailCorp, and Rio Tinto Iron Ore. Harmonisation of regulation is ultimately about two issues: (1) administrative efficiency (i.e., reducing paperwork through consistent processes within consistent frameworks), and (2) improving environmental regulations (consistency in practice) as a means to optimise economic benefits

Genotypic susceptibility score (GSS) and CD4+ T cell recovery in HIV-1 patients with suppressed viral load

Objectives: HIV drug resistance, measured by the genotypic susceptibility score (GSS), has a deleterious effect on the virological outcome of HIV-1-infected patients. However, it is not known if GSS retains any predictive value for CD4 recovery in patients with suppressed viral load. Methods: Four hundred and six patients on virological failure (> 500 copies/mL) with GSS 1 year on an unchanged regimen and had CD4 data available during entire follow-up were included. Adjusted and unadjusted analyses of all characteristics at switch related to CD4 recovery were made for three time frames: (i) 'switch-suppression'; (ii) 'suppression-1 year'; and (iii) 'switch-1 year'. Results: Higher GSS was associated with a greater CD4 recovery between 'switch' and '1 year' in the unadjusted analysis (P=0.010); however, the effect of GSS was no longer statistically significant after adjusting for pre-switch clinical (CD4 count and plasma viral load) and demographic variables. Furthermore, only a lower preswitch CD4 count was associated with increased CD4 recovery in the 'suppression-1 year' period in both unadjusted and adjusted models. The main CD4 recovery occurred in 'switch-suppression' and the variables associated, both unadjusted and adjusted, were CD4 and plasma viral load at switch, maintaining a trend for GSS (P=0.06). Conclusions: In individuals who re-suppressed HIV viraemia after switching therapy, regimens having a higher GSS were associated with improved CD4 recovery only during the period from switch to virological suppression, but, once viral load is re-suppressed, the GSS of the new regimen has no further effect on subsequent CD4 recovery