Showing papers by "Cooperative Research Centre published in 2021"
University of Newcastle1, Cooperative Research Centre2, Foshan University3, University of New South Wales4, Tsinghua University5, Nanjing Agricultural University6, University of Wollongong7, Sejong University8, Hanyang University9, Kansas State University10, National University of Singapore11, Hong Kong Polytechnic University12, Korea University13, Sabaragamuwa University14, University of Wuppertal15, Kafrelsheikh University16, King Abdulaziz University17, Lancaster University18, University of Auckland19, University of Sri Jayewardenepura20, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute21
TL;DR: Biochar is produced as a charred material with high surface area and abundant functional groups by pyrolysis, which refers to the process of thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elev...
Abstract: Biochar is produced as a charred material with high surface area and abundant functional groups by pyrolysis, which refers to the process of thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elev...
204 citations
New South Wales Department of Primary Industries1, University of New England (Australia)2, Cooperative Research Centre3, University of Western Australia4, Australian National University5, Spanish National Research Council6, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center7, Colorado State University8, University of Göttingen9, Kazan Federal University10, Zhejiang University11, Korea University12, University of Edinburgh13, University of Queensland14, Cornell University15
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors synthesized 20 years of research to explain the interrelated processes that determine soil and plant responses to biochar and found that biochar can catalyze biotic and abiotic reactions, particularly in the rhizosphere, that increase nutrient supply and uptake by plants.
Abstract: We synthesized 20 years of research to explain the interrelated processes that determine soil and plant responses to biochar. The properties of biochar and its effects within agricultural ecosystems largely depend on feedstock and pyrolysis conditions. We describe three stages of reactions of biochar in soil: dissolution (1–3 weeks); reactive surface development (1–6 months); and aging (beyond 6 months). As biochar ages, it is incorporated into soil aggregates, protecting the biochar carbon and promoting the stabilization of rhizodeposits and microbial products. Biochar carbon persists in soil for hundreds to thousands of years. By increasing pH, porosity, and water availability, biochars can create favorable conditions for root development and microbial functions. Biochars can catalyze biotic and abiotic reactions, particularly in the rhizosphere, that increase nutrient supply and uptake by plants, reduce phytotoxins, stimulate plant development, and increase resilience to disease and environmental stressors. Meta-analyses found that, on average, biochars increase P availability by a factor of 4.6; decrease plant tissue concentration of heavy metals by 17%–39%; build soil organic carbon through negative priming by 3.8% (range −21% to +20%); and reduce non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions from soil by 12%–50%. Meta-analyses show average crop yield increases of 10%–42% with biochar addition, with greatest increases in low-nutrient P-sorbing acidic soils (common in the tropics), and in sandy soils in drylands due to increase in nutrient retention and water holding capacity. Studies report a wide range of plant responses to biochars due to the diversity of biochars and contexts in which biochars have been applied. Crop yields increase strongly if site-specific soil constraints and nutrient and water limitations are mitigated by appropriate biochar formulations. Biochars can be tailored to address site constraints through feedstock selection, by modifying pyrolysis conditions, through pre- or post-production treatments, or co-application with organic or mineral fertilizers. We demonstrate how, when used wisely, biochar mitigates climate change and supports food security and the circular economy.
181 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors synthesize information from published literature about the extent, development mechanisms, and current mitigation strategies for tackling soil salinity, highlighting the opportunities and challenges under climate change situations.
151 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors performed a large autism stool metagenomics study (n = 247) based on participants from the Australian Autism Biobank and the Queensland Twin Adolescent Brain project and found negligible direct associations between ASD diagnosis and the gut microbiome.
118 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors highlight the human health impacts of airborne particulate matter (MPs) with a special focus on the occupational safety of the industry workers, their possible influence on Air Quality Index (AQI), their potential exposure, and accumulation in the canopy/arboreal, above-canopy and atmospheric (aerial) habitats.
100 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on three major challenges to the conventional medical paradigm -an overfocus on deficits, an emphasis on the individual as opposed to their broader context and a narrowness of perspective -each of which necessarily constrains what we can know about autism and how we are able to know it.
Abstract: Since its initial description, the concept of autism has been firmly rooted within the conventional medical paradigm of child psychiatry. Increasingly, there have been calls from the autistic community and, more recently, nonautistic researchers, to rethink the way in which autism science is framed and conducted. Neurodiversity, where autism is seen as one form of variation within a diversity of minds, has been proposed as a potential alternative paradigm. In this review, we concentrate on three major challenges to the conventional medical paradigm - an overfocus on deficits, an emphasis on the individual as opposed to their broader context and a narrowness of perspective - each of which necessarily constrains what we can know about autism and how we are able to know it. We then outline the ways in which fundamental elements of the neurodiversity paradigm can potentially help researchers respond to the medical model's limitations. We conclude by considering the implications of a shift towards the neurodiversity paradigm for autism science.
93 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a blockchain based framework for secure vehicular networks (B-FERL), which uses permissioned blockchain technology to tailor information access to restricted entities in the connected vehicle ecosystem, and uses a challenge-response data exchange between the vehicles and roadside units to monitor the internal state of the vehicle to identify cases of in-vehicle network compromise.
Abstract: The ubiquity of connecting technologies in smart vehicles and the incremental automation of its functionalities promise significant benefits, including a significant decline in congestion and road fatalities. However, increasing automation and connectedness broadens the attack surface and heightens the likelihood of a malicious entity successfully executing an attack. In this paper, we propose a Blockchain based Framework for sEcuring smaRt vehicLes (B-FERL). B-FERL uses permissioned blockchain technology to tailor information access to restricted entities in the connected vehicle ecosystem. It also uses a challenge–response data exchange between the vehicles and roadside units to monitor the internal state of the vehicle to identify cases of in-vehicle network compromise. In order to enable authentic and valid communication in the vehicular network, only vehicles with a verifiable record in the blockchain can exchange messages. Through qualitative arguments, we show that B-FERL is resilient to identified attacks. Also, quantitative evaluations in an emulated scenario show that B-FERL ensures a suitable response time and required storage size compatible with realistic scenarios. Finally, we demonstrate how B-FERL achieves various important functions relevant to the automotive ecosystem such as trust management, vehicular forensics and secure vehicular networks.
91 citations
TL;DR: This work explores the contributions of bees towards achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and suggests that bees potentially contribute towards 15 of the 17 SDGs and a minimum of 30 SDG targets.
Abstract: Reductions in global bee populations are threatening the pollination benefits to both the planet and people. Whilst the contribution of bee pollination in promoting sustainable development goals through food security and biodiversity is widely acknowledged, a range of other benefits provided by bees has yet to be fully recognised. We explore the contributions of bees towards achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our insights suggest that bees potentially contribute towards 15 of the 17 SDGs and a minimum of 30 SDG targets. We identify common themes in which bees play an essential role, and suggest that improved understanding of bee contributions to sustainable development is crucial for ensuring viable bee systems.
82 citations
TL;DR: The results demonstrated that the Zr and Zr-Fe BSBC composites could perform as promising adsorbents for efficient arsenate removal from natural waters.
76 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an Fe/Al (hydr)oxides modified biochar (FA-BC) was fabricated from corn straw via a wet-precipitation method and utilized to reduce P leaching from a fertile calcareous soil.
69 citations
TL;DR: The volume of food waste within the food chain and types of food Waste feedstocks that can be valorised into various products, including the conversion methods are reviewed.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the cooling effect of urban trees in different climates and times of the day and found that evapotranspiration of well-watered trees alone can decrease local 2 m air temperature at maximum by 3.1-5.8 °C in the four climates during summer.
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research1, University of Western Australia2, Cooperative Research Centre3, Griffith University4, La Trobe University5, RMIT University6, Centre College7, University of South Australia8, King's College London9, University of Manchester10, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre11
TL;DR: The iBASIS-VIPP intervention led to a reduction in ASD symptom severity (area between curves, -5.53; 95% CI, -∞ to -0.28; P =.04) and reduced odds of ASD classification at age 3 years.
Abstract: Importance Intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) typically commences after diagnosis. No trial of an intervention administered to infants before diagnosis has shown an effect on diagnostic outcomes to date. Objective To determine the efficacy of a preemptive intervention for ASD beginning during the prodromal period. Design, setting, and participants This 2-site, single rater-blinded randomized clinical trial of a preemptive intervention vs usual care was conducted at 2 Australian research centers (Perth, Melbourne). Community sampling was used to recruit 104 infants aged 9 to 14 months showing early behaviors associated with later ASD, as measured by the Social Attention and Communication Surveillance-Revised. Recruitment occurred from June 9, 2016, to March 30, 2018. Final follow-up data were collected on April 15, 2020. Interventions Infants were randomized on a 1:1 ratio to receive either a preemptive intervention plus usual care or usual care only over a 5-month period. The preemptive intervention group received a 10-session social communication intervention, iBASIS-Video Interaction to Promote Positive Parenting (iBASIS-VIPP). Usual care comprised services delivered by community clinicians. Main outcomes and measures Infants were assessed at baseline (approximate age, 12 months), treatment end point (approximate age, 18 months), age 2 years, and age 3 years. Primary outcome was the combined blinded measure of ASD behavior severity (the Autism Observation Scale for Infants and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, second edition) across the 4 assessment points. Secondary outcomes were an independent blinded clinical ASD diagnosis at age 3 years and measures of child development. Analyses were preregistered and comprised 1-tailed tests with an α level of .05. Results Of 171 infants assessed for eligibility, 104 were randomized; 50 infants (mean [SD] chronological age, 12.40 [1.93] months; 38 boys [76.0%]) received the iBASIS-VIPP preemptive intervention plus usual care (1 infant was excluded after randomization), and 53 infants (mean [SD] age, 12.38 [2.02] months; 32 boys [60.4%]) received usual care only. A total of 89 participants (45 in the iBASIS-VIPP group and 44 in the usual care group) were reassessed at age 3 years. The iBASIS-VIPP intervention led to a reduction in ASD symptom severity (area between curves, -5.53; 95% CI, -∞ to -0.28; P = .04). Reduced odds of ASD classification at age 3 years was found in the iBASIS-VIPP group (3 of 45 participants [6.7%]) vs the usual care group (9 of 44 participants [20.5%]; odds ratio, 0.18; 95% CI, 0-0.68; P = .02). Number needed to treat to reduce ASD classification was 7.2 participants. Improvements in caregiver responsiveness and language outcomes were also observed in the iBASIS-VIPP group. Conclusions and relevance Receipt of a preemptive intervention for ASD from age 9 months among a sample of infants showing early signs of ASD led to reduced ASD symptom severity across early childhood and reduced the odds of an ASD diagnosis at age 3 years. Trial registration http://anzctr.org.au identifier: ACTRN12616000819426.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a systematised literature review of the existing scholarly and industry discussion of consumer food waste in households, packaging technologies to reduce food waste, and consumer perceptions of packaging, showing a move away from food waste being treated as a food-related issue and towards seeing food waste as a waste-related, sustainability, production and environmental issue.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the potentiality of microplastics to perturb the functioning of terrestrial and aquatic biomes, but also the associated social, ecological and economic repercussions.
TL;DR: In this article, a literature review of the past 10 years of research in the remote sensing of fire fuel in forested environments, with a focus on emerging methods of fuel estimation, and the fuel attributes estimated.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a comprehensive study with an experimental analysis of federated deep learning approaches for cyber security in the Internet of Things (IoT) applications, and provide important information on federated learning-based security and privacy systems.
Abstract: In this article, we present a comprehensive study with an experimental analysis of federated deep learning approaches for cyber security in the Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Specifically, we first provide a review of the federated learning-based security and privacy systems for several types of IoT applications, including, Industrial IoT, Edge Computing, Internet of Drones, Internet of Healthcare Things, Internet of Vehicles, etc. Second, the use of federated learning with blockchain and malware/intrusion detection systems for IoT applications is discussed. Then, we review the vulnerabilities in federated learning-based security and privacy systems. Finally, we provide an experimental analysis of federated deep learning with three deep learning approaches, namely, Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), and Deep Neural Network (DNN). For each deep learning model, we study the performance of centralized and federated learning under three new real IoT traffic datasets, namely, the Bot-IoT dataset, the MQTTset dataset, and the TON_IoT dataset. The goal of this article is to provide important information on federated deep learning approaches with emerging technologies for cyber security. In addition, it demonstrates that federated deep learning approaches outperform the classic/centralized versions of machine learning (non-federated learning) in assuring the privacy of IoT device data and provide the higher accuracy in detecting attacks.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a review of existing security standards and assessment frameworks which also includes several NIST special publications on security techniques highlighting their primary areas of focus to uncover those that can potentially address some of the security needs of IoT-based smart environments.
Abstract: Assessing the security of IoT-based smart environments such as smart homes and smart cities is becoming fundamentally essential to implementing the correct control measures and effectively reducing security threats and risks brought about by deploying IoT-based smart technologies. The problem, however, is in finding security standards and assessment frameworks that best meets the security requirements as well as comprehensively assesses and exposes the security posture of IoT-based smart environments. To explore this gap, this paper presents a review of existing security standards and assessment frameworks which also includes several NIST special publications on security techniques highlighting their primary areas of focus to uncover those that can potentially address some of the security needs of IoT-based smart environments. Cumulatively a total of 80 ISO/IEC security standards, 32 ETSI standards and 37 different conventional security assessment frameworks which included 7 NIST special publications on security techniques were reviewed. To present an all-inclusive and up-to-date state-of-the-art research, the review process considered both published security standards and assessment frameworks as well as those under development. The findings show that most of the conventional security standards and assessment frameworks do not directly address the security needs of IoT-based smart environments but have the potential to be adapted into IoT-based smart environments. With this insight into the state-of-the-art research on security standards and assessment frameworks, this study helps advance the IoT field by opening new research directions as well as opportunities for developing new security standards and assessment frameworks that will address future IoT-based smart environments security concerns. This paper also discusses open problems and challenges related to IoT-based smart environments security issues. As a new contribution, a taxonomy of challenges for IoT-based smart environment security concerns drawn from the extensive literature examined during this study is proposed in this paper which also maps the identified challenges to potential proposed solutions.
TL;DR: Huajiao (Zanthoxylum bungeanum maxim) maxim is a highly prized spice in China due to its distinctive aroma and taste as discussed by the authors, and it is a commonly used spice in Chinese cuisine.
TL;DR: This study presents a method that combines drone and satellite images that can produce landscape-scale maps of flowering dynamics and is demonstrated in forest landscapes dominated by the eucalypt Corymbia calophylla in Western Australia.
TL;DR: In vivo experiments revealed that blue mold disease incidence and lesion size upon fruits were significantly suppresed by VOCs from P. fluorescens ZX, and organic acids and sulfur compounds showed promise for controlling blue mold, but only in sufficiently low concentrations so as not to promote physiological disease or damage in the fruits.
TL;DR: In this paper, Fang et al. developed the Raman mapping image to visualise and identify microplastics / nanoplastics (Fang et.al. 2020, Sobhani et.
TL;DR: Quantitative findings indicated that autism research stakeholders in Australia are largely supportive of community engagement in research and have had positive experiences of participatory research, but qualitative findings suggested that participants lacked understanding of participatories research, and held attitudes that may hinder the conduct of successful participatoryResearch.
Abstract: Despite calls for increased community engagement in autism research, the published evidence base suggests that participatory autism research remains rare. This study examined the extent and nature ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the seizure detection performance of custom-developed machine learning (ML) algorithms across a broad spectrum of epileptic seizures utilizing wrist and ankle-worn multisignal biosensors.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE Tracking seizures is crucial for epilepsy monitoring and treatment evaluation. Current epilepsy care relies on caretaker seizure diaries, but clinical seizure monitoring may miss seizures. Wearable devices may be better tolerated and more suitable for long-term ambulatory monitoring. This study evaluates the seizure detection performance of custom-developed machine learning (ML) algorithms across a broad spectrum of epileptic seizures utilizing wrist- and ankle-worn multisignal biosensors. METHODS We enrolled patients admitted to the epilepsy monitoring unit and asked them to wear a wearable sensor on either their wrists or ankles. The sensor recorded body temperature, electrodermal activity, accelerometry (ACC), and photoplethysmography, which provides blood volume pulse (BVP). We used electroencephalographic seizure onset and offset as determined by a board-certified epileptologist as a standard comparison. We trained and validated ML for two different algorithms: Algorithm 1, ML methods for developing seizure type-specific detection models for nine individual seizure types; and Algorithm 2, ML methods for building general seizure type-agnostic detection, lumping together all seizure types. RESULTS We included 94 patients (57.4% female, median age = 9.9 years) and 548 epileptic seizures (11 066 h of sensor data) for a total of 930 seizures and nine seizure types. Algorithm 1 detected eight of nine seizure types better than chance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC-ROC] = .648-.976). Algorithm 2 detected all nine seizure types better than chance (AUC-ROC = .642-.995); a fusion of ACC and BVP modalities achieved the best AUC-ROC (.752) when combining all seizure types together. SIGNIFICANCE Automatic seizure detection using ML from multimodal wearable sensor data is feasible across a broad spectrum of epileptic seizures. Preliminary results show better than chance seizure detection. The next steps include validation of our results in larger datasets, evaluation of the detection utility tool for additional clinical seizure types, and integration of additional clinical information.
TL;DR: In this article, the effect of PVC MP exposure on increasing the risk of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluoric acid bioaccumulation in earthworms in addition to their reproduction was investigated.
Abstract: The accumulation of microplastics (MP) in soil via their continuous release and degradation of large plastics has recently become a serious global problem. The major concern with MP is their potential to sorb pollutants as well as ingestion by living organisms. Hence, this study focused on the effect of PVC MP exposure on increasing the risk of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) bioaccumulation in earthworms in addition to their reproduction. In general, the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) for PFOA and PFOS increased up to 200% in earthworms exposed to MP-contaminated soil. MP at 500 and 1000 mg kg −1 soil caused enhanced uptake of PFOS and PFOA in earthworms, and a significant reduction in their reproduction. These results have significant implications for risk assessment of MP in soil.
Australian National University1, Monash University2, University of Melbourne3, University of New South Wales4, VU University Amsterdam5, University of Sydney6, University of Wollongong7, Bureau of Meteorology8, Cooperative Research Centre9, King's College London10, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries11, Charles Darwin University12
TL;DR: The 2019/20 Black Summer bushfire disaster in southeast Australia was unprecedented: the extensive area of forest burnt, the radiative power of the fires, and the extraordinary number of fires that developed into extreme pyroconvective events were all unmatched in the historical record as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The 2019/20 Black Summer bushfire disaster in southeast Australia was unprecedented: the extensive area of forest burnt, the radiative power of the fires, and the extraordinary number of fires that developed into extreme pyroconvective events were all unmatched in the historical record. Australia’s hottest and driest year on record, 2019, was characterised by exceptionally dry fuel loads that primed the landscape to burn when exposed to dangerous fire weather and ignition. The combination of climate variability and long-term climate trends generated the climate extremes experienced in 2019, and the compounding effects of two or more modes of climate variability in their fire-promoting phases (as occurred in 2019) has historically increased the chances of large forest fires occurring in southeast Australia. Palaeoclimate evidence also demonstrates that fire-promoting phases of tropical Pacific and Indian ocean variability are now unusually frequent compared with natural variability in pre-industrial times. Indicators of forest fire danger in southeast Australia have already emerged outside of the range of historical experience, suggesting that projections made more than a decade ago that increases in climate-driven fire risk would be detectable by 2020, have indeed eventuated. The multiple climate change contributors to fire risk in southeast Australia, as well as the observed non-linear escalation of fire extent and intensity, raise the likelihood that fire events may continue to rapidly intensify in the future. Improving local and national adaptation measures while also pursuing ambitious global climate change mitigation efforts would provide the best strategy for limiting further increases in fire risk in southeast Australia. Multiple climate contributors to fire risk in southeast Australia have led to an increase in fire extent and intensity over the past decades that will likely continue into the future, suggests a synthesis of climate variability, long-term trends and palaeoclimatic evidence.
TL;DR: Although commonly described on social media by autistic people, there is little recognition of autistic burnout in the academic literature as discussed by the authors, despite the fact that burnout is described as a debilitative condition.
Abstract: Although commonly described on social media by autistic people, there is little recognition of autistic burnout in the academic literature. Anecdotally, autistic burnout is described as a debilitat...
TL;DR: Air sampling of volatile organic compounds, aldehydes, ozone and NO2 revealed that Occupants of offices with higher pollutant concentrations were more likely to report health symptoms, and ozone was associated with almost all symptom groups.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the association between the building-related occupants' reported health symptoms and the indoor pollutant concentrations in a sample of 148 office rooms, within the framework of the European OFFICAIR research project. A large field campaign was performed in 37 office buildings among eight countries, which included (a) 5-day air sampling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), aldehydes, ozone, and NO2 (b) collection of information from 1299 participants regarding their personal characteristics and health perception at workplace using online questionnaires. Stepwise and multilevel logistic regressions were applied to investigate associations between health symptoms and pollutant concentrations considering personal characteristics as confounders. Occupants of offices with higher pollutant concentrations were more likely to report health symptoms. Among the studied VOCs, xylenes were associated with general (such as headache and tiredness) and skin symptoms, ethylbenzene with eye irritation and respiratory symptoms, a-pinene with respiratory and heart symptoms, d-limonene with general symptoms, and styrene with skin symptoms. Among aldehydes, formaldehyde was associated with respiratory and general symptoms, acrolein with respiratory symptoms, propionaldehyde with respiratory, general, and heart symptoms, and hexanal with general SBS. Ozone was associated with almost all symptom groups.
TL;DR: This study presents the first daily FMC product at a global scale and 500 m pixel resolution from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and radiative transfer models (RTMs) inversion techniques.
01 Jan 2021
TL;DR: The effect of fertilizer on decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) differs with and without the presence of organic matter as crop residues, labile C, or easily degradable C in soil as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Any management practice that results in greater carbon (C) return to the soil, increases stabilization of soil C, or reduces C losses may lead to soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in soil. Therefore, SOC dynamics in soil are dictated by a balance between input and output of C in the soil, and C sequestration occurs only when the input exceeds the output. Primarily, greater C input can occur by enhancing biomass production using fertilizers with irrigation, stubble retention, crop rotation, minimum tillage, and by improving soil properties including having the appropriate pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and osmotic pressure. Conventional farming with intensive plowing leads to SOC decomposition, whereas conservation farming with no or minimum tillage with stubble retention may retard the decomposition of soil native organic C. Fertilizer addition may influence the decomposition of SOC. The effect of fertilizer on decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) differs with and without the presence of organic matter as crop residues, labile C, or easily degradable C in soil. This effect of fertilizer is mostly dominated by the presence/addition of organic matter in soil rather crop management or what the pH, CEC, or osmotic pressure are. However, decomposition of crop residues or organic matter depends on their quality (biochemical properties), soil types, soil environment, the microbial community, and nutrient availability. More microbial activity with organic matter decomposition means more production of stabilized C, which is relatively recalcitrant to microbial degradation. Therefore, nutrient addition in soil may be helpful in increasing SOM stock. At least, it can maintain the SOM level if the C (energy source) for microbial growth is external like stubble or added organic matter rather than internal (native) SOM.