Cooperative Research Centre

About: Cooperative Research Centre is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Sea ice. The organization has 7633 authors who have published 8607 publications receiving 429721 citations.

Rapid freshening of Antarctic Bottom Water formed in the Indian and Pacific oceans

Abstract: [1] Repeat hydrographic sections occupied in 1995 and 2005 reveal a rapid decline in the salinity and density of Antarctic Bottom Water throughout the Australian Antarctic Basin. The basin-wide shift of the deep potential temperature-salinity (θ − S) relationship reflects freshening of both the Indian and Pacific sources of Antarctic Bottom Water. The θ − S curves diverge for waters cooler than −0.1°C, corresponding to a layer up to 1000 m thick over the Antarctic continental slope and rise. Changes over the last decade are in the same direction but more rapid than those observed between the late 1960s and the 1990s. When combined with recent observations of similar freshening of North Atlantic Deep Water, these results demonstrate that dense water formed in both hemispheres is freshening in response to changes in the high latitude freshwater balance and rapidly transmitting the signature of changes in surface climate into the deep ocean.

Cyanobacterial lipopolysaccharides and human health – a review

Abstract: Cyanobacterial lipopolysaccharide/s (LPS) are frequently cited in the cyanobacteria literature as toxins responsible for a variety of heath effects in humans, from skin rashes to gastrointestinal, respiratory and allergic reactions. The attribution of toxic properties to cyanobacterial LPS dates from the 1970s, when it was thought that lipid A, the toxic moiety of LPS, was structurally and functionally conserved across all Gram-negative bacteria. However, more recent research has shown that this is not the case, and lipid A structures are now known to be very different, expressing properties ranging from LPS agonists, through weak endotoxicity to LPS antagonists. Although cyanobacterial LPS is widely cited as a putative toxin, most of the small number of formal research reports describe cyanobacterial LPS as weakly toxic compared to LPS from the Enterobacteriaceae. We systematically reviewed the literature on cyanobacterial LPS, and also examined the much lager body of literature relating to heterotrophic bacterial LPS and the atypical lipid A structures of some photosynthetic bacteria. While the literature on the biological activity of heterotrophic bacterial LPS is overwhelmingly large and therefore difficult to review for the purposes of exclusion, we were unable to find a convincing body of evidence to suggest that heterotrophic bacterial LPS, in the absence of other virulence factors, is responsible for acute gastrointestinal, dermatological or allergic reactions via natural exposure routes in humans. There is a danger that initial speculation about cyanobacterial LPS may evolve into orthodoxy without basis in research findings. No cyanobacterial lipid A structures have been described and published to date, so a recommendation is made that cyanobacteriologists should not continue to attribute such a diverse range of clinical symptoms to cyanobacterial LPS without research confirmation.

Factors associated with success with hearing aids in older adults

Abstract: Objective: To examine associations between audiological and non-audiological factors and successful hearing aid use in older adults. Design: In a retrospective study, audiological factors, attitudinal beliefs (as derived from the health belief model), client demographics, psychological factors, and age-related factors were evaluated. Study sample: Participants included 160 individuals, 60 years or older, with unilateral or bilateral hearing impairment (HI), fitted with hearing aids for the first time in the previous two years. Participants were assigned to either an unsuccessful hearing aid owner group (n = 75) or a successful hearing aid owner group (n = 85) based on their self-reported hearing aid use and benefit. Results: A multivariate, binomial logistic regression model indicated five factors associated with group membership: participants who had greater support from significant others; more difficulties with hearing and communication in everyday life before getting hearing aids; more positiv...

Assessing crown fire potential in coniferous forests of western North America: a critique of current approaches and recent simulation studies.

Abstract: To control and use wildland fires safely and effectively depends on creditable assessments of fire potential, including the propensity for crowning in conifer forests. Simulation studies that use certain fire modelling systems (i.e. NEXUS, FlamMap, FARSITE, FFE-FVS (Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator), Fuel Manage- ment Analyst (FMAPlus), BehavePlus) based on separate implementations or direct integration of Rothermel's surface andcrownrateoffirespread modelswithVanWagner'scrownfiretransitionandpropagationmodelsareshowntohavea significant underprediction bias when used in assessing potential crown fire behaviour in conifer forests of western North America.Theprincipal sourcesof thisunderprediction biasareshowntoinclude:(i)incompatible modellinkages;(ii)use of surfaceand crownfire rateof spreadmodels that havean inherent underprediction bias;and (iii)reductionincrown fire rate of spread based on the use of unsubstantiated crown fraction burned functions. The use of uncalibrated custom fuel models to represent surface fuelbeds is a fourth potential source of bias. These sources are described and documented in detail based on comparisons with experimental fire and wildfire observations and on separate analyses of model components.Themannerinwhichthetwoprimarycanopyfuelinputsinfluencingcrownfireinitiation(i.e.foliarmoisture contentandcanopybaseheight)ishandledinthesesimulationstudiesandthemeaningofScottandReinhardt'stwocrown fire hazard indices are also critically examined.

Use and understanding of organic amendments in Australian agriculture: a review

Abstract: A wide range of organic amendments (OA) is currently available to Australian farmers. These products have numerous agronomic applications, including the supply of plant nutrients, control of pests and diseases, and in management of soil health. Several of these products are also used in contaminated and degraded land remediation. The most commonly identifiable groups of OA in Australia are composts, compost teas, vermicasts, humic substances, meat, blood and bone meal, fish hydrolysates, seaweed extracts, bio-inoculants, biodynamic products, and biochars. Many of these OA contain nutrients within organic molecular structures; these nutrients are usually not immediately available to plants and must first be mineralised. Mineralisation often occurs as OA are consumed by microbes, thereby stimulating soil microbial activity. The application of OA such as bio-inoculants, humic substances, and seaweed extracts can potentially stimulate crop growth and development through the actions of plant growth-promoting hormones, including cytokinins, auxins, and gibberellins. Yet despite these apparent benefits, the widespread adoption of OA in Australia has been limited, due in part to the high application rates required to produce agronomic benefits, a lack of consistency in the composition of some products, a poor public perception of their utility, and a lack of unbiased scientific research into the agricultural potential of these products.