Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 600 in total

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  1. Mound LA, Ng YF
    Zootaxa, 2018 Mar 28;4402(2):390-394.
    PMID: 29690274 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4402.2.10
    Bangithrips mei gen. et sp. n. is described from Peninsular Malaysia. The significance is discussed of outstanding structural autapomorphies that are commonly used in classifications of Thysanoptera. Argyrothrips ommatos described recently from northern Australia is recorded from Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  2. Pyke AT, Huang B, Warrilow D, Moore PR, McMahon J, Harrower B
    Genome Announc, 2017 Jul 20;5(29).
    PMID: 28729258 DOI: 10.1128/genomeA.00546-17
    In 2015, a female patient returning to Australia from Sabah, Malaysia, was diagnosed with a suspected sylvatic dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) infection, becoming the second case of imported highly divergent dengue virus infection recorded in Australia. We describe here the complete genome sequencing of the DENV-2 strain isolated from this patient.
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  3. Lam SS, Waugh C, Peng W, Sonne C
    Science, 2020 02 14;367(6479):750.
    PMID: 32054755 DOI: 10.1126/science.aba8372
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  4. Ali JR, Heaney LR
    Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc, 2021 06;96(3):922-942.
    PMID: 33502095 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12683
    Due to its position between the highly distinct Oriental and Australasian biogeographical realms, much effort has been spent demarcating associated separations and transitions in the faunal assemblages of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Initially, sharp boundary lines were proposed, with the earliest dating from the mid-1800s. Notably, the one published by Alfred R. Wallace in 1863, based upon land-mammal and land-bird distributions, has since achieved iconic status and today its significance is recognized well beyond the confines of the biogeography community. Over the next four decades many such divides were engraved onto plates and inked onto charts of SE Asia using additional information, different organisms or other criteria. However, it became apparent that, as Wallace had noted, all such lines were to some degree permeable, and by the 1880s transition zones were being put forward instead; the label 'Wallacea' was introduced in 1924. Interestingly, the last decade has seen new divides and sub-regions being proposed, some departing markedly from earlier offerings. Although currently there is general agreement regarding much of the terminology associated with both the lines and the areas, the record of publication indicates that this consensus has emerged obliquely, and in some cases is weakly founded. This review does not present new data nor new analyses; rather it summarizes the development of ideas and reflects upon attendant issues that have emerged. After reviewing the key proposals, recommendations are presented that should in future alleviate perceived difficulties or inadequacies. Reference to specific divides must be true to their original definitions; there are many instances where the secondary literature has portrayed them incorrectly and with some this has rippled through into later publications. Moreover, Wallace's 1863 line is not the one that he finally settled upon (in 1910); its path around Sulawesi was transferred from the west to the east of the Island. Ideally, Huxley's divide (1868) should carry his name rather than Wallace's; the latter never accepted the proposition. Lydekker's Line (1896) ought to be labelled the Heilprin-Lydekker Line in recognition of Angelo Heilprin's 1887 contribution. Concerning transition zones, ideally Wallacea should correspond to its original 1924 description, which incorporated the Philippine islands bar the Palawan group. Notably, though, a smaller form (introduced by Darlington in 1957, used frequently from 1998 onwards) in which all of the Philippine islands are excluded is entrenched within the recent literature, but this is often without evident justification. It should also be recognized that the 'reduced' (=southern) Wallacea area was effectively defined by Heilprin in 1887, but was then labelled the 'Austro-Malaysian Transition Zone'. Finally, the application in recent years of modern analytical techniques has not led to a consensus view on where the lines/areas should run/be placed; with such a large, diverse set of organisms, each with differing histories, this is perhaps not surprising.
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  5. Hoque M, Pradhan B, Ahmed N, Alamri A
    Sensors (Basel), 2021 Oct 18;21(20).
    PMID: 34696109 DOI: 10.3390/s21206896
    In Australia, droughts are recurring events that tremendously affect environmental, agricultural and socio-economic activities. Southern Queensland is one of the most drought-prone regions in Australia. Consequently, a comprehensive drought vulnerability mapping is essential to generate a drought vulnerability map that can help develop and implement drought mitigation strategies. The study aimed to prepare a comprehensive drought vulnerability map that combines drought categories using geospatial techniques and to assess the spatial extent of the vulnerability of droughts in southern Queensland. A total of 14 drought-influencing criteria were selected for three drought categories, specifically, meteorological, hydrological and agricultural. The specific criteria spatial layers were prepared and weighted using the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process. Individual categories of drought vulnerability maps were prepared from their specific indices. Finally, the overall drought vulnerability map was generated by combining the indices using spatial analysis. Results revealed that approximately 79.60% of the southern Queensland region is moderately to extremely vulnerable to drought. The findings of this study were validated successfully through the receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) and the area under the curve (AUC) approach using previous historical drought records. Results can be helpful for decision makers to develop and apply proactive drought mitigation strategies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  6. Seal E, Cardak BA, Nicholson M, Donaldson A, O'Halloran P, Randle E, et al.
    J Gambl Stud, 2022 Dec;38(4):1371-1403.
    PMID: 35106695 DOI: 10.1007/s10899-021-10101-7
    Survey responses from a sample of nearly 15,000 Australian sports fans were used to study the determinants of: (i) gambling behaviour, including if a person does gamble and the type of gambling engaged with; (ii) the number of sports and non-sports bets made over a 12-month period; and (iii) attitudes towards betting on sports. The probability of betting on sports decreased with increasing age and was lower for women and people with a university education. This gender difference varied with age, with the greatest difference found among the young. Similar effects were observed for the number of sports bets made, which declined with age. The gender difference in the number of sports bets also varied with age with the greatest difference found among the young arising from the high propensity of young men to bet on sports. Attitudes to sports betting were also analysed, with a key finding that, within friendship circles, the views that sports betting is perceived as harmless, common and very much a part of enjoying sports were stronger among young men. These permissive attitudes were stronger among people who bet on sports and those who bet on sports more frequently. The analysis of sports fans provides insights into the characteristics of the target market most likely to bet on sports, which can be used to inform public health initiatives and harm reduction campaigns.
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  7. Zawawi N, Zhang J, Hungerford NL, Yates HSA, Webber DC, Farrell M, et al.
    Food Chem, 2022 Mar 30;373(Pt B):131566.
    PMID: 34823933 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.131566
    Stingless bee honey (SBH) of four stingless bee species (Heterotrigona itama, Geniotrigona thoracica, Tetragonula carbonaria, and Tetragonula hockingsi) from two geographic regions (Malaysia and Australia, n = 36) were studied for their physicochemical parameters, including total phenolic and multi-elemental contents. Sugar analysis confirmed the prominent presence of trehalulose in all samples. All SBH failed to meet the CODEX Standard for honey moisture, free acidity, and total fructose plus glucose levels. One-way ANOVA, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical component analysis (HCA) confirm distinctive differences between Australian and Malaysian SBH with Australian SBH having significantly (P 
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  8. Preece ND, van Oosterzee P, Lawes MJ
    J Environ Manage, 2023 Jun 15;336:117645.
    PMID: 36871451 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117645
    Successful cost-effective reforestation plantings depend substantially on maximising sapling survival from the time of planting, yet in reforestation programs remarkably little attention is given to management of saplings at the planting stage and to planting methods used. Critical determinants of sapling survival include their vigour and condition when planted, the wetness of the soil into which saplings are planted, the trauma of transplant shock from nursery to natural field soils, and the method and care taken during planting. While some determinants are outside planters' control, careful management of specific elements associated with outplanting can significantly lessen transplanting shock and improve survival rates. Results from three reforestation experiments designed to examine cost-effective planting methods in the Australian wet tropics provided the opportunity to examine the effects of specific planting treatments, including (1) watering regime prior to planting, (2) method of planting and planter technique, and (3) site preparation and maintenance, on sapling survival and establishment. Focusing on sapling root moisture and physical protection during planting improved sapling survival by at least 10% (>91% versus 81%) at 4 months. Survival rates of saplings under different planting treatments were reflected in longer-term survival of trees at 18-20 months, differing from a low of 52% up to 76-88%. This survival effect was evident more than 6 years after planting. Watering saplings immediately prior to planting, careful planting using a forester's planting spade in moist soil and suppressing grass competition using appropriate herbicides were critical to improved plant survival.
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  9. Sharif Nia H, Allen KA, Arslan G, Kaur H, She L, Khoshnavay Fomani F, et al.
    Front Public Health, 2023;11:1085197.
    PMID: 36875362 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1085197
    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent new mutations and increases in transmission of COVID-19 among adolescents and children highlight the importance of identifying which factors influence parental decisions regarding vaccinating their children. The current study aims to explore whether child vulnerability and parents' attitudes toward vaccines mediate the association between perceived financial well-being and vaccine hesitancy among parents.

    METHOD: A predictive, cross-sectional, multi-country online questionnaire was administered with a convenience sample of 6,073 parents (Australia, 2,734; Iran, 2,447; China, 523; Turkey, 369). Participants completed the Parent Attitude About Child Vaccines (PACV), the Child Vulnerability Scale (CVS), a Financial Well-being (FWB) measure, and Parental Vaccine Hesitancy (PVH) questionnaire.

    RESULTS: The current study revealed that perceived financial well-being had significant and negative associations with parents' attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines and child vulnerability among the Australian sample. Contrary to the Australian findings, results from Chinese participants indicated that financial well-being had significant and positive predictive effects on parent attitudes toward vaccines, child vulnerability, and parental vaccine hesitancy. The results of the Iranian sample revealed that parents' attitudes toward vaccines and child vulnerability significantly and negatively predicted parental vaccine hesitancy.

    CONCLUSION: The current study revealed that a parents' perceived financial well-being had a significant and negative relationship with parental attitudes about vaccines and child vulnerability; however, it did not significantly predict parental vaccine hesitancy among Turkish parents as it did for parents in Australia, Iran, and China. Findings of the study have policy implications for how certain countries may tailor their vaccine-related health messages to parents with low financial wellbeing and parents with vulnerable children.

    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  10. Nguyen HTM, Nilsson S, Mueller AAR, Toms LM, Kennedy C, Langguth D, et al.
    Sci Total Environ, 2023 Apr 20;870:161749.
    PMID: 36690112 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161749
    Human biomonitoring programs of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been conducted around the world to assess human exposure and health risk. Inquiry into population PFAS levels in a socioeconomically and geographically unique region such as the Pacific Island Papua New Guinea, may provide new insights into PFAS exposure pathways and sources. This study presented the first indication of PFAS exposure in the Papua New Guinea population. De-identified serum samples were pooled from surplus pathology serum samples collected between 2019 and 2020. A total of 11 PFAS were detected in the serum pools including 10 perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) and 9Cl-F53B (a perfluorooctane sulfonic acid - PFOS alternative). The observed PFAA profile was somewhat similar to that observed for general population data of other countries such as Australia, Malaysia, and Canada suggesting similar exposure sources and/or pathways. However, PFAS concentrations were consistently lower than concentrations in the serum measured in pools obtained from Australia. The detection of 9Cl-F53B in all pools was a new finding which might be related to exposure from locally industrial sources.
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  11. Taylor GS, Halbert SE, Tripathy A, Burckhardt D
    Zootaxa, 2023 Jan 11;5228(1):61-72.
    PMID: 37044665 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.1.3
    Acizzia convector Burckhardt & Taylor, sp. nov., a psyllid originating from Australia, is described from material from Australia (NT), South and Southeast Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia [Sabah], Singapore and Thailand) and North America (USA [Florida from six counties]). The new species is diagnosed and illustrated, and a key is provided to identify the adults of Acizzia species adventive in the New World. The new species develops on Acacia auriculiformis and A. mangium (Fabaceae), two mimosoids planted and widely naturalised throughout the tropics. While the presence of A. convector sp. nov. in Florida is probably recent (earliest record from October 2014), it occurs in Southeast Asia at least since the 1980s. The wide distribution of the host plants in tropical Africa and South America would allow the psyllids also to occur there.
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  12. Yusuf MS, Musibau HO, Dirie KA, Shittu WO
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Jul;30(32):79481-79496.
    PMID: 37286841 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27825-1
    Australia is one of the largest nations in the globe in terms of land area and is home to numerous animals alongside unique and unusual climates and immense forests and oceans. Despite having a very tiny population, the nation is an extremely valuable ecological territory. Unfortunately, due to several changes in land use, habitat loss and deterioration-particularly in light of the recent severe bush fires exacerbated by climate change-the environmental issues in Australia have got the attention of many academics. Therefore, this paper seeks to assess the association between Australia's energy use, [Formula: see text] emission, trade liberalization, industrialization and economic growth from 1990 to 2018. An autoregressive distributed lag and a vector error correction model (VECM) are employed to take care of possible endogeneity and the long-run association. Our results demonstrated that economic growth and energy use have positive and statistically significant effects on emissions of [Formula: see text], but trade liberalization has a significantly adverse influence on emissions of [Formula: see text] both in the long and short term. Granger test in VECM uncovered single-direction Granger interrelationships among trade liberalization and industrialization, as well as among industrialization and carbon dioxide. When attempting to implement effective energy policies, Australian policymakers should first take into account the prominent role played by energy usage and trade liberalization in promoting economic development and impeding environmental health.
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  13. Ghazali SZ, Lavoué S, Sukmono T, Habib A, Tan MP, Nor SAM
    Mol Phylogenet Evol, 2023 Sep;186:107832.
    PMID: 37263456 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107832
    We examined the phylogeny and biogeography of the glassperch family Ambassidae (Teleostei), which is widely distributed in the freshwater, brackish and marine coastal habitats across the Indo-West Pacific region. We first built a comprehensive time-calibrated phylogeny of Ambassidae using five genes. We then used this tree to reconstruct the evolution of the salinity preference and ancestral areas. Our results indicate that the two largest genera of Ambassidae, Ambassis and Parambassis, are each not monophyletic. The most recent common ancestor of Ambassidae was freshwater adapted and lived in Australia about 56 million years ago. Three independent freshwater-to-marine transitions are inferred, but no marine-to-freshwater ones. To explain the distribution of ambassids, we hypothesise two long-distance marine dispersal events from Australia. A first event was towards Southeast Asia during the early Cenozoic, followed by a second one towards Africa during mid-Cenozoic. The phylogenetic signal associated with the salinity adaptation of these events was not detected, possibly because of the selective extinction of intermediate marine lineages. The Ambassidae shares two characteristics with other freshwater fish groups distributed in continental regions surrounding the Indian Ocean: They are too young to support the hypothesis that their distribution is the result of the fragmentation of Gondwana, but they did not retain the phylogenetic signal of their marine dispersal.
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  14. Mishra G, Prajapat V, Nayak D
    Immunology, 2024 Feb;171(2):155-169.
    PMID: 37712243 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13695
    Nipah virus (NiV) causes severe encephalitis in humans. Three NiV strains NiV-Malaysia (NiVM ), NiV Bangladesh (NiVB ), and NiV India (NiVI reported in 2019) have been circulating in South-Asian nations. Sporadic outbreak observed in South-East Asian countries but human to human transmission raises the concern about its pandemic potential. The presence of the viral genome in reservoir bats has further confirmed that NiV has spread to the African and Australian continents. NiV research activities have gained momentum to achieve specific preparedness goals to meet any future emergency-as a result, several potential vaccine candidates have been developed and tested in a variety of animal models. Some of these candidate vaccines have entered further clinical trials. Research activities related to the discovery of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have resulted in the identification of a handful of candidates capable of neutralizing the virion. However, progress in discovering potential antiviral drugs has been limited. Thus, considering NiV's pandemic potential, it is crucial to fast-track ongoing projects related to vaccine clinical trials, anti-NiV therapeutics. Here, we discuss the current progress in NiV-vaccine research and therapeutic options, including mAbs and antiviral medications.
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  15. Broyles GG, Myers BM, Friedman NR, Gawin DF, Mohd-Taib FS, Sahlan PGM, et al.
    Evolution, 2023 Dec 02;77(12):2656-2671.
    PMID: 37801637 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpad179
    The causes of population divergence in vagile groups remain a paradox in evolutionary biology: dispersive species should be able to colonize new areas, a prerequisite for allopatric speciation, but dispersal also facilitates gene flow, which erodes population differentiation. Strong dispersal ability has been suggested to enhance divergence in patchy habitats and inhibit divergence in continuous landscapes, but empirical support for this hypothesis is lacking. Here we compared patterns of population divergence in a dispersive clade of swallows distributed across both patchy and continuous habitats. The Pacific Swallow (Hirundo tahitica) has an insular distribution throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific, while its sister species, the Welcome Swallow (H. neoxena), has a continental distribution in Australia. We used whole-genome data to demonstrate strong genetic structure and limited introgression among insular populations, but not among continental populations. Demographic models show that historic changes in habitat connectivity have contributed to population structure within the clade. Swallows appear to exhibit evolutionarily labile dispersal behavior in which they reduce dispersal propensity after island colonization despite retaining strong flight ability. Our data support the hypothesis that fragmented habitats enhance population differentiation in vagile groups, and suggest that labile dispersal behavior is a key mechanism underlying this pattern.
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  16. Ullah F, Ragazzoni L, Hubloue I, Barone-Adesi F, Valente M
    Disaster Med Public Health Prep, 2024 Feb 22;18:e34.
    PMID: 38384190 DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2024.26
    As heatwaves increase and intensify worldwide, so has the research aimed at outlining strategies to protect individuals from their impact. Interventions that promote adaptive measures to heatwaves are encouraged, but evidence on how to develop such interventions is still scarce. Although the Health Belief Model is one of the leading frameworks guiding behavioral change interventions, the evidence of its use in heatwave research is limited. This rapid review aims to identify and describe the main themes and key findings in the literature regarding the use of the Health Belief Model in heatwaves research. It also highlights important research gaps and future research priorities. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 10 articles were included, with a geographic distribution as follows: United States (n = 1), Australia (n = 1), Pakistan (n = 1), and China (n = 1), as well as Malaysia (n = 2), Germany (n = 1), and Austria (n = 1). Results showed a lack of research using the Health Belief Model to study heatwaves induced by climate change. Half of the studies assessed heatwave risk perception, with the 2 most frequently used constructs being Perceived Susceptibility and Perceived Severity. The Self-efficacy construct was instead used less often. Most of the research was conducted in urban communities. This review underscores the need for further research using the Health Belief Model.
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  17. Pennay A, van Egmond K, Anderson-Luxford D, Wright CJC, Caluzzi G, Livingston M, et al.
    Drug Alcohol Rev, 2023 Sep;42(6):1349-1357.
    PMID: 37399138 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13706
    INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to: (i) determine the feasibility of using ecological momentary assessment to collect data from Australian Football League (AFL) fans; (ii) explore pre-game, during-game and post-game consumption patterns of AFL fans; and (iii) explore the social and setting-related factors associated with risky single occasion drinking (5+ drinks) among AFL fans.

    METHODS: Thirty-four participants completed up to 10 ecological momentary assessment surveys before, during and after 63 AFL games (n = 437 completed surveys). Surveys collected data about their drinking, and their social and environmental milieu (e.g., location, company). Binary logistic regression analyses clustered by participant identified which game-day characteristics were associated with higher odds of risky single occasion drinking. Significant differences between pre-game, during-game and post-game drinking on social and environmental factors were explored using pairwise comparisons.

    RESULTS: Risky single occasion drinking was more likely when games began in the early-afternoon (1-3 pm) than late-afternoon (3-6 pm), when participants watched the game at a stadium or pub compared to home, and when participants watched the game with friends compared to family. Pre-drinking was more likely before night games and post-drinking was more likely after day games. Drinking during the game was heavier when watching the game at a pub and when watching with a combined group of friends and family.

    DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary findings suggest that social and contextual factors matter in the way alcohol is consumed while watching AFL games. These findings require further investigation in larger samples.

    Matched MeSH terms: Australia
  18. Hashami B, Abdul Halim O, Yusoff K
    Med J Malaysia, 1994 Jun;49(2):149-57.
    PMID: 8090094
    A total of 209 randomly selected Malaysian university students (128 from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 81 from the University of New South Wales) completed a self-filled questionnaire enquiring about their smoking behaviour and psychosocial characteristics. The prevalence of smoking was 26.6 per cent among students in Malaysia and 18.8 per cent among students in Australia (average 23.4%). Both samples have similar patterns in terms of age of starting smoking, time of the day when they smoked, family and peer history of smoking, and whether or not they inhaled deeply during smoking. The smokers tend to be male, studying beyond the first year, staying with peers outside the hostel, having financial sources other than a scholarship, and abnormal mental health score. However, the smokers from the Australian samples were noted to smoke less and made fewer attempts at quitting the habit.
    Matched MeSH terms: Australia/epidemiology
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