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There is much interest in understanding how anthropogenic food resources subsidise carnivore populations. Carcasses of hunter-shot ungulates are a potentially substantial food source for mammalian carnivores. The sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) is a large (≥ 150 kg) exotic ungulate that can be hunted throughout the year in south-eastern Australia, and hunters are not required to remove or bury carcasses. We investigated how wild dogs/dingoes and their hybrids (Canis lupus familiaris/dingo), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and feral cats (Felis catus) utilised sambar deer carcasses during the peak hunting seasons (i.e. winter and spring). We placed carcasses at 1-km intervals along each of six transects that extended 4-km into forest from farm boundaries. Visits to carcasses were monitored using camera traps, and the rate of change in edible biomass estimated at ∼ 14-day intervals. Wild dogs and foxes fed on 70% and 60% of 30 carcasses, respectively, but feral cats seldom (10%) fed on carcasses. Spatial and temporal patterns of visits to carcasses were consistent with the hypothesis that foxes avoid wild dogs. Wild dog activity peaked at carcasses 2 and 3 km from farms, a likely legacy of wild dog control, whereas fox activity peaked at carcasses 0 and 4 km from farms. Wild dog activity peaked at dawn and dusk, whereas nearly all fox activity occurred after dusk and before dawn. Neither wild dogs nor foxes remained at carcasses for long periods and the amount of feeding activity by either species was a less important predictor of the loss of edible biomass than season. Reasons for the low impacts of wild dogs and foxes on sambar deer carcass biomass include the spatially and temporally unpredictable distribution of carcasses in the landscape, the rapid rate of edible biomass decomposition in warm periods, low wild dog densities and the availability of alternative food resources.

Tributary and mainstem connections represent important links for the movement of fish and other biota throughout river networks. We investigated the timing, frequency and environmental conditions associated with movements by adult golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) between the mainstem of the mid-Murray River and a tributary, the Goulburn River, in south-eastern Australia, using acoustic telemetry over four years (2007-2011). Fish were tagged and released in autumn 2007-2009 in the mid-Murray (n = 42) and lower Goulburn (n = 37) rivers within 3-6 km of the mid-Murray-lower Goulburn junction. 38% of tagged fish undertook mainstem-tributary movements, characterised mostly by temporary occupation followed by return of fish to the original capture river. Approximately 10% of tagged fish exhibited longer-term shifts between the mainstem and tributary. Movement of fish from the tributary into the mainstem occurred primarily during the spawning season and in some years coincided with the presence of golden perch eggs/larvae in drift samples in the mainstem. Many of the tributary-to-mainstem movements occurred during or soon after changes in flow. The movements of fish from the mainstem into the tributary were irregular and did not appear to be associated with spawning. The findings show that golden perch moved freely across the mainstem-tributary interface. This demonstrates the need to consider the spatial, behavioural and demographic interdependencies of aquatic fauna across geographic management units such as rivers.

Fish are often targets for environmental watering outcomes under the premise that aspects of the flow regime are linked to key components of their life-history. This study examined the conceptual link between variability in river discharge and fish productivity by measuring annual growth patterns (generated using sclerochronology over a 22-year period) of two native freshwater cod Maccullochella spp. species over a range of flow conditions in a regulated Australian floodplain River. We found a positive relationship between fish growth, flow variability and river discharge. Flow variability during spring and summer-autumn, as well as their antecedent values, was particularly important in explaining annual growth of the nationally endangered Maccullochella macquariensis . Growth of Maccullochella peelii displayed similar patterns, though were more closely aligned with spring discharge. These results are consistent with the general view that increased river regulation, due to its suppression of flow magnitude and variability, has been a major contributing factor in the decline of native fish populations throughout the world. Our results provide support and guidance for the use of environmental water delivery, and have broad application to rivers worldwide for which any quantification of ecological impacts of regulation, and responses to water management remain scarce.

Identifying landscape features and processes that facilitate the persistence of populations is particularly important for invasive mammal species, because it can focus management interventions on relatively small areas. We used camera traps to test predictions concerning the relative abundance of invading chital deer (Axis axis) on seven cattle ranches in northern Australia: that abundance of chital deer would be highest near permanent water and near homesteads, and that dingoes (Canis dingo) reduce abundance of chital deer. Distance from the nearest homestead determined deer abundance (as indexed by images per camera-day), with negligible abundance > 4 km from homesteads. In contrast, distance from homestead did not predict abundance of feral pigs (Sus scrofa), macropods, or dingoes. Abundance of chital deer also declined with increasing distance from water, as did feral pig abundance. There was no relationship between either macropod or dingo abundance and distance to water. The abundance of chital deer was unaffected by dingo abundance, but 75–100% of dingo scats collected within 1 km of homesteads contained chital deer. The high abundances of chital deer near homesteads are likely due to increased food quality or quantity, or protection from dingoes, but these hypotheses require further testing. We conclude that homesteads and permanent water are important determinants of the distribution and abundance of invasive chital deer in northern Australia (i.e., they are “invasion hubs” for this species). Our results suggest that, during the dry season, managers should survey for and attempt to control chital deer within 4 km of homesteads and within 3 km of water.

Introduced ungulates are an important management issue on New Zealand’s public conservation land (PCL). Ungulates are harvested by recreational and commercial hunters, with some government-funded culling. A robust monitoring system is needed to reliably report trends in occupancy and abundance, and to evaluate management effectiveness. We first describe the design and implementation of a monitoring programme enabling ungulate occupancy and relative abundances to be estimated on New Zealand’s PCL. Monitoring sites are located at the vertices of an 8-km grid superimposed over PCL on North, South and Stewart/Rakiura islands (i.e. a spatially representative sampling network). At each site, intact ungulate pellets are counted on four transects radiating from a 400 m² vegetation plot, with each 150 m transect containing 30 1-m radius plots. We next report an analysis of the first such data collected at 1346 sites during 2012–2018. Nationally, ungulate occupancy and abundance were higher at woody than at non-woody sites, and overall were higher in the North Island than in the South Island. Occupancy odds increased by 34% and 21% per annum in the North Island and South Island, respectively. Abundance (conditional on sites being occupied) increased 11% annually in the North Island, but did not change in the South Island. These increases in occupancy and abundance indicate that ungulate populations are recovering from the lows of the 1980s, likely due to reduction in both commercial harvesting and government-funded control. The data from the monitoring reported here establish a baseline against which future estimates of ungulate occupancy-abundance, and the effectiveness of management activities, can be assessed. Five-yearly remeasurements at the sites, coupled with more comprehensive recording of information on government control and commercial/recreational harvesting activities, should enable the drivers of future changes in ungulate occupancy and abundance to be better understood.

In Australian semiarid rangelands, there have been suggestions that kangaroo harvesting should be given much more serious consideration as a supplement or even replacement to income from domestic stock like cattle and sheep. The possibility of kangaroo harvesting ever being economically viable, however, is often dismissed due to the impossibility of constraining these freely roaming animals to a particular property. In this paper, we explore the extent to which landholders do have control of their harvests regardless of the activities on neighboring land. Three scenarios are investigated: a property with a porous border that is surrounded by a reserve, like a national park, that is much larger and where harvesting is prohibited; a pair of properties with porous borders where harvesting is permitted and landholders act cooperatively; and finally two properties with porous borders where harvesting is permitted and landholders act competitively. The results indicate that despite the freely roaming nature of kangaroos, private property owners can obtain harvests proportional to the extent to which their land and grazing resources are utilized.

Describes the design and implementation of a monitoring programme enabling ungulate occupancy and relative abundances to be estimated on New Zealand’s public conservation land (PCL). Reports key results from the first measurement cycle, including spatial and temporal trends in ungulate occupancy-abundance on PCL and the effects of government-funded management actions and commercial harvesting on ungulate occupancy abundance. Discusses the opportunities provided by this monitoring programme, and its limitations. Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.

Tributary and mainstem connections represent important links for the movement of fish and other biota throughout river networks. We investigated the timing, frequency and environmental conditions associated with movements by adult golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) between the mainstem of the mid-Murray River and a tributary, the Goulburn River, in south-eastern Australia, using acoustic telemetry over four years (2007-2011). Fish were tagged and released in autumn 2007-2009 in the mid-Murray (n = 42) and lower Goulburn (n = 37) rivers within 3-6 km of the mid-Murray-lower Goulburn junction. 38% of tagged fish undertook mainstem-tributary movements, characterised mostly by temporary occupation followed by return of fish to the original capture river. Approximately 10% of tagged fish exhibited longer-term shifts between the mainstem and tributary. Movement of fish from the tributary into the mainstem occurred primarily during the spawning season and in some years coincided with the presence of golden perch eggs/larvae in drift samples in the mainstem. Many of the tributary-to-mainstem movements occurred during or soon after changes in flow. The movements of fish from the mainstem into the tributary were irregular and did not appear to be associated with spawning. The findings show that golden perch moved freely across the mainstem-tributary interface. This demonstrates the need to consider the spatial, behavioural and demographic interdependencies of aquatic fauna across geographic management units such as rivers.

Background Non-specific low back pain is a common and costly global issue. Many people with low back pain live for years with ongoing symptom recurrence and disability, making it crucial to find effective prevention strategies. Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based patient-centred counselling style that helps motivate individuals to change their behaviours. In combination, MI and cognitive-behavioural therapy (MI-CBT) has the potential to yield long term improvements in pain and disability and reduce incidence of recurrence. Method This is a two-arm superiority randomised controlled trial comparing MI-CBT and Education ( n  = 83) with Education only ( n  = 83). Participants that have recovered from a recent episode of non-specific low back pain (7th consecutive day with pain ≤ 2 on a 0–10 numeric pain rating scale) will be eligible for inclusion into the study. Both groups will receive five 30-min sessions over a 10-week period as well as the Navigating Pain booklet, homework book and a standardised exercise programme. In the intervention group, MI-CBT techniques will be used to provide individualised support, identify beliefs, and increase engagement with the resources provided. Outcomes measures include pain (current and in the last 7 days) as rated on the numeric pain rating scale. This will be used to determine recurrence (number of participants who report back pain ≥ 3 out of 10 on the numeric pain rating scale). Furthermore, self-reported (1) pain intensity; (2) pain catastrophizing; (3) fear-avoidance beliefs; (4) pain self-efficacy; (5) depression and anxiety; (6) disability will be measured. All outcomes will be measured at baseline, and again at 3-, 6-, and 12-months post allocation. Discussion The effective delivery of self-management strategies to prevent recurrence of low back pain is an important aspect that requires urgent attention. This study will provide new information on the effectiveness of using an MI-CBT approach to facilitate self-management through education and exercise to improve low back pain outcomes. Evidence emerging from this trial has the potential to inform clinical practice and healthcare management of non-specific low back pain. Trial registration Prospectively registered with Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12623000746639 (10/07/2023).

A well-functioning arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the best modality for vascular access in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring haemodialysis (HD). However, AVFs' main disadvantage is the high rate of maturation failure, with approximately one third (20%-50%) not maturing into useful access. This review examine the use of Far-Infra Red therapy in an attempt to enhance both primary (unassisted) and secondary (assisted) patency rates for AVF in dialysis and pre-dialysis patients. We performed an online search for observational studies and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated FIR in patients with AVF. Eligible studies compared FIR with control treatment and reported at least one outcome measure relating to access survival. Primary patency and secondary patency rates were the main outcomes of interest. Four RCTs (666 patients) were included. Unassisted patency assessed in 610 patients, and was significantly better among those who received FIR (228/311) compared to (185/299) controls (pooled risk ratio of 1.23 [1.12-1.35], p = 0.00001). In addition, the two studies which reported secondary patency rates showed significant difference in favour of FIR therapy--160/168 patients--compared to 140/163 controls (pooled risk ratio of 1.11 [1.04-1.19], p = 0.003). FIR therapy may positively influence the complex process of AVF maturation improving both primary and secondary patency rates. However blinded RCTs performed by investigators with no commercial ties to FIR therapy technologies are needed.