Exploring the anthelmintic properties of Australian native shrubs with respect to their potential role in livestock grazing systems

We measured in vitro anthelmintic activity in extracts from 85 species of Australian native shrub, with a view to identifying species able to provide a degree of worm control in grazing systems. Approximately 40% of the species showed significant activity in inhibiting development of Haemonchus contortus larvae. The most active extracts showed IC50 values of 60–300 mg/ml. Pre-incubation with polyvinylpolypyrrolidine removed the activity from some extracts, implicating tannins as the bioactive agent, while in other cases the pre-incubation had no effect, indicating the presence of other anthelmintic compounds. Plant reproductive maturity (onset of flowering or fruiting) was associated with increasing anthelmintic activity in some species. Variability was observed between plants of the same species growing in different environments, while variation between individual plants of the same species within a single field suggests the existence of distinct chemotypes. Significant activity against adult H. contortus worms in vitro was also demonstrated in a limited number of extracts tested against this life stage. Our study indicates that there is potential for Australian native shrubs to play an anthelmintic role in grazing systems, and highlights some plant biology factors which will need to be considered in order to maximize any anthelmintic effects.A. C. Kotze, J. O’Grady, J. Emms, A. F. Toovey, S. Hughes, P. Jessop, M. Bennell P. E. Vercoe and D. K. Revel

The oxalate content of some Queensland pasture plants

In 1948, the Department became interested in oxalate intake as one of the factors possibly associated with the occurrence of carbonate calculi in the urinary tract of sheep. The oxalate content of a number of the pasture plants grazed by sheep in Queensland was therefore determined, and the results are presented in this paper. The water-soluble and total oxalate contents of 80 species of pasture plants were determined by K.W. Moir's modification (in press) of the method of Myers. The results are expressed as percentage of oxalic acid on a moisture-free basis

Motion of a Charged Particle in a Non-uniform Magnetic Field

The motion of an electron in a magnetic field of constant gradient has been analysed by Seymour (1959), who derives expressions for the x and y coordinates of the electron in terms of elliptic integrals.</jats:p

From the Editor

Volume: 18Start Page: 1End Page:

New Workshops for Managing Native Vegetation in Travelling Stock Reserves

Volume: 19Start Page: 27End Page: 2

"A kindred spirit”: The Impact of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Vampire Diaries on Adolescent Viewers

Since the mid-20th century, television shows have been a mainstay of the modern leisure system. Countless channels and streaming services broadcast dozens of shows every year, inundating young people with a wide range of genres and narratives. What impact do these shows have on their viewers? This thesis investigates how two television shows, The Vampire Diaries and Buffy the Vampire Slayer have affected and transformed adolescent viewers’ identities. By exploring the myriad approaches television takes in shaping people’s lives, from creating likeable and relatable characters, to disseminating mainstream social expectations, and normalising certain ways of living, this project uncovers the real-world impact of television on teenage identities.  Through in-depth interviews and online fieldwork, the emotional, life-changing and empowering experiences of those who watched The Vampire Diaries and Buffy the Vampire Slayer as adolescents are revealed. This thesis highlights and explores viewers’ narratives, concluding that adolescent identities can be transformed in both the short- and long-term. While watching the two shows, viewers identified with, and/or idealised the televised characters. Viewers imitated onscreen behaviours and integrated the shows’ gender ideologies and expectations of romance into their own worldviews, with this absorption directly affecting their behaviour and relationships. Through interlocutors' narrated experiences, this thesis seeks to demonstrate how significant television can be in changing adolescents’ lives.</p

Training parents as effective listeners of their children's reading

This study briefly outlines the results of a pilot project within the Bowen Special Education District directed to the training of parents as effective listeners of children's oral reading. The study assesses the relevant listening behaviours of two parents before, during and after being involved in a Parent Helper's Reading Program. The effectiveness of the program is generally evident from the observed improvement in listening behaviours demonstrated by the parents. Furthermore, the increased competency in listening behaviours by parents is paralleled by a simultaneous improvement in oral reading and comprehension performance by the target children. Also, the children's generalisation of skills from home to school is noted by both parents and teachers. Overall, this study suggests two significant implications to be considered within the context of existing reading programs utilising adult helpers. Firstly, the use of untrained helpers within school reading programs needs to be questioned. Secondly, the effectiveness of parent helper programs is dependent upon the level of follow-up and monitoring made available to program participants. While the limitations of generalising from a project using only two subjects is realised, the results suggest important areas for future investigations.</jats:p