Despite the prominent use of the Suchey-Brooks (S-B) method of age estimation in forensic anthropological practice, it is subject to intrinsic limitations, with reports of differential interpopulation error rates between geographical locations. This study assessed the accuracy of the S-B method to a contemporary adult population in Queensland, Australia and provides robust age parameters calibrated for our population. Three-dimensional surface reconstructions were generated from computed tomography scans of the pubic symphysis of male and female Caucasian individuals aged 15-70 years (n = 195) in Amira and Rapidform. Error was analyzed on the basis of bias, inaccuracy and percentage correct classification for left and right symphyseal surfaces. Application of transition analysis and Chi-square statistics demonstrated 63.9 and 69.7% correct age classification associated with the left symphyseal surface of Australian males and females, respectively, using the S-B method. Using Bayesian statistics, probability density distributions for each S-B phase were calculated, providing refined age parameters for our population. Mean inaccuracies of 6.77 (±2.76) and 8.28 (±4.41) years were reported for the left surfaces of males and females, respectively; with positive biases for younger individuals (<55 years) and negative biases in older individuals. Significant sexual dimorphism in the application of the S-B method was observed; and asymmetry in phase classification of the pubic symphysis was a frequent phenomenon. These results recommend that the S-B method should be applied with caution in medico-legal death investigations of Queensland skeletal remains and warrant further investigation of reliable age estimation techniques.

Due to disparity regarding the age at which skeletal maturation of the spheno-occipital synchondrosis occurs in forensic and biological literature, this study provides recalibrated multislice computed tomography (MSCT) age standards for the Australian (Queensland) population, using a Bayesian statistical approach. The sample comprises retrospective cranial/cervical MSCT scans obtained from 448 males and 416 females aged birth to 20 years from the Skeletal Biology and Forensic Anthropology Research Osteological Database. Fusion status of the synchondrosis was scored using a modified six-stage scoring tier on an MSCT platform, with negligible observer error (κ = 0.911 ± 0.04, intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.994). Bayesian transition analysis indicates that females are most likely to transition to complete fusion at 13.1 years and males at 15.6 years. Posterior densities were derived for each morphological stage, with complete fusion of the synchondrosis attained in all Queensland males over 16.3 years of age and females aged 13.8 years and older. The results demonstrate significant sexual dimorphism in synchondrosis fusion and are suggestive of intrapopulation variation between major geographic regions in Australia. This study contributes to the growing repository of contemporary anthropological standards calibrated for the Queensland milieu to improve the efficacy of the coronial process for medicolegal death investigation. As a stand-alone age indicator, the basicranial synchondrosis may be consulted as an exclusion criterion when determining the age of majority that constitutes 17 years in Queensland forensic practice.

ÔØ Å ÒÙ× Ö ÔØBeef carcasses with larger eye muscle areas, lower ossification scores and improved nutrition have a lower incidence of dark cutting This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. increased pHu compliance by around 14% (P<0.001) in carcasses less than 350kg. As carcass weight increased from 150kg to 220kg, compliance increased by 13% (P<0.001) and younger cattle with lower ossification were also 7% more compliant (P<0.001). As rib fat depth increased from 0 to 20mm, pHu compliance increased by around 10% (P<0.001) yet marbling had no effect on dark cutting. Increasing musculature and growth combined with good nutrition will minimise dark cutting beef in Australia. A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT HighlightsIncreasing the musculature of beef cattle decreases dark cutting Heavier carcasses and younger cattle with lower ossification have higher ultimate pH compliance Fatter carcasses have less dark cutting reflecting better nutrition A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT2 Increasing musculature and growth combined with good nutrition of beef cattle will minimize dark cutting beef in Australia

The organic carbon stock in biomass and soil profiles sampled from nearby paddocks with different land-use histories was estimated at 7 sites in the upper Liverpool Plains catchment and the Manilla district of north-western New South Wales, Australia. The distribution of soil carbon concentrations over a depth of 2 m was significantly affected by site and land use. Continuous cultivation and cropping over ≥20 years significantly depleted carbon concentrations compared with grassy woodlands in the surface 0.20 m at all sites and to a depth of 0.60 m at 3 sites. Depth of sampling (0–0.20 v. 0–1.0 m) significantly affected the differences between land uses at most sites regarding estimates of the stock of soil carbon. These results show that differences in soil carbon concentrations and stock size do not remain constant with depth between contrasting land uses. However, comparisons between land uses of the total amount of carbon stored were dominated by the number of trees per ha and the size of the trees in grassy woodlands. The implications of these results for carbon accounting are discussed.

Rotational effects of chickpea, an important N2-fixing pulse legume of the northern grains region, on subsequent wheat require quantification of the contribution of the legume to soil N and the N status of the wheat, and of suppression of soil and stubble-borne pathogens, such as crown rot (Fusarium graminearum Schwabe Group 1). Results from selected treatments of 10 experiments in northern New South Wales in which chickpea and wheat in one season were followed by wheat in following seasons indicated generally higher dry matter (DM) and grain yields of wheat after chickpea than after wheat. Responses to chickpea were -0·8 to 3·3 t/ha (shoot DM) and -3 to 39 kg N/ha (shoot N). Responses in wheat grain yields were -0·1 to 1·7 t/ha (mean 0·85 t/ha); grain N responses were -2 to 33 kg/ha (mean 19 kg/ha). Grain protein responses were small (0·6%) and variable. Although these productivity responses could be explained largely in terms of additional nitrate-N following chickpea, we measured reduced incidences of crown rot in wheat after chickpea (range 1-36%, mean of 12%), compared with wheat after wheat (range 5-52%, mean 30%). Modelling the incidence of crown rot indicated highly significant interactions between prior crop and total water (pre-plant soil water plus in-crop rainfall). When wheat followed chickpea, incidence of the disease declined sharply with increasing water. When wheat followed wheat, there was a marginal decline in disease incidence with increasing water. Our results support the strategy of using legumes in rotation with wheat in the northern grains region for enhanced soil-N supply and disease-break effects.

Contemporary, population-specific ossification timings of the cranium are lacking in current literature due to challenges in obtaining large repositories of documented subadult material, forcing Australian practitioners to rely on North American, arguably antiquated reference standards for age estimation. This study assessed the temporal pattern of ossification of the cranium and provides recalibrated probabilistic information for age estimation of modern Australian children. Fusion status of the occipital and frontal bones, atlas, and axis was scored using a modified two- to four-tier system from cranial/cervical DICOM datasets of 585 children aged birth to 10 years. Transition analysis was applied to elucidate maximum-likelihood estimates between consecutive fusion stages, in conjunction with Bayesian statistics to calculate credible intervals for age estimation. Results demonstrate significant sex differences in skeletal maturation (p < 0.05) and earlier timings in comparison with major literary sources, underscoring the requisite of updated standards for age estimation of modern individuals.

Summary. The use of nitrogen fertilisers to arrest the decline in soil nitrogen fertility in the northern grains belt of New South Wales has been the subject of many years of research, however, little is known about how farmers make decisions about nitrogen fertiliser. A survey of 400 wheat farmers in northern New South Wales in April 1997 revealed that many have recently changed their fertiliser practices. Although most respondents had been growing wheat since the 1960s, regular applications of nitrogen only commenced in the mid 1980s. Initially only low rates of nitrogen were applied, but in the last 2–5 years, the nitrogen rates have substantially increased. These changes are notable because until this decade, most were content to rely mainly on mineralisation of soil organic nitrogen, whereas, now, half the respondents in the survey plan to add as much nitrogen in fertiliser in 1 year as was removed in the previous year’s wheat crop. Farmers were asked to rate the importance of a number of factors that have been promoted as means of tactically adjusting fertiliser rates. This study found a disparity between the level of measurement and precision suggested by the majority of research, development and extension programs compared with the methods used by farmers. In general, the respondents to the survey have rejected, or are yet to adopt, regular soil testing, the use of climate forecasts and decision support programs. Rather, they rely on simple rules of thumb based on readily accessible data such as past grain protein content and cropping history.

In 2001, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) was identified in Brisbane, Australia. An eradication program involving broadcast bait treatment with two insect growth regulators and a metabolic inhibitor began in September of that year and is currently ongoing. To gauge the impacts of these treatments on local ant populations, we examined long-term monitoring data and quantified abundance patterns of S. invicta and common local ant genera using a linear mixed-effects model. For S. invicta, presence in pitfalls reduced over time to zero on every site. Significantly higher numbers of S. invicta workers were collected on high-density polygyne sites, which took longer to disinfest compared with monogyne and low-density polygyne sites. For local ants, nine genus groups of the 10 most common genera analyzed either increased in abundance or showed no significant trend. Five of these genus groups were significantly less abundant at the start of monitoring on high-density polygyne sites compared with monogyne and low-density polygyne sites. The genus Pheidole significantly reduced in abundance over time, suggesting that it was affected by treatment efforts. These results demonstrate that the treatment regime used at the time successfully removed S. invicta from these sites in Brisbane, and that most local ant genera were not seriously impacted by the treatment. These results have important implications for current and future prophylactic treatment efforts, and suggest that native ants remain in treated areas to provide some biological resistance to S. invicta.