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Background A Medical Treatment Decision Maker (MTDM) is appointed to make medical treatment decision on behalf of a person who cannot make such decisions for themselves, provided they are reasonably available and willing to make such decisions. In the Emergency Department (ED), the clinicians’ ability to contact MTDMs is an essential for patient care, particularly in time-critical situations or when end of life discussion is necessary. Our primary objective was to review the verification process and assess the accuracy of MTDM contact numbers in the Health Information System (HIS) at our institution. Methods Quantitative method with retrospective observational study design with phone interview transcript was used. Data was imported from Microsoft Office Excel Spreadsheet to SPSS™ for analysis and statistical significance indicated by a two-sided P value

We introduce the AusTraits database - a compilation of values of plant traits for taxa in the Australian flora (hereafter AusTraits). AusTraits synthesises data on 448 traits across 28,640 taxa from field campaigns, published literature, taxonomic monographs, and individual taxon descriptions. Traits vary in scope from physiological measures of performance (e.g. photosynthetic gas exchange, water-use efficiency) to morphological attributes (e.g. leaf area, seed mass, plant height) which link to aspects of ecological variation. AusTraits contains curated and harmonised individual- and species-level measurements coupled to, where available, contextual information on site properties and experimental conditions. This article provides information on version 3.0.2 of AusTraits which contains data for 997,808 trait-by-taxon combinations. We envision AusTraits as an ongoing collaborative initiative for easily archiving and sharing trait data, which also provides a template for other national or regional initiatives globally to fill persistent gaps in trait knowledge., Measurement(s)plant traitTechnology Type(s)digital curationSample Characteristic - OrganismViridiplantaeSample Characteristic - LocationAustralia Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14545755

This paper demonstrates how component musical instrument parts can be recreated from manufacturers’ technical drawings using 3D printing. While the application of this technology is not new, previous approaches have usually involved Computer Tomography scanning of extant models. Instead we used surviving technical drawings of clarinet mouthpieces originally manufactured by Boosey & Hawkes. We demonstrated that this non-invasive technique can be used to 3D print musical component parts if the original plans survive, even when extant parts do not. We also demonstrated through qualitative feedback from professional musicians that hand finishing of 3D printed mouthpieces remains essential for skilled performers.

In Australia, legislation requires medication containing paracetamol display warning of co-administration with other paracetamol products, and safe maximum daily dosing (4 g). Labelling style, size and visibility differ, potentially leading possible supratherapeutic misadventure.We studied the likelihood of participants exceeding the recommended dose of paracetamol using products with standard packaging versus products labelled with one of two additional warning labels.This was a pilot prospective, observational study, conducted from May 2013 to July 2014. Participants undertook a structured interview to create a simulated 24-h scenario in which they chose from a range of labelled lone paracetamol- and compound paracetamol-containing medications to treat dental pain on six occasions. Participants were randomized to choose from one of three groups of analgesic medications with different package labelling: (1) standard packaging alone, (2) standard packaging + a pre-existing warning label and (3) standard packaging + large customized warning label. The primary outcome was to determine if participants would administer4 g in 24 h, exceeding the recommended daily dose.One hundred eighteen surveys were completed (response rate 100%, 56% females). Forty-one (35% of total) participants took4 g within the 24-h scenario period. About 24% (10/42) of the standard packaging group, 37% (13/35) of the standard packaging + pre-existing warning label group and 48% (19/40) of the SP + large customized warning label group ingested4 g of paracetamol. There were no significant differences between the three groups (p 0.05).In this small, simulated dental pain scenario, use of customized warning labels did not reduce the likelihood of supratherapeutic misadventure.

Remnants of native riparian vegetation on the floodplain of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River near Sydney, have significant conservation value, but contain a large component of weeds (i.e. exotic species that have become naturalized). A proposal for the introduction of environmental flows required an assessment of potential impacts on 242 native and 128 exotic species recorded along 215 km of the river. The likely effects of frequency, season, depth and duration of inundation were considered in relation to habitat, dispersal season and tolerance to water-logging. Overseas studies provided only limited information applicable to the study area; however, comparisons with similarly highly modified riparian habitats in New Zealand were instructive. Depth and season of inundation appear to be the variables with the greatest potential for differential effects on weeds and native plants. Because of likely spread of propagules and enhancement of growth under the present nutrient-enriched conditions, environmental flows that would cause more frequent flooding to higher levels of the riparian zone were judged to be of more benefit to weed species than native species, unless supported by bushland management including weeding. Predictions were limited by incomplete data on Hawkesbury-Nepean species, but two types of environmental flow were judged to be potentially beneficial for native water-edge plants, and worth testing and monitoring: first, flows that maintain continuous low-level flow in the river, and second, higher level environmental flows restricted to the river-edge habitat in autumn (the season in which a greater proportion of native species than weed species are known to disperse propagules). In summary, the presence of environmental weeds in riparian vegetation constrain the potential for environmental flows to improve river health. However, with ongoing monitoring, careful choice of water level and season of flow may lead to environmental flows that add to our knowledge, and benefit riparian vegetation along with other river system components.

At focal sites within dry sclerophyll woodland and temperate rain forest, species were identified that were of low local abundance and hence in the tail of the rank–abundance curve. We then asked the question: What proportion of tail species within a given community are constitutive members of the tail everywhere throughout their geographical range, versus what proportion are found as substantially more abundant somewhere within their range? Out of 55 tail species identified from dry sclerophyll woodland and 116 tail species identified from temperate rain forest, 91% and 95%, respectively, were significantly more abundant at other locations (“somewhere-abundant” species), versus 9% and 5% “everywhere-sparse” species. Among eight attributes in dry sclerophyll woodland and nine attributes in temperate rain forest compared between somewhere-abundant and everywhere-sparse species, none discriminated consistently between the two groups of species. The size and dispersal morphology of seeds, flowering and fruiting durations and seasons, regeneration strategy after fire, size of geographical ranges, maximum plant height, and size class revealed no consistent distinctions. For the small minority of species that are everywhere-sparse, some general explanation may exist as to why they are in the tail of rank–abundance curves, though none was located among the attributes compared in this paper. For the majority of tail species that are somewhere-abundant, any explanation as to why they are in the tail will need to account for different outcomes in different places.

All vascular plant species were listed on eight sites near Sydney, Australia. Four sites were on infertile and four on fertile soil. Each of the 355 species was classified according to seed mass (measured as fresh mass of embryo plus endosperm), morphological adaptations for dispersal by different vectors, and growth form. The infertile—soil sites had more species and more cover adapted for dispersal by ants, and the fertile—soil sites had more species and more cover with fleshy fruits adapted for dispersal by vertebrates. We tested the hypothesis that this difference could be interpreted as a secondary correlate of seed size or of growth form. Species with smaller seed mass of growing to

Coastal floodplain wetlands in southeastern Australia are subject to irregular fluctuations in moisture in terms of magnitude, duration and frequency. These interact with geomorphology over seasonal and year-to-year time scales to produce different habitats at different times. In freshwater wetlands on the Hawkesbury-Nepean River floodplain near Sydney in coastal New South Wales, major structural changes in vegetation following varying seasonal and weather conditions were observed over a period of seven years. The visible component of wetland plant species varied greatly within the yearly cycle of seasons, and from year to year in the same season depending on conditions. Examples from dominant species show that plant life cycle attributes, interacting with fluctuating biophysical conditions, provide the mechanisms for coping with habitat variation. Life cycle attributes that vary between species include longevity, propagule production and propagule availability. These respond to cues of flooding and drying out, and interact with temperature. Our observations highlight the importance of maintaining natural regimes of water level fluctuations, including periodic drying out, to retain species richness.

Situated on the southeastern coast at 34�S 151�E, Sydney was established in 1788 as Australia's first permanent European settlement. Clearing of natural vegetation and environmental degradation associated with the country's largest population concentration over the past 200 years have severely affected the nearby Hawkesbury-Nepean River. A strategy for rehabilitation of the riparian vegetation to conserve and enhance the natural conditions remaining along the river, with particular emphasis on habitat and natural biodiversity, has been developed. The study area encompassed the most modified part of the river, where it passes alternately through 80 km of sandstone terrain, where the natural vegetation of waterside scrub backed by open-forest remains largely unchanged, and 135 km of floodplain terrain, where most of the indigenous tall open-forest has been cleared and associated wetlands have been greatly modified. Indigenous riparian zone vegetation was recognized as critical to the maintenance of river health, providing a reservoir of biodiversity as a major value, upon which other values, including enhancement of water quality, bank stablility and erosion control, depend. As 47 per cent of study area riverbank was found to have less than 25 per cent tree cover, the strategy recommended that all remnant native vegetation and remnant native trees along the river be protected and that a substantial long-term aim should be the establishment of a 50-metre wide strip of native riparian forest vegetation on each bank along the full length of the river, to be linked ultimately with other areas of natural vegetation on the floodplain. To provide practical resources for revegetation, the strategy assembled a botanical database, including maps showing present tree cover and the past extent of floodplain vegetation types, descriptions and locations of sites where significant native riparian vegetation remains, ecological information on approximately 300 locally indigenous riparian and wetland plant species, guidelines on selection of appropriate species, replanting methods and determination of priorities at both site and landscape scale.

SUMMARY (1) The self-thinning rule describes an outer boundary on the trajectories which even-aged stands of plants can follow in a space of log biomass v. log density. An important variant to the rule occurs in dense shade, but the exact nature of the variant remains unclear. We describe three alternative models of the effect of dense shade on the rule. (2) To test these models, we grew some stands of Trifolium subterraneum in a glasshouse in full daylight and others shaded at 30% of full daylight; after a period, some full-light stands were moved to the shade, and some shaded stands to full daylight. (3) The results showed that the slope of the trajectory of a stand growing in shade is determined not only by the light climate, but also by its position with respect to the relevant thinning line. This observation excludes one of the three models. We discuss the evidence bearing on the correctness of the other two models.

SUMMARY biomass and density but with different population structures (frequency distributions of plant weight), and to ask whether they followed different paths. (2) In experiment 1 we created three population structures by using different combinations of seeds of different sizes. The differences created were small. In the remaining experiments mixed-aged stands were created by sowing a second cohort between 4 and 23 days after a first cohort. (3) In experiments 3 and 4 we found that more light penetrated under the canopy at the centre of the pot in pots at the edge of experimental blocks than in pots at the centre, but this only produced better survivorship of small plants in mixed-age stands. In subsequent experiments no edge pots were used. (4) The paths followed by control even-aged stands in the different experiments varied substantially, for unexplained reasons. It may be best to think of the log biomass-log density boundary along which self-thinning stands travel as a thinning band rather than a thinning line. (5) While in some experiments mixed-aged stands appeared to follow different paths from the control even-aged stand, the nature of the difference was not consistent. Further, the difference within any experiment was small compared with the differences among controls in the different experiments. We conclude that population structure is not an important influence on self-thinning paths relative to unexplained variation among stands. (6) The mean slopes of the paths followed by the controls were less than the expected -1/2. The overall pattern of the results was consistent with the idea that paths are bounded by a line of slope -1/2 only up to some maximum biomass, after which density may continue to decline but biomass per unit area does not increase. (7) During thinning, stands with different initial structures converged towards a frequency distribution of log weights which was roughly symmetrical and about 2-3 orders of magnitude broad.

(1) The self-thinning rule describes the mortality of plants undergoing competitive thinning in a crowded even-aged stand as a function of accumulation of biomass or weight without reference to the passage of time. It has been thought that an important exception to the rule occurs at low light flux, with the slope of the thinning line changing from -1/2 (biomass basis) to 0. (2) Silverbeet populations were grown in a glasshouse in full light and under various shade treatments. Some plants were grown during summer and others during winter. (3) Full daylight in winter was about 55% of that in summer. The winter treatments self-thinned as if they were summer treatments subjected to that amount of extra shade. (4) The effect of shading down to 18% of summer daylight was progressively to decrease the intercept of the thinning line on the biomass axis, without changing its slope. At 9% of summer daylight mortality was high while biomass decreased, i.e. the slope was positive; presumably this light flux was below the compensation point. The results suggested that a zero slope could only be obtained as a transitional phenomenon, at a light flux immediately above the compensation point. (5) The difference between full-daylight treatments in summer and in winter suggests that some of the reported variation between stands in the level of the thinning line may be a function of the different light climates in which the stands were grown.