Collection and determination of nucleotide metabolites in neonatal and adult saliva by high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

Saliva contains a number of biochemical components which may be useful for diagnosis/monitoring of metabolic disorders, and as markers of cancer or heart disease. Saliva collection is attractive as a non-invasive sampling method for infants and elderly patients. We present a method suitable for saliva collection from neonates. We have applied this technique for the determination of salivary nucleotide metabolites. Saliva was collected from 10 healthy neonates using washed cotton swabs, and directly from 10 adults. Two methods for saliva extraction from oral swabs were evaluated. The analytes were then separated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The limits of detection for 14 purine/pyrimidine metabolites were variable, ranging from 0.01 to 1.0 mu M. Recovery of hydrophobic purine/pyrimidine metabolites from cotton tips was consistently high using water/acetonitrile extraction (92.7-111%) compared with water extraction alone. The concentrations of these metabolites were significantly higher in neonatal saliva than in adults. Preliminary ranges for nucleotide metabolites in neonatal and adult saliva are reported. Hypoxanthine and xanthine were grossly raised in neonates (49.3 +/- 25.4; 30.9 +/- 19.5 mu M respectively) compared to adults (4.3 +/- 3.3; 4.6 +/- 4.5 mu M); nucleosides were also markedly raised in neonates. This study focuses on three essential details: contamination of oral swabs during manufacturing and how to overcome this; weighing swabs to accurately measure small saliva volumes; and methods for extracting saliva metabolites of interest from cotton swabs. A method is described for determining nucleotide metabolites using HPLC with photo-diode array or MS/MS. The advantages of utilising saliva are highlighted. Nucleotide metabolites were not simply in equilibrium with plasma, but may be actively secreted into saliva, and this process is more active in neonates than adults. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impacts of introduced aquaculture species on markets for native marine aquaculture products : the case of edible oysters in Australia

Economic competition between introduced and native aquaculture species is of interest for industry stakeholders since increased production can affect price formation if both aquaculture species are part of the same market or even substitutes. In this study, we focus on the Australian edible oyster industry, which is dominated by two major species—the native Sydney rock oyster (grown mainly in Queensland and New South Wales) and the non-native Pacific oyster (grown mainly in South Australia and Tasmania). We examine the integration of the Australian oyster market to determine if there exists a single or several markets. Short- and long-run own, cross-price and income flexibilities of demand are estimated for both species using an inverse demand system of equations. The results suggest that the markets for the two species are integrated. We found evidence that the development of the Pacific oyster industry has had an adverse impact on Sydney rock oyster prices. However, our results show that both species are not perfect substitutes. Demand for Sydney rock oysters is relatively inelastic in the long run, yet no long-run relationships can be identified for Pacific oysters, reflecting the developing nature of this sector.

The defence of hardship to specific performance actions

The decision of Evans v Robcorp Pty Ltd[2014] QSC 26 is of interest as being an instance where the defence of hardship, in this case, financial hardship, was successfully pleaded in defence to a summary application for specific performance of a contract for the sale of land. Equity has always recognised the defence of hardship in response to an action for specific performance which, as an equitable remedy, might be refused in the discretion of the Court (Hewett v Court (1983) 149 CLR 639 at 664). However, whilst the remedy is discretionary, there are certain accepted principles which have guided the courts in their application of this defence to particular facts. It is not a blanket defence to a claim for specific performance where the buyer simply does not have the funds to complete the contract at the time when settlement is called for. Occasionally, a radical change in, say for instance, the health of the defendant between contract and completion, perhaps coupled with a long delay by a seller in calling for completion not being the fault of the buyer might enliven the defence (Patel v Ali [1984]1 Ch 283)

Geochemistry-based coral palaeoclimate studies and the potential of ‘non-traditional’ (non-massive Porites) corals : recent developments and future progression

Understanding the natural variability of the Earth's climate system and accurately identifying potential anthropogenic influences requires long term, geographically distributed records of key climate indicators, such as temperature and precipitation that extend prior to the last 400. years of the Holocene. Reef corals provide an excellent source of high resolution climate records, and importantly represent the tropical marine environment where palaeoclimate data are urgently required. Recent decades have seen significant improvement in our understanding of coral biomineralisation, the associated uptake of geochemical proxies and methods of identifying and understanding the effects of both early and late, post depositional diagenetic alteration. These processes all have significant implications for interpreting geochemical proxies relevant to palaeoclimatic reconstructions. This paper reviews the current 'state of the art' in terms of coral based palaeoclimate reconstructions and highlights a key remaining problem. The majority of coral based palaeoclimate research has been derived from massive colonies of Porites. However, massive Porites are not globally abundant and may not provide material of a particular age of interest in those regions where they are present. Therefore, there is great potential for alternate coral genera to act as complimentary climate archives. While it remains critical to consider five key factors - vital effects, differential growth morphologies, geochemical heterogeneity in the skeletal ultrastructure, transfer equation selection and diagenetic screening of skeletal material - in order to allow the highest level of accuracy in coral palaeoclimate reconstructions, it is also important to develop alternate taxa for palaeoclimate studies in regions where Porites colonies are absent or rare. Currently as many as nine genera other than Porites have proven at least limited utility in palaeothermometry, most of which are found in the Atlantic/Caribbean region where massive Porites do not exist. Even branching taxa such as Acropora have significant potential to preserve environmental archives. Increasing this capability will greatly expand the number of potential geochemical archives available for longer term temporal records of palaeoclimate.

When the five giants of post war reconstruction meet the four pillars of welfare reform-young people lose out, again

This paper discusses proposed changes to the Australian welfare state in the Welfare Review chaired by Patrick McClure and launched by Kevin Andrews, Minister for Social Services in the Abbott government, in a recent address to the Sydney Institute. Andrews cited the Beveridge Report of 1942, referring to Lord William Beveridge as the “godfather of the British post-war welfare state”, commending him for putting forward a plan for a welfare state providing a minimal level of support, constituting a bare safety net, rather than “stifling civil society and personal responsibility” through generous provision. In line with a key TASA conference theme of challenging institutions and identifying social and political change at local and global levels, this paper examines both the Beveridge Report and the McClure Report, identifying key issues and themes of relevance to current times in Australia.

Narrative and multimodality in English language arts curricula : a tale of two nations

In this policy column within this special edition on "The Arts in Language Arts", we critique the current place of multimodality and narratives in research and curriculum policy. This is a vital issue of significance for literacy educators, researchers, and policy makers because the narrative texts that circulate in our everyday lives are multimodal, tied to the ever-broadening range of narratives forms in digital sites of display. Here, we critically evaluate the place of multimodality and narratives in the language arts or English curriculum policies of two nations, the USA and Australia. In particular, we highlight the silence on multimodality within the Common Core State Standards, USA, and the contrasting centrality of multimodality in the National Curriculum: English, Australia.

Member perceptions of ESG investing through superannuation

Purpose Environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks have the potential to negatively impact financial returns, yet few superannuation funds integrate these considerations into their investment selection. The Cooper Review (2010) identified a lack of member demand as a key impediment to ESG investing by superannuation funds. Given this problem, the aim of this study is to explore superannuation fund members’ perceptions of ESG investing by their funds in order to identify reasons for the lack of demand. Design/methodology/approach An on-line survey was developed and distributed to assess possible reasons why members do not select ESG investment options. In total, 549 Australian superannuation fund members responded to the survey. Findings Results indicate that the majority of superannuation fund members are interested in ESG investing. Members lack awareness of their fund’s approach to ESG investing, and they do not perceive there to be a financial penalty from ESG investing. Finally, members show a preference for consideration of governance issues over both social and environmental issues. Research limitations Respondents are well educated and the majority did not choose their superannuation fund. There was no measure of financial literacy included in the research instrument. There is also a general limitation in surveying superannuation fund members when they lack knowledge about superannuation. Practical implications The results indicate that superannuation members are interested in both superannuation and ESG investing. Given the low take-up of ESG investment options, this finding raises the question of how effectively funds are engaging their members. Social implications The results should be of interest to superannuation funds and may lead to renewed interest in promoting ESG products. Originality/value This is the first study to examine superannuation members’ attitudes and behaviours towards ESG investing in the context of superannuation. The study also adds to our understanding of member decision making in the $1.8 trillion superannuation industry.

Pedestrian-cyclist interactions at bus stops along segregated bike paths : a case study of Montreal

Safety is one of the major world health issues, and is even more acute for “vulnerable” road users, pedestrians and cyclists. At the same time, public authorities are promoting the active modes of transportation that involve these very users for their health benefits. It is therefore important to understand the factors and designs that provide the best safety for vulnerable road users and encourage more people to use these modes. Qualitative and quantitative shortcomings of collisions make it necessary to use surrogate measures of safety in studying these modes. Some interactions without a collision such as conflicts can be good surrogates of collisions as they are more frequent and less costly. To overcome subjectivity and reliability challenges, automatic conflict analysis using video cameras and deriving users’ trajectories is a solution to overcome shortcomings of manual conflict analysis. The goal of this paper is to identify and characterize various interactions between cyclists and pedestrians at bus stops along bike paths using a fully automated process. Three conflict severity indicators are calculated and adapted to the situation of interest to capture those interactions. A microscopic analysis of users’ behavior is proposed to explain interactions more precisely. Eventually, the study aims to show the capability of automatically collecting and analyzing data for pedestrian-cyclist interactions at bus stops along segregated bike paths in order to better understand the actual and perceived risks of these facilities.

Stability analysis of STATCOM in distribution networks

This chapter presents the stability analysis based on bifurcation theory of the distribution static compensator (DSTATCOM) operating both in current control mode as in voltage control mode. The bifurcation analysis allows delimiting the operating zones of nonlinear power systems and hence the computation of these boundaries is of interest for practical design and planning purposes. Suitable mathematical representations of the DSTATCOM are proposed to carry out the bifurcation analyses efficiently. The stability regions in the Thevenin equivalent plane are computed for different power factors at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC). In addition, the stability regions in the control gain space are computed, and the DC capacitor and AC capacitor impact on the stability are analyzed in detail. It is shown through bifurcation analysis that the loss of stability in the DSTATCOM is in general due to the emergence of oscillatory dynamics. The observations are verified through detailed simulation studies.

The impact of socialisation on graduates’ public service motivation : a mixed method study

The need to attract and retain a high calibre cadre of public servants today has resulted in a renaissance of interest in public service motivation (PSM) within public management literature. This article outlines a study of PSM with graduate employees within an Australian public sector. The study extends our understanding of PSM by adopting a longitudinal, mixed method design, including surveys and individual interviews, to consider the effects of socialisation on levels of PSM. Results show an organisation's mission and values do not affect individual PSM while work type and communication style is vital and organisational socialisation can provide a negative influence.

The effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for cognitive dysfunction in cancer patients who have received chemotherapy : a systematic review

Background: Chemotherapy-related cognitive dysfunction (CRCD) refers to problems with memory,attention span, or concentration, experienced by patients with cancer who have had chemotherapy. CRCD can have a significant negative effect on a patient’s quality of life. The exact cause of CRCD is unknown but is presumed to be multifactorial. Objective: To conduct a systematic review of the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions designed to treat CRCD. Methods: Participants of interest to the review were over 18 years of age, diagnosed with cancer, and receiving chemotherapy or had received chemotherapy in the past. Interventions of interest were methods to improve cognitive function. Included study designs were randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental trials, and quantitative observational studies. The primary outcome of interest was level of cognitive function. A three-step search strategy was utilized to identify studies published from 1985 to 2011 from a wide range of databases. Joanna Briggs Institute systematic review methods were used but findings were analyzed using the Cochrane Collaboration Review Manager 5.1 program.Weightedmean differences with 95% confidence intervals were calculated from the continuous data. Results: Searching identified 3,109 potentially relevant articles and 120 full-text articles were retrieved. Two further papers were sourced from reference lists of retrieved articles. From 122 papers, six were suitable for critical appraisal and six were included in the analysis. Meta-analysis was conducted on two cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) trials for the outcome of inability to concentrate. Significant effect was seen for one CBT intervention at 20 weeks (p = .004). Significant effect from CBT on quality of life was seen at 6-month follow-up (p < .05). Conclusions: Despite some evidence of an effect, there is insufficient evidence at this stage to strongly recommend any of the interventions to assist in decreasing the effects of CRCD, except in terms of improving quality of life.

History, status and future of Australia's native Sydney rock oyster industry

The Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) (SRO) is an oyster species that only occurs in estuaries along Australia's east coast. The SRO industry evolved from commercial gathering of oyster in the 1790s to a high production volume aquaculture industry in the 1970s. However, since the late 1970s the SRO industry has experienced a significant and continuous decline in production quantities and the industry's future commercial viably appears to be uncertain. The aim of this study was to review the history and the status of the SRO industry and to discuss the potential future prospects of this industry. This study summarised findings of the existing literature about the industry and defined development stages of the industry. Particular focus was put on the more recent development within the industry (1980s-present) which has not been covered adequately in the existing literature. The finding from this study revealed that major issues of the industry are linked to the management of prevailing diseases, the handling of water quality impairments from increasing coastal development, increasing competition from Australia's Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) industry and the current socio-economic profile of the industry. The study also found that policy makers are currently confronted by the dilemma of saving a "dying art". Findings from this industry review may be vital for current and future fisheries managers and stakeholders as a basis for reviewing industry management and development strategies. This review may also be of interest for other aquaculture industries and fisheries who are dealing with similar challenges as the SRO industry.

Empirical modelling of the relationship between bus and car speeds on signalised urban networks

Vehicle speed is an important attribute for analysing the utility of a transport mode. The speed relationship between multiple modes of transport is of interest to traffic planners and operators. This paper quantifies the relationship between bus speed and average car speed by integrating Bluetooth data and Transit Signal Priority data from the urban network in Brisbane, Australia. The method proposed in this paper is the first of its kind to relate bus speed and average car speed by integrating multi-source traffic data in a corridor-based method. Three transferable regression models relating not-in-service bus, in-service bus during peak periods, and in-service bus during off-peak periods with average car speed are proposed. The models are cross-validated and the interrelationships are significant.

The performance advantages for SMEs of product innovation and marketing resource–capability complementarity in emerging economies

This study argues that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must possess both resources and capabilities at a superior level, and those resources and capabilities must be complementary with one another to achieve superior financial performance. The resources and capabilities of interest are product innovation and marketing. Using data from manufacturing SMEs, the results suggest that product innovation resource–capability complementarity, marketing resource–capability complementarity, and their interaction are positively related to financial performance through product innovation and customer performance. The findings suggest that some SMEs may outperform others not only because they possess a specific individual resource–capability complementarity but also because they create synergy and asset interconnectedness.

Negotiating indeterminacy in studio teaching: Using the zones of material and immaterial play to shape pedagogies and practices in art

The processes of studio-based teaching in visual art are often still tied to traditional models of discrete disciplines and largely immersed in skill-based learning. These approaches to training artists are also tied to an individual model of art practice that is clearly defined by the boundaries of those disciplines. This paper will explain how the open studio program at QUT can be broadly understood as an action research model of learning that ‘plays’ with the post-medium, post-studio genealogies and zones of contemporary art. This emphasises developing conceptual, contextual and formal skills as essential for engaging with and practicing in the often-indeterminate spatio-temporal sites of studio teaching. It will explore how this approach looks to Sutton-Smith’s observations on the role of play and Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development in early childhood learning as a way to develop strategies for promoting creative learning environments that are collaborative and self sustainable. Social, cultural, political and philosophical dialogues are examined as they relate to art practice with the aim of forming the shared interests, aims, and ambitions of graduating students into self initiated collectives or ARIs.