Calcium phosphate flocs and the clarification of sugar cane juice from whole of crop harvesting

Sugar cane biomass is one of the most viable feedstocks for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals. Therefore, processing the whole of crop (WC) (i.e., stalk and trash, instead of stalk only) will increase the amount of available biomass for this purpose. However, effective clarification of juice expressed from WC for raw sugar manufacture is a major challenge because of the amounts and types of non-sucrose impurities (e.g., polysaccharides, inorganics, proteins, etc.) present. Calcium phosphate flocs are important during sugar cane juice clarification because they are responsible for the removal of impurities. Therefore, to gain a better understanding of the role of calcium phosphate flocs during the juice clarification process,the effects of impurities on the physicochemical properties of calcium phosphate flocs were examined using small-angle laser light scattering technique, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction. Results on synthetic sugar juice solutions showed that the presence of SiO2 and Na+ ions affected floc size and floc structure. Starch and phosphate ions did not affect the floc structure; however, the former reduced the floc size, whereas the latter increased the floc size. The study revealed that high levels of Na+ ions would negatively affect the clarification process the most, as they would reduce the amount of suspended particles trapped by the flocs. A complementary study on prepared WC juice using cold and cold/intermediate liming techniques was conducted. The study demonstrated that, in comparison to the one-stage (i.e., conventional) clarification process, a two-stage clarification process using cold liming removed more polysaccharides (≤19%),proteins (≤82%), phosphorus (≤53%), and SiO2 (≤23%) in WC juice but increased Ca2+ (≤136%) and sulfur (≤200%)

Early mathematical learning: Number processing skills and executive function at 5 and 8 years of age

This research investigated differences and associations in performance in number processing and executive function for children attending primary school in a large Australian metropolitan city. In a cross-sectional study, performance of 25 children in the first full-time year of school, (Prep; mean age = 5.5 years) and 21 children in Year 3 (mean age = 8.5 years) completed three number processing tasks and three executive function tasks. Year 3 children consistently outperformed the Prep year children on measures of accuracy and reaction time, on the tasks of number comparison, calculation, shifting, and inhibition but not on number line estimation. The components of executive function (shifting, inhibition, and working memory) showed different patterns of correlation to performance on number processing tasks across the early years of school. Findings could be used to enhance teachers’ understanding about the role of the cognitive processes employed by children in numeracy learning, and so inform teachers’ classroom practices.

The role of time pressure and different psychological safety climate referents in the prediction of nurses’ hand hygiene compliance

In this study of 638 Australian nurses, compliance to hand hygiene (HH), as defined by the “five moments” recommended by the World Health Organisation (2009), was examined. Hypotheses focused on the extent to which time pressure reduces compliance and safety climate (operationalised in relation to HH using colleagues, manager, and hospital as referents) increases compliance. It also was proposed that HH climate would interact with time pressure, such that the negative effects of time pressure would be less marked when HH climate is high. The extent to which the three HH climate variables would interact among each other, either in the form of boosting or compensatory effects, was tested in an exploratory manner. A prospective research design was used in which time pressure and the HH climate variables were assessed at Time 1 and compliance was assessed by self-report two weeks later. Compliance was high but varied significantly across the 5 HH Moments, suggesting that nurses make distinctions between inherent and elective HH and also seemed to engage in some implicit rationing of HH. Time pressure dominated the utility of HH climate to have its positive impact on compliance. The most conducive workplace for compliance was one low in time pressure and high in HH climate. Colleagues were very influential in determining compliance, more so than the manager and hospital. Manager and hospital support for HH enhanced the positive effects of colleagues on compliance. Providing training and enhancing knowledge was important, not just for compliance, but for safety climate.

Association of variants at 1q32 and STAT3 with ankylosing spondylitis suggests genetic overlap with Crohn's disease

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a common inflammatory arthritic condition. Overt inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) occurs in about 10% of AS patients, and in addition 70% of AS cases may have subclinical terminal ileitis. Spondyloarthritis is also common in IBD patients. We therefore tested Crohn's disease susceptibility genes for association with AS, aiming to identify pleiotropic genetic associations with both diseases. Genotyping was carried out using Sequenom and Applied Biosystems TaqMan and OpenArray technologies on 53 markers selected from 30 Crohn's disease associated genomic regions. We tested genotypes in a population of unrelated individual cases (n = 2,773) and controls (n = 2,215) of white European ancestry for association with AS. Statistical analysis was carried out using a Cochran-Armitage test for trend in PLINK. Strong association was detected at chr1q32 near KIF21B (rs11584383, P = 1.66 x 10-10, odds ratio (OR) = 0.74, 95% CI:0.68-0.82). Association with disease was also detected for 2 variants within STAT3 (rs6503695, P = 4.6×10-4. OR = 0.86 (95% CI:0.79-0.93); rs744166, P = 2.6×10-5, OR = 0.84 (95% CI:0.77-0.91)). Association was confirmed for IL23R (rs11465804, P = 1.2×10-5, OR = 0.65 (95% CI:0.54-0.79)), and further associations were detected for IL12B (rs10045431, P = 5.261025, OR = 0.83 (95% CI:0.76-0.91)), CDKAL1 (rs6908425, P = 1.1×10-4, OR = 0.82 (95% CI:0.74-0.91)), LRRK2/MUC19 (rs11175593, P = 9.9×10-5, OR = 1.92 (95% CI: 1.38-2.67)), and chr13q14 (rs3764147, P = 5.9×10-4, OR = 1.19 (95% CI: 1.08-1.31)). Excluding cases with clinical IBD did not significantly affect these findings. This study identifies chr1q32 and STAT3 as ankylosing spondylitis susceptibility loci. It also further confirms association for IL23R and detects suggestive association with another 4 loci. STAT3 is a key signaling molecule within the Th17 lymphocyte differentiation pathway and further enhances the case for a major role of this T-lymphocyte subset in ankylosing spondylitis. Finally these findings suggest common aetiopathogenic pathways for AS and Crohn's disease and further highlight the involvement of common risk variants across multiple diseases.

Identification of mechanism, PECARN risk factors and injury patterns in severe paediatric cervical spine injuries in Queensland

Introduction Canadian C spine rule and NEXUS criteria have identified risk factors for cervical spine injury in adults but not for children. PECARN has developed an 8 variable model for cervical spine injury in children. We sought to identify the mechanism, prevalence of PECARN risk factors, injury patterns, and management of severe Paediatric cervical spine injuries presenting to the major children’s hospitals in Brisbane, Australia. Methods This a retrospective study of the children with cervical spine injuries who presented directly or were referred to the major children’s hospitals in Brisbane over 5 years. Results There were 38 patients with 18 male and 20 female.The mean age was 8.6 years. They were divided into two groups according to their age, (Group 1 < =8 years had 18 (47%) patients, while group 2 (9-15 years) had 20 (53%) patients. Motor vehicle related injuries were the most common (61%) in Group 1 while it was sporting injuries (50%) in group 2. All patients in group 1 had upper cervical injury (C0-C2) while subaxial injuries were most common in group 2 (66.6%). 82% of the patients had 2 or more PECARN risk factors. 18 children (47%) had normal neurological assessment at presentation, 6 (16%) had radicular symptoms, 11 (29%) could not be assessed as they had already been intubated due to the severity of the injury, 3 (8%) had incomplete cord injury. 29 (69%) patients had normal neurological assessment at final follow up and 2 children died from their injuries. Conclusion Our study confirms that younger children sustain upper cervical injuries most commonly secondary to motor vehicle accidents, while the older sustain subaxial injuries from sporting activities. The significant prevalence of the PECARN risk factors among this cohort of patients have led to them being incorporated into a protocol at these hospitals used to assess patients with suspected cervical spinal injury.

Association of sporadic chondrocalcinosis with a -4-basepair G-to-A transition in the 5′-untranslated region of ANKH that promotes enhanced expression of ANKH protein and excess generation of extracellular inorganic pyrophosphate

Objective Certain mutations in ANKH, which encodes a multiple-pass transmembrane protein that regulates inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) transport, are linked to autosomal-dominant familial chondrocalcinosis. This study investigated the potential for ANKH sequence variants to promote sporadic chondrocalcinosis. Methods ANKH variants identified by genomic sequencing were screened for association with chondrocalcinosis in 128 patients with severe sporadic chondrocalcinosis or pseudogout and in ethnically matched healthy controls. The effects of specific variants on expression of common markers were evaluated by in vitro transcription/translation. The function of these variants was studied in transfected human immortalized CH-8 articular chondrocytes. Results Sporadic chondrocalcinosis was associated with a G-to-A transition in the ANKH 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) at 4 bp upstream of the start codon (in homozygotes of the minor allele, genotype relative risk 6.0, P = 0.0006; overall genotype association P = 0.02). This -4-bp transition, as well as 2 mutations previously linked with familial and sporadic chondrocalcinosis (+14 bp C-to-T and C-terminal GAG deletion, respectively), but not the French familial chondrocalcinosis kindred 143-bp T-to-C mutation, increased reticulocyte ANKH transcription/ANKH translation in vitro. Transfection of complementary DNA for both the wild-type ANKH and the -4-bp ANKH protein variant promoted increased extracellular PPi in CH-8 cells, but unexpectedly, these ANKH mutants had divergent effects on the expression of extracellular PPi and the chondrocyte hypertrophy marker, type X collagen. Conclusion A subset of sporadic chondrocalcinosis appears to be heritable via a -4-bp G-to-A ANKH 5′-UTR transition that up-regulates expression of ANKH and extracellular PPi in chondrocyte cells. Distinct ANKH mutations associated with heritable chondrocalcinosis may promote disease by divergent effects on extracellular PPi and chondrocyte hypertrophy, which is likely to mediate differences in the clinical phenotypes and severity of the disease.

Crystal structure of ammonium (3,5-dichlorophenoxy)acetate hemihydrate

In the structure of the title hydrated salt, NH4+·C8H5Cl2O3-·0.5H2O, where the anion derives from (3,5-di­chloro­phen­oxy)acetic acid, the ammonium cation is involved in extensive N-H...O hydrogen bonding with both carboxyl­ate and ether O-atom acceptors giving sheet structures lying parallel to (100). The water mol­ecule of solvation lies on a crystallographic twofold rotation axis and is involved in intra-sheet O-H...Ocarboxyl­ate hydrogen-bonding inter­actions. In the anion, the oxoacetate side chain assumes an antiperiplanar conformation with the defining C-O-C-C torsion angle = -171.33 (15)°.

Mimicry of 21. 5 KDa myelin basic protein peptide by a Maedi Visna virus polymerase peptide does not contribute to the pathogenesis of encephalitis in sheep

Epitope mimicry is the theory that an infectious agent such as a virus causes pathological effects via mimicry of host proteins and thus elicits a cross-reactive immune response to host tissues. Weise and Carnegie (1988) found a region of sequence similarity between the pol gene of the Maedi Visna virus (MVV), which induces demyelinating encephalitis in sheep, and myelin basic protein (MBP), which is known to induce experimental allergic encephalitis (EAE) in laboratory animals. In this study, cross-reactions between sera raised in sheep against synthetic peptides of MVV (TGKIPWILLPGR) and 21.5 kDa MBP (SGKVPWLKRPGR) were demonstrated using enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and thin layer chromatography (TLC) immunoprobing. The antibody responses of MVV-infected sheep were investigated using ELISA against the peptides, and MBP protein, immunoprobing of the peptides on TPC plates and Western blotting against MBP. Slight significant reactions to the 21.5 kDa MBP peptide (P < 0.001) and to a lesser extent sheep MBP (P < 0.004) were detected in ELISA. The MBP peptide evoked stronger responses from more sera than the MVV peptide on immunoprobed TLC plates. On the Western blots, eight of the 23 sheep with Visna had serum reactivity to MBP. This slight reaction to MBP in MVV-infected sheep is of interest because of the immune responses to MBP evident in multiple sclerosis and EAE, but its relevance in Visna is limited since no correlation with disease severity was observed. The cell-mediated immune responses of MVV-infected sheep against similar peptides was assessed. The peptides did not stimulate proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes of MVV-infected sheep. Since the MVV peptide was not recognised by antibodies or T lymphocytes from MVV-infected and encephalic sheep, it was concluded that epitope mimicry of this 21.5 kDa MBP peptide by the similar MVV pol peptide was not contributing to the immunopathogenesis of Visna. The slight antibody response to MBP and the MBP peptide can be attributed to by-stander effects of the immunopathology of MVV-induced encephalitis.

Crystal structures of the potassium and rubidium salts of (3,5-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid: Two isotypic coordination polymers

The two-dimensional coordination polymeric structures of the hydrated potassium and rubidium salts of (3,5-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid, (3,5-D) namely, poly[mu-aqua-bis[mu3-2-(3,5-dichlorophenoxy)acetato]potassium, [K2(C8H5Cl2O3)2 (H2O)]n (I) and poly[mu-aqua-bis[mu3-2-(3,5-dichlorophenoxy)acetato]dirubidium] [Rb2(C8H5Cl2O3)2 (H2O)]n (II), respectively have been determined and are described. The two compounds are isotypic and the polymer is based on centrosymmetric dinuclear bridged complex units. The irregular six-coordination about the metal centres comprises a bridging water molecule lying on a twofold rotation axis, the phenoxy O-atom donor and and a triple bridging carboxylate O-atom of the oxoacetate side chain of the 3,5-D ligand in a bidentate chelate mode, the second carboxy O-donor, also bridging. The K-O and Rb-O bond-length ranges are 2.7238(15)--2.9459(14) and 2.832(2)--3.050(2) \%A respectively and the K...K and Rb...Rb separations in the dinuclear unit are 4.0214(7) and 4.1289(6) \%A, respectively. Within the two-dimensional layers which lie parallel to (100), the coordinated water molecule forms an O---H...O hydrogen bond to the single bridging carboxylate O atom.

Maternal pregravid body mass index and child hospital admissions in the first 5 years of life: results from an Australian birth cohort

Objectives: To examine the association of maternal pregravid body mass index (BMI) and child offspring, all-cause hospitalisations in the first 5 years of life. Methods: Prospective birth cohort study. From 2006 to 2011, 2779 pregnant women (2807 children) were enrolled in the Environments for Healthy Living: Griffith birth cohort study in South-East Queensland, Australia. Hospital delivery record and self-report baseline survey of maternal, household and demographic factors during pregnancy were linked to the Queensland Hospital Admitted Patients Data Collection from 1 November 2006 to 30 June 2012, for child admissions. Maternal pregravid BMI was classified as underweight (<18.5 kg m−2), normal weight (18.5–24.9 kg m−2), overweight (25.0–29.9 kg m−2) or obese (30 kg m−2). Main outcomes were the total number of child hospital admissions and ICD-10-AM diagnostic groupings in the first 5 years of life. Negative binomial regression models were calculated, adjusting for follow-up duration, demographic and health factors. The cohort comprised 8397.9 person years (PYs) follow-up. Results: Children of mothers who were classified as obese had an increased risk of all-cause hospital admissions in the first 5 years of life than the children of mothers with a normal BMI (adjusted rate ratio (RR) =1.48, 95% confidence interval 1.10–1.98). Conditions of the nervous system, infections, metabolic conditions, perinatal conditions, injuries and respiratory conditions were excessive, in both absolute and relative terms, for children of obese mothers, with RRs ranging from 1.3–4.0 (PYs adjusted). Children of mothers who were underweight were 1.8 times more likely to sustain an injury or poisoning than children of normal-weight mothers (PYs adjusted). Conclusion: Results suggest that if the intergenerational impact of maternal obesity (and similarly issues related to underweight) could be addressed, a significant reduction in child health care use, costs and public health burden would be likely.

The association between ambient temperature and children's lung function in Baotou, China

The objective of this study is to examine the association between ambient temperature and children’s lung function in Baotou, China. We recruited 315 children (8–12 years) from Baotou, China in the spring of 2004, 2005, and 2006. They performed three successive forced expiratory measurements three times daily (morning, noon, and evening) for about 5 weeks. The highest peak expiratory flow (PEF) was recorded for each session. Daily data on ambient temperature, relative humidity, and air pollution were monitored during the same period. Mixed models with a distributed lag structure were used to examine the effects of temperature on lung function while adjusting for individual characteristics and environmental factors. Low temperatures were significantly associated with decreases in PEF. The effects lasted for lag 0–2 days. For all participants, the cumulative effect estimates (lag 0–2 days) were −1.44 (−1.93, −0.94) L/min, −1.39 (−1.92, −0.86) L/min, −1.40 (−1.97, −0.82) L/min, and −1.28 (−1.69, −0.88) L/min for morning, noon, evening, and daily mean PEF, respectively, associated with 1 °C decrease in daily mean temperature. Generally, the effects of temperature were slightly stronger in boys than in girls for noon, evening, and daily mean PEF, while the effects were stronger in girls for morning PEF. PM2.5 had joint effects with temperature on children’s PEF. Higher PM2.5 increased the impacts of low temperature. Low ambient temperatures are associated with lower lung function in children in Baotou, China. Preventive health policies will be required for protecting children from the cold weather.

The role of environmental factors in the spatial distribution of Japanese encephalitis in mainland China

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is the most common cause of viral encephalitis and an important public health concern in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in China where 50% of global cases are notified. To explore the association between environmental factors and human JE cases and identify the high risk areas for JE transmission in China, we used annual notified data on JE cases at the center of administrative township and environmental variables with a pixel resolution of 1 km×1 km from 2005 to 2011 to construct models using ecological niche modeling (ENM) approaches based on maximum entropy. These models were then validated by overlaying reported human JE case localities from 2006 to 2012 onto each prediction map. ENMs had good discriminatory ability with the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating curve (ROC) of 0.82-0.91, and low extrinsic omission rate of 5.44-7.42%. Resulting maps showed JE being presented extensively throughout southwestern and central China, with local spatial variations in probability influenced by minimum temperatures, human population density, mean temperatures, and elevation, with contribution of 17.94%-38.37%, 15.47%-21.82%, 3.86%-21.22%, and 12.05%-16.02%, respectively. Approximately 60% of JE cases occurred in predicted high risk areas, which covered less than 6% of areas in mainland China. Our findings will help inform optimal geographical allocation of the limited resources available for JE prevention and control in China, find hidden high-risk areas, and increase the effectiveness of public health interventions against JE transmission.

Synthesis and luminescent properties of star-burst D-Pi-A compounds based on 1,3,5-triazine core and carbazole end-capped phenylene ethynylene arms

Two new star-burst compounds based on 1,3,5-triazine core and carbazole end-capped phenylene ethynylene arms (1a and 1b) were synthesized and characterized. Their photophysical properties were investigated systematically via spectroscopic and theoretical methods. Both compounds exhibit strong 1π–π⁎ transitions in the UV region and intense 1π–π⁎/intramolecular charge transfer (1ICT) absorption bands in the UV–vis region. Introducing the carbazole end-capped phenylene ethynylene arm on the 1,3,5-triazine core causes a slight bathochromic shift and enhanced molar extinction coefficient of the 1π–π⁎/1ICT transition band. Both compounds are emissive in solution at room temperature and 77 K, which exhibit pronounced positive solvatochromic effect. The emitting state could be ascribed to 1ICT state in more polar solvent, and 1π–π⁎ state in low-polarity solvent. The high emission quantum yields (Φem=0.90~1.0) of 1a and 1b (in hexane and toluene) make them potential candidates as efficient light-emitting materials. The spectroscopic studies and theoretical calculations indicate that the photophysical properties of these compounds can be tuned by the carbazole end-capped phenylene ethynylene arm, which would also be useful for rational design of photofunctional materials.

Graphene quantum dots and the resonance light scattering technique for trace analysis of phenol in different water samples

A novel, highly selective resonance light scattering (RLS) method was researched and developed for the analysis of phenol in different types of industrial water. An important aspect of the method involved the use of graphene quantum dots (GQDs), which were initially obtained from the pyrolysis of citric acid dissolved in aqueous solutions. The GQDs in the presence of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and H2O2 were found to react quantitatively with phenol such that the RLS spectral band (310 nm) was quantitatively enhanced as a consequence of the interaction between the GQDs and the quinone formed in the above reaction. It was demonstrated that the novel analytical method had better selectivity and sensitivity for the determination of phenol in water as compared to other analytical methods found in the literature. Thus, trace amounts of phenol were detected over the linear ranges of 6.00×10−8–2.16×10−6 M and 2.40×10−6–2.88×10−5 M with a detection limit of 2.20×10−8 M. In addition, three different spiked waste water samples and two untreated lake water samples were analysed for phenol. Satisfactory results were obtained with the use of the novel, sensitive and rapid RLS method.

5-year Chlamydia vaccination programme could reverse disease-related koala population decline: Predictions from a mathematical model using field data

BACKGROUND Many koala populations around Australia are in serious decline, with a substantial component of this decline in some Southeast Queensland populations attributed to the impact of Chlamydia. A Chlamydia vaccine for koalas is in development and has shown promise in early trials. This study contributes to implementation preparedness by simulating vaccination strategies designed to reverse population decline and by identifying which age and sex category it would be most effective to target. METHODS We used field data to inform the development and parameterisation of an individual-based stochastic simulation model of a koala population endemic with Chlamydia. The model took into account transmission, morbidity and mortality caused by Chlamydia infections. We calibrated the model to characteristics of typical Southeast Queensland koala populations. As there is uncertainty about the effectiveness of the vaccine in real-world settings, a variety of potential vaccine efficacies, half-lives and dosing schedules were simulated. RESULTS Assuming other threats remain constant, it is expected that current population declines could be reversed in around 5-6 years if female koalas aged 1-2 years are targeted, average vaccine protective efficacy is 75%, and vaccine coverage is around 10% per year. At lower vaccine efficacies the immunological effects of boosting become important: at 45% vaccine efficacy population decline is predicted to reverse in 6 years under optimistic boosting assumptions but in 9 years under pessimistic boosting assumptions. Terminating a successful vaccination programme at 5 years would lead to a rise in Chlamydia prevalence towards pre-vaccination levels. CONCLUSION For a range of vaccine efficacy levels it is projected that population decline due to endemic Chlamydia can be reversed under realistic dosing schedules, potentially in just 5 years. However, a vaccination programme might need to continue indefinitely in order to maintain Chlamydia prevalence at a sufficiently low level for population growth to continue.