Improved ultra-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight high-definition mass spectrometry method for the rapid analysis of the chemical constituents of a typical medical formula: Liuwei Dihuang Wan

Liuwei Dihuang Wan (LWD), a classic Chinese medicinal formulae, has been used to improve or restore declined functions related to aging and geriatric diseases, such as impaired mobility, vision, hearing, cognition and memory. It has attracted increasingly much attention as one of the most popular and valuable herbal medicines. However, the systematic analysis of the chemical constituents of LDW is difficult and thus has not been well established. In this paper, a rapid, sensitive and reliable ultra-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight high-definition mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS) method with automated MetaboLynx analysis in positive and negative ion mode was established to characterize the chemical constituents of LDW. The analysis was performed on a Waters UPLCTM HSS T3 using a gradient elution system. MS/MS fragmentation behavior was proposed for aiding the structural identification of the components. Under the optimized conditions, a total of 50 peaks were tentatively characterized by comparing the retention time and MS data. It is concluded that a rapid and robust platform based on UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS has been successfully developed for globally identifying multiple-constituents of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions. This is the first report on systematic analysis of the chemical constituents of LDW. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Creative entrepreneurship education for graduate employability in the creative arts

The higher education sector in Australia is under increasing pressure to prove quality and efficacy of education provision, including graduate outcomes. One of the central tasks of higher education has become to prepare nascent professionals as far as possible for initial employment and future working lives beyond this (Boden & Nedeva, 2010). Tertiary educators in the creative arts face significant and distinctive challenges in demonstrating graduate employability, and creative graduates consistently have the poorest outcomes of any subject grouping. In part, this is because the national graduate destinations survey (Graduate Careers Council of Australia, 2012) does not cater to the distinctive ‘portfolio’ nature of creative careers, or take account of the fact that creative careers can take concerted effort over several years to establish (e.g., McCowan & Wyganowska, 2010). However, it is worth asking whether we as tertiary arts educators are doing enough to prepare creative arts students for the world of work, particularly given that the majority of them will be self-employed to some degree (Bureau of Labour Statistics, 2011, Throsby & Zednik, 2010), and will be challenged to build their own careers without recourse to the support of HR departments or intra-firm promotion schemes. It has been demonstrated empirically that career management and creative enterprise skills are among the most important graduate capabilities in determining early creative career success (Bridgstock, 2011), although these skills do not appear in the Learning and Teaching Academic Standards for the Creative and Performing Arts (2010). This paper explores the nature and development of enterprise capabilities for creative arts students (as distinct from students of the business school), examines best practice in the field internationally, and proposes a theoretically-driven creative arts-specific enterprise curriculum model which commences in first year, for demonstrable impact on student enterprise behaviours (such as grant seeking, professional networking and intention to start an enterprise) and employability.

Simultaneous determination of aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, and p,p'-DDT in medicinal plant extracts using a novel high performance liquid chromatography method

A high performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of five organochlorine pesticides (aldrin, p,p’-DDT, dieldrin, endrin, and heptachlor) was developed. The method was used to determine the levels of these pesticides in medicinal plant samples. Analysis was carried out using a Merck LiChrospher 100 RP C18 (5 μm) column with a gradient solvent system of acetonitrile-water and PDA UV detection (224 nm). Quantification was carried out by the external standard method. The limit of detection for the utilized method was below the local legal limits (ANZFA) for similar plant materials for all 5 pesticides excepting endrin. Medicinal plant extracts were further analyzed by conventional GC-ECD and GC-NPD means using SPE and GPC cleanup as required.

Preparing for performance capture #1

This video article articulates two exercises that have been developed to respond to the need for preparedness in the growing field of Performance Capture. The first is called Walking Through (Delbridge 2013), where the actor navigates a series of objects that exist in screen space through a developed sense of the existing physical particularities of the studio and an interaction with a screen (or feedback loop). The second exercise is called The Donut (Delbridge 2013), where the performer continues to navigate screen space but this time does so through the literal stepping through of a Torus in the virtual – again with nothing but the studio infrastructure and the screen as a guide. Notions of Motion Captured performance infer the existence of an interface that combines performer with system, separating (or intervening in) the space between performance and the screen. It is precisely the effect and provided opportunity of the intermediary device on the practice, craft and preparedness of the actor as they navigate the connection between 3D screen space and the physical properties of the studio that is examined here. Defining the scope of current practice for the contemporary actor is a key construct of this challenge, with the most appropriate definition revolving around the provision of a required mixture of performance and content for live, mediated, framed and variously captured formats. One of these particular formats is Performance Capture. The exercises presented here are two from a series, developed over a three year study that contribute to our understanding of the potential for a training regimen to be developed for the rigors of Performance Capture.

Role of hydraulic factors in constructed wetland and bioretention basin treatment performance

This research project contributed to the in-depth understanding of the influence of hydrologic and hydraulic factors on the stormwater treatment performance of constructed wetlands and bioretention basins in the "real world". The project was based on the comprehensive monitoring of a Water Sensitive Urban Design treatment train in the field and underpinned by complex multivariate statistical analysis. The project outcomes revealed that the reduction in pollutant concentrations were consistent in the constructed wetland, but was highly variable in the bioretention basin to a range of influential factors. However, due to the significant amount retention within the filter media, all pollutant loadings were reduced in the bioretention basin.

Student self-assessment of performance : a useful learning tool for students and instructors?

Assurance of Learning is a focus for many Business Schools to meet AACSB requirements. Prior research has examined student self-assessment as a measure of learning in this context, but we propose instead that this is a useful ‘learning tool’ for students and instructors that can help improve student performance and curricula. We examined self-assessment in a third year undergraduate e-marketing course and found a positive, though weak relationship between student self-assessment and instructor ratings on intended learning goals and criteria for a written assignment. Students who self-assessed tended to perform better in the assessment item and course than those who did not self-assess. But less competent students were more inaccurate in their self-assessment, suggesting a need to enhance understanding of marking criteria and performance standards within this group. Implications for educators are discussed.

High performance liquid chromatography determined alkamide levels in Australian-grown Echinacea spp.

Extracts of Echinacea spp. are widely used as therapeutic immunostimulants with such activity being attributed in part to the alkamide fractions of these plants. Using high performance liquid chromatography, the levels of 8 alkamides, including 2 tetraene alkamides (dodeca-2E, 4E, 8Z, 10E/Z-tetraenoic acid isobutylamide), were quantitatively determined in 2 Australian-grown Echinacea spp. Overall, the levels of alkamides in Australian-grown E. angustifolia were found to be comparable with levels obtained in this study and other studies for USA and European Echinacea spp. However, results obtained for one sample of E. angustifolia suggested that it may have been mislabelled and that it was most likely a sample of E. pallida. Levels of tetraene alkamides in Australian-grown E. purpurea were also similar to, if not higher, than levels which have been reported for the same species grown in Germany and the USA. Preliminary studies on the stability of alkamide compounds in E. angustifolia indicated that they are susceptible to degradation, with a 13% loss of alkamide level over 2 months. Overall, results indicate that there is considerable potential to develop Echinacea as a viable crop in Australia.

Education higher degree research students writing for publication

Higher Degree Research (HDR) student publications are increasingly valued by students, by professional communities and by research institutions. Peer-reviewed publications form the HDR student writer's publication track record and increase competitiveness in employment and research funding opportunities. These publications also make the results of HDR student research available to the community in accessible formats. HDR student publications are also valued by universities because they provide evidence of institutional research activity within a field and attract a return on research performance. However, although publications are important to multiple stakeholders, many Education HDR students do not publish the results of their research. Hence, an investigation of Education HDR graduates who submitted work for publication during their candidacy was undertaken. This multiple, explanatory case study investigated six recent Education HDR graduates who had submitted work to peer-reviewed outlets during their candidacy. The conceptual framework supported an analysis of the development of Education HDR student writing using Alexander's (2003, 2004) Model of Domain Learning which focuses on expertise, and Lave and Wenger's (1991) situated learning within a community of practice. Within this framework, the study investigated how these graduates were able to submit or publish their research despite their relative lack of writing expertise. Case data were gathered through interviews and from graduate publication records. Contextual data were collected through graduate interviews, from Faculty and university documents, and through interviews with two Education HDR supervisors. Directed content analysis was applied to all data to ascertain the support available in the research training environment. Thematic analysis of graduate and supervisor interviews was then undertaken to reveal further information on training opportunities accessed by the HDR graduates. Pattern matching of all interview transcripts provided information on how the HDR graduates developed writing expertise. Finally, explanation building was used to determine causal links between the training accessed by the graduates and their writing expertise. The results demonstrated that Education HDR graduates developed publications and some level of expertise simultaneously within communities of practice. Students were largely supported by supervisors who played a critical role. They facilitated communities of practice and largely mediated HDR engagement in other training opportunities. However, supervisor support alone did not ensure that the HDR graduates developed writing expertise. Graduates who appeared to develop the most expertise, and produce a number of publications reported experiencing both a sustained period of engagement within one community of practice, and participation in multiple communities of practice. The implications for the MDL theory, as applied to academic writing, suggests that communities of practice can assist learners to progress from initial contact with a new domain of interest through to competence. The implications for research training include the suggestion that supervisors as potentially crucial supporters of HDR student writing for publication should themselves be active publishers. Also, Faculty or university sponsorship of communities of practice focussed on HDR student writing for publication could provide effective support for the development of HDR student writing expertise and potentially increase the number of their peer-reviewed publications.

ACE research vignette 026 : Do Entrepreneurs’ Personal Networks Influence Small Firm Performance?

This series of research vignettes is aimed at sharing current and interesting research findings from our team of international Entrepreneurship researchers. This vignette, written by Dr. Rene Bakker, examines the evidence on the effects of a entrepreneurs’ personal networks on small firm performance, and the factors that moderate this relationship.

Relationship between CEO salaries and performance of banks in Australia and Germany

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to examine the relationship between CEO salaries and firm performance in the banking sector. Design/methodology/approach: The data relating to a six year period (2007 - 2012) was gathered from databases and the websites of the major banks in Australia and Germany. The data was subjected to Regression and Pearson Correlation Analysis to test if there was a positive correlation between total salary including incentive bonuses against the variables indicating the performance of the firm. Findings: The tests indicate a weak relationship between the CEO salary package and the key indicators of a firm's performance in Australian banks but a strong relationship in the German banks. Research limitations/implications: This study was limited in that it only covers the major banks in Australia and Germany and may therefore not be relevant to different countries with different economic climates. Practical implications: This study provides additional evidence to support the continued debate regarding the need to have greater accountability for CEO salary packages linked to actual performance measures of firms. Originality/value: This paper adds to the literature in so far as it compares two different Countries of the banking sector in a global market

Performance of a cognitive, but not visual, secondary task interacts with alcohol-induced balance impairment in novice and experienced motorcycle riders

The appropriateness of applying drink driving legislation to motorcycle riding has been questioned as there may be fundamental differences in the effects of alcohol on driving and motorcycling. It has been suggested that alcohol may redirect riders’ focus from higher-order cognitive skills such as cornering, judgement and hazard perception, to more physical skills such as maintaining balance. To test this hypothesis, the effects of low doses of alcohol on balance ability were investigated in a laboratory setting. The static balance of twenty experienced and twenty novice riders was measured while they performed either no secondary task, a visual (search) task, or a cognitive (arithmetic) task following the administration of alcohol (0%, 0.02%, and 0.05% BAC). Subjective ratings of intoxication and balance impairment increased in a dose-dependent manner in both novice and experienced motorcycle riders, while a BAC of 0.05%, but not 0.02%, was associated with impairments in static balance ability. This balance impairment was exacerbated when riders performed a cognitive, but not a visual, secondary task. Likewise, 0.05% BAC was associated with impairments in novice and experienced riders’ performance of a cognitive, but not a visual, secondary task, suggesting that interactive processes underlie balance and cognitive task performance. There were no observed differences between novice vs. experienced riders on static balance and secondary task performance, either alone or in combination. Implications for road safety and future ‘drink riding’ policy considerations are discussed.

Impairment of simulated motorcycle riding performance under low dose alcohol

Crash statistics that include the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of vehicle operators reveal that crash involved motorcyclists are over represented at low BACs (e.g., ≤0.05%). This riding simulator study compared riding performance and hazard response under three low dose alcohol conditions (sober, 0.02% BAC, 0.05% BAC). Forty participants (20 novice, 20 experienced) completed simulated rides in urban and rural scenarios while responding to a safety-critical peripheral detection task (PDT). Results showed a significant increase in the standard deviation of lateral position in the urban scenario and PDT reaction time in the rural scenario under 0.05% BAC compared with zero alcohol. Participants were most likely to collide with an unexpected pedestrian in the urban scenario at 0.02% BAC, with novice participants at a greater relative risk than experienced riders. Novices chose to ride faster than experienced participants in the rural scenario regardless of BAC. Not all results were significant, emphasising the complex situation of the effects of low dose BAC on riding performance, which needs further research. The results of this simulator study provide some support for a legal BAC for motorcyclists below 0.05%.

Brake system performance requirements of a lightweight electric/hybrid rear wheel drive vehicle

Investigates the braking performance requirements of the UltraCommuter, a lightweight series hybrid electric vehicle currently under development at the University of Queensland. With a predicted vehicle mass of 600 kg and two in-wheel motors each capable of 500 Nm of peak torque, decelerations up to 0.46 g are theoretically possible using purely regenerative braking. With 99% of braking demands less than 0.35 g, essentially all braking can be regenerative. The wheel motors have sufficient peak torque capability to lock the rear wheels in combination with front axle braking, eliminating the need for friction braking at the rear. Emergency braking levels approaching 1 g are achieved by supplementation with front disk brakes. This paper presents equations describing the peak front and rear axle braking forces which occur under straight line braking, including gradients. Conventionally, to guarantee stability, mechanical front/rear proportioning of braking effort ensures that the front axle locks first. In this application, all braking is initially regenerative at the rear, and an adaptive ''by-wire'' proportioning system presented ensures this stability requirement is still satisfied. Front wheel drive and all wheel drive systems are also discussed. Finally, peak and continuous performance measures, not commonly provided for friction brakes, are derived for the UltraCommuter's motor capability and range of operation.

Metastability and emergent performance of dynamic interceptive actions

Objectives: Adaptive patterning of human movement is context specific and dependent on interacting constraints of the performer–environment relationship. Flexibility of skilled behaviour is predicated on the capacity of performers to move between different states of movement organisation to satisfy dynamic task constraints, previously demonstrated in studies of visual perception, bimanual coordination, and an interceptive combat task. Metastability is a movement system property that helps performers to remain in a state of relative coordination with their performance environments, poised between multiple co-existing states (stable and distinct movement patterns or responses). The aim of this study was to examine whether metastability could be exploited in externally paced interceptive actions in fast ball sports, such as cricket. Design: Here we report data on metastability in performance of multi-articular hitting actions by skilled junior cricket batters (n = 5). Methods: Participants’ batting actions (key movement timings and performance outcomes) were analysed in four distinct performance regions varied by ball pitching (bounce) location. Results: Results demonstrated that, at a pre-determined distance to the ball, participants were forced into a meta-stable region of performance where rich and varied patterns of functional movement behaviours emerged. Participants adapted the organisation of responses, resulting in higher levels of variability in movement timing in this performance region, without detrimental effects on the quality of interceptive performance outcomes. Conclusions: Findings provide evidence for the emergence of metastability in a dynamic interceptive action in cricket batting. Flexibility and diversity of movement responses were optimised using experiential knowledge and careful manipulation of key task constraints of the specific sport context.