Australian mechanical engineers : industries and attributes

The US and UK have had significant influence on the delivery and content of engineering programs both globally and particularly on Australia and yet the industrial profile of Australia has historically been significantly different from that of the US and UK. This paper first presents a study into the differences in industrial profile in the employment of mechanical engineers in the US, UK and Australia. This paper then presents key findings from a role-based study that identified the relative significance of a broad range of attributes for the most common mechanical engineering roles in the six industries that employ the greatest number of Australian mechanical engineers.

Determination of astaxanthin steroisomers and colour attributes in flesh of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) as a tool to distinguish the dietary pigmentation source

The presence of carotenoids in animal tissue reflects their sources along the food chain. Astaxanthin, the main carotenoid used for salmonid pigmentation, is usually included in the feed as a synthetic product. However, other dietary sources of astaxanthin such as shrimp or krill wastes, algae meal or yeasts are also available on the market. Astaxanthin possesses two identical asymmetric atoms at C-3 and C-3' making possible three optical isomers with all-trans configuration of the chain: 3S,3'S, 3R,3'S, and 3R,3'R. The distribution of the isomers in natural astaxanthin differs from that of the synthetic product. This latter is a racemic mixture, with a typical ratio of 1:2:1 (3S,3'S:3R,3'S:3R,3'R), while astaxanthin from natural sources has a variable distribution of the isomers deriving from the different biological organism that synthesized it. The high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of all-trans isomers of astaxanthin was performed in different pigment sources, such as red yeast Phaffia rhodozyma, alga meal Haematococcus pluvialis, krill meal and oil, and shrimp meal. With the aim to investigate astaxanthin isomer ratios in flesh of fish fed different carotenoid sources, three groups of rainbow trout were fed for 60 days diets containing astaxanthin from synthetic source, H. pluvialis algae meal and P. rhodozyma red yeast. Moreover, the distribution of optical isomers of astaxanthin in trout purchased on the Italian market was investigated. A characteristic distribution of astaxanthin stereoisomers was detected for each pigment sources and such distribution was reproduced in the flesh of trout fed with that source. Colour values measured in different sites of fillet of rainbow trout fed with different pigment sources showed no significant differences. Similarly, different sources of pigment (natural or synthetic) produced colour values of fresh fillet with no relevant or significant differences. The coefficient of distance computed amongst the feed ingredient and the trout fillet astaxanthin stereoisomers was a useful tool to identify the origin of the pigment used on farm.

Perceived environment attributes, residential locaction, and walking for particular purposes

Background
Identifying environmental factors that can influence physical activity is a public health priority. We examined associations of perceived environmental attributes with walking for four different purposes: general neighborhood walking, walking for exercise, walking for pleasure, and walking to get to and from places.

Methods
Participants (n =399; 57% women) were surveyed by mail. They reported place of residence, walking behaviors, and perceptions of neighborhood environmental attributes.

Results
Men with the most positive perceptions of neighborhood “aesthetics” were significantly more likely (odds ratio [OR]=7.4) to be in the highest category of neighborhood walking. Men who perceived the weather as not inhibiting their walking were much more likely (OR=4.7) to be high exercise walkers. Women who perceived the weather as not inhibiting their walking were significantly more likely to be high neighborhood walkers (OR=3.8) and those with moderate perceptions of “accessibility” were much more likely to do more walking for pleasure (OR=3.5).

Conclusions
Different environmental attributes were associated with different types of walking and these differed between men and women. Approaches to increasing physical activity might usefully focus on those attributes of the local environment that might influence particular subsets of walking behavior.

Changes in neighborhood walking are related to changes in perceptions of environmental attributes.

Background: Several studies have found significant cross-sectional associations of perceived environmental attributes with physical activity behaviors. Prospective relations with environmental factors have been examined for vigorous activity, but not for the moderate-intensity activities that environmental and policy initiatives are being designed to influence. Purpose: To examine prospective associations of changes in perceptions of local environmental attributes with changes in neighborhood walking. Methods: Baseline and 10-week follow-up telephone interviews with 512 adults (49% men). Results: Men who reported positive changes in aesthetics and convenience were twice as likely to in-crease their walking. Women who reported positive changes in convenience were more than twice as likely to have increased their walking. There were contrasting findings for men and women who reported traffic as less of a problem: Men were 61% less likely to have increased walking; however. women were 76% more likely to have done so. Conclusions: Further studies are needed to determine the possibly causal nature of such environ-ment-behavior relations and to elucidate relevant gender differences. Such evidence will provide underpinnings for public health initiatives to increase participation in physical activity.

Carpal tunnel syndrome: diagnostic usefulness of sonography

PURPOSE: To prospectively evaluate accuracy of sonography for diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in patients clinically suspected of having the disease in one or both hands.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort of 133 patients suspected of having CTS were referred to a teaching hospital between October 2001 and June 2002 for electrodiagnostic study. One hundred twenty patients (98 women, 22 men; mean age, 49 years; range, 19–83 years) underwent sonography within 1 week after electrodiagnostic study. Radiologist was blinded to electrodiagnostic study results. Seventy-five patients had bilateral symptoms; 23 patients, right-hand symptoms; and 22 patients, left-hand symptoms (total, 195 symptomatic hands). Cross-sectional area of median nerve was measured at three levels: immediately proximal to carpal tunnel inlet, at carpal tunnel inlet, and at carpal tunnel outlet. Flexor retinaculum was used as a landmark to margins of carpal tunnel. Optimal threshold levels (determined with classification and regression tree analysis) for areas proximal to and at tunnel inlet and at tunnel outlet were used to discriminate between patients with and patients without disease. Sensitivity, specificity, and false-positive and false-negative rates were derived on the basis of final diagnosis, which was determined with clinical history and electrodiagnostic study results as reference standard.
RESULTS: For right hands, sonography had sensitivity of 94% (66 of 70); specificity, 65% (17 of 26); false-positive rate, 12% (nine of 75); and false-negative rate, 19% (four of 21) (cutoff, 0.09 cm2 proximal to tunnel inlet and 0.12 cm2 at tunnel outlet). For left hands, sensitivity was 83% (53 of 64); specificity, 73% (24 of 33); false-positive rate, 15% (nine of 62); and false-negative rate, 31% (11 of 35) (cutoff, 0.10 cm2 proximal to tunnel inlet).
CONCLUSION: Sonography is comparable to electrodiagnostic study in diagnosis of CTS and should be considered as initial test of choice for patients suspected of having CTS.

Residents' perceptions of walkability attributes in objectively different neighbourhoods: a pilot study

Physical attributes of local environments may influence walking. We used a modified version of the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale to compare residents’ perceptions of the attributes of two neighbourhoods that differed on measures derived from Geographic Information System databases. Residents of the high-walkable neighbourhood rated relevant attributes of residential density, land-use mix (access and diversity) and street connectivity, consistently higher than did residents of the low-walkable neighbourhood. Traffic safety and safety from crime attributes did not differ. Perceived neighbourhood environment characteristics had moderate to high test–retest reliabilities. Neighbourhood environment attribute ratings may be used in population surveys and other studies.

Eri silk fibre attributes and sliver preparation

Eri silk produced by Philosamia cynthia ricini silkworm is a fibre not well-known to the silk industry, in spite of the fact that Eri silk is finer, softer, and has better mechanical and thermal properties than most animal fibres. Eri silk has a high commercial potential, as the host plants of Eri silk worms are widespread in diverse geographical locations, and the worms also have a higher degree of disease resistance than most other silk worms. Mills are often not aware of the properties of Eri for designing appropriate end products. Thus, Eri silk yarn is traditionally produced by hand spinning, and Eri silk usually ends up as material for handwoven shawls. The potential for bulk fibre processing and the development of soft luxurious novel Eri silk products is yet to be discovered. To better understand the material and its processing behaviour, Eri silk was characterised and cocoons were processed into tops through degumming, opening, and cutting filaments into different lengths, followed by a worsted spun silk processing route. Fibre properties such as fineness, crimp, strength and length at different processing stages up to combed tops were measured. The results indicate that staple Eri silk can be processed via the worsted topmaking route, using a cut length of 200 mm or 150 mm for filament sheets prepared from degummed cocoons.

A diagnostic 'profile' for chance (probability)

This article presents a profiling tools for identifying students knowledge in chance.

Associations of perceived community environmental attributes with walking in a population-based sample of adults with type 2 diabetes.

Background: No studies have yet examined the associations of physical environmental attributes specifically with walking in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine associations of perceived community physical environmental attributes with walking for transport and for recreation among adults living with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Participants were 771 adults with type 2 diabetes who completed a self-administered survey on perceived community physical environmental attributes and walking behaviors.

Results: Based on a criterion of a minimum of 120-min/week, some 29% were sufficiently active through walking for transport and 33% through walking for recreation. Significantly higher proportions of those actively walking for transport and for recreation had shops or places to buy things close by (67.8% and 60.9%); lived within a 15-min walk to a transit stop (70.6% and 71.0%); did not have dead-end streets close by (77.7% and 79.8%); reported interesting things to look at (84.8% and 84.4%); and lived close to low-cost recreation facilities (81.3% and 78.8%). In addition, those actively walking for transport reported living in a community with intersections close to each other (75.6%) and with sidewalks on their streets (88.1%). When these variables were entered simultaneously into logistic regression models, living close by to shops was positively related to walking for transport (OR= 1.92, 99% CI=1.11–3.32).

Conclusions: Consistent with findings from studies of healthy adult populations, positive perceptions of community environmental attributes are associated with walking for transport among adults with type 2 diabetes. The now-strong public health case for environmental innovations to promote more walking for transport is further reinforced by the potential to benefit those living with diabetes.