Indoor exposure to submicrometer particles and PM2.5 in residential houses in Brisbane, Australia

As part of a large study investigating indoor air in residential houses in Brisbane, Australia, the purpose of this work was to quantify indoor exposure to submicrometer particles and PM2.5 for the inhabitants of 14 houses. Particle concentrations were measured simultaneously for more than 48 hours in the kitchens of all the houses by using a condensation particle counter (CPC) and a photometer (DustTrak). The occupants of the houses were asked to fill in a diary, noting the time and duration of any activity occurring throughout the house during measurement, as well as their presence or absence from home. From the time series concentration data and the information about indoor activities, exposure to the inhabitants of the houses was calculated for the entire time they spent at home as well as during indoor activities resulting in particle generation. The results show that the highest median concentration level occurred during cooking periods for both particle number concentration (47.5´103 particles cm-3) and PM2.5 concentration (13.4 mg m-3). The highest residential exposure period was the sleeping period for both particle number exposure (31%) and PM2.5 exposure (45.6%). The percentage of the average residential particle exposure level in total 24h particle exposure level was approximating 70% for both particle number and PM2.5 exposure.

Post-traumatic stress disorder in response to HIV infection

This study investigated the psychological impact of HIV infection through assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder in response to HIV infection. Sixty-one HIV-positive homosexual/bisexual men were assessed for posttraumatic stress disorder in response to HIV infection (PTSD-HIV) using a modified PTSD module of the DIS-III-R. Thirty percent met criteria for a syndrome of posttraumatic stress disorder in response to HIV diagnosis (PTSD-HIV). In over one-third of the PTSD cases, the disorder had an onset greater than 6 months after initial HIV infection diagnosis. PTSD-HIV was associated with other psychiatric diagnoses, particularly the development of first episodes of major depression after HIV infection diagnosis. PTSD-HIV was significantly associated with a pre-HIV history of PTSD from other causes, and other pre-HIV psychiatric disorders and neuroticism scores, indicating a similarity with findings in studies of PTSD from other causes. The findings from this preliminary study suggest that a PTSD response to HIV diagnosis has clinical validity and requires further investigation in this population and other medically ill groups. The results support the inclusion of the diagnosis of life-threatening illness as a traumatic incident that may lead to a posttraumatic stress disorder, which is consistent with the DSM-IV criteria.

Best Practice Guide : Generic Overview

The construction industry is a key national economic component. It tends to be at the forefront of cyclic changes in the Australian economy. It has a significant impact, both directly and indirectly, on the efficiency and productivity of other industries. Moreover it affects everyone to a greater or lesser extent; through its products whether they are manifested in the physical infrastructure that supports the operation of the economy or through the built environment that directly impacts on the quality of life experienced by individuals. In financial terms the industry makes one of the largest contributions to the Australian economy, accounting for 4.7 per cent of GDP 1 which was worth over $30B in 20012. The construction industry is comprised of a myriad of small firms, across several important sectors including, o Residential building, o Commercial building, o Building services, o Engineering, o Infrastructure o Facilities Management o Property Development Each sector is typified by firms that have distinctive characteristics such as the number of employees, size and value of contracts, number of jobs, and so forth. It tends to be the case that firms operating in commercial building are larger than those involved in residential construction. The largest contractors are found in engineering and infrastructure, as well as in the commercial building sub-sectors. However all sectors are characterised by their reliance upon sub-contractors to carry out on-site operations. Professionals from the various design consultant groups operate across all of these sectors. This description masks one of the most significant underlying causes of inefficiency in the construction industry, namely its fragmentation. The Construction Industry chapter of the 2004 Australian Year Book3, published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics unmasks the industry’s fragmented structure, typified by the large number of operating businesses within it, the vast majority of which are small companies employing less than 5 people. It identifies over 190,000 firms, of which over 90 percent employ less than 5 people. At the other end of the spectrum, firms employing 20 or more people account for fractionally more than one percent of businesses in the industry.

4-(2-Hydroxyethyl) anilinium 3,5-dinitrobenzoate

In the title compound, C8H12NO+ C7H3N2O6-, the anilinium and hydroxyl protons of the cation result in N-H...O, N-H..(O,O) and O-H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions with carboxylate O atom acceptors, forming a two-dimensional network structure. An intermolecular C-H...O interaction is also present.

4-Chloroanilinium 2-carboxy-4,5-dichlorobenzoate

The structure of the 1:1 proton-transfer compound of 4-chloroaniline with 4,5-dichlorophthalic acid (DCPA), viz. C6H7ClN+ C8H3Cl2O4-, has been determined at 130 K. The non-planar hydrogen phthalate anions and the 4-chloroanilinium cations form two-dimensional O-H...O and N-H...O hydrogen-bonded substructures which have no peripheral extension. Between the sheets there are weak \p--\p associations between alternating cation--anion aromatic ring systems [shortest centroid separation, 3.735(4)A].

1,10-phenanthrolin-1-ium 2-carboxy-4,5-dichlorobenzoate

In the structure of the 1:1 proton-transfer compound of 1,10-phenanthroline with 4,5-dichlorophthalic acid, C12H9N2+ C8H3Cl2O4-, determined at 130 K, the 1,10-phenanthroline cation and the hydrogen 4,5-dichlorophthalate anion associate through a single N-H...O(carboxyl) hydrogen bond giving discrete units which have no extension except through a number of weak cation C-H...O(anion) associations and weak cation--anion aromatic ring pi-pi interactions [minimum centroid separation, 3.6815(12)A]. The anions are essentially planar [maximum deviation 0.214(1)A (a carboxyl O)] with the syn-related H atom of the carboxyl group forming a short intramolecular O-H...O(carboxyl) hydrogen bond.

Zero- one- and two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded structures in the 1:1 proton-transfer compounds of 4,5-dichlorophthalic acid with the monocyclic heteroaromatic Lewis bases 2-aminopyrimidine, nicotinamide and isonicotinamide

The structures of the anhydrous 1:1 proton-transfer compounds of 4,5-dichlorophthalic acid (DCPA) with the monocyclic heteroaromatic Lewis bases 2-aminopyrimidine, 3-(aminocarboxy) pyridine (nicotinamide) and 4-(aminocarbonyl) pyridine (isonicotinamide), namely 2-aminopyrimidinium 2-carboxy-4,5-dichlorobenzoate C4H6N3+ C8H3Cl2O4- (I), 3-(aminocarbonyl) pyridinium 2-carboxy-4,5-dichlorobenzoate C6H7N2O+ C8H3Cl2O4- (II) and the unusual salt adduct 4-(aminocarbonyl) pyridinium 2-carboxy-4,5-dichlorobenzoate 2-carboxymethyl-4,5-dichlorobenzoic acid (1/1/1) C6H7N2O+ C8H3Cl2O4-.C9H6Cl2O4 (III) have been determined at 130 K. Compound (I) forms discrete centrosymmetric hydrogen-bonded cyclic bis(cation--anion) units having both R2/2(8) and R2/1(4) N-H...O interactions. In compound (II) the primary N-H...O linked cation--anion units are extended into a two-dimensional sheet structure via amide-carboxyl and amide-carbonyl N-H...O interactions. The structure of (III) reveals the presence of an unusual and unexpected self-synthesized methyl monoester of the acid as an adduct molecule giving one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded chains. In all three structures the hydrogen phthalate anions are

Unusual hydrate stabilization in the two-dimensional layered structure of quinacrinium bis(2-carboxy-4,5-dichlorobenzoate) tetrahydrate, a proton-transfer compound of the drug quinacrine

The crystal structure of the hydrated proton-transfer compound of the drug quinacrine [rac-N'-(6-chloro-2-methoxyacridin-9-yl)-N,N-diethylpentane-1,4-diamine] with 4,5-dichlorophthalic acid, C23H32ClN3O2+ . 2(C8H3Cl2O4-).4H2O (I), has been determined at 200 K. The four labile water molecules of solvation form discrete ...O--H...O--H... hydrogen-bonded chains parallel to the quinacrine side chain, the two N--H groups of which act as hydrogen-bond donors for two of the water acceptor molecules. The other water molecules, as well as the acridinium H atom, also form hydrogen bonds with the two anion species and extend the structure into two-dimensional sheets. Between these sheets there are also weak cation--anion and anion--anion pi-pi aromatic ring interactions. This structure represents only the third example of a simple quinacrine derivative for which structural data are available but differs from the other two in that it is unstable in the X-ray beam due to efflorescence, probably associated with the destruction of the unusual four-membered water chain structures.

Proton-transfer versus nontransfer in compounds of the diazo-dye precursor 4-(phenyldiazenyl) aniline (aniline yellow) with strong organic acids: the 5-sulfosalicylate and the dichroic benzenesulfonate salts, and the 1:2 adduct with 3,5-dinitrobenzoic

The structures of two 1:1 proton-transfer red-black dye compounds formed by reaction of aniline yellow [4-(phenyldiazenyl)aniline] with 5-sulfosalicylic acid and benzenesulfonic acid, and a 1:2 nontransfer adduct compound with 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid have been determined at either 130 or 200 K. The compounds are 2-(4-aminophenyl)-1-phenylhydrazin-1-ium 3-carboxy-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonate methanol solvate, C12H12N3+.C7H5O6S-.CH3OH (I), 2-(4-aminophenyl)-1-hydrazin-1-ium 4-(phenydiazinyl)anilinium bis(benzenesulfonate), 2C12H12N3+.2C6H5O3S-, (II) and 4-(phenyldiazenyl)aniline-3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid (1/2) C12H11N3.2C~7~H~4~N~2~O~6~, (III). In compound (I) the diaxenyl rather than the aniline group of aniline yellow is protonated and this group subsequently akes part in a primary hydrogen-bonding interaction with a sulfonate O-atom acceptor, producing overall a three-dimensional framework structure. A feature of the hydrogen bonding in (I) is a peripheral edge-on cation-anion association involving aromatic C--H...O hydrogen bonds, giving a conjoint R1/2(6)R1/2(7)R2/1(4)motif. In the dichroic crystals of (II), one of the two aniline yellow species in the asymmetric unit is diazenyl-group protonated while in the other the aniline group is protonated. Both of these groups form hydrogen bonds with sulfonate O-atom acceptors and thee, together with other associations give a one-dimensional chain structure. In compound (III), rather than proton-transfer, there is a preferential formation of a classic R2/2(8) cyclic head-to-head hydrogen-bonded carboxylic acid homodimer between the two 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid molecules, which in association with the aniline yellow molecule that is disordered across a crystallographic inversion centre, result in an overall two-dimensional ribbon structure. This work has shown the correlation between structure and observed colour in crystalline aniline yellow compounds, illustrated graphically in the dichroic benzenesulfonate compound.

Maternal anxiety and attention problems in children at 5 and 14 years

Objective: This study examines the association between maternal anxiety from pregnancy to 5 years and child attention problems at 5 and 14 years. Method: Birth cohort of 3,982 individuals born in Brisbane between 1981 and 1983 are assessed. Self-reported measures of maternal anxiety are assessed at four time points. Maternal reports of child attention problems using Achenbach’s Child Behavior Checklist are assessed at 5 and 14 years. Results: Children of mothers experiencing anxiety during or after pregnancy are at greater risk of experiencing attention problems at 5 and 14 years. After adjusting for maternal age and child’s gender, antenatal anxiety is strongly associated with persistent attention problems (OR = 3.65, 95% CI = 2.19, 6.07). Children with chronically anxious mothers are 5.67 (95% CI = 3.56, 9.03) times more likely to have persistent attention problems. These associations remain consistent after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusions: Maternal anxiety appears to increase the rate of child attention problems and identifies a need for treatment programs to have a dual focus—the mother and her child. (J. of Att. Dis. 2009; XX(X) 1-XX)

Raman spectroscopic study of the uranyl mineral pseudojohannite Cu6.5[(UO2)4O4(SO4)2]2(OH)5.25H2O

Raman spectra of pseudojohannite were studied and related to the structure of the mineral. Observed bands were assigned to the stretching and bending vibrations of (UO2)2+ and (SO4)2- units and of water molecules. The published formula of pseudojohannite is Cu6.5(UO2)8\[O8](OH)5\[(SO4)4].25H2O; however Raman spectroscopy does not detect any hydroxyl units. Raman bands at 805 and 810 cm-1 are assigned to (UO2)2+ stretching modes. The Raman bands at 1017 and 1100 cm-1 are assigned to the (SO4)2- symmetric and antisymmetric stretching vibrations. The three Raman bands at 423, 465 and 496 cm-1 are assigned to the (SO4)2- ν2 bending modes. The bands at 210 and 279 cm-1 are assigned to the doubly degenerate ν2 bending vibration of the (UO2)2+ units. U-O bond lengths in uranyl and O-H…O hydrogen bond lengths were calculated from the Raman and infrared spectra.

A 5 year review of information requests to QISU

The Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit (QISU) has been collecting and analysing injury data in Queensland since 1988. QISU data is collected from participating emergency departments (EDs) in urban, rural and remote areas of Queensland. Using this data, QISU produces several injury bulletins per year on selected topics, providing a picture of Queensland injury, and setting this in the context of relevant local, national and international research and policy. These bulletins are used by numerous government and non-government groups to inform injury prevention and practice throughout the state. QISU bulletins are also used by local and state media to inform the general public of injury risk and prevention strategies. In addition to producing the bulletins, QISU regularly responds to requests for information from a variety of sources. These requests often require additional analysis of QISU data to tailor the response to the needs of the end user. This edition of the bulletin reviews 5 years of information requests to QISU.

Tip-over injuries in children under 5 years of age in Queensland 1999-2008

Furniture and appliance related injuries in children under 5 years of age accounts for an estimated 180 emergency presentations annually in Queensland. Injuries occur when children push or pull items over, climb and fall off furniture, or climb and tip the item over. Children under 2 years of age tend to injure themselves by pulling items over onto themselves Children over 2 years of age are more likely to be injured after climbing the item and either falling off or tipping the item over onto themselves. Tip over injuries (where the item falls over and injures the child) in children under 5 years of age account for an estimated 115 emergency presentations annually in Queensland. The item most commonly associated with a tip over injury is a television (with or without the cabinet) Prevention requires better design and selection of furniture with inherent stability coupled with mechanisms to install or fix less stable items

Aberrations and pupil location under corneal topography and Hartmann-Shack illumination conditions

PURPOSE. This study was conducted to determine the magnitude of pupil center shift between the illumination conditions provided by corneal topography measurement (photopic illuminance) and by Hartmann-Shack aberrometry (mesopic illuminance) and to investigate the importance of this shift when calculating corneal aberrations and for the success of wavefront-guided surgical procedures. METHODS. Sixty-two subjects with emmetropia underwent corneal topography and Hartmann-Shack aberrometry. Corneal limbus and pupil edges were detected, and the differences between their respective centers were determined for both procedures. Corneal aberrations were calculated using the pupil centers for corneal topography and for Hartmann-Shack aberrometry. Bland-Altmann plots and paired t-tests were used to analyze the differences between corneal aberrations referenced to the two pupil centers. RESULTS. The mean magnitude (modulus) of the displacement of the pupil with the change of the illumination conditions was 0.21 ± 0.11 mm. The effect of this pupillary shift was manifest for coma corneal aberrations for 5-mm pupils, but the two sets of aberrations calculated with the two pupil positions were not significantly different. Sixty-eight percent of the population had differences in coma smaller than 0.05 µm, and only 4% had differences larger than 0.1 µm. Pupil displacement was not large enough to significantly affect other higher-order Zernike modes. CONCLUSIONS. Estimated corneal aberrations changed slightly between photopic and mesopic illumination conditions given by corneal topography and Hartmann-Shack aberrometry. However, this systematic pupil shift, according to the published tolerances ranges, is enough to deteriorate the optical quality below the theoretically predicted diffraction limit of wavefront-guided corneal surgery.