Vibrational spectroscopic analysis of taranakite (K,NH4)Al3(PO4)3(OH) •9(H2O) from the Jenolan Caves, Australia

Many phosphate containing minerals are found in the Jenolan Caves. Such minerals are formed by the reaction of bat guano and clays from the caves. Among these cave minerals is the mineral taranakite (K,NH4)Al3(PO4)3(OH)•9(H2O) which has been identified by X-ray diffraction. Jenolan Caves taranakite has been characterised by Raman spectroscopy. Raman and infrared bands are assigned to H2PO4-, OH and NH stretching vibrations. By using a combination of XRD and Raman spectroscopy, the existence of taranakite in the caves has been proven.

Responding to rapid change in higher education : enabling university departments responsible for work related programs through boundary spanning

Boundary spanning links organisations to one another in order to create mutually beneficial relationships; it is a concept developed and used in organisational theory but rarely used to understand organisational structures in higher education (Pruitt & Schwartz, 1999). Yet understanding boundary spanning activity has the capacity to help universities respond to demands for continuous quality improvement, and to increase capacity to react to environmental uncertainty. At a time of rapid change characterised by a fluctuating economic environment, globalisation, increased mobility, and ecological issues, boundary spanning could be viewed as a key element in assisting institutions in effectively understanding and responding to such change. The literature suggests that effective boundary spanning could help universities improve organisational performance, use of infrastructure and resources, intergroup relations, leadership styles, performance and levels of job satisfaction, technology transfer, knowledge creation, and feedback processes, amongst other things. Our research aims to put a face on boundary spanning (Miller, 2008) by contextualising it within organisational systems and structures in university departments responsible for work related programs i.e. Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and Co-operative Education (Co-op). In this paper these approaches are referred to collectively as work related programs. The authors formed a research team in Victoria, British Columbia in 2009 at a sponsored international research forum, Two Days in June. The purpose of the invitation-only forum was to investigate commonalities and differences across programs and to formulate an international research agenda for work related programs over the next five to ten years. Researchers from Queensland University of Technology, University of Cincinnati, Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University, University of Ottawa,and Dublin City University agreed that further research was needed into the impact stakeholders, organisational systems, structures, policies, and practices have on departments delivering work related programs. This paper illustrates how policy and practice across the five institutions can be better understood through the lens of boundary spanning. It is argued that boundary spanning is an area of theory and practice with great applicability to a better understanding of the activity of these departments. The paper concludes by proposing topics for future research to examine how boundary spanning can be used to better understand practice and change in work related programs.

Motivational Interviewing (MINT) improves Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) acceptance and adherence : a randomised controlled trial

Objective: Adherence to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy (CPAP) for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is poor. We assessed the effectiveness of a motivational interviewing intervention (MINT) in addition to best practice standard care to improve acceptance and adherence to CPAP therapy in people with a new diagnosis of OSA. Method: 106 Australian adults (69% male) with a new diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea and clinical recommendation for CPAP treatment were recruited from a tertiary sleep disorders centre. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either three sessions of a motivational interviewing intervention ‘MINT’ (n=53; mean age=55.4 years), or no intervention ‘Control’ (n=53; mean age=57.74). The primary outcome was the difference between the groups in objective CPAP adherence at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months and 12 months follow-up. Results: Fifty (94%) participants in the MINT group and 50 (94%) of participants in the control group met all inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in the primary analysis. The hours of CPAP use per night in the MINT group at 3 months was 4.63 hours and 3.16 hours in the control group (p=0.005). This represents almost 50% better adherence in the MINT group relative to the control group. Patients in the MINT group were substantially more likely to accept CPAP treatment. Conclusions: MINT is a brief, manualized, effective intervention which improves CPAP acceptance and objective adherence rates as compared to standard care alone.

Young, inexperienced and on the road : do novice drivers comply with road rules?

The graduated driver licensing (GDL) program in Queensland, Australia, was considerably enhanced in July 2007. This paper explores the compliance of young Learner and Provisional (intermediate) drivers with current GDL requirements and general road rules. Unsupervised driving, Learner logbook accuracy, and experiences of punishment avoidance were explored, along with speeding as a Provisional driver. Participants (609 females; M = 17.43 years) self-reported sociodemographic characteristics, driving behaviours and licensing experiences as Learners. A subset of participants (238 females, 105 males) completed another survey six months later exploring their Provisional behaviours and experiences. While the majority of the participants reported compliance with both the GDL requirements and general road rules such as stopping at red lights on their Learner licence; a considerable proportion reported speeding. Furthermore, they reported becoming less compliant during the Provisional phase, particularly with speed limits. Self-reported speeding was predicted by younger age at licensure, being in a relationship, driving unsupervised, submitting inaccurate Learner logbooks, and speeding as a Learner. Enforcement and education countermeasures should focus upon curtailing noncompliance, targeting speeding in particular. Novice drivers should be encouraged to comply with all road rules, including speed limits, and safe driving behaviours should be developed and reinforced during the Learner and early Provisional periods. Novice drivers have been found to model their parents’ driving, and parents are pivotal in regulating novice driving. It is vital young novice drivers and parents alike are encouraged to comply with all road rules, including GDL requirements.

The diagnostic accuracy of telegeriatrics for the diagnosis of dementia via video conferencing

Introduction The suitability of video conferencing (VC) technology for clinical purposes relevant to geriatric medicine is still being established. This project aimed to determine the validity of the diagnosis of dementia via VC. Methods This was a multisite, noninferiority, prospective cohort study. Patients, aged 50 years and older, referred by their primary care physician for cognitive assessment, were assessed at 4 memory disorder clinics. All patients were assessed independently by 2 specialist physicians. They were allocated one face-to-face (FTF) assessment (Reference standard – usual clinical practice) and an additional assessment (either usual FTF assessment or a VC assessment) on the same day. Each specialist physician had access to the patient chart and the results of a battery of standardized cognitive assessments administered FTF by the clinic nurse. Percentage agreement (P0) and the weighted kappa statistic with linear weight (Kw) were used to assess inter-rater reliability across the 2 study groups on the diagnosis of dementia (cognition normal, impaired, or demented). Results The 205 patients were allocated to group: Videoconference (n = 100) or Standard practice (n = 105); 106 were men. The average age was 76 (SD 9, 51–95) and the average Standardized Mini-Mental State Examination Score was 23.9 (SD 4.7, 9–30). Agreement for the Videoconference group (P0= 0.71; Kw = 0.52; P < .0001) and agreement for the Standard Practice group (P0= 0.70; Kw = 0.50; P < .0001) were both statistically significant (P < .05). The summary kappa statistic of 0.51 (P = .84) indicated that VC was not inferior to FTF assessment. Conclusions Previous studies have shown that preliminary standardized assessment tools can be reliably administered and scored via VC. This study focused on the geriatric assessment component of the interview (interpretation of standardized assessments, taking a history and formulating a diagnosis by medical specialist) and identified high levels of agreement for diagnosing dementia. A model of service incorporating either local or remote administered standardized assessments, and remote specialist assessment, is a reliable process for enabling the diagnosis of dementia for isolated older adults.

Human herpesvirus 8 load and progression of AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma lesions

Introduction—Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) is necessary for Kaposi sarcoma (KS) to develop, but whether peripheral blood viral load is a marker of KS burden (total number of KS lesions), KS progression (the rate of eruption of new KS lesions), or both is unclear. We investigated these relationships in persons with AIDS. Methods—Newly diagnosed patients with AIDS-related KS attending Mulago Hospital, in Kampala, Uganda, were assessed for KS burden and progression by questionnaire and medical examination. Venous blood samples were taken for HHV8 load measurements by PCR. Associations were examined with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) from logistic regression models and with t-tests. Results—Among 74 patients (59% men), median age was 34.5 years (interquartile range [IQR], 28.5-41). HHV8 DNA was detected in 93% and quantified in 77% patients. Median virus load was 3.8 logs10/106 peripheral blood cells (IQR 3.4-5.0) and was higher in men than women (4.4 vs. 3.8 logs; p=0.04), in patients with faster (>20 lesions per year) than slower rate of KS lesion eruption (4.5 vs. 3.6 logs; p<0.001), and higher, but not significantly, among patients with more (>median [20] KS lesions) than fewer KS lesions (4.4 vs. 4.0 logs; p=0.16). HHV8 load was unrelated to CD4 lymphocyte count (p=0.23). Conclusions—We show significant association of HHV8 load in peripheral blood with rate of eruption of KS lesions, but not with total lesion count. Our results suggest that viral load increases concurrently with development of new KS lesions.

Brisbane ~ Tokyo : subtropical lifestyle research

Tokyo-based architectural firm Atelier Bow-Wow's interest in Queensland's timber vernacular housing style can be traced back to 2006. In 2009, the group undertook a study of Brisbane housing types, which forms the basis of this chapter. Atelier Bow-Wow suggested that the study of Brisbane housing types could provide insights into architectural alternatives for Tokyo that might ameliorate the warming "heat island" effect exacerbated by widespread urbanisation. In addition, they examined the veranda of the "Queenslander" as a way of mitigating social isolation in aging population.

New maps of learning for quality art education : what pre-service teachers should learn and be able to do

It would be a rare thing to visit an early years setting or classroom in Australia that does not display examples of young children’s artworks. This practice serves to give schools a particular ‘look’, but is no guarantee of quality art education. The Australian National Review of Visual Arts Education (NRVE) (2009) has called for changes to visual art education in schools. The planned new National Curriculum includes the arts (music, dance, drama, media and visual arts) as one of the five learning areas. Research shows that it is the classroom teacher that makes the difference, and teacher education has a large part to play in reforms to art education. This paper provides an account of one foundation unit of study (Unit 1) for first year university students enrolled in a 4-year Bachelor degree program who are preparing to teach in the early years (0–8 years). To prepare pre-service teachers to meet the needs of children in the 21st century, Unit 1 blends old and new ways of seeing art, child and pedagogy. Claims for the effectiveness of this model are supported with evidence-based research, conducted over the six years of iterations and ongoing development of Unit 1.

Relaxed phylogenetics and dating with confidence

In phylogenetics, the unrooted model of phylogeny and the strict molecular clock model are two extremes of a continuum. Despite their dominance in phylogenetic inference, it is evident that both are biologically unrealistic and that the real evolutionary process lies between these two extremes. Fortunately, intermediate models employing relaxed molecular clocks have been described. These models open the gate to a new field of “relaxed phylogenetics.” Here we introduce a new approach to performing relaxed phylogenetic analysis. We describe how it can be used to estimate phylogenies and divergence times in the face of uncertainty in evolutionary rates and calibration times. Our approach also provides a means for measuring the clocklikeness of datasets and comparing this measure between different genes and phylogenies. We find no significant rate autocorrelation among branches in three large datasets, suggesting that autocorrelated models are not necessarily suitable for these data. In addition, we place these datasets on the continuum of clocklikeness between a strict molecular clock and the alternative unrooted extreme. Finally, we present analyses of 102 bacterial, 106 yeast, 61 plant, 99 metazoan, and 500 primate alignments. From these we conclude that our method is phylogenetically more accurate and precise than the traditional unrooted model while adding the ability to infer a timescale to evolution.

Molecules, morphology, and ecology indicate a recent, amphibious ancestry for echidnas

The semiaquatic platypus and terrestrial echidnas (spiny anteaters) are the only living egg-laying mammals (monotremes). The fossil record has provided few clues as to their origins and the evolution of their ecological specializations; however, recent reassignment of the Early Cretaceous Teinolophos and Steropodon to the platypus lineage implies that platypuses and echidnas diverged >112.5 million years ago, reinforcing the notion of monotremes as living fossils. This placement is based primarily on characters related to a single feature, the enlarged mandibular canal, which supplies blood vessels and dense electrosensory receptors to the platypus bill. Our reevaluation of the morphological data instead groups platypus and echidnas to the exclusion of Teinolophos and Steropodon and suggests that an enlarged mandibular canal is ancestral for monotremes (partly reversed in echidnas, in association with general mandibular reduction). A multigene evaluation of the echidna–platypus divergence using both a relaxed molecular clock and direct fossil calibrations reveals a recent split of 19–48 million years ago. Platypus-like monotremes (Monotrematum) predate this divergence, indicating that echidnas had aquatically foraging ancestors that reinvaded terrestrial ecosystems. This ecological shift and the associated radiation of echidnas represent a recent expansion of niche space despite potential competition from marsupials. Monotremes might have survived the invasion of marsupials into Australasia by exploiting ecological niches in which marsupials are restricted by their reproductive mode. Morphology, ecology, and molecular biology together indicate that Teinolophos and Steropodon are basal monotremes rather than platypus relatives, and that living monotremes are a relatively recent radiation.

The evolutionary history of the extinct ratite moa and New Zealand Neogene paleogeography

The ratite moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) were a speciose group of massive graviportal avian herbivores that dominated the New Zealand (NZ) ecosystem until their extinction �600 years ago. The phylogeny and evolutionary history of this morphologically diverse order has remained controversial since their initial description in 1839. We synthesize mitochondrial phylogenetic information from 263 subfossil moa specimens from across NZ with morphological, ecological, and new geological data to create the first comprehensive phylogeny, taxonomy, and evolutionary timeframe for all of the species of an extinct order. We also present an important new geological/paleogeographical model of late Cenozoic NZ, which suggests that terrestrial biota on the North and South Island landmasses were isolated for most of the past 20–30 Ma. The data reveal that the patterns of genetic diversity within and between differentmoaclades reflect a complex history following a major marine transgression in the Oligocene, affected by marine barriers, tectonic activity, and glacial cycles. Surprisingly, the remarkable morphological radiation of moa appears to have occurred much more recently than previous early Miocene (ca. 15 Ma) estimates, and was coincident with the accelerated uplift of the Southern Alps just ca. 5–8.5 Ma. Together with recent fossil evidence, these data suggest that the recent evolutionary history of nearly all of the iconic NZ terrestrial biota occurred principally on just the South Island.

Mixed convection flow of micropolar fluid in an open ended arc-shape cavity

Numerical simulations for mixed convection of micropolar fluid in an open ended arc-shape cavity have been carried out in this study. Computation is performed using the Alternate Direct Implicit (ADI) method together with the Successive Over Relaxation (SOR) technique for the solution of governing partial differential equations. The flow phenomenon is examined for a range of values of Rayleigh number, 102 ≤ Ra ≤ 106, Prandtl number, 7 ≤ Pr ≤ 50, and Reynolds number, 10 ≤ Re ≤ 100. The study is mainly focused on how the micropolar fluid parameters affect the fluid properties in the flow domain. It was found that despite the reduction of flow in the core region, the heat transfer rate increases, whereas the skin friction and microrotation decrease with the increase in the vortex viscosity parameter, Δ.

Food modelling systems to assess menus in well population groups : not all black and white

Food modelling systems such as the Core Foods and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating are frequently used as nutritional assessment tools for menus in ‘well’ groups (such as boarding schools, prisons and mental health facilities), with the draft Foundation and Total Diets (FATD) the latest revision. The aim of this paper is to apply the FATD to an assessment of food provision in a long stay, ‘well’, group setting to determine its usefulness as a tool. A detailed menu review was conducted in a 1000 bed male prison, including verification of all recipes. Full diet histories were collected on 106 prisoners which included foods consumed from the menu and self funded snacks. Both the menu and diet histories were analysed according to core foods, with recipes used to assist in quantification of mixed dishes. Comparison was made of average core foods with Foundation Diet recommendations (FDR) for males. Results showed that the standard menu provided sufficient quantity for 8 of 13 FDRs, however was low in nuts, legumes, refined cereals and marginally low in fruits and orange vegetables. The average prisoner diet achieved 9 of 13 FDRs, notably with margarines and oils less than half and legumes one seventh of recommended. Overall, although the menu and prisoner diets could easily be assessed using the FDRs, it was not consistent with recommendations. In long stay settings other Nutrient Reference Values not modelled in the FATDS need consideration, in particular, Suggested Dietary Targets and professional judgement is required in interpretation.