Early consumption of liquids different to breast milk in Mexican infants under 1 year: results of the probabilistic National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012

Introduction: Studies on infant dietary intake do not generally focus on the types of liquids consumed. Objective: To document by age and breastfeeding status, the types of liquids present in the diet of Mexican children under 1 year of age (< 1 y) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012 (ENSANUT-2012). Methods: Analysis of the infant < 1 y feeding practices from the ENSANUT-2012 survey in non-breastfed (non-BF) and breastfed (BF) infants by status quo for the consumption of liquids grouped in: water, formula, fortified LICONSA milk, nutritive liquids (NL; thin cereal-based gruel with water or milk and coffee with milk) and non-nutritive liquids (non-NL) as sugared water, water-based drinks, tea, beans or chicken broth, aguamiel and coffee. In this infants < 1 y we analyzed the not grouped consumption of liquids in the first three days of life (newborns) from the mother's recall. Percentage and confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated adjusting for survey design. Statistical differences were analyzed by Z test. Results: We observed a high consumption of human milk followed by formula (56.7%) and water (51.1%) in infants under 6 months of age (< 6 mo). The proportion of non-BF infants consuming non-NL was higher than for BF infants (p < 0.05). More than 60% of older infants (6 mo and < 1 y) consumed formula and were non-BF. In newborns formula consumption was predominant, followed by tea or infusion and water. Conclusions: Non-breast milk liquids are present undesirably in Mexican infants' diet and non-NL are consumed earlier than NL, revealing inadequate early dietary practices.

Removal of BrO3 − from drinking water samples using newly developed agricultural waste-based activated carbon and its determination by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Activated carbon was prepared from date pits via chemical activation with H3PO4. The effects of activating agent concentration and activation temperature on the yield and surface area were studied. The optimal activated carbon was prepared at 450 °C using 55 % H3PO4. The prepared activated carbon was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis, and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) surface area. The prepared date pit-based activated carbon (DAC) was used for the removal of bromate (BrO3 −). The concentration of BrO3 − was determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass tandem spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The experimental equilibrium data for BrO3 − adsorption onto DAC was well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model and showed maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 25.64 mg g−1. The adsorption kinetics of BrO3 − adsorption was very well represented by the pseudo-first-order equation. The analytical application of DAC for the analysis of real water samples was studied with very promising results.

Playgrounds: Safe designs and infrastructures for our children… an urgent matter in Costa Rica

The purpose of this article is to offer the design and infrastructure parameters necessary to have safe playgrounds since they represent a unique opportunity to foster an integral development, particularly in children.  In these public places, children learn to resolve conflicts to continue playing, having fun, and developing.  These recreational areas then become learning places that foster the formation process and provide great social, emotional, physical, cognitive, intellectual, and spiritual benefits.  However, such benefits are diminished by the lack of interest of the communities and the adult population to optimize playground conditions and by unscrupulous developers, who design playgrounds in inappropriate places putting the population at risk.  Therefore, the following must be taken seriously into consideration before, during, and after the construction of a playground: design, construction, materials, equipment, components and the procedures to meet the necessary safety requirements and the objective for which they were created, that being an area designed, equipped, and located exclusively for playing that facilitates the integral development of the population.  Consequently, it is urgent for Costa Rica to enact clear regulations that guarantee the construction, design, and use of playgrounds that do not put the population’s health at risk, prevent accidents, and guarantee the inalienable rights of each Costa Rican.

Root:Shoot Ratio and Specific Leaf Area Along an Elevational Gradient in the Peruvian Andes

Andean montane forests are one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, but are also highly vulnerable to climate change. Therefore, the link between plant distribution and ecosystem productivity is a critical point to investigate in these ecosystems. Are the patterns in productivity observed in montane forest due to species turnover along the elevational gradients? Methodological constraints keep this question unanswered. Also, despite their importance, belowground biomass remains poorly quantified and understood. I measured two plant functional traits in seedlings, root:shoot ratio and specific leaf area, to identify different strategies in growth and biomass allocation across elevations. A tradeoff in specific leaf area with elevation was found in only one species, and no generalized directional change was detected with elevations for root:shoot ratio. Lack of information for the ontogeny of the measured plant traits could confounding the analysis.

Scaling up strategies of the chronic respiratory disease programme of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (Action Plan B3: Area 5)

Action Plan B3 of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) focuses on the integrated care of chronic diseases. Area 5 (Care Pathways) was initiated using chronic respiratory diseases as a model. The chronic respiratory disease action plan includes (1) AIRWAYS integrated care pathways (ICPs), (2) the joint initiative between the Reference site MACVIA-LR (Contre les MAladies Chroniques pour un VIeillissement Actif) and ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma), (3) Commitments for Action to the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing and the AIRWAYS ICPs network. It is deployed in collaboration with the World Health Organization Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD). The European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing has proposed a 5-step framework for developing an individual scaling up strategy: (1) what to scale up: (1-a) databases of good practices, (1-b) assessment of viability of the scaling up of good practices, (1-c) classification of good practices for local replication and (2) how to scale up: (2-a) facilitating partnerships for scaling up, (2-b) implementation of key success factors and lessons learnt, including emerging technologies for individualised and predictive medicine. This strategy has already been applied to the chronic respiratory disease action plan of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing.

Antiplatelet therapy and clinical outcomes in cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is a leading cause of death in the world. Despite effective treatment regimens for ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and ischaemic stroke, mortality and recurrence rates remain high. Antiplatelet therapy is on effective treatment and reduces the risk of recurrent heart attack and stroke. Nevertheless, there are patients who stopped or interrupted their antiplatelet therapy for certain reasons or some patients may be resistant or poor responders to antiplatelet therapy. Furthermore, there is evidence of rebound effect in platelet activity after antiplatelet cessation and this may associate with increased risk of cardiovascular event. This thesis is divided into five main chapters (chapters 3 to 7) which attempt to provide data to help resolve the uncertainty. Chapter 1 highlights the background of cardiovascular diseases and the global burden of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The metabolism of platelets, antiplatelet therapy and current antiplatelet therapy guidelines are described, followed by discussion of the risk of cardiovascular event and changes in antiplatelet therapy. Chapter 2 describes the data source from Virtual International Stroke Trial Archive (VISTA) and National Health Service Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) Safe Haven, followed by definition of outcome measures. In chapter 3, Virtual International Stroke Trial Archive (VISTA) data was examined to test whether continue with the same antiplatelet therapy or changing to a new antiplatelet regimen reduces the risk of subsequent events in patients who experience a stroke whilst taking antiplatelet therapy. The findings indicate that subjects who switch to a new antiplatelet regimen after stroke did not have a lower early recurrence rate than subjects who continued with the same antiplatelet therapy. Observations on bleeding complications were similar in both groups. However, changing antiplatelet regimen after stroke was associated with more favourable functional outcome across a full scale modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days. In chapter 4, association between early or later initiation of antiplatelet with a recurrent ischaemic stroke and bleeding complications was assessed using VISTA data. The findings indicate that there was no association between a recurrent ischaemic stroke and timing of initiation of antiplatelet drug after stroke. However, early initiation was associated with increased risk of bleeding. In terms of functional outcomes, this study demonstrated that the mid-time and late initiation of antiplatelet therapy after acute stroke are associated with better functional outcomes compared with early initiation. In chapter 5, a nested case-control study was performed to explore the rate of antiplatelet cessation and interruption in a sample of patients with recent ischaemic stroke and to assess the risk of cardiovascular events associated with cessation and interruption of antiplatelet. It was found that there was no increased risk of cardiovascular event among patients who had early cessation or interrupted/stopped antiplatelet therapy within 90 days following acute ischaemic stroke. In chapter 6, the incidence and predictors of cardiovascular events after DAPT cessation were evaluated. The incidence of cardiovascular event while taking DAPT and following discontinuation of DAPT was 15.7% and 16.7% respectively. This study found that increasing age was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular event, whereas, revascularization-treated patients and longer duration of DAPT, were each associated with a decreased risk. The duration of DAPT six months and less was associated a significantly higher risk for cardiovascular event. In chapter 7, an untargeted metabolomics analysis was performed while on DAPT (aspirin plus ticagrelor) and once they stopped ticagrelor to identify metabolite changes associated with cardiovascular events after stopping DAPT. Ten ACS patients were recruited in this study and data were analysed for seven patients. Three hundred eleven putative metabolites were identified. This study found 16 putative metabolites significantly altered following ticagrelor cessation. Of these, seven metabolites were from lipid pathway and down-regulated some up to 3-fold. On the other hand, adenosine, from nucleotide metabolism was upregulated up to 2.6-fold. It concluded that there are changes in numerous pathways following DAPT discontinuation and whether these changes differ in patients who have cardiovascular event after stopping DAPT warrant further investigation. In chapter 8, a summary of the findings of this thesis are presented as well as the future directions of research in this area.

Collaboration and Engagement Throughout The Supply Chain : The Role of Government

Collaboration is acknowledged as a key to continued growth in the Australian construction industry. Government, as a major industry client, has an important role to play with respect to fostering collaboration and ensuring the global competitiveness of the industry. The paper draws upon data collected for the Construction 2020 study and aims to demonstrate that government can a) help to break down the adversarial situation that currently exists between clients, project managers and subcontractors; and b) allow the supply chain to collaborate more effectively in terms of satisfying the relational and financial needs of all parties. Government can also provide a clear set of guidelines (backed up by a functional dispute resolution system) that will promote confidence with respect to forging relationships. Thus, the paper will discuss the way in which public policy can be more closely aligned with actual industry needs in order to promote greater collaboration.

Fashion as consumer entrepreneurship : emergent risk culture, social network markets, and the launch of 'Vogue' in China

China has a reputation as an economy based on utility: the large-scale manufacture of low-priced goods. But useful values like functionality, fitness for purpose and efficiency are only part of the story. More important are what Veblen called ‘honorific’ values, arguably the driving force of development, change and value in any economy. To understand the Chinese economy therefore, it is not sufficient to point to its utilitarian aspect. Honorific status-competition is a more fundamental driver than utilitarian cost-competition. We argue that ‘social network markets’ are the expression of these honorific values, relationships and connections that structure and coordinate individual choices. This paper explores how such markets are developing in China in the area of fashion and fashion media. These, we argue, are an expression of ‘risk culture’ for high-end entrepreneurial consumers and producers alike, providing a stimulus to dynamic innovation in the arena of personal taste and comportment, as part of an international cultural system based on constant change. We examine the launch of Vogue China in 2005, and China’s reception as a fashion player among the international editions of Vogue, as an expression of a ‘decisive moment’ in the integration of China into an international social network market based on honorific values.

Interoperable Standards Development : Final Report

Since 1995 the buildingSMART International Alliance for Interoperability (buildingSMART)has developed a robust standard called the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). IFC is an object oriented data model with related file format that has facilitated the efficient exchange of data in the development of building information models (BIM). The Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation has contributed to the international effort in the development of the IFC standard and specifically the reinforced concrete part of the latest IFC 2x3 release. Industry Foundation Classes have been endorsed by the International Standards Organisation as a Publicly Available Specification (PAS) under the ISO label ISO/PAS 16739. For more details, go to http://www.tc184- sc4.org/About_TC184-SC4/About_SC4_Standards/ The current IFC model covers the building itself to a useful level of detail. The next stage of development for the IFC standard is where the building meets the ground (terrain) and with civil and external works like pavements, retaining walls, bridges, tunnels etc. With the current focus in Australia on infrastructure projects over the next 20 years a logical extension to this standard was in the area of site and civil works. This proposal recognises that there is an existing body of work on the specification of road representation data. In particular, LandXML is recognised as also is TransXML in the broader context of transportation and CityGML in the common interfacing of city maps, buildings and roads. Examination of interfaces between IFC and these specifications is therefore within the scope of this project. That such interfaces can be developed has already been demonstrated in principle within the IFC for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) project. National road standards that are already in use should be carefully analysed and contacts established in order to gain from this knowledge. The Object Catalogue for the Road Transport Sector (OKSTRA) should be noted as an example. It is also noted that buildingSMART Norway has submitted a proposal

WorkChoices, ImageChoices and the marketing of new industrial relations legislation

This article takes a critical discourse approach to one aspect of the Australian WorkChoices industrial relations legislation: the government’s major advertisement published in national newspapers in late 2005 and released simultaneously as a 16-page booklet. This strategic move was the initial stage of one of the largest ‘information’ campaigns ever mounted by an Australian government, costing more than $AUD137 million. This article analyse the semiotic (visual and graphic) elements of the advertisement to uncover what these elements contribute to the message, particularly through their construction of both an image of the legislation and a portrayal of the Australian worker. We argue for the need to fuse approaches from critical discourse studies and social semiotics to deepen understanding of industrial relations phenomena such as the ‘hard sell’ to win the hearts and minds of citizens regarding unpopular new legislation.

Postpartum fatigue and driving : relating experiences, thoughts and opinions 12 weeks post-birth

Fatigue in the postnatal period is such a common experience for most mothers that the term ‘postpartum fatigue’ (PPF) has been coined to describe it. When new mothers experience extreme fatigue, it follows that their physical health, mental health, and social-wellbeing is negatively affected. It is interesting to note that there is a distinct lack of empirical investigations focusing on the link between PPF and increased risk of injury; particularly when the links between fatigue and increased risk of road crashes are well documented. The purpose of this investigation was to undertake pilot research to develop an understanding of the duration of PPF and the performance impairments experienced by new mothers when involved in safety-sensitive activities, such as driving a motor vehicle. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with women (N = 24) at 12 weeks postpartum living in South-east Queensland, Australia. Key themes were identified; with a particular emphasis towards understanding the link between the participant’s experience of postpartum fatigue and the impact this has on their overall cognitive and physiological functioning, as well as their experience of the driving task. Further, sleep/wake data was collected and using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) the potential crash risk for this group of mothers is discussed. It is proposed that the findings of this investigation could be used to improve current knowledge among new mothers and practitioners regarding the mechanisms and consequences of fatigue and to inform interventions that lead to a decreased risk of injury associated with postpartum fatigue.

Assessment in education : principles, policy and practice

The English examination system provides a market in which a limited number of providers are accredited to offer curriculum-based examinations in many subject areas and at several levels. The most significant are the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and the General Certificate of Education, Advanced (A level). Because these examinations are used for high-stakes purposes, including higher education and employment selection for individuals and programme evaluation for institutions, it is desired that scores from various exams be ‘comparable’ in several respects: across syllabuses and examination boards within a subject area, across years, and even across subject areas. Just how to accomplish this goal has been a topic of continual research and debate for over 50 years, through many changes of examination and institutional structures. But ever year, tens of thousands of scores must be reported, and every year, users expect them to ‘be comparable’ and use them as if they are.

Biotechnology education : topics of interest to students and teachers

This paper presents the findings of a survey that investigates the biotechnology topics of interest according to students and teachers for inclusion in biology lessons and reports on the similarities and differences in teachers’ and students’ biotechnology topics of interest. The study is of significance as biotechnology has been identified as a key area of technological and economic importance worldwide yet there is scant literature relating to teachers’ and students’ interests concerning biotechnology education topics. 500 students and their 15 teachers completed the survey. Interviews were conducted with 3 teachers and 60 students. Responses indicate there is a mismatch in the interests of students and teachers, and what they perceive as being possible topics for inclusion in biology and biotechnology lessons. Where teachers are provided with the freedom to design and assess their own units of work, this mismatch of interests causes problems. The study found students withdrawing from biology courses in post compulsory settings due to lack of interest, and perceived lack of relevance of the course. It is possible that this lack of agreement on topics of interest is a factor in the world wide decline of enrolments in the sciences.

Social inequalities and parent involvement in children’s education in the early years of school

Strengthening cooperation between schools and parents is critical to improving learning outcomes for children. The chapter focuses on parental engagement in their children’s education in the early years of school. It considers issues of social and cultural capital as important to whether, or not, parents are involved in their children’s schooling. Analyses of data from a national representative sample of children and their families who participate in Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children are presented. Results indicated that higher family socio-economic position was associated with higher levels of parental involvement and higher expectations about children’s future level of education.