MOE and MOR assessment technologies for improving graded recovery of exotic pines in Australia.

This project was designed to provide the structural softwood processing industry with the basis for improved green and dry grading to allow maximise MGP grade yields, consistent product performance and reduced processing costs. To achieve this, advanced statistical techniques were used in conjunction with state-of-the-art property measurement systems. Specifically, the project aimed to make two significant steps forward for the Australian structural softwood industry: • assessment of technologies, both existing and novel, that may lead to selection of a consistent, reliable and accurate device for the log yard and green mill. The purpose is to more accurately identify and reject material that will not make a minimum grade of MGP10 downstream; • improved correlation of grading MOE and MOR parameters in the dry mill using new analytical methods and a combination of devices. The three populations tested were stiffness-limited radiata pine, strength-limited radiata pine and Caribbean pine. Resonance tests were conducted on logs prior to sawmilling, and on boards. Raw data from existing in-line systems were captured for the green and dry boards. The dataset was analysed using classical and advanced statistical tools to provide correlations between data sets and to develop efficient strength and stiffness prediction equations. Stiffness and strength prediction algorithms were developed from raw and combined parameters. Parameters were analysed for comparison of prediction capabilities using in-line parameters, off-line parameters and a combination of in-line and off-line parameters. The results show that acoustic resonance techniques have potential for log assessment, to sort for low stiffness and/or low strength, depending on the resource. From the log measurements, a strong correlation was found between the average static MOE of the dried boards within a log and the predicted value. These results have application in segregating logs into structural and non-structural uses. Some commercial technologies are already available for this application such as Hitman LG640. For green boards it was found that in-line and laboratory acoustic devices can provide a good prediction of dry static MOE and moderate prediction for MOR.There is high potential for segregating boards at this stage of processing. Grading after the log breakdown can improve significantly the effectiveness of the mill. Subsequently, reductions in non-structural volumes can be achieved. Depending on the resource it can be expected that a 5 to 8 % reduction in non structural boards won’t be dried with an associated saving of $70 to 85/m3. For dry boards, vibration and a standard Metriguard CLT/HCLT provided a similar level of prediction on stiffness limited resource. However, Metriguard provides a better strength prediction in strength limited resources (due to this equipment’s ability to measure local characteristics). The combination of grading equipment specifically for stiffness related predictors (Metriguard or vibration) with defect detection systems (optical or X-ray scanner) provides a higher level of prediction, especially for MOR. Several commercial technologies are already available for acoustic grading on board such those from Microtec, Luxscan, Falcon engineering or Dynalyse AB for example. Differing combinations of equipment, and their strategic location within the processing chain, can dramatically improve the efficiency of the mill, the level of which will vary depending of the resource. For example, an initial acoustic sorting on green boards combined with an optical scanner associated with an acoustic system for grading dry board can result in a large reduction of the proportion of low value low non-structural produced. The application of classical MLR on several predictors proved to be effective, in particular for MOR predictions. However, the usage of a modern statistics approach(chemometrics tools) such as PLS proved to be more efficient for improving the level of prediction. Compared to existing technologies, the results of the project indicate a good improvement potential for grading in the green mill, ahead of kiln drying and subsequent cost-adding processes. The next stage is the development and refinement of systems for this purpose.

Nutritional intake of opioid replacement therapy patients in community pharmacies: A pilot study

Aim: Opioid replacement therapy (ORT) is an established therapy for a patient group that has been associated with nutrition-related comorbidities. This paper aims to assess the nutritional intake and supplementation in ORT patients, determine the extent of nutritional/dietary advice supplied to ORT patients and to briefly examine patients' perception of pharmacists' provision of nutritional advice. Methods: The nutritional intake of ORT patients receiving treatment in community pharmacies within the Australian Capital Territory was assessed via a 24-hour recall survey. Food intake data were analysed via nutrient analysis software and compared with Australian Nutrition Reference Values and the nutrient intakes of the Australian population. Patients were surveyed to determine supplement use and perceptions of nutritional advice gained by pharmacists. Results: Potential insufficient intake of various macronutrients and micronutrients was observed in both sexes. Less than 25 of patients recorded supplement use. Fifteen percent of males and 21 of females stated that they had approached a pharmacist with a nutrition-related query. All patients who received nutritional advice followed the advice. Conclusions: ORT patients dosing at community pharmacies appear to have poor nutritional intake. ORT patients appear to be receptive to pharmacist's advice. Community pharmacists can potentially increase the beneficial health outcomes in this population through the proactive supply of accurate nutritional advice.

Epidemiological data of seasonal variation in mood and behaviour

The aim of this study was to measure seasonal variation in mood and behaviour. The dual vulnerability and latitude effect hypothesis, the risk of increased appetite, weight and other seasonal symptoms to develop metabolic syndrome, and perception of low illumination in quality of life and mental well-being were assessed. These variations are prevalent in persons who live in high latitudes and need balancing of metabolic processes to adapt to environmental changes due to seasons. A randomized sample of 8028 adults aged 30 and over (55% women) participated in an epidemiological health examination study, The Health 2000, applying the probability proportional to population size method for a range of socio-demographic characteristics. They were present in a face-to-face interview at home and health status examination. The questionnaires included the modified versions of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) instrument 15D, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The structured and computerized Munich Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI) as part of the interview was used to assess diagnoses of mental disorders, and, the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATPIII) criteria were assessed using all the available information to detect metabolic syndrome. A key finding was that 85% of this nationwide representative sample had seasonal variation in mood and behaviour. Approximately 9% of the study population presented combined seasonal and depressive symptoms with a significant association between their scores, and 2.6% had symptoms that corresponded to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in severity. Seasonal variations in weight and appetite are two important components that increase the risk of metabolic syndrome. Other factors such as waist circumference and major depressive disorder contributed to the metabolic syndrome as well. Persons reported of having seasonal symptoms were associated with a poorer quality of life and compromised mental well-being, especially if indoors illumination at home and/or at work was experienced as being low. Seasonal and circadian misalignments are suggested to associate with metabolic disorders, and could be remarked if individuals perceive low illumination levels at home and/or at work that affect the health-related quality of life and mental well-being. Keywords: depression, health-related quality of life, illumination, latitude, mental well-being, metabolic syndrome, seasonal variation, winter.

A capability-based view of organisational renewal : Combining opportunity- and advantage-seeking growth in large, established European and North American wood-industry companies

The purpose of this study was to extend understanding of how large firms pursuing sustained and profitable growth manage organisational renewal. A multiple-case study was conducted in 27 North American and European wood-industry companies, of which 11 were chosen for closer study. The study combined the organisational-capabilities approach to strategic management with corporate-entrepreneurship thinking. It charted the further development of an identification and classification system for capabilities comprising three dimensions: (i) the dynamism between firm-specific and industry-significant capabilities, (ii) hierarchies of capabilities and capability portfolios, and (iii) their internal structure. Capability building was analysed in the context of the organisational design, the technological systems and the type of resource-bundling process (creating new vs. entrenching existing capabilities). The thesis describes the current capability portfolios and the organisational changes in the case companies. It also clarifies the mechanisms through which companies can influence the balance between knowledge search and the efficiency of knowledge transfer and integration in their daily business activities, and consequently the diversity of their capability portfolio and the breadth and novelty of their product/service range. The largest wood-industry companies of today must develop a seemingly dual strategic focus: they have to combine leading-edge, innovative solutions with cost-efficient, large-scale production. The use of modern technology in production was no longer a primary source of competitiveness in the case companies, but rather belonged to the portfolio of basic capabilities. Knowledge and information management had become an industry imperative, on a par with cost effectiveness. Yet, during the period of this research, the case companies were better in supporting growth in volume of the existing activity than growth through new economic activities. Customer-driven, incremental innovation was preferred over firm-driven innovation through experimentation. The three main constraints on organisational renewal were the lack of slack resources, the aim for lean, centralised designs, and the inward-bound communication climate.

A matter of taste : genetic and environmental influences on responses to sweetness

Diet is a major player in the maintenance of health and onset of many diseases of public health importance. The food choice is known to be largely influenced by sensory preferences. However, in many cases it is unclear whether these preferences and dietary behaviors are innate or acquired. The aim of this thesis work was to study the extent to which the individual differences in dietary responses, especially in liking for sweet taste, are influenced by genetic factors. Several traits measuring the responses to sweetness and other dietary variables were applied in four studies: in British (TwinsUK) and Finnish (FinnTwin12 and FinnTwin16) twin studies and in a Finnish migraine family study. All the subjects were adults and they participated in chemosensory measurements (taste and smell tests) and filled in food behavior questionnaires. Further, it was studied, whether the correlations among the variables are mediated by genetic or environmental factors and where in the genome the genes influencing the heritable traits are located. A study of young adult Finnish twins (FinnTwin16, n=4388) revealed that around 40% of the food use is attributable to genetic factors and that the common, childhood environment does not affect the food use even shortly after moving from the parents home. Both the family study (n=146) and the twin studies (British twins, n=663) showed that around half of the variation in the liking for sweetness is inherited. The same result was obtained both by the chemosensory measurements (heritability 41-49%) and the questionnaire variables (heritability 31-54%). By contrast, the intensity perception of sweetness or the responses to saltiness were not influenced by genetic factors. Further, a locus influencing the use-frequency of sweet foods was identified on chromosome 16p. A closer examination of the relationships among the variables based on 663 British twins revealed that several genetic and environmental correlations exist among the different measures of liking for sweetness. However, these correlations were not very strong (range 0.06-0.55) implying that the instruments used measure slightly different aspects of the phenomenon. In addition, the assessment of the associations among responses to fatty foods, dieting behaviors, and body mass index in twin populations (TwinsUK n=1027 and FinnTwin12 n=299) showed that the dieting behaviors (cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating) mediate the relationship between obesity and diet. In conclusion, the work increased the understanding of the background variables of human eating behavior. Genetic effects were shown to underlie the variation of many dietary traits, such as liking for sweet taste, use of sweet foods, and dieting behaviors. However, the responses to salty taste were shown to be mainly determined by environmental factors and thus should more easily be modifiable by dietary education, exposure, and learning than sweet taste preferences. Although additional studies are needed to characterize the genetic element located on chromosome 16 that influences the use-frequency of sweet foods, the results underline the importance of inherited factors on human eating behavior.

Effects of three different nano-silver formulations on cut Acacia holosericea vase life

The relative efficacies of three chemically different nano-silver (NS) formulations were evaluated for their potential to extend the vase life of short-lived cut Acacia holosericea foliage. The novel proprietary formulations were neutral NS, acidic NS and ionic NS. They were characterised in terms of particle size, pH value, colour and odour. The NS treatments were applied as vase (lower concentrations) or pulse (higher concentrations) solutions. Among the treatments compared, neutral NS as a 4 mg L-1 vase solution or as a 40 mg L-1 24 h pulse treatment and acidic NS as a 0.5 mg L-1 vase solution or as a 5 mg L-1 24 h pulse treatment significantly (P <= 0.05) extended the vase life of A. holosericea. Vase life extensions over the deionised water (DI) controls were associated with better maintenance of relative fresh weight and vase water uptake, suppression of bacterial growth in the vase water and stem-end, and delaying stem blockage. In contrast, ionic-NS applied as a 0.5 or 1 mg L-1 vase solution treatment or as a 5 or 10 mg L-1 pulse treatment caused severe phytotoxicity to cut A. holosericea stems. The results suggest that NS treatments, especially neutral NS and acidic NS pulse treatments, could be a potential postharvest technology for commercial application to cut A. holosericea. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Information, risk and trust in the food chain : Ex-ante valuation of consumer willingness to pay for beef quality information using the contingent valuation method

The safety of food has become an increasingly interesting issue to consumers and the media. It has also become a source of concern, as the amount of information on the risks related to food safety continues to expand. Today, risk and safety are permanent elements within the concept of food quality. Safety, in particular, is the attribute that consumers find very difficult to assess. The literature in this study consists of three main themes: traceability; consumer behaviour related to both quality and safety issues and perception of risk; and valuation methods. The empirical scope of the study was restricted to beef, because the beef labelling system enables reliable tracing of the origin of beef, as well as attributes related to safety, environmental friendliness and animal welfare. The purpose of this study was to examine what kind of information flows are required to ensure quality and safety in the food chain for beef, and who should produce that information. Studying the willingness to pay of consumers makes it possible to determine whether the consumers consider the quantity of information available on the safety and quality of beef sufficient. One of the main findings of this study was that the majority of Finnish consumers (73%) regard increased quality information as beneficial. These benefits were assessed using the contingent valuation method. The results showed that those who were willing to pay for increased information on the quality and safety of beef would accept an average price increase of 24% per kilogram. The results showed that certain risk factors impact consumer willingness to pay. If the respondents considered genetic modification of food or foodborne zoonotic diseases as harmful or extremely harmful risk factors in food, they were more likely to be willing to pay for quality information. The results produced by the models thus confirmed the premise that certain food-related risks affect willingness to pay for beef quality information. The results also showed that safety-related quality cues are significant to the consumers. In the first place, the consumers would like to receive information on the control of zoonotic diseases that are contagious to humans. Similarly, other process-control related information ranked high among the top responses. Information on any potential genetic modification was also considered important, even though genetic modification was not regarded as a high risk factor.