Introducing solids and water to Australian infants

Background: Recommendations for the introduction of solids and fluids to an infant’s diet have changed over the past decade. Since these changes, there has been minimal research to determine patterns in the introduction of foods and fluids to infants. Methods: This retrospective cohort study surveyed mothers who birthed in Queensland, Australia, from February 1 to May 31, 2010, around 4 months postpartum. Frequencies of foods and fluids given to infants at 4, 8, 13, and 17 weeks were described. Logistic regression determined associations between infant feeding practices, the introduction of other foods and fluids at 17 weeks, and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Response rate was 35.8%. At 17 weeks, 68% of infants were breastfed and 33% exclusively breastfed. Solids and water had been introduced in 8.6% and 35.0% of infants, respectively. The introduction of solids by 17 weeks was associated with younger maternal age and the infant being given water and infant formula at 4 weeks. The infant being given water at 17 weeks was associated with younger maternal age, the infant being given infant formula at 4 weeks, level of education, relative socioeconomic disadvantage, parity, and birth facility. Conclusion: Over the past decade, there has been a significant reduction in the proportion of infants in Australia who have been given solids by 17 weeks. Sociodemographic characteristics and formula feeding practices at 4 weeks were associated with the introduction of solids and water by 17 weeks. Further research should examine these barriers to improve compliance with current infant feeding recommendations.

Logan Basin Water Resource Plan : environmental assessment of the southern Moreton Bay islands. Technical Advisory Panel Report: Stage 1.

This report is a technical assessment of the hydrological environment of the southern Moreton Bay islands and follows the terms of reference supplied by the then Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water. The terms of reference describe stage 1 as a condition assessment and stage 2 as an assessment of the implications of water planning scenarios on future condition. This report is the first stage of a two-stage investigation whose primary purpose is to identify and assess groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs) and the groundwater flow regimes necessary to support them. Within this context, the groundwaters themselves are also considered and comment made on their condition. Information provided in this report will inform an amendment to the Logan Basin Water Resource Plan to incorporate the southern Moreton Bay islands. The study area is the water resource plan amendment area, which includes North and South Stradbroke islands and the smaller islands between these and the mainland, including the inhabited smaller rocky islands—namely, Macleay, Russell, Karragarra, Lamb and Coochiemudlo islands. This assessment is largely a desktop study based on existing information, but incorporates some field observations, input from experts in specific areas and community representatives, and the professional experience and knowledge of the authors. This report reviews existing research and information on the southern Moreton Bay area with an emphasis on North Stradbroke Island, as it represents the largest and most regionally significant groundwater resource in southern Moreton Bay. The report provides an assessment of key waterrelated environmental features, their condition and their degree of dependence on groundwater. This report also assesses the condition and status of ecosystems within this region. In addition, the report identifies information gaps, uncertainties and potential impacts; reviews groundwater models that have been developed for North Stradbroke Island; and makes recommendations on monitoring and research needs.

Preparation and thermal energy storage properties of paraffin/calcined diatomite composites as form-stable phase change materials

A composite paraffin-based phase change material (PCM) was prepared by blending composite paraffin and calcined diatomite through the fusion adsorption method. In this study, raw diatomite was purified by thermal treatment in order to improve the adsorption capacity of diatomite, which acted as a carrier material to prepare shape-stabilized PCMs. Two forms of paraffin (paraffin waxes and liquid paraffin) with different melting points were blended together by the fusion method, and the optimum mixed proportion with a suitable phase-transition temperature was obtained through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. Then the prepared composite paraffin was adsorbed in calcined diatomite. The prepared paraffin/calcined diatomite composites were characterized by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transformation infrared (FT-IR) analysis techniques. Thermal energy storage properties of the composite PCMs were determined by DSC method. DSC results showed that there was an optimum adsorption ratio between composite paraffin and calcined diatomite and the phase-transition temperature and the latent heat of the composite PCMs were 33.04 ◦C and 89.54 J/g, respectively. Thermal cycling test of composite PCMs showed that the prepared material is thermally reliable and chemically stable. The obtained paraffin/calcined diatomite composites have proper latent heat and melting temperatures, and show practical significance and good potential application value.

A USANS/SANS study of the accessibility of pores in the barnett shale to methane and water

Shale is an increasingly important source of natural gas in the United States. The gas is held in fine pores that need to be accessed by horizontal drilling and hydrofracturing techniques. Understanding the nature of the pores may provide clues to making gas extraction more efficient. We have investigated two Mississippian Barnett Shale samples, combining small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and ultrasmall-angle neutron scattering (USANS) to determine the pore size distribution of the shale over the size range 10 nm to 10 μm. By adding deuterated methane (CD4) and, separately, deuterated water (D2O) to the shale, we have identified the fraction of pores that are accessible to these compounds over this size range. The total pore size distribution is essentially identical for the two samples. At pore sizes >250 nm, >85% of the pores in both samples are accessible to both CD4 and D2O. However, differences in accessibility to CD4 are observed in the smaller pore sizes (∼25 nm). In one sample, CD4 penetrated the smallest pores as effectively as it did the larger ones. In the other sample, less than 70% of the smallest pores (<25 nm) were accessible to CD4, but they were still largely penetrable by water, suggesting that small-scale heterogeneities in methane accessibility occur in the shale samples even though the total porosity does not differ. An additional study investigating the dependence of scattered intensity with pressure of CD4 allows for an accurate estimation of the pressure at which the scattered intensity is at a minimum. This study provides information about the composition of the material immediately surrounding the pores. Most of the accessible (open) pores in the 25 nm size range can be associated with either mineral matter or high reflectance organic material. However, a complementary scanning electron microscopy investigation shows that most of the pores in these shale samples are contained in the organic components. The neutron scattering results indicate that the pores are not equally proportioned in the different constituents within the shale. There is some indication from the SANS results that the composition of the pore-containing material varies with pore size; the pore size distribution associated with mineral matter is different from that associated with organic phases.

Multifunctional porous graphene for nanoelectronics and hydrogen storage : new properties revealed by first principle calculations

The lack of an obvious “band gap” is a formidable hurdle for making a nanotransistor from graphene. Here, we use density functional calculations to demonstrate for the first time that porosity such as evidenced in recently synthesized porous graphene (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120084337.htm) opens a band gap. The size of the band gap (3.2 eV) is comparable to most popular photocatalytic titania and graphitic C3N4 materials. In addition, the adsorption of hydrogen on Li-decorated porous graphene is much stronger than that in regular Li-doped graphene due to the natural separation of Li cations, leading to a potential hydrogen storage gravimetric capacity of 12 wt %. In light of the most recent experimental progress on controlled synthesis, these results uncover new potential for the practical application of porous graphene in nanoelectronics and clean energy.

Approaches to the Synthesis of a Water-soluble Carboxy Nitroxide

The robust and diversely useful isoindoline nitroxide, 5-carboxy-1,1,3,3-tetramethylisoindolin-2-yloxyl (1; CTMIO), has previously been synthesised in low-to-moderate yields from phthalic anhydride (3). Recent interest in its biological potential as a potent antioxidant and in other areas has seen an increased demand for its production. Herein, three new synthetic routes to CTMIO are presented and their efficiencies assessed. Two routes, via the nitrile 9 and the formyl compound 11, derive from 5-bromo-1,1,3,3-tetramethylisoindoline (6). The third approach starts from the readily accessible starting material, 4-methylphthalic anhydride (12), and proceeds by a methylarene oxidation with potassium permanganate. The three new approaches yield CTMIO in comparable overall yields (16–18 %); however, the synthetic efficiency is most improved when employing the nitrile intermediate 9.

Brave new green world : consequences of a carbon economy for the conservation of Australian biodiversity

Pricing greenhouse gas emissions is a burgeoning and possibly lucrative financial means for climate change mitigation. Emissions pricing is being used to fund emissions-abatement technologies and to modify land management to improve carbon sequestration and retention. Here we discuss the principal land-management options under existing and realistic future emissions-price legislation in Australia, and examine them with respect to their anticipated direct and indirect effects on biodiversity. The main ways in which emissions price-driven changes to land management can affect biodiversity are through policies and practices for (1) environmental plantings for carbon sequestration, (2) native regrowth, (3) fire management, (4) forestry, (5) agricultural practices (including cropping and grazing), and (6) feral animal control. While most land-management options available to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions offer clear advantages to increase the viability of native biodiversity, we describe several caveats regarding potentially negative outcomes, and outline components that need to be considered if biodiversity is also to benefit from the new carbon economy. Carbon plantings will only have real biodiversity value if they comprise appropriate native tree species and provide suitable habitats and resources for valued fauna. Such plantings also risk severely altering local hydrology and reducing water availability. Management of regrowth post-agricultural abandonment requires setting appropriate baselines and allowing for thinning in certain circumstances, and improvements to forestry rotation lengths would likely increase carbon-retention capacity and biodiversity value. Prescribed burning to reduce the frequency of high-intensity wildfires in northern Australia is being used as a tool to increase carbon retention. Fire management in southern Australia is not readily amenable for maximising carbon storage potential, but will become increasingly important for biodiversity conservation as the climate warms. Carbon price-based modifications to agriculture that would benefit biodiversity include reductions in tillage frequency and livestock densities, reductions in fertiliser use, and retention and regeneration of native shrubs; however, anticipated shifts to exotic perennial grass species such as buffel grass and kikuyu could have net negative implications for native biodiversity. Finally, it is unlikely that major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions arising from feral animal control are possible, even though reduced densities of feral herbivores will benefit Australian biodiversity greatly.

Contrast water therapy and exercise induced muscle damage : a systematic review and meta-analysis

The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effect of Contrast Water Therapy (CWT) on recovery following exercise induced muscle damage. Controlled trials were identified from computerized literature searching and citation tracking performed up to February 2013. Eighteen trials met the inclusion criteria; all had a high risk of bias. Pooled data from 13 studies showed that CWT resulted in significantly greater improvements in muscle soreness at the five follow-up time points(<6, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours) in comparison to passive recovery. Pooled data also showed that CWT significantly reduced muscle strength loss at each follow-up time (<6, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours) in comparison to passive recovery. Despite comparing CWT to a large number of other recovery interventions, including cold water immersion, warm water immersion, compression, active recovery and stretching, there was little evidence for a superior treatment intervention. The current evidence base shows that CWT is superior to using passive recovery or rest after exercise; the magnitudes of these effects may be most relevant to an elite sporting population. There seems to be little difference in recovery outcome between CWT and other popular recovery interventions.

Water microbiology

Microbiology is the science devoted lo the study of organisms that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. These microorganisms are a large and diverse group of free-living forms that exist as single cells or cell clusters. Being free-living, microbial cells are distinct from the cells of animals and plants as the latter are not able to live alone in nature but only in characteristic groups. A single microbial cell, generally, is able to carry out its life processes of growth, respiration and reproduction independently of other cells, either of the same kind or of different kinds. There are five subdisciplines of microbiology: (a) the study of bacteria (bacteriology); (b) the study of viruses (virology); (c) the study of algae (phycology); (d) the study of fungi (mycology); and (e) the study of protozoa (protozoology). In the examination of the environment, all five areas of microbiology are studied. This becomes obvious when discussing the significance of each of these groups of organisms in relation to human health.

Concepts, water and reflections on practice

This paper discusses the nature of the conceptual structure in art practice, by example. It draws on insights gained from a practice based research (PBR) approach to making art. The PBR methods used include Reflective Practice and are briefly described. They have informed an understanding of the conceptual structure as an instance of problem framing. This is demonstrated by two creative examples, taken from two interactive artworks. These were informed by an evolving conceptual structure concerned with water.

A water-dielectric capacitor using hydrated graphene oxide film

Despite the widespread use of paper, plastic or ceramics in dielectric capacitors, water has not been commonly used as a dielectric due to its tendency to become conductive as it easily leaches ions from the environment. We show here that when water is confined between graphene oxide sheets, it can retain its insulating nature and behave as a dielectric. A hydrated graphene oxide film was used as a dielectric spacer to construct a prototype water-dielectric capacitor. The capacitance depends on the water content of the hydrated GO film as well as the voltage applied to the device. Our results show that the capacitance per unit area of the GO film is in the range of 100–800 mF cm �2, which is 5–40 times that of the double layer capacitance per surface area of activated carbon.

Water end use consumption analysis study into Gold Coast dual reticulated households : pilot study

Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world and persisting droughts have triggered a move toward sensible and sustainable water consumption. Understanding how and where water is consumed in households enables streamlined development of demand management programs and efficient engineering of water infrastructure. End use water consumption analysis is required to gain necessary empirical data of how and where water is consumed. Several end use water consumption studies have been conducted within Australia and around the world with varying results produced. This pilot study paper provides preliminary data from the Gold Coast Watersaver End Use Project which is currently underway. Specifically, the paper includes water end use category volumetric and percentage break downs for 18 single and 32 dual reticulated homes on the Gold Coast (i.e. 50 in total). Moreover, a comparitive analysis between each of the individual households water end use levels is discussed along with other national studies previously completed. The paper finishes with an overview of the greater 200 home end use study conducted on the Gold Coast and its key deliverables and research outcomes.

Caustic potash pulping study of water efficient Arudno donax and Sorghum bicolor; a comparison to sugarcane bagasse

Numerous crops grow in sugar regions that have the potential to increase the amount of biomass available to a small bagasse-based pulp factory. Arundo donax and Sorghum offer unique advantages to farmers compared to other agricultural crops. Sorghum bicolour requires only 1/3 of the water of sugarcane. Arundo donax is a very high yield crop, it can also grow with little water but it has the further advantage in that it is also highly stress tolerant, making it suitable for land which is unsuited to other crops. Pulps produced from these crops were benchmarked against sugarcane bagasse pulp. Arundo, sorghum and bagasse were pulped using KOH and anthraquinone to 20 Kappa number so as to produce a bleachable pulp. The unbleached sorghum pulp has better tensile strength properties than the unbleached Arundo pulp (43.8 Nm/g compared to 21.4 Nm/g) and the bleached sorghum pulp tensile strength was similar to bagasse (28.4 Nm/g). At 20 Kappa number, sorghum pulp had acceptable yield for a non-wood fibre (45% c.f. 55% for bagasse), Arundo donax pulp had low tensile strength, and relatively low yield (38.7%), even for an agricultural fibre and required severe cooking conditions to achieve similar delignification to sugarcane bagasse or sorghum. Sorghum and Arundo donax produced thicker handsheets than bagasse (>160 μm c.f. 122 μm for bagasse). In preliminary experiments sorghum and bagasse responded slightly better to Totally Chlorine Free bleaching (QPP), although none achieved a satisfactory brightness level and more optimisation is needed.

The effects of cold air (-110°C) and water (8°C) cryotherapy on knee skin temperature

Exposure to cold air, whole body cryotherapy (WBC), is a novel treatment employed by athletes. In WBC individuals dressed in minimal clothing are exposed to a temperature below -100°C for 2-4 min. The use of WBC has been advocated as a treatment for various knee injuries. PURPOSE: To compare the effects of two modalities of cryotherapy, -110°C WBC and 8°C cold water immersion (CWI) on knee skin temperature (Tsk). METHODS: With ethical approval and written informed consent 10 healthy active male participants (26.5±4.9 yr, 183.5±6.0 cm, 90.7±19.9 kg, 26.8±5.0 kg/m2, 23.0±9.3% body fat (measured by DXA), 7.6 ± 2.0 mm patellar skin fold; mean±SD) were exposed to 4 min of CWI and WBC. The treatment order was randomised in a controlled crossover design, with a minimum of 7 days between treatments. During WBC participants stood in a chamber (-60±3°C) for 20 s before entering the main chamber (-110°C±3°C) where they remained for 3 min and 40 s. For CWI participants were seated in a tank filled with cold water (8±0.3°C) and immersed to the level of the sternum for 4 min. Right knee Tsk was assessed via non-contact, infrared thermal imaging. A quadrilateral region of interest was created using inert markers placed 5 cm above and below the most superior and inferior aspect of the patella. Tsk within this quadrilateral was recorded pre, immediately post and every 10 min thereafter for 60 min. Tsk changes were examined using a two-way (treatment x time) repeated measures analyses of variance. In addition, a paired sample t-test was used to compare baseline Tsk before both treatments. RESULTS: Knee Tsk was similar before treatment (WBC: 29.9±0.7°C, CWI: 29.6±0.9°C, p>0.05). There was a significant main effect for treatment (p<0.05) and time (p<0.001). Compared to baseline, Tsk was significantly reduced (p<0.05) immediately post and at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 min after both cooling modalities. Knee Tsk was lower (p<0.05) immediately after WBC (19.0±0.9°C) compared to CWI (20.5±0.6°C). However, from 10 to 60 min post, knee Tsk was lower (p<0.05) following the CWI treatment. CONCLUSION: WBC elicited a greater decrease in knee Tsk compared to CWI immediately after treatment. However, both modalities display different recovery patterns and Tsk after CWI was significantly lower than WBC at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 min after treatment.

Rapid microwave-assisted synthesis of Mn3O4–graphene nanocomposite and its lithium storage properties

A nanocomposite of Mn3O4 wrapped in graphene sheets (GSs) was successfully synthesized via a facile, effective, energy-saving, and scalable microwave hydrothermal technique. The morphology and microstructures of the fabricated GS–Mn3O4 nanocomposite were characterized using various techniques. The results indicate that the particle size of the Mn3O4 particles in the nanocomposite markedly decreased to nearly 20 nm, significantly smaller than that for the bare Mn3O4. Electrochemical measurements demonstrated a high specific capacity of more than 900 mA h g−1 at 40 mA g−1, and excellent cycling stability with no capacity decay can be observed up to 50 cycles. All of these properties are also interpreted by experimental studies and theoretical calculations.