Process and catalysts for the methanation of oxides of carbon

The present invention is directed to catalysts for the conversion of oxides of carbon to methane and/or other hydrocarbons and to precursors of such catalysts. The catalyst precursors include one or more refractory oxides selected from the group consisting of rare earth oxides and rare earth contg. perovskites, the precursor including nickel or nickel cations sufficient for a catalyst obtainable by reducing the precursor to be capable of at least partially reducing an oxide of carbon to a hydrocarbon product. Processes for the prepn. of such catalysts and catalyst precursors are also disclosed, as are processes for the conversion of oxides of carbon to methane and/or other hydrocarbons. [on SciFinder(R)]

Timing and distribution of protein ingestion during prolonged recovery from resistance exercise alters myofibrillar protein synthesis

Quantity and timing of protein ingestion are major factors regulating myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS). However, the effect of specific ingestion patterns on MPS throughout a 12 h period is unknown. We determined how different distributions of protein feeding during 12 h recovery after resistance exercise affects anabolic responses in skeletal muscle. Twenty-four healthy trained males were assigned to three groups (n = 8/group) and undertook a bout of resistance exercise followed by ingestion of 80 g of whey protein throughout 12 h recovery in one of the following protocols: 8 × 10 g every 1.5 h (PULSE); 4 × 20 g every 3 h (intermediate: INT); or 2 × 40 g every 6 h (BOLUS). Muscle biopsies were obtained at rest and after 1, 4, 6, 7 and 12 h post exercise. Resting and post-exercise MPS (l-[ring-(13)C6] phenylalanine), and muscle mRNA abundance and cell signalling were assessed. All ingestion protocols increased MPS above rest throughout 1-12 h recovery (88-148%, P < 0.02), but INT elicited greater MPS than PULSE and BOLUS (31-48%, P < 0.02). In general signalling showed a BOLUS>INT>PULSE hierarchy in magnitude of phosphorylation. MuRF-1 and SLC38A2 mRNA were differentially expressed with BOLUS. In conclusion, 20 g of whey protein consumed every 3 h was superior to either PULSE or BOLUS feeding patterns for stimulating MPS throughout the day. This study provides novel information on the effect of modulating the distribution of protein intake on anabolic responses in skeletal muscle and has the potential to maximize outcomes of resistance training for attaining peak muscle mass.

Fully Bayesian experimental design for pharmacokinetic studies

Utility functions in Bayesian experimental design are usually based on the posterior distribution. When the posterior is found by simulation, it must be sampled from for each future data set drawn from the prior predictive distribution. Many thousands of posterior distributions are often required. A popular technique in the Bayesian experimental design literature to rapidly obtain samples from the posterior is importance sampling, using the prior as the importance distribution. However, importance sampling will tend to break down if there is a reasonable number of experimental observations and/or the model parameter is high dimensional. In this paper we explore the use of Laplace approximations in the design setting to overcome this drawback. Furthermore, we consider using the Laplace approximation to form the importance distribution to obtain a more efficient importance distribution than the prior. The methodology is motivated by a pharmacokinetic study which investigates the effect of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation on the pharmacokinetics of antibiotics in sheep. The design problem is to find 10 near optimal plasma sampling times which produce precise estimates of pharmacokinetic model parameters/measures of interest. We consider several different utility functions of interest in these studies, which involve the posterior distribution of parameter functions.

Probing second harmonic components of pH-sensitive Redox processes in a mesoporous TiO2-Nafion film electrode with Fourier-transformed large-amplitude sinusoidally modulated voltammetry

Electrochemical processes in mesoporous TiO2-Nafion thin films deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes are inherently complex and affected by capacitance, Ohmic iR-drop, RC-time constant phenomena, and by potential and pH-dependent conductivity. In this study, large-amplitude sinusoidally modulated voltammetry (LASMV) is employed to provide access to almost purely Faradaic-based current data from second harmonic components, as well as capacitance and potential domain information from the fundamental harmonic for mesoporous TiO2-Nafion film electrodes. The LASMV response has been investigated with and without an immobilized one-electron redox system, ferrocenylmethyltrimethylammonium+. Results clearly demonstrate that the electron transfer associated with the immobilized ferrocene derivative follows two independent pathways i) electron hopping within the Nafion network and ii) conduction through the TiO2 backbone. The pH effect on the voltammetric response for the TiO2 reduction pathway (ii) can be clearly identified in the 2nd harmonic LASMV response with the diffusion controlled ferrocene response (i) acting as a pH independent reference. Application of second harmonic data derived from LASMV measurement, because of the minimal contribution from capacitance currents, may lead to reference-free pH sensing with systems like that found for ferrocene derivatives.

Disengaged and disruptive : behaviour intervention for boys from year four to year seven

Disengaged and disruptive students have been an ongoing concern for teachers for many years. Teaching is complex—complex students with complex lives and complex behaviours. How best to help these students is an ever-present question without a simple answer. Solutions need to be found. Under a positive behaviour support framework when serious, disruptive behaviour requires intervention, an individualised positive behaviour support plan (PBS plan) is developed and implemented. This multicase study (Stake, 2006) investigated how task engagement was changed for boys from year four to year seven who demonstrated serious, disruptive behaviour. The individualised PBS plan was the primary tool of behaviour intervention in each of the five cases. Using the Behaviour Support Plan Quality Evaluation Scoring Guide II (BSP-QE) (Browning- Wright, Saren & Mayer, 2003) the five PBS plans were evaluated prior to implementation and rated highly in terms of technical quality. Positive changes in student task engagement were forthcoming in all five cases. Eleven advisory visiting teachers in behaviour and eleven classroom teachers, five of whom were case-study participants, took part in this study. The classroom teachers were employed in south-east Queensland primary schools located in suburbs of economic disadvantage. All 22 participants expressed very similar perceptions of serious, disruptive behaviour emphasising the collateral impact upon the teaching and learning. Data obtained through direct observations, surveys and semi-structured interviews confirmed previous research to reveal a strong link between integrity of PBS plan implementation and student behaviour change. While classroom teachers, in the main, effectively managed the implementation of the PBS plan, social validity of goals, procedures and effects; in-class technical assistance and performance feedback were identified as three enablers to effective teacher implementation of the PBS plan. While the purpose of each PBS plan was to influence change in student behaviour, this study found that changing teacher behaviour was also instrumental in achieving positive student outcomes. Changing teacher behaviour and building capacity was facilitated by trusting, collaborative partnerships established between the Advisory Visiting Teacher-Behaviour and the classroom teacher responsible for the plan implementation. The Advisory Visiting Teacher-Behaviour provides assistance to teachers dealing with students who demonstrate ongoing, problematic behaviour. The inclusion of a teaching component as part of the implementation stage of the consultation process appeared to have considerable influence upon successful intervention. Results substantiated earlier understandings of the importance of teacher instruction highlighting the value of explicit teaching and performance feedback to the delivery of effective behaviour intervention. Conclusions drawn from this study have had a major impact upon the work of a regional team of Advisory Visiting Teachers-Behaviour. The focus of behaviour intervention has moved from being primarily upon the individual student to include a greater emphasis upon the critical role of the teacher. Procedures and processes are being re-evaluated to align with evidence-based practice and to include a collaborative consultation approach to improve teacher assistance. The framework and content of staff development and training is being created directly from the findings of this study. This practical application of the results has informed better ways of providing behaviour intervention for students demonstrating serious, disruptive behaviour. What this study has clearly shown is that when it comes to behaviour intervention, the important role of the teacher cannot be underestimated.

Writing the oriental woman : an examination of the representation of Japanese women in contemporary Australian crime fiction

This study considers the challenges in representing women from other cultures in the crime fiction genre. The study is presented in two parts; an exegesis and a creative practice component consisting of a full length crime fiction novel, Batafurai. The exegesis examines the historical period of a section of the novel—post-war Japan—and how the area of research known as Occupation Studies provides an insight into the conditions of women during this period. The exegesis also examines selected postcolonial theory and its exposition of representations of the 'other' as a western construct designed to serve Eurocentric ends. The genre of crime fiction is reviewed, also, to determine how characters purportedly representing Oriental cultures are constricted by established stereotypes. Two case studies are examined to investigate whether these stereotypes are still apparent in contemporary Australian crime fiction. Finally, I discuss my own novel, Batafurai, to review how I represented people of Asian background, and whether my attempts to resist stereotype were successful. My conclusion illustrates how novels written in the crime fiction genre are reliant on strategies that are action-focused, rather than character-based, and thus often use easily recognizable types to quickly establish frameworks for their stories. As a sub-set of popular fiction, crime fiction has a tendency to replicate rather than challenge established stereotypes. Where it does challenge stereotypes, it reflects a territory that popular culture has already visited, such as the 'female', 'black' or 'gay' detective. Crime fiction also has, as one of its central concerns, an interest in examining and reinforcing the notion of societal order. It repeatedly demonstrates that crime either does not pay or should not pay. One of the ways it does this is to contrast what is 'good', known and understood with what is 'bad', unknown, foreign or beyond our normal comprehension. In western culture, the east has traditionally been employed as the site of difference, and has been constantly used as a setting of contrast, excitement or fear. Crime fiction conforms to this pattern, using the east to add a richness and depth to what otherwise might become a 'dry' tale. However, when used in such a way, what is variously eastern, 'other' or Oriental can never be paramount, always falling to secondary side of the binary opposites (good/evil, known/unknown, redeemed/doomed) at work. In an age of globalisation, the challenge for contemporary writers of popular fiction is to be responsive to an audience that demands respect for all cultures. Writers must demonstrate that they are sensitive to such concerns and can skillfully manage the tensions caused by the need to deliver work that operates within the parameters of the genre, and the desire to avoid offence to any cultural or ethnic group. In my work, my strategy to manage these tensions has been to create a back-story for my characters of Asian background, developing them above mere genre types, and to situate them with credibility in time and place through appropriate historical research.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting : a review to inform clinical practice

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a common sideeffect of cytotoxic treatment and despite the widespread use of anti-emetic medication, it continues to affect a significant proportion of patients with up to 23% and 73% of chemotherapy patients still experiencing vomiting and nausea symptoms, respectively. This is of particular concern in oncology patients as nausea and vomiting may result in malnutrition, decreased quality of life and in extreme cases, treatment stoppage. Therefore, the primary aim of this paper was to inform clinicians on the current literature regarding CINV including its effect on the patient, its pathophysiology, and current treatment options. In addition, this review will also discuss the usage of dietetic interventions as well as less utilised, novel interventions such as oral ginger extracts in the treatment of CINV. In order to address these issues, a systematic literature search was conducted using Pubmed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase, and Health Source (Nursing/Academic Edition). A key finding of this review was that common dietary strategies (e.g. eating slowly, avoiding fatty foods) seem to be solely based on professional opinion as no clinical trials investigating these strategies were identified. In contrast, ginger extracts were found to possess several viable mechanisms that interact with CINV progression including 5-HT3, Substance P and acetylcholine receptor antagonism; anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties; and gastrointestinal motility and gastric emptying modulation. In conclusion, research investigating dietetic interventions in the management of CINV is sparse and requires further investigation while novel intervention such as ginger, possess multiple mechanisms that may benefit CINV management. This review will discuss the prevalence and significance of CINV, dietetic and novel treatment options, and provide implications for clinical practise and future research.

Capturing the 'authentic voice' : challenges and opportunities for voice and self-representation in two ABC storytelling projects

In recent years there has been a noticeable move by various public institutions, such as public service broadcasters and community media organisations, to capture and disseminate the voices and viewpoints of ‘ordinary people’ through inviting them to share stories about their lives. One of the foremost objectives of many such projects is to provide under-represented individuals and groups with an opportunity to express and represent themselves; as such, the capture and broadcast of ‘authentic voices’ is a central value. This paper discusses the notion of ‘authentic voice’, and questions the framing role of public media organisations in storytelling projects that aim to provide individuals with space for self-expression and self-representation. It considers the ways in which tensions arise on multiple levels when individuals are asked to express and represent themselves within projects and spaces that are managed by institutions. This paper begins by discussing the challenges and opportunities that arise within storytelling projects that are facilitated by public institutions and community media arts organisations, and that aim to amplify the voices of “ordinary people” (Thumim, 2009). It examines ways in which ‘voice’ is facilitated, curated, broadcast and distributed within such projects, particularly questioning the ways in which project facilitation and the curation of stories for public broadcast can both help and hinder the amplification of ‘authentic voice’. Furthermore, we seek to discuss how ‘authentic voice’ is defined, and what is involved in the process of amplification. The paper moves on to discuss a case study in order to demonstrate some of the tensions that are evident within a storytelling project that is managed by a public institution – Australia’s national broadcaster – and the ways these tensions impact upon the capture and broadcast of an ‘authentic voice’ for project participants. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) ‘Heywire’ project is a storytelling competition and website that aims to ‘give voice’ to 16-22 year olds who live in rural, regional and remote parts of Australia. Looking at tensions that exist on organisational, political and philosophical levels within the Heywire project reveals a number of conflicts of interest and objectives between the institution and project participants. This leads us to question whether institutionally-managed storytelling projects can effectively support individuals to have an ‘authentic voice’, and whether struggles of aims and objectives diminish the personal benefits that people may derive from expressing and representing themselves within such projects.

A survey of the Queensland healthcare workforce : attitudes towards dementia care and training

Background Positive attitudes of healthcare staff towards people with dementia promote higher quality care, although little is known about important factors that underlie positive attitudes. Key aims of this project were to explore the relationships between staff attitudes towards dementia, self-confidence in caring for people with dementia, experience and dementia education and training. Method A brief online survey was developed and widely distributed to registered nurses and allied health professionals working in Queensland in 2012. Regression analyses were performed to identify important predictors of self-confidence in caring for people with dementia and positive attitudes towards people with dementia. Results Five hundred and twenty-four surveys were completed by respondents working in a range of care settings across Queensland. Respondents were predominantly female (94.1%), and most were registered nurses (60%), aged between 41 and 60 years (65.6%). Around 40% regularly worked with people with dementia and high levels of self-confidence in caring for this population and positive attitudes towards people with dementia were reported. The majority of respondents (67%) had participated in a dementia education/training activity in the past 12 months. More experience working with people with dementia predicted greater self-confidence while recent participation in a dementia education/training and higher self-confidence in caring for a person with dementia significantly predicted more positive attitudes towards people with dementia. Conclusion These results confirm the importance of self-confidence and dementia education in fostering positive attitudes and care practices towards people with dementia. Our results also indicate that the demand for ongoing dementia education is high amongst health care workers and it is recommended that regular dementia education/ training be provided and promoted for all healthcare personnel who work with people with dementia.

Predicting invasion in grassland ecosystems: is exotic dominance the real embarrassment of richness?

Invasions have increased the size of regional species pools, but are typically assumed to reduce native diversity. However, global-scale tests of this assumption have been elusive because of the focus on exotic species richness, rather than relative abundance. This is problematic because low invader richness can indicate invasion resistance by the native community or, alternatively, dominance by a single exotic species. Here, we used a globally replicated study to quantify relationships between exotic richness and abundance in grass-dominated ecosystems in 13 countries on six continents, ranging from salt marshes to alpine tundra. We tested effects of human land use, native community diversity, herbivore pressure, and nutrient limitation on exotic plant dominance. Despite its widespread use, exotic richness was a poor proxy for exotic dominance at low exotic richness, because sites that contained few exotic species ranged from relatively pristine (low exotic richness and cover) to almost completely exotic-dominated ones (low exotic richness but high exotic cover). Both exotic cover and richness were predicted by native plant diversity (native grass richness) and land use (distance to cultivation). Although climate was important for predicting both exotic cover and richness, climatic factors predicting cover (precipitation variability) differed from those predicting richness (maximum temperature and mean temperature in the wettest quarter). Herbivory and nutrient limitation did not predict exotic richness or cover. Exotic dominance was greatest in areas with low native grass richness at the site- or regional-scale. Although this could reflect native grass displacement, a lack of biotic resistance is a more likely explanation, given that grasses comprise the most aggressive invaders. These findings underscore the need to move beyond richness as a surrogate for the extent of invasion, because this metric confounds monodominance with invasion resistance. Monitoring species' relative abundance will more rapidly advance our understanding of invasions.

Behind the cane

Composed by David Bridie and Andree Greenwell with script and lyrics by Margery Forde and Michael Forde, BEHIND THE CANE was community-driven music theatre, commissioned specially as the signature work the 2011 Queensland Music Festival. Co-presented by the QMF and the Whitsunday Regional Council in association with QUT Creative Industries, BEHIND THE CANE was created with and performed by over 180 Bowen residents and told the story of the South Sea Islanders who were brought to Australia to work in the cane fields in the 19 century and the journey of their descendants through the succeeding generations, through racial discrimination and economic hardship, to the present day. The large-scale spectacle event was performed the Sound shell on the Bowen harbour foreshore to audiences of 8,000 over 3 performances and included many of the descendants in featured roles.

The vanishing endpoint of settler colonialism

In this paper, we interrogate the way that narratives about the unfolding of settler colonialism through time are encoded in recent Australian Indigenous policy frameworks. We argue that the postcolonial image of a single transformative moment of radical political break is embedded in Australian policy frameworks, but is deployed in ways that fuse this idea with the moment of colonial completion and in so doing assist the colonial project. By merging the moment of decolonisation and the moment of colonial completion, temporal narratives mobilise conservative and progressive settler voices towards colonial goals. We identify three recent policy approaches: reconciliation, neoliberal contractualism and intervention, and interrogate the narratives of the present and future that they reflect and deploy. We argue these unacknowledged stories of the colonial future must be contested, so that debates about how settler and Indigenous people might live together differently across time are not foreclosed.

On the beach : exploring the complex egalitarianism of the Australian beach

Australia, internationally, is known as a beach loving country, particularly in popular culture. The beach did not figure significantly in academic discussion before the 1980s when Fiske, Hodge, and Turner (1987, 54) researched the beach as a space of myth, seeing it as an integral part of the modern Australian identity. One common myth in Australia is that the beach is an equaliser, a place of multiple ethnicities, shapes, sizes, and genders (Dutton, 1985). I agree that the beach remains a significant aspect of Australian identity; however, limiting its meaning to a mythic space contributing to a homogenous national identity is not adequate. This paper will explore how Australian texts comment on or challenge the myth of the beach as an egalitarian space. I argue that recent Australian texts show a more complex, layered representation of this concept; and that the beach also in this respect can no longer be understood as a myth transcending difference.

Better prepared next time : considering nutrition in an emergency response

To the Editor: Cyclones, floods and bushfires are experienced in Australia every year, and Australia’s management of natural disasters centres on prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.1 Although access to safe food is a basic human need, during the 2010–2011 Queensland floods there was minimal information available to guide household food preparedness and food supply to communities...