Optimisation and analysis of three polymerase chain reaction (PCR) systems for the detection of environmentally significant microorganisms

Conventional assessments of water quality are based on the determination of bacterial indicator numbers. The detection of an indicator organism only provides presumptive evidence of the presence of harmful organisms By using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to monitor water quality, indicators and pathogenic organisms can be specifically detected with a high sensitivity. The research illustrates the importance of optimisation and the maintenance of reaction efficiency in the accuracy and precision of the PCR.

Total synthesis of (±)-hyphodermins A and D

An efficient formal synthesis of (±)-hyphodermins A and D, metabolites of Hyphoderma radula, has been completed in 12 and 11 steps, respectively. The tricyclic carbon skeleton of enone 6 was rapidly assembled from diester 11 via an α brominationn−elimination sequence followed by anhydride formation. Regioselective reduction of the lactone group of enone 6 with LiAlH(t-BuO)3 gave lactol 15. Lactol 15 was converted in two steps to (±)-hyphodermin D, without the need for complex protection−deprotection strategies. Lactol 15 was converted in three steps to (±)-hyphodermin A, via the key step of epoxidation of an enone in the presence of a THP lactol. A combination of NMR and ab initio studies suggests that the structures of hyphodermin C and D should be interchanged.

The contribution of upper limb and total body movement to adolescents’ energy expenditure whilst playing Nintendo Wii

Little research documents the contribution of upper limb and total body movement to energy expenditure (EE) during active video gaming. To address this, EE, heart rate (HR), and, upper limb and total body movement were assessed in 11- to 17-year-old adolescents whilst playing three active (Nintendo Wii) and one sedentary (XBOX 360) video games. Non-dominant upper limb activity, EE and HR were significantly greater during Wii Sports boxing [mean 267.2 (SD 115.8) J kg−1 min−1; 136.7 (24.5) beats min−1] than tennis or bowling (P ≤ 0.044). For all active games hip activity best predicted EE (R 2 ≥ 0.53), with two-measure models of HR and single-site activity data, and multi-site activity data, similarly explaining the variance in EE (R 2 ≥ 0.64). The physiological cost of upper-body orientated active video games increased when movement of both upper limbs was encouraged. Improvements in EE explanatory power provide support for multi-site activity monitoring during unique, non-ambulatory activities.

Oat beta-glucan lowers total and LDL-cholesterol

Several soluble polysaccharides have been shown to have cholesterol-lowering properties and to have a role in prevention of heart disease. Major sources of one such polysaccharide (beta-glucan) are oats and barley. The aim of this study was to examine the effects on plasma lipid concentrations when beta-glucan derived from a fractionated oat preparation was consumed by people with elevated plasma lipids. A single-blind, crossover design compared plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoproteins and low density lipoproteins (LDLs) in 14 people; in the order of low, high and low beta-glucan supplemented diets, each of three weeks duration. For the high beta-glucan diet, an average intake of 7 g per day was consumed from cereal, muffins and bread. The background diet remained relatively constant over the three test periods. Differences during the interventions were calculated by one-way repeated measures analysis of variance. Where treatments were found to be significantly different, pairwise multiple comparison procedures (Tukey Test) were carried out between the high beta-glucan and each of the low beta-glucan phases and there was a highly significant difference between treatments for plasma cholesterol (P = 0.009) and for LDL-cholesterol concentrations (P < 0.001). The differences in plasma cholesterol (6.42 +/- 0.7, 6.14 +/- 0.53, 6.44 +/- 0.67 mmol/L) and LDL-cholesterol (4.59 +/- 0.59, 4.17 +/0.58, 4.52 +/- 0.65 mmol/L) between high beta-glucan and each of the low beta-glucan treatments were significant (P < 0.05). The effect on LDLs (9% lower) is among the highest reported. The results of this study confirm that beneficial reductions in plasma cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations can be obtained with beta-glucan incorporated into a variety of foods.

Seasonal variations of total lipid and fatty acid contents in muscle, gonad and digestive glands of farmed jade tiger hybrid abalone in Australia

The lipid and fatty acid (FA) contents of muscle, gonad and digestive glands (DG) of Jade Tiger hybrid abalone were studied over the four seasons. Higher contents of total lipid and saturated fatty acids (SFA) were found in summer from muscle. For gonad the higher total lipid content was found in summer and spring whereas the SFA content peaked in summer only. For DG the higher contents of total lipid and SFA were recorded in all seasons except autumn. Winter samples showed significantly higher content of PUFA in all three types of tissue. High contents of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5 n−3), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, 22:5 n−3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n−3) were recorded in winter from muscle, although no marked variations were observed from gonad. For DG the high content of DHA was also observed in winter whilst EPA and DPA maintained high levels in all seasons except summer.

Minimising total survey error when measuring entrepreneurship in Tonga

This study illustrates how the Total Survey Error (TSE) paradigm can identify and help reduce multiple sources of error inherent in survey work in the developing world. Of particular concern are mode errors and coverage errors caused by the 'theoretical teledensity threshold' of doing phone surveys in developing countries. The study outlines ways to improve response rate and to avoid interviewer and measurement error. It narrates the sampling design and its limitations as well as some of the qualitative aspects of total survey quality such as, translation, ethics and budgeting. The final section discusses implications for further research in statistical auto-correlation and data gathering using PDAs.

Pulse-lavage brushing followed by hydrogen peroxide-gauze packing for bone-bed preparation in cemented total hip arthroplasty : a bovine model

To compare the effectiveness of pulse-lavage brushing followed by hydrogen peroxide-gauze packing with either technique alone or normal-saline irrigation in bone-bed preparation for cemented total hip arthroplasty. 44 fresh-frozen ox femoral canals were prepared for cemented total hip arthroplasty using 4 techniques: normal-saline irrigation, pulse-lavage brushing, hydrogen peroxide-soaked gauze packing, and a combination of the latter 2 techniques. The maximum tensile pull-out force required to separate the prosthesis from the femoral canal was measured as an indicator of the strength of the cement-bone interface. The mean pull-out force to separate the prosthesis from the femoral canal was significantly higher in specimens prepared with pulse-lavage brushing followed by hydrogen peroxide-soaked gauze packing or pulse-lavage brushing alone than those prepared with normal-saline irrigation or hydrogen peroxide-soaked gauze packing alone 300(p<0.001). Pulse-lavage brushing is more effective at cleansing the femoral canal and increasing mechanical strength at the cement-bone interface than preparation with normal-saline irrigation or hydrogen peroxide-soaked gauze packing.

Malmquist indices of total factor productivity changes in the Australian construction industry

Construction is an important industry and forms a vital part of national economics in the world. Factors affecting the productivity of the construction industry should be measured appropriately to reflect its development situation and economic performance. The Malmquist index method with a novel decomposition technique is employed to estimate the total factor productivity of the Australian construction industry during the period 1990-2007 and to analyse the factors affecting the technological change in the industry. Research results exemplified by two input variables and one output variable elaborate how construction technology, pure technical efficiency and scale economy take effect in the change of construction productivity. In addition, based on temporal and spatial comparisons, the analysis for construction productivities reveals their changes over time and across the country. Proposals and recommendations are expected to be beneficial for policy making and strategic decisions to improve the performance of the Australian construction industry.

Creatine supplementation increases muscle total creatine but not maximal intermittent exercise performance

This study investigated creatine supplementation (CrS) effects on muscle total creatine (TCr), creatine phosphate (CrP), and intermittent sprinting performance by using a design incorporating the time course of the initial increase and subsequent washout period of muscle TCr. Two groups of seven volunteers ingested either creatine [Cr; 6 × (5 g Cr-H2O + 5 g dextrose)/day)] or a placebo (6 × 5 g dextrose/day) over 5 days. Five 10-s maximal cycle ergometer sprints with rest intervals of 180, 50, 20, and 20 s and a resting vastus lateralis biopsy were conducted before and 0, 2, and 4 wk after placebo or CrS. Resting muscle TCr, CrP, and Cr were unchanged after the placebo but were increased (P < 0.05) at 0 [by 22.9 ± 4.2, 8.9 ± 1.9, and 14.0 ± 3.3 (SE) mmol/kg dry mass, respectively] and 2 but not 4 wk after CrS. An apparent placebo main effect of increased peak power and cumulative work was found after placebo and CrS, but no treatment (CrS) main effect was found on either variable. Thus, despite the rise and washout of muscle TCr and CrP, maximal intermittent sprinting performance was unchanged by CrS.

A cultural battlefront in the total war : theatre in Australian internment camps

In 1943, at the Berlin Sportspalast, Joseph Goebbels made his infamous speech on 'total war', appealing to the crowd to represent Germany as a nation and asking them whether they wanted a war 'more total and radical' than had been previously imagined. In Australia in 1944, the idea of this 'total war' struck a resonance with German civilians interned in Tatura, Victoria. Writing to protest a planned release of internees, these Camp 3 internees claimed an involvement in the 'total war', arguing that any release from the camp would necessitate working towards the 'total destruction of the political, economical and cultural existence of the German Reich and the German nation.' A curious, and important, part of their argument was that such a release would mean that their 'cultural life would be endangered.' It is precisely this 'cultural life' within internment that I wish to examine in this paper.

Blood plasma concentrations of metabolic hormones and glucose during extended lactation in grazing cows or cows fed a total mixed ration

An experiment was conducted to measure the effect of diet on circulating concentrations of metabolic hormones and metabolites in cows undergoing extended lactations. Two groups of 6 Holstein-Friesian cows managed for lactations of 670 d were used in the experiment. One group was fully fed on a total mixed ration (TMR), whereas the other group grazed fresh pasture supplemented with grain (P+G). On 7 occasions between 332 and 612 d in milk, concentrations of metabolic hormones and glucose were measured in the blood plasma of each cow. Cows fed TMR gained more weight and body condition than P+G cows, but did not produce more milk during the study period. Only 3 of the TMR cows continued to lactate until 612 d in milk compared with all 6 of the P+G cows. Blood plasma from cows fed TMR had higher concentrations of glucose, insulin, glucagon, insulin-like growth factor 1, and leptin, but lower concentrations of growth hormone, than that from P+G cows. These changes were consistent with the preferential deposition of energy into adipose tissue at the expense of milk production and presumably were induced by a diet that provided precursors for gluconeogenesis that were in excess of the requirements for maintenance and prevailing milk production. The mechanism responsible for some TMR cows putting on excess weight and reducing or ceasing milk production is uncertain, but this observation has important implications for the nutritional management of cows in extended lactation programs.