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This article uses a comprehensive database about children in adversity collected over the 16-year period from 1990 to 2005 in the state of Western Australia. The focus of this interrogation is the effect of major changes in responses to information about children brought to the attention of the Western Australian statutory authority in a 10-year period during this 16 years. The initiative for these changes was termed New Directions , and its associated policy and practice changes were aimed at differentiating information expressing concerns about children and families from allegations of child maltreatment. They emphasized the provision of supportive and empowering services to families experiencing difficulties – a form of differential response to children in adversity. The article covers the period leading up to the policy and practice change and the 10 years during which these changes were implemented. It examines some effects of the new policy and comments on whether the changes resulted in missed opportunities to protect children from harm, which in turn, might have led to higher rates of re-reporting. The authors present an overall picture of the nature of the information accepted by the statutory authority and how the interpretation of that information might have affected subsequent outcomes for children. In doing so, it shows that the policy and consequential practice changes associated with a differential response mechanism had long lasting positive effects that, despite dire warnings, did not compromise the protection of the small group of children identified as requiring protective interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on changes in the educational preparation of undergraduate nurses in line with contemporary primary and preventative healthcare models. We evaluated a new Australian nursing and community care degree programme using focus groups with 38 students in their first years of study, and quantitative performance data (regarding entry, performance and course attrition). Four main themes were identified related to students' course experience: 'I think community health should be an elective'; 'Focus on relevance to practice'; 'Teaching by non-nursing academics' and 'Access to support during transition to university.' Overall pass rates were 94% (first year) and 97% (second year) with a low 11% attrition rate. We conclude that based on prior experiences and stereotypical views, students may be ambivalent about the inclusion of primary and preventative care models which nevertheless are essential to enhance practice and to prepare the future nursing workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on changes in the educational preparation of undergraduate nurses in line with contemporary primary and preventative healthcare models. We evaluated a new Australian nursing and community care degree programme using focus groups with 38 students in their first years of study, and quantitative performance data (regarding entry, performance and course attrition). Four main themes were identified related to students' course experience: 'I think community health should be an elective'; 'Focus on relevance to practice'; 'Teaching by non-nursing academics' and 'Access to support during transition to university.' Overall pass rates were 94% (first year) and 97% (second year) with a low 11% attrition rate. We conclude that based on prior experiences and stereotypical views, students may be ambivalent about the inclusion of primary and preventative care models which nevertheless are essential to enhance practice and to prepare the future nursing workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilisation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in process safety has increased significantly in recent years. The modelling of accidental explosion via CFD has in many cases replaced the classical Multi Energy and Brake Strehlow methods. The benefits obtained with CFD modelling can be diminished if proper modelling of the initial phase of explosion is neglected. In the early stages of an explosion, the flame propagates in a quasi-laminar regime. Proper modelling of the initial laminar phase is a key aspect in order to predict the peak pressure and the time to peak pressure. The present work suggests a modelling approach for the initial laminar phase in explosion scenarios. Findings are compared with experimental data for two classical explosion test cases which resemble the common features in chemical process areas (confinement and congestion). A detailed analysis of the threshold for the transition from laminar to turbulent regime is also carried out. The modelling is implemented in a fully 3D Navier-Stokes compressible formulation. Combustion is treated using a laminar flamelet approach based on the Bray, Moss and Libby (BML) formulation. A novel modified porosity approach developed for the unstructured solver is also considered. Results agree satisfactorily with experiments and the modelling is found to be robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune idiopathic connective tissue disease, characterized by vasculopathy, inflammation and fibrosis. There appears to be a link between inflammation and fibrosis, although the exact nature of the relationship is unknown. Serum amyloid A ( SAA) is an acute-phase protein that is elevated up to 1000-fold in times of infection or inflammation. This acute-phase reactant, as well as being a marker of inflammation, may initiate signals in a cytokine-like manner, possibly through toll-like receptors ( TLRs) promoting inflammation. This study addressed the role of SAA in initiating interleukin-6 ( IL-6) production in dermal fibroblasts and the role of TLR2 in this system. We show that SAA induces IL-6 secretion in healthy dermal fibroblasts and that blockade of TLR2 with a neutralizing antibody to TLR2 or specific small interfering RNA attenuated the SAA-induced IL-6 secretion and that this was also mediated through the TLR adaptor protein IL-1 receptor-associated kinase 4. The effect is nuclear factor- κB-mediated because blockade of nuclear factor- κB reduced the induction. We also demonstrate that dermal fibroblasts express TLR2; this is functional and over-expressed in the fibroblasts of patients with systemic sclerosis. Taken together these data suggest that SAA is a danger signal that initiates IL-6 signalling in systemic sclerosis via enhanced TLR2 signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Skilled manipulation requires the ability to predict the weights of viewed objects based on learned associations linking object weight to object visual appearance [ 1–5 ]. However, the neural mechanisms involved in extracting weight information from viewed object properties are unknown. Given that ventral visual pathway areas represent a wide variety of object features [ 6–11 ], one intriguing but as yet untested possibility is that these areas also represent object weight, a nonvisual motor-relevant object property. Here, using event-related fMRI and pattern classification techniques, we tested the novel hypothesis that object-sensitive regions in occipitotemporal cortex (OTC), in addition to traditional motor-related brain areas, represent object weight when preparing to lift that object. In two studies, the same participants prepared and then executed lifting actions with objects of varying weight. In the first study, we show that when lifting visually identical objects, where predicted weight is based solely on sensorimotor memory, weight is represented in object-sensitive OTC. In the second study, we show that when object weight is associated with a particular surface texture, that texture-sensitive OTC areas also come to represent object weight. Notably, these texture-sensitive areas failed to carry information about weight in the first study, when object surface properties did not specify weight. Our results indicate that the integration of visual and motor-relevant object information occurs at the level of single OTC areas and provide evidence that the ventral visual pathway is actively and flexibly engaged in processing object weight, an object property critical for action planning and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Decreasing the rate of protein emptying from the stomach may improve efficiency of utilization of dietary amino acids for protein deposition. Some studies in rats and humans have shown casein to be more slowly released from the stomach than whey protein. To test if casein induces a slower rate of gastric emptying in cats than whey protein, L-[1-13C]phenylalanine (Phe) was dosed orally into 9 adult cats to estimate gastric emptying and whole-body Phe flux. Results: Concentrations of indispensable amino acids in plasma were not significantly affected by dietary protein source. First-pass splanchnic extraction of Phe was not different between diets and averaged 50% (SEM = 3.8%). The half-time for gastric emptying averaged 9.9 min with casein and 10.3 min with whey protein, and was not significantly different between diets (SEM = 1.7 min). Phenylalanine fluxes were 45.3 and 46.5 μmol/(min · kg) for casein- and whey-based diets, respectively (SEM = 4.7 μmol/(min · kg)). Conclusions: In adult cats fed frequent small meals, the replacement of casein with whey protein in the diet does not affect supply or utilization of amino acids. These two milk proteins appear to be equally capable of meeting the dietary amino acid needs of cats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multimale groups of primates are characterized by strong reproductive competition among males, generally resulting in an uneven division of male reproductive success (reproductive skew). The observed patterns of conflict and reproductive skew have often been attributed to the so-called tug-of-war model. We show, however, that two important assumptions of this model are not met in male primates. First, the tug-of-war model assumes that reproductive conflict reduces overall group productivity, but in male primates (and most other vertebrates) conflict likely involves mortality rather than fecundity costs. Second, the tug-of-war model does not account for the possibility that male primates can achieve some reproductive success without engagement in open conflict, such as when a single male cannot guard several receptive females at the same time. We therefore develop a dynamic version of the tug-of-war model, in which reproductive competition causes mortality costs, and in which individuals can gain uncontested shares of reproduction dependent on the degree of female receptive overlap. This model differs substantially from the original tug-of-war model, and derives a new and rich set of comparative predictions. For instance, it predicts that the level of conflict among males declines as the queuing success of subordinate males increases (as survival increases), and also, as their uncontested share of reproduction increases, e.g., as female receptive overlap increases. Our model shows how male-male conflict and female receptive overlap collectively determine the level of reproductive skew among male primates, and illustrates that this relationship is more complex than previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Three children who had cardiac transplantation before age 4 years later presented with recurrent sinopulmonary infection caused by organisms including Streptococcus pneumoniae, in which capsular polysaccharide plays an important part, one developed bronchiectasis. We therefore studied responses to polysaccharide antigen after immunosuppression started in early childhood.Methods: Antibodies against pneumococcal and haemophilus polysaccharides, and total IgG, IgG1, IgG2, and IgA concentrations were measured in 33 cardiac-transplant recipients transplanted before the age 4 years (group 1) and after that age (group 2). Patients with low pneumococcal and haemophilus antibody concentrations were immunised with 23 polyvalent pneumococcal and tetanus-haemophilus conjugate vaccines and antibody responses were measured.Findings: Five patients from group 1 and seven from group 2 were transplanted for congenital heart disease and ten patients in each group had heart transplants because of cardiomyopathy; none were asplenic. Group 1 (16 patients) were aged 2-10 years when investigated, group 2 (17 patients), were 6-16 years. Four of 16 patients in group 1 responded to pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine compared with 14 of 17 in group 2 (p=0.0016). This difference remained when those in group 1, aged less than 4 years at investigation, were excluded (p=0.0060). Response to haemophilus-conjugate vaccine was similar in both groups (14 of 16 vs 14 of 17, p=1.0). Significantly more patients who failed to respond to pneumococcal vaccine had low IgG2 concentrations (p=0.0269).Interpretation: Children who had a transplantation and immunosuppression in early childhood before they had developed antibody responses to pneumococcal polysaccharide, still failed to show a response when older-ie, when such responses are the norm. Ongoing immunosuppression prevents the maturation of antipolysaccharide responses leaving children susceptible to severe and recurrent damaging infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) is a member of the ATP-binding cassette family of membrane proteins. Although almost all members of this family are transporters, CFTR functions as a channel with specificity for anions, in particular chloride and bicarbonate. In this review we look at what is known about CFTR structure and function within the context of the ATP-binding cassette family. We also review current strategies aimed at obtaining the high resolution structure of the protein. This article is part of a Directed Issue entitled: Cystic Fibrosis: From o-mics to cell biology, physiology, and therapeutic advances. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Discrete and continuous multicomponent liquid models are calculated from the real biodiesel properties. [•] Continuous multicomponent liquid model is employed for diesel spray simulation. [•] The predicted spray-combustion characteristics of diesel and biodiesel are compared with the experimental measurements. [•] The discrete model performs better than the continuous model in predicting the spray-combustion characteristics of the biodiesel flame. [•] Effects of the relative abundance and the relative volatility of biodiesel fuel components are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of cooperation in animal and human societies is associated with mechanisms to suppress individual selfishness. In insect societies, queens and workers enforce cooperation by "policing" selfish reproduction by workers. Insect policing typically takes the form of damage limitation after individuals have carried out selfish acts (such as laying eggs). In contrast, human policing is based on the use of threats that deter individuals from acting selfishly in the first place, minimizing the need for damage limitation. Policing by threat could in principle be used to enforce reproductive suppression in animal societies, but testing this idea requires an experimental approach to simulate reproductive transgression and provoke out-of-equilibrium behavior. We carried out an experiment of this kind on a wild population of cooperatively breeding banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) in Uganda. In this species, each group contains multiple female breeders that give birth to a communal litter, usually on the same day. In a 7-y experiment we used contraceptive injections to manipulate the distribution of maternity within groups, triggering hidden threats of infanticide. Our data suggest that older, socially dominant females use the threat of infanticide to deter selfish reproduction by younger females, but that females can escape the threat of infanticide by synchronizing birth to the same day as older females. Our study shows that reproduction in animal societies can be profoundly influenced by threats that remain hidden until they are triggered experimentally. Coercion may thus extend well beyond the systems in which acts of infanticide are common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of animal societies compete over resources and reproduction, but the extent to which such conflicts of interest are resolved peacefully (without recourse to costly or wasteful acts of aggression) varies widely. Here, we describe two theoretical mechanisms that can help to understand variation in the incidence of overt behavioural conflict: (i) destruction competition and (ii) the use of threats. The two mechanisms make different assumptions about the degree to which competitors are socially sensitive (responsive to real-time changes in the behaviour of their social partners). In each case, we discuss how the model assumptions relate to biological reality and high- light the genetic, ecological and informational factors that are likely to promote peaceful conflict resolution, drawing on empirical examples. We suggest that, relative to males, reproductive conflict among females may be more frequently resolved peacefully through threats of punishment, rather than overt acts of punishment, because (i) offspring are more costly to produce for females and (ii) reproduction is more difficult to conceal. The main need now is for empirical work to test whether the mechanisms described here can indeed explain how social conflict can be resolved without overt aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to individually recognize conspecifics is acknowledged as one of the prerequisites for the development of sophisticated social relationships in group-living species. It has been hypothesized that the discrimination of individual identities is crucial for the maintenance of social relationships and cooperation based on repeated interactions, and for the evolution of many social behaviours. Previous studies have shown that the close calls of the cooperatively breeding banded mongoose Mungos mungo are individually distinct. For instance, banded mongoose pups are able to distinguish between close calls of their escort and of a non-escort. In this study, we used playbacks based on the recently proposed violation-of-expectation paradigm and a dominance/age class recognition setup to investigate whether adult banded mongooses use the individual signature of close calls to distinguish among adult group members. We found no evidence that the individual signature in close calls is used to discriminate identity in banded mongooses. Based on the previous work, we suggest that this is not because banded mongooses are incapable of using signatures as a means of individual discrimination, but because the benefits of such discrimination are low. The study highlights the importance of understanding the function of a signal (e.g. the expected response), timing and the biology of the species when designing and performing playback experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Trace CO increases C3+ selectivity during the C2H4 +H2 reaction over Co/SiO2. [•] The predominant primary products are ethane and cis-2-butene. [•] C4 isomerisation and other secondary reactions are prominent at high conversion. [•] CO inhibits very strongly, by more than two orders of magnitude at 60̊C. [•] The catalyst deactivates with and without CO but the C3+ selectivity is unchanged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid and efficient radioiodination of aryl and heteroaryl bromides has been achieved using a nickel(0)‐mediated halogen‐exchange reaction. This transformation gives direct access to [123I]‐ and [125I]‐imaging agents for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), such as 5‐[123I]‐A85380 (see scheme, Boc=tert‐butyloxycarbonyl, cod=1,5‐cyclooctadiene, TFA=trifluoroacetic acid). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eine schnelle und effiziente Radioiodierung von Aryl ‐ und Heteroarylbromiden gelingt mit einer Nickel(0) ‐ katalysierten Halogen ‐ Austauschreaktion. Diese Umsetzung ermöglicht den direkten Zugang zu [123I] ‐ und [125I] ‐ Imaging ‐ Substanzen für Einzelphotonen ‐ Emissions ‐ Computertomographie (SPECT), wie z. B. 5 ‐ [123I] ‐ A85380 (siehe Schema, Boc=tert ‐ Butyloxycarbonyl, cod=1,5 ‐ Cyclooctadien, TFA=Trifluoressigsäure). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper describes a computational study of lean premixed high pressure methane–air flames, using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) together with a reactor network approach. A detailed chemical reaction mechanism is employed to predict pollutant concentrations, placing emphasis on nitrogen oxide emissions. The reacting flow field is divided into separate zones in which homogeneity of the physical and chemical conditions prevails. The defined zones are interconnected forming an Equivalent Reactor Network (ERN). Three flames are examined for which experimental data is available. Flame A is characterised by an equivalence ratio of 0.43 while Flames B and C are richer with equivalence ratios of 0.5 and 0.56 respectively. Computations are performed for a range of operating conditions, quantifying the effect in the emitted NOx levels. Model predictions are compared against the available experimental data. Sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the effect of the network size, in order to define the optimum number of reactors for accurate predictions of the species mass fractions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nursing students are required to develop clinical knowledge, skills and attitudes for professional practice. However, objectivity and parity of students' clinical assessments has been questioned. In the last decade, more objective techniques have been developed, with increased use of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations. We reviewed objective clinical assessment measures used in preregistration nursing courses to determine utilization and the validity and reliability of assessment techniques. A systematic search was made of quantitative research publications between 2000 and May 2011, identifying 16 studies that were subsequently reviewed. The validity and reliability of studies varied, with six studies judged as high quality, using various methodologies. This paper describes methods of instrument development and reports on their application in preregistration nursing programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Uptake of Medicare-funded chronic disease management items has increased exponentially since the programme commenced in 2004. We aim to report on national utilisation of the five most referred of 13 allied health services and to examine patient uptake rates. Methods: Annual statistics generated from national Medicare billing data from January 2010 to December 2010 were extracted from the Medicare public database and compared by profession, state and per capita population. Results: The five most utilised individual services were: (in decreasing order) podiatry, physiotherapy, dietetics, chiropractic and speech pathology. They provided 94% of all allied health consultations nationally, on referral from general practitioners. Per capita utilisation revealed wide variation in uptake by state and territory; some states had far less services than the national average. Patterns of referral instanced by age range and gender of clientele differed between professions. Most dietetics clients were middle aged (45-74 years) and this fits with expectations of chronic disease incidence. There was inequity of access to group services for the management of type 2 diabetes, with most services (85%) provided in South Australia and New South Wales. Conclusion: Dietetics providers have maintained and improved their referral rate and continue to be the third most utilised Medicare chronic disease management allied health service. Six years into the programme, further exploration is warranted to understand the reasons for wide variation in rates of patient uptake for the service provider professions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few reported estimates of amino acid (AA) kinetics in adult mammals and none exist in adult dogs. The study objectives were to evaluate the use of oral isotope delivery in contrast to the more commonly used intravenous (IV) delivery to estimate AA kinetics in adult dogs and to estimate splanchnic extraction and gastric emptying using a commonly accepted mathematical model. Dogs received 25 × 1/2-hourly meals (13 g/kg BW/day) and either an oral or IV bolus of l-[1-13C]Phe (12 mg/kg BW). Blood samples were taken immediately before each feeding. Concentrations of plasma Phe were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. There were no differences in baseline plasma Phe concentrations (34 μ m ± 0.61), Phe distribution volume, Phe pool size and rate constants between dogs when the tracer was administered IV or orally (p > 0.25). Decay curve for plasma l-[1-13C]Phe differed between IV and oral dosing protocols with IV dosing fit best using a two-compartment model. Phe disappeared from plasma at a mean rate of 2.8%/min. Estimates of gastric emptying and splanchnic extraction did not differ based on oral or IV tracer dosing when the decay curves were fit with the two-compartment model (p > 0.40). The half-life for gastric emptying was 18 min, and first-pass Phe extraction by the splanchnic bed was 24% of the dietary Phe. These results suggest that oral isotope dosing can be used as an alternative to IV isotope dosing in studies that utilize a primed, constant dosing approach to measure protein and amino acid kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A base-mediated 6-endo-trig cydization of readily accessible enone-derived a-amino adds has been developed for the direct synthesis of novel 2,6-cis-6-substituted-4-oxo-L-pipecolic adds. A range of aliphatic and aryl side chains were tolerated by this mild procedure to give the target compounds in good overall yields. Molecular modeling of the 6-endo-trig cydization allowed some insight as to how these compounds were formed, with the enolate intermediate generated via an equilibrium process, followed by irreversible tautomerization/neutralization providing the driving force for product formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palliative care nurses are at risk of work stress because their role involves exposure to frequent deaths and family grieving. Little is known about their degree of stress or whether they suffer stress or burnout more than nurses in other disciplines. Aim: The aim of this paper is to critically examine the current literature concerning stress and burnout in palliative care nurses. Results: Sixteen papers were included in the review. Although work demands were a common cause of stress in the studies reported, there was no strong evidence that palliative care or hospice nurses experienced higher levels of stress than nurses in other disciplines. Common causes of stress were the work environment, role conflict, and issues with patients and their families. Constructive coping styles appeared to help nurses to manage stress. Conclusion: Managers have a key role in providing education and training for palliative care nurses to support their personal development and to help reduce vulnerability to and the impact of stress in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biosensors are desired for the detection of a wide rangeof analytes in various scenarios, for example environmental monitoringfor biological threats, from toxins to viruses and bacteria. Ideallya single sensor will be capable of simultaneous multianalyte detection.The varying nature, and in particular disparate size, of such a varietyof analytes poses a significant challenge in the development of effectivehigh-confidence instruments. Many existing biosensors employ functionalizedflow cells in which spatially defined arrays of surface-immobilizedrecognition elements, such as antibodies, specifically capture theiranalyte of interest. To function optimally, arrays should provideequivalent responses for equivalent events across their active area.Experimental data obtained using a grating coupled surface plasmonresonance (GC-SPR) instrument, the BIAcore Flexchip, have revealeddifferences in response behaviors between proteinaceous and particulateanalytes. In particular, the magnitude of responses seen with Bacillus anthracisspores appears to be influenced by shearand gravitational effects while those from soluble proteins are moreuniform. We have explored this dependence to understand its fundamentalimpact on the successful implementation of multianalyte environmentalbiological detection systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recent work in the field of turbulence modelling has demonstrated the benefits of the wavelet-based multiresolution analysis technique as a tool for the formulation of the large-eddy simulation (LES) equations. In this formalism, the LES equations are obtained by projecting the Navier–Stokes equations onto a hierarchy of wavelet spaces. This paper investigates the use of biorthogonal interpolating wavelets as a basis for this projection, placing special emphasis on the wavelet-based differential operators that define this mapping. A detailed analysis of their convergence properties is presented and compared to those of their orthogonal counterpart, the Daubechies wavelets. Based on this study, we highlight the weaknesses of the unlifted interpolating wavelet representation for LES sub-grid modelling. Finally, we establish a link between the unlifted framework and the sampling-based LES approach recently proposed in the literature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A radial flow cell (RFC, inlet tube radius 0.95 mm and gaps of 1-4.2 mm) was used to investigate the removal of two thin (80-230 pm thick) model soil layers from glass and 304 stainless steel substrates by the flow of water at 20 °C. Under the flow conditions employed (Reynolds numbers 200-1400), inertial effects give rise to recirculation zones and regions of high shear stress on the bottom, soiled plate. The soils were dried layers of (i) instant coffee and (ii) a domestic abrasive cleaning suspension comprising fine particulates in a soluble matrix. Cleaning data exhibited a constant local erosion rate which varied strongly with radial position. For both soils, cleaning involved the growth of a circular cleaned region and redeposition of particulate matter in a ring at locations close to the foot of the secondary recirculation zone predicted by 2D axisymmetric CED simulations. Removal beyond this location was observed with the coffee layers, indicating that cleaning for this soil was controlled primarily by simple diffusion mechanisms. The effect of channel aspect ratio and flow rate on the location of recirculation zones and shear stress distributions was investigated. The local cleaning rate in these steady flows was not linked simply to local wall shear stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonproteinogenic α-amino acid, L-pipecolic acid and its derivatives are components of a wide range of pharmacologically active compounds. The significant biological activity of these compounds has resulted in the development of many synthetic approaches for their preparation. This review highlights these key methods as well as the application of these compounds for the preparation of enzyme inhibitors, conformationally restricted building blocks and peptidomimetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our visual system can extract summary statistics from large collections of similar objects without forming detailed representations of the individual objects in the ensemble. Such object ensemble representation is adaptive and allows us to overcome the capacity limitation associated with representing specific objects. Surprisingly, little is known about the neural mechanisms supporting such object ensemble representation. Here we showed human observers identical photographs of the same object ensemble, different photographs depicting the same ensemble, or different photographs depicting different ensembles. We observed fMRI adaptation in anterior-medial ventral visual cortex whenever object ensemble statistics repeated, even when local image features differed across photographs. Interestingly, such object ensemble processing is closely related to texture and scene processing in the brain. In contrast, the lateral occipital area, a region involved in object-shape processing, showed adaptation only when identical photographs were repeated. These results provide the first step toward understanding the neural underpinnings of real-world object ensemble representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his famous haplodiploidy hypothesis, W. D. Hamilton proposed that high sister–sister relatedness facilitates the evolution of kin-selected reproductive altruism among Hymenopteran females. Subsequent analyses, however, suggested that haplodiploidy cannot promote altruism unless altruists capitalize on relatedness asymmetries by helping to raise offspring whose sex ratio is more female-biased than the population at large. Here, we show that haplodiploidy is in fact more favourable than is diploidy to the evolution of reproductive altruism on the part of females, provided only that dispersal is male-biased (no sex-ratio bias or active kin discrimination is required). The effect is strong, and applies to the evolution both of sterile female helpers and of helping among breeding females. Moreover, a review of existing data suggests that female philopatry and non-local mating are widespread among nest-building Hymenoptera. We thus conclude that Hamilton was correct in his claim that ‘family relationships in the Hymenoptera are potentially very favourable to the evolution of reproductive altruism’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latin American military dictatorships of the twentieth century were often right-wing, elitist and violent. A marked exception was the left-wing Peruvian military government of Juan Velasco Alvarado. More exceptional still was the government's use of visual media. Between 1968 and 1970 it produced approximately 20 posters, printed in editions of 50,000 to 200,000, to promote the radical Agrarian Reform Law. These posters provide vibrant representations of the agrarian reform's ideological aspects, which have been under-studied. A detailed exploration of visual communication shows that the government deployed aesthetically sophisticated propaganda and symbols to encourage social participation in the reform. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Evolutionary conflict arises at all levels of biological organization and presents a barrier to the evolution of cooperation. This barrier can be overcome by mechanisms that reduce the disparity between the fitness optima of subunits, sometimes called the "battleground" of conflict. An alternative, unstudied possibility is that effort invested in conflict is unprofitable. This possibility has received little attention because most existing models of social conflict assume that fitness depends on the ratio of players' conflict efforts, so that "peaceful" outcomes featuring zero conflict effort are evolutionarily unstable. Here I show that peaceful outcomes are stable where success depends on the difference rather than the ratio of efforts invested in conflict. These difference form models are particularly appropriate to model strategies of suppression or policing. The model suggests that incomplete information and asymmetries in strength can act to eliminate costly conflict within groups, even among unrelated individuals, and thereby facilitate the evolution of cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: All animals are anatomically constrained in the number of discrete call types they can produce. Recent studies suggest that by combining existing calls into meaningful sequences, animals can increase the information content of their vocal repertoire despite these constraints. Additionally, signalers can use vocal signatures or cues correlated to other individual traits or contexts to increase the information encoded in their vocalizations. However, encoding multiple vocal signatures or cues using the same components of vocalizations usually reduces the signals’ reliability. Segregation of information could effectively circumvent this trade-off. In this study we investigate how banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) encode multiple vocal signatures or cues in their frequently emitted graded single syllable close calls. Results: The data for this study were collected on a wild, but habituated, population of banded mongooses. Using behavioral observations and acoustical analysis we found that close calls contain two acoustically different segments. The first being stable and individually distinct, and the second being graded and correlating with the current behavior of the individual, whether it is digging, searching or moving. This provides evidence of Marler’shypothesis on temporal segregation of information within a single syllable call type. Additionally, our work represents an example of an identity cue integrated as a discrete segment within a single call that is independent from context. This likely functions to avoid ambiguity between individuals or receivers having to keep track of several context-specific identity cues. Conclusions: Our study provides the first evidence of segmental concatenation of information within a single syllable in non-human vocalizations. By reviewing descriptions of call structures in the literature, we suggest ageneral application of this mechanism. Our study indicates that temporal segregation and segmentalconcatenation of vocal signatures or cues is likely a common, but so far neglected, dimension of information coding in animal vocal communication. We argue that temporal segregation of vocal signatures and cues evolves in species where communication of multiple unambiguous signals is crucial, but is limited by the number of call types produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of gaseous carbon monoxide on the hydrogenation of acetylene over Ni supported on MgAl2O4 in the presence and absence of zinc dopants has been investigated. Both carbon monoxide and zinc inhibit activity to a considerable extent. Carbon monoxide also lowers the selectivity to ethane substantially. Zinc causes some reduction in selectivity in the absence of carbon monoxide but only at very high conversions when it is present. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effect of alumina support source as well as preparation method on the methanation activity of cobalt catalysts promoted with lanthanum and ruthenium was investigated. The catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation using either an acetone and ethanol mix (ratio 4:1 – non-aqueous) or using a dilute nitric acid solution (aqueous) on two commercial aluminas, Puralox SBA200 or Norton type SA6176 alumina. The catalysts were characterised by nitrogen adsorption/desorption, X-ray diffraction, temperature-programmed reduction, temperature-programmed desorption of hydrogen and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Both the support and synthesis method were found to influence the methanation activity with the non-aqueous plus Puralox combination giving the best performance. The activity differences could arise from modification of surface properties leading to variations in cobalt crystallite size and hence improved cobalt metal dispersion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is now highly successfully curing a widening range of primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs). Better tissue typing, matching of donors, less toxic chemotherapy, better virus detection and treatment, improved supportive care, and graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis mean up to a 90% cure for severe combined immunodeficiency patients and a 70-80% cure for other PIDs given a matched unrelated donor, and rising to 95% for young patients with specific PIDs, such as Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. Precise molecular diagnosis, detailed data on prognosis, and careful pre-HSCT assessment of infective lung and liver damage will ensure an informed benefit analysis of HSCT and the best outcome. It is now recognized that the best treatment option for chronic granulomatous disease is HSCT, which can also be curative for CD40 ligand deficiency and complex immune dysregulation disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To critically examine utilisation of the 13 allied health services provided through Medicare Chronic Disease Management program and related general practitioner (GP) care planning initiatives. Methods. Statistics generated from national billing data from July 2005 to June 2009 were extracted from Medicare data and compared by profession, State or Territory and population. Results. Most services grew over 4 years although nationally consistent service levels were not found for any allied health provider profession. On referral from GPs, podiatry, physiotherapy and dietetics provided most services (82%) in 2008-09. Professions had unique patterns of referral instanced by age range and sex of clientele. Wide variation was apparent in per capita utilisation of allied health services by State or Territory; some with far less than average national use and others with high use. Annual number of GP Management Plans or Team Care Arrangements was low (mean: 22 per GP in 2008-09), indicating low use of care planning. Conclusion. Inequality of accessibility for patients was apparent. Five years into the program, a review of Medicare Allied Health CDM policy is warranted. Implications. Research and evaluation is needed to identify whether the program is meeting the needs of GPs, allied health providers and chronic disease patients. INSET: What is known about the topic?. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The transport of flame surface density (FSD) in turbulent premixed flames has been studied using a database obtained from Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS). Three-dimensional freely propagating developing statistically planar turbulent premixed flames have been examined over a range of global Lewis numbers from 0.6 to 1.2. Simplified chemistry has been used and the emphasis is on the effects of Lewis number on FSD transport in the context of Reynolds-averaged closure modelling. Under the same initial conditions of turbulence, flames with low Lewis numbers are found to exhibit counter-gradient transport of FSD, whereas flames with higher Lewis numbers tend to exhibit gradient transport of FSD. Stronger heat release effects for lower Lewis number flames are found to lead to an increase in the positive (negative) value of the dilatation rate (normal strain rate) term in the FSD transport equation with decreasing Lewis number. The contribution of flame curvature to FSD transport is found to be influenced significantly by the effects of Lewis number on the curvature dependence of the magnitude of the reaction progress variable gradient, and on the combined reaction and normal diffusion components of displacement speed. The modelling of the various terms of the FSD transport equation has been analysed in detail and the performance of existing models is assessed with respect to the terms assembled from corresponding quantities extracted from DNS data. Based on this assessment, suitable models are identified which are able to address the effects of non-unity Lewis number on FSD transport, and new or modified models are suggested wherever necessary. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on the advantages and process of debriefing in nurse education. Literature reviews were conducted to search for studies related to debriefing in nurse education such as in journals from 1990 to May 2010. It mentions that structured facilitated debriefing is a significant approach for nursing student's learning and training.

We used fMRI on neurologically intact humans to investigate whether or not there are different neural substrates for the different kinds of information that a visual surface signals (shape from texture vs material properties from texture). Participants attended to differences in the shape (flat/convex), texture and color (wood/rock), or material properties (soft/hard) of a set of circular surfaces. Attending to shape activated the contour-sensitive lateral occipital (LO) area, and attending to texture activated a region of the collateral sulcus (CoS) that overlaps with the parahippocampal place area (PPA). Interestingly, attending to material properties activated the same texturesensitive region in the CoS. These results demonstrate the existence of different neural substrates for the different types of information that a visual surface signals. With regard to object shape, the organization of the LO area may be complex, with neurons tuned not only to the outline shape of objects, but alsototheir surface curvature independent of contour. Moreover,to our knowledge,this isthe first study to demonstrate that processing surface texture, which occurs within the scene-sensitive PPA, is a route to accessing knowledge about an object’s material properties. With this in mind, we propose that models of visual cortical organization should focus not only on the particular stimulus category to which a region maximally responds (e.g., objects, scenes), but also on the stimulus attributes that best support the processing of that category (e.g., shape, texture, material properties). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietitian and general practitioner collaboration in the nutrition care of a patient is important to assist patients to achieve their nutrition goals. This paper aims to review the published literature on dietitians' correspondence practices with recipient general practitioners regarding nutrition interventions recommended to patients. A literature search was conducted of publications from 1995 to December 2009. Key words were used to search the electronic databases Medline, CINAHL Plus, ProQuest, PsycINFO and Google Scholar. Twenty papers that addressed this topic were selected by two authors for inclusion in the review. There is evidence that dietitians often fail to provide general practitioners with formalised correspondence that describes dietitians' nutrition interventions with patients. Doctors report they lack patient information via dietitians' correspondence. Information about nutrition care of hospital patients often remains within hospital records. Doctors prefer standardised letter formats with content presented succinctly. The letter should include a nutrition diagnosis, agreed goals, a plan for ongoing dietetic visits and instructions for a general practitioner's supportive actions. Dietitians need skill in drafting reports or letters useful for general practitioners by selecting content of value to doctors and using a suitable style. Implementation of shared electronic records in Australia will facilitate information transfer to help realise collaborative patient care. Further investigations of dietitian-general practitioner correspondence are warranted to determine best practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which shows the perceived value of the course content of undergraduate nursing students. It says that the study aims to compare student career course and success in relation to entry pathway. It tabulates the student's responses to questionnaires and perceptions of their enjoyment of units in the first and second semesters. It tells that the study indicated association between subjects on skills and the units the students enjoyed.

Abstract: This qualitative interview study examined the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by nurses and midwives in NHS hospital settings in 2008 in the UK. It showed that the groundswell of interest in CAM in the 1990s had diminished by this time due to changes to policy and funding, and increasingly stringent clinical governance. Nevertheless, CAM provided an opportunity for committed and self-motivated practitioners to extend their therapeutic repertoire and develop affective dimensions of practice. However, the integration of CAM did not afford the autonomy, status and material gains traditionally associated with a collective professional project. In practice, occupational strategies were individualistic, and grounded in the assertion of competency through expressions of professionalism rather than the credentialism which underpins classic professionalisation. Central to these strategies was CAM related risk, which became a means by which to claim occupational space. However, the extent to which the adoption of CAM enhanced the nurses’ and midwives’ roles was limited by traditional medical authority; the uncertain status of CAM knowledge; and the absence of collective strategies - which together often left practitioners in a position of vulnerability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A literature proposal that the reduction of nitrous oxide by carbon monoxide over rhodium catalysts proceeds by cleavage of the Ns been tested through the use of 15N14NO as the reactant. The results disprove the suggestion in that 14N15N is the dominant product at temperatures from 336°C to 356°C with nitrous oxide conversions from 26% to >99%. Little, if any, 14N2 and 15N2 is formed, in contrast with the 25% of each expected for the model. Results for the corresponding reaction of 15N14NO with H2 are even more clear-cut in demonstrating the absence of Neavage. The activity of the Rh/SiO2 used here for the N2O/CO system fell within the rather wide of values reported in the literature for other Rh catalysts. However, activity for the reduction of N2O by H2 was approximately five times higher than the only previous result in the literature, that for a Rh/Al2O3 catalyst. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In human societies, social behaviour is strongly influenced by threats of punishment, even though the threats themselves rarely need to be exercised. Recent experimental evidence suggests that similar hidden threats can promote cooperation and limit within-group selfishness in some animal systems. In other animals, however, threats appear to be ineffective. Here I review theoretical and empirical studies that help to understand the evolutionary causes of these contrasting patterns, and identify three factors--impact, accuracy and perception--that together determine the effectiveness of threats to induce cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on a study, conducted to explore the state of knowledge for investing in the nutrition screening of hospitalized patients. It suggests that high quality research is required, to determine the consequences of screening, which includes positive impact of nutritional interventions on malnutritioned patients. It mentions that the research will help the administration to recognize the economic and patient-centered benefits of investing in systematic nutrition screening.

Abstract: The wavelet-based multiresolution analysis (MRA) technique is used to develop a modelling approach to large-eddy simulation (LES) and its associated subgrid closure problem. The LES equations are derived by projecting the Navier–Stokes (N–S) equations onto a hierarchy of wavelet spaces. A numerical framework is then developed for the solution of the large and the small-scale equations. This is done in one dimension, for the Burgers equation, and in three dimensions, for the N–S problem. The proposed methodology is assessed in a priori tests on an atmospheric turbulent time series and on data from direct numerical simulation. A posteriori (dynamic) tests are also carried out for decaying and force-driven Burgers turbulence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The generation of essentially pure hydrogen through a redox cycle using methane and then water has been investigated for a series of tungsten oxides stabilised by ceria–zirconia. The calcined starting materials were largely monoclinic WO3 with CeO2 and ZrO2 undetectable by XRD. Samples containing 80% and especially 69% WO3 showed additional XRD lines due to a phase of unknown composition. Temperature programmed reduction to 750 °C in methane converted samples containing WO3 alone to WC together with small amounts of tungsten metal and a WC1−x phase. Reoxidation in water at the same temperature then produced CO and H2 in corresponding amounts. Under the same conditions the 69% WO3 sample was reduced only as far as WO2 and reoxidation yielded H2 largely free of CO. The reoxidation product was not WO3 but consisted of various non-stoichiometric oxides with composition WO2+x (x = 0.72, 0.83, etc). The reduction–reoxidation cycle could be repeated many times without loss of hydrogen production efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fermentative catabolism of dietary and endogenous amino acids (AA) in the upper gut of pigs (FAAC) can result in significant loss of AA available for protein synthesis and body maintenance functions. A continuous infusion trial was performed using isotope tracers to determine ammonia flux in the upper gut, whole body urea flux, urea recycling (urea flux−urinary urea excretion), and FAAC (ammonia flux in the upper gut−urea recycling) in ileal-cannulated growing pigs fed a control diet (C, 19.3% CP), the control diet with added fibre (F, 12% pectin added at expense of cornstarch), or a diet low in protein (LP, 13.6% CP). 15N-ammonium chloride and 13C-urea were infused intragastrically and intravenously, respectively, for a period of 4days. In samples obtained on days 3 and 4 of infusion, 15N-enrichments in blood urea (6.21±1.65, 8.93±2.01, and 9.78±1.40 atoms percent excess (APE) for C, F and LP, respectively) were higher than those in ileal ammonia (0.44±0.12, 0.37±0.14, and 0.71±0.10 APE). This suggests a rapid absorption of ammonia prior to the distal ileum and lack of uniformity for enrichment in the digesta ammonia pool. Simple isotope dilution calculations are, therefore, inadequate for calculating FAAC and ammonia flux in the upper gut of pigs. A two compartment (ileal ammonia and plasma urea) model was developed to determine possible value ranges for FAAC in the upper gut (0.0 to 13.3±1.42, 15.5±1.65, and 10.7±1.20mmolN/kg/d for the three treatments), but this model also has limitations. Quantifying FAAC in the upper gut of pigs offers a number of challenges, but warrants further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]