The influence of biochar position in a leach bed system anaerobically digesting chicken litter.

As a consequence of the rapidly growing poultry industry, chicken litter is becoming an abundant and problematic waste. Anaerobic digestion of chicken litter can mitigate environmental issues while producing valuable by-products. Recent studies have shown that leach bed reactor (LBR) systems are suitable for processing chicken litter and that anaerobic digestion can be enhanced using biochar.

The development and preliminary evaluation of a clinician e-learning training platform for a neonatal sepsis risk monitor for use in ICU settings.

Background: Training clinicians on the use of hospital-based patient monitoring systems (PMS) is vital to mitigate the risk of use errors and of frustration using these devices, especially when used in ICU settings. PMS training is typically delivered through face-to-face training sessions in the hospital. However, it is not always feasible to deliver training in this format to all clinical staff given some constraints (e.

Engineered Stone Fabrication Work Releases Volatile Organic Compounds Classified as Lung Irritants.

Engineered stones are often characterized for their crystalline silica content. Their organic composition, particularly that of the emissions generated during fabrication work using hand-held power tools, is relatively unexplored. We forensically screened the emissions from dry-cutting 12 engineered stone products in a test chamber for their organic composition by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) plus selected traditional capture and analysis techniques.

What Do Safety Data Sheets for Artificial Stone Products Tell Us About Composition? A Comparative Analysis with Physicochemical Data.

Artificial stone (AS) is a composite material that has seen widespread use in construction, particularly for kitchen benchtops. However, fabrication processes with AS have been associated with serious lung disease. Safety data sheets (SDSs) aim to provide important information pertaining to composition and health risks.

Characterisation of dust emissions from machined engineered stones to understand the hazard for accelerated silicosis.

Engineered stones are novel construction materials associated with a recent upsurge in silicosis cases among workers in the stonemason industry. In order to understand the hazard for the short latency of lung disease among stonemasons, we simulated real-time dust exposure scenario by dry-machining engineered stones in controlled conditions, capturing and analysing the respirable dust generated for physical and chemical characteristics. Natural granite and marble were included for comparison.

The photosynthetic pathways of plant species surveyed in Australia's national terrestrial monitoring network.

The photosynthetic pathway of plants is a fundamental trait that influences terrestrial environments from the local to global level. The distribution of different photosynthetic pathways in Australia is expected to undergo a substantial shift due to climate change and rising atmospheric CO; however, tracking change is hindered by a lack of data on the pathways of species, as well as their distribution and relative cover within plant communities. Here we present the photosynthetic pathways for 2428 species recorded across 541 plots surveyed by Australia's Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) between 2011 and 2017.

Designing for emergency remote blended and online education: a response to Bennett et al. (2017).

This paper is in response to the article entitled "The process of designing for learning: understanding university teachers' design work" (Bennett et al. in Educ Technol Res Dev 65(1):125-145, 2017). Design constitutes a fundamental part of what teachers do (Goodyear in HERDSA Rev Higher Educ 2:27-50, 2015).

Effects of biochar parent material and microbial pre-loading in biochar-amended high-solids anaerobic digestion.

This study characterises the effect of biochar (pyrolysed biomass) produced from wood pellets, wheat straw and sheep manure on high-solids anaerobic digestion (HSAD) of poultry litter. Also, pre-loading biochar with microorganisms before addition to HSADs was investigated. The addition of wood pellet biochar provides a 32% increase to the methane yield compared with control digesters.

Counseling interactions between patients living with persistent pain and pharmacists in Australia: are we on the same page?

Background: People living with persistent pain in Australia often cannot access adequate care to manage their pain. Therefore, as the most accessible healthcare professionals, community pharmacists have an important role to play in helping to improve patient outcomes. Hence, it is important to investigate patient needs and expectations in terms of counseling interactions with pharmacists, along with pharmacists' approach to counseling interactions with these patients.

Microbial functional diversity and carbon use feedback in soils as affected by heavy metals.

Soil microorganisms are an important indicator of soil fertility and health. However, our state of knowledge about soil microbial activities, community compositions and carbon use patterns under metal contaminations is still poor. This study aimed to evaluate the influences of heavy metals (Cd and Pb) on soil microorganisms by investigating the microbial community composition and carbon use preferences.

Enhancing Home Health Mobile Phone App Usability Through General Smartphone Training: Usability and Learnability Case Study.

Background: Each year, millions of older adults fall, with more than 1 out of 4 older people experiencing a fall annually, thereby causing a major social and economic impact. Falling once doubles one’s chances of falling again, making fall prediction an important aspect of preventative strategies. In this study, 22 older adults aged between 65 and 85 years were trained in the use of a smartphone-based fall prediction system.

Biochar modulates heavy metal toxicity and improves microbial carbon use efficiency in soil.

Soil organic carbon is essential to improve soil fertility and ecosystem functioning. Soil microorganisms contribute significantly to the carbon transformation and immobilisation processes. However, microorganisms are sensitive to environmental stresses such as heavy metals.

Susceptibility of 169 USA300 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates to two copper-based biocides, CuAL42 and CuWB50.

Objectives: To test the activity of two copper-based biocides, CuAL42 and CuWB50, and benzalkonium chloride against 169 isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pulsotype USA300, a virulent, multiply resistant, widespread clone in the USA.

Methods: Tests including MIC, MBC and time-kill studies were performed multiple times.

Results: The MIC range, MIC(50) and MIC(90) (0.

Decontamination of laundry at low temperature with CuWB50, a novel copper-based biocidal compound.

Background: Traditional laundry decontamination relies on thermal disinfection that degrades textiles. We investigated the ability of a novel copper-based biocidal compound, CuWB50, to assist in the decontamination of swatches purposely contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter during "real-life" low-temperature machine washing with and without 2 commercial detergents.

Methods: Contaminated and noncontaminated swatches were attached to ballast sheets and washed in cold water for 15 minutes in an industrial Electrolux machine.

A comparison of the antibacterial efficacy and cytotoxicity to cultured human skin cells of 7 commercial hand rubs and Xgel, a new copper-based biocidal hand rub.

Background: Hand cleanliness is important in hospital infection control, but skin irritation from frequent alcohol-based hand rub use reduces compliance. We have compared a new copper biocide/Aloe vera-based biocidal hand rub (Xgel) with 7 commercially available hand rubs.

Methods: Hand rubs were cultured with human skin cells for 24 hours after which cytotoxicity was assessed using the sulforhodamine B assay.

Effect of oral gavage treatment with ZnAL42 and other metallo-ion formulations on influenza A H5N1 and H1N1 virus infections in mice.

Avian influenza H5N1 infections can cause severe, lethal human infections. Whether influenza A virus treatments effectively ameliorate avian influenza H5N1 human infections is uncertain. The research objective was to evaluate the efficacy of novel zinc and other metallo-ion formulations in two influenza A mouse models.

Three novel highly charged copper-based biocides: safety and efficacy against healthcare-associated organisms.

Objectives: We investigated three novel highly charged copper-based inorganic biocidal formulations for their activity against organisms highly relevant to healthcare-associated infection.

Methods: The three copper-based formulations were tested: (i) against clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Legionella pneumophila, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus/baumannii (ACCB), glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus and spores of Clostridium difficile in time-kill assays; (ii) for their ability to decontaminate ultramicrofibre (UMF) cloths; and (iii) for their cytotoxicity to human skin and intestinal epithelial cells.

Results: All three copper-based formulations were potently biocidal down to concentrations of 1 ppm for both stationary- and log-phase organisms, and they were all active against C.