Off-duty police officers: no guns allowed

Suggests that off-duty police carry weapons and that police departments need to educate the public about the benefits

Towards Harmonisation of Construction Industry Payment Legislation: A Consideration of the Success Afforded by the East and West Coast Models in Australia

This article considers the success of the two distinct construction industry payment legislative models operating in Australia – “East Coast” and “West Coast” – in achieving their objective of improving cash flow throughout the construction industry. Success parameters are identified by the authors – namely: the levels of justice afforded by the legislation, the administrative and legal burden generated by the legislation, and the impact of the legislation on the relationships between the contracting parties – which are used as a basis to discuss and compare the performances of the East and West Coast models. It is concluded that the West Coast model provides a more just dispute resolution process, generates less administrative and legal burden, and is more conducive towards establishing positive relationships between contracting parties. However, it is recognised that there is a need for more data to be gathered from construction industry stakeholders before any firm recommendations can start to be made as to the most appropriate conceptual framework and detail for a harmonised approach

Quantification of renal blood flow with contrast-enhanced ultrasound

AbstractOBJECTIVESThe goal of this study was to determine the ability of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEU) to quantify renal tissue perfusion.BACKGROUNDThe kinetics of tracers used to assess renal perfusion are often complicated by countercurrent exchange, tubular transport or glomerular filtration. We hypothesized that, because gas-filled microbubbles are pure intravascular tracers with a rheology similar to that of red blood cells, CEU could be used to quantify renal tissue perfusion.METHODSDuring a continuous venous infusion of microbubbles (SonoVue), regional renal perfusion was quantified in nine dogs using CEU by destroying microbubbles and measuring their tissue replenishment with intermittent harmonic imaging. Both renal blood volume fraction and microbubble velocity were derived from pulsing-interval versus video-intensity plots. The product of the two was used to calculate renal nutrient blood flow. Renal arterial blood flow was independently measured with ultrasonic flow probes placed directly on the renal artery and was increased using dopamine and decreased by placement of a renal artery stenosis.RESULTSAn excellent correlation was found between cortical nutrient blood flow using microbubbles and ultrasonic flow probe-derived renal blood flow (r = 0.82, p < 0.001) over a wide range (2.5 fold) of flows.CONCLUSIONSUltrasound examination during microbubble infusion can be used to quantify total organ as well as regional nutrient blood flow to the kidney

Prebiotic synthesis of phosphoenol pyruvate by α-phosphorylation-controlled triose glycolysis

Phosphoenol pyruvate is the highest-energy phosphate found in living organisms and is one of the most versatile molecules in metabolism. Consequently, it is an essential intermediate in a wide variety of biochemical pathways, including carbon fixation, the shikimate pathway, substrate-level phosphorylation, gluconeogenesis and glycolysis. Triose glycolysis (generation of ATP from glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate via phosphoenol pyruvate) is among the most central and highly conserved pathways in metabolism. Here, we demonstrate the efficient and robust synthesis of phosphoenol pyruvate from prebiotic nucleotide precursors, glycolaldehyde and glyceraldehyde. Furthermore, phosphoenol pyruvate is derived within an α-phosphorylation controlled reaction network that gives access to glyceric acid 2-phosphate, glyceric acid 3-phosphate, phosphoserine and pyruvate. Our results demonstrate that the key components of a core metabolic pathway central to energy transduction and amino acid, sugar, nucleotide and lipid biosyntheses can be reconstituted in high yield under mild, prebiotically plausible conditions

The Australasian Resuscitation In Sepsis Evaluation : fluids or vasopressors in emergency department sepsis (ARISE FLUIDS), a multi-centre observational study describing current practice in Australia and New Zealand

Objectives: To describe haemodynamic resuscitation practices in ED patients with suspected sepsis and hypotension. Methods: This was a prospective, multicentre, observational study conducted in 70 hospitals in Australia and New Zealand between September 2018 and January 2019. Consecutive adults presenting to the ED during a 30-day period at each site, with suspected sepsis and hypotension (systolic blood pressure <100 mmHg) despite at least 1000 mL fluid resuscitation, were eligible. Data included baseline demographics, clinical and laboratory variables and intravenous fluid volume administered, vasopressor administration at baseline and 6- and 24-h post-enrolment, time to antimicrobial administration, intensive care admission, organ support and in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 4477 patients were screened and 591 were included with a mean (standard deviation) age of 62 (19) years, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score 15.2 (6.6) and a median (interquartile range) systolic blood pressure of 94 mmHg (87–100). Median time to first intravenous antimicrobials was 77 min (42–148). A vasopressor infusion was commenced within 24 h in 177 (30.2%) patients, with noradrenaline the most frequently used (n = 138, 78%). A median of 2000 mL (1500–3000) of intravenous fluids was administered prior to commencing vasopressors. The total volume of fluid administered from pre-enrolment to 24 h was 4200 mL (3000–5661), with a range from 1000 to 12 200 mL. Two hundred and eighteen patients (37.1%) were admitted to an intensive care unit. Overall in-hospital mortality was 6.2% (95% confidence interval 4.4–8.5%). Conclusion: Current resuscitation practice in patients with sepsis and hypotension varies widely and occupies the spectrum between a restricted volume/earlier vasopressor and liberal fluid/later vasopressor strategy

A Chemist’s Perspective on the Role of Phosphorus at the Origins of Life

The central role that phosphates play in biological systems, suggests they also played an important role in the emergence of life on Earth. In recent years, numerous important advances have been made towards understanding the influence that phosphates may have had on prebiotic chemistry, and here, we highlight two important aspects of prebiotic phosphate chemistry. Firstly, we discuss prebiotic phosphorylation reactions; we specifically contrast aqueous electrophilic phosphorylation, and aqueous nucleophilic phosphorylation strategies, with dry-state phosphorylations that are mediated by dissociative phosphoryl-transfer. Secondly, we discuss the non-structural roles that phosphates can play in prebiotic chemistry. Here, we focus on the mechanisms by which phosphate has guided prebiotic reactivity through catalysis or buffering effects, to facilitating selective transformations in neutral water. Several prebiotic routes towards the synthesis of nucleotides, amino acids, and core metabolites, that have been facilitated or controlled by phosphate acting as a general acid–base catalyst, pH buffer, or a chemical buffer, are outlined. These facile and subtle mechanisms for incorporation and exploitation of phosphates to orchestrate selective, robust prebiotic chemistry, coupled with the central and universally conserved roles of phosphates in biochemistry, provide an increasingly clear message that understanding phosphate chemistry will be a key element in elucidating the origins of life on Earth

MOESM1 of Simple SNP-based minimal marker genotyping for Humulus lupulus L. identification and variety validation

Additional file 1. Supplementary data file consisting of the hapmap flat file of the 32,206 SNP markers used to identify the minimal set of seven SNP marker

How mindful self-care practices changed during the winter 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in Western Sydney

Background and objectives: Self-care strategies are important to maintain psychological wellbeing. The aim of this study was to explore how self-care changed during the first COVID-19 lockdown in winter 2020 and identify targets for interventions. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Participants attending a COVID-19 testing clinic completed the Mindful Self-Care Scale (MSCS) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: A total of 332 participants completed questionnaires (mean age 38 years, 55% female). Self-care strategies used less frequently during lockdown when compared with pre-lockdown were in MSCS domains of Physical Care (P \u3c0.001), Supportive Relationships (P \u3c0.001), Supportive Structures (P \u3c0.001) and Mindful Awareness (P \u3c0.001). Mean anxiety and depression scores were 5.97 (standard deviation [SD] = 4.36) and 4.12 (SD = 3.594). Discussion: Several pre-pandemic strategies were used less frequently, including individual activities not restricted during lockdown (‘listening’; ‘using images’ to relax). This study provides insight into activities that are practised and reduced during a lockdown, which can guide wellbeing interventions to assist people in isolation