Nursing schools: dumbing down or reaching up?

Universities and their nursing faculties are changing dramatically. Rather than serving as bastions of knowledge generation, professional innovation, curation and dissemination of knowledge, many have become corporatised monoliths intent on a perverse form of utilitarianism on steroids. Their sole function it seems is to produce commoditised ‘outputs’ that can contribute to the ‘knowledge economy’

Characterisation of ASYNAPTIC 4: a novel meiotic chromosome axis associated protein in Arabidopsis thaliana

Formation of genetic crossovers (COs) during prophase I of meiosis is essential for faithful segregation of chromosomes at anaphase I. As in many organisms, in Arabidopsis thaliana, CO number and distribution is non-random, and thus understanding the factors that influence CO localization is of great interest. One such factor is the chromosome axis: a proteinaceous meshwork that organizes the chromatin into a linear array of loops. Previous work has identified ASY1 and ASY3 (homologues of yeast Hop1 and Red1 respectively) as key constituents of the axis in A. thaliana. In this study, we commence a functional analysis of novel chromosome axis associated protein ASY4, identified via immuno-affinity proteomics with ASY1. Using a range of cytological and molecular techniques including structured-illumination microscopy and CRISPR-Cas9, we confirm that ASY4 is required for normal fertility, CO number and maturation, axis structure, and synapsis in A. thaliana. Using both an antibody raised against ASY4 and ASY4 tagged with yellow fluorescent protein, we show that ASY4 is associated with the chromosome axis during prophase I of meiosis. We confirm that ASY4 is a direct interacting partner of core axis protein ASY3, and that this is potentially facilitated through the second coiled-coil domain of ASY4. Combined, this data shows ASY4 to be an essential component of the meiotic chromosome axis in A. thaliana, and highlights the importance of the axis structure in crossover formation

Transition to turbulence in particulate pipe flow

We investigate experimentally the influence of suspended particles on the transition to turbulence. The particles are monodisperse and neutrally-buoyant with the liquid. The role of the particles on the transition depends both upon the pipe to particle diameter ratios and the concentration. For large pipe-to-particle diameter ratios the transition is delayed while it is lowered for small ratios. A scaling is proposed to collapse the departure from the critical Reynolds number for pure fluid as a function of concentration into a single master curve.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Monitoring sound levels in the intensive care unit: A mixed-methods system development project to optimize design features for a new electronic interface in the healthcare environment.

BACKGROUND: Intensive care units (ICU) are busy round the clock and it is difficult to maintain low sound levels that support patient rest. To help ICU staff manage activities we developed a visual display that monitors and reports sound levels in real-time. This facilitates immediate feedback, encouraging proactive behavior change to limit disturbances. METHODS: Following the principles of user-centered design practices we created our 'user persona' to understand the needs and goals of potential users of the system. We then conducted iterative user testing with current members of the ICU team, primarily using the 'think aloud' method to refine the design and functionality of our novel system. Ethnography evaluated team use of the display. RESULTS: The final design was simple, clear, and efficient, and both functional and aesthetically pleasing for the key user demographic. We identified challenges in the implementation and adoption process that were separate from the 'usability' of the system itself. CONCLUSIONS: Embedding the design process within the core user demographic ensured the final product delivered relevant information for key users, and that this information was intuitive to interpret. Initiating sustainable change is not straightforward. It requires recognition of cultural practices within teams, departments, professions, organizations, and strategies to maximize engagement

Valuing seasonal climate forecasts in the northern Australia beef industry

Seasonal climate forecasts (SCFs) provide opportunities for pastoralists to align production decisions to climatic conditions, as SCFs offer economic value by increasing certainty about future climatic states at decision-making time. Insufficient evidence about the economic value of SCFs was identified as a major factor limiting adoption of SCFs in Australia and abroad. This study examines the value of SCFs to beef production system management in northern Australia by adopting a theoretical probabilistic climate forecast system. Stocking rate decisions in October, before the onset of the wet season, were identified by industry as a key climate sensitive decision. The analysis considered SCF value across economic drivers (steer price in October) and environmental drivers (October pasture availability). A range in forecast value was found (0-$14/head) dependent on pasture availability, beef price and SCF skill. Skilful forecasts of future climate conditions offered little value with medium or high pasture availability, as in these circumstances, pastures were rarely over-utilised. In contrast, low pasture availability provided conditions for alternative optimal stocking rates and for SCFs to be valuable. Optimal stocking rates under low pasture availability varied the most with climate state (i.e. wet or dry), indicating that producers have more to gain from a skilful SCF at these times. Although the level of pasture availability in October was the major determinant of stocking rate decisions, beef price settings were also found to be important. This analysis provides insights into the potential value of SCFs to extensive beef enterprises and can be used by pastoralists to evaluate the cost-benefit of using a SCF in annual management

Tomographic image of melt storage beneath Askja Volcano, Iceland using local microseismicity

We use P wave and S wave arrivals from microseismic earthquakes to construct 3-D tomographic Vp and Vs images of the magma storage region beneath Askja's central volcano in the Northern Volcanic Zone of Iceland. A distinctive ellipsoidal low-velocity anomaly, with both Vp and Vsvelocities 8-12% below the background, is imaged at 6-11 km depth beneath the caldera. The presence of a shallow magma chamber is corroborated by geodetic and gravity studies. The small Vp/Vs anomaly suggests a lack of pervasive melt. We interpret this anomaly as a region of multiple sills, some frozen but hot, others containing partial melt. A second, smaller low-velocity anomaly beneath the main magma storage region may represent a magma migration pathway. This interpretation is supported by the close proximity to the anomaly of clusters of deep, magmatically induced earthquakes. However, the location and shape of this deep anomaly are poorly constrained by the current data set