Biochar compound fertilisers increase plant potassium uptake 2 years after application without additional organic fertiliser.

Biochar compound fertilisers (BCFs) are an emerging technology that combine biochar with nutrients, clays and minerals and can be formulated to address specific issues in soil-plant systems. However, knowledge of BCF performance over consecutive crops and without re-application is limited. This study aims to assess the residual effect of organic BCFs soil-plant nutrient cycling 2 years after application and without additional fertiliser inputs. We applied BCFs and biochar with organic fertiliser amendments and established a crop of ginger and a second crop of turmeric (Curcuma longa) without re-application or additional fertilisation. All treatment formulations included bamboo-biochar and organic fertiliser amendments; however, two novel BCFs were formulated to promote agronomic response in an intensive cropping system. We report here on the effect of treatments on soil and plant macronutrient and micronutrient cycling and turmeric growth, biomass and yield at harvest. Both BCFs (enriched (10 t ha-1) and organo-mineral biochar (8.6 t ha-1) increased foliar K (+155% and +120%) and decreased foliar Mg (-20% and -19%) concentration compared with all other treatments, suggesting antagonism between K and Mg. Plants were limited for K, P and B at harvest but not N, Ca or Mg. Foliar K was dependent on the biochar formulation rather than the rate of application. Biochar-clay aggregates increased K retention and cycling in the soil solution 2 years after application. Clay blended BCFs reduced K limitation in turmeric compared to biochar co-applied with organic amendments, suggesting these blends can be used to manage organic K nutrition. All formulations and rates of biochar increased leaf biomass and shoot-to-root ratio. Novel BCFs should be considered as an alternative to co-applying biochar with organic fertiliser amendments to decrease application rates and increase economic feasibility for farmers. Applying BCFs without re-application or supplementary fertiliser did not provide sufficient K or P reserves in the second year for consecutive cropping. Therefore, supplementary fertilisation is recommended to avoid nutrient deficiency and reduced yield for consecutive organic rhizome crops.

The effects of a virtual learning environment compared with an individual handheld device on pharmacology knowledge acquisition, satisfaction and comfort ratings.

BACKGROUND: Virtual reality is reported to improve post-intervention knowledge and skills outcomes of health professionals compared to traditional teaching methods or digital online media. However, providing equitable access to high quality virtual reality resources for large, diverse nursing and midwifery student cohorts within multi-campus settings remains challenging. OBJECTIVES: This study compared the effect on student learning, satisfaction and comfort following exposure to a three-dimensional pharmacology artefact in a virtual facility (CAVE2™)1 with viewing of the same artefact using a mobile handheld device with stereoscopic lenses attached. DESIGN: The study used a pretest-posttest design. SETTING: School of Nursing and Midwifery in a regional university in Southeast Queensland, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and forty-nine second year undergraduate nursing and midwifery students. METHODS: Online multiple choice tests were deployed to measure knowledge acquisition. Self-reported satisfaction scores and comfort ratings were collected using questionnaires. RESULTS: Participants were not disadvantaged in terms of knowledge acquisition by using either CAVE2™ or the mobile handheld visualisation mode (P = 0.977). Significant differences in favour of the CAVE2™ environment were found in between students' satisfaction scores for clinical reasoning (P = 0.013) and clinical learning (P < 0.001) compared to the handheld mode, and there were no significant differences in their satisfaction with debriefing and reflective practice processes (P = 0.377) related to undertaking visualisation activities. A small number of students using handheld devices with stereoscopic lenses reported greater discomfort in relation to the visualisation that negatively impacted their learning (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional artefacts using mobile devices is promising in terms of cost-effectiveness and accessibility for students with restricted access to on-campus teaching modes.

Effectiveness of three-dimensional visualisation on undergraduate nursing and midwifery students' knowledge and achievement in pharmacology: A mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Historically nursing and midwifery students have reported difficulty understanding the concept-based science underpinning the interactions between drugs and their targets. This knowledge is crucial for the administration and monitoring of the therapeutic and adverse effects of medications. Immersive three-dimensional technology is reported to enhance understanding of complex scientific concepts but the physical effects of motion sickness may limit its use. OBJECTIVES: This project compared the effectiveness of three-dimensional immersive visualisation technology with two-dimensional visualisation technology as a teaching method to improve student understanding of a pharmacological concept, and to assess levels of student discomfort and satisfaction associated with the experience. DESIGN: Traditional lecture content and presentation about drug-receptor binding was followed by exposure to either a two- or three-dimensional artifact visualising ß-adrenoceptor binding. Two student groups were compared by type of exposure: Group 1 watched the artifact via a three-dimensional immersive facility and Group 2 on a wide, two-dimensional screen. SETTINGS: School of Nursing and Midwifery in a regional university in Southeast Queensland, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and two second year undergraduate nursing and midwifery students. METHODS: The study used mixed methods methodology. Pre- and post- testing of student knowledge was collected using five multiple-choice questions. A post-intervention survey elicited students' self-assessed perceptions of discomfort and satisfaction with the learning experience. RESULTS: The three-dimensional immersive learning experience was comparable to the two-dimensional experience in terms of satisfaction and comfort but resulted in statistically significant improvements in post-test scores. CONCLUSIONS: The three-dimensional experience improved understanding when compared to two-dimensional viewing, satisfied students leaning needs, and caused minimal discomfort. The results are encouraging in terms of using three-dimensional technology to enhance student knowledge of pharmacological concepts necessary for competency in medication management.

Guidelines for Use of the Approximate Beta-Poisson Dose-Response Model.

For dose-response analysis in quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA), the exact beta-Poisson model is a two-parameter mechanistic dose-response model with parameters α>0 and ß>0, which involves the Kummer confluent hypergeometric function. Evaluation of a hypergeometric function is a computational challenge. Denoting PI(d) as the probability of infection at a given mean dose d, the widely used dose-response model PI(d)=1-(1+dß)-α is an approximate formula for the exact beta-Poisson model. Notwithstanding the required conditions α<<ß and ß>>1, issues related to the validity and approximation accuracy of this approximate formula have remained largely ignored in practice, partly because these conditions are too general to provide clear guidance. Consequently, this study proposes a probability measure Pr(0 < r < 1 | α̂, ß̂) as a validity measure (r is a random variable that follows a gamma distribution; α̂ and ß̂ are the maximum likelihood estimates of α and ß in the approximate model); and the constraint conditions ß̂>(22α̂)0.50 for 0.02<α̂<2 as a rule of thumb to ensure an accurate approximation (e.g., Pr(0 < r < 1 | α̂, ß̂) >0.99) . This validity measure and rule of thumb were validated by application to all the completed beta-Poisson models (related to 85 data sets) from the QMRA community portal (QMRA Wiki). The results showed that the higher the probability Pr(0 < r < 1 | α̂, ß̂), the better the approximation. The results further showed that, among the total 85 models examined, 68 models were identified as valid approximate model applications, which all had a near perfect match to the corresponding exact beta-Poisson model dose-response curve.

A Generalized QMRA Beta-Poisson Dose-Response Model.

Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) is widely accepted for characterizing the microbial risks associated with food, water, and wastewater. Single-hit dose-response models are the most commonly used dose-response models in QMRA. Denoting PI(d) as the probability of infection at a given mean dose d, a three-parameter generalized QMRA beta-Poisson dose-response model, PI(d|α,ß,r*), is proposed in which the minimum number of organisms required for causing infection, Kmin , is not fixed, but a random variable following a geometric distribution with parameter 0

The lumbar and sacrum movement pattern during the back squat exercise.

An essential exercise for strength training of the lower limbs is the squat exercise. During this exercise, changes in lumbar lordosis are commonly used to indicate when the descent of the squat should cease, yet the behavior of the lumbar-scarum segments remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to quantify the lumbar-sacrum movements during the back squat, because the movement of the sacrum is influenced by the width of stance, this variable was also investigated. Thirty trained subjects, 18 men with 1 repetition maximum (1RM) squat of 123% (13.9%) of bodyweight and 12 women with 1RM squat of 93% (15.6%), performed a set of narrow and wide stance squats, each carrying an additional 50% of body weight as load. The timing and movement of the lumbar angle (T12/L1), sacrum angle (L5/S1), and lumbar flexion angle (lumbar lordosis) were measured in 3 dimensions for the ascent and decent phases. Men and women achieved similar lumbar angles for both width of stance and phase. Sacrum angles, lumbar flexion angles, and timing differed significantly (p < 0.05) between gender and width of stance. The lumbar flexion range during the descent phase for women in narrow and wide stance was 12.9° and 12.6°, respectively; for men, this range was significantly (p < 0.05) larger at 26.3° and 25.4°, respectively. Men and women developed different movement patterns for the squatting movement, and therefore, this needs to be considered in strength development and screening procedures. The lumbar spine became kyphotic as soon as a load was placed on the shoulders, and any teaching cues to maintain a curved lumbar spine when squatting must be questioned.

Quantifying the movement and the influence of load in the back squat exercise.

The squat is used extensively in strength and conditioning, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and fitness programs. However, the movement pattern of the hip and knee is still relatively unknown, in particular, the timing of when maximum angles is reached. The purpose of this study was to quantify the hip and knee movements of the squat and establish if load alters these movements. Twenty-eight subjects (16 men and 12 women) performed 2 sets of 8 squats. Load was applied in random order as no additional weight (body weight [BW]) or an additional load of 50% of the subject's weight (BW+50%). Joint angles and time for hip and knee, as well as forward knee, displacement in the descent and ascent phases were measured with significance at p<0.05. Regardless of gender, phase, and load, all subjects achieved their maximum hip and knee angles within 2% of the deepest position. Load significantly increased the flexion angle at the hip and knee joints in men. The knees movement forward of the toes ranged from 63.8 to 64.7 mm in men and 93.2 to 96.6 mm in women. A significant difference in the timing of when the maximum forward knee movement occurred was observed because of gender. The overriding factor for the practical prescription of squat technique was regardless of load, gender, or phase; the maximum angles of the hip and knee are reached almost simultaneously at the bottom of the squat. Furthermore, for all subjects, the knee moved forward of the toes when squatting with men reaching their maximum forward knee position around 84% of the descent phase, whereas this occurred for women around 93%.