Australian National University

About: Australian National University is a education organization based out in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Galaxy. The organization has 34419 authors who have published 109261 publications receiving 4315448 citations. The organization is also known as: The Australian National University & ANU.

Formula milk versus donor breast milk for feeding preterm or low birth weight infants.

Abstract: Background Maternal breast milk may contain less nutrients than artificial formula milk but may confer important non-nutrient advantages for preterm or low birth weight infants. Objectives To determine the effect of feeding with formula milk compared with maternal breast milk on rate of growth and developmental outcomes in preterm or low birth weight infants. Search methods The standard search strategy of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group was used. This included electronic searches of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials Register (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library, Issue 3, 2007), MEDLINE (1966 - June 2007) and EMBASE (1980 - June 2007) and CINAHL (1982 to June 2007) (all accessed via OVID) and previous reviews including cross references. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials comparing feeding with formula milk versus preterm human milk in preterm or low birth weight infants. Data collection and analysis The standard methods of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group were used, with separate evaluation of trial quality and data extraction by two authors. Main results No eligible trials were identified. Authors' conclusions There are no data from randomised trials of formula milk versus maternal breast milk for feeding preterm or low birth weight infants. This may relate to a perceived difficulty of allocating an alternative feed to an infant whose mother wishes to feed with her own breast milk. Maternal breast milk remains the default choice of enteral nutrition because observational studies, and meta-analyses of trials comparing feeding with formula milk versus donor breast milk, suggest that feeding with breast milk has major non-nutrient advantages for preterm or low birth weight infants.

Photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency of species that differ inherently in specific leaf area

Abstract: Factors that contribute to interspecific varia- tion in photosynthetic nitrogen-use eAciency (PNUE, the ratio of CO2 assimilation rate to leaf organic nitro- gen content) were investigated, comparing ten dicoty- ledonous species that diAer inherently in specific leaf area (SLA, leaf area:leaf dry mass). Plants were grown hydroponically in controlled environment cabinets at two irradiances (200 and 1000 lmol m -2 s -1 ). CO2 and irradiance response curves of photosynthesis were mea- sured followed by analysis of the chlorophyll, Rubisco, nitrate and total nitrogen contents of the leaves. At both irradiances, SLA ranged more than twofold across spe- cies. High-SLA species had higher in situ rates of pho- tosynthesis per unit leaf mass, but similar rates on an area basis. The organic N content per unit leaf area was lower for the high-SLA species and consequently PNUE at ambient light conditions (PNUEamb) was higher in those plants. DiAerences were somewhat smaller, but still present, when PNUE was determined at saturating irradiances (PNUEmax). An assessment was made of the relative importance of the various factors that underlay interspecific variation in PNUE. For plants grown under low irradiance, PNUEamb of high-SLA species was higher primarily due to their lower N content per unit leaf area. Low-SLA species clearly had an overinvest- ment in photosynthetic N under these conditions. In addition, high SLA-species allocated a larger fraction of organic nitrogen to thylakoids and Rubisco, which fur- ther increased PNUEamb. High-SLA species grown un- der high irradiance showed higher PNUEamb mainly due to a higher Rubisco specific activity. Other factors that contributed were again their lower contents of Norg per unit leaf area and a higher fraction of photosynthetic N in electron transport and Rubisco. For PNUEmax, dif- ferences between species in organic leaf nitrogen content per se were no longer important and higher PNUEmax of the high SLA species was due to a higher fraction of N in photosynthetic compounds (for low-light plants) and a higher Rubisco specific activity (for high-light grown plants).

Biomarker evidence for green and purple sulphur bacteria in a stratified Palaeoproterozoic sea

Abstract: Rising oxygen levels in the Earth's early atmosphere marked the end of a 2.5-billion-year period dominated by oceans with low levels of oxygen. But geochemical evidence suggests that for the following billion years the oceans remained largely devoid of oxygen. The discovery of molecular fossils (hydrocarbon biomarkers) in 1.6-billion-year-old sedimentary rocks from a marine basin in northern Australia now offers insights into the marine ecosystem at the time. The biomarkers record an anoxic and sulphidic world hostile to to many forms of life but supporting blooms of sulphide-breathing green and purple bacteria. The disappearance of iron formations from the geological record ∼1.8 billion years (Gyr) ago was the consequence of rising oxygen levels in the atmosphere starting 2.45–2.32 Gyr ago1,2,3. It marks the end of a 2.5-Gyr period dominated by anoxic and iron-rich deep oceans. However, despite rising oxygen levels and a concomitant increase in marine sulphate concentration, related to enhanced sulphide oxidation during continental weathering4, the chemistry of the oceans in the following mid-Proterozoic interval (∼1.8–0.8 Gyr ago) probably did not yet resemble our oxygen-rich modern oceans. Recent data5,6,7,8 indicate that marine oxygen and sulphate concentrations may have remained well below current levels during this period, with one model indicating that anoxic and sulphidic marine basins were widespread, and perhaps even globally distributed4. Here we present hydrocarbon biomarkers (molecular fossils) from a 1.64-Gyr-old basin in northern Australia, revealing the ecological structure of mid-Proterozoic marine communities. The biomarkers signify a marine basin with anoxic, sulphidic, sulphate-poor and permanently stratified deep waters, hostile to eukaryotic algae. Phototrophic purple sulphur bacteria (Chromatiaceae) were detected in the geological record based on the new carotenoid biomarker okenane, and they seem to have co-existed with communities of green sulphur bacteria (Chlorobiaceae). Collectively, the biomarkers support mounting evidence for a long-lasting Proterozoic world in which oxygen levels remained well below modern levels.

The languages of Australia

Abstract: 1. Introduction 2. Tribe and languages 3. Speech and song styles 4. The role of language in Aboriginal Australian society today 5. Vocabulary 6. Phonology 7. Phonological change 8. Classification of Australian languages 9. Word classes 10. Nouns 11. Pronouns 12. Verbs 13. Syntax 14. Summary.