There is nothing worse than ending up in the emergency room with food poisoning on Christmas day and it is just as bad being the host who provides the food. To ensure it doesn’t happen to you this Christmas Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Biomedical Sciences food microbiology lecturer, Dr Ester Mpandi Khosa has some food safety suggestions. “From a microbiological point of view, food poisoning is a very serious illness,” Dr Khosa says. “Micro-organisms growing on food can cause food-borne illness, which in some reported cases, has resulted in death of the victim.” This is the time of year when a large quantity of food is processed, purchased and consumed, creating a huge potential for food poisoning, if the food is not handled properly. “Every food handler, from farm to table, has a responsibility to make sure food is kept safe from contamination that can lead to food poisoning. The food that one handles is going to be consumed by someone else so it is important to make sure that hands are washed thoroughly, surfaces and utensils are clean and foods are stored at the correct temperature.”

As families prepare for Christmas celebrations, with festive goodies such as candy canes, gingerbread and chocolate within easy reach, Charles Sturt University (CSU) Dental Clinic dentist Dr Ying Shi Chang asks parents to remember the importance of children’s teeth. “Holidays often mean lack of routine and the festive season is a time when people eat more sugar, more frequently, than at any other time of the year,” says Dr Chang. “That can cause serious problems for teeth unless sensible and straightforward steps are taken.” Dr Chang recommends limiting the number of times a day your child eats sugary treats or snacks between meals and avoiding soft, sticky treats that get stuck between teeth. “It is best to eat sugary treats at the end of mealtime while there is still plenty of saliva in the mouth, as saliva helps to wash away the sugars and acids. Drinking a glass of water after eating a sugary treat also helps.” Finally, always have your child brush and floss before going to bed. It is also suggested that parents book their children in for an annual check-up before the start of a school year.

Racehorse injuries and performance are the subject of new research led by Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Dr Brian Spurrell from the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga. While the equine industry contributes up to $6.3 billion annually to the Australian economy, of which racing contributes around $3.9 billion and equestrian events $0.87 billion, the management of equine athletes and detection of injuries remains a significant problem. The relationship between a horse’s gait and the performance surface may contribute to the incidence of lower limb injuries. “As many as 70 per cent of two year-old thoroughbreds suffer stress related injuries in their lower limbs and up to 35 per cent of racehorses never resume racing as a consequence,” Dr Spurrell said. “The aim of the research is to develop a system which can be used in the field to measure important biomechanical parameters of a horse such as how hard the hoof hits the ground, the way the limb moves and how that relates to joint movement and muscle activity. The system will hopefully also indicate how quickly the horse is tiring, post-event recovery and a comparison to its last monitoring.” The research is expected to produce results in various stages by October 2011 and mid-2012.

In a break with tradition, the Royal School of Church Music is holding its annual summer school for Australia and New Zealand at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst. Mr Matthew Owens, the Organist and Master of the Choristers at Wells Cathedral in the United Kingdom, will lead the summer school, which is open to church musicians of all Christian denominations, from Tuesday 4 to Tuesday 11 January. Participants will live, learn and practise their music at CSU during the school, while the services and concerts will be held in Bathurst’s major churches.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) student Emile van Schalkwyk will soon be jetting to France for a three week International Business and Advertising program as part of his studies. Currently studying a double degree Bachelor of Arts (Communications/Advertising) and Bachelor of Business (Marketing), Emile believes the program is the perfect fit for his interests. “The course covers both the areas I’m interested in,” he says. “I haven’t really done much to extend myself beyond my course with regards to work experience so when I found this course, I didn’t hesitate to apply.” The three-week intensive program includes 50 hours of academic classes and seminars, five hours of conferences, and five hours of survival French. “I spent time travelling after I finished school before deciding on my current degree, which is something a bit different. To find a course that focuses on both the areas I’m studying is like it was made for me. It really struck a chord.” Emile will fly out of Australia on Tuesday 8 January and returns on Friday 18 February.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is this week home to the annual Riverina Summer School for Strings. In its twenty-fourth year, the school runs until Saturday 15 January and caters for players of violin, viola, cello, double bass and guitar of all ages and levels of experience.  Students come from across the Riverina as well as Canberra, Sydney, Darwin and even Finland. “The school provides a great atmosphere and we have many families who make this their annual holiday,” explains President of Riverina Summer School for Strings Mr Jeff Donovan. The camp’s Music Director Mr Carl Pini has invited some of the best string players in Australia to instruct and inspire the students in orchestral and ensemble classes. The tutors present world-class chamber music and tango performances in the Sounds of Summer Concert Series which takes place most evenings during the week of the school at Joyes Hall on the CSU campus. The school culminates in the Grand Finale concert at 2pm on Saturday 15 January at the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre where all school participants take part. “The students have come well prepared and the quality of performance is very good this year,” said Mr Donovan.

As part of its commitment to sustainability Charles Sturt University (CSU) will promote the use of bubblers and refillable water bottles, with the goal of phasing out the sale of bottled water on its campuses completely. The project has been coordinated by CSU Green to decrease the amount of bottled water purchased on campus and encourage the use of reusable bottles which can be refilled at bubblers and new refilling stations. “Disposable water bottles are a significant aspect of our environmental footprint,” says CSU Energy Manager Mr Edward Maher. “For example, the energy used in the production and delivery of one bottle of water results in emissions equivalent to driving a car a few hundred metres. The use of a reusable bottle also provides the University community with an everyday reminder about how the little decisions that we make on a day-to-day basis can collectively have a big impact on our environment..We will educate students and staff about the project, and encourage them to use the free water service.” CSU communications student, Ms Jessica Davis has developed an educational campaign to promote the initiative as part of her course. New water refilling stations will initially be installed on Bathurst and Orange campuses, with stations to be installed on other campuses later in 2011.

Three days of hands-on science will be presented in a workshop at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga with Year  10 students from the NSW Riverina and Central West regions. The Science Experience at CSU workshops will be introduced at 9am on Wednesday 12 January by science media personality and Dean of CSU Faculty of Science, Professor Nick Klomp. The workshops will cover topics as varied as everyday chemistry, oral health, forensic science, bones and the science behind putting food on the table. The event finishes on Friday 14 January with a panel discussion between the participants and recent CSU graduates, who will explain where their science education has taken them. The program will be held at various venues on the University’s Wagga Wagga campus.

Australian farmers and those involved in the production of food and natural fibres need strong support as they confront the challenges resulting from recent heavy rain and flooding, according to Associate Professor John Kent, Head of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Agricultural and Wine Science. Professor Kent believes that a coordinated movement of volunteers to assist farmers in the rebuilding process is needed as farmers are facing the loss of their crops, equipment and infrastructure like fences, irrigation channels, and, in many cases, the soil itself. “It will take a long time to recover from these floods, and on top of 10 years of drought this is a cruel blow,” says Professor Kent. “Australia’s farmers are some of the most important people in our society and we need to look after them and support them as they go through difficult times. They daily deal with the variations in climate and weather. They have business decisions and large financial investments to make because production of food is a long-term process involving much planning and up-front investment, and when a disaster like this occurs it impacts severely on these long-term plans.” In addition, there is a need for long-term strategies. “We have to learn how to manage climate change disruptions and how to adapt to a warmer and more variable climate. Australia and the world needs people to carry out research in order to find ways to adapt farming practices, develop new crop and pasture varieties and farming systems, and then pass on this knowledge to current and future farmers,” Professor Kent said.