The promoting adult resilience (PAR) program : the effectiveness of the second, shorter pilot of a workplace prevention program

This article details the second, successful pilot of the Promoting Adult Resilience (PAR) program in the human-services departments of a local government organization. The PAR program is a strengths-based resilience building program that integrates Interpersonal and CBT perspectives and this pilot use a shorter, 7-week version of the program. Pre, post and follow-up measures on PAR participants from a resource-sector company were compared with a non-intervention matched comparison group. Post-test, PAR participants reported greater self-efficacy, more family satisfaction, greater f\work-life fit and balance and less negative family to work spillover than the comparison group. At the 6-month follow-up, these gains were maintained to a lesser degree, although work-life balance was strengthened, and negative spillover in both directions reduced. Participants also reported greater optimism for the future, greater work satisfaction and promisingly for human service workers, exhaustion was reduced and more vigour, important for human services as burnout, exhaustion is part of this is a serious work hazard

On PAR : Using Participatory Action Research to Improve Early Intervention

This manual is designed to assist human service practitioners and agencies, and the communities they work with, to enhance their skills in undertaking Participatory Action Research, and, in so doing improve the situations of people who are vulnerable. It utilises insights derived from a number of Australian Government funded programs, most notably Reconnect, NAYSS and Household Organisational Management Expenses (HOME) Advice.

Purification and Properties of Closteroviruslike Particles Associated with Grapevine Corky Bark Disease

Closteroviruslike particles, designated as grapevine corky bark-associated virus (GCBaV), were purified from mature leaves and stem phloem tissue of a corky bark-affected grapevine that had indexed negative for other grapevine viruses. Electron microscopy of purified preparations revealed the presence of flexuous rod-shaped viruslike particles that were about 13 nm in diameter and between 1,400 and 2,000 nm long, with a helical pitch of 3.4 nm. In purified preparations, the GCBaV particles degraded within a few weeks, unlike grapevine leafroll associated virus (GLRaV), which was stable for more than 1 mo under the same storage condition. The molecular weight of the coat protein of GCBaV was 24,000. A large dsRNA molecule (about 15.3 kbp), along with lower molecular weight species, was detected in tissues of corky bark-diseased grapevines, but not in healthy grapevines. Polyclonal antisera were produced in rabbits against purified or partially purified virus preparations. In direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), antisera to GCBaV did not react to the serologically distinct types (II and III) of the long closteroviruses associated with grapevine leafroll disease and grapevine virus A (GVA), and vice versa. This antiserum also reacted in ELISA with other corky bark-affected grapevines. Our data suggest that closteroviruslike particles, designated as GCBaV, may be the causal agent of corky bark disease. However, definitive proof is still lacking. The inclusion of GCBaV in the group of closteroviruses with citrus tristeza virus is proposed.

Mechanism of p-nitrophenol adsorption from aqueous solution by HDTMA+-pillared montmorillonite : implications for water purification

HDTMA+ pillared montmorillonites were obtained by pillaring different amounts of the surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMAB) into sodium montmorillonite (Na-Mt) in an aqueous solution. The optimum conditions and batch kinetics of sorption of p-nitrophenol from aqueous solutions were reported. The solu-tion pH had a very important effect on the sorption of p-nitrophenol. The maximum p-nitrophenol absorption/adsorption occurs when solution pH (7.15~7.35) is approx-imately equal to the pKa (7.16) of the p-nitrophenol ion deprotonation reaction. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that surfactant cations had been pillared into the interlayer and the p-nitrophenol affected the arrangement of surfactant. With the increased con-centration of surfactant cations, the arrangement of HDTMA+ within the clay inter-layer changes and the sorption of p-nitrophenol increases. HDTMA+ pillared mont-morillonites are more effective than Na-Mt for the adsorption of p-nitrophenol from aqueous solutions. The Langmuir, Freundlich and dual-mode sorption were tested to fit the sorption isotherms.

Sustainable reuse of storm/waste-water resources : a review on solar photocatalytic purification processes

In recent years, there has been a significant amount of research and development in the area of solar photocatalysis. This paper reviews and summarizes the mechanism of photocatalytic oxidation process, types of photocatalyst, and the factors influencing the photoreactor efficiency and the most recent findings related to solar detoxification and disinfection of water contaminants. Various solar reactors for photocatlytic water purification are also briefly described. The future potential of solar photocatlysis for storm water treatment and reuse is also discussed to ensure sustainable use of solar energy and storm water resources.

Purification and characterization of heparan sulfate from human primary osteoblasts

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a linear, highly variable, highly sulfated glycosaminoglycan sugar whose biological activity largely depends on internal sulfated domains that mediate specific binding to an extensive range of proteins. In this study we employed anion exchange chromatography, molecular sieving and enzymatic cleavage on HS fractions purified from three compartments of cultured osteoblasts-soluble conditioned media, cell surface, and extracellular matrix (ECM). We demonstrate that the composition of HS chains purified from the different compartments is structurally non-identical by a number of parameters, and that these differences have significant ramifications for their ligand-binding properties. The HS chains purified of conditioned medium had twice the binding affinity for FGF2 when compared with either cell surface or ECM HS. In contrast, similar binding of BMP2 to the three types of HS was observed. These results suggest that different biological compartments of cultured cells have structurally and functionally distinct HS species that help to modulate the flow of HS-dependent factors between the ECM and the cell surface.

PAR/RAP : Action Research/Research Action Participation

This is a creative piece inspired within and by the decolonising stream that emerged at the World Congress on Action Research and Action Learning, held in Melbourne, Australia in September 2010. It compliments the other works within ALAR Journal's specific edition on research experiences within the decolonising space.

Promoting Adult Resilience (PAR): Group Leaders Manual

RAP-A was developed to meet the need for a universal resilience building program for teenagers which could be readily implemented in a school setting. A universal program targets all teenagers in a particular grade as opposed to those at higher risk for depression (indicated or selective approaches) or a treatment group. It is easier to recruit and engage adolescents in a universal approach where students do not face the risk of stigmatisation by being singled out for intervention. The Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP: Shochet, Holland & Whitefield, 1997) was developed to meet this need.

Promoting Adult Resilience (PAR): Participant Workbook

The RAP-A Workbook comprises all of the handouts required for the program's individual and group activities. A Participant Workbook is required for each adolescent to write in, and keep at the end of the program.

Innate Immunity in Lobsters: Partial Purification and Characterization of a Panulirus cygnus Anti-A Lectin

A lectin detected in haemolymph from the Australian spiny lobster Panulirus cygnus agglutinated human ABO Group A cells to a higher titre than Group O or B. The lectin also agglutinated rat and sheep erythrocytes, with reactivity with rat erythrocytes strongly enhanced by treatment with the proteolytic enzyme papain, an observation consistent with reactivity via a glycolipid. The lectin, purified by affinity chromatography on fixed rat-erythrocyte stroma, was inhibited equally by N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine. Comparison of data from gel filtration of haemolymph (behaving as a 1,800,000 Da macromolecule), and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified lectin (a single 67,000 Da band), suggested that in haemolymph the lecin was a multimer. The purified anti-A lectin autoprecipitated unless the storage solution contained chaotropic inhibitors (125 mmol/L sucrose: 500 mmol/L urea). The properties of this anti-A lectin and other similar lectins are consistent with a role in innate immunity in these invertebrates.

Synthesis and characterisation of layered double hydroxides and their application for water purification

Layered doubly hydroxides (LDHs) also known as hydrotalcites or anionic clays are a group of clay minerals that have shown promise for the removal of toxic anions from water through both anion exchange and a process known as the reformation effect. This project has involved the preparation and characterisation of LDH materials as well as the investigation of their ability to remove selected anions from aqueous solutions by the reformation effect. The LDH materials were successfully prepared from magnesium, aluminium, zinc and chromium chloride salts using the co-precipitation method. Samples were characterised using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetry (TG) to confirm the presence of LDHs. Powder XRD revealed a characteristic LDH structure for all LDH samples. Thermal Analysis showed decomposition usual occurred through a three or four step process as expected for LDHs. Preliminary investigations of the removal of sulfate, nitrate and fluoride by an Mg/Al LDH were carried out, and the products were characterised using XRD and TG which showed that an LDH material similar to the original hydrotalcite was formed after reformation. A Zn/Al LDH was investigated as a potential sorbent material for the removal of iodine and iodide from water. It was found that the LDH was a suitable adsorbent which is able to remove almost all of the iodine present in the test solutions. Again, the products were characterised by XRD, TG and evolved gas mass spectrometry (EGMS) in an attempt to better understand the iodine removal process. Powder XRD showed successful reformation of the LDH structure and TG/EGMS showed that only a small amount of iodine species were lost during thermal decomposition. Finally, the mineral stichtite a Mg/Cr LDH was successfully synthesised and investigated using XRD, TG and EGMS. Unfortunately, due to lack of time it was not possible to identify any new uses for the mineral stichtite in the current project.