Nitrogen relations of natural and disturbed plant communities in tropical Australia

Nitrogen relations of natural and disturbed tropical plant communities in northern Australia (Kakadu National Park) were studied. Plant and soil N characteristics suggested that differences in N source utilisation occur at community and species level. Leaf and xylem sap N concentrations of plants in different communities were correlated with the availability of inorganic soil N (NH4+ and NO3-). In general, rates of leaf NO3- assimilation were low. Even in communities with a higher N status, including deciduous monsoon forest, disturbed wetland, and a revegetated mine waste rock dump, levels of leaf nitrate reductase, xylem and leaf NO3 levels were considerably lower than those that have been reported for eutrophic communities. Although NO3- assimilation in escarpment and eucalypt woodlands, and wetland, was generally low, within these communities there was a suite of species that exhibited a greater capacity for NO3- assimilation. These high-NO3- species were mainly annuals, resprouting herbs or deciduous trees that had leaves with high N contents. Ficus, a high-NO3- species, was associated with soil exhibiting higher rates of net mineralisation and net nitrification. Low-NO3- species were evergreen perennials with low leaf N concentrations. A third group of plants, which assimilated NO3- (albeit at lower rates than the high-NO3- species), and had high-N leaves, were leguminous species. Acacia species, common in woodlands, had the highest leaf N contents of all woody species. Acacia species appeared to have the greatest potential to utilise the entire spectrum of available N sources. This versatility in N source utilisation may be important in relation to their high tissue N status and comparatively short life cycle. Differences in N utilisation are discussed in the context of species life strategies and mycorrhizal associations.

Parent training skills and methadone maintenance: clinical opportunities and challenges

Children raised in substance abusing families show high rates of behavioural and emotional problems, in particular oppositional, defiant and non-compliant behaviours. While a range of social and individual factors correlate with poor parenting, it is often the quality of the parent-child relationship that mediates the effects of most other risk factors on child development. By addressing this relationship using behavioural family interventions, child behaviour problems have been reduced in multiple problem families. However, there has been little attempt to systematically evaluate such programs in substance abusing families. It is argued that methadone replacement programs provide a window of opportunity to deliver well-validated parent training programs that enhance the quality of parent-child relations. However, it is likely that such programs would need to be medium to long term and address issues beyond parent child relationships. How such interventions may be delivered and evaluated is discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prejudiced attitudes, group norms, and discriminatory behaviour

Most current attitude research focuses on range of non-social attitudinal targets, including health-related and consumer outcomes. In this paper, a program of research that considers the relations among intergroup attitudes, group norms, and behavior will be described. The first study examined the effect of ingroup norms relating to multiculturalism on the extent to wich participants hehaviourally enacted their attitudes. Consistent with social identity theory, attitudebehaviour consistency in relation was influenced by ingroup norms, particularly when national identity was salient. The results of a large scale field study that essential replicated this pattern of results will also be discussed.

Self-awareness and psychosocial functioning following acquired brain injury: An evaluation of a group support programme

This study investigated a group support programme designed to improve self-awareness deficits and psychosocial functioning in a group of chronic patients (N = 21) with acquired brain injury (ABI). The participants were on average 8.6 years (range: 1-36 years) post-injury and were seen at the Brain Injury Association of Queensland, Australia. The assessment of participants involved two standardised measures of intellectual self-awareness with collateral reports from relatives. The present study introduced a new measure called the Self-Regulation Skills Interview (SRSI) which assessed higher levels of self awareness and self-regulation skills. Psychosocial functioning was assessed using a standardised self-report measure. At baseline the group had a relatively high level of intellectual self-awareness regarding their deficits, a low to moderate level of self-regulation skills, and significant psychosocial impairment. The participants were involved in a 16-week group programme which involved components of cognitive rehabilitation, cognitive-behavioural therapy, and social skills training. A post-intervention assessment indicated that participants had significantly improved levels of self-regulation skills and psychosocial functioning. A 6-month follow-up assessment indicated that overall, participants had maintained the gains made during the programme. The important role of self-regulation skills is emphasised as the principle factor contributing to the maintenance of the gains observed.

Acute high-intensity interval training improves T-vent and peak power output in highly trained males.

This study examined the effects of four high-intensity interval-training (HIT) sessions performed over 2 weeks on peak volume of oxygen uptake (VO2peak), the first and second ventilatory thresholds (UT VT2) and peak power output (PPO) in highly trained cyclists. Fourteen highly trained male cyclists (VO2peak = 67.5 +/- 3.7 ml . kg(-1) . min(-1)) performed a ramped cycle test to determine VO2peak VT1 VT2, and PPO. Subjects were divided equally into a HIT group and a control group. The HIT group performed four HIT sessions (20 x 60 s at PPO, 120 s recovery); the V-02peak test was repeated <I wk after the HIT program. Control subjects maintained their regular training program and were reassessed under the same timeline. There was no change in V0(2peak) for either group; however, the HIT group showed a significantly greater increase in VT1, (+22% vs. -3%), VT2 (+15% vs. -1%), and PPO (+4.3 vs. -.4%) compared to controls (all P <.05). This study has demonstrated that HIT can improve VT1, VT2,, and PPO, following only four HIT sessions in already highly trained cyclists.

Beyond the middle: A report about literacy and numeracy development of target group students in the middle years of schooling: Volume 1

The report was commissioned by the Department of Education, Science and Training to investigate the perceived efficacy of middle years programmes in all States and Territories in improving the quality of teaching, learning and student outcomes, especially in literacy and numeracy and for student members of particular target groups. These target groups included students from lower socio-economic communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, students with a language background other than English, rural and remote students, and students struggling with the transition from middle/upper primary to the junior secondary years. The project involved large scale national and international literature reviews on Australian and international middle years approaches as well as an analysis of key literacy and numeracy teaching and learning strategies being used. In the report, there is emergent evidence of the relative efficacy of a combination of explicit state policy, dedicated funding and curriculum and professional development frameworks that are focused on the improvement of classroom pedagogy in the middle years. The programs that evidenced the greatest current and potential value for target group students tended to have developed in state policy environments that encouraged a structural rather than adjunct approach to middle years innovations. The authors conclude that in order to translate the gains made into sustainable improvement of educational results in literacy and numeracy for target groups, there is a need for a second generation of middle years theorising, research, development and practice.

Beyond the middle: A report about literacy and numeracy development of target group students in the middle years of schooling: Volume 2 (Appendices)

This research project was commissioned by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training to investigate the perceived efficacy of middle years programs in all States and Territories in improving the quality of teaching, learning and student outcomes - especially in literacy and numeracy and for student members of particular target groups. The latter groups included students from lower socio-economic communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) communities, students with a Language Background Other than English (hereafter LBOTE), rural and remote students, and students struggling with the transition from middle/upper primary to the junior secondary years.

Do generalized visual training programmes for sport really work? An experimental investigation

We assessed the effectiveness of two generalized visual training programmes in enhancing visual and motor performance for racquet sports. Forty young participants were assigned equally to groups undertaking visual training using Revien and Gabor's Sports Vision programme (Group 1), visual training using Revien's Eyerobics (Group 2), a placebo condition involving reading (Group 3) and a control condition involving physical practice only (Group 4). Measures of basic visual function and of sport-specific motor performance were obtained from all participants before and immediately after a 4-week training period. Significant pre- to post-training differences were evident on some of the measures; however, these were not group-dependent. Contrary to the claims made by proponents of generalized visual training, we found no evidence that the visual training programmes led to improvements in either vision or motor performance above and beyond those resulting simply from test familiarity.

Effect of the movement speed of resistance training exercises on sprint and strength performance in concurrently training elite junior sprinters

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of 7 weeks of high- and low-velocity resistance training on strength and sprint running performance in nine male elite junior sprint runners (age 19.0 +/- 1.4 years, best 100 m times 10.89 +/- 0.21 s; mean +/- s). The athletes continued their sprint training throughout the study, but their resistance training programme was replaced by one in which the movement velocities of hip extension and flexion, knee extension and flexion and squat exercises varied according to the loads lifted (i.e. 30-50% and 70-90% of 1-RM in the high- and low-velocity training groups, respectively). There were no between-group differences in hip flexion or extension torque produced at 1.05, 4.74 or 8.42 rad . s(-1), 20 m acceleration or 20 m 'flying' running times, or 1-RM squat lift strength either before or after training. This was despite significant improvements in 20 m acceleration time (P < 0.01), squat strength (P< 0.05), isokinetic hip flexion torque at 4.74 rad . s(-1) and hip extension torque at 1.05 and 4.74 rad . s(-1) for the athletes as a whole over the training period. Although velocity-specific strength adaptations have been shown to occur rapidly in untrained and non-concurrently training individuals, the present results suggest a lack of velocity-specific performance changes in elite concurrently training sprint runners performing a combination of traditional and semi-specific resistance training exercises.

The effectiveness of parent management training to increase self-efficacy in parents of children with Asperger syndrome

This study was a trial of an intervention programme aimed to improve parental self-efficacy in the management of problem behaviours associated with Asperger syndrome. The intervention was compared across two formats, a I day workshop and six individual sessions, and also with a non-intervention control group. The results indicated that, compared with the control group, parents in both intervention groups reported fewer problem behaviours and increased self-efficacy following the interventions, at both 4 weeks and 3 months follow-up. The results also showed a difference in self-efficacy between mothers and fathers, with mothers reporting a significantly greater increase in self-efficacy following intervention than fathers. There was no significant difference between the workshop format and the individual sessions.

Optimising high-intensity treadmill training using the running speed at maximal O-2 uptake and the time for which this can be maintained

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of two high-intensity, treadmill interval-training programs on 3000-m and 5000-m running performance. Maximal oxygen uptake ((V) over dot O-2max), the running speed associated with (V) over dot O-2max (nu (V) over dot O-2max), the time for which nu (V) over dot O-2max can be maintained (T-max), running economy (RE), ventilatory threshold (VT) and 3000-m and 5000-m running times were determined in 27 well-trained runners. Subjects were then randomly assigned to three groups; (1) 60% T-max (2) 70% T-max and (3) control. Subjects in the control group continued their normal training and subjects in the two T-max groups undertook a 4-week treadmill interval-training program with the intensity set at nu (V) over dot O-2max and the interval duration at the assigned T-max. These subjects completed two interval-training sessions per week (60% T-max = six intervals/session, 70% T-max group = five intervals/session). Subjects were re-tested on all parameters at the completion of the training program. There was a significant improvement between pre- and post-training values in 3000-m time trial (TT) performance in the 60% T-max group compared to the 70% T,,a, and control groups [mean (SE); 60% T-max = 17.6 (3.5) s, 70% T-max = 6.3 (4.2) s, control = 0.5 (7.7) s]. There was no significant effect of the training program on 5000-m TT performance [60% T-max = 25.8 (13.8) s, 70% T-max = 3.7 (11.6) s, control = 9.9 (13.1) s]. Although there were no significant improvements in (V) over dot O-2max, nu (V) over dot (2max) and RE between groups, changes in (V) over dot O-2max and RE were significantly correlated with the improvement in the 3000-m TT. Furthermore, VT and T-max were significantly higher in the 60% Tmax group post-compared to pre-training. In conclusion, 3000-m running performance can be significantly improved in a group of well-trained runners, using a 4-week treadmill interval training program at nu (V) over dot O-2max with interval durations of 60% T-max.

Putting the group back into unions: A social psychological contribution to understanding union support

Industrial relations research that attempts to grapple with individuals' union-related sentiments and activities often draws on one of two traditions of psychological research—the individual-level factors tradition (for example, personality and attitude-behaviour relations) and the social context tradition (for example, frustration-aggression and relative deprivation). This paper provides an overview of research conducted from within these traditions to explain union-related phenomena and identifies some of the limitations that arise as a consequence of a shared tendency to treat people in an atomistic fashion. The paper argues for an understanding of the psychological processes that underpin group-based action. To this end, it elaborates a theoretical framework based on social identity theory and self-categorisation theory that would allow us to examine the dynamic interplay between the individual, their cognitions and their environment. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of a specific case of union mobilisation, to indicate how this theoretical framework might aid empirical analysis.