Successional changes in epiphytic rainforest lichens : implications for the management of rainforest communities

We explored lichen species richness and patterns of lichen succession on rough barked Nothofagus cunninghamii trees and on smooth barked Atherosperma moschatum trees in cool temperate rainforests in Victoria, Australia. Nothofagus cunninghamii trees from the Yarra Ranges, and A.moschatum trees from Errinundra were ranked into size classes (small, medium, large and extra-large), and differences in species richness and composition were compared between size classes for each tree species. Nothofagus cunninghamii supported a rich lichen flora (108 trees, 52 lichen species), with the largest trees supporting a significantly higher number of species, including many uncommon species. This success was attributed to varying bark texture, stand characteristics and microhabitat variations as the trees age. Atherosperma moschatum supported a comparable number of species (120 trees, 54 lichen species). Indeed on average, this host supported more lichen species than N. cunninghamii. However, successional patterns with increasing girth were not as clear for A. moschatum, possibly due to the more stable microclimate that this smooth barked host provided. Victorian cool temperate rainforests exist primarily as small, often isolated pockets within a sea of Eucalypt-dominated, fire-prone forest. Many are regenerating from past disturbance. We find that protection of Victoria’s oldest rainforest pockets is crucial, as they represent sources of rare, potentially threatened lichen species, and may be acting as reservoirs for propagules for nearby ageing rainforests. Indeed, even single, large old trees have conservation importance, as they may provide exceptional microhabitats, not found elsewhere in the regenerating rainforest environment.

Patterns of alcohol use and associated physical and lifestyle characteristics according to new Australian guidelines

Objective: To describe the pattern of alcohol consumption and associated physical and lifestyle characteristics in a population-based sample of Australian men.
Method: A community-based age-stratifi ed random sample of 1420 men (median age 56 years, range 20 – 93) participating in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study, an epidemiological study set in south-eastern Australia. Daily alcohol intake was ascertained from a detailed food frequency questionnaire and categorized according to the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council 2009 guidelines (non-drinkers, greater than zero but ≤ 2 drinks per day, > 2 drinks per day), with a standard drink equivalent to 10 g of ethanol. Anthropometry was measured and lifestyle factors self-reported. Body composition was determined using dual energy absorptiometry. Socio-economic status was categorized according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics data. Results were age standardized to the Australian male population figures.
Results: The median daily ethanol consumption was 12 g (IQR 2 – 29) per day with a range of 0 – 117 g/day. The age-standardized proportion of non-drinkers was 8.7%, 51.5% consumed up to two drinks per day ( ≤ 20 g ethanol/day), and 39.9% exceeded 2 standard drinks per day ( > 20 g ethanol/day). Alcohol consumption was positively associated with cigarette smoking, weight, higher SES and inversely with age and physical activity.
Conclusions: Approximately, 40% of Australian men consume alcohol at levels in excess of current recommendations, which in combination with other risk factors may adversely impact upon health.

Measuring children’s involvement as an indicator of curriculum effectiveness : a curriculum evaluation of a selected child study centre in Singapore

This paper presents one aspect of a research project evaluating a curriculum model of a selected child study centre in Singapore. An issue of worldwide interest and concern is the ‘quality of learning’ debate as it relates to early childhood centres. In Singapore, the government is focusing on expansion in child care settings and increases in the amount of funded training. One of the issues surrounding prior-to-school education raises the question of how one measures the quality of teaching and learning, to describe the value of using, funding and promoting early education. The research reported in this study used a quasi experimental research paradigm to assess one aspect of the quality of a curriculum programme in a child study centre in Singapore. Children aged between 18 months and 6 years (N = 81) participated in the research. Using the observation scale of Laevers’ Child Involvement Scale, the active involvement of children in learning experiences was measured. The findings are presented and discussed.

Elements of psychological maturity and its influence on antisocial and criminal behavior

Insights from developmental psychology provide a useful perspective from which to understand why young people might engage in higher levels of antisocial behavior than adults. They can also be useful in term of highlighting which aspects of development result in young people making less mature judgments. Yet despite this extensive body of knowledge, there is no psychological or legal definition of maturity that can be applied to legal decision making. Within a criminal context, investigations of adolescent immaturity have emphasized cognitive factors, influenced by the informed consent model which places a premium on factors such as “knowledge” and “competence”, with an emphasis on cognitive functioning (e.g., thinking, reasoning, and understanding). This approach has been criticized for failing to adequately illustrate differences between adolescent and adult decision making. This paper reviews the notion of psychological maturity and comments on the importance of a broader assessment that includes psychosocial factors in the face of a growing trend in many jurisdictions to transfer juvenile offenders to the adult jurisdiction based on the severity of crime committed rather than their level of culpability.

Understanding young offenders: developmental criminology

The role of criminological theory should be to inform practice. Program developers should start with a recognized theory about the causes of crime and then design interventions that target factors identified in that theory. Unfortunately, the link between theory and practice is not always apparent. In this paper, a number of prominent developmental theories of crime are considered. These theories are significant in that they provide a strong basis for understanding young offending, and how both the criminal justice system and service providers should approach the task of working constructively with those who appear before the court. This is followed by a review of programs that have been designed to address the risk factors identified in these developmental theories.

How well does the index of receptivity to tobacco industry promotion discriminate between smoking and never smoking adolescents.

Tobacco advertising is often named as the culprit that causes children to start smoking (Lancaster & Lancaster, 2003). This belief can partly be attributed to the Index of Receptivity to Tobacco Industry Promotion (IRTIP) developed by Evans, Farkas, Gilpin, Berry, & Pierce (1995). IRTIP was later modified and used by Pierce, Choi, Gilpin, Farkas, & Berry (1998) in a longitudinal study that claimed to have found a causal link between advertising and adolescent cigarette trial. The model is advertised by the American National Cancer Institute (2004) as being able to measure the likelihood of an adolescent starting smoking. Because of Pierce’s causality claim and this endorsement, IRTIP has been widely adopted by tobacco-control researchers. Consequently, the results from IRTIP based surveys have played a central role in influencing tobacco control policy. Based on the logic that a model used to predict the chances of a non-smoker becoming a smoker should be able to distinguish between these two groups, discriminant analysis with dummy coded variables was used to validate IRTIP. The results show that while IRTIP classifies never-smokers well, it grossly misclassifies smokers. This leads to questions about the validity of the model and of studies using IRTIP.

The influence of cultural values on brand loyalty

It is well documented that culture can influence consumer attitudes and behavior. While there have been numerous studies on how culture influences the four Ps of the marketing mix, few researchers have examined its effect on customer loyalty. More specifically, how consumers who identify more with certain cultural traits are likely to be more brand loyal. Using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, this study empirically examines cultural effects on consumer-reported “proneness” to brand loyalty and finds that those who scored highly in individualism and uncertainty avoidance have greater affinity for exhibiting loyalty to a brand.

Outcomes of population based language promotion for slow to talk toddlers at ages 2 and 3 years: let’s learn language cluster randomised controlled trial

Objective To determine the benefits of a low intensity parent-toddler language promotion programme delivered to toddlers identified as slow to talk on screening in universal services.
Design Cluster randomised trial nested in a population based survey.
Setting Three local government areas in Melbourne, Australia.
Participants Parents attending 12 month well child checks over a six month period completed a baseline questionnaire. At 18 months, children at or below the 20th centile on an expressive vocabulary checklist entered the trial.
Intervention Maternal and child health centres (clusters) were randomly allocated to intervention (modified “You Make the Difference” programme over six weekly sessions) or control (“usual care”) arms.
Main outcome measures The primary outcome was expressive language (Preschool Language Scale-4) at 2 and 3 years; secondary outcomes were receptive language at 2 and 3 years, vocabulary checklist raw score at 2 and 3 years, Expressive Vocabulary Test at 3 years, and Child Behavior Checklist/1.5-5 raw score at 2 and 3 years.
Results 1217 parents completed the baseline survey; 1138 (93.5%) completed the 18 month checklist, when 301 (26.4%) children had vocabulary scores at or below the 20th centile and were randomised (158 intervention, 143 control). 115 (73%) intervention parents attended at least one session (mean 4.5 sessions), and most reported high satisfaction with the programme. Interim outcomes at age 2 years were similar in the two groups. Similarly, at age 3 years, adjusted mean differences (intervention−control) were −2.4 (95% confidence interval −6.2 to 1.4; P=0.21) for expressive language; −0.3 (−4.2 to 3.7; P=0.90) for receptive language; 4.1 (−2.3 to 10.6; P=0.21) for vocabulary checklist; −0.5 (−4.4 to 3.4; P=0.80) for Expressive Vocabulary Test; −0.1 (−1.6 to 1.4; P=0.86) for externalising behaviour problems; and −0.1 (−1.3 to 1.2; P=0. 92) for internalising behaviour problems.
Conclusion This community based programme targeting slow to talk toddlers was feasible and acceptable, but little evidence was found that it improved language or behaviour either immediately or at age 3 years.

A single PDZ domain protein interacts with the menkes copper ATPase, ATP7A : a new protein implicated in copper homeostasis

The homeostatic regulation of essential elements such as copper requires many proteins whose activities are often mediated and tightly coordinated through protein-protein interactions. This regulation ensures that cells receive enough copper without intracellular concentrations reaching toxic levels. To date, only a small number of proteins implicated in copper homeostasis have been identified, and little is known of the protein-protein interactions required for this process. To identify other proteins important for copper homeostasis, while also elucidating the protein-protein interactions that are integral to the process, we have utilized a known copper protein, the copper ATPase ATP7A, as a bait in a yeast two-hybrid screen of a human cDNA library to search for interacting partners. One of the ATP7A-interacting proteins identified is a novel protein with a single PDZ domain. This protein was recently identified to interact with the plasma membrane calcium ATPase b-splice variants. We propose a change in name for this protein from PISP (plasma membrane calcium ATPase-interacting single-PDZ protein) to AIPP1 (ATPase-interacting PDZ protein) and suggest that it represents the protein that interacts with the class I PDZ binding motif identified at the ATP7A C terminus. The interaction in mammalian cells was confirmed and an additional splice variant of AIPP1 was identified. This study represents an essential step forward in identifying the proteins and elucidating the network of protein-protein interactions involved in maintaining copper homeostasis and validates the use of the yeast two-hybrid approach for this purpose.