π-Selective stationary phases: (I) Influence of the spacer chain length of phenyl type phases on the aromatic and methylene selectivity of aromatic compounds in reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography

Phenyl type stationary phases of increasing spacer chain length (phenyl, methyl phenyl, ethyl phenyl, propyl phenyl and butyl phenyl, with 0–4 carbon atoms in the spacer chain, respectively) were synthesised and packed in house to determine the impact that the spacer chain length has on the retention process. Two trends in the aromatic selectivity, q_aromatic, were observed, depending on whether the number of carbon atoms in the spacer chain is even or odd. Linear log k′ vs ϕ plots were obtained for each stationary phase and the S coefficient was determined from the gradient of these plots. For the phenyl type phases, the S vs n_c plots of the retention factors of linear polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons vs the number of rings exhibit a distinct discontinuity that between 3 and 4 rings, which increases with increasing spacer chain length for even phases but decreases for odd phases. Accordingly, we suggest that the retention factors depend differently on the number of carbon atoms in the spacer chain depending on whether this number is even or odd and that this effect is caused by different orientations of the aromatic ring relative to the silica surface.

Sickness ruins the complexion, breeding disappears without gold: culture and the i nterpretation of illness among the Minangkabau of West Sumatra, Indonesia

The interpretation of illness and its meaning to individuals and groups is largely a product of culture and is based on shared experience, historical significance, and the social function of individuals in the community. West Sumatra, like many parts of Indonesia, has experienced rapid development and modernization since the nation achieved independence in 1945 and is currently 12 years into Regional Autonomy, a dramatic shift in national administration from a highly centralized system to one which devolved authority to the level of district or municipal government. These changes have brought Indonesians into contact with an increasingly globalized culture and have put pressure on traditional institutions and practices. This is especially significant in the area of health, where considerable tension exists between the allopathic conceptualization of health (as espoused by health care professionals in the formal sector) and traditional interpretations of health that derive from a traditional cultural and linguistic frame of reference. This paper, based on fieldwork in the Indonesian region of Tanah Datar, West Sumatra, describes the impact of cultural and linguistic factors on the interpretation of illness among rural residents and elucidates the growing impact of multiple systems of meaning in local understanding of health.

Assessing the reading and writing of EAL/D students: issues and implications

This paper reports on the preliminary findings of a study on literacy strategies for learners in established English as an Additional Language (EAL) classes in Years 7-10 in three Victorian secondary schools. The paper draws on baseline reading and writing assessment results (N=45). <div>
The findings showed that within a single classroom, around 70% of students were operating at well below their high school year level, and that teachers faced a six-year spread of literacy levels in each class. At the lower levels, students were weak in both reading and writing. At higher levels, students were stronger in reading than in writing.

The reading assessments have several implications for teaching. They point to a need for instruction in decoding skills, especially semantic and syntactic cueing systems. Because decoding is necessary but not sufficient for comprehension of academic texts, knowledge about vocabulary, grammar and genre needs to be embedded in the curriculum in a systematic way for literacy development to be maximised. The study also shows how ongoing formative assessment is required to ground literacy pedagogy.div>

Effects of vitamin D supplementation on neuroplasticity in older adults: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomised trial

Summary - Vitamin D can improve muscle function and reduce falls, but whether it can strengthen neural connections within the brain and nervous system is not known. This 10-week randomised controlled trial indicates that treatment with 2,000 IU/day vitamin D3 does not significantly alter neuroplasticity relative to placebo in older adults.
Introduction - The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of vitamin D supplementation on neuroplasticity, serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and muscle strength and function in older adults.
Methods - This was a 10-week double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomised trial in which 26 older adults with 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25OHD] concentrations 25&ndash;60 nmol/L were randomised to 2,000 IU/day vitamin D3 or matched placebo. Single- and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation applied over the motor cortex was used to assess changes in motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) and short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), as measures of corticospinal excitability and inhibition respectively, by recording electromyography (EMG) responses to stimulation from the wrist extensors. Changes in muscle strength, stair climbing power, gait (timed-up-and-go), dynamic balance (four square step test), serum 25(OH)D and BDNF concentrations were also measured.
Results - After 10 weeks, mean 25(OH)D levels increased from 46 to 81 nmol/L in the vitamin D group with no change in the placebo group. The vitamin D group experienced a significant 8&ndash;11 % increase in muscle strength and a reduction in cortical excitability (MEP amplitude) and SICI relative to baseline (all P < 0.05), but these changes were not significantly different from placebo. There was no effect of vitamin D on muscle power, function or BDNF.
Conclusions - Daily supplementation with 2,000 IU vitamin D3 for 10 weeks had no significant effect on neuroplasticity compared to placebo, but the finding that vitamin D treatment alone was associated with a decrease in corticospinal excitability and intracortical inhibition warrants further investigation as this suggests that it may improve the efficacy of neural transmission within the corticospinal pathway.

Environmental and genetic determinants of vitamin D insufficiency in 12-month-old infants

We aimed to investigate the relationship between genetic and environmental exposure and vitamin D status at age one, stratified by ethnicity. This study included 563 12-month-old infants in the HealthNuts population-based study. DNA from participants' blood samples was genotyped using Sequenom MassARRAY MALDI-TOF system on 28 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in six genes. Using logistic regression, we examined associations between environmental exposure and SNPs in vitamin D pathway and filaggrin genes and vitamin D insufficiency (VDI). VDI, defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3(25(OH)D3) level ≤50 nmol/L, was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Infants were stratified by ethnicity determined by parent's country of birth. Infants formula fed at 12 months were associated with reduced odds of VDI compared to infants with no current formula use at 12 months. This association differed by ethnicity (P;bsubesub;= 0.01). The odds ratio (OR) of VDI was 0.29 for Caucasian infants (95% CI, 0.18-0.47) and 0.04 for Asian infants (95% CI, 0.006-0.23). Maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and/or breastfeeding were associated with increased odds of infants being VDI (OR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.11-5.18 and OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.20-5.24 respectively). Presence of a minor allele for any GC SNP (rs17467825, rs1155563, rs2282679, rs3755967, rs4588, rs7041) was associated with increased odds of VDI. Caucasian infants homozygous (AA) for rs4588 had an OR of 2.49 of being associated with VDI (95% CI, 1.19-5.18). In a country without routine infant vitamin D supplementation or food chain fortification, formula use is strongly associated with a reduced risk of VDI regardless of ethnicity. There was borderline significance for an association between filaggrin mutations and VDI. However, polymorphisms in vitamin D pathway related genes were associated with increased likelihood of being VDI in infancy. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Examining the prevalence of type-D personality in an Australian population

© 2015 The Australian Psychological Society. Objective: Type-D personality is a construct that describes a tendency to simultaneously experience negative emotions and inhibit self-expression for fear of negative social judgement. The link between type-D and poor health outcomes may be partly mediated by two prominent psychosocial mechanisms, poor-quality health-related behaviour and poor perceived-social support. Method: The present study replicated and extended a 2008 UK and Irish prevalence study, utilising a sample from the Australian general population. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between type-D personality and subjective levels of social support, health-related behaviours and neuroticism, as well as examining the estimated prevalence rate of type-D in the general Australian population. Nine hundred and fifty five Australian participants over the age of 18 (194 male and 761 female) completed four measures assessing levels of type-D personality, quality of health-related behaviours, perceived-social support and neuroticism. Results: As hypothesised, the estimated prevalence rate was not found to be significantly different from the rate obtained by Williams etal. (2008). In addition, type-D individuals reported significantly lower perceived-social support and poorer-quality health behaviours than non-type-D individuals. Conclusions: The results of this study provide further support for the association of type-D personality with poor health-related behaviours and poor perceived-social support, as well as demonstrating the applicability of the type-D construct to the Australian general population for the first time. General healthcare applications are discussed, as well as the potential for type-D personality research to influence public illness prevention in general.