Prevention of alcohol and other drug problems in culturally and linguistically diverse communities

Australia has long been known as a multicultural society. In 2009 around one-quarter of Australia’s population was born overseas and immigrants come from more than 200 countries. While most of Australia’s migrants come from New Zealand, the United Kingdom, India or China, the fastest growing immigrant populations are from sub-Saharan and northern Africa, and the Middle East. Immigrants from a non-English speaking country, as well as their children and grandchildren, are commonly referred to as culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) as a way of acknowledging differences in ethnic identity and affiliation, as well as cultural and language practices and preferences. Culturally and linguistically diverse groups in Australia face many health challenges, one of which is a potential vulnerability to alcohol and other drug (AOD) use.

The primary aim of this paper is to identify and evaluate primary prevention programs and initiatives aimed at preventing AOD harms in CLD communities.

Family violence : key findings from the evaluation of the 2006 family law reforms

The different types, prevalence and consequences of family violence, as demonstrated by the Australian Institute of Family Studies' Evaluation of the 2006 Family Law Reforms, are discussed. Family violence is shown to be an extremely complex phenomenon, which affects the mental and social well-being of the children. Hence, different measures that can be adopted to deal with pre- and post-separation periods and child care problems are also analyzed.

Exploring the application of Health Impact Assessment in neighbourhood renewal

This thesis explores the role that Health Impact Assessment can play in social exclusion policy contexts focusing specifically on Victoria's Neighbourhood Renewal Scheme. The findings demonstrate that it can play an important role if due attention is given to contextual and procedural factors both within community settings and within government.

Oral sensitivity to fatty acids, food consumption and BMI in human subjects

Fatty acids are the chemical moieties that are thought to stimulate oral nutrient sensors, which detect the fat content of foods. In animals, oral hypersensitivity to fatty acids is associated with decreased fat intake and body weight. The aims of the present study were to investigate oral fatty acid sensitivity, food selection and BMI in human subjects. The study included two parts; study 1 established in thirty-one subjects (29 (sem 1·4) years, 22·8 (sem 0·5) kg/m²) taste thresholds using 3-AFC (3-Alternate Forced Choice Methodology) for oleic, linoleic and lauric acids, and quantified oral lipase activity. During study 2, fifty-four subjects (20 (sem 0·3) years, 21·5 (sem 0·4) kg/m2) were screened for oral fatty acid sensitivity using oleic acid (1·4 mm), and they were defined as hypo- or hypersensitive via triplicate triangle tests. Habitual energy and macronutrient intakes were quantified from 2 d diet records, and BMI was calculated from height and weight. Subjects also completed a fat ranking task using custard containing varying amounts (0, 2, 6 and 10 %) of fat. Study 1 reported median lipase activity as 2 μmol fatty acids/min per l, and detection thresholds for oleic, linoleic and lauric acids were 2·2 (sem 0·1), 1·5 (sem 0·1) and 2·6 (sem 0·3) mm. Study 2 identified twelve hypersensitive subjects, and hypersensitivity was associated with lower energy and fat intakes, lower BMI (P < 0·05) and an increased ability to rank custards based on fat content (P < 0·05). Sensitivity to oleic acid was correlated to performance in the fat ranking task (r 0·4, P < 0·05). These data suggest that oral fatty acid hypersensitivity is associated with lower energy and fat intakes and BMI, and it may serve as a factor that influences fat consumption in human subjects.

Autocatalytic nature of permanganate oxidations exploited for highly sensitive chemiluminescence detection

Manganese(II) salts catalyze the chemiluminescent oxidation of organic compounds with acidic potassium permanganate. The formation of insoluble manganese(IV) species from the reaction between manganese(II) and permanganate can be prevented with sodium polyphosphate, and therefore, relatively high concentrations of the catalyst can be added to the reagent before the lightproducing reaction is initiated. The rapid and intense emissions from these manganese(II) catalyzed chemiluminescence reactions provide highly sensitive detection and greater compatibility with liquid chromatography.

Lactoferrin and cancer in different cancer models

Lactoferrin (Lf) is a multifunctional protein and an essential element of innate immunity. Cancer is a major killer in today's world accounting for around 13% of all deaths according to the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.). The five most common forms of cancer include lung, colorectal, stomach, liver and breast cancer. Lactoferrin is a natural forming iron-binding glycoprotein with antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic effects. It is produced in exocrine glands and is secreted in many external fluids as a first line of defence. Lactoferrin also has the capacity to induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation in cancer cells as well as restore white and red blood cell levels after chemotherapy. This review focuses on the therapeutic effect bovine sourced lactoferrin has on various forms of cancer in various models. It also focuses on the benefits of 3D in vitro cell culture. 3D cell culture has vast advantages over 2D models including demonstration of realistic therapeutic results and heightened resistance that 2D models fail to display.

Visionnaire 2010

Visionnaire 2010 : A screening of 15 postgraduate and masters films.

Two hundred and two - Daniella Said, Adam Green, Phoebe Beasley, Juntra Santitarangkun, Olexander Barnes & Rhett Ortlipp.
Gone to see - Sean Rafter.
Hippocratic oath - Nathan Primer, Daniel Merei, Melina Flood, Michael Dearnley, Mathew Karanicolas & Nicholas White.
The other voices - Tania Raouf.
Standover - Nicholas Hancock, Ryan Thomas, David Hurley, Nicholas Weller, Mitch McTaggart & Djorvan Caro.
Sisters - Kailai Gu.
Escape - Jonathan Burton, Simon Todd, Todd Johnson, Amanda Klimos, James Murphy, Ola Gytri & Max Reed.
Welcome to the Anderson's - Maneesha Jacob.
Hannah - Jodi Deutrom, Ardimas Andi, Ben Engeset, Kim Han Law, Steffen Hagen & Timotius.
Hour3 - Akanksha Shakya.
3-25-6 - Syamsul Azhar, Ethan Bottomley, Tiffany Dalton, Kane Gloury, Alexandra Latimer & Lene Moerch.
Seher and others - Bircan Eral.
Edward Barsky - Breidi Boyle, Bree Mansell, Simon DeNatris & Murphy McLachlan.
Detecting Calvin - Kara Tyson, Aimee Linossier, Jessica Ruffino, Seamus Parkinson, Dean Sacco & Simon Holt.
Double date - Adriana Bizzarri, Matthew Smolen, Effie Telianidis, Oliver Kerr, Lucy Ramshaw & Luisa Tascone.

Reinforcing silk scaffolds with silk particles

Silk fibroin is a useful protein polymer for biomaterials and tissue engineering. In this work, porogen leached scaffolds prepared from aqueous and HFIP silk solutions were reinforced through the addition of silk particles. This led to about 40 times increase in the specific compressive modulus and the yield strength of HFIP-based scaffolds. This increase in mechanical properties resulted from the high interfacial cohesion between the silk matrix and the reinforcing silk particles, due to partial solubility of the silk particles in HFIP. The porosity of scaffolds was reduced from ≈90% (control) to ≈75% for the HFIP systems containing 200% particle reinforcement, while maintaining pore interconnectivity. The presence of the particles slowed the enzymatic degradation of silk scaffolds.

Restoration of the habitat-forming fucoid alga Hormosira banksii at effluent-affected sites : competitive exclusion by coralline turfs

Fucoid algae often dominate intertidal rocky shores, providing habitat and modifying ecosystem resources for other species, but are susceptible to discharge of sewage effluent. In this study we assessed the potential for competition from coralline turfs to inhibit restoration of the intertidal fucoid macroalga Hormosira banksii at sites associated with an ocean outfall a scenario of improving following water quality in the nearshore coastal environment. The percentage cover and number of individuals of H. banksii were negatively correlated with both the percentage cover and turf height of Corallina officinalis. In contrast, H. banksii was positively associated with rocky substrata and recruited well to rock-surface substrata. Importantly, there appears to be a threshold abundance where the percentage cover of H. banksii rarely reaches above 20% cover amongst coralline turfs with >40% cover. These data support a model of alternative community states: H. banksii dominated canopy on rocky substrata versus C. officinalis turf. In field and laboratory experiments, extensive coralline turfs (up to 4 cm thick) were shown to inhibit recruitment of H. banksii. This study shows competitive exclusion by coralline turfs may limit the successful restoration of habitat provided by H. banksii to shores that have been affected by sustained discharge of secondarily treated sewage effluent. We suggest potential strategies for management authorities to consider when seeking ways of restoring fucoid communities affected by anthropogenic disturbances such as wastewater disposal.

Ingrowth of human mesenchymal stem cells into porous silk particle reinforced silk composite scaffolds : an in vitro study

Silk fibroin protein is biodegradable and biocompatible, exhibiting excellent mechanical properties for various biomedical applications. However, porous three-dimensional (3-D) silk fibroin scaffolds, or silk sponges, usually fall short in matching the initial mechanical requirements for bone tissue engineering. In the present study, silk sponge matrices were reinforced with silk microparticles to generate protein-protein composite scaffolds with desirable mechanical properties for in vitro osteogenic tissue formation. It was found that increasing the silk microparticle loading led to a substantial increase in the scaffold compressive modulus from 0.3 MPa (non-reinforced) to 1.9 MPa for 1:2 (matrix:particle) reinforcement loading by dry mass. Biochemical, gene expression, and histological assays were employed to study the possible effects of increasing composite scaffold stiffness, due to microparticle reinforcement, on in vitro osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Increasing silk microparticle loading increased the osteogenic capability of hMSCs in the presence of bone morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2) and other osteogenic factors in static culture for up to 6 weeks. The calcium adsorption increased dramatically with increasing loading, as observed from biochemical assays, histological staining, and microcomputer tomography (μCT) analysis. Specifically, calcium content in the scaffolds increased by 0.57, 0.71, and 1.27 mg (per μg of DNA) from 3 to 6 weeks for matrix to particle dry mass loading ratios of 1:0, 1:1, and 1:2, respectively. In addition, μCT imaging revealed that at 6 weeks, bone volume fraction increased from 0.78% for non-reinforced to 7.1% and 6.7% for 1:1 and 1:2 loading, respectively. Our results support the hypothesis that scaffold stiffness may strongly influence the 3-D in vitro differentiation capabilities of hMSCs, providing a means to improve osteogenic outcomes.

Cruelty to animals and psychosocial adjustment among Chinese children

Childhood cruelty to animals is associated with interpersonal violence in later life. The study for this thesis investigated risk factors for childhood cruelty to animals in China. For both boys and girls externalising problems, poor communication within families, and harsh parental discipline predicted animal cruelty, providing targets for intervention to prevent later violence. The portfolio presents four clinical case studies which demonstrate the complex and varied impact that intimate partner violence has on women, and the importance of psychological intervention in assisting women to manage their physical and mental health and well-being.