The lived experiences of third culture kids transitioning into university life in Australia

This study presents a new orienting framework to aid in the understanding of how Third Culture Kids' (TCKs) transition into university life in Australia. The framework was developed after analysis of data from a qualitative phenomenological research project using data from 12 in-depth interviews with Australian TCKs aged 18-27 years who, had spent 3-18 years living in Africa, Europe and Asia and had been in Australia for seven months to nine years. After thematic data analysis was conducted four themes emerged from the data which resulted in the development of a TCK Transition into University Model. This model includes four stages; (a) preparedness prior to transition, (b) initial experience during transition, (c) adjustment during transition and (d) stabilisation. Each of the four stages provides information about participants' practical, social and emotional experience of the transition to university life in Australia. The key findings included participants who received preparation from their school and family prior to moving, had practical support in Australia and engaged in Australian social networks and university life experienced improved emotional health and made way for a positive transition. Participants who were socially isolated and had limited practical support experienced relatively poor emotional health and transitional hardships. The findings from this research suggest that a TCKs' emotional and mental health during transition is either negatively or positively affected by the preparation they received prior to moving, the practical stressors they encountered upon arrival and the social integration into Australian social networks and universities. Further qualitative research in the area of TCK transition experiences should consider including the narratives of TCKs from various geographic backgrounds, sexualities, abilities and ethnicities to diversify and build on the evidence base around the TCK phenomenon. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Singing and companionship in the Hawthorn University of the Third-Age Choir, Australia

The international University of the Third Age (U3A) embodies the principles of lifelong learning and personal fulfilment amongst members. The research reported in this article focused on the Choir of the U3A Hawthorn, Melbourne, Australia and the benefits perceived by members undertaking this active music engagement in non-competitive choral singing. This small-scale phenomenological qualitative case study is part of a wider study of active arts engagement by older people that began in 2008. This study was undertaken in 2013 and revealed that participants decided to join the group for a range of factors including a positive attitude to singing, convenience and a desire for social connectedness. Those interviewed considered ongoing choir membership an effective use of leisure time that also provided opportunities for shared learning and personal validation. The data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and are reported under two themes: music engagement and social connections. Membership of the Hawthorn U3A choir provided participants opportunities for friendship, companionship, happiness, a sense of belonging and acceptance.

Identification of a gene for an ancient cytokine, interleukin 15-like, in mammals; interleukins 2 and 15 co-evolved with this third family member, all sharing binding motifs for IL-15Rα

Interleukins 2 and 15 (IL-2 and IL-15) are highly differentiated but related cytokines with overlapping, yet also distinct functions, and established benefits for medical drug use. The present study identified a gene for an ancient third IL-2/15 family member in reptiles and mammals, interleukin 15-like (IL-15L), which hitherto was only reported in fish. IL-15L genes with intact open reading frames (ORFs) and evidence of transcription, and a recent past of purifying selection, were found for cattle, horse, sheep, pig and rabbit. In human and mouse the IL-15L ORF is incapacitated. Although deduced IL-15L proteins share only ~21 % overall amino acid identity with IL-15, they share many of the IL-15 residues important for binding to receptor chain IL-15Rα, and recombinant bovine IL-15L was shown to interact with IL-15Rα indeed. Comparison of sequence motifs indicates that capacity for binding IL-15Rα is an ancestral characteristic of the IL-2/15/15L family, in accordance with a recent study which showed that in fish both IL-2 and IL-15 can bind IL-15Rα. Evidence reveals that the species lineage leading to mammals started out with three similar cytokines IL-2, IL-15 and IL-15L, and that later in evolution (1) IL-2 and IL-2Rα receptor chain acquired a new and specific binding mode and (2) IL-15L was lost in several but not all groups of mammals. The present study forms an important step forward in understanding this potent family of cytokines, and may help to improve future strategies for their application in veterinarian and human medicine.

Teaching and learning mathematics and science in a second or third language

 This study investigates the interaction between languages used for particular purposes in mathematics and science classrooms and the accompanying multimodal resources that support teachers’ strategies. The dual investigation sets this study apart, and produces its originality and contribution to the field. It develops a novel multimodal description of pedagogic strategies in multilingual mathematics and science classrooms in Malaysia.

Noradrenaline, but not neuropeptide Y, is elevated in cerebrospinal fluid from the third cerebral ventricle following audiovisual stress in gonadectomised rams and ewes

There are sex differences in the activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in response to stress, but the source of these differences is unknown. The hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis is regulated by corticotropin-releasing hormone and arginine-vasopressin neurones located in the paraventricular nucleus and these, in turn, are regulated by neural systems that include afferent noradrenergic and neuropeptide Y (NPY)-producing neural pathways. We tested the hypothesis that concentrations of noradrenaline and NPY will be elevated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampled from the third cerebral ventricle in response to stress, and these responses will differ in males and females. We collected concurrent samples of CSF (1 ml) from the third ventricle and blood (5 ml) from the jugular vein from gonadectomised rams (n = 7) and ewes (n = 5) at 10-min intervals for 3 h. This procedure was conducted on a day when no stress was imposed and on a day when audiovisual stress was imposed for 5 min after 1 h of sampling. Following the audiovisual stress, plasma concentrations of cortisol and CSF concentrations of noradrenaline were elevated (p < 0.05), but CSF concentrations of NPY did not change. Adrenaline was not detected in samples of CSF. The rise in plasma cortisol following the stress was greater (p < 0.05) in ewes than in rams, but there were no sex differences in the rise in noradrenaline. Basal concentrations of NPY in the CSF were higher (p < 0.05) in rams than in ewes. We conclude that the sex differences in the stress-induced activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in sheep are not likely to be due to differences in the level of noradrenergic and/or NPY input to the hypothalamus.