Factors affecting somatic embryogenesis and transformation in modern plant breeding

Somatic embryogenesis and transformation systems are indispensable modern plant breeding components since they provide an alternative platform to develop control strategies against the plethora of pests and diseases affecting many agronomic crops. This review discusses some of the factors affecting somatic embryogenesis and transformation, highlights the advantages and limitations of these systems and explores these systems as breeding tools for the development of crops with improved agronomic traits. The regeneration of non-chimeric transgenic crops through somatic embryogenesis with introduced disease and pest-resistant genes for instance, would be of significant benefit to growers worldwide.

Supporting informed learners in the 21st century

This paper elaborates the concept of informed learning and locates it in educational, workplace and community settings. Drawing from existing research into people's experience of information literacy, it identifies critical experiences of informed learners in each of these three settings. It also explores the support required in educational, community and workplace contexts which makes informed learning possible. Recognising strong implications for policy makers in different sectors, the paper presents a set of guiding principles for developing informed learning and learners. The idea of informed learning represents and advances understandings of information literacy that incorporate the broader concept of using information to learn: those understandings that go beyond the functional or generic information literacy paradigm and draw attention to the transformational, situated and critical aspects of information literacy. Using information to learn is a natural, but often implicit part of all formal and informal learning environments, and is a vital component of the lifelong learning agendas of many nations worldwide. Supporting informed learning requires conscious attention to the use of information in the learning process, by educators, managers, trainers, and policy makers in all sectors. It requires a far reaching response to policy directions involving a wide range of stakeholders.

The development of the extended adolescent injury checklist (E-AIC) : a measure for injury prevention program evaluation

The Extended Adolescent Injury Checklist (E-AIC), a self-report measure of injury based on the model of the Adolescent Injury Checklist (AIC), was developed for use in the evaluation of school-based interventions. The three stages of this development involved focus groups with adolescents and consultations with medical staff, pilot testing of the revised AIC in a high school context, and use of the finalised checklist in pre- and post-questionnaires to examine its utility. Results revealed that responses to the final version of the E-AIC were meaningful and remained consistent over time. The E-AIC appears to be a promising measure of adolescent injury that is simple, time-efficient and appropriate for use in the evaluation of school-based injury prevention programs.

A national roll out of an insufficiently evaluated practice : how evidence based are our end-of-life care policies?

There has been increasing international efforts to ensure that health care policies are evidence based. One area where there is a lack of ‘effectiveness’ evidence is in the use of end-of-life care pathways (EOLCP) (1). Despite the lack of evidence supporting the efficacy of the EOCLP, their use has been endorsed in the recent national palliative care strategy document in the UK (2). In addition, a publication endorsed by the Australian Government (titled: Supporting Australians to live well at the End of Life- National Palliative Care Strategy 2010) (3), recommended a national roll out of EOLCP across all sectors (primary, acute and aged care) in Australia. According to this document, it is a measure of “appropriateness” and “effectiveness” for promoting quality end-of-life care.

Diversity of community acquired MRSA carrying the PVL gene in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia

Emergence and dissemination of community acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) strains are being reported with increasing frequency in Australia and worldwide. These strains of CA-MRSA are genetically diverse and distinct in Australia. Genotyping of CA-MRSA using eight highly-discriminatory single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is a rapid and robust method for monitoring the dissemination of these strains in the community. In this study, a SNP genotyping method was used to investigate the molecular epidemiology of 249 community acquired non-multiresistant MRSA (nm-MRSA) isolates over a 12-month period from routine diagnostic specimens. A real-time PCR for the presence of Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) was also performed on these isolates. The CA-MRSA isolates were sourced from a large private laboratory in Brisbane, Australia that serves a wide geographic region encompassing Queensland and Northern New South Wales. This study identified 16 different STs and 98% of the CA-MRSA isolates were positive for the PVL gene. The most common ST was ST93 with 41% of isolates testing positive for this clone.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of adenovirus combined silk fibroin scaffolds for BMP-7 gene delivery

Introduction and aims: For a scaffold material to be considered effective and efficient for tissue engineering it must be biocompatible as well as bioinductive. Silk fiber is a natural biocompatible material suitable for scaffold fabrication; however, silk is tissue-conductive and lacks tissue-inductive properties. One proposed method to make the scaffold tissue-inductive is to introduce plasmids or viruses encoding a specific growth factor into the scaffold. In this study, we constructed adenoviruses encoding bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) and incorporated these into silk scaffolds. The osteo-inductive and new bone formation properties of these constructs were assessed in vivo in a critical-sized skull defect animal model. Materials and methods: Silk fibroin scaffolds containing adenovirus particles coding BMP-7 were prepared. The release of the adenovirus particles from the scaffolds was quantified by tissue-culture infective dose (TCID50) and the bioactivity of the released viruses was evaluated on human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs). To demonstrate the in vivo bone forming ability of the virus-carrying silk fibroin scaffold, the scaffold constructs were implanted into calvarial defects in SCID mice. Results: In vitro studies demonstrated that the virus-carrying silk fibroin scaffold released virus particles over a 3 week period while preserving their bioactivity. In vivo test of the scaffold constructs in critical-sized skull defect areas revealed that silk scaffolds were capable of delivering the adenovirus encoding BMP-7, resulting significantly enhanced new bone formation. Conclusions: Silk scaffolds carrying BMP-7 encoding adenoviruses can effectively transfect cells and enhance both in vitro and in vivo osteogenesis. The findings of this study indicate silk fibroin is a promising biomaterial for gene delivery to repair critical-sized bone defects.

Educational policy for citizenship in the early years in Australia

This paper explores how young children are constructed in educational policy for citizenship in Australia, investigating tensions between early childhood educational discourses that construct young children as active citizens and the broader discourses of citizenship in Australian educational policy. There is a widespread discourse within early childhood education that regards young children as citizens and democratic participants in their own lives. This view is a reflection of the oft cited Article 12 in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC 1989). However, educational policy and curriculum for citizenship in Australia, by and large, adheres to age and stage understandings of children, implicitly deeming young children unable to conceptualise abstract ideas of what it means to ‘be a good citizen’. This paper is located in the borders and intersections between discourses of early childhood education, young children as active participants in their own lives and what it means to be an active citizen in Australia. We are concerned with the interweaving of these ideas and how they are played out in educational policy making. This is an important perspective to take for governing and policy making are exercises in harnessing existing ideas and discourses, thereby rendering strategies and tactics for managing populations thinkable and sayable (Rose 1999). The ‘views from the margins’ (Burman 2008, p. 7) can provide alternative perspectives on policymaking, illuminating discursive tactics and strategies.

Tailoring secretion of proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) in tissue-engineered cartilage

Articular cartilage provides a low-friction surface for joint articulation, with boundary lubrication facilitated by proteoglycan 4 (PRG4), which is secreted by chondrocytes of the superficial zone. Chondrocytes from different zones are phenotypically distinct, and their phenotypes in vitro are influenced by the system in which they are cultured. We hypothesized that culturing cells from the superficial (S) zone in two-dimensional monolayer or three-dimensional alginate would affect their synthesis of PRG4, and that subsequently seeding them atop alginate-recovered cells from the middle/ deep (M) zone in various proportions would result in tissue-engineered constructs with varying levels of PRG4 secretion and matrix accumulation. During monolayer culture, S cells retained their PRG4-secreting phenotype, whereas in alginate culture the percentage of cells secreting PRG4 decreased with time. Constructs formed with increasing percentages of S cells decreased in thickness and matrix accumulation, depending on both the culture conditions before construct formation and the S-cell density. PRG4-secreting cells were localized to the S-cell seeded construct surface, with secretion rates of 0.1–4 pg/cell/day or 0.1–1 pg/cell/day for constructs formed with monolayer-recovered or alginate-recovered S cells, respectively. Tailoring secretion of PRG4 in cartilage constructs may be useful for enhancing low-friction properties at the articular surface, while maintaining other surfaces free of PRG4 for enhancing integration with surrounding tissues.

Short-term retention of labeled chondrocyte subpopulations in stratified tissue-engineered cartilaginous constructs implanted in vivo in mini-pigs

It is likely that effective application of cell-laden implants for cartilage defects depends on retention of implanted cells and interaction between implanted and host cells. The objectives of this study were to characterize stratified cartilaginous constructs seeded sequentially with superficial (S) and middle (M) chondrocyte subpopulations labelled with fluorescent cell tracking dye PKH26 (*) and determine the degree to which these stratified cartilaginous constructs maintain their architecture in vivo after implantation in mini-pigs for 1 week. Alginate-recovered cells were seeded sequentially to form stratified S*/M (only S cells labelled) and S*/M* (both S and M cells labelled) constructs. Full-thickness defects (4 mm diameter) were created in the patellofemoral groove of adult Yucatan mini-pigs and filled with portions of constructs or left empty. Constructs were characterized biochemically, histologically, and biomechanically, and stratification visualized and quantified, before and after implant. After 1 week, animals were sacrificed and implants retrieved. After 1 week in vivo, glycosaminoglycan and collagen content of constructs remained similar to that at implant, whereas DNA content increased. Histological analyses revealed features of an early repair response, with defects filled with tissues containing little matrix and abundant cells. Some implanted (PKH26-labeled) cells persisted in the defects, although constructs did not maintain a stratified organization. Of the labelled cells, 126 +/- 38% and 32 +/- 8% in S*/M and S*/M* constructs, respectively, were recovered. Distribution of labelled cells indicated interactions between implanted and host cells. Longer-term in vivo studies will be useful in determining whether implanted cells are sufficient to have a positive effect in repair.

Review of the under the limit drink driving rehabilitation program

The combination of alcohol and driving is a major health and economic burden to most communities in industrialised countries. The total cost of crashes for Australia in 1996 was estimated at approximately 15 billion dollars and the costs for fatal crashes were about 3 billion dollars (BTE, 2000). According to the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development and Local Government (2009; BITRDLG) the overall cost of road fatality crashes for 2006 $3.87 billion, with a single fatal crash costing an estimated $2.67 million. A major contributing factor to crashes involving serious injury is alcohol intoxication while driving. It is a well documented fact that consumption of liquor impairs judgment of speed, distance and increases involvement in higher risk behaviours (Waller, Hansen, Stutts, & Popkin, 1986a; Waller et al., 1986b). Waller et al. (1986a; b) asserts that liquor impairs psychomotor function and therefore renders the driver impaired in a crisis situation. This impairment includes; vision (degraded), information processing (slowed), steering, and performing two tasks at once in congested traffic (Moskowitz & Burns, 1990). As BAC levels increase the risk of crashing and fatality increase exponentially (Department of Transport and Main Roads, 2009; DTMR). According to Compton et al. (2002) as cited in the Department of Transport and Main Roads (2009), crash risk based on probability, is five times higher when the BAC is 0.10 compared to a BAC of 0.00. The type of injury patterns sustained also tends to be more severe when liquor is involved, especially with injuries to the brain (Waller et al., 1986b). Single and Rohl (1997) reported that 30% of all fatal crashes in Australia where alcohol involvement was known were associated with Breadth Analysis Content (BAC) above the legal limit of 0.05gms/100ml. Alcohol related crashes therefore contributes to a third of the total cost of fatal crashes (i.e. $1 billion annually) and crashes where alcohol is involved are more likely to result in death or serious injury (ARRB Transport Research, 1999). It is a major concern that a drug capable of impairment such as is the most available and popular drug in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007; AIHW). According to the AIHW (2007) 89.9% of the approximately 25,000 Australians over the age of 14 surveyed had consumed at some point in time, and 82.9% had consumed liquor in the previous year. This study found that 12.1% of individuals admitted to driving a motor vehicle whilst intoxicated. In general males consumed more liquor in all age groups. In Queensland there were 21503 road crashes in 2001, involving 324 fatalities and the largest contributing factor was alcohol and or drugs (Road Traffic Report, 2001). 23438 road crashes in 2004, involving 289 fatalities and the largest contributing factor was alcohol and or drugs (DTMR, 2009). Although a number of measures such as random breath testing have been effective in reducing the road toll (Watson, Fraine & Mitchell, 1995) the recidivist drink driver remains a serious problem. These findings were later supported with research by Leal, King, and Lewis (2006). This Queensland study found that of the 24661 drink drivers intercepted in 2004, 3679 (14.9%) were recidivists with multiple drink driving convictions in the previous three years covered (Leal et al., 2006). The legal definition of the term “recidivist” is consistent with the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act (1995) and is assigned to individuals who have been charged with multiple drink driving offences in the previous five years. In Australia relatively little attention has been given to prevention programs that target high-risk repeat drink drivers. However, over the last ten years a rehabilitation program specifically designed to reduce recidivism among repeat drink drivers has been operating in Queensland. The program, formally known as the “Under the Limit” drink driving rehabilitation program (UTL) was designed and implemented by the research team at the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety in Queensland with funding from the Federal Office of Road Safety and the Institute of Criminology (see Sheehan, Schonfeld & Davey, 1995). By 2009 over 8500 drink-drivering offenders had been referred to the program (Australian Institute of Crime, 2009).

The impact of school connectedness on violent behavior, transport risk taking behavior and associated injuries in adolescence

Adolescents engage in many risk-taking behaviors that have the potential to lead to injury. The school environment has a significant role in shaping adolescent behavior, and this study aimed to provide additional information about the benefits associated with connectedness to school. Early adolescents aged 13 to 15 years (N = 509, 49% boys) were surveyed about school connectedness, engagement in transport and violence risk-taking, and injury experiences. Significant relations were found between school connectedness and reduced engagement in both transport and violence risk-taking, as well as fewer associated injuries. This study has implications for the area of risk-taking and injury prevention, as it suggests the potential for reducing adolescents' injury through school based interventions targeting school connectedness.

Injuries across adolescence : an investigation using the Extended Adolescent Injury Checklist (E-AIC)

Injury is the leading cause of death among adolescents, and in many countries, accounts for more deaths than all other causes combined. Rates of death due to injury also increase dramatically across adolescence. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that, in 2005, there were 954 deaths of young Australians due to injury, which is a rate of 26 deaths per 100,000 young people. Of these deaths, 4% were adolescents aged 12-14, 17% were aged 15-17, and 80% were aged 18-24 years. Issues addressed: Injuries are the leading cause of death among adolescents. The current research examined a measure of adolescent injury in terms of whether it encompasses the diverse injury experiences of Australian adolescents, including high-risk and normative adolescents, and thus determine its utility as a tool for health promotion research. Grade 9 students from two Brisbane high schools (n=202, aged 13-14 years) and adolescents recruited from the Emergency Department waiting rooms of four Brisbane hospitals (n=98, aged 16-18 years) completed the Extended Adolescent Injury Checklist (E-AIC). The most common cause of injury among adolescents was a sports activity, followed by fights for all participants except schoolbased males, who experienced more bicycle injuries. Alcohol use was most frequently reported in association with interpersonal violence injuries. A broad variety of injuries, occurring in context of multiple risk as well as normative behaviours, were reported by adolescents in both school and ED settings, and were captured by the E-AIC. Findings suggest that the E-AIC is a useful measure that captures the injury experiences of adolescents in different contexts. The high occurrence of injuries that do not result in formal medical treatment also indicates scope for interventions to be based around lessons in first aid, while also incorporating injury prevention components.

Relationships between preventive activities, psychosocial factors and recurrence of venous leg ulcers : a prospective study

Aim To identify relationships between preventive activities, psychosocial factors and leg ulcer recurrence in patients with chronic venous leg ulcers. Background Chronic venous leg ulcers are slow to heal and frequently recur, resulting in years of suffering and intensive use of health care resources. Methods A prospective longitudinal study was undertaken with a sample of 80 patients with a venous leg ulcer recruited when their ulcer healed. Data were collected from 2006–2009 from medical records on demographics, medical history and ulcer history; and from self-report questionnaires on physical activity, nutrition, preventive activities and psychosocial measures. Follow-up data were collected via questionnaires every three months for 12 months after healing. Median time to recurrence was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. A Cox proportional-hazards regression model was used to adjust for potential confounders and determine effects of preventive strategies and psychosocial factors on recurrence. Results: There were 35 recurrences in a sample of 80 participants. Median time to recurrence was 27 weeks. After adjustment for potential confounders, a Cox proportional hazards regression model found that at least an hour/day of leg elevation, six or more days/week in Class 2 (20–25mmHg) or 3 (30–40mmHg) compression hosiery, higher social support scale scores and higher General Self-Efficacy scores remained significantly associated (p<0.05) with a lower risk of recurrence, while male gender and a history of DVT remained significant risk factors for recurrence. Conclusion Results indicate that leg elevation, compression hosiery, high levels of self-efficacy and strong social support will help prevent recurrence.

Profiling off-road motorcycle and all-terrain riders in Queensland, Australia

The current research aimed to profile off-road riders to identify specific sub-groups in relation to their risk-related behaviours and perceptions. A total of 235 adults from the Australian state of Queensland who had ridden a motorcycle or ATV off-road in the last 12 months were recruited. A cluster analysis was applied to the survey data. Two distinct clusters of riders were identified, which corresponded with the self-report of injury from an off-road riding crash in the prior 12 months. The injured cluster had a significantly higher mean risk propensity and use of safety equipment, though did not differ on self-reported risk taking. The injured cluster as a whole included a higher percentage of males, was younger, and rode more often for recreational or competitive purposes than the non-crash involved cluster. The results indicate that the crash cluster may be both more aware of the potential risks of riding and more willing to ride in a riskier manner.

Development and pilot test of a peer-support based Cardiac-Diabetes Self-Management program : a study protocol

Background: People with cardiac disease and type 2 diabetes have higher hospital readmission rates (22%)compared to those without diabetes (6%). Self-management is an effective approach to achieve better health outcomes; however there is a lack of specifically designed programs for patients with these dual conditions. This project aims to extend the development and pilot test of a Cardiac-Diabetes Self-Management Program incorporating user-friendly technologies and the preparation of lay personnel to provide follow-up support. Methods/Design: A randomised controlled trial will be used to explore the feasibility and acceptability of the Cardiac-Diabetes Self-Management Program incorporating DVD case studies and trained peers to provide follow-up support by telephone and text-messaging. A total of 30 cardiac patients with type 2 diabetes will be randomised, either to the usual care group, or to the intervention group. Participants in the intervention group will received the Cardiac-Diabetes Self-Management Program in addition to their usual care. The intervention consists of three faceto- face sessions as well as telephone and text-messaging follow up. The face-to-face sessions will be provided by a trained Research Nurse, commencing in the Coronary Care Unit, and continuing after discharge by trained peers. Peers will follow up patients for up to one month after discharge using text messages and telephone support. Data collection will be conducted at baseline (Time 1) and at one month (Time 2). The primary outcomes include self-efficacy, self-care behaviour and knowledge, measured by well established reliable tools. Discussion: This paper presents the study protocol of a randomised controlled trial to pilot evaluates a Cardiac- Diabetes Self-Management program, and the feasibility of incorporating peers in the follow-ups. Results of this study will provide directions for using such mode in delivering a self-management program for patients with both cardiac condition and diabetes. Furthermore, it will provide valuable information of refinement of the intervention program.