Digital Commons Network^™

C-Amp Dependent Protein Kinase A Inhibitory Activity Of Six Algal Extracts From South Eastern Australia And Their Fatty Acid Composition, Ana Zivanovic, Danielle Skropeta

Danielle Skropeta

c-AMP dependent protein kinase (protein kinase A, PKA) is an important enzyme involved in the regulation of an increasing number of physiological processes including immune function, cardiovascular disease, memory disorders and cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the PKA inhibitory activity of a range of algal extracts, along with their fatty acid composition. Six algal species were investigated including two Chlorophyta (Codium dimorphum and Ulva lactuca), two Phaeophyta (Phyllospora comosa and Sargassum sp.) and two Rhodophyta (Prionitis linearis and Corallina vancouveriensis), with the order of PKA inhibitory activity of their extracts identified as follows: brown seaweeds > red …

Predicting The Fate Of Emerging Trace Organic Contaminants Of Concern During Mbr Treatment Based On Their Molecular Properties, K C. Wijekoon, L D. Nghiem, F I. Hai, J Kang, W E. Price

William E. Price

We demonstrate that the fate of emerging trace organic contaminants during membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment can be qualitatively predicted by assessing their molecular properties. This work futher expands the qualitative framework for the prdiction of trace organic removal by MBR treatment reported in our recent study.

Understanding The Factors Controlling The Removal Of Trace Organic Contaminants By White-Rot Fungi And Their Lignin Modifying Enzymes: A Critical Review, Shufan Yang, Faisal I. Hai, Long D. Nghiem, William E. Price, Felicity Roddick, Maria T. Moreira, Saleh F. Magram

William E. Price

White-rot fungi (WRF) and their lignin modifying enzymes (LME) can degrade a wide range of trace organic contaminants (TrOC), which are suspected to cause adverse health effects in humans and other biota. Recent studies have successfully applied either whole-cell WRF or their extracellular culture extract to remove TrOC from the aqueous phase. TrOC removal by a WRF system is dependent on a range of factors including molecular structure of the TrOC, fungal species and their specific LME, culture medium composition, and methods to enhance fungal degradation capacity; however, the specific relationships between these factors have not been systematically delineated. The …

Effects Of Caustic Cleaning On Pore Size Of Nanofiltration Membranes And Their Rejection Of Trace Organic Chemicals, Alexander Simon, James A. Mcdonald, Stuart J. Khan, William E. Price, Long D. Nghiem

William E. Price

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of caustic cleaning on the rejection of three different trace organic chemical (TrOC) groups (i.e. neutral hydrophilic, neutral hydrophobic and negatively charged) by two nanofiltration (NF) membranes ‒ namely NF270 and NF90. Chemical cleaning was simulated by exposing virgin membrane samples to commercial caustic cleaning formulations as well as sodium hydroxide solutions containing analytical grade additives such as sodium dodecyl sulfate or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The membrane average pore size before and after exposure to a commercially available caustic cleaning formulation was determined based on the pore transport model. The results …

Predicting The Fate Of Emerging Trace Organic Contaminants Of Concern During Mbr Treatment Based On Their Molecular Properties, K C. Wijekoon, L D. Nghiem, F I. Hai, J Kang, W E. Price

Faisal I Hai

We demonstrate that the fate of emerging trace organic contaminants during membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment can be qualitatively predicted by assessing their molecular properties. This work futher expands the qualitative framework for the prdiction of trace organic removal by MBR treatment reported in our recent study.

Understanding The Factors Controlling The Removal Of Trace Organic Contaminants By White-Rot Fungi And Their Lignin Modifying Enzymes: A Critical Review, Shufan Yang, Faisal Hai, Long Nghiem, William Price, Felicity Roddick, Maria Moreira, Saleh Magram

Faisal I Hai

White-rot fungi (WRF) and their lignin modifying enzymes (LME) can degrade a wide range of trace organic contaminants (TrOC), which are suspected to cause adverse health effects in humans and other biota. Recent studies have successfully applied either whole-cell WRF or their extracellular culture extract to remove TrOC from the aqueous phase. TrOC removal by a WRF system is dependent on a range of factors including molecular structure of the TrOC, fungal species and their specific LME, culture medium composition, and methods to enhance fungal degradation capacity; however, the specific relationships between these factors have not been systematically delineated. The …

Negotiating Change: Working With Children And Their Employers To Transform Child Domestic Work In Iringa, Tanzania, Natascha Klocker

Natascha Klocker

This paper documents the practical and action-oriented findings of an investigation into child domestic work undertaken in Iringa, Tanzania from 2005 to 2007. It provides an overview of the experiences of both child domestic workers and their employers, before discussing their suggestions for how child domestic working arrangements may be improved. The latter sections of the paper relate the attempts to regulate child domestic work that emerged from such dialogue. In providing detailed information on that process, the paper is positioned within the field of action research and resists the boundary frequently applied between academia and activism. It also moves …

Understanding The Behaviour Of The Target Market: What Do Adolescents Think About When Asked Questions About Their Behaviour In The Sun?, Melinda Williams, Sandra C. Jones, Peter Caputi, Donald C. Iverson

Sandra Jones

We undertook a project to develop a psychometrically sound instrument measuring adolescent sun-related behavior for use in the evaluation of a social marketing program. During the preliminary stages, we conducted a pilot study to test the face validity of the instrument with adolescents. Think-aloud sessions were completed with 24 adolescents. Results identified gaps in our understanding of adolescent sun-related behavior. Adolescents interpreted 'tanning' as specifically lying at the beach in the sun, however also reported behaviours to 'get a bit of sun', suggesting adolescents and researchers have different interpretations of key terms. The study highlights that use of the think-aloud …

Sun Protecting And Sun Exposing Behaviors: Testing Their Relationship Simultaneously With Indicators Of Ultraviolet Exposure Among Adolescents, Melinda Williams, Peter Caputi, Sandra C. Jones, Don Iverson

Sandra Jones

The aim of this study was to build on existing understanding of adolescent sun-related behavior by combining sun protecting and sun exposing behaviors and testing their relationship simultaneously with indicators of ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Data were collected for 692 adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years. General linear modeling was undertaken to test the relationship of sun-related behaviors with indicators of UV exposure. Overall, the combined sun protection and sun exposing behaviors accounted for 13.8% of the variance in the number of sunburns, 28.1% of the variance in current tan and 57.5% of the variance in desired tan, respectively. Results …

You Are What Your Children Eat: Using Projective Techniques To Investigate Parents' Perceptions Of The Food Choices Parents Make For Their Children, Gary I. Noble, Sandra C. Jones, Danielle Mcvie

Sandra Jones

The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying reasons for parents' decisions about their children's diets. This study used the projective methodologies of picture response and third-person techniques (projective questioning), which are designed to elicit people's underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes and concerns, particularly those beliefs which people find hard to articulate. We found a significant difference in parents' perceptions of the woman in the scenario in response to all four of the statements that related directly to food choices. This study provides support for the contention that parents reports of their intentions and behaviours regarding food choices for …

Concise Synthesis Of (-)-Steviamine And Analogues And Their Glycosidase Inhibitory Activities, Nadechanok Jiangseubchatveera, Marc E. Bouillon, Boonsom Liawruangrath, Saisunee Liawruangrath, Robert J. Nash, Stephen G. Pyne

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

A concise synthesis of (−)-steviamine is reported along with the synthesis of its analogues 10-nor-steviamine, 10-nor-ent-steviamine and 5-epi-ent-steviamine. These compounds were tested against twelve glycosidases (at 143 μg mL−1 concentrations) and were found to have in general poor inhibitory activity against most enzymes. The 10-nor analogues however, showed 50–54% inhibition of α-L-rhamnosidase from Penicillium decumbens while one of these, 10-nor-steviamine, showed 51% inhibition of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (from Jack bean) at the same concentration (760 μM).

Optically Stimulated Luminescence (Osl) Dating Of Perenially Frozen Deposits In North-Central Siberia: Osl Characteristics Of Quartz Grains And Methodological Considerations Regarding Their Suitability For Dating, Lee Arnold, Richard Roberts

Richard G Roberts

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of coarse-grained quartz is increasingly being used as the main chronological tool in late Quaternary palaeoenvironmental reconstructions of Siberia. However, relatively little information has been published on the suitability of OSL dating for the various types of perennially frozen sediments found in this region. Here we provide a systematic examination of the quartz luminescence characteristics of 21 perennially frozen samples from the Taimyr Peninsula and adjacent coastal lowlands of north-central Siberia, and discuss their implications for the reliability of single-grain and multi-grain OSL chronologies in such contexts. The results of this study suggest that the …

Late-Surviving Megafauna In Tasmania Australia, Implicate Human Involvement In Their Extinction, Christian Turney, T Flannery, Richard Roberts, Craig Reid, Keith Fifield, T Higham, Zenobia Jacobs, Noel Kemp, Eric Colhoun, R.M. Kalin

Richard G Roberts

Establishing the cause of past extinctions is critical if we are to understand better what might trigger future occurrences and how to prevent them. The mechanisms of continental late Pleistocene megafaunal extinction, however, are still fiercely contested. Potential factors contributing to their demise include climatic change, human impact, or some combination. On the Australian mainland, 90% of the megafauna became extinct by ≈46 thousand years (ka) ago, soon after the first archaeological evidence for human colonization of the continent. Yet, on the neighboring island of Tasmania (which was connected to the mainland when sea levels were lower), megafaunal extinction appears …

Natural Variations In The Properties Of Tl And Irsl Emissions From Metamorphic And Volcanic K-Feldspars From East Africa: Assessing Their Reliability For Dating, L Gliganic, Richard Roberts, Z Jacobs

Richard G Roberts

The elevated temperature infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) and post-IR IRSL signals of potassium (K)-feldspars have recently garnered attention for their minimal rates of anomalous fading. The post-IR IRSL signal has been used to obtain age estimates for geological deposits, mostly in Europe. Studies on the behaviour of the IRSL and post-IR IRSL signals of K-feldspars from a wider range of geographic regions and depositional contexts are needed, particularly for regions where the OSL signal from quartz is poorly behaved. Discrepancies in the literature regarding the behaviours of the IRSL and TL signals of K-feldspars also highlight the need to characterise …

Nanofiber Mats From Dna, Swnts, And Poly(Ethylene Oxide) And Their Application In Glucose Biosensors, Jun Chen, Chee O. Too, Gordon G. Wallace, Tuan A Nguyen, Violetta Misoska, Yong Liu

Gordon Wallace

Ultrafine fibers with diameters ranging from 50 to 300 nm were prepared from DNA/single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs)/poly(ethylene oxide) blended dispersion. Well-defined electrospun fibers were obtained by good control of key dispersion properties related to electrospinning, such as ionic conductivity, surface tension, and viscosity. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of SWNT in the resulting fibers, indicating good interaction between DNA and SWNT. The resulting fibers also exhibited electroactive behavior and could be used as an immobilization matrix for a glucose oxidase enzyme biosensor. The sensor response was linear up to 20 mM glucose with a sensitivity of 2.4 mA cm -2 …

Hybrid Nanomembranes For High Power And High Energy Density Supercapacitors And Their Yarn Application, Jae Ah Lee, Min-Kyoon Shin, Seon Jeong Kim, Geoffrey Maxwell Spinks, Gordon G. Wallace, Raquel Ovalle-Robles, Marcio D. Lima, Mikhail E. Kozlov, Ray H. Baughman

Gordon Wallace

Ultrathin (thicknessnm) electrically conducting membranes can be used as electrodes for sensors, actuators, optical devices, fuel cells, scaffolds for assembling nanoparticles, and separation of biological macromolecules.1-6 Various approaches have been suggested for the fabrication of free-standing nanomembranes based on organic polymers and/or inorganic materials: spin-casting of films,7 layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolyte multilayers,8 cross-linking of self-assembled monolayers,9 and assembly of triblock copolymers.10,11 Loading materials such as gold nanoparticles12 or carbon nanotubes13 make membranes robust and electrically conductive. However, these methods are often time-consuming and have some limitations in terms of achievable electrical and electrochemical membrane performance as well as scale-up. Alternative …

Structural Contributions Of Antipsychotic Drugs To Their Therapeutic Profiles And Metabolic Side Effects, Somayeh Jafari, Francesca Fernandez-Enright, Xu-Feng Huang

Xu-Feng Huang

Antipsychotic drugs have various neuropharmacological properties as a result of their structural diversity. Despite their therapeutic benefits, most of the prescribed atypical antipsychotics can induce severe side effects, including weight gain, type II diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases. Among the developed atypical antipsychotic agents, tetracyclic dibenzodiazepine and thienobenzodiazepine compounds, particularly clozapine and olanzapine, are associated with the greatest weight gain and metabolic disturbances. However, the unique chemical structure of these compounds causes the low risk of side effects reported for typical antipsychotics (e.g. extrapyramidal symptoms and tardive dyskinesia). This report reviews the recent discovery of the potential role of the …

(Putting) Mobile Technologies In Their Place: A Geographical Perspective, Chris Gibson, Susan Luckman, Chris Brennan-Horley

Christopher R Brennan-Horley

No abstract provided.

Synthesis Of Functionalised 2-Aryl-5-Nitro-1h-Indoles And Their Activity As Bacterial Nora Efflux Pump Inhibitors, John Bremner, Siritron Samosorn, Anthony Ball, Kim Lewis

Kim Lewis

No abstract provided.

How Do Dentists And Their Teams Incorporate Evidence About Preventive Care? An Empirical Study, Alexandra Sbaraini, Stacy M. Carter, R Wendell Evans, Anthony Blinkhorn

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives To identify how dentists and their teams adopt evidence‐based preventive care. Methods A qualitative study using grounded theory methodology was conducted. We interviewed 23 participants working in eight dental practices about their experience and work processes, while adopting evidence‐based preventive care. During the study, Charmaz's grounded theory methodology was employed to examine the social process of adopting preventive dental care in dental practices. Charmaz's iteration of the constant comparative method was used during the data analysis. This involved coding of interview transcripts, detailed memo‐writing and drawing diagrams. The transcripts were analyzed as soon as possible after each round of …

A Descriptive Examination Of The Types Of Relationships Formed Between Children With Developmental Disability And Their Closest Peers In Inclusive School Settings, Amanda A. Webster, Mark Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background One of the most commonly cited rationales for inclusive education is to enable the development of quality relationships with typically developing peers. Relatively few researchers have examined the features of the range of relationships that children with developmental disability form in inclusive school settings. Method Interviews were conducted with 25 children with developmental disability, aged 5 and 12 years, their 3 closest peers, and parents and teachers to examine 6 types of relationships. Results Behaviours associated with general friendship and acquaintance were the most commonly reported. Few dyads reported high rates of behaviour associated with special treatment, helping, ignoring, …

Quality Of Life Of Community-Based Palliative Care Clients And Their Caregivers, Tanya Connell, Ritin S. Fernandez, Duong Tran, Rhonda Griffiths, Janeane Harlum, Meera Agar

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

This study aimed to investigate health-related quality of life of palliative care (PC) clients and their caregivers, at baseline and follow-up, following a referral to a community PC service. Quality of life of clients and their caregivers was respectively measured using the McGill Quality of Life instrument (MQoL) and the Caregiver Quality of Life Cancer Index (CQoLC) instruments. Participants were recruited from June 8 to October 27, 2006. This study was undertaken in one zone of an Area Health Service in New South Wales, which has a diverse socioeconomic population. The zone covers an area of 6237 km2 and is …

Patients Communicating With Their Primary Care Physician About Chronic Disease Treatment In Regional Australia: Is Health Literacy Important?, J Mullan, K Weston, A Bonney, C Magee, G Albert, B Gerges, Soheir Abadier, T Smith, V Bonney, B Dijkmans-Hadley, C Kielly-Carroll

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

No abstract provided.

Invited Review: Caseins And The Casein Micelle: Their Biological Functions, Structures, And Behavior In Foods, C Holt, J A. Carver, H Ecroyd, D C. Thorn

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

A typical casein micelle contains thousands of casein molecules, most of which form thermodynamically stable complexes with nanoclusters of amorphous calcium phosphate. Like many other unfolded proteins, caseins have an actual or potential tendency to assemble into toxic amyloid fibrils, particularly at the high concentrations found in milk. Fibrils do not form in milk because an alternative aggregation pathway is followed that results in formation of the casein micelle. As a result of forming micelles, nutritious milk can be secreted and stored without causing either pathological calcification or amyloidosis of the mother's mammary tissue. The ability to sequester nanoclusters of …

Alkaloids From The Roots And Leaves Of Stichoneuron Halabalensis And Their Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory Activities, Rosdayati Alino Ramli, Wilford Lie, Stephen G. Pyne

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

A study of the hitherto unreported Stichoneuron halabalensis Inthachub led to the characterization of the known compounds (+)-α-tocopherol and (R)-(+)- goniothalamin; four known Stemona alkaloids, bisdehydoxystemoninine A (1), stemoninine (2), sessilistemonamine C (3) and sessilistemonamine A (4); and three new alkaloids, stichoneurine C (5), D (6) and E (7). The structures of these compounds were determined on the basis of their spectroscopic data. Alkaloid 7 showed significant inhibitory activity against electric eel acetylcholinesterase (AChE) (IC50 5.90+0.084 μM), while goniothalamin and compounds 1 and 2 showed significant inhibitory activities against human AChE (IC50 7.24+0.52, 5.52+0.13 and 3.74+0.09 μM, respectively).

Morphological Characterisation Of Reef Types In Torres Strait And An Assessment Of Their Carbonate Production, Javier X. Leon, Colin D. Woodroffe

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Coral reefs represent major accumulations of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The particularly labyrinthine network of reefs in Torres Strait, north of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), has been examined in order to estimate their gross CaCO3 productivity. The approach involved a two-step procedure, first characterising and classifying the morphology of reefs based on a classification scheme widely employed on the GBR and then estimating gross CaCO3 productivity rates across the region using a regional census-based approach. This was undertaken by independently verifying published rates of coral reef community gross production for use in Torres Strait, based on site-specific ecological and morphological …

Oscillatory Underpinnings Of Mismatch Negativity And Their Relationship With Cognitive Function In Patients With Schizophrenia, Muzaffer Kaser, Fruzsina Soltesz, Phil Lawrence, Sam Miller, Chris Dodds, Rodney J. Croft, Robert B. Dudas, Rashid Zaman, Emilio Fernandez-Egea, Ulrich Mueller, Anna Dean, Edward T. Bullmore, Pradeep J. Nathan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Impairments in mismatch negativity (MMN) generation have been consistently reported in patients with schizophrenia. However, underlying oscillatory activity of MMN deficits in schizophrenia and the relationship with cognitive impairments have not been investigated in detail. Time-frequency power and phase analyses can provide more detailed measures of brain dynamics of MMN deficits in schizophrenia. Method: 21 patients with schizophrenia and 21 healthy controls were tested with a roving frequency paradigm to generate MMN. Time-frequency domain power and phase-locking (PL) analysis was performed on all trials using short-time Fourier transforms with Hanning window tapering. A comprehensive battery (CANTAB) was used to …

First Steps: Study Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial Of The Effectiveness Of The Group Family Nurse Partnership (Gfnp) Program Compared To Routine Care In Improving Outcomes For High-Risk Mothers And Their Children And Preventing Abuse, Jacqueline Barnes, Dipti Aistrop, Elizabeth Allen, Jane Barlow, Diana Elbourne, Geraldine Macdonald, Edward Melhuish, Stavros Petrou, Joshua Pink, Claire Snowdon, Helen Spiby, Jane Stuart, Joanna Sturgess

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

Evidence from the USA suggests that the home-based Family Nurse Partnership program (FNP), extending from early pregnancy until infants are 24 months, can reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect throughout childhood. FNP is now widely available in the UK. A new variant, Group Family Nurse Partnership (gFNP) offers similar content but in a group context and for a shorter time, until infants are 12 months old. Each group comprises 8 to 12 women with similar expected delivery dates and their partners. Its implementation has been established but there is no evidence of its effectiveness.

Methods/Design

The study …

Where Do Older Australians Receive Their Health Information? Health Information Sources And Their Perceived Reliability, Pippa Burns, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson, Peter Caputi

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Chronic disease prevalence is increasing, in part due to the ageing population, adding further pressure to Australia's over-stretched primary health care services. While patients are encouraged to self-manage their chronic disease(s) in order to minimise the impact on their day-to-day functioning, little is known about where older adults receive health information and their perceptions of the reliability of these sources. Such knowledge would facilitate the development of self-management support strategies using health information sources that are acceptable to older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional design was utilised to investigate where older adults receive their health information and their perceptions of …

Remarks On Some Fundamental Results About Higher-Rank Graphs And Their C*-Algebras, Robert Hazlewood, Iain Raeburn, Aidan Sims, Samuel B. G Webster

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Results of Fowler and Sims show that every k-graph is completely determined by its k-coloured skeleton and collection of commuting squares. Here we give an explicit description of the k-graph associated with a given skeleton and collection of squares and show that two k-graphs are isomorphic if and only if there is an isomorphism of their skeletons which preserves commuting squares. We use this to prove directly that each k-graph. is isomorphic to the quotient of the path category of its skeleton by the equivalence relation determined by the commuting squares, and show that this extends to a homeomorphism of …