Profiling youths’ art engagement and the links to university aspirations

Arts engagement is rarely researched however for adolescents this activity forms part of a range of organised and structured activities that have been associated with positive university aspirations and post-high school educational trajectories (Denault & Poulin, 2009). Identifying, building, and supporting university aspirations are crucial during adolescence, particularly for disadvantaged and low socioeconomic status (SES) students (Sellar & Gale, 2011), and art engagement may contribute to the likelihood of young people going to university. The environment (school or community) in which arts activities are engaged in, and intensity of participation (number of hours per week) are two dimensions that inform student engagement in arts. Students’ SES, age and gender also influence the association between engagement and university expectations, especially for low SES students where the salience of the engagement may be more pronounced (Blomfield & Barber, 2011). We sought to explore the association between arts engagement and the students’ expectation to attend university after high school and whether this association differed between high and low SES groups

Do Socially Anxious Teens use the Internet More? An Experience Sampling Method Study Exploring Technology Use and Mood

The current study examined mood and internet use in 109 young people (age M = 14.7yrs; 69% female) using Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM) over a 7-day period. Participants were classified as experiencing low or high social anxiety (LSA and HSA) and their mood, internet frequency, and online coping were compared. Young people high in social anxiety reported greater average worry, sadness and loneliness, than low socially anxious young people, who reported greater average happiness. In addition, social anxiety was found to be a positive predictor of online frequency and online coping in young people. Descriptive snapshots were also generated to illustrate the differing mood landscapes and internet use of young people

Physical or Visual: How do Girls Experience their Bodies during Sports and Non-Sport Activities?

Introduction: Body image is a major concern for many adolescents (Mission Australia, 2012; 2011; 2010; 2008), particularly for girls, who consistently report a more negative body image than males (Barker & Galambos, 2003; Cash, Fleming, Alindogan, Steadman, & Whitehead, 2002; Davison & McCabe, 2006; Furnham, Badman, & Sneade, 2002). Adolescent girls’ satisfaction with both their aesthetic and functional body dimensions has been found to decline during high school, at a rate that is greater than their male peers (Abbott, Barber & Dziurawiec, 2012). The experiences girls have with their bodies has the potential to influence the focus of their body perceptions. Therefore, exploring contexts that may foster positive body experiences among teenage girls is an integral step to improving their well-being. Aims: The main aim of the current study was to examine the potential of the leisure context to elicit girls’ experiences of their physicality, specifically experiences of physical competence and body objectification. Both sports and non-sport activities were examined because each context has the potential to offer participants unique bodily experiences. Method: Girls (N = 1002) aged 13-18 years (M = 14.6, SD = 1.01) from 34 high schools in Western Australia were surveyed regarding structured leisure participation (sports and non-sports), experiences of body objectification, experiences of physical competence, and Body Mass Index (BMI). The prevalence of girls’ experiences of body objectification and experiences of physical competence were compared between sporting and non-sporting leisure contexts. Differences in sport types were also explored by comparing the body experiences reported by girls during aesthetic and non-aesthetic sports. Both between group and within-person comparisons were made for sport types to address potential selection biases. Results: Overall, girls reported having more experiences of physical competence than body objectification in both sport and non-sport activities. Sports were associated with a higher prevalence of body experiences across both body dimensions compared to non-sports. Bodily experiences differed between aesthetic and non-aesthetic sport types; but this difference varied across between-person and within-person analyses. Conclusions: Sports activities appear to be a context where girls experience both the aesthetic and functional dimensions of their bodies. The current study makes a distinct contribution to the literature, because it uniquely compares the bodily experiences of adolescent girls during their participation in sports and non-sports, and further examines the sporting context by comparing aesthetic and non-aesthetic sport types. The results provide points of consideration for those aiming to examine the experiences adolescence gain through their organised leisure participation. It is suggested that future research into the benefits of structured leisure incorporate not only experiences that relate to positive development (such as identity, social skills, leadership skills), but also include body-related experiences in their investigations

Technology can sting when reality bites: Adolescents' frequent online coping is ineffective with momentary stress

The fact that youth widely engage with the online space in order to improve their emotional health has been lost amongst the debate surrounding adolescents' technology use and associated well-being. Two studies focused on adolescents' use of technology to cope with stressors in daily life. Focus groups (Study 1; n = 16) indicated that youth readily identify using technology to cope and perceive it as helpful for emotional relief. Experience sampling participants (Study 2; n = 156) completed a baseline assessment of online coping and mental health, and one week of reports, five times daily, on their technology use, stress, and emotions. Multilevel regression results indicated that across their daily lives, youth who widely endorsed using online strategies to cope responded more negatively to stressors and displayed difficulties in recovering from worry and jealousy. Results held even controlling for use of technology, typical number of stressors, and mental health. Findings highlight the potential shortcomings and comorbid vulnerabilities for youth who frequently turn to the online environment to seek support, information, or distraction

Pathogenicity of Phytophthora multivora to Eucalyptus gomphocephala and E. marginata

Since the early 1990s there has been a significant decline of E. gomphocephala, and more recently E. marginata, in the tuart forest in tuart woodland in Yalgorup National Park SW Western Australia, although no satisfactory aetiology has been established to explain the decline. Characteristics of the canopy dieback and decline distribution are reminiscent of other forest declines known to involve Phytophthora soil pathogens and indicate that a Phytophthora species may be involved in the decline. In 2007 isolates of Phytophthora multivora, recently described by (1), were recovered from rhizosphere soil of declining or dead trees of Eucalyptus gomphocephala and E. marginata. For E. gomphocephala and E. marginata, the pathogenicity of P. multivora was tested: ex situ on seedlings using a soil infestation method; and in situ on stems using an under bark infestation method

Phytophthora multivora sp. nov., a new species recovered from declining Eucalyptus, Banksia, Agonis and other plant species in Western Australia

A new Phytophthora species, isolated from rhizosphere soil of declining or dead trees of Eucalyptus gomphocephala, E. marginata, Agonis flexuosa, and another 13 plant species, and from fine roots of E. marginata and collar lesions of Banksia attenuata in Western Australia, is described as Phytophthora multivora sp. nov. It is homothallic and produces semipapillate sporangia, smooth-walled oogonia containing thick-walled oospores, and paragynous antheridia. Although morphologically similar to P. citricola, phylogenetic analyses of the ITS and cox1 gene regions demonstrate that P. multivora is unique. Phytophthora multivora is pathogenic to bark and cambium of E. gomphocephala and E. marginata and is believed to be involved in the decline syndrome of both eucalypt species within the tuart woodland in south-west Western Australia

Sensitization of cervix cancer cells to Adriamycin by Pentoxifylline induces an increase in apoptosis and decrease senescence

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Chemotherapeutic drugs like Adriamycin (ADR) induces apoptosis or senescence in cancer cells but these cells often develop resistance and generate responses of short duration or complete failure. The methylxantine drug Pentoxifylline (PTX) used routinely in the clinics setting for circulatory diseases has been recently described to have antitumor properties. We evaluated whether pretreatment with PTX modifies apoptosis and senescence induced by ADR in cervix cancer cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>HeLa (HPV 18+), SiHa (HPV 16+) cervix cancer cells and non-tumorigenic immortalized HaCaT cells (control) were treated with PTX, ADR or PTX + ADR. The cellular toxicity of PTX and survival fraction were determinated by WST-1 and clonogenic assay respectively. Apoptosis, caspase activation and ADR efflux rate were measured by flow cytometry, senescence by microscopy. IκBα and DNA fragmentation were determinated by ELISA. Proapoptotic, antiapoptotic and senescence genes, as well as HPV-E6/E7 mRNA expression, were detected by time real RT-PCR. p53 protein levels were assayed by Western blot.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>PTX is toxic (WST-1), affects survival (clonogenic assay) and induces apoptosis in cervix cancer cells. Additionally, the combination of this drug with ADR diminished the survival fraction and significantly increased apoptosis of HeLa and SiHa cervix cancer cells. Treatments were less effective in HaCaT cells. We found caspase participation in the induction of apoptosis by PTX, ADR or its combination. Surprisingly, in spite of the antitumor activity displayed by PTX, our results indicate that methylxantine, <it>per se </it>does not induce senescence; however it inhibits senescence induced by ADR and at the same time increases apoptosis. PTX elevates IκBα levels. Such sensitization is achieved through the up-regulation of proapoptotic factors such as <it>caspase </it>and <it>bcl </it>family gene expression. PTX and PTX + ADR also decrease E6 and E7 expression in SiHa cells, but not in HeLa cells. p53 was detected only in SiHa cells treated with ADR.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>PTX is a good inducer of apoptosis but does not induce senescence. Furthermore, PTX reduced the ADR-induced senescence and increased apoptosis in cervix cancer cells.</p

Search for Colour Singlet and Colour Reconnection Effects in Hadronic Z Decays at LEP

A search is performed in symmetric 3-jet hadronic Z decay events for evidence of colour singlet production or colour reconnection effects. Asymmetries in the angular separation of particles are found to be sensitive indicators of such effects. Upper limits on the level of colour singlet production and colour reconnection effects are established for a variety of models

Atmospheric effects on extensive air showers observed with the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

Atmospheric parameters, such as pressure (P), temperature (T) and density, affect the development of extensive air showers initiated by energetic cosmic rays. We have studied the impact of atmospheric variations on extensive air showers by means of the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The rate of events shows a ~10% seasonal modulation and ~2% diurnal one. We find that the observed behaviour is explained by a model including the effects associated with the variations of pressure and density. The former affects the longitudinal development of air showers while the latter influences the Moliere radius and hence the lateral distribution of the shower particles. The model is validated with full simulations of extensive air showers using atmospheric profiles measured at the site of the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic

The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays. It combines a surface array to measure secondary particles at ground level together with a fluorescence detector to measure the development of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The fluorescence detector comprises 24 large telescopes specialized for measuring the nitrogen fluorescence caused by charged particles of cosmic ray air showers. In this paper we describe the components of the fluorescence detector including its optical system, the design of the camera, the electronics, and the systems for relative and absolute calibration. We also discuss the operation and the monitoring of the detector. Finally, we evaluate the detector performance and precision of shower reconstructions.Comment: 53 pages. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section