Factors associated with relationship dissolution of Australian families with children

This project investigated the context in which relationship instability occurs by examining the factors (at the individual, and the couple/family levels) that precede relationship dissolution within Australian families with children. The report considers whether mental health problems, impaired physical functioning, hazardous levels of alcohol consumption and smoking are associated with later divorce or separation

Promoting writing amongst peers: establishing a community of writing practice for early career academics

In the current research-focused climate, academics are facing increasing pressure to produce research outputs. This pressure can prove particularly daunting for early career (EC) academics, who are simultaneously attempting to master new teaching and administrative demands while establishing their own independent research trajectories. Previous reports suggest that academic writing retreats can be an effective way of increasing research outputs. Such retreats generally involve academics from a range of career stages and require expert facilitators. Through organising a series of structured writing events, this project aims to cultivate an enduring community of practice for academic writers. Reflecting on our EC retreat and subsequent writing days with academics from different career stages, we suggest that success hinged on three key factors: (1) A formal structure comprising bounded periods of intense writing, flanked by group reviewing and goal-setting; (2) Co-located writing with participants based in a shared space, away from their usual workstation and distractions; (3) Peer discussions involving participants at a similar career stage. Specifically we found that writing amongst ‘equals’ increased productivity and confidence amongst EC academics

Healthy country, healthy people: the relationship between Indigenous health status and "caring for country"

Objective: To investigate associations between “caring for country” — an activity that Indigenous peoples assert promotes good health — and health outcomes relevant to excess Indigenous morbidity and mortality.Design, setting and participants: Cross-sectional study involving 298 Indigenous adults aged 15–54 years in an Arnhem Land community, recruited from March to September 2005.Main outcome measures: Self-reported involvement in caring for country, health behaviours and clinically measured body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, type 2 diabetes status, albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR), levels of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, lipid ratio, score on the five-item version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K5), and 5-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.Results: Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and health behaviours, multivariate regression revealed significant and substantial associations between caring for country and health outcomes. An interquartile range rise in the weighted composite caring-for-country score was significantly associated with more frequent physical activity, better diet, lower BMI (regression coefficient [b] = − 2.83; 95% CI, − 4.56 to − 1.10), less abdominal obesity (odds ratio [OR], 0.43; 95% CI, 0.26–0.72), lower systolic blood pressure (b = − 7.59; 95% CI, − 12.01 to − 3.17), less diabetes (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03–0.52), lower HbA1c level (b = − 0.45; 95% CI, − 0.79 to − 0.11), non-elevated ACR (OR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.13–0.60), higher HDL cholesterol level (b = 0.06; 95% CI, 0.01–0.12), lower K5 score (b = − 0.97; 95% CI, − 1.64 to − 0.31) and lower CVD risk (b = − 0.77; 95% CI, − 1.43 to − 0.11).Conclusions: Greater Indigenous participation in caring for country activities is associated with significantly better health. Although the causal direction of these associations requires clarification, our findings suggest that investment in caring for country may be a means to foster sustainable economic development and gains for both ecological and Indigenous peoples’ health

Farmer Health and Adaptive Capacity in the Face of Climate Change and Variability. Part 1: Health as a Contributor to Adaptive Capacity and as an Outcome from Pressures Coping with Climate Related Adversities

This paper examines the role farmers’ health plays as an element of adaptive capacity. The study examines which of twenty aspects of adaptation may be related to overall health outcomes, controlling for demographic and on-farm-factors in health problems. The analysis is based on 3,993 farmers’ responses to a national survey of climate risk and adaptation. Hierarchical linear regression modelling was used examine the extent to which, in a multivariate analysis, the use of adaptive practices was predictively associated with self-assessed health, taking into account the farmer’s rating of whether their health was a barrier to undertaking farm work. We present two models, one excluding pre-existing health (model 1) and one including pre-existing health (model 2). The first model accounted for 21% of the variance. In this model better health was most strongly predicted by an absence of on-farm risk, greater financial viability, greater debt pressures, younger age and a desire to continue farming. Social capital (trust and reciprocity) was moderately associated with health as was the intention to adopt more sustainable practices. The second model (including the farmers’ health as a barrier to undertaking farm work) accounted for 43% of the variance. Better health outcomes were most strongly explained, in order of magnitude, by the absence of pre-existing health problems, greater access to social support, greater financial viability, greater debt pressures, a desire to continue farming and the condition of on-farm resources. Model 2 was a more parsimonious model (only nine predictors, compared with 15 in model 1), and explained twice as much variance in health outcomes. These results suggest that (i) pre-existing health problems are a very important factor to consider when designing adaptation programs and policies and (ii) these problems may mediate or modify the relationship between adaptation and health

Perceptions of competence: Age moderates views of healthy aging and Alzheimer’s disease

Background/Study Context: Older adults have more complex and differentiated views of aging than do younger adults, but less is known about age-related perceptions of Alzheimer’s disease. This study investigated age-related perceptions of competence of an older adult labeled as “in good health” (healthy) or “has Alzheimer’s disease” (AD), using a person-perception paradigm. It was predicted that older adults would provide more differentiated assessments of the two targets than would younger adults.Methods: Younger (n = 86; 18–36 years) and older (n = 66; 61–95 years) adults rated activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and memory abilities of a female target aged 75 years, described as healthy or with AD. Data on anxiety about aging, knowledge of and experience with aging and AD, knowledge of memory aging, and positive and negative biases toward aging and AD were also collected.Results: Older adults perceived the healthy target as more capable of cognitively effortful activities (e.g., managing finances) and as possessing better memory abilities than the AD target. As predicted, these differences were greater than differences between targets perceived by younger adults. The interaction effect remained significant after statistically controlling for relevant variables, including education and gender. Additionally, exploratory analyses revealed that older adults held less positively biased views of AD than younger adults, but negatively biased views were equivalent between age groups.Conclusion: The results demonstrate that mere labels of “healthy” and “Alzheimer’s disease” produce significant and subtle age differences in perceived competencies of older adults, and that biases towards AD vary by age group and valence. Our findings extend the person-perception paradigm to an integrative analysis of aging and AD, are consistent with models of adult development, and complement current research and theory on stereotypes of aging. Future directions for research on perceptions of aging are suggested

Improved control of Trialeurodes vaporariorum using mixture combinations of entomopathogenic fungi and the chemical insecticide spiromesifen

Greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) is a major global pest, causing direct damage to plants and transmitting viral plant diseases. Management of T. vaporariorum is problematic because of widespread pesticide resistance, and many greenhouse growers rely on biological control agents to regulate T. vaporariorum populations. However, these are often slow and vary in efficacy, leading to subsequent application of chemical insecticides when pest populations exceed threshold levels. Combining chemical and biological pesticides has great potential but can result in different outcomes, from positive to negative interactions. In this study, we evaluated co-applications of the entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) Beauveria bassiana and Cordyceps farinosa and the chemical insecticide spiromesifen in laboratory bioassays. Complex interactions between the EPFs and insecticide were described using an ecotoxicological mixtures model, the MixTox analysis. Depending on the EPF and chemical concentrations applied, mixtures resulted in additivity, synergism, or antagonism in terms of total whitefly mortality. Combinations of B. bassiana and spiromesifen, compared to single treatments, increased the rate of kill by 5 days. Results indicate the potential for combined applications of EPF and spiromesifen as an effective integrated pest management strategy and demonstrate the applicability of the MixTox model to describe complex mixture interactions

The role of glycoconjugates as receptors for insecticidal proteins

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins are an environmentally safe and effective alternative to chemical pesticides and have been used as biopesticides, with great commercial success, for over 50 years. Global agricultural production is predicted to require a 70% increase until 2050 to provide for an increasing population. In addition to agriculture, Bt proteins are utilised to control human vectors of disease – namely mosquitoes – which account for >700,000 deaths annually. The evolution of resistance to Bt pesticial toxins threatens the progression of sustainable agriculture. Whilst Bt protein toxins are heavily utilised, the exact mechanisms behind receptor binding and toxicity are unknown. It is critical to gain a better understanding of these mechanisms in order to engineer novel toxin variants and to predict, and prevent, future resistance evolution. This review focuses on the role of carbohydrate binding in the toxicity of the most utilised group of Bt pesticidal proteins – three domain Cry (3D-Cry) toxins

The Lantern Vol. 16, No. 1, Fall 1947

• A Little Light • Social Solidarity • The Struggle • 1949 Report • Blues • Angel\u27s Wings • Street Death • The Giant • Not Alone • B or Something • After Argument • Friendship • Built That Way • The Passing • Freshman • Asleep • John J. Heilemannhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/lantern/1043/thumbnail.jp

The crystal structure of Bacillus thuringiensis Tpp80Aa1 and its interaction with galactose-containing glycolipids

Tpp80Aa1 from Bacillus thuringiensis is a Toxin_10 family protein (Tpp) with reported action against Culex mosquitoes. Here, we demonstrate an expanded target range, showing Tpp80Aa1 is also active against the larvae of Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. We report the first crystal structure of Tpp80Aa1 at a resolution of 1.8 Å, which shows Tpp80Aa1 consists of two domains: an N-terminal β-trefoil domain resembling a ricin B lectin and a C-terminal putative pore-forming domain sharing structural similarity with the aerolysin family. Similar to other Tpp family members, we observe Tpp80Aa1 binds to the mosquito midgut, specifically the posterior midgut and the gastric caecum. We also identify that Tpp80Aa1 can interact with galactose-containing glycolipids and galactose, and this interaction is critical for exerting full insecticidal action against mosquito target cell lines