Associations between Government Regulation of Alcohol Availability, Alcohol Use and Health in Australia

This PhD program focused on using novel approaches to address gaps in scientific research on health effects of alcohol availability. Two studies on bar trading hours and mental health capitalised on special permits available to Perth bars allowing a proportion to trade past standard closing time. One study on alcohol taxation and sexual health capitalised on a federal tax increase on ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages. The work will contribute to informing evidence-based alcohol policy debate

Inhibition of oncogenic transcription factor REL by the natural product derivative calafianin monomer 101 induces proliferation arrest and apoptosis in human B-lymphoma cell lines

Increased activity of transcription factor NF-κB has been implicated in many B-cell lymphomas. We investigated effects of synthetic compound calafianin monomer (CM101) on biochemical and biological properties of NF-κB. In human 293 cells, CM101 selectively inhibited DNA binding by overexpressed NF-κB subunits REL (human c-Rel) and p65 as compared to NF-κB p50, and inhibition of REL and p65 DNA binding by CM101 required a conserved cysteine residue. CM101 also inhibited DNA binding by REL in human B-lymphoma cell lines, and the sensitivity of several B-lymphoma cell lines to CM101-induced proliferation arrest and apoptosis correlated with levels of cellular and nuclear REL. CM101 treatment induced both phosphorylation and decreased expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-XL, a REL target gene product, in sensitive B-lymphoma cell lines. Ectopic expression of Bcl-XL protected SUDHL-2 B-lymphoma cells against CM101-induced apoptosis, and overexpression of a transforming mutant of REL decreased the sensitivity of BJAB B-lymphoma cells to CM101-induced apoptosis. Lipopolysaccharide-induced activation of NF-κB signaling upstream components occurred in RAW264.7 macrophages at CM101 concentrations that blocked NF-κB DNA binding. Direct inhibitors of REL may be useful for treating B-cell lymphomas in which REL is active, and may inhibit B-lymphoma cell growth at doses that do not affect some immune-related responses in normal cells.R01 GM094551 - NIGMS NIH HHS; P50 GM067041 - NIGMS NIH HHS; GM094551 - NIGMS NIH HHS; R24 GM111625 - NIGMS NIH HHS; GM067041 - NIGMS NIH HH

Ideas in Philanthropic Field Building: Where They Come from and How They Are Translated into Actions - Executive Summary

Ideas are often the currency of philanthropy. Ideas animate fields of philanthropic endeavor. Ideas can constitute "forces" in field building that determine a field's direction. This paper examines the sources of ideas that program professionals in foundations draw from to create programs and influence fields of philanthropic interest. It also provides guidance about how foundation program staff can identify powerful and useful ideas and apply these to the work of philanthropy

Ideas in Philanthropic Field Building: Where They Come from and How They Are Translated into Actions - Discussion Guide

This discussion guide contains four sets of questions designed to help foundation program staff examine their own practices for identifying and assessing the viability of ideas for foundation investments and field building. The questions are excerpted from the paper, Ideas in Philanthropic Field Building: Where They Come From and How They Are Translated into Actions, and included here for the convenience of readers who wish to use them for individual study or group discussion purposes

Ideas in Philanthropic Field-Building: Where They Come From and How They Are Translated Into Actions

Discusses how grantmakers can contribute to their fields by identifying promising ideas and translating them into successful program initiatives. Part of the series Practice Matters: The Improving Philanthropy Project

Making decisions that faculty support: healthy systems for administrative collaboration

An in-depth examination of the traits that lead to healthy decisions, and the pitfalls that may undermine the decision makers