The Influence of Ambient Lighting Levels on Postural Sway in Healthy Children Ages 9 to 11

The purpose of this study was to determine whether postural sway in healthy children varied in different levels of ambient lighting. Twelve boys and 26 girls with a mean age of 118 months stood on a force platform under three conditions: eyes closed, eyes opened in regular light (200 lx) and eyes opened in dim light (3 lx). Analysis of variance and pairwise comparisons revealed significantly more postural sway with the eyes closed condition compared to the regular and dim light conditions but no differences between the regular and dim light conditions. While our results on postural sway during the eyes closed condition are consistent with current findings in the pediatric and adult literature, our findings comparing postural sway during regular and dim light conditions differ from those found in older adults. It appears that the visual system of children is efficient in dim light conditions, adding support to the view that quiet standing is more dependent on vision in older adults than in younger individuals

Cloning, Expression and Purification of an Acetoacetyl CoA Thiolase from Sunflower Cotyledon

Thiolase I and II coexist as part of the glyoxysomal β-oxidation system in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cotyledons, the only system shown to have both forms. The importance of thiolases can be underscored not only by their ubiquity, but also by their involvement in a wide variety of processes in plants, animals and bacteria. Here we describe the cloning, expression and purification of acetoacetyl CoA thiolase (AACT) in enzymatically active form. Use of the extensive amount of sequence information from the databases facilitated the efficient generation of the gene-specific primers used in the RACE protocols. The recombinant AACT (1233 bp) shares 75% similarity with other plant AACTs. Comparison of specific activity of this recombinant AACT to a previously reported enzyme purified from primary sunflower cotyledon tissue was very similar (263 nkat/mg protein vs 220 nkat/mg protein, respectively). Combining the most pure fractions from the affinity column, the enzyme was purified 88-fold with a 55% yield of the enzymatically active, 47 kDa AACT

A partial prehistory of the Southwest Silk Road: Archaeometallurgical networks along the sub-Himalayan corridor

Historical phenomena often have prehistoric precedents, with this paper we investigate the potential for archaeometallurgical analyses and networked data processing to elucidate the progenitors of the Southwest Silk Road in Mainland Southeast Asia and southern China. We present original microstructural, elemental and lead isotope data for 40 archaeological copperbase metal samples, mostly from the UNESCO-listed site of Halin, and lead isotope data for 25 geological copper-mineral samples, also from Myanmar. We combined these data with existing datasets (N=98 total) and compared them to the 1000+ sample late prehistoric archaeometallurgical database available from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Yunnan. Lead isotope data, contextualised for alloy, find location and date, were interpreted manually for intra-site, inter-site and inter-regional consistency, which hint at significant multi-scalar connectivity from the late 2nd millennium BC. To test this interpretation statistically, the archaeological lead isotope data were then processed using regionally-adapted productionderived consistency parameters. Complex networks analysis using the Leiden community detection algorithm established groups of artefacts sharing lead isotopic consistency. Introducing the geographic component allowed for the identification of communities of sites with consistent assemblages. The four major communities were consistent with the manually interpreted exchange networks and suggest southern sections of the Southwest Silk Road were active in the late 2nd millennium BC

Empowerment as a framework for cultural adaptation and team building within the Australian Nurse Home Visitor Family Partnership Program

[Extract] The need for health and social programs in the context of Indigenous Australia to be grounded in rigorous evidence is emphasised by government funding bodies. Yet many evidence based programs are developed in a cultural context very different to that of Indigenous Australians. This is the situation in the case of the Nurse Family Partnership program (NFP), developed in the United States but implemented to address the needs of Indigenous Australians through the Australian Nurse-Family Partnership Program (ANFPP). One significant difference between the NFP and the ANFPP lies in the development of an Indigenous Family Partnership worker (FPW) to work with program nurses, the workforce on which the NFP is exclusively centered in the United States. Despite the challenges associated with the transferability of a program from one social context to another, and need for collaborative practice between workers with often very different personal and professional backgrounds, there is little literature available to assist such processes. In 2008, the Empowerment Research Program team (ERP), a collaboration between James Cook University School of Indigenous Australian Studies and University of Queensland researchers, were invited to pilot the 'Empowerment and Change' short course and other related follow up strategies as tools to help to contextualise the Australian Nurse-Family Partnership Program (ANFPP) into Indigenous Australian settings and build collaborative practice. This report documents and reflects on the pilot strategies and the challenges and opportunities involved

Empowerment as a framework for cultural adaptation and team building within the Australian Nurse Home Visitor Family Partnership Program

[Extract] The need for health and social programs in the context of Indigenous Australia to be grounded in rigorous evidence is emphasised by government funding bodies. Yet many evidence based programs are developed in a cultural context very different to that of Indigenous Australians. This is the situation in the case of the Nurse Family Partnership program (NFP), developed in the United States but implemented to address the needs of Indigenous Australians through the Australian Nurse-Family Partnership Program (ANFPP). One significant difference between the NFP and the ANFPP lies in the development of an Indigenous Family Partnership worker (FPW) to work with program nurses, the workforce on which the NFP is exclusively centered in the United States. Despite the challenges associated with the transferability of a program from one social context to another, and need for collaborative practice between workers with often very different personal and professional backgrounds, there is little literature available to assist such processes. In 2008, the Empowerment Research Program team (ERP), a collaboration between James Cook University School of Indigenous Australian Studies and University of Queensland researchers, were invited to pilot the 'Empowerment and Change' short course and other related follow up strategies as tools to help to contextualise the Australian Nurse-Family Partnership Program (ANFPP) into Indigenous Australian settings and build collaborative practice. This report documents and reflects on the pilot strategies and the challenges and opportunities involved

Technological reconstruction of the late prehistoric primary copper production of the Vilabouly Complex (central Laos)

The late prehistoric copper production site of the Vilabouly Complex in central Laos delivered different types of materials that seem to be related to the copper chaine oppératoire for two main sites, Puen Baolo and Thong Na Nguak: minerals, slags and crucible fragments. A selection of these artefacts were analyzed (OM, SEM–EDS, XRD, bulk analyses) to study the extraction techniques, raw materials used and the different steps of production at Vilabouly. The various analytical datasets enabled us to propose a technological reconstruction, ranging from the extraction of minerals, smelting and casting. The results suggest a production dedicated to unalloyed copper with a crucible-based reaction in a one-step smelting process, a charge mainly composed of malachite and occasionally a mixture of ores (most likely malachite/chalcocite), depending on the mineralization being exploited. Slag analysis and lead isotope data show variation in the raw materials used at Puen Baolo and Thong Na Nguak linked to different mineralization zones which may also suggest different settlements/artisans and/or different exploitation periods

Cloning, Expression and Purification of an Acetoacetyl CoA Thiolase from Sunflower Cotyledon

Thiolase I and II coexist as part of the glyoxysomal &#946;-oxidation system in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cotyledons, the only system shown to have both forms. The importance of thiolases can be underscored not only by their ubiquity, but also by their involvement in a wide variety of processes in plants, animals and bacteria. Here we describe the cloning, expression and purification of acetoacetyl CoA thiolase (AACT) in enzymatically active form. Use of the extensive amount of sequence information from the databases facilitated the efficient generation of the gene-specific primers used in the RACE protocols. The recombinant AACT (1233 bp) shares 75% similarity with other plant AACTs. Comparison of specific activity of this recombinant AACT to a previously reported enzyme purified from primary sunflower cotyledon tissue was very similar (263 nkat/mg protein vs 220 nkat/mg protein, respectively). Combining the most pure fractions from the affinity column, the enzyme was purified 88-fold with a 55% yield of the enzymatically active, 47 kDa AACT.</p

A Literature Review for Indigenous Men’s Groups\ud

The vision of Indigenous men has been to take greater responsibility themselves to improve the status of men’s health and play their rightful role as leaders, fathers, uncles, husbands and grandfathers. They have adopted a diverse range of strategies, including the development of community-based men’s groups. \ud \ud Although there is considerable diversity in the composition and priorities of Indigenous Men’s Groups, they have a common aim of empowering men, supporting and being a role model for younger Indigenous men, and addressing the factors identified as contributing to social dissatisfaction and poor health and wellbeing in Indigenous communities. The scope of men’s groups is often very broad and holistic and they face a huge range of expectations, issues and challenges. Their resource base is generally very limited. It can be extremely challenging for men’s groups to know where to start, or how to direct their energies for maximum impact. \ud \ud This literature review is intended to provide a guide for men’s group leaders (and those who support them). It provides a brief overview of the available best practice evidence for a range of strategic initiatives which Indigenous men may consider to be important. It indicates possible directions and related issues which may help men’s groups clarify or prioritise their vision, assist with planning and implementing strategies, or provide evidence as a basis for advocacy to other organisations.\ud \ud How reliable are the sources of information used:\ud The review is based on relevant Australian and international literature. It was conducted by searching multiple databases of the Austhealth library for relevant publications listed between 2001-2005. The breadth of this literature review has meant that both the theoretical frameworks and specific program or issue areas have been canvassed only to the extent of extracting key learnings. Hence, it is recommended that men’s groups that wish to focus on any specific area should conduct their own targeted literature search

Indigenous men's groups: What the literature says

A literature review was undertaken to provide a guide for two men's groups in north Queensland, Yaba Bimbie Men's Group at Yarrabah and Ma D'daimba-Balas Men's Group in Innisfail, as part of a National Health and Medical Research Council funded project. The full report provides an overview of a range of strategic initiatives which help men's groups clarify or prioritise their vision, assist with planning and implementing strategies, or provide evidence as a basis for advocacy to other organizations

The role of empowerment through life skills development in building comprehensive primary health care systems in indigenous Australia

This paper examines the potential contribution of empowerment through life skills development in building effective primary health Care (PHC) systems in Indigenous Australia. More specifically, it assesses the effectiveness of a Family Wellbeing (FWB) empowerment program as a tool for "engaging" Aboriginal people of Cape York to take greater control and responsibility for their health and wellbeing as part of a broader Cape York Partnerships Initiative. Preliminary findings from the pilot study demonstrated the acceptability of the program to both adults and school children. Challenges and opportunities involved in introducing and sustaining such programs in remote Indigenous settings were also highlighted. This follow-up study presents information which demonstrates the critical role that empowerment programs such as FWB may play in achieving the "hardest parts" of the PHC ideal; namely, enhancing the capacity of people to be their own change agents. The key features of the FWB approach that make it effective are that it starts small and focuses on people, it puts people before structures, and it works from personal empowerment or the micro before broadening out to tackling structural issues. This paper highlights the importance of empowerment through life skills development as critical components of PHC systems. The paper also highlights the need for health professionals to work towards creating comprehensive PHC environments through policies and programs that address crucial parts of the PHC ideal-parts which, until now, have been left in the "too hard basket". They include equity, self-determination, world peace and reductions in spending on armaments in order to increase resources to the PHC sector. The aim is to ensure healthy policy environments that support local Indigenous health development initiatives such as those currently being pursued by Cape York leaders