ATPS as an Efficient Method for Separation of Bionanoparticles: Investigation and Optimization of Partition Behavior of pDNA

In this paper, the efficiency of an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) for purification of nanometer-sized bioparticles, plasmid DNA (pDNA), was studied. Polymer-salt ATPS consisting of polyethylenglycol (PEG)-K2HPO4 was used for the purification of 7 kb and 14 kb plasmid vectors. PEG-300 and PEG-1450 were applied to investigate the influence of different molecular mass of PEGon partitioning behavior of pDNA. The Taguchi design of experiments has been applied in order to optimize the significant system characteristics including PEG/salt ratio, temperature, lysate mass fraction and size of plasmid for pDNA separation by using ATPS. The results indicated that PEG/salt ratio has a considerable contribution on pDNA recovery both in the presence of PEG-300 and PEG-1450. It is also obtained that the size of pDNA in the range of 7 kb to 14 kb is not a significant factor on its partitioning. Furthermore, pDNA is easily partitioned to polymer-rich top phase in PEG300/salt system; and in salt-rich bottom phase in PEG1450/salt system. Under optimum conditions, pDNA was extracted in top phase of PEG-300/K2HPO4 with mass percent of 26 : 17 at 25 °C with a recovery percent of 85

Maintenance of traditional cultural orientation is associated with lower rates of obesity and sedentary behaviours among African migrant children to Australia

Background: Migrants from developing to developed countries rapidly develop more obesity than the host population. While the effects of socio-economic status on obesity are well established, the influence of cultural factors, including acculturation, is not known.Objective: To examine the association between acculturation and obesity and its risk factors among African migrant children in Australia.Design and participants: A cross-sectional study using a non-probability sample of 3- to 12-year-old sub-Saharan African migrant children. A bidimensional model of strength of affiliation with African and Australian cultures was used to divide the sample into four cultural orientations: traditional (African), assimilated (Australian), integrated (both) and marginalized (neither).Main outcome measures: Body mass index (BMI), leisure-time physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours (SBs) and energy density of food.Results: In all, 18.4% (95% confidence interval (CI): 14&ndash;23%) were overweight and 8.6% (95% CI: 6&ndash;12%) were obese. After adjustment for confounders, integrated (&szlig;=1.1; P&lt;0.05) and marginalized &szlig;(=1.4; P&lt;0.01) children had higher BMI than traditional children. However, integrated children had significantly higher time engaged in both PA (&szlig;=46.9, P&lt;0.01) and SBs (&szlig;=43.0, P&lt;0.05) than their traditional counterparts. In comparison with traditional children, assimilated children were more sedentary (&szlig;=57.5, P&lt;0.01) while marginalization was associated with increased consumption of energy-dense foods (&szlig;=42.0, P&lt;0.05).Conclusions: Maintenance of traditional orientation was associated with lower rates of obesity and SBs. Health promotion programs and frameworks need to be rooted in traditional values and habits to maintain and reinforce traditional dietary and PA habits, as well as identify the marginalized clusters and address their needs.<br /

An Evaluation of the Lismore Driver Education Program \u27On the Road\u27

This report provides a program evaluation of the Lismore Driver Education Program, On the Road. On the Road is a comprehensive driver education program that targets Aboriginal people living in the Far North Coast of New South Wales (NSW). It was set up to assist Aboriginal community members obtain a Class C licence, provide support for learner drivers and qualified drivers who have unpaid fines and assist disqualified drivers regain their licence through fine negotiation. The overall goal of the Program is to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal people living in Far North Coast of NSW in the criminal justice system

Researching the safety of Indigenous children and youth: an urban perspective

Injury is one of the leading causes of Indigenous mortality in Australia and safety in Indigenous communities has become increasingly prominent in commentary on Indigenous communities. However, our knowledge of urban Indigenous people and their experiences has been largely ignored in these debates; most of the discussions to date have focused on remote areas, despite the fact that around one-third of Indigenous Australians live in urban settings. This paper reports on the Safe Koori Kids study, which addressed the safety of Indigenous children, carried out in Sydney\u27s outer metropolitan area of Campbelltown between 2006 and 2009 (Clapham et al. 2006a, 2006b). The study aimed to increase our understanding of the broad range of factors involved in injury in Indigenous communities and to create a culturally acceptable and effective intervention program by addressing child and youth resilience. The program, delivered to Indigenous and non-Indigenous primary-aged children across 11 primary schools and evaluated in five of these schools, drew on local knowledge and resources to address safety issues. The program was underpinned by recognising that a multitude of factors affect the safety of children and families. Additionally, the program embedded positive messages to reinforce the cultural identity of Indigenous people living in urban areas. The theme of connections and reconnections embedded in our study emerged as children responded positively to the way urban Indigenous identity was represented in the program. Researchers recorded an increase in self-efficacy in questionnaire responses among the primary-aged children after the program was delivered over one school term in five schools. Qualitative data collected from teachers also revealed that Indigenous children responded to the program with an increased sense of achievement and pride in Aboriginal heritage. Improving the safety of Indigenous children in urban areas is complex and currently not well understood. Intervention programs need to incorporate a much better comprehension of the factors that increase the vulnerability of urban Indigenous children. Safety programs must recognise the social and cultural context in which children live, draw on local resources and reinforce a sense of pride in Indigenous identity to build resilience among vulnerable children

Child injury in an urban Australian indigenous community: the safe koori kids intervention

Objective To design and evaluate an intervention targeting urban indigenous Australian children in order to increase their self-effi cacy, knowledge and attitudes towards safety. Methods The Safe Koori Kids intervention was developed and delivered to 790 children primary school aged children (13% indigenous) in 24 middle and upper primary classes across fi ve schools in Sydney, Australia. The intervention, consisting of fi ve safety modules, was evaluated using a mixed-methods approach. A pre-test post-test research design was applied to evaluate changes in key outcomes namely child self-effi cacy, knowledge and attitudes towards safety. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from teachers. Findings There was a signifi cant increase (p\u3c0.05) in self-effi cacy among children from pre- to post-intervention for both Indigenous (6%) and non-Indigenous children (2%). Safety knowledge among Indigenous children increased from pre- to post intervention by 17% (p\u3c0.01) and non-Indigenous children by 15%, (p\u3c0.01). However, there were no signifi cant improvements in attitudes towards safety (indigenous children 2%, p=0.288, non-Indigenous children 1%, p=0.0721). Overall, Indigenous children scored lower than non-Indigenous children post intervention on self-effi cacy (75%:77%), knowledge (56%:63%) and attitudes towards safety (79%:84%). Teacher focus groups provided further evidence of the programs impact on children\u27s safety knowledge and attitudes. Conclusions The study contributes to our limited knowledge about effective child injury prevention for disadvantaged Indigenous minorities in high income countries. This is the fi rst intervention of its type in an urban indigenous setting in Australia which has positively contributed to the resilience of indigenous children and families with respect to safety and their environment