Showing papers by "La Trobe University published in 2009"

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring cell death in higher eukaryotes

Abstract: Cell death is essential for a plethora of physiological processes, and its deregulation characterizes numerous human diseases Thus, the in-depth investigation of cell death and its mechanisms constitutes a formidable challenge for fundamental and applied biomedical research, and has tremendous implications for the development of novel therapeutic strategies It is, therefore, of utmost importance to standardize the experimental procedures that identify dying and dead cells in cell cultures and/or in tissues, from model organisms and/or humans, in healthy and/or pathological scenarios Thus far, dozens of methods have been proposed to quantify cell death-related parameters However, no guidelines exist regarding their use and interpretation, and nobody has thoroughly annotated the experimental settings for which each of these techniques is most appropriate Here, we provide a nonexhaustive comparison of methods to detect cell death with apoptotic or nonapoptotic morphologies, their advantages and pitfalls These guidelines are intended for investigators who study cell death, as well as for reviewers who need to constructively critique scientific reports that deal with cellular demise Given the difficulties in determining the exact number of cells that have passed the point-of-no-return of the signaling cascades leading to cell death, we emphasize the importance of performing multiple, methodologically unrelated assays to quantify dying and dead cells

Interventions for promoting smoking cessation during pregnancy

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking in pregnancy remains one of the few preventable factors associated with complications in pregnancy, low birthweight, preterm birth and has serious long-term health implications for women and babies. Smoking in pregnancy is decreasing in high-income countries and increasing in low- to middle-income countries and is strongly associated with poverty, low educational attainment, poor social support and psychological illness. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy on smoking behaviour and perinatal health outcomes. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (June 2008), the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group's Trials Register (June 2008), EMBASE, PsycLIT, and CINAHL (all from January 2003 to June 2008). We contacted trial authors to locate additional unpublished data. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials where smoking cessation during pregnancy was a primary aim of the intervention. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Trials were identified and data extracted by one person and checked by a second. Subgroup analysis was conducted to assess the effect of risk of trial bias, intensity of the intervention and main intervention strategy used. MAIN RESULTS: Seventy-two trials are included. Fifty-six randomised controlled trials (over 20,000 pregnant women) and nine cluster-randomised trials (over 5000 pregnant women) provided data on smoking cessation outcomes.There was a significant reduction in smoking in late pregnancy following interventions (risk ratio (RR) 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93 to 0.96), an absolute difference of six in 100 women who stopped smoking during pregnancy. However, there is significant heterogeneity in the combined data (I(2) > 60%). In the trials with the lowest risk of bias, the interventions had less effect (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.94 to 0.99), and lower heterogeneity (I(2) = 36%). Eight trials of smoking relapse prevention (over 1000 women) showed no statistically significant reduction in relapse.Smoking cessation interventions reduced low birthweight (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.95) and preterm birth (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.98), and there was a 53.91g (95% CI 10.44 g to 95.38 g) increase in mean birthweight. There were no statistically significant differences in neonatal intensive care unit admissions, very low birthweight, stillbirths, perinatal or neonatal mortality but these analyses had very limited power. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Smoking cessation interventions in pregnancy reduce the proportion of women who continue to smoke in late pregnancy, and reduce low birthweight and preterm birth. Smoking cessation interventions in pregnancy need to be implemented in all maternity care settings. Given the difficulty many pregnant women addicted to tobacco have quitting during pregnancy, population-based measures to reduce smoking and social inequalities should be supported.

Factors influencing Attitudes to violence Against Women

Abstract: Attitudes toward men's violence against women shape both the perpetration of violence against women and responses to this violence by the victim and others around her. For these reasons, attitudes are the target of violence-prevention campaigns. To improve understanding of the determinants of violence against women and to aid the development of violence-prevention efforts, this article reviews the factors that shape attitudes toward violence against women. It offers a framework with which to comprehend the complex array of influences on attitudes toward violent behavior perpetrated by men against women. Two clusters of factors, associated with gender and culture, have an influence at multiple levels of the social order on attitudes regarding violence. Further factors operate at individual, organizational, communal, or societal levels in particular, although their influence may overlap across multiple levels. This article concludes with recommendations regarding efforts to improve attitudes toward violence against women.

Inference by eye: reading the overlap of independent confidence intervals.

Abstract: When 95 per cent confidence intervals (CIs) on independent means do not overlap, the two-tailed p-value is less than 005 and there is a statistically significant difference between the means However, p for non-overlapping 95 per cent CIs is actually considerably smaller than 005: If the two CIs just touch, p is about 001, and the intervals can overlap by as much as about half the length of one CI arm before p becomes as large as 005 Keeping in mind this rule-that overlap of half the length of one arm corresponds approximately to statistical significance at p = 005-can be helpful for a quick appreciation of figures that display CIs, especially if precise p-values are not reported The author investigated the robustness of this and similar rules, and found them sufficiently accurate when sample sizes are at least 10, and the two intervals do not differ in width by more than a factor of 2 The author reviewed previous discussions of CI overlap and extended the investigation to p-values other than 005 and 001 He also studied 95 per cent CIs on two proportions, and on two Pearson correlations, and found similar rules apply to overlap of these asymmetric CIs, for a very broad range of cases Wider use of figures with 95 per cent CIs is desirable, and these rules may assist easy and appropriate understanding of such figures

XIAP discriminates between type I and type II FAS-induced apoptosis

Abstract: FAS (also called APO-1 and CD95) and its physiological ligand, FASL, regulate apoptosis of unwanted or dangerous cells, functioning as a guardian against autoimmunity and cancer development. Distinct cell types differ in the mechanisms by which the 'death receptor' FAS triggers their apoptosis. In type I cells, such as lymphocytes, activation of 'effector caspases' by FAS-induced activation of caspase-8 suffices for cell killing, whereas in type II cells, including hepatocytes and pancreatic beta-cells, caspase cascade amplification through caspase-8-mediated activation of the pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family member BID (BH3 interacting domain death agonist) is essential. Here we show that loss of XIAP (X-chromosome linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein) function by gene targeting or treatment with a second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (SMAC, also called DIABLO; direct IAP-binding protein with low pI) mimetic drug in mice rendered hepatocytes and beta-cells independent of BID for FAS-induced apoptosis. These results show that XIAP is the critical discriminator between type I and type II apoptosis signalling and suggest that IAP inhibitors should be used with caution in cancer patients with underlying liver conditions.

Researching sensitive topics : qualitative research as emotion work.

Abstract: There is a growing awareness that undertaking qualitative research is an embodied experience and that researchers may be emotionally affected by the work that they do. Despite the interest in the emotional nature of qualitative research, there is very little empirical evidence about the researchers' experiences of undertaking qualitative research. A grounded theory analysis of one-on-one interviews with thirty public health researchers working on a qualitative project provided both theoretical and empirical evidence that qualitative researchers undertake emotion work throughout their research projects. The findings provide examples of researchers doing emotion work in their research projects; highlight some of the consequences of emotion work and offer some suggestions for researcher self-care.

Malaria parasite proteins that remodel the host erythrocyte

Abstract: Exported proteins of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum interact with proteins of the erythrocyte membrane and induce substantial changes in the morphology, physiology and function of the host cell. These changes underlie the pathology that is responsible for the deaths of 1-2 million children every year due to malaria infections. The advent of molecular transfection technology, including the ability to generate deletion mutants and to introduce fluorescent reporter proteins that track the locations and dynamics of parasite proteins, has increased our understanding of the processes and machinery for export of proteins in P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes and has provided us with insights into the functions of the parasite protein exportome. We review these developments, focusing on parasite proteins that interact with the erythrocyte membrane skeleton or that promote delivery of the major virulence protein, PfEMP1, to the erythrocyte membrane.

Advocacy interventions to reduce or eliminate violence and promote the physical and psychosocial well‐being of women who experience intimate partner abuse

Abstract: Intimate partner abuse is common in all societies and damages the health of survivors and their children in the short and long term. Advocacy may decrease the impact of this abuse on women's health.The objective of this review is to assess the effects of advocacy interventions conducted within or outside of health care settings on women who have experienced intimate partner abuse.

Task‐specific training: evidence for and translation to clinical practice

Abstract: There is mounting evidence of the value of task-specific training as a neuromotor intervention in neurological rehabilitation. The evidence is founded in the psychology of motor skill learning and in the neuroscience of experience-dependent and learning-dependent neural plastic changes in the brain in animals and humans. Further, there is growing empirical evidence for the effectiveness of task-specific training in rehabilitation and for neural plastic changes following task-oriented training. In this paper, we position the evidence for task-specific training in the context of rehabilitation; review its relevance for occupation-based neurological rehabilitation, particularly in relation to upper limb function and everyday activities; and recommend evidence-driven strategies for its application. We recommend that task-specific training be routinely applied by occupational therapists as a component of their neuromotor interventions, particularly in management related to post-stroke upper limb recovery. Specifically, we propose five implementation strategies based on review of the evidence. These are: task-specific training should be relevant to the patient/client and to the context; be randomly assigned; be repetitive and involve massed practice; aim towards reconstruction of the whole task; and be reinforced with positive and timely feedback.

ARABIDOPSIS DEHISCENCE ZONE POLYGALACTURONASE1 (ADPG1), ADPG2, and QUARTET2 Are Polygalacturonases Required for Cell Separation during Reproductive Development in Arabidopsis

Abstract: Cell separation is thought to involve degradation of pectin by several hydrolytic enzymes, particularly polygalacturonase (PG). Here, we characterize an activation tagging line with reduced growth and male sterility caused by increased expression of a PG encoded by QUARTET2 (QRT2). QRT2 is essential for pollen grain separation and is part of a small family of three closely related endo-PGs in the Arabidopsis thaliana proteome, including ARABIDOPSIS DEHISCENCE ZONE POLYGALACTURONASE1 (ADPG1) and ADPG2. Functional assays and complementation experiments confirm that ADPG1, ADPG2, and QRT2 are PGs. Genetic analysis demonstrates that ADPG1 and ADPG2 are essential for silique dehiscence. In addition, ADPG2 and QRT2 contribute to floral organ abscission, while all three genes contribute to anther dehiscence. Expression analysis is consistent with the observed mutant phenotypes. INDEHISCENT (IND) encodes a putative basic helix-loop-helix required for silique dehiscence, and we demonstrate that the closely related HECATE3 (HEC3) gene is required for normal seed abscission and show that IND and HEC3 are required for normal expression of ADPG1 in the silique dehiscence zone and seed abscission zone, respectively. We also show that jasmonic acid and ethylene act together with abscisic acid to regulate floral organ abscission, in part by promoting QRT2 expression. These results demonstrate that multiple cell separation events, including both abscission and dehiscence, require closely related PG genes.

What makes a community age-friendly: A review of international literature.

Abstract: This paper undertakes a comprehensive review of the growing international literature on age-friendly communities. It examines a range of approaches and identifies the key attributes associated with creating a sustainable environment for seniors. The authors critically evaluate emerging policy trends and models and suggest directions for future research attention. The discussion provides important information and insights for the development of ageing policy and planning in Australia.

The six-minute walk test: a useful metric for the cardiopulmonary patient.

Abstract: Measurement of exercise capacity is an integral element in assessment of patients with cardiopulmonary disease. The 6-min walk test (6MWT) provides information regarding functional capacity, response to therapy and prognosis across a range of chronic cardiopulmonary conditions. A distance less than 350 m is associated with increased mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Desaturation during a 6MWT is an important prognostic indicator for patients with interstitial lung disease. The 6MWT is sensitive to commonly used therapies in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease such as pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen, long-term use of inhaled corticosteroids and lung volume reduction surgery. However, it appears less reliable to detect changes in clinical status associated with medical therapies for heart failure. A change in walking distance of more than 50 m is clinically significant in most disease states. When interpreting the results of a 6MWT, consideration should be given to choice of predictive values and the methods by which the test was carried out.

Qualitative data analysis: conceptual and practical considerations.

Abstract: Qualitative inquiry requires that collected data is organised in a meaningful way, and this is referred to as data analysis. Through analytic processes, researchers turn what can be voluminous data into understandable and insightful analysis. This paper sets out the different approaches that qualitative researchers can use to make sense of their data including thematic analysis, narrative analysis, discourse analysis and semiotic analysis and discusses the ways that qualitative researchers can analyse their data. I first discuss salient issues in performing qualitative data analysis, and then proceed to provide some suggestions on different methods of data analysis in qualitative research. Finally, I provide some discussion on the use of computer-assisted data analysis.

Hospital discharge planning for frail older people and their family. Are we delivering best practice? A review of the evidence.

Abstract: Aims and objectives. This paper examined the available evidence concerning hospital discharge practices for frail older people and their family caregivers and what practices were most beneficial for this group. Background. Hospital discharge practices are placing an increasing burden of care on the family caregiver. Discharge planning and execution is significant for older patients where inadequate practices can be linked to adverse outcomes and an increased risk of readmission. Design. Literature review. Methods. A review of English language literature published after 1995 on hospital discharge of frail older people and family carer’s experiences. Results. Numerous factors impact on the hospital discharge planning of the frail older person and their family carer’s that when categorised focus on the role that discharge planning plays in bridging the gap between the care provided in hospital and the care needed in the community, its potential to reduce the length of hospital stay, the impact of the discharge process on family carer’s and the need for a coordinated health professional approach that includes dissemination of information, clear communication and active support. Conclusion. The current evidence indicates that hospital discharge planning for frail older people can be improved if interventions address family inclusion and education, communication between health care workers and family, interdisciplinary communication and ongoing support after discharge. Interventions should commence well before discharge. Relevance to clinical practice. An awareness of how the execution of the hospital discharge plan is perceived by the principal family carer of a frail older person, will allow nurses and others involved with the discharge process to better reconcile the family caregivers’ needs and expectations with the discharge process offered by their facility. The research shows there is a direct correlation between the quality of discharge planning and readmission to hospital.

A prospective longitudinal study to assess psychological changes following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery

Abstract: Objective: To determine whether the psychological characteristics of athletes who have undergone an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction change during rehabilitation are related to returning to competitive sport. Design: Prospective longitudinal study. Method: 87 athletes completed the Emotional Response of Athletes to Injury Questionnaire (ERAIQ) and the ACL Return to Sport after Injury scale (ACL-RSI) at 3, 6 and 12 months following ACL reconstruction surgery. Physical outcome measures were also taken at each time point. Results: At 12 months 44 (51%) participants had returned to competitive sport and 43 (49%) participants had not returned. There were no differences in physical recovery or scores on the ERAIQ between the two groups. Participants who had returned to competitive sport at 12 months, however, scored significantly higher on the ACL-RSI scale (reflecting a more positive psychological response about sport participation) at both 6 and 12 months than participants who had not returned to competitive sport. Conclusions: During rehabilitation there are significant psychological differences regarding sport resumption between athletes who do, and do not, resume competitive sport 12 months following ACL reconstruction. These differences occur as early as 6 months postoperatively and highlight the importance of addressing all aspects of an athlete’s recovery in order to help facilitate the athlete returning to sport.

Prevalence of parental mental illness in Australian families

Abstract: AIMS AND METHOD To provide multiple estimates of the numbers of Australian and Victorian families and children living in families where a parent has had a mental illness. We used the Australian Bureau of Statistics Victorian Mental Health Branch service usage and data collected from 701 community participants to triangulate prevalence information. RESULTS According to population estimates, 23.3% of all children in Australia have a parent with a non-substance mental illness, 20.4% of mental health service users have dependent children and 14.4% of the community study participants report having at least one parent with a mental illness. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS The multiple prevalence estimates of the numbers of children in families with parental mental illness provide fundamental information for psychiatric policy, planning and programming.

Reconstruction of molecular orbital densities from photoemission data.

Abstract: Photoemission spectroscopy is commonly applied to study the band structure of solids by measuring the kinetic energy versus angular distribution of the photoemitted electrons. Here, we apply this experimental technique to characterize discrete orbitals of large π-conjugated molecules. By measuring the photoemission intensity from a constant initial-state energy over a hemispherical region, we generate reciprocal space maps of the emitting orbital density. We demonstrate that the real-space electron distribution of molecular orbitals in both a crystalline pentacene film and a chemisorbed p-sexiphenyl monolayer can be obtained from a simple Fourier transform of the measurement data. The results are in good agreement with density functional calculations.

Immunoglobulin G Subclass-Specific Responses against Plasmodium falciparum Merozoite Antigens Are Associated with Control of Parasitemia and Protection from Symptomatic Illness

Abstract: Substantial evidence indicates that antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum merozoite antigens play a role in protection from malaria, although the precise targets and mechanisms mediating immunity remain unclear. Different malaria antigens induce distinct immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass responses, but the importance of different responses in protective immunity from malaria is not known and the factors determining subclass responses in vivo are poorly understood. We examined IgG and IgG subclass responses to the merozoite antigens MSP1-19 (the 19-kDa C-terminal region of merozoite surface protein 1), MSP2 (merozoite surface protein 2), and AMA-1 (apical membrane antigen 1), including different polymorphic variants of these antigens, in a longitudinal cohort of children in Papua New Guinea. IgG1 and IgG3 were the predominant subclasses of antibodies to each antigen, and all antibody responses increased in association with age and exposure without evidence of increasing polarization toward one subclass. The profiles of IgG subclasses differed somewhat for different alleles of MSP2 but not for different variants of AMA-1. Individuals did not appear to have a propensity to make a specific subclass response irrespective of the antigen. Instead, data suggest that subclass responses to each antigen are generated independently among individuals and that antigen properties, rather than host factors, are the major determinants of IgG subclass responses. High levels of AMA-1-specific IgG3 and MSP1-19-specific IgG1 were strongly predictive of a reduced risk of symptomatic malaria and high-density P. falciparum infections. However, no antibody response was significantly associated with protection from parasitization per se. Our findings have major implications for understanding human immunity and for malaria vaccine development and evaluation.

Climatic drivers of hemispheric asymmetry in global patterns of ant species richness

Abstract: Although many taxa show a latitudinal gradient in richness, the relationship between latitude and species richness is often asymmetrical between the northern and southern hemispheres. Here we examine the latitudinal pattern of species richness across 1003 local ant assemblages. We find latitudinal asymmetry, with southern hemisphere sites being more diverse than northern hemisphere sites. Most of this asymmetry could be explained statistically by differences in contemporary climate. Local ant species richness was positively associated with temperature, but negatively (although weakly) associated with temperature range and precipitation. After contemporary climate was accounted for, a modest difference in diversity between hemispheres persisted, suggesting that factors other than contemporary climate contributed to the hemispherical asymmetry. The most parsimonious explanation for this remaining asymmetry is that greater climate change since the Eocene in the northern than in the southern hemisphere has led to more extinctions in the northern hemisphere with consequent effects on local ant species richness.

Cellular IAPs inhibit a cryptic CD95-induced cell death by limiting RIP1 kinase recruitment

Abstract: A role for cellular inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs [cIAPs]) in preventing CD95 death has been suspected but not previously explained mechanistically. In this study, we find that the loss of cIAPs leads to a dramatic sensitization to CD95 ligand (CD95L) killing. Surprisingly, this form of cell death can only be blocked by a combination of RIP1 (receptor-interacting protein 1) kinase and caspase inhibitors. Consistently, we detect a large increase in RIP1 levels in the CD95 death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) and in a secondary cytoplasmic complex (complex II) in the presence of IAP antagonists and loss of RIP1-protected cells from CD95L/IAP antagonist–induced death. Cells resistant to CD95L/IAP antagonist treatment could be sensitized by short hairpin RNA–mediated knockdown of cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (cFLIP). However, only cFLIPL and not cFLIPS interfered with RIP1 recruitment to the DISC and complex II and protected cells from death. These results demonstrate a fundamental role for RIP1 in CD95 signaling and provide support for a physiological role of caspase-independent death receptor–mediated cell death.

Auditory-perceptual evaluation of disordered voice quality: pros, cons and future directions.

Abstract: Auditory-perceptual evaluation is the most commonly used clinical voice assessment method, and is often considered a gold standard for documentation of voice disorders. This view has arisen for many r