Reflections on working and walking gently together in collaboration and partnership in Aboriginal ageing research.

Problem: An important aspect of the work that takes place in and across our Aboriginal Health and Ageing research group is about building partnerships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous people. Partnerships are created between colleagues and co-researchers as well as with community Elders, Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, community groups and associations and individuals.

Setting: To fully realise this has required an introspective look at the way we function as a team of Aboriginal researchers and non-Indigenous researchers working together.

Dementia Incidence, Genotype, and Risk Factors for Cognitive Decline in Aboriginal Australians: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background And Objectives: Aboriginal Australians are disproportionately affected by dementia, with incidence in remote populations approximately double that of non-Indigenous populations. This study aimed to identify dementia incidence and risk factors in Aboriginal Australians residing in urban areas, which are currently unknown.

Methods: A population-based cohort of Aboriginal Australians ≥60 years of age was assessed at baseline and 6-year follow-up.

Ngarraanga Giinganay ('thinking peacefully'): Co-design and pilot study of a culturally-grounded mindfulness-based stress reduction program with older First Nations Australians.

First Nations 'survivors' are ageing in increasing numbers. Life-course stress and depression are of concern for older First Nations Australians, yet there are limited psychosocial interventions. This study aimed to co-design a culturally-grounded mindfulness-based program ('Ngarraanga Giinganay') and evaluate acceptability/feasibility with an Aboriginal community on Gumbaynggirr Country.

Patterns and preferences for accessing health and aged care services in older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

Objectives: To determine preferences for health and aged care services in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and explore related factors.

Methods: Mixed-method, cross-sectional study including 336 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 60 years and older from regional and urban areas.

Results: Exclusive preference for Aboriginal Community Controlled services was most common.

Older Aboriginal Australians' Health Concerns and Preferences for Healthy Ageing Programs.

While there is strong evidence of the need for healthy ageing programs for older Aboriginal Australians, few are available. It is important to understand older Aboriginal Australians' perspectives on healthy ageing in order to co-design culturally-appropriate programs, including views on technology use in this context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 Aboriginal Australians aged 50 years and older from regional and urban communities to explore participants' health concerns, preferences for healthy ageing programs, and receptiveness to technology.

Non-pathogenic Escherichia coli biofilms: effects of growth conditions and surface properties on structure and curli gene expression.

Biofilm formation is a harmful phenomenon in many areas, such as in industry and clinically, but offers advantages in the field of biocatalysis for the generation of robust biocatalytic platforms. In this work, we optimised growth conditions for the production of Escherichia coli biofilms by three strains (PHL644, a K-12 derivative with enhanced expression of the adhesin curli; the commercially-used strain BL21; and the probiotic Nissle 1917) on a variety of surfaces (plastics, stainless steel and PTFE). E.

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate accumulation in Arabidopsis and tobacco plants is a general response to abiotic stress: putative regulation by redox balance and glyoxylate reductase isoforms.

Enzymes that reduce the aldehyde chemical grouping (i.e. H-C=O) to its corresponding alcohol are probably crucial in maintaining plant health during stress.

A novel gamma-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase: identification and expression of an Arabidopsis cDNA and potential role under oxygen deficiency.

In plants, gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA), a non-protein amino acid, accumulates rapidly in response to a variety of abiotic stresses such as oxygen deficiency. Under normoxia, GABA is catabolized to succinic semialdehyde and then to succinate with the latter reaction being catalyzed by succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH). Complementation of an SSADH-deficient yeast mutant with an Arabidopsis cDNA library enabled the identification of a novel cDNA (designated as AtGH-BDH for Arabidopsis thaliana gamma-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase), which encodes a 289-amino acid polypeptide containing an NADP-binding domain.