Editorial of "International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies Volume 6, Number 2, 2013"

The International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies (IJCIS) now complements the recently launched National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network (NIRAKN) in its efforts to build Indigenous research capacity. In this context the journal provides a platform for the research of Indigenous postgraduates, early- to mid-career researchers, and senior scholars. Indigenous scholars are therefore encouraged to submit their articles to future editions of the IJCIS, an ‘Excellence in Research for Australia’ (ERA) ranked journal.

Editorial of "International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, Volume 7, Number 1, 2014"

This edition testifies to the broad international reach of the journal, with contributions variously concerned with Arctic Indigenous communities, the Métis of Canada, Native Hawaiians and Māori of Aotearoa (New Zealand). Two articles stress the need to work collaboratively and respectfully with Indigenous populations whilst conducting research. The first, by Gwen Healey, notes the increased interest in health research in the Arctic, particularly with Inuit populations. Healy seeks to add to the growing body of literature concerned with Indigenous ways of knowing by highlighting Inuit concepts that inform an effective Arctic research model. The second, by primary author Peter Hutchinson and a range of co-contributors, highlights the ways in which Métis collaborators working in health developed a participatory Indigenous research method that was unique in that it foregrounded Métis relationships and relationality. In so doing, the researchers were able to give substance to otherwise staid policy statements about the need for good ethical research conduct.

Editorial of "International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, Volume 7, Number 2, 2014"

This edition scales the merlons and embrasures that mark the epistemological barriers that contemporary colonising power continually puts in place. Each article harnesses a critical Indigenous perspective in order to challenge conservative approaches or positions, be they concerned with reconciliation, Indigenous-led research, research tools or the nature of Aboriginal being. The first article, by Barry Judd and Emma Barrow, examines reconciliation discourse within the higher education sector and highlights the ways a normative Anglo-Australian identity militates against genuine ‘whitefella’ attempts to ‘reconcile’. The authors stress the importance of inclusive, institutional practice that serves to decentre Anglo-centrism and which, in turn, brings Indigenous peoples more fully into the fold of Australian university life.

Editorial of "International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, Volume 8, Number 1, 2015"

This edition includes a diverse range of contributions that collectively illustrate two elevated concerns of critical Indigenous studies: First, an interest in establishing ways and means of conducting ethical research with Indigenous communities; and second, critically engaging with constructions of Indigeneity. The first article, by Craig Sinclair, Peter Keelan, Samuel Stokes, Annette Stokes and Christine Jefferies-Stokes, examines the increasingly popular use of participatory video (PV) as a means of engagement, in this case with children in remote Aboriginal communities as participants in health research. The authors note that, whilst not without methodological disadvantages, the PV method, with its flexibility to respond to community priorities is particularly well suited to research with remote Aboriginal communities.

Editorial of "International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, Volume 8, Number 2, 2015"

The articles in this edition address two critical concerns that can be broadly characterised as Indigeneity as a spectacle and the elision of Indigenous sovereignty by multiculturalism and diversity. The first article, by Maryrose Casey, examines nineteenth and early twentieth century Indigenous performances that drew on cultural practices for entertainment. She highlights how these commercially driven performances were, in fact, demonstrations of sovereignty that white colonisers paid to observe. A measure of the success of these demonstrations can be found in the reactions of audiences, which often involved disrupting the spectacle by physically occupying the performance space.

The Fashion Studies Book

The Fashion Book is an exciting, readable and comprehensive, all-in-one resource for students of fashion across the English-speaking world. It is designed as an introduction to fashion studies that can be used in a range of fashion courses from fashion studies degrees to fashion modules, and majors in disciplines including cultural studies, cultural sociology, cultural geography, communications and media, anthropology and cultural history. The book will present current writings and research on major topics debates in fashion studies drawing on the literature on fashion theory and incorporating many global case studies (as easy-to-read boxed material). Graphs, tables and diagrams will add texture to the written material. Approximately 200 colour images are planned to generously illustrate the historical and the contemporary tapestry of fashion. A dedicated interactive website will complement the text and ensure that students are in touch with the latest news, issues and trends.

Head motion and Inattention/Hyperactivity share common genetic influences: Implications for fMRI studies of ADHD

Head motion (HM) is a well known confound in analyses of functional MRI (fMRI) data. Neuroimaging researchers therefore typically treat HM as a nuisance covariate in their analyses. Even so, it is possible that HM shares a common genetic influence with the trait of interest. Here we investigate the extent to which this relationship is due to shared genetic factors, using HM extracted from resting-state fMRI and maternal and self report measures of Inattention and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity from the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behaviour (SWAN) scales. Our sample consisted of healthy young adult twins (N = 627 (63% females) including 95 MZ and 144 DZ twin pairs, mean age 22, who had mother-reported SWAN; N = 725 (58% females) including 101 MZ and 156 DZ pairs, mean age 25, with self reported SWAN). This design enabled us to distinguish genetic from environmental factors in the association between head movement and ADHD scales. HM was moderately correlated with maternal reports of Inattention (r = 0.17, p-value = 7.4E-5) and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity (r = 0.16, p-value = 2.9E-4), and these associations were mainly due to pleiotropic genetic factors with genetic correlations [95% CIs] of rg = 0.24 [0.02, 0.43] and rg = 0.23 [0.07, 0.39]. Correlations between self-reports and HM were not significant, due largely to increased measurement error. These results indicate that treating HM as a nuisance covariate in neuroimaging studies of ADHD will likely reduce power to detect between-group effects, as the implicit assumption of independence between HM and Inattention or Hyperactivity-Impulsivity is not warranted. The implications of this finding are problematic for fMRI studies of ADHD, as failing to apply HM correction is known to increase the likelihood of false positives. We discuss two ways to circumvent this problem: censoring the motion contaminated frames of the RS-fMRI scan or explicitly modeling the relationship between HM and Inattention or Hyperactivity-Impulsivity

Studies on the out-of-plane behaviour of masonry walls

The prime aim of this PhD thesis is to contribute to the current body of knowledge on the out-of-plane performance of masonry walls through systematic investigation of the key parameters and provide insight into the design clauses of Australian Masonry Standard (AS3700-2011). The research work has been carried out through numerical simulation based on a 3D layered shell element model. The model demonstrated capability to simulate various forms of new and existing masonry systems commonly constructed in Australia such as unreinforced, internally and externally reinforced, confined and dry-stack masonry. In addition, the model simultaneously simulates in-plane and out-of-plane responses.

Editorial of "International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies Volume 4, Number 2, 2011"

This special edition of the International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies focuses upon the work scholars within the growing discipline of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health studies. The lamentable state of Indigenous health in Australia is reflected in Indigenous populations elsewhere, especially where settler colonialism has left an indelible mark. This special edition therefore speaks to where Indigenous health outcomes and the efficacy of remedies are causing concern. Common to all is the demand that Indigenous people are placed front and centre of all attempts to improve health outcomes and that improvements are sought in culturally sensitive ways. Terry Dunbar presents findings from a research study that set out to investigate the Indigenous experiences of health and family services in the Northern Territory, Australia. The study asserts that cultural security is an integral and vital element of any policy that will impact upon Indigenous peoples. Dunbar concludes by arguing that in seeking positive change with regard to cultural security or otherwise, the most vociferous champions of that change are likely to be the Aboriginal communities affected. The article by Bronwyn Fredericks, Karen Adams, Sandra Angus and Melissa Walker also highlights the need to involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, in this case women, in the design and development of strategies affecting their lives. Utilising routine communication methods such the ‘talking circle’ and the process referred to as ‘talkin’ up’, where women ‘talk back’ to one another about issues of personal importance, the article argues that the health strategy which emerged through these consultation approaches was more accurately informed by and responsive to women’s health need. Indeed, the resulting strategy reflected the women’s sense of themselves and the clear direction they felt their health services and polices should take.

Critical Indigenous Studies: Engagements in First World Locations

With increasing speed, the emerging discipline of critical Indigenous studies is expanding and demarcating its territory from Indigenous studies through the work of a new generation of Indigenous scholars. Critical Indigenous Studies makes an important contribution to this expansion, disrupting the certainty of disciplinary knowledge produced in the twentieth century, when studying Indigenous peoples was primarily the domain of non-Indigenous scholars. Aileen Moreton-Robinson's introductory essay provides a context for the emerging discipline. The volume is organized into three sections: the first includes essays that interrogate the embedded nature of Indigenous studies within academic institutions; the second explores the epistemology of the discipline; and the third section is devoted to understanding the locales of critical inquiry and practice. Each essay places and contemplates critical Indigenous studies within the context of First World nations, which continue to occupy Indigenous lands in the twenty-first century. The contributors include Aboriginal, Metis, Maori, Kanaka Maoli, Filipino-Pohnpeian, and Native American scholars working and writing through a shared legacy born of British and later U.S. imperialism. In these countries, critical Indigenous studies is flourishing and transitioning into a discipline, a knowledge/power domain where distinct work is produced, taught, researched, and disseminated by Indigenous scholars.

Early post-operative mortality after major lower limb amputation: A systematic review of population and regional based studies

OBJECTIVE: Lower limb amputation is often associated with a high risk of early post-operative mortality. Mortality rates are also increasingly being put forward as a possible benchmark for surgical performance. The primary aim of this systematic review is to investigate early post-operative mortality following a major lower limb amputation in population/regional based studies, and reported factors that might influence these mortality outcomes. METHODS: Embase, PubMed, Cinahl and Psycinfo were searched for publications in any language on 30 day or in hospital mortality after major lower limb amputation in population/regional based studies. PRISMA guidelines were followed. A self developed checklist was used to assess quality and susceptibility to bias. Summary data were extracted for the percentage of the population who died; pooling of quantitative results was not possible because of methodological differences between studies. RESULTS: Of the 9,082 publications identified, results were included from 21. The percentage of the population undergoing amputation who died within 30 days ranged from 7% to 22%, the in hospital equivalent was 4-20%. Transfemoral amputation and older age were found to have a higher proportion of early post-operative mortality, compared with transtibial and younger age, respectively. Other patient factors or surgical treatment choices related to increased early post-operative mortality varied between studies. CONCLUSIONS: Early post-operative mortality rates vary from 4% to 22%. There are very limited data presented for patient related factors (age, comorbidities) that influence mortality. Even less is known about factors related to surgical treatment choices, being limited to amputation level. More information is needed to allow comparison across studies or for any benchmarking of acceptable mortality rates. Agreement is needed on key factors to be reported.

Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1) and its interactions with glycosaminoglycans: 1. Molecular modeling studies

Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1) has many functions, including its roles in leukocyte extravasation as part of the inflammatory response and in the maintenance of vascular integrity through its contribution to endothelial cell−cell adhesion. PECAM-1 has been shown to mediate cell−cell adhesion through homophilic binding events that involve interactions between domain 1 of PECAM-1 molecules on adjacent cells. However, various heterophilic ligands of PECAM-1 have also been proposed. The possible interaction of PECAM-1 with glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) is the focus of this study. The three-dimensional structure of the extracellular immunoglobulin (Ig) domains of PECAM-1 were constructed using homology modeling and threading methods. Potential heparin/heparan sulfate-binding sites were predicted on the basis of their amino acid consensus sequences and a comparison with known structures of sulfate-binding proteins. Heparin and other GAG fragments have been docked to investigate the structural determinants of their protein-binding specificity and selectivity. The modeling has predicted two regions in PECAM-1 that appear to bind heparin oligosaccharides. A high-affinity binding site was located in Ig domains 2 and 3, and evidence for a low-affinity site in Ig domains 5 and 6 was obtained. These GAG-binding regions were distinct from regions involved in PECAM-1 homophilic interactions.

3D QSAR studies of N-4-arylacryloylpiperazin-1-yl-phenyl-oxazolidinones: A novel class of antibacterial agents

Three-dimensional QSAR studies for N-4-arylacryloylpiperazin-1-yl-phenyl-oxazolidinones were conducted using TSAR 3.3. The in vitro activities (MICs) of the compounds against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 exhibited a strong correlation with the prediction made by the model developed in the present study.

Identification of IDUA and WNT16 phosphorylation-related non-synonymous polymorphisms for bone mineral density in meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies

Protein phosphorylation regulates a wide variety of cellular processes. Thus, we hypothesize that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that may modulate protein phosphorylation could affect osteoporosis risk. Based on a previous conventional genome-wide association (GWA) study, we conducted a three-stage meta-analysis targeting phosphorylation-related SNPs (phosSNPs) for femoral neck (FN)-bone mineral density (BMD), total hip (HIP)-BMD, and lumbar spine (LS)-BMD phenotypes. In stage 1, 9593 phosSNPs were meta-analyzed in 11,140 individuals of various ancestries. Genome-wide significance (GWS) and suggestive significance were defined by α = 5.21 × 10–6 (0.05/9593) and 1.00 × 10–4, respectively. In stage 2, nine stage 1–discovered phosSNPs (based on α = 1.00 × 10–4) were in silico meta-analyzed in Dutch, Korean, and Australian cohorts. In stage 3, four phosSNPs that replicated in stage 2 (based on α = 5.56 × 10–3, 0.05/9) were de novo genotyped in two independent cohorts. IDUA rs3755955 and rs6831280, and WNT16 rs2707466 were associated with BMD phenotypes in each respective stage, and in three stages combined, achieving GWS for both FN-BMD (p = 8.36 × 10–10, p = 5.26 × 10–10, and p = 3.01 × 10–10, respectively) and HIP-BMD (p = 3.26 × 10–6, p = 1.97 × 10–6, and p = 1.63 × 10–12, respectively). Although in vitro studies demonstrated no differences in expressions of wild-type and mutant forms of IDUA and WNT16B proteins, in silico analyses predicts that WNT16 rs2707466 directly abolishes a phosphorylation site, which could cause a deleterious effect on WNT16 protein, and that IDUA phosSNPs rs3755955 and rs6831280 could exert indirect effects on nearby phosphorylation sites. Further studies will be required to determine the detailed and specific molecular effects of these BMD-associated non-synonymous variants. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Experimental studies of lipped channel beams subject to web crippling under two-flange load cases

Lipped channel beams (LCBs) are commonly used as flexural members such as floor joists and bearers in the construction 6 industry. These thin-walled LCBs are subjected to specific buckling and failure modes, one of them being web crippling. Despite considerable 7 research in this area, some recent studies have shown that the current web crippling design rules are unable to predict the test capacities under 8 end-two-flange (ETF) and interior-two-flange (ITF) load conditions. In many instances, web crippling predictions by the available design 9 standards such as AISI S100, AS/NZS 4600 and Eurocode 3 Part 1-3 are inconsistent, i.e., unconservative in some cases, although they 10 are conservative in other cases. Hence, experimental studies consisting of 36 tests were conducted in this research to assess the web crippling 11 behavior and capacities of high-strength LCBs under two-flange load cases (ETF and ITF). Experimental results were then compared with the 12 predictions from current design rules. Comparison of the ultimate web crippling capacities from tests showed that the design equations are 13 very unconservative for LCB sections under the ETF load case and are conservative for the ITF load case. Hence, improved equations were 14 proposed to determine the web crippling capacities of LCBs based on the experimental results from this study. Current design equations do 15 not provide the direct strength method (DSM) provisions for web crippling. Hence, suitable design rules were also developed under the DSM 16 format using the test results and buckling analyses using finite-element analyses.