Postmodern rituals : contemporary Australia responds to Bali

AFTER BALI, OCTOBER 12, 2002, A RANGE OF PUBLIC rituals took place in Australia to remember those who had been killed in the bombing. In Melbourne, the most visible, and collective ritual was the laying of flowers by members of the public on the steps of the State Parliament building, at the highly visible apex of Bourke St. This was a much-publicized event that took place over a period of two weeks. It was a riveting and moving sight/site for many people, who left notes expressing grief and regret, promises of remembrance, and of revenge. The choice of the site, and what would happen there, was prompted by talk-back listeners to Radio 3AW's Nell Mitchell, who called in with many different suggestions as to where and why the laying of flowers should take place. This essay seeks to understand the processes and purposes of the popular, public rituals after Bali, asking who made them, what was made, and how popular--that is, open to formation by those not primarily and directly connected with the mass media and party politics--were the constructions? Further, in calling such an event a "postmodern ritual," the essay will inaugurate an analysis, through cultural studies methodologies, of the attributes of public rituals in contemporary Western cultures.

Luminescence and microstructure of Sr2Mg(BO3)2 doped with Eu

Sr₂Mg(B0₃)₂ doped with Eu was synthesized respectively in air and weak reducing atmosphere (combustion of carbon particle), whose photoluminescence characteristics and structure were also studied at room-temperature. In air, the fluorescent body's color was white for different synthesized temperatures. At room temperature, the sample was excited and showed red typical emission spectrum of Eu³⁺ whose emission apex were sharp near 612 nm and emission spect~m was made up of the charge transformation band (CTB) of Eu^{3 +} and excitation spectrum of 4f→4f high energy level transition, then reached the area of VUV. However, under reducing atmosphere (combustion of carbon particles), the color of the sample yielded was yellow, whose color became deeper with increasing temperature and showed phase transition. Using UV excitation, the luminescence of yellow sample was very weak. In a complicated broad spectrum at visible light area, the red emission spectrum of Eu²⁺ was not observed. Crystal structure and luminescence of the sample were completely different from the results of Diaz and Keszler. Two samples were prepared under oxidation and reducing atmosphere at high temperature, which were different on crystal structure and microstructure. By studying Sr₂Mg(B0₃)₂:Eu³⁺ a series of directional faults or educts were found, because Eu^{3 +} ions substituted for Sr^{2 +} ions. However, microstructure of Sr₂Mg(B0₃ )₂: Eu^{2 +} is more complicated, whose excitation spectrum might be excited by Eu^{2 +}. By XRD patten of the samples, phase transitibn could be found. Twins and clusters that were formed from point defect such as interstitial atom and big angle crystal boundary could be found by TEM.

Habitat selection by female Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus)

1. Numerous studies have determined the foraging areas of marine apex predators and investigated their relationship to oceanographic features. Most of these, however, have concentrated on surface-feeding seabirds or epipelagic-foraging marine mammals and there is little information on habitat selection in benthic divers.

2. Satellite telemetry was used during the winters of 2001-2003 to determine the foraging areas of 48 female Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) from four breeding sites in northern Bass Strait whose colonies together represent > 80% of the total species population.

3. All individuals foraged over the shallow continental shelf of Bass Strait supporting earlier studies that suggested the species is an exclusively benthic forager. Individual females showed a high degree of foraging site-fidelity and several foraging 'hot spot' areas could be identified.

4. Analysis of habitat use indicated that individuals selected areas with depths of 60-80 m significantly more (λ = 0.216, P<0.001) than any other bathymetric class. There was also evidence for foraging areas being influenced by SST, with individuals selecting regions of 16.0-16.8 C SST (λ = 0.008, P<0.01), but not surface chlorophyll-a concentration (P> 0.05).

5. Temporal analysis of at-sea movements indicated, due to their primarily benthic foraging mode, the areas frequented by female Australian fur seals did not overlap substantially with areas targeted by commercial fisheries. An exception to this was in far eastern Bass Strait where the Otter Trawl component of the Commonwealth Trawl Sector is highly active over the continental shelf and encompasses the areas frequented by females from The Skerries colony.

Predictive mapping of powerful owl (Ninox strenua) breeding sites using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in urban Melbourne, Australia

Urban expansion is a principal process threatening biodiversity globally. It is predicted that over half of the world's population will reside in urban centres by 2010. If we are to conserve biodiversity, a shift in perspective from traditional ecological studies based in natural environments, to studies based in less natural environments is paramount. To effectively conserve species which occur in urban environments, comprehensive analysis is necessary to determine the processes that are driving this urban usage. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology provides a valuable tool for efficient spatial analysis and predictive mapping of species distributions.

This study used GIS to analyze current breeding sites for the powerful owl, a vulnerable top order predator in urban Melbourne, Australia. GIS analysis suggests that a number of ecological attributes were influencing powerful owl usage of urban environments. Using these ecological attributes, predictive mapping was undertaken, which identified a number of potential breeding sites for powerful owls within urbanized Melbourne.

Urban environments are traditionally perceived as “the wastelands” of natural environments, however, this study demonstrates that they have the potential to support apex predators, an important finding for the management of rare and threatened species.

Convection suppression in an attic shaped enclosure

In recent times there has been growing interest in the integration of solar collectors, for water heating, into the façade of buildings. However, the design methodology of these devices remains largely the same as typical “stand-alone” collectors. As such it is still common for materials with a high thermal resistance to be used for insulating the rear surface of these collectors.

Unlike a “stand-alone” solar collector that is exposed to the atmosphere at all faces; a building integrated system allows the opportunity for air to act as an insulator at the rear surface of the solar collector. The use of convection suppression devices has been widely discussed in the literature as a means of reducing natural convection heat loss from the front surface of glazed solar collectors. However in this study the use of baffles in an attic was examined as a means of suppressing heat loss by natural convection from the rear surface of a roof-integrated solar collector. The aim of the study was to examine whether the use of baffles would allow the cost of building integrated collectors to be reduced by removing the cost of insulating material.

To determine the effect of baffles in the attic space at the rear surface of the collector, a 3-dimensional triangular cross sectioned enclosure with a vertical aspect ratio of 0.5 and a horizontal aspect ratio of 3.3 was modelled. The flow patterns and heat transfer in the enclosure were determined for Grashof Numbers in the range of 106 to 107 using a commercially available finite volume CFD solver.
It was found that the use of a single adiabatic baffle mounted vertically downwards from the apex, and extending the length of the enclosure, would alter the flow such that the heat transfer due to natural convection was reduced with respect to the length of the baffle.

Furthermore, it was observed that a series of convection cells, not previously reported in the literature, appeared to exist along the length of the enclosure. As such, it may be possible to derive additional benefit in reducing the heat transfer by adding lateral baffles in addition to the single longitudinal baffle modelled in this study.

Reformulating competitive advantage and advancing sustainability : the alternative approach of Universiti Sains Malaysia

The Universiti Sains Malaysia APEX program is an attempt to engage the difficult and complex problems of competition, moral leadership and responsibility in Malaysian education. This paper discusses and gives an analysis of some central issues with regards to USM’s reform agenda. I seek to place the USM project within a broader debate over the nature of reform and the possibilities of business unusual in the Malaysian and global environment. The paper is part of a broader project of theorization of USM in the context of understanding what APEX is and how it truly offers a new and vigorous engagement with the problems of higher education in Malaysia.

Public policy and USM : an approach to fit a renewed sense of public purpose

Malaysian Higher educational reform is an important and central aspect of the broader Malaysian public policy focus on excellence, development and national growth. This proposed paper intends to discuss analyze and critique the APEX program for Malaysian Universities. In particular the paper will investigate and discuss the way Universiti Sains Malaysia has interpreted and developed its strategic goals in light of its award of APEX status. Specifically I intend to discuss the strengths and limitations of the Universiti Sains Malaysia agenda, and contextualize it within a broader discussion about the directions of Malaysian Higher Education, in conditions of globalization, network society, and the knowledge economy. The challenges faced by the reform agenda at USM are significant and it is important that any understanding of the USM agenda be informed by deep reflection on the underlying philosophical aims and justifications for its direction. In this way my paper will attempt to show how the USM project is both an important part of Malaysian national development and a critical response to contemporary globalization, while at the same time an innovative and challenging intervention into public policy debate in Higher Education. The values and objectives of USM in regards to its strategic reorientation have implications far beyond the Higher Education sector and these implications will also be discussed.

Public policy and USM : an approach to fit a renewed sense of public purpose

Malaysian Higher educational reform is an important and central aspect of the broader Malaysian public policy focus on excellence, development and national growth. This proposed paper intends to discuss analyze and critique the APEX program for Malaysian Universities. In particular the paper will investigate and discuss the way Universiti Sains Malaysia has interpreted and developed its strategic goals in light of its award of APEX status. Specifically I intend to discuss the strengths and limitations of the Universiti Sains Malaysia agenda, and contextualize it within a broader discussion about the directions of Malaysian Higher Education, in conditions of globalization, network society, and the knowledge economy. The challenges faced by the reform agenda at USM are significant and it is important that any understanding of the USM agenda be informed by deep reflection on the underlying philosophical aims and justifications for its direction. In this way my paper will attempt to show how the USM project is both an important part of Malaysian national development and a critical response to contemporary globalization, while at the same time an innovative and challenging intervention into public policy debate in Higher Education. The values and objectives of USM in regards to its strategic reorientation have implications far beyond the Higher Education sector and these implications will also be discussed.

Predator interactions, mesopredator release and biodiversity conservation

There is growing recognition of the important roles played by predators in regulating ecosystems and sustaining biodiversity. Much attention has focused on the consequences of predator-regulation of herbivore populations, and associated trophic cascades. However apex predators may also control smaller ‘mesopredators’ through intraguild interactions. Removal of apex predators can result in changes to intraguild interactions and outbreaks of mesopredators (‘mesopredator release’), leading in turn to increased predation on smaller prey. Here we provide a review and synthesis of studies of predator interactions, mesopredator release and their impacts on biodiversity. Mesopredator suppression by apex predators is widespread geographically and taxonomically. Apex predators suppress mesopredators both by killing them, or instilling fear, which motivates changes in behaviour and habitat use that limit mesopredator distribution and abundance. Changes in the abundance of apex predators may have disproportionate (up to fourfold) effects on mesopredator abundance. Outcomes of interactions between predators may however vary with resource availability, habitat complexity and the complexity of predator communities. There is potential for the restoration of apex predators to have benefits for biodiversity conservation through moderation of the impacts of mesopredators on their prey, but this requires a whole-ecosystem view to avoid unforeseen negative effects.

‘Nothing has changed since I began.

My eye has permitted no change.

I am going to keep things like this.’

From ‘Hawk Roosting’, by Ted Hughes.

Predator control promotes invasive dominated ecological states

Invasive species are regarded as one of the top five drivers of the global extinction crisis. In response, extreme measures have been applied in an attempt to control or eradicate invasives, with little success overall. We tested the idea that state shifts to invasive dominance are symptomatic of losses in ecosystem resilience, due to the suppression of apex predators. This concept was investigated in Australia where the high rate of mammalian extinctions is largely attributed to the destructive influence of invasive species. Intensive pest control is widely applied across the continent, simultaneously eliminating Australia’s apex predator, the dingo (Canis lupus dingo). We show that predator management accounts for shifts between two main ecosystem states. Lethal control fractures dingo social structure and leads to bottom-up driven increases in invasive mesopredators and herbivores. Where control is relaxed, dingoes re-establish top–down regulation of ecosystems, allowing for the recovery of biodiversity and productivity.

Stable isotopes reveal inter-annual and inter-individual variation in the diet of female Australian fur seals

Understanding the temporal and spatial variation of foraging habits of apex predators is central to understanding their role in marine ecosystems and how their populations may respond to environmental variability. In the present study, stable isotope analysis (C and N) of blood was used to investigate inter-individual and inter-annual differences in the diet of adult female Australian fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus. Positive correlations were observed between red cell and plasma values for δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N (r² = 0.47 and r² = 0.66, respectively, p < 0.001 in both cases), suggesting relatively consistent individual prey choices over 3 or 4 foraging trips. Mean δ¹⁵N values (12.8 to 17.5%) confirm the species occupies the highest marine trophic niche in the region. A significant decrease in plasma δ¹⁵N values, corresponding to two-thirds of a trophic level (ca. 2%), was observed between the 1998 to 2000 and 2003 to 2005 sampling periods. This was associated with a significant decrease in adult female body condition and is consistent with a decline, previously documented by faecal analysis, of the proportion of red cod Pseudophysis bachus, barracouta Thyrsites atun and Gould's squid Nototodarus gouldi in the diet and an increase in redbait Emmelichthys nitidus. While substantial variation in δ¹⁵N was observed within each age cohort, a significant decrease was observed with age, suggesting individual specialisation for particular prey types is evident early in adulthood, but that its composition changes as females age. In addition, generalized linear models indicated body mass had a negative influence on δ¹⁵N, which may reflect larger total body oxygen stores, facilitating individuals hunting cryptic prey of lower trophic level (e.g. octopus) on the sea floor.

Differential involvement of rat medial prefrontal cortex dopamine receptors in modulation of hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenal axis responses to different stressors

Recent investigations have implicated the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in modulation of subcortical pathways that contribute to the generation of behavioural, autonomic and endocrine responses to stress. However, little is known of the mechanisms involved. One of the key neurotransmitters involved in mPFC function is dopamine, and we therefore aimed, in this investigation, to examine the role of mPFC dopamine in response to stress in Wistar rats. In this regard, we infused dopamine antagonists SCH23390 or sulpiride into the mPFC via retrodialysis. We then examined changes in numbers of cells expressing the c-fos immediate-early gene protein product, Fos, in subcortical neuronal populations associated with regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis stress responses in response to either of two stressors; systemic injection of interleukin-1β, or air puff. The D1 antagonist, SCH23390, and the D2 antagonist, sulpiride, both attenuated expression of Fos in the medial parvocellular hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (mpPVN) corticotropin-releasing factor cells at the apex of the HPA axis, as well as in most extra-hypothalamic brain regions examined in response to interleukin-1β. By contrast, SCH23390 failed to affect Fos expression in response to air puff in any brain region examined, while sulpiride resulted in an attenuation of the air puff-induced response in only the mpPVN and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. These results indicate that the mPFC differentially processes the response to different stressors and that the two types of dopamine receptor may have different roles.

Evidence that the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis contributes to the modulation of hypophysiotropic corticotropin-releasing factor cell responses to systemic interleukin-1β

Systemic infection activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and brainstem catecholamine cells have been shown to contribute to this response. However, recent work also suggests an important role for the central amygdala (CeA). Because direct connections between the CeA and the hypothalamic apex of the HPA axis are minimal, the present study investigated whether the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) might act as a relay between them. This was done by using an animal model of acute systemic infection involving intravascular delivery of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β, 1 μg/kg). Unilateral ibotenic acid lesions encompassing the ventral BNST significantly reduced both IL-1β-induced increases in Fos immunoreactivity in corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) cells of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and corresponding increases in adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion. Similar lesions had no effect on CRF cell responses to physical restraint, suggesting that the effects of BNST lesions were not due to a nonspecific effect on stress responses. In further studies, we examined the functional connections between PVN, BNST, and CeA by combining retrograde tracing with mapping of IL-1β-induced increases in Fos in BNST and CeA cells. In the case of the BNST, these studies showed that systemic IL-1β administration recruits ventral BNST cells that project directly to the PVN. In the case of the CeA, the results obtained were consistent with an arrangement whereby lateral CeA cells recruited by systemic IL-1β could regulate the activity of medial CeA cells projecting directly to the BNST. In conclusion, the present findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the BNST acts as a relay between the CeA and PVN, thereby contributing to CeA modulation of hypophysiotropic CRF cell responses to systemic administration of IL-1β.

Medial prefrontal cortex suppression of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis response to a physical stressor, systemic delivery of interleukin-1β

Previous studies have shown that the medial prefrontal cortex can suppress the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis response to stress. However, this effect appears to vary with the type of stressor. Furthermore, the absence of direct projections between the medial prefrontal cortex and corticotropin-releasing factor cells at the apex of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis suggest that other brain regions must act as a relay when this inhibitory mechanism is activated. In the present study, we first established that electrolytic lesions involving the prelimbic and infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex increased plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone levels seen in response to a physical stressor, the systemic delivery of interleukin-1β. However, medial prefrontal cortex lesions did not alter plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone levels seen in response to a psychological stressor, noise. To identify brain regions that might mediate the effect of medial prefrontal cortex lesions on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis responses to systemic interleukin-1β, we next mapped the effects of similar lesions on interleukin-1β-induced Fos expression in regions previously shown to regulate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis response to this stressor. It was found that medial prefrontal cortex lesions reduced the number of Fos-positive cells in the ventral aspect of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. However, the final experiment, which involved combining retrograde tracing with Fos immunolabelling, revealed that bed nucleus of the stria terminalis-projecting medial prefrontal cortex neurons were largely separate from medial prefrontal cortex neurons recruited by systemic interleukin-1β, an outcome that is difficult to reconcile with a simple medial prefrontal cortex–bed nucleus of the stria terminalis–corticotropin-releasing factor cell control circuit.

Medullary neurones regulate hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor cell responses to an emotional stressor

Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activation is a hallmark of the stress response. In the case of physical stressors, there is considerable evidence that medullary catecholamine neurones are critical to the activation of the paraventricular nucleus corticotropin-releasing factor cells that constitute the apex of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. In contrast, it has been thought that hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis responses to emotional stressors do not involve brainstem neurones. To investigate this issue we have mapped patterns of restraint-induced neuronal c-fos expression in intact animals and in animals prepared with either paraventricular nucleus-directed injections of a retrograde tracer, lesions of paraventricular nucleus catecholamine terminals, or lesions of the medulla corresponding to the A1 or A2 noradrenergic cell groups. Restraint-induced patterns of neuronal activation within the medulla of intact animals were very similar to those previously reported in response to physical stressors, including the fact that most stressor-responsive, paraventricular nucleus-projecting cells were certainly catecholaminergic and probably noradrenergic. Despite this, the destruction of paraventricular nucleus catecholamine terminals with 6-hydroxydopamine did not alter corticotropin-releasing factor cell responses to restraint. However, animals with ibotenic acid lesions encompassing either the A1 or A2 noradrenergic cell groups displayed significantly suppressed corticotropin-releasing factor cell responses to restraint. Notably, these medullary lesions also suppressed neuronal responses in the medial amygdala, an area that is now considered critical to hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis responses to emotional stressors and that is also known to display a significant increase in noradrenaline turnover during restraint.

We conclude that medullary neurones influence corticotropin-releasing factor cell responses to emotional stressors via a multisynaptic pathway that may involve a noradrenergic input to the medial amygdala. These results overturn the idea that hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis response to emotional stressors can occur independently of the brainstem.