Silk Road project

Choreographer Kim Vincs and Scenographer Matthew Delbridge worked with dancer, Carlee Mellow, musicians Rob Vincs, Scott Dunbabin and Eugene Ughetti to create a virtual visual performance where performer's movement was rendered using a motion capture system and projected onto translucent screens.

The C-terminus of PRK2/PKNγ is required for optimal activation by RhoA in a GTP-dependent manner

PRK2/PKNγ is a Rho effector and a member of the protein kinase C superfamily of serine/threonine kinases. Here, we explore the structure–function relationship between various motifs in the C-terminal half of PRK2 and its kinase activity and regulation. We report that two threonine residues at conserved phosphoacceptor position in the activation loop and the turn motif are essential for the catalytic activity of PRK2, but the phosphomimetic Asp-978 at hydrophobic motif is dispensable for kinase catalytic  competence. Moreover, the PRK2-Δ958 mutant with the turn motif truncated still interacts with 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK-1). Thus, both the intact hydrophobic motif and the turn motif in PRK2 are dispensable for the binding of PDK-1. We also found that while the last seven amino acid residues at the C-terminus of PRK2 are not required for the activation of the kinase by RhoA in vitro, however, the extreme C-terminal segment is critical for the full activation of PRK2 by RhoA in cells in a GTP-dependent manner. Our data suggest that the extreme C-terminus of PRK2 may represent a potential drug target for effector-specific pharmacological intervention of Rho-medicated biological processes.

Knowledge and education for a sustainable and socially just world : the ecology of innovation and creativity for humanity

Sustainability is a critical aim of Malaysian public policy and an important aim in education. Nonetheless, what sustainability means as it relates to education and the relationship between education and a sustainable future is unclear. In this paper I shall investigate the role that Universities in Malaysia play in shifting the practice and culture of innovation and creativity towards more sustainable values and outcomes. Sustainable education is based on ensuring that the capacities of students and the broader society are reengaged and empowered through connecting education to the needs and aspirations of civil society and moving away from neoliberal ideas of education as a practice of consumption towards, sustainable values of advancing human dignity.

Creativity and innovation within such an educational framework are goals and practices deeply connected and embedded within sustainable commitments to social justice, the public good, as well as individual growth and development which provide a critical legitimizing principle for university research and teaching. One of the key theoretical influences in making this argument will draw from the arguments of Amartya Sen whose theorization of capability may provide us with a way of thinking about social growth and development that is not possessively individualistic but rather socially concerned. I will discuss this in reference to the approach of University Sains Malaysia which provides an example of a public University seeking to engage sustainability and tie educational creativity and innovation back to the common good and a sustainable future.

The philosophical aim of this paper is to show how universities can pursue creativity and innovation as socially useful practices for advancing humane and sustainable values throughout Malaysian society and avoid the fusion of creativity with possessive individualism, consummerization and social irresponsibility. In this respect this paper addresses directly the theme of the conference: ‘Thinking Minds: Nurturing the Design of a Better Future'. '

To realise our national aspirations, a concerted effort is needed to increase our nation’s competitiveness, productivity and innovativeness. Attributes such as desire for knowledge, innovative thinking, creativity and competitiveness must be imbued within our people. The inculcation of moral values, progressiveness and performance-based cultures must also be instilled if we are to nurture successful individuals of the highest quality. This will determine our success as a knowledge-based economy.’ (Badawi 2007)

The role of wild birds in the transmission of avian influenza for Australia : an ecological perspective

Waterbirds, particularly Anatidae, are natural reservoirs for low-pathogenic avian influenza and have been implicated as the primary source of infection in outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza. An understanding of the movements of birds and the ecology of avian influenza viruses within the wild bird population is essential in assessing the risks to human health and production industries. Marked differences in the movements of Australian birds from those of the Northern Hemisphere emphasises the danger of generalising trends of disease prevalence to Australian conditions. Populations of Anatidae in Australia are not migratory, as they are in the Northern Hemisphere, but rather display typical nomadic traits, sometimes moving large distances across continental Australia in response to flooding or drought. There is little known regular interchange of anatids between Australia and Asia. In contrast, species such as shorebirds and some seabirds are annual migrants to Australia along recognised flyways from breeding grounds in the Northern Hemisphere. Movement into Australia by these species mainly occurs into the north-west and along the east coast over the Pacific Ocean. These species primarily arrive during the Australian spring and form large aggregations along the coastline and on inland wetlands. Other Australian migratory species (passerines, bee-eaters, dollar-birds, cuckoos, doves) regularly move to and from Asia through the Torres Strait Islands. The disease status of these birds is unknown. The movements of some species, particularly anatids and ardeids, which have ranges including Australia and regions where the virus is known to occur, have been poorly studied and there is potential for introduction of avian influenza subtypes via this route. Avian influenza viruses are highly unpredictable and can undergo reassortment to more pathogenic forms. There is insufficient knowledge of the epidemiology and transmission of these viruses in Australia and broad-scale surveillance of wild birds is logistically difficult. Long-term studies of anatids that co-habit with Charadriiformes are recommended. This would provide an indication of the spatial and temporal patterns of subtypes entering Australia and improve our understanding of the ecology of endemic viruses. Until such time as these data become available, Australia's preparedness for avian influenza must focus on biosecurity at the wild bird–poultry interface.

Increasing the Supply of Entrepreneurship in APEC: A Scorecard Approach.

This study employs the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Model to examine the entrepreneurial environment of fourteen APEC economies, members of the GEM Consortium. If “the positive and statistically robust link between entrepreneurship and economic growth has been indisputably verified” (Audretsch et al. 2002), then the supply of entrepreneurship is critical for sustained economic activity in a country. We exploit the GEM 2002 dataset in a “Scorecard Approach” to compare and contrast the level of entrepreneurial framework conditions within these APEC economies.

Abuzz with imagination

The Bee Hut is a moving and powerful conclusion to the career of a well-loved poet that displays her consistent belief in the transformative powers of the imagination, writes David McCooey.

Valuing practical experience

The nature, consequences and benefits of practice-based learning in architecture are explored nationally / transnationally from both student and practitioner perspectives. The findings suggest that the strengths of learning in practice contexts should be utilised and better integrated with formal learning at university for Australian architectural education in the 21st century.

Planning for ember attack within the interface

This dissertation explores the relationship between the urban rural interface, with particular reference to air pressure, wind patterns, and the build up of hot ash deposits adjacent to combustible surfaces, in order to devise strategies relating to the design of building forms.

A lightweight intrusion alert fusion system

In this paper, we present some practical experience on implementing an alert fusion mechanism from our project. After investigation on most of the existing alert fusion systems, we found the current body of work alternatively weighed down in the mire of insecure design or rarely deployed because of their complexity. As confirmed by our experimental analysis, unsuitable mechanisms could easily be submerged by an abundance of useless alerts. Even with the use of methods that achieve a high fusion rate and low false positives, attack is also possible. To find the solution, we carried out analysis on a series of alerts generated by well-known datasets as well as realistic alerts from the Australian Honey-Pot. One important finding is that one alert has more than an 85% chance of being fused in the following 5 alerts. Of particular importance is our design of a novel lightweight Cache-based Alert Fusion Scheme, called CAFS. CAFS has the capacity to not only reduce the quantity of useless alerts generated by IDS (Intrusion Detection System), but also enhance the accuracy of alerts, therefore greatly reducing the cost of fusion processing. We also present reasonable and practical specifications for the target-oriented fusion policy that provides a quality guarantee on alert fusion, and as a result seamlessly satisfies the process of successive correlation. Our experimental results showed that the CAFS easily attained the desired level of survivable, inescapable alert fusion design. Furthermore, as a lightweight scheme, CAFS can easily be deployed and excel in a large amount of alert fusions, which go towards improving the usability of system resources. To the best of our knowledge, our work is a novel exploration in addressing these problems from a survivable, inescapable and deployable point of view.

Inside anorexia : the experiences of girls and their families

An accessible resource for anyone who wants a better understanding of anorexia nervosa. An informative guide for health professionals as well as for people with anorexia and their families.

The specifics of coping : parents of daughters with anorexia nervosa

In this article, the authors report on an interview study in which parents described the coping strategies they used to deal with the demands of having a daughter diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. They compare parents’ accounts with commonly used categorizations in quantitative studies of parental coping and adjustment. The study indicates that parents attribute multiple, complex, and unique motives to their actions that problematize quantitative constructions of types of coping. Parents often defined their actions differently and reported using coping strategies that were not considered or measured by the most widely used quantitative coping instruments. The analysis indicates that when the focus is on understanding and assisting parental coping in particular circumstances, situated, contextspecific analyses are necessary to design measures that accurately reflect parents’ coping efforts.

Looking after well siblings of adolescent girls with anorexia : an important parental role

Background Research has suggested that well siblings of children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses are at risk for negative outcomes and that parents’ responses to the illnesses can influence the adaptation of well siblings. Yet, parents’ efforts to look after well siblings in the context of illness are rarely considered in literature about sibling adaptation. The importance of attending to the needs of well siblings was a major theme to emerge from a qualitative analysis of the experiences of parents of adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa.

Methods In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 parents of adolescent girls with anorexia and analysed using grounded theory method.

Results The data indicated that parents viewed caring for well siblings in the context of anorexia as an important role and responsibility. Parents reported making conscious and active efforts to look after well siblings by: maintaining normality; compensating for changes to routines; protecting siblings; providing emotional support; and managing the consequences.

Conclusions This paper provides a picture of the actions parents take to help well siblings adapt to anorexia in the family. Further research is needed to develop and expand this understanding to families experiencing a wide range of chronic and life-threatening illnesses. The findings underline the importance of clinical attention and further research into the critical parental role of caring for well siblings.

Parents dealing with anorexia : actions and meanings

This paper examines parents’ actions in response to anorexia nervosa, and how these are shaped by the ways they construct or understand the eating disorder. The findings indicate that parents try to influence their daughters by searching for help, providing practical support, avoiding confrontation, complying with special requirements, persuading, explaining, and pressuring, using ploys and force, providing emotional support, and mediating interactions. Parents’ actions are influenced by how they construct anorexia, such as whether they see it as an eating issue, an illness, a psychological problem, a choice, or a mystery. Understanding parents’ actions and constructions can help clinicians develop collaborative partnerships with parents.