Book review : The new European rurality : strategies for small firms

The new European rurality: strategies for small firms, by Teresa de Noronha Vaz, Eleanor J. Morgan and Peter Nijkamp. Ashgate Publishing, 2006

Visionnaire

Visionnaire : A screening of postgraduate and masters films

All I Have Left - Merei, Daniel
The Score - Holland, Thomas,
The Beard Fairy - Morrison, Luke
Retracing the End - Biviano, Shannon, Lee, David, Ooi, Zihui, Joo, James, Partovifar, Hadi, Karantzas, Alexandra
Armed - Francisco, Mia, Weise, Timothy, Benyaminovich, Mark, Medew, Sarah, Barker, Nic, Walker, James E.
The Library Museum - Song, Miru, Larmour-Reid, Ezra, Yii, Emily, Mentzoni, Kristoffer, Janssen, Hans, Yong, King
Children Can Write Poetry - Carolan, Olivia, Wilson, Robert, Sebastian, Justin, Noonan, Sam, Wally, Joe, Huang, Janet
Ill Will - Evans, Sheridan, Thorborg, Oscar, Tofteberg, Lise, Vawdrey, Michael, Moraes, Jamie, Meyer, Nina
The Toothpick Man - Devandran, Yogashree, Arntzen, Kim, Sheah, Ju Er, Kusdina, Karina, Rahim, Amir Abdul
Necare - Thomas, Rohan, Wijananda, Adi, Graham, Alice, Low, Nicholas, Wong, Aaron, Kitchen, Zachary
Glass - Stringer, Blake, Anderson, Robert, Kelada, Matthew, Hafner, Katrina, Warner, Timothy, Vivian-Williams, Olivia
Brick Road - Moore, Kimberley, Cleeve, Guy, Kennedy, Ryan, Terry, James, herbert, Robert, Wilson, Eleanor
Ties - Rondos, Maximo, Gordes, Liam, Ruddy, Dylan, Blakley, Jock, Pitches, Devan, Mitchell, Robert

Maternal feeding practices predict weight gain and obesogenic eating behaviours in young children : a prospective study

Background Maternal feeding practices have been proposed to play an important role in early child weight gain and obesogenic eating behariours. However, to date longitudinal investigations in young children exploring these relationships have been lacking. The aim of the present study was to explore prospective relationships between maternal feeding practices, child weight gain and obesogenic eating behaviours in 2-year-old children. The competing hypothesis that child eating behaviours predict changes in maternal feeding practices was also examined.

Methods A sample of 323 mother (mean age = 35 years, + 0.37) and child dyads (mean age = 2.03 years, + 0.37 at recruitment) were participants. Mothers completed a questionnaire assessing parental feeding practices and child eating behaviours at baseline and again one year later. Child BMI (predominantly objectively measured) was obtained at both time points.

Results Increases in child BMI z-scores over the follow-up period were predicted by maternal instrumental feeding practices. Furthermore, restriction, emotional feeding, encouragement to eat, weight-based restriction and fat restriction were associated prospectively with the development of obesogenic eating behaviours in children including emotional eating, tendency to overeat and food approach behaviours (such as enjoyment of food and good appetite). Maternal monitoring, however, predicted decreases in food approach eating behaviours. Partial support was also observed for child eating behaviours predicting maternal feeding practices.

Conclusions Maternal feeding practices play an important role in the development of weight gain and obesogenic eating behaviours in young children and are potential targets for effective prevention interventions aiming to decrease child obesity.

Understanding nutrition

A practical and engaging introduction to the core principles of nutrition. A thorough introductory guide, this text will equip students with the knowledge and skills required to optimise health and well-being. With its focus on Australasia, the text incorporates current nutrition recommendations and public health nutrition issues relevant to those studying and working in nutrition in this region of the world. The text begins with core nutrition topics, such as diet planning, macronutrients, vitamins and minerals, and follows with chapters on diet and health, fitness, life span nutrition and food safety. With a consistent level and readability, careful explanations of all key topics (including energy metabolism and other complex processes), this is a book that connects with students; engaging them as it teaches them the basic concepts and applications of nutrition.

Evaluation of the intercultural understanding field trial

In 2011, the Innovation and Next Practice Division (INP) of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) conducted a field trial on intercultural understanding in partnership with a research and evaluation team from the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University. The field trial was sponsored by the Languages, English as another Language (EAL) and Multicultural Education Division of DEECD.

Thirty Years and Counting: Do We Still Need the ICIS Women’s Breakfast?

This article discusses an important panel held at ICIS 2011 in Shanghai to mark over thirty years of an ICIS institution, the ICIS Women’s Breakfast. The panel addressed the controversial question—is there still a need for the ICIS Women’s Breakfast? Panelists were asked if the ICIS Women’s Breakfast could be seen as divisive, and if, women’s issues are different from issues of diversity such as race or sexual  orientation. They were also asked why they thought women were still  underrepresented in our academic community, and if the lack of women at senior levels was a concern for the community. Finally, the panelists were asked what practices the community would need to adopt to combat what could be seen as structural discrimination in our community, which we believe reflects the wider world we live in. We frame the debate and the ensuing discussion in the literature about women in academia, and conclude with some practical and constructive  recommendations for the community as a whole.

Hyaluronan Synthesis and Myogenesis: A requirement for hyaluronan synthesis during myogenic differentiation independent of pericullular matrix formation

Background
The role endogenously synthesized hyaluronan plays in myogenesis is not yet known.

Results
Hyaluronan synthase genes were expressed during skeletal muscle growth and regeneration; inhibiting these synthases prevents myoblast differentiation and fusion.

Conclusion
Endogenous hyaluronan synthesis is required for myogenic differentiation.

Significance
The necessity for hyaluronan in myogenesis has implications when considering promoting muscle growth or regeneration.

Fostering intercultural understanding through secondary school experiences of cultural immersion

In parallel with many nations’ education policies, national education policies in Australia seek to foster students’ intercultural understanding. Due to Australia’s location in the Asia-Pacific region, the Australian government has focused on students becoming “Asia literate” to support Australia’s economic and cultural engagement with Asian countries. Drawing on Allport’s optimal contact principles and key factors supporting intercultural understanding, this study examines two “sister school” cultural immersion trips in Indonesia and East Timor to explore ways in which their different approaches supported positive intergroup contact and helped foster intercultural understanding among students. Focus groups and interviews with school project teams and analysis of both researcher and teacher project field notes and documents suggested that these schools’ programmes could be mapped onto Allport’s contact principles in different ways. The paper concludes with promising approaches that can help to inform sister school programmes.