Hedge-mony

Hedge-mony was a site-specific visual performance involving the creation of a human maze involving 400+ performers including a large number of Deakin University students and alumni. The Red Cabbage Collective developed the work with the support of Next Wave for Festival 2006, the cultural festival of the Commonwealth Games. The Red Cabbage 'Hedges' were featured internationally in the Games advertising campaign 'See The Games We Play'.

Currency overlay for global equity portfolios : cross-hedging and base currency

The effectiveness of a currency overlay hedge for a global equity portfolio can be significantly affected by changes in the base currency. Base currency changes have no significant effect on the hedged portfolio risk; however, they may substantially increase or decrease risk relative to the unhedged position. Australian (AUD) and Canadian (CAD) forwards provide effective cross-hedging, particularly in combination with one or two other currency hedges. Hedge effectiveness is significantly improved by allowing for natural hedges via a dynamic approach that captures structural change and permits under-hedging of currency exposures. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Peripheral vascular endothelial growth factor as a novel depression biomarker: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: The neurotrophic hypothesis of major depressive disorder (MDD) postulates that the pathology of this illness incorporates a down-regulation of neurotrophin signaling. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is the most studied neurotrophic mediator regarding the neurobiology of MDD. Nevertheless, emerging evidence has implicated the multi-competent angiogenic and neurogenic molecule - vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) - in hippocampal neurogenesis and depression pathophysiology. OBJECTIVE: To compare peripheral levels of VEGF between individuals with MDD and healthy controls. METHODS: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of original studies measuring peripheral levels of VEGF in participants with MDD compared to healthy controls. We searched the Pubmed/MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycInfo databases for studies published in any language through December 16th, 2014. RESULTS: Fourteen studies met eligibility criteria (N=1633). VEGF levels were significantly elevated in individuals with MDD when compared to healthy controls (Hedges's g=0.343; 95% CI: 0.146-0.540; P<0.01). Funnel plot inspection and the Egger's test did not provide evidence of publication bias. A significant degree of heterogeneity was observed (Q=38.355, df=13, P<0.001; I(2)=66.1%), which was explored through meta-regression and subgroup analyses. Overall methodological quality, sample for assay (plasma versus serum), as well as the matching of MDD and control samples for age and gender emerged as significant sources of heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, extant data indicate that VEGF shows promise as a biomarker for MDD, and supports that this mediator may be involved in neuroplasticity mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of MDD.

Leptin in bipolar disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a psychiatric disorder associated with increased rates of obesity and inflammation. Leptin is an adipokine that is mainly produced by the white adipose tissue in response to insulin. It stimulates the immune system, increasing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. There is currently uncertainty regarding possible alterations in peripheral leptin levels across the mood states in BD. METHODS: This study comprises a between-group meta-analysis comparing serum and plasma leptin levels in people with BD in mania, depression or euthymia and healthy controls. We conducted a systematic search for all possibly eligible-English and non-English peer-reviewed articles. We calculated the effect size (ES) utilizing Hedges' adjusted g using random effects. RESULTS: Eleven studies were included in the meta-analyses, providing data on 1118 participants. Serum and plasma leptin levels were not altered in subjects with BD when compared to healthy controls in mania (g=-0.99, 95% CI -2.43 to 0.43, P=0.171), in depression (g=0.17, 95% CI -0.45 to 0.79, P=0.584), or in euthymia (g=0.03, 95% CI -0.39 to 0.46, P=0.882). However, we did observe a stronger association between leptin levels and both age and BMI in patients with BD in euthymia compared to healthy controls, such that the greater the age of the individuals, the greater the difference in leptin levels between BD and controls; and the higher the BMI, the greater the difference in leptin levels between BD and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis provides evidence that leptin levels are not altered in BD across the mood spectrum compared to healthy controls. The disproportionate increase of leptin levels with increase in BMI in BD speaks in favour of a potential inflammatory role of white adipose tissue in BD and a disproportionate increase of leptin levels with increase in age.

Globalisation and multifaith societies

We are living in increasingly mobile, multifaith, and secular societies, which has led to new opportunities and challenges. We live in religiously diverse cities and neighbourhoods offering a rich array of cultural, artistic, architectural, and culinary experiences that are widely appreciated. At the same time, Western societies are grappling with the reality that they can no longer be defined as Christian nations, and this has impacted national identity, values, and education. This increased diversity is viewed and felt differently in different places. Some have embraced it and viewed it as a strength and advantage while others are resisting what they perceive as a threat to their way of life. This article examines the development of religious diversity, focusing on the UK and Australia as examples of 'Old' and 'New' World societies but also including broader contexts. It then discusses the growth of multifaith awareness lo¬cally and globally, including the role of the multifaith movement in promoting interreligious understanding. Finally, we consider the social and political aspects of living in a multifaith society and theoretical frameworks pertaining to religion and governance. This article aims to inform and assist scholars, religious and non-religious organisations and state actors to better respond to the changing religious landscape in order to maximise social inclusion and minimise tensions within and between diverse groups and societies.

At the crossroads: does the configuration of roadside vegetation affect woodland bird communities in rural landscapes?

In agricultural regions worldwide, linear networks of vegetation such as hedges, fencerows and live fences provide habitat for plant and animal species in heavily modified landscapes. In Australia, networks of remnant native vegetation along roadsides are a distinctive feature of many rural landscapes. Here, we investigated the richness and composition of woodland-dependent bird communities in networks of eucalypt woodland vegetation along roadsides, in an agricultural region in which >80% of native woodland and forest vegetation has been cleared. We stratified sites in a) cross sections and b) linear strips of roadside vegetation, to test the influence on woodland birds of site location and configuration in the linear network (the 'intersection effect'). We also examined the influence of tree size at the site, the amount of wooded vegetation surrounding the site, and the abundance of an aggressive native species, the noisy miner Manorina melanocephala. Birds were surveyed at 26 pairs of sites (cross section or linear strip) on four occasions. A total of 66 species was recorded, including 35 woodland species. The richness of woodland bird species was influenced by site configuration, with more species present at cross sections, particularly those with larger trees (>30 cm diameter). However, the strongest influence on species richness was the relative abundance of the noisy miner. The richness of woodland birds at sites where noisy miners were abundant was ~20% of that where miners were absent. These results recognise the value of networks of roadside vegetation as habitat for woodland birds in depleted agricultural landscapes; but highlight that this value is not realised for much of this vast vegetation network because of the dominance of the noisy miner. Nevertheless, roadside vegetation is particularly important where the configuration of networks create nodes that facilitate movement. Globally, the protection, conservation and restoration of such linear networks has an important influence on the persistence of biota within human-dominated landscapes.

C-reactive protein concentrations across the mood spectrum in bipolar disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory processes and neural-immune interactions have been implicated in the pathogenesis of psychiatric conditions, but studies in bipolar disorder are inconclusive so far. We aimed to investigate whether peripheral concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute-phase response protein of inflammatory activity, are increased in bipolar disorder across the mood spectrum. METHODS: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge from database inception to Aug 14, 2016, for studies that measured serum and plasma CRP concentrations in adult patients with bipolar disorder (as defined by DSM-IV-TR) and healthy controls. We extracted data from published reports. We did three between-group meta-analyses comparing CRP concentrations in patients in mania, depression, or euthymia, with those in healthy controls (cross-sectional studies), and two within-group meta-analyses comparing changes in CRP concentrations before and after treatment of an index manic or depressive episode (longitudinal studies). We used Hedges' adjusted g to calculate effect sizes and pooled results using random-effect models. We also did meta-regression analyses by mood state to investigate possible moderators of CRP concentrations. FINDINGS: We identified 27 studies representing 2161 patients with bipolar disorder and 81 932 healthy controls. Compared with healthy individuals, CRP concentrations were moderately increased in people with bipolar disorder during depression (g 0·67, 95% CI 0·23 to 1·11; p=0·003) and euthymia (0·65, 0·40 to 0·90; p<0·0001) and more substantially increased during mania (0·87, 0·58 to 1·15; p<0·0001). The extent of the increases in CRP concentrations in mania and depression was not related to symptom severity (p=0·256 for mania and p=0·626 for depression). CRP concentrations were moderately decreased after resolution of an index manic episode (-0·36, -0·66 to -0·05; p=0·022) and slightly decreased after resolution of an index depressive episode (-0·18, -0·30 to -0·07; p=0·002). INTERPRETATION: CRP concentrations are increased in bipolar disorder regardless of mood state, but are higher during mania than in depression and euthymia, suggesting an increased inflammatory burden in mania.