Fiji’s sugar, tourism and garment industries : a survey of performance, problems and potentials

Sugar, tourism and garment industries are three of Fiji’s major industries. These industries have been undergoing some serious problems during the past decade. This paper analyses the performance of these industries, examines the problems besieging them, and looks at the potentials these industries have for the country. The paper also offers some suggestions which policy makers in Fiji could consider in order to ensure that these industries continue to benefit Fiji.

Towards a cyberspatial pedagogy : exploring synchronous online learning potentials

It has been a quarter of a century since William Gibson (1984) coined the term cyberspace in his seminal science fiction novel Neuromancer. Subsequently, a proliferation of online teaching technologies have emerged supporting Virilio’s (1991) contention that, “time and space have ceased to function as meaningful dimensions to human thought and action.” The aim of this presentation is to discuss and demonstrate the innovative modification of an online, synchronous learning environment, Elluminate Live! (eLive), which allows participants to transcend the spatial dimension. Specifically, we present an example of good practice which aimed to enhance student engagement by implementing a structured online tutorial series which replicated the entire first year psychology on-campus tutorial series in the eLive environment. We discuss Student Evaluation of Teaching and Units (SETU) results which support the utility of this pedagogic strategy. Finally, we outline various challenges for the virtual teacher who wishes to implement a structured learning program in the eLive environment.
Gibson, W 1984, Neuromancer, Ace Books, New York, USA.
Virilio, P 1991, The aesthetics of disappearance, Semiotext(e), New York, USA.

Error analysis in translation : a case study of the Turkish-English language pair

Examines translation errors made by Turkish stream students from a three-year, full-time interpreting and translating degree course. Attempts to find out how students progress towards the curriculum objectives and how well they translate as their studies progress. The significance of errors in translation and teaching translation skills are also discussed.

Influence of gender and pair-type on preschool children's learning in computing context

The thesis examined early differences between girls and boys in their attitudes and social behaviour which might help explain why girls and women continue to reject computing. The behaviour of preschool children playing freely for three supervised sessions in either same-gender or mixed-gender pairs with a computerised robot was studied, and then their individual programming performance was measured. Conclusions were that social interaction and computer programming performance were not differentiated by gender. Mixed-gender pairs had a significant effect on both children's style of social interaction and their performance, an impact that was particularly negative for girls.

An analysis of side chain interactions and pair correlations within antiparallel β-sheets : the differences between backbone hydrogen-bonded and non-hydrogen-bonded residue pairs

Cross-strand pair correlations are calculated for residue pairs in antiparallel β-sheet for two cases: pairs whose backbone atoms are hydrogen bonded together (H-bonded site) and pairs which are not (non-H-bonded site). The statistics show that this distinction is important. When glycine is located on the edge of a sheet, it shows a 3:1 preference for the H-bonded site. Thestrongest observed correlations are for pairs of disulfide-bonded cystines, many of which adopt a close-packed conformation with each cystine in a spiral conformation of opposite chirality to its partner. It is likely that these pairs are a signature for the family of small, cystine-rich proteins. Most other strong positive and negative correlations involve charged and polar residues. It appears that electrostatic compatibility is the strongest factor affecting pair correlation. Significant correlations are observed for β- and γ-branched residues inthe non-H-bonded site. An examination of the structures showsa directionality in side chain packing. There is a correlation between (1) the directionality in the packing interactions of non-H-bonded β- and γ-branched residue pairs, (2) the handedness of the observed enantiomers of chiral β-branched side chains, and (3) the handedness of the twist of β-sheet. These findings have implications for the formation of β-sheets during protein folding and the mechanism by which the sheet becomes twisted

Electrochemistry at negative potentials in Bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ionic liquids

The bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide (TFSA) anion is widely studied as an ionic liquid (IL) forming anion which imparts many useful properties, notably electrochemical stability. Here we present electrochemical and spectroscopic evidence indicating that reductive decomposition of the bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide (TFSA) anion begins at ~ −2.0 V vs. Fc+/Fc, well before the reported cathodic limit for many of these ILs. These processes are shown to be dependent upon the electrode substrate and are influenced by the water content of the IL. Supporting ab initio calculations are presented which suggest a possible mechanism for the anion decomposition. The products appear to passivate the electrode surface and the implications of this behaviour are discussed.

The potentials and pitfalls of social networking sites such as Facebook in higher education contexts

Popular social networking sites such as Facebook demonstrate an emerging opportunity for students and educators within formal higher education contexts to share ideas, celebrate creativity and participate in an environment which offers immediate feedback from others who belong within a specific network. As this is an emerging use of the technology, an autoethnographic approach has helped capture the potentials and pitfalls of incorporating social networking within higher education. The findings highlight implications for the key stakeholders in higher education.

Dimerization of retroviral RNA genomes : an inseparable pair

Many viruses carry more than one segment of nucleic acid into the virion particle, but retroviruses are the only known group of viruses that contain two identical (or nearly identical) copies of the RNA genome within the virion. These RNA genomes are non-covalently joined together through a process known as genomic RNA dimerization. Uniquely, the RNA dimerization of the retroviral genome is of crucial importance for efficient retroviral replication. In this article, our current understanding of the relationship between retroviral genome conformation, dimerization and replication is reviewed.

Effect of surface roughness and electrostatic surface potentials on forces between dissimilar surfaces in aqueous solution

The first surface force measurements under electrochemical potential control between a metal and a ceramic surface across a liquid medium (water) are reported. Our experiments also investigate and reveal how increasing levels of surface roughness and dissimilarity between the potentials of the interacting surfaces influence the strength and range of electric double layer, van der Waals, hydration, and steric forces and how this contributes to deviations from DLVO theory at small distances within aqueous solution.

Potentials of social media for tacit knowledge sharing amongst physicians : preliminary findings

Tacit knowledge sharing amongst physicians, such as the sharing of clinical experiences, skills, or know-how, or know-whom, is known to have a significant impact on the quality of medical diagnosis and decisions. This paper posits that social media can provide new opportunities for tacit knowledge sharing amongst physicians, and demonstrates this by presenting findings from a review of relevant literature and a survey conducted with physicians. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten physicians from around the world who were active users of social media. Initial thematic analysis revealed eight themes as potential contributions of social web tools to facilitate tacit knowledge flow amongst physicians. The emergent themes are defined, linked to the literature, and supported by instances of interview transcripts. Findings presented here are preliminary, and final results will be reported after accomplishing all phases of data collection and analysis.

Using immersive and interactive approaches to interpreting traumatic experiences for tourists: potentials and limitations

This chapter uses three cases studies - the Melbourne Watch House Experience, the Titanic international travelling exhibition and the interpretation centre underneath the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin to discuss the ethics and politics involved in using strategies of interpretation that foster identification with victims.