Guanxi in a sub-national cross-cultural setting

This paper explores whether Chinese relationship building, Guanxi, is effective in crosscultural sub-national relationships. Derived from research into Sino-Australian Sister City Type Relationships and using material gathered through interviews in China and Australia, a modified Institutional Guanxi conceptual model has been developed. Some propositions are developed to link the components of the Guanxi conceptual model. Different methodologies are explored to determine the most effective way to test the hypotheses in a cross-cultural environment, and future research is outlined.

A computational framework for nucleic acid sub-sequence identification

Identification of nucleic acid sub-sequences within larger background sequences is a fundamental need of the biology community. The applicability correlates to research studies looking for homologous regions, diagnostic purposes and many other related activities. This paper serves to detail the approaches taken leading to sub-sequence identification through the use of hidden Markov models and associated scoring optimisations. The investigation of techniques for locating conserved basal promoter elements correlates to promoter thus gene identification techniques. The case study centred on the TATA box basal promoter element, as such the background is a gene sequence with the TATA box the target. Outcomes from the research conducted, highlights generic algorithms for sub-sequence identification, as such these generic processes can be transposed to any case study where identification of a target sequence is required. Paths extending from the work conducted in this investigation have led to the development of a generic framework for the future applicability of hidden Markov models to biological sequence analysis in a computational context.

Genre, gender and interpretation of movie trailers an exploratory study

Commercial movies cost tens of millions to make. Because they are now released on thousands of screens simultaneously, movie trailers are a major and necessary method of intensively promoting movies before they disappear from cinemas forever. Yet there is a paucity of research about how potential audiences react to these trailers. This study aimed at exploring consumers’ interpretations of movie trailers. Nineteen in-depth interviews were the means of data collection, using nine trailers for yet to be released movies from the romance/drama, action, comedy and thriller categories. Genre provided a focus for exploring consumers’ interpretations of movie trailers. Evaluative judgments of movies came first as a result of the value of genre to the consumer and then as a result of content which conveyed the movie would be involving relative to past movie experiences. Interpretations about the target audience for a movie were also influenced by assumptions that genre preferences differ according to gender. The findings pose implications for the construction of movie trailers.

The modelling ability of non-major chemistry students and their understanding of the sub-microscopic level

This case study examined the ability of three first year non-major chemistry students to understand chemical concepts according to Johnstone’s three levels of chemical representations of matter. Students’ background knowledge in chemistry proved to be a powerful factor in their understanding of the submicroscopic level. The results show that modelling ability is not necessarily innate, but it is a skill to be learnt. Each of the students’ modelling abilities with chemical representations improved with instruction and practice. Generally, as modelling skills improved so did students’ understanding of the relevant chemical concept. Modelling ability is described according to Grosslight et al.’s three–tiered level and the ability to traverse the three levels of chemical representation of matter.

The Tastes of a Nation: M.F.K. Fisher and the Genre of Culinary Literature

This project works to situate this gastronomic revolution within a historical context, arguing at greater length that our contemporary food culture in the United States is in part the legacy of the body of food representations. Here we witness the evolution of a particular culinary sensibility that appealed to readers differently in different historical moments, as exhibited by the variety of ways that Fisher’s body of work was publicly received. By the end of the twentieth century, Fisher’s ethos reigned supreme, because Americans began to view food with less fear and anxiety as they slowly became more comfortable expressing their physical appetites and desires. By the millennium, Americans began to respect and honor the physical appetite and give more consideration to the quality and origin of the foods that they consumed. Feelings of guilt associated with the enjoyment of food began to diminish as well.

A question of genre : de-mystifying the exegesis

In this paper I wish to draw together two on-oing debates which are being played out, at least in part, in TEXT. These debates concern the nature of research for the discipline of Creative Writing and those dealing with problems associated with awarding and assessing research higher degrees - MAs, MA(Hons), MPhils and PhDs. In particular I wish to suggest that the combination of these two debates sheds considerable light on the nature and role of the research higher degree's exegesis which accompanies the creative product.

An assessment tool for sub-catchment to catchment scale indicators of sustainability - a case study in south west Victoria, Australia

The research reported in this paper represents an attempt to produce a practical, indicator-based sustainability assessment tool incorporating all these elements is based on relationships between indicators determined considering spatial influences. Through the use of an existing sustainability indicator set and data currently available, relationships will be determined using Arcview Geographic Information Systems (GIS), correlation analysis and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Indicator interactions will be identified at two spatial scales and compared to determine impacts of changing spatial scale. Further PCA and multiple regression analyses will then be used to reduce the complexity of the indicator set. These findings will be incorporated into a practical indicator-based assessment tool through the adoption of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) combined with GIS techniques that will then be validated. Once validated the tool can be used to aid in guiding planning and decision-making regarding sustainable development in the Glenelg Hopkins catchment, Victoria; while also moving towards producing a standard set of procedures for assessing sustainability.