Division of Research

Sotetsu heritage: cycads, sustenance and cultural landscapes in the Amami islands

Philip Hayward et al. — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 22:40:23 PDT

This article addresses the cultural heritage and, thereby, socio-historical perception of the sotetsu plant (cycas revoluta)1 in Tokunoshima, the Amami islands and the broader Ryukyu archipelago of southern Japan. The article addresses the plant’s function as an emergency/resilience food resource, a field windbreak, a defining feature of a particular ‘cultural landscape’ and a potent symbol within Ryukyu history. While the Amami islands are (now) part of Japan, the article views them from a Pacific history viewpoint, as an underdeveloped archipelagic annex to a major, densely-populated regional power and whose use of botanical and other primary resources has much in common with the islands of Oceania, not the least in terms of the “derivative vulnerabilities” (Lewis, 2009) arising from Amami’s history of colonial disruption and economic exploitation. The discussions advanced in the article engage with the sotetsu’s nature as a food source, a progenitor of related ‘foodways’ and its complex role in the cultural landscape and heritage of the Amami islands and, in particular, southern Tokunoshima. The concluding section considers the heritage value and context of the plant and of the distinctive hedged ‘fieldscapes’ within the context of contemporary economic development.

All mashed up? songs, music and allusionism in the loved ones (2009)

Philip Hayward — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 22:29:00 PDT

This article considers Australian director Sean Byrne’s 2009 horror/comedy feature film The Loved Ones with particular regard to its uses of allusionism within a popular genre context.1 Within this focus, the article explores the various musical components of the soundtrack (including critical use of specific songs), the creative template determined by the director and the creative input and decision making of various members of the production team. In this manner, the article profiles the film’s audio-visual text, the perceptions and motivations of the production team and considers how these relate to the film’s reception and box-office performance.

Aquapelagos and aquapelagic assemblages

Philip Hayward — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 22:06:07 PDT

The loose interdisciplinary field known as ‘Island Studies’ has recently recognised the need to formulate an address to archipelagos in addition to the more atomised or generalised studies that have typified its first two decades of operation. While this is a significant development in itself, it also serves to identify the necessity for a more holistic comprehension and analysis of the interrelation of marine and terrestrial spaces in areas of the planet in which small fragments of land are aggregated in marine spaces. In order to focus on the character and dynamics of the latter, this paper proposes a reconceptualisation of such spaces in terms of their constituting ‘aquapelagic assemblages’; a term I propose to emphasise the manner in which the aquatic spaces between and around groups of islands are utilised and navigated in a manner that is fundamentally interconnected with and essential to social groups’ habitation of land.

The constitution of assemblages and the aquapelagality of Haida Gwaii

Philip Hayward — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 21:50:31 PDT

Aquapelagos can be defined as assemblages of the marine and terrestrial spaces of groups of islands and their adjacent waters that are generated by human habitation and activity. This article explicates the nature of an assemblage (in this context) and addresses the manner in which assemblages are constituted at particular historical points and subsequently modified due to indigenous and/or exogenous processes, influences and/or events. It outlines the parameters of these modifications and the variegation of aspects of aquapelagality. The article uses the communally constituted locale of the Haida Gwaii aquapelago as a paradigmatic example with particular regard to historical factors and particularly those related to the establishment of the Gwaii Haanas marine conservation area and Haida heritage site. Discussion of these aspects illuminates key elements of the concept of the aquapelago.

The dynamics and sustainability of Ambon’s smoked tuna trade

Philip Hayward et al. — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:37:35 PDT

This article analyses the contemporary nature of the smoked tuna (ikan asar¹) trade in Ambon city (in Maluku province, eastern Indonesia) with particular regard to the operation of its central precinct along Piere Tendean Road, between the outer city suburbs of Galala and Hative Kecil, and the connection between this area and the region’s fishing grounds. The precinct is chosen as a focus since its location has been determined by a complex set of historically determined socio-political forces that are still actively in play. The article’s case study emphasises the dynamic nature of circumstances concerning the supply chain of products in locations experiencing substantial population growth, socio-cultural disruption and/or modernisation. The ‘foodways’ involved in the article’s case study are, thereby, not discrete and/or stable but, rather, volatile ones that have been variously shortcut, diverted and/or disrupted under external pressures of various degrees of magnitude and/or immediacy. The maintenance of the foodways involved has required adaptation, ingenuity and the investment of socio-cultural commitment over and above the simple inducement of commercial opportunity. The food product engendered by this dynamic system is therefore not purely a market commodity (as in a simplistic economic model) but rather a cultural one with distinct attributes and significance that crystallise the intersection of various spheres of human and environmental activity in a spatio-temporal context. In attempting to provide an analysis of Ambonese smoked tuna and its Galala–Hative Kecil precinct – and the context of the Ambonese circumstances that have delivered it – the article also reflects on the sustainability of the trade and the manner in which the dynamic development of the Ambonese population may overwhelm the adaptive potential of its entrepreneurs and patrons.

Merlionicity: the twenty first century elaboration of a Singaporean symbol

Philip Hayward — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 22:41:17 PDT

Designed in 1964 as a symbol for the (then) fledgling Singaporean tourism industry that reflected Singapore’s maritime heritage, the Merlion – a figure comprising a lower half fish and upper half lion – has become a widely recognized icon of the modern island-state. But despite its prominence in representations of Singapore, the figure has divided opinion and generated debate amongst Singaporeans. Since the 1980s and increasingly in the 1990s and 2000s, artists, writers and critics have variously re-imagined and modified the Merlion in order to comment on aspects of Singapore’s national project. Prompted by the re-imagination of the Merlion at Singapore’s third Biennale of Arts (2011), this article develops comparisons to similar international symbols and analyses the role and historical trajectory of the Merlion in Singaporean society and the manner in which it has stimulated discussion of the island-state’s identity. ª 2012 Institution for Marine and Island Cultures, Mokpo National University. Production and hosting

Continuing professional learning of teachers: is this concept more valid for current higher education?

Janet A. Taylor et al. — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 21:02:04 PST

Continuing professional learning is based on the notion that learning for professionals is continuing, active, social, and related to their practice. In designing CPL activities the focus is on the spirit of critical inquiry to enable professionals to gain insights into their own learning and their assumptions about their practice (Webster-Wright, 2010). In higher education CPL has all of these facets and is framed to support different stages of an academic’s career.

Traditionally universities primarily offer professional development for teaching which addresses the acquisition of the knowledge and skills founded on epistemological concerns. Strategies include teacher preparation programs for new academics and Graduate Certificates focused on learning and teaching in a university context. Less direct professional development strategies are also apparent. Distance education universities have always included facilitated educational design as a strategy to enhance practice, while the individual academic may informally choose a mentor to assist their development. Support for communities of practice and scholarship of teaching has gained momentum in recent times.

This roundtable offers an opportunity for participants to join with us to explore the challenges facing institutions and their staff if a professional learning standpoint is adopted. Questions include:

• Is a professional learning framework more appropriate than professional development models for teaching enhancement in the current higher education climate?

• What does the adoption of a CPL approach mean

o to the practices and ways of working of teaching and learning centres?

o to an academic within a department/faculty?

• What are the institutional requirements in terms of structures and resources to adopt and embed a professional learning framework?

References

Webster-Wright, A. (2010). Authentic professional learning. Making a difference through learning at work. Dordrecht: Springer.

What do changes in prematch vs. postmatch, 1, 2, and 3 days postmatch body weight tell us about fluid status in English premiership rugby union players?

Rudi A. Meir et al. — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:04:27 PDT

This study investigated changes in body weight pre and postmatch and 1, 2, and 3 days postmatch. Thirty-six players contracted to an English Premiership rugby union club had their pre and postmatch body weight and 1, 2, and 3 day postmatch body weight recorded across 14 matches played (10 at home and 4 away) during the official 2003-2004 professional rugby union season, representing a total of 262 player appearances. Body weight was recorded using a set of calibrated Seca digital scales with players wearing underwear only and toweled dry of all sweat (postmatch). Players were allowed to ingest fluid ad libitum throughout each match. A number of players recorded pre to postmatch reductions of body weight of >2% with some as high as 4.9%. Significant position-specific mean reductions in prematch to postmatch body weight (ï¿½SD) were found for both forwards (1.94 ï¿½ 0.14 kg) and backs (1.04 ï¿½ 0.17 kg). The mean gain in postmatch to 1-day postmatch body weight was significant for forwards (1.40 ï¿½ 0.27 kg) but not for backs (0.76 ï¿½ 0.30 kg). There were no significant mean differences between prematch and 2 or 3 days postmatch body weight for either forwards or backs. Forwards on average lost a significantly greater proportion of their weight pre to postmatch than backs (p = 0.005). Forwards were on average 99.5% of the prematch weight at 1 day postmatch, whereas backs were 99.7% (p = 0.598). Forwards were 99.6% of their prematch weight at 3 days postmatch, whereas backs were 100.4% (p = 0.035). Changes in fluid status can be effectively monitored by recording changes in body weight and is useful where players are undertaking training sessions within 1, 2, or 3 days after their last match as a measure of rehydration status.

Salmon aquaculture, cuisine and cultural disruption in Chiloe

Philip Hayward — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:04:26 PDT

La Isla Grande de Chiloe, located off the southern coast of Chile, is the second largest island on the Pacific coast of South America.1 2002 census figures identified the population of the island and its smaller outliers (henceforth referred to collectively as Chiloe as close to 155,000,2 representing approximately 1% of Chile’s overall population. An undeveloped regional ‘backwater’ for most of the 19th and 20th centuries, Chiloe has risen to play an increasingly prominent role in the national economy since the establishment of commercial salmon aquaculture in the region in the early 1980s. This article examines the environmental, social and cultural impacts of the salmon industry in Chiloe with particular regard to regional food culture. Assessing these impacts, the article also analyses the manner in which local artists and writers have deployed traditional folkloric figures and motifs to critique the industry. In these regards, the article addresses the tensions and intersections between two contrasting impulses: the modernisation/industrialisation that has resulted from the region’s incorporation within a global salmon aquaculture enterprise; and a more cautious local engagement with modernity that attempts to value and sustain aspects of pre-modern Chiloe culture in contemporary contexts.

Population growth of Australian east coast humpback whales, observed from Cape Byron, 1998 to 2004

David Paton et al. — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:04:25 PDT

The humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) that migrate along the east coast of Australia were hunted to near extinction during the last century. This remnant population is part of Breeding Stock E. Previous abundance estimates for the east Australian portion of Breeding Stock E have been based mainly on land-based counts. Here we present a capture-recapture abundance estimate for this population using photo-identification data. These data were collected at three locations on the migration route (Byron Bay – northern migration, Hervey Bay and Ballina – southern migration) in order to estimate the population of humpback whales that migrated along the east coast of Australia in 2005. The capture-recapture data were analysed using a variety of closed population models with a model-averaged estimate of 7,041 (95% CI 4,075–10,008) whales.

A place in the world: globalization, music and cultural identity in contemporary Vanuatu

Philip Hayward — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:04:24 PDT

National nursing registration in Australia: a way forward for nurse practitioner endorsement

Andrea Driscoll et al. — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:04:23 PDT

Purpose: The move to national registration of health professionals and the creation of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) provides both challenges and opportunities for the regulation of nurse practitioners (NPs) in Australia. Data sources: National and state health policy documents, accessible on the Internet, concerning the regulation and endorsement processes for NPs in Australia were examined. Conclusions: The similarities between two of the previous jurisdictional NP endorsement processes in New South Wales and Victoria provide a common ground on which to build a robust national system. However, there are also key differences between these two states. These differences were mainly in the evidence required to assess competency of NP applicants and the authority to prescribe medications. All Victorian NP applicants were required to complete an approved medication subject at a master's level. Implications for practice: A consistent endorsement process that delivers NPs of the highest standard and allows for efficient use of their skills and expertise is vital. This needs to be performed with the aim of providing high-quality care in a regulatory environment that protects the public and clearly articulates the level of competence expected of all NPs.

Coral community decline at Bonaire, southern Caribbean

Brigitte Sommer et al. — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:04:22 PDT

We assessed the status of coral reef benthic communities at Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, in December 2008 and January 2009 through ∼5 km of photo transects taken at depths of 5, 10, and 20 m at 14 locations around the island. Univariate and multivariate analyses detected significant variation in benthic communities among depths and locations, as well as between leeward and windward sides of the island. Mean percentage cover of scleractinian corals ranged between 0.2% and 43.6% at the study sites and tended to be lowest at 5-m depth. The survey recorded 40 scleractinian coral species from 19 genera, within 10 families. Faviidae were by far the most abundant scleractinian family at all depths (predominantly Montastraea spp.), followed by Agariciidae at 20 and 10 m, and by Astrocoeniidae at 5-m depth. Macroalgal cover exceeded scleractinian coral cover at nearly all sites, averaging 34.9% (all samples pooled), compared with a pooled mean coral cover of 15.4%. Windward reefs were characterized by prolific growth of the brown algae Sargassum spp., and leeward reefs by growth of turf algae, Dictyota spp., Trichogloeopsis pedicellata (Howe) I. A. Abbott & Doty, and Lobophora variegata (Lamouroux) Womersley ex Oliveira. Damage from recent hurricanes was evident from the presence of toppled and fragmented corals, the movement of sand, and exposure of cemented Acropora cervicornis (Lamarck, 1816) rubble on the shallow reef platform. The combination of algal dominance and low to moderate coral cover are symptomatic of partly degraded reef systems, particularly as they coincide with elevated nutrients and reduced herbivory.

Sustainability transitions and their governance: lessons and next-step challenges

Niki Frantzeskaki et al. — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:04:21 PDT

In this concluding editorial, we present the central observations regarding the theoretical, empirical and methodological explorations of the various articles that make up this special issue on the governability of societal transitions towards sustainability. We elaborate on the specific contributions of each article to the governance of sustainability transitions and the transition management approach and identify interesting similarities and differences between the various articles. Next, we revisit the guiding questions we formulated in the introductory editorial, and we answer these questions by synthesising the contributions of the eight articles regarding: 1) which theoretical perspectives are fruitful; 2) which empirical pathways and governance principles are available and valuable for governing sustainability transitions; 3) what we learnt about the governability of sustainability transitions; 4) how special sustainability transitions are as far as efforts to govern them are concerned; 5) which normative issues are at stake when attempting to govern sustainability transitions. We conclude the present editorial with an agenda of next challenges for both the practice and the study of the governance of sustainability transitions.

Cognitive effects of chemotherapy-induced menopause in breast cancer

Katharine J. Vearncombe et al. — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:04:18 PDT

This study examined whether chemotherapy-induced menopause affects cognitive functioning in women with early breast cancer. The neuropsychological performance of 121 breast cancer patients (age M=49.62, SD=8.11, range=25.25-67.92) treated with chemotherapy was assessed pre-chemotherapy, as well as 1, 6, and 18 months post-chemotherapy completion. Linear mixed modeling was used to evaluate the data. Type of menopause (pre, chemotherapy-induced, and post menopause) was found to significantly interact with cognitive performance on two cognitive variables. Specifically, chemotherapy-induced menopausal women did not show any significant changes in performance on an abstract reasoning task, while the pre-menopausal and post-menopausal groups significantly improved over time. A significant interaction on a test of finger dexterity and coordination was also found, although inspection of the results indicated that this was due to a significant improvement in the pre-menopausal groups at 6 months post chemotherapy. After chemotherapy most cognitive variables showed improvements over time, although two indicators of verbal memory showed significant declines immediately after chemotherapy, with improvement by 18 months post completion. The current study found little evidence to suggest that chemotherapy-induced menopause broadly affects cognitive functioning after treatment administration. However, longer follow-up assessments are warranted to assess the long-term effects of combined chemotherapy and endocrine treatment.

Autonomy initiatives and quintessential Englishness on the Isle of Wight

Adam Grydehoj et al. — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:04:17 PDT

This article addresses the nature of autonomist impulses and initiatives that developed on the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of England, in the late 20th Century. Drawing on recent discussions of the process of decolonization of island territories and the broader field of study of ethnopolitical mobilization in support of regional autonomy, the article considers the reasons why local autonomist initiatives failed to secure significant traction with the local population. Focus is placed on the historical process of identity building, on how the Isle of Wight community conceptualizes its relationship with England as a whole and of the manner in which the island and its heritage has been considered as quintessentially English.

Chiloe: an offshore song culture

Philip Hayward et al. — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:04:17 PDT

Adaptive and maladaptive responses of managers to changing environments: a study of Australian public sector senior executives

Judy Matthews et al. — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:04:15 PDT

This paper examines data collected from senior executives in two Australian government agencies to identify patterns of adaptive and maladaptive responses to change in public sector environments. The conceptual categories of passive maladaptive, active maladaptive and active adaptive responses are all supported by the interview data, with half of the executives expressing predominantly active adaptive responses to external change and uncertainty and half displaying various kinds of passive and active maladaptive responses. The implications of the findings for managers as agents of organizational learning and adaptation in public sector environments are discussed.

Seasonal changes in pod characteristics of eastern Australian humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), Hervey Bay 1992–2005

Trish Franklin et al. — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:55:25 PST

We investigated the characteristics and composition of 4,506 humpback whale pods observed in Hervey Bay between 1992 and 2005. We use these data to analyze and model the variability of pod size and composition, and to assess the importance of Hervey Bay for particular classes of humpback whales. Pods ranged in size from one to nine individuals. Pairs were the most frequent pod type (1,344, 29.8%), followed by mother-calf alone (1,249, 27.7%), trios (759, 16.8%), singletons (717, 15.9%), and 4+ whales (437, 9.7%). Of the 4,506 pods, calves were present in 40%, and 10.8% of all pods had one or more escorts present. Of the 1,804 pods observed with calves present, 1,251 (69.4%) were mothers alone with their calves. The size and composition of pods in the study area varied significantly as the season progressed. Pods with calves present were rarely recorded early in the season but dominated later in the season. A significant increase over years in larger groups may be related to social and behavioral changes as the population expands. The data indicate that Hervey Bay is important to immature males and females early in the season, to mature males and females in mid-season, and to mother-calf pairs (either alone or with escorts) in mid-to-late season.

Heavy episodic drinking and sensation seeking in adolescents as predictors of harmful driving and celebrating behaviours: implications for prevention

Eric van Beurden et al. — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:34:25 PST

Objectives. Effectiveness of strategies to counter injurious risk-taking in adolescents depends on the degree to which behaviors are modifiable or intrinsic to a sensation-seeking personality. Alcohol consumption is often targeted because it is seen as a modifiable determinant. This study sought to clarify the relative importance of engagement in heavy episodic drinking (HED) independently of sensation-seeking tendency (SS), as a predictor of potentially harmful (and protective) behaviors.

Methods. A written survey was administered to students aged 15–17 years in 40 high schools in New South Wales (NSW), Australia to measure HED, SS, and harmful and protective behaviors associated with drug and alcohol use, driving, and celebrating.

Results. Of 2705 respondents, 60% reported HED, 36% failed to wear a seatbelt, 23% rode with an alcohol-impaired driver, 23% rode with a drug-impaired driver and 9% had been alcohol impaired while driving. Two-thirds (65%) had engaged in harmful behaviors and 99% had engaged in protective behaviors while celebrating. SS, gender, income, and age were significant predictors of HED. HED and SS were significant, independent predictors of every harmful or protective behavior. HED had the greatest effect on harmful celebrating behaviors, riding with an alcohol-impaired acquaintance, and riding with a drug-impaired driver. HED had a stronger effect than SS, for alcohol-impaired driving, riding with an alcohol-impaired acquaintance, riding with a drug-impaired driver, and harmful celebrating behaviors.

Conclusions. The vast majority of adolescents who are low to average sensation seekers may benefit from population-based prevention strategies emphasizing that decisions leading to harmful outcomes are more likely if they engage in HED.