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THE MAGAZINE OF AUSTRALIA'S LEADING TROPICAL UNIVERSITY VOL16 No4 JULY 2004
Tracking the deadliest snake P4
>>Inside
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Breaking new ground Tracking the deadliest snake High-tech boost New leader appointed for JCU Cairns Expert to help WHO health program Alumni profile Science’s plan to aid ills of modern world Bigamy helps corals cope Landslide warning Student profile Harry Potter and the Trojan horse Death not always end of life Celebrating festivals Professor profile Diving to greater depths Finalists off to New York What’s on
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VOL16 No4 JULY 2004
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>>Inside
P3 P4 P4 P6 P6 P7 P7 P8 P9 P10 P11 P12 P13 P14 P15 P16 P16 Breaking new ground Tracking the deadliest snake High-tech boost New leader appointed for JCU Cairns Expert to help WHO health program Alumni profile Science’s plan to aid ills of modern world Bigamy helps corals cope Landslide warning Student profile Harry Potter and the Trojan horse Death not always end of life Celebrating festivals Professor profile Diving to greater depths Finalists off to New York What’s on
Papua New Guinea’s deadliest snake – the Papuan Taipan
Cover Story
Member for Herbert Peter Lindsay turns the first sod at the ceremony, with JCU Professors Ian Wronski and Harry Hyland
Breaking new ground
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CU is a major step closer to producing locally-trained physiotherapists and speech pathologists with work beginning on a building to house a Centre of Excellence for Rehabilitation Sciences at the University’s Douglas site. Indigenous health training. “The plan for establishing the centre is to provide education services which address health workforce shortages and to develop links with rural and remote communities in northern Australia,” Professor Wronski said. The new facility would provide a major boost to the continuing roll-out of health programs at JCU, he said. “Northern Australia has been experiencing dramatic workforce shortages in rehabilitation services such as physiotherapy and speech pathology,” he said. “This development will address that situation by boosting the number of trained health professionals for northern Australia, and it will also neatly complement current health offerings at JCU such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, and sport and exercise science.” Member for Herbert Peter Lindsay said it had always been his vision to have a medical hub in northern Australia. “I am thrilled that this is now coming to fruition. Students who study in the north tend to stay in the north,” Mr Lindsay said. “Establishing rehabilitation science in the health precinct at JCU is the next logistical step in providing complete health training in northern Queensland. “The capital funding for this new building is extremely timely, as it will allow JCU to take up the extra funded student places that have become available under the Higher Education reform package. “This will mean that not only is the Federal Government funding the building, it will also be funding the student places once the course is up and running,” he said. Regional centres such as Cairns, Mackay, and Mt Isa would also play important roles in current and future health sciences programs offered at JCU, he said. Member for Herbert Peter Lindsay, with JCU acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Harry Hyland, officially turned the sod recently at the building site, located between medical school and nursing sciences buildings. The $6 million building, funded by the Federal Government, will house new physiotherapy and speech therapy programs, along with existing occupational therapy and sport science programs. JCU Medicine, Health and Molecular Sciences Executive Dean Professor Ian Wronski said the development would further position the University as a world leader in rural, tropical and
JCU Outlook is the magazine of James Cook University. It appears monthly from March to November. The editorial deadline is the 15th of each month for the following edition. Please send emails to Outlook@jcu.edu.au. Circulation: 2,500 copies per month Printed by PMP Print Pty Ltd
Contributors Jill Shields, Martin Elms, and Linden Woodward Photographer: Roger Yeldham Design: Tony Cowan (Logicmedia)
Further articles and photographs can be accessed at the University’s website www.jcu.edu.au. Material may be reproduced without permission (with the exception of images credited to another organisation). ISNSN 1328-3332
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David Williams travels to the furthest corners of our northern neighbour to collect venom from the snake that spells terror to PNG’s countryside —the Papuan Taipan
Dr Paul Gadek, left, and Henry Palaszczuk
High tech boost
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research collaboration between James Cook University and the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries announced in Cairns recently will benefit all of Queensland’s primary industries. Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries. “By creating an alliance with JCU, we can undertake collaborative research activities, teaching and training programs and benefit from each other’s extensive facilities in northern Queensland,” Mr Palaszczuk said. The aim was to further the region’s and the state’s reputation for clean and green produce, said Dr Paul Gadek, Associate Professor in Tropical Biology and Head of the Rapid Assessment Unit. “For example, if we can provide an infield unit to measure the sugar content of fruit, then farmers in the region will be able to brand their products as having a guaranteed sugar content, making them particularly attractive for specific markets,” Dr Gadek said. The Rapid Assessment Unit will also seek to develop non-invasive technology to detect pests and pollutants in food crops. Professor Moulden said the Rapid Assessment Unit formed part of the Centre for Tropical Agri-Tech Research (CTAR), based in JCU’s School of Tropical Biology in Cairns. The Centre comprises the Agroforestry and Novel Crops Unit, headed by Professor Roger Leakey, along with the Rapid Assessment Unit and the Regional Bioindustries Unit, both headed by Dr Gadek. Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Henry Palaszczuk announced a Memorandum of Understanding between his department and James Cook University. “This is a great day for research and development in Queensland,” Mr Palaszczuk said at the launch of JCU’s Rapid Assessment Unit — the first step in this historic collaboration. The Unit will develop and commercialise innovative, non-invasive, non-destructive ways to measure the quality and safety of food. “Put simply, growers can make certain they are sending the best tasting fruit to market, revolutionising the way produce is currently graded,“ the Minister said. JCU Vice-Chancellor Professor Bernard Moulden said the Rapid Assessment Unit represented the application of fundamental science to commercial development. “It is a great example of JCU’s commitment to excellence in research in the tropics, and to improving the economic well-being of our region.” The Rapid Assessment Unit is the first of many collaborations planned to arise from JCU’s joint venture with the
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Tracking the deadliest snake
pursuing a PhD through JCU’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine that would combine his dedication and experience with PNG’s deadliest killers. Surviving off the good will and kindness of the PNG people, Mr Williams travels far outside the range of receiving treatment for himself to gather the venom from Papuan Taipans. The venom is being used to develop an effective yet cheap treatment that will overcome the drastic effects of a Papuan Taipan bite. “PNG needs the snake bite safety net that Australians take for granted – cheap, accessible, readily available antivenoms that do not require refrigeration or expensive training to administer,” Mr Williams said. “Far too many people die from snakebites in remote parts of PNG. I believe this could change by addressing a few problems at ground level,” he said. Over the past five years, Mr Williams has ventured deep into the hidden communities of PNG to collect and study clinical data from more than 2500 snake bite victims. It was the largest epidemiological study of snake bite victims ever taken in PNG. He believes that the country pays vast amounts of money for antivenoms that are unreliable, inaccessible and barely used. He is also convinced this contributes to PNG’s high mortality rates, inadequate treatment, and a large strain on the country’s humble health budget. “One of the biggest problems is the cost of an ampule of antivenom, which at the moment is $1000 more than you would pay in Australia,” he said. “Besides, you have a very slim chance of receiving any antivenom at all if you live outside the larger cities.” PNG health clinics also seem to rely heavily on polyvalent antivenoms – antivenoms generally used to treat all forms of snake bite regardless of the snake. Mr Williams believes cheap and accessible monovalent antivenoms (antivenoms that treat specific varieties of snakebites more effectively) are the way forward. Yet these can be problematic. For the correct monovalent antivenom to work, the actual snake must be identified. Generally, a local’s testament to identifying the culprit snake is sometimes tainted, as a colloquially named ‘black-snake’ usually gets the blame. Although a deadly ‘black-snake’ does exist in PNG, it is rarely involved in the hundreds of snake bites recorded every year. Mr Williams is currently collecting and identifying snakes from various provinces, to map what snake occurs where against his own snake bite incidence data. This will allow the development of a plan for distributing the correct types of monovalent antivenom to the most appropriate regions. And the sooner the better, as remote parts of PNG are crying out for more practical forms of snake bite treatment. “It’s difficult not to get involved with this cause,” Mr Williams said. “When you hear a child suffered and died from a treatable snake bite at 3am on the floor of a makeshift rural hospital, you really get driven into action; there must be something you can do,” he said. David Williams has certainly gone beyond the call of your everyday scientist and places himself at significant danger to collect the all-important snake venom. “Papuan Taipans are very dangerous characters, they are more nervous and excitable then their Australian counterparts, and are less forgiving of handling indiscretions,” Mr Williams said. — Martin Elms
JCU researcher is tracking the world’s deadliest snakes throughout Papua New Guinea’s most unforgiving terrain, all in an effort to bring vital assistance to people whose lives are all too often cut short by fatal snake bites. Shocked by the disparity between Australia and PNG regarding the cost and availability of snake bite treatment, Public Health and Tropical Medicine postgraduate student David Williams travels to the furthest corners of our northern neighbour to collect venom from the snake that spells terror to PNG’s countryside – the Papuan Taipan. The snake is responsible for the deaths of nearly 200 Papua New Ginueans every year, mostly in isolated communities with no access to reliable antivenoms. In some parts of the country, more than 60 per cent of victims will die as a result of a bite that could be easily treated elsewhere. Mr Williams is serious about tackling the deadly issue of snake bite mortality in PNG’s more rural areas, and aims to bring the country’s treatment rates and mortality incidences in line with Australia’s through his ‘hands-on’ approach to research. Conducting his own research and data collection throughout his undergraduate degree, Mr Williams now has his sights on
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New leader appointed for JCU Cairns
James Cook University has appointed Professor Scott Bowman to the new position of Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Cairns and Academic Planning and Development). The appointment was a significant development, said the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Bernard Moulden. “Professor Bowman will focus on further developing JCU Cairns as well as overseeing academic planning for the entire University,” Professor Moulden said. “This is a critical role, as JCU Cairns continues to be one of Australia’s fastest growing campuses.” Professor Bowman, who took up the position recently, was previously the University of South Australia’s Director of Regional Engagement and Dean of its Whyalla campus. He will be the fourth head of JCU Cairns since its creation in 1987. He succeeds Professor Eric Wainwright, who served as Rector for six years and has since relocated to Townsville to focus on managing JCU’s Information Technology resources. Professor Bowman has also been the Head of the School of Clinical Studies at Charles Sturt University and, prior to that, Head of the Department of Radiography and Imaging Science at England’s Lancaster University.
Professor Bowman has developed many programs for delivery overseas and has worked in many countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, India and Canada. Professor Bowman’s main areas of research have been in health care and professional judgement and decision making. “One of the many strengths Professor Bowman brings to his new role is a wealth of experience in rural and regional education, working closely with the communities he has served,” Professor Moulden said. Professor Bowman has been closely involved in economic development and has been a board member of the Whyalla Economic Development Board and the Whyalla Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Upper Spencer Gulf Common Purpose Group. Professor Bowman is a leader in the field of university community engagement and is on the steering committee of the Australian Universities Community Engagement Alliance.
like to be a dietician. It was not until after my Honours year, researching the genetic manipulation of fish in fish farms, that I decided to combine my love of biochemistry, food and genetics, with my social skills. In the last thirteen years I’ve combined further study in science communication with practical work experience in the science centre and museum industries, in many parts of Australia, Ireland and the UK. The politics and sociology of science is my passion. Travelling around, and experiencing different faculties and universities has helped me develop this passion.
alumni profile
Fiona Barbagallo
Manager, Science in Society Program, British Association for the Advancement of Science
M
y time as an undergraduate at JCU opened my eyes to what life could be.
The students and staff I met were vastly different to those in the small rural community of Home Hill and the cane farm that had been my home for 17 years. JCU was liberating, while at the same time friendly, safe and comfortable. I lived at St Raphael’s college, and my college friends were like family. Living in a college eased my way into life outside of Home Hill and I felt at ease making new friends, trying new experiences and learning new things. I’ve always looked at my JCU degree as the start of a journey rather than the means to an end, and I’ve continued to grow and use my BSc as a passport to new challenges. When I graduated in 1990 with a major in biochemistry, I was thinking I might
I now manage the Science in Society program for the British Association for the Advancement of Science. The program aims to democratise science by providing opportunities for scientists, interest groups, the public and government to interact and address issues involving contemporary science. In recent years there have been rapid developments in science that have become increasingly controversial. These controversies often involve scientific uncertainty and part of my job is to encourage scientists to be open and honest about what science can and cannot tell us at this stage. We tackle topics such as nanotechnology, teenage obesity, organ transplants, MMR vaccines and GM foods. Having a science degree is essential to my work. Not only does it enable me to better understand the issues, but it also helps me to understand and relate to
scientists. I would, however, like to see science degrees provide more opportunities to explore the sociology, philosophy and history of science. Although I have now experienced many campuses, JCU’s Townsville campus is still my favourite. I loved the open space, the surrounding bush and Bludgers on a Friday night where students and lecturers could mix informally. I live in London with my husband (another JCU graduate) and in my spare time I am writing a recipe book for first and second generation Sicilians in celebration of my grandmother’s recipes. Food keeps me in touch with my roots. I know my family is proud of my achievements, but the most common question they ask is not about my work, it’s: “When are you coming home?” — Fiona Barbagallo spoke to Kerry Moore
Expert to help WHO with disease control program
A JCU public health expert is off to Dili, Timor Leste (formerly East Timor) to help the World Health Organisation address three serious tropical diseases: lymphatic filariasis, intestinal worms and yaws. Reverend Dr Wayne Melrose, JCU Associate Lecturer in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and Deputy Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Control of Lymphatic Filariasis, will spend the next several weeks in the WHO office helping Timorese health professionals draw up control plans for these diseases and trialing them in two districts. Dr Melrose said if the district trials proved successful, the program would be extended to the whole country in the next few years. The WHO chose Dr Melrose to do this work because the filariasis centre at JCU has been involved in lymphatic filariasis research and control for over a decade, and is currently supporting successful control programs in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. It will also be Dr Melrose’s fifth trip to Timor-Leste, where he has been involved in health assessment and teaching since 2002. His said while his work assisted Timor Leste people it also helped safeguard Australia from disease in neighbouring countries. “There is more to this than being a good neighbour,” Dr Melrose said. “There are human and animal diseases in nearby countries that we must keep out of Australia. Helping countries in our region improve their disease control also helps to safeguard Australia’s interests.” He said the work in Timor Leste and elsewhere was part of JCU’s plan to be recognised as a “centre of excellence” for Australian biosecurity. The mosquito-borne parasitic disease lymphatic filariasis infects about 120 million people worldwide and is common in Timor-Leste. “It’s effects include disfiguring swelling of the legs called elephantiasis, kidney disease and a lowering of general immunity which increases the risk of acquiring other infectious diseases such as tuberculosis,” he said. “A global campaign to eliminate the parasite was started in 2002.” Intestinal parasitic worms mainly effected children and caused obstruction of the intestine and airways, stunted growth, malnutrition and anaemia. The resulting listlessness and irritability could also cause learning problems. Around two billion people worldwide were infected with these parasites. Recent surveys in Timor-Leste have shown that 95 per cent of children were infected, Dr Melrose said.
Agreement affirms global claim on marine science
James Cook University and the Australian Institute of Science have signed a landmark agreement that affirms the region’s claim as a world class hub for excellence in marine science teaching and research. AIMS @ JCU will reinforce existing collaborative arrangements between the two institutions and provide a basis for developing a more strategic, long-term partnership. Federal Government Science Minister Peter McGauran described the joint venture as a milestone. “Two research programmes will form the initial core activities of the joint venture — ‘aquaculture’ and ‘coastal processes and marine modelling’ — with a marine biotechnology program to be added in 2005,” Minister McGauran said. “The Australian Government is providing an additional $1 million to support the joint venture on top of the $3 million previously allocated.” JCU Science, Engineering and Information Technology Executive Dean Professor Ned Pankhurst said the agreement would enable both institutions to further develop research relationships that were already strongly established. “The injection of Federal Government money very substantially enhances our capacity for research training and the partnership positions both institutions for expanding the research base in marine science in tropical north Queensland,” Professor Pankhurst said.
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Associate Professor Bette Willis with coral juveniles
Landslide warning
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natural disaster researcher has warned that a planned development in the Cairns suburb of Redlynch could put lives at risk. Geomorphologist Dr Jon Nott, Deputy Director of the Centre For Disaster Studies at James Cook University in Cairns, says his concerns are based on a report by Geoscience Australia. The report, Quantitative Landslide Risk Assessment of Cairns, was published in 1999. (Geoscience Australia was then known as AGSO, the Australian Geological Survey Organisation.) “The report predicts a risk of more than five deaths per square kilometre per hundred years in the area of the planned development,” Dr Nott said. “It also warns that for anyone in a house in the area at the time of a landslide, the likelihood of death would be 90 per cent.” The risk assessment was based on population figures for 1999, and the report warns that fatalities could be significantly higher if the population spread into areas vulnerable to landslides. Dr Nott presented the report to a recent meeting of Cairns City Council recently. He has had no response from the Council since. “In fact this information is already well known to the Council, which was represented at the report’s launch five years ago,” Dr Nott said. “My concern was to remind them of the report, which warned of a significant risk to residents.” Dr Nott said the Cairns region had an extensive history of landslides, particularly after heavy wet seasons. “Landslides are a part of life in this region,” Dr Nott said. However he warned that local authorities should not become complacent, or proceed with development in the face of clear danger. “When Geoscience Australia studied this region, the highest level of danger they found was that recorded for this location,” he said. “There are other spots in Cairns that recorded the same level of risk, some small areas in Stratford and some further along Redlynch Valley.” To assess the risk of landslides, the scientists mapped landslides documented since 1878, determining the frequency and nature of the events. “To permit a suburban development in a high risk zone, after a clear warning from the national authority, is cause for alarm. I can understand that some people would prefer to ignore the danger, but we only have to look as far back as Thredbo to see the devastation that landslides can cause. I’m sure that anyone who was touched by that event would give anything to have had the forewarning that we have.” Dr Nott said the nature of the Cairns hill slopes could produce devastating landslides. “What we see are torrents of mud carrying huge boulders, sometimes the size of small cars.” While engineering works could reduce the risk to some extent, he said the report warned that the size of some boulders and other debris could make it difficult, if not impossible, to mitigate the risks cost-effectively. — Linden Woodward
Bigamy helps corals cope
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an reef corals cope with rapid climate changes? North Queensland marine scientists have discovered a mechanism involving cohabitation of multiple partners that enables corals to cope with environmental change. consorts early on in life. The dominant algal partner can change throughout life, adjusting with the changing physiological needs of the host or ambient environmental conditions. This demonstrates how corals may cope with a changing environment. Scientists predict colourful corals that make up the Great Barrier Reef will be significantly reduced in number by 2050 because of warming seawater. They believe coral bleaching is one of the biggest threats to the world’s coral reefs over the next few decades. But little is known about the ability of corals to adapt or acclimatise to change. This new research is the first step towards understanding how the zooxanthellae-coral relationship contributes to coral resilience. The scientists raised larvae of the coral species Acropora tenuis, settled them onto tiles and attached them to their reef of origin in Nelly Bay (Magnetic Island). “From here we observed the initial uptake of zooxanthellae to be non-selective, however, over time one strain started to dominate. Unexpectedly, this was a different strain than the one that dominates adult colonies of this species at Magnetic Island,” Dr van Oppen said. “We believe that algal symbionts can be reshuffled in response to the physiological requirements of the host or changes in the environment. This symbiont shuffling represents a mechanism for rapid acclimatisation of the coral to environmental change.” Associate Professor Bette Willis said a second experiment showed that growth Research conducted by Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) geneticist Dr Madeleine van Oppen and JCU’s coral biologist Associate Professor Bette Willis with Honours student Angela Little offers new hope for coral in an era of global coral reef deterioration. The study shows how algae that live inside the coral (zooxanthellae) determine coral growth rates. The research also revealed that corals are not fussy about the algae they take up, keeping the company of a range of algal
rates of juvenile coral species is determined by the algal strain harboured, supporting the idea that symbiont reshuffling can act as a mechanism for a coral colony to rapidly change its physiological response. “While characteristics, like heat tolerance, help corals cope with environmental conditions are enhanced when zooxanthella partners are reshuffled, this may be at the expense of maximising other traits, like growth or reproduction,” Associate Professor Willis said. Full understanding of these mechanisms of rapid acclimatization is needed if we are to realise the true impact of global warming on coral reefs. The American Association for the Advancement of Science has recently released the research paper in the prestige journal Science.
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Harry Potter and the Trojan horse
Like the Trojan horse of Greek mythology, children’s fantasy fiction is not always what it seems, according to a researcher from James Cook University in Cairns. Natasha Giardina, completing her PhD, has explored the cultural politics of children’s fantasy fiction, looking at the way adults talk to kids through books. “I was interested in the relationship between adults and kids, and whether children’s books reflected discernible changes throughout the century.” Ms Giardina examined eight texts from the children’s’ fantasy fiction genre, written from 1900 to 1997 including JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by CS Lewis, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L Frank Baum. According to Ms Giardina, children’s fantasy fiction writers connect to their child readers by using artefacts of children’s culture. “They use the rhymes, games, language styles, social patterns and unwritten social rules that children use to communicate with one another,” she explained. “Writers also deliberately use the ideologies of children’s culture in the storyline. The most common of these is to raise the importance and centrality of children in the story, so in most child fiction we are likely to see the child as the hero, usually outwitting adult authority figures. “Importantly, adults in the story (usually teachers or parents) are marginalised.” Ms Giardina uses the term ‘Trojan horse’ to explain the adult writers’ motives and mechanisms. “On the surface the text seems to say, ‘Look kids! This is your culture. We’re on your side, especially against adult authority figures.’ “But a closer analysis demonstrates that the writer is merely using this strategy to sell adult ideas such as: ‘adults know best’, and, ‘parents are a source of security when things get tough’,” she said. “In fact, the adult ideology which is the most stable in this genre over the centuries, including the recent Harry Potter series, is the implication that
Photo: Anna Rogers
children should always trust the guidance of white patriarchs.” Ms Giardina argues that some of the adult ideologies conveyed in books for kids have changed over the century, not only because we have learnt more about children, but also because our own adult values have changed and we wish different things for our children. “The typical sub-text earlier in the century concentrated on little boys needing to learn how to be good workers, or breadwinners, or empire-builders, and little girls needing to learn to be good wives and mothers,” she said. “Of the eight authors, Roald Dahl is the most overt in terms of his use of Trojan horse devices to sell adult concepts of good and bad behaviour,” she said. Ms Giardina refers to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to illustrate her point. “The oompa-loompas (small, magical creatures that sing) are Dahl’s Trojan horse. Their songs include rhyming schemes and word choices that echo those used in children’s culture.” “Dahl uses the oompa-loompas to celebrate the demise of bad kids and punish them for things like being fat and greedy, or being snotty and swanky — behaviour that kids punish themselves for in real life,” she said. “At the heart of the story, however, is the adult notion that children should be meek, mild and obedient to the wishes of good, sensible adults. The final oompa-loompa song punishes a child for enjoying television.” A more controversial aspect of Ms
Giardina’s analysis of these eight texts is their illustration of adult-child power relations. “Children the world over have little social power but they work constantly to counteract their powerless position,” she said. They explore and test different behaviours and their relationships with adults, particularly parents and teachers, in order to regain power. The challenge for adult authors of children’s fantasy fiction is to sell the adult value system to what is, in essence, a culturally resistant group”, she said. In Northern Lights, published in 1995, Ms Giardina found evidence of an ideological shift in the portrayal of adultchild relationships. Author Philip Pullman portrays children’s culture as valuable and viable in its own right. “The underlying story destroys the idea that parents know best, or that parents are always benevolent and it shows that a child can be a powerful, capable person able to accomplish amazing things as an individual and as part of a group.” Whether this book signals a wider change in adult-child power relations is unclear. “The success of Harry Potter and the continued popularity of older children’s fantasy texts suggests that adult authors will continue using Trojan horse devices to maintain the adult hegemony for many years to come,” she said. — Kerry Moore
student in profile
Holly Bernardi
Second-year student Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery
Why study at JCU? I decided the JCU course would most benefit me because it is a rural-based course focusing on producing doctors that are sensitive to social and rural issues, a quality that medical courses at other universities lack. The course is also structured to suit Australia – offering its students with information on the cultural background of many overseas countries, as well as Indigenous Australia. Hence, the doctors produced will be able to treat their patients in a culturally and socially appropriate manner that keeps the interests and lives of the patient very prominent in any medical decisions. Why did you choose the course? It is something that I’ve always wanted to do. Being able to help someone, the way I will be able to, will be an absolute privilege.
What elements of the course do you enjoy most? I particularly enjoy the clinical placements because it allows me to put the medical and social skills we have been taught into practice. JCU allows its medical students to engage in practical sessions frequently, so that in the workforce we will be comfortable with our profession and have a multitude of skills and experiences to draw upon. Although only in my second year, I have worked in GP clinics, hospitals, and indigenous health centres located in Townsville, Mareeba, and Cairns. What kind of career do you envisage? I envisage a career working as a rural doctor. I grew up in a rural town, and feel that I would most suit the culture. What do you like most about studying at JCU? JCU campus is almost a world on its own. It is spread out over a large area, far from the city, with many students and staff who are friendly and welcoming. When you are not studying, what keeps you busy? I enjoy relaxing with friends at the uni club and rollerblading at The Strand. I also enjoy a bit of retail therapy; and playing my guitar offers a great opportunity to unwind.
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Death not always end of life
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iochemistry PhD student David Carter is examining cadaver breakdown and soil biology to provide answers to life's toughest question: What happens to us after we die? "There has been considerable research focusing on the breakdown of organic material such as leaves, branches, and fruit in the soil, but very little work has been done on the decomposition processes and nutrient cycling associated with cadavers in soil," Mr Carter said. Cadaver breakdown and decomposition is a somewhat different process to that of plant-derived organic matter. Cadavers contain a greater proportion of protein and fat than plant materials. Also, and more importantly, a large internal microbial population exists within the cadaver which is credited with initiating and fuelling decomposition. When a cadaver makes contact with the soil, the relationship between body microbe and soil microbe activity during decomposition is virtually unknown. "We want to observe the interaction between the microbes we already carry within us with the microbes waiting for us in the soil," he said. "Exactly which microbes dominate in number and activity at a certain stage of decay on a cadaver is unknown," he said. Whether it is internal microbe activity from the cadaver, external microbe activity from the soil, or a dynamic interaction between the two, Mr Carter hopes to map the progress of cadaver breakdown by giving the culprits names and numbers. This is achieved using two tests, carried out on the soil associated with the remains of rats. The first, phospholipid fatty acid analysis, is used in this instance to identify how the structure of the microbe community immediately surrounding a cadaver changes or evolves as the decomposition of the body proceeds. For instance, how the proportion of fungi to bacteria adjusts through the stages of breakdown. The second, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, is a DNA-based technique that should provide an analysis of the complexity of the bacterial community. That is, identifying the
forensic applications. It is hypothesized that successive sequences of microorganisms may act as a basis for estimating a postmortem and post-burial interval. "It would be like using aspects of nature to solve forensic crimes," Mr Carter said. "To achieve this it is necessary to examine the rate of cadaver mass loss, as well as the structure and function of the soil microbial population, over time in field and laboratory settings," he said. Mr Carter hopes his attempts to introduce soil biology and biochemistry to forensic science will provide a greater understanding of the contribution cadaver breakdown makes to terrestrial ecosystem function. Being somewhat of a pioneer in this field of study, he also hopes his work will stimulate further research into this largely unknown body of science. Mr Carter fully appreciates the role decomposition plays in a healthy ecosystem, even though the results may be too much for many to stomach. "Rotting cadavers may not be the most glamorous research topic, but it is very important work that shouldn't be underestimated," he said. His interest in the science of cadaver decomposition results from a strong background in archaeology and a welltravelled study portfolio. Mr Carter was introduced to archaeology in his home country, the United States, before travelling to the United Kingdom to refine his study interests in soil science and forensic archaeology. However it was at James Cook University where Mr Carter decided to combine his two areas of specialty through a PhD research topic. "Townsville was perfectly located to study tropical soils, an area of soil research that has been shadowed by work done in temperate areas,” he said. "Also, I was attracted to JCU because of the quality of teaching staff and resources."
Celebrating festivals
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estivals as a way of communicating messages for Indigenous Australians has captured international interest with James Cook University Anthropologist Dr Rosita Henry being invited to Mexico to share her findings. Dr Henry will travel to Mexico City this month to speak on festivals at a conference organised by the Mexican National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples (CDI) and the Australian Embassy of Mexico City. “Festivals are a way Indigenous peoples can deal with their history of dispossession and dispersal as well as their complex and uncertain modern social situation,” Dr Henry said. “On their own terms they are able to choose how they want to be represented and recognised.’’ But festivals are more than just this, she said. “They allow Indigenous peoples a means of political and economic presence in both local and international arenas,” she said. In Australia, festivals are a burgeoning phenomenon, partly do to the support from the Federal Government under the Festivals Australia Cultural Grant Program, Dr Henry said. “It is a good indication of the increasing significance of Aboriginal art and culture in Australian identity politics,” she said. But it’s no coincidence that festivals were chosen as a topic for the Mexican conference. The Australian Embassy in Mexico City is hosting the international touring exhibition Kickin’ Up Dust. The exhibition, depicting 40 photographs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Festivals, was commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2003 for a three year world tour. The Australian Embassy is hoping to bring greater balance to the picture that Australia presents overseas of Australian Indigenous peoples and the issues that confront them, Dr Henry said. While in Mexico, Dr Henry will be involved in round table discussions with Mexican anthropologists sharing ideas and experiences and forming collaborations for future research projects. The conference coincides with National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) week, running from July 4 to 11. — Linda Souter
David Carter is exploring the mysteries of cadaver breakdown
specific players in the microbial decomposition process. This gives the microbes involved in decomposition names and numbers,
however Mr Carter believes it may also hold the key to identifying the 'when' component of the process. Being able to pinpoint a time of death, or time of burial after death, would have enormous
Since coming to JCU, Mr Carter credits the university with the support needed to have his work published in prestigious science journals around the world. JCU has also helped Mr Carter attend conferences on forensic science in Dallas, USA, and talks on archaeometry in Amsterdam. — Martin Elms
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JUL2004
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Professor in profile
Ned Pankhurst
BSc (Hons) PhD DSc Areas of expertise: Fish reproductive biology and endocriniology Ned.Pankhurst@jcu.edu.au
Diving to greater depths
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umans instinctively dive by inhaling vast quantities of air before swimming downwards. However JCU student and dive instructor Sebastien Murat has mastered the opposite approach to freediving, by exhaling the contents of his lungs immediately before submerging.
Piscine passion
What attracted you to this field? I like fish. What advances would you like to see in your field? I’d like to see better understanding of the environmental switches that trigger physiological events at the individual level. We know a lot about animals under controlled conditions, but discouragingly little about how the machine works in nature. This is a bit of a worry given the environmental changes that we appear to be on the cusp of. Where did you work before you came to JCU? University of Alberta (Edmonton Alberta), Fisheries Research Centre (Wellington NZ), Leigh Marine Laboratory (University of Auckland), and University of Tasmania (Launceston). What do you like to see students take away from their studies? A degree is nice. Also, a better understanding of the world and their place in it, an understanding of the role of science and technology in society, and an affection for their particular institute of higher learning (confirmation that this has been a rewarding and personally expanding process). Who has been the most significant influence on your career, and why? Several senior mentors in the field (who shall remain nameless to avoid embarrassing them) who have shown that mix of enthusiasm, professionalism and ability that should define a successful scientist and academic. What is the best advice you have been given? Keep your day job. What are your favourite books/authors or other interests? Books? I like the sports section of the newspaper and Flylife (esteemed fishing publication from Tasmania) is good. Other interests: fishing, diving, bushwalking, all forms of amplified guitar music. If you weren’t doing what you’re doing, what would you be doing? Something with fish and water in it I suspect.
Many in the diving world may think he’s ‘a bit wet behind the ears’, but Mr Murat says sea mammals are so successful at diving to depths in this unique way for a good reason, and he has the results to back-up his claims. Recently the focus of ABC’s science showcase, Catalyst, Mr Murat showed the world that his unusual ‘exhale’ approach to depth diving has profound physiological merit. Mr Murat was able to freedive unassisted to a depth of 57 metres using the exhale method after just three days of preparation; the world record is 61 metres, achieved using the inhale method. Mr Murat says that the ‘exhale’ method of diving reduces the health risks associated with breath-hold diving and is, overall, a more cost-efficient method of diving because it both Sebastien Murat performs his diving technique at Susan’s Reef off the coast of Papua New Guinea Photo: Don Lewis magnifies the oxygen conserving dive response and “I find this an intriguing area of research include a reduced risk of makes swimming to depth largely and have a strong scientific curiosity decompression illness (the bends) and unnecessary. Although lung oxygen compressed gas narcosis which causes about the relative merits of this unique stores are largely sacrificed with this diving strategy, modelled on aquatic an altered, or ‘drunken’ state of mind; strategy, there are, he suggests, cessation of shivering underwater; and animals. I hope to continue to refine paradoxically compensatory quicker recoveries which allows Mr and promote this technique and, hope mechanisms that promptly increase Murat to dive in quick succession. to reduce the high and unnecessary blood oxygen stores. loss of life associated with this Mr Murat is certainly breaking down otherwise wonderful activity,” he said. “I think the most noticeable advantages some well-established walls within the are the energetic savings and the diving fraternity with his controversial Needless to say, he advises readers to reduced risk of shallow-water blackout, and groundbreaking ‘exhale’ diving take great caution in copying or caused by overexpansion of lung method. He is hoping to capitalise on adopting the strategies of others volume during ascents,” he said. his unique findings through a master’s without well-informed and appropriate degree in exercise physiology next year. training. Other benefits of the exhale method
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what’s on
The United Nations Society of James Cook University will be hosting the 10th Asia-Pacific Model United Nations Conference (AMUNC) from July 5 to 11. The event is expected to attract about 600 tertiary students from around the Asia-Pacific region. For more information contact Alec McConnell on 07-4781-6176. An Inaugural Cultural Collaborations Forum will be held on July 6 and 7 at Jupiters Townsville. The JCU School of Indigenous Australian Studies event is designed to encourage Australians to engage in a debate about the cultural diversity that is characteristic of contemporary Australian society. The theme for this collaboration forum, Interrogating Self, has been chosen to enable participants to commence their journey of exploration through a reflection about themselves and the way in which they, as individuals, contribute to Australia’s cultural milieu. For more information contact Toni Peachey on 074781-4114. JCU Professor Bill Lavery will give his inaugural Professorial lecture Do we want to go where Bill Gates is taking us? at 5pm on July 6 at the Southbank Convention Centre Townsville. All members of the public are welcome to attend. For more information contact Brenda Murphy on 07-4781-4622. Professor Jean-Pierre Sauvage will present Molecular Machines and Motors at the Les Power Memorial Lecture at the Museum of Tropical Queensland at 5.30pm on July 13. For more information contact Kelly Horne on 07-4781-6462. Professor Robert Barry from the Department of Psychology at he University of Wollongong will discuss Electrophysiology in AD/HD: indications of brain dysfunction as part of the JCU School of Psychology Jocelyn Wale seminar series on August 6. The seminar is free to the public and will be held from 4.10pm in the Padua Lecture Theatre (JCU Townsville) and room A1.129 (JCU Cairns). For more information phone 07-4781-5164.
Samantha Fox, Leonie Valentine and Yvette Williams
Finalists off to New York
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wo JCU Tropical Biology students, Samantha Fox and Leonie Valentine, are among ten worldwide finalists who will travel to New York this month to present research at a prestigious international conference.
“This will have a significant impact on developing future management plans,” Ms Fox said. PhD candidate Leonie Valentine will present her work on the impact of fire management on bird assemblages in tropical savannas. Ms Valentine said land managers in tropical savannas increasingly utilise fire as a contemporary management tool. “Fire is recognised as an important force structuring communities in tropical Australia, and the type of fire regime implemented in an area can significantly impact the structure of bird assemblages,” Ms Valentine said. PhD Candidate Yvette Williams will present her findings on the dispersal ability of rainforest endemic frogs of the Wet Tropics. Ms Williams said that an understanding of what causes rarity among species in Wet Tropics areas will assist in the management of these habitats. The students have received various funding from the school of Tropical Biology, CRC Rainforest, and the Society for Conservation Biology to assist them in attending the conference in New York.
A third JCU Tropical Biology student, Yvette Williams, will also present but not compete. The students were among 60 applicants competing to present their research at the annual conference for the Society for Conservation Biology Conference, held at Columbia University from July 29th. The event attracts 1700 delegates from 50 countries. Delegates include biology scientists, professors, practitioners, government, environmental managers and students. PhD candidate Samantha Fox will present her research on “Understanding the demographics of a vulnerable flying-fox species.” Ms Fox said understanding age, growth-rate and longevity of flyingfox individuals of a population was important in determining whether a declining population is capable of recovery.
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