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Today's date is Thursday, March 28, 2024
Academic Events
 October 2012
Wednesday 17
7:00 - EVENT - Breakfast by the Bay with Fiona Wood : Burns research 10 years on; what has been achieved? Website | More Information
In October 2002, Professor Fiona Wood led a Royal Perth Hospital team treating 28 people injured in the Bali bombings. The scale of burns injuries was previously unseen by the hospital, and the exceptional situation required individuals, governments and the private sector to work together closely in coordinating evacuations and treatment. During that time, Fiona witnessed extraordinary bravery, saw incredible acts of courage and was moved by people’s will to survive. The experience inspired her to drive forward on all fronts cutting across boundaries and exploring ground-breaking and innovative research and treatments applicable in burns and other traumatic injuries.

Fiona has now established the Fiona Wood Foundation, which is built on the premise that each and every patient must be given the opportunity to achieve the best possible outcome by combining current treatments with cutting-edge research. At the breakfast, Fiona will share inspiring stories, as well as her vision for the future of burns treatment: a holistic approach encompassing community education, clinical, basic science and population health research to improve wound healing, and the associated long-term physical and psychological complications of burns.

Price: Members $45 / Guests $55 / Table of Ten $450

Price includes a two-course sit down breakfast and presentation by Fiona Wood

8:30 - EVENT - Australia China Business Council Education Forum 2012 : Chinese Language and Cultural Competency in Schools and Industry - Real Links to a Sustainable Relationship Website | More Information
Whilst trade and enterprise have led Australia's bilateral relations with China, education promotes mutual understanding and long lasting links. This year's forum will focus on developing Chinese language and cultural competency in schools, universities and industry. His Excellency Mr Chen Yuming, Chinese Ambassador to Australia, will provide the keynote address and a panel of business leaders and education representatives will share their experiences.

12:00 - SEMINAR - School of Chemistry and Biochemistry Seminar : Luminescent Tetrazolato Complexes: More Information
Luminescent species find applications in a wide variety of fields, including optical technologies and devices, sensors, biomedical diagnostics and many more. Our group is interested in the design of transition metal and lanthanoid coordination compounds that possess phosphorescent properties, as well as their use in materials and life science. This presentation will illustrate efforts within our research group centred on the synthesis of organometallic tetrazolato metal complexes and the investigation of their photophysical properties. As these complexes exhibit efficient luminescent properties, we have also assessed their cellular incubation and cytotoxicity, and the results highlight these species are promising candidates for the design of improved cellular labels. More recent results on the use of N-heterocyclic carbene ligands for the construction of luminescent metal complexes will also be presented.


12:30 - SEMINAR - Beyond the LMS: Integrating social media and the LMS Website | More Information
Social (also termed 'participatory') media is a significant part of students' lives. The increase in the use of Facebook as a communicating forum between students, Twitter for professional learning and sharing, YouTube for sharing video or viewing lecture, Diigo for social bookmarking of resources, and many other participatory online tools necessitates that we explore whether and how we might incorporate them into our students' learning experiences. This Seminar will explore a number of social media (also called Participatory media) web 2.0 tools for their educational purpose and uses.

16:00 - SEMINAR - �Re-engineering the ribosome for efficient selenoprotein synthesis� Website | More Information
Ross completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Western Australia and joined WAIMR in 2008 where he undertook an honours project in the Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Drug Discovery supervised by Dr Aleksandra Filipovska and Dr Oliver Rackham. In 2009 he began a PhD (also in the Rackham/Filipovska lab) and has investigated the role of rRNA in controlling the efficiency of selenocysteine incorporation.

The ribosome is a 2.5 MDa molecular machine that converts the information encoded in mRNA into protein, following the rules defined by the genetic code. In all organisms protein composition is limited to 20 amino acids, with the rare exceptions of pyrrolysine and selenocysteine. Although rarely used in the proteome, the incorporation of selenocysteine into proteins is essential for life in many organisms, including humans. The mRNA encoding a selenoprotein has a stem loop known as a SECIS following a UGA stop codon that facilitates the ribosome to introduce selenocysteine at the stop codon. This requires a unique set of factors used only for the synthesis and insertion of selenocysteine (SelA, SelB, SelC and SelD).

The human proteome includes 25 selenoproteins that are mostly uncharacterised because of the inability to express them in bacteria. This is due to the divergence of RNA and protein factors as well as the inherently low efficiency of selenocysteine incorporation in bacteria. We have developed a reporter gene that provides a life/death selection for selenocysteine incorporation and identified mutations in the 16S rRNA which affect the efficiency of the process. This was validated using the endogenous E. coli selenoprotein formate dehydrogenase H. This opens the door for high efficiency site-specific incorporation of selenocysteine and the study of recombinant human selenoproteins. Furthermore the identification of sequences that alter ribosome function provides information on the fundamental biology of protein synthesis.

16:00 - SEMINAR - CWR Presents : Consistent abundance distributions of marine fishes in an old, climatically buffered, infertile seascape. Website | More Information
Macroecological theory predicts that along direct physiological gradients there will be unimodal abundance distributions of species and consistent rates of assemblage turnover. However, the majority of marine studies that have investigated the realised distribution of species along latitudinal or temperature gradients have generally found unimodal distributions to be rare.

We asses fish distributions along a temperature gradient in a stable oligotrophic seascape and suggest that unimodal distributions will be more common. The high diversity and percentage of endemic species in terrestrial and marine habitats of southwestern Australia is likely due to the stable geological and oceanographic history of the region.

In comparison, studies of abundance distribution in other marine systems have been conducted in relatively heterogeneous and productive environments. The old, climatically buffered, oligotrophic seascape of southwestern Australia has provided a simple system in which the consistent influence of physiological gradients on the abundance distribution of fish species can be observed.

short Bio,

Timothy Langlois is a research fellow in the School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute at the University Western Australia, Perth.

His research examines continental-scale changes in macroecological patterns as revealed by analyses of non-destructive video surveys of fish assemblages and concurrent physical and biological time series. Tim also works within the West Australian Marine Science Institute to develop monitoring programmes to investigate changes in fish assemblages associated with environmental variation and human pressure.

PS* This seminar is free and open to the public & no RSVP required.

****All Welcome****


18:00 - PUBLIC LECTURE - Maintaining a civil society: The importance of equality and education Website | More Information
The 2012 Reid Oration will be presented by Carmen Lawrence, Winthrop Professor, School of Psychology, UWA.

Carmen Lawrence has always been passionately committed to egalitarianism – the idea that each person has equal worth; that any limitations on achievement and ability to share in society’s goods should be systematically broken down. It is clear that this requires public action and investment to minimise disadvantage and ensure that people’s life chances are made more equal; so that the accident of your birth does not cripple your future. Increasing inequality in Australia presents a real threat, not just to the well-being of those who are missing out, but also to our collective well-being. Such inequality, especially in a society accustomed to seeing itself as fair, creates a nagging sense of injustice and threatens social solidarity and stability. Evidence also shows that unequal communities have poorer health, poorer education outcomes and rising crime rates compared with more equal communities. Income inequality is also associated with high levels of work disability, civil strife and environmental degradation. In the past our inclusive public school system helped reduce inequality, but as our education system has become more segregated, it appears to be reinforcing privilege and community divisions, rather than breaking them down. Free. RSVP via http://www.ias.uwa.edu.au/lectures/2012-reid
Thursday 18
13:10 - PERFORMANCE - School of Music Presents: Free Lunchtime Concert: Lachlan Skipworths Website | More Information
Be transported away from the everyday with our exciting line-up of Thursday 1.10pm, free lunchtime concerts. This year's revamped Lunchtime Concert series features the best of our students in solo and small ensemble performance.

14:00 - VISITING SPEAKER - Statistics Seminar : Is Systematic Volatility a Priced Factor More Information
Abstract: Asset pricing is a core research field in finance alive with debates, anomalies and puzzles. The past half a century has seen ebbs and flows of numerous asset pricing models and debates over the roles of risk factors and firm characteristics in the determination of cross-sectional asset returns. This presentation focuses on whether systematic volatility is a priced factor using the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), which is often referred to as the "investor fear gauge". In particular, we answer the following questions • Is there an asymmetric volatility effect on the cross-section of stock returns? • Is there seasonality in the cross-section of stock returns considering volatility risk? • Given conditioning information, is systematic volatility priced? Based on the results from stock portfolios and individual stocks, we find that the price of systematic volatility risk is consistently negative, which ranges from -1 to -2.5 precent per annum.

15:00 - SEMINAR - Classification and morphodynamics of perched beaches : SESE and Oceans Institute Seminar More Information
Throughout the globe, beaches are underlain and fronted seaward by rock and coral landforms. In Western Australia, many of our beaches are perched on coral, limestone and granite reefs and platforms. These hardlandforms have a strong influence on cross-shore and longshore sediment transport. However, there is no definition nor classification that distinguishes these beaches as a distinct beach-type. Also, mechanisms through which coastal sediment transport interacts with these reefs are poorly understood.

In this research a classification of cross-shore and longshore rocky landforms supporting perched beaches was developed as a framework to examine the beach morphodynamics. This classification resulted in 15 cross-shore and 7 longshore morphotypes and its application was demonstrated in the UK and Western Australia at a range of scales. The second part of this research involved investigating the morphodynamics of a perched beach complex at Yanchep Lagoon in southwestern Australia. Theeffect of rock topography on small-scale/short-term and large-scale/long-term morphodynamics was quantified. Reefs with higher elevations appeared to protect the beach during erosive events, but also inhibited landward sediment transport. Overall this resulted in more erosion and slower beach recovery during low-energy conditions. Inter-annual and seasonal variability in beach volumes was greater on sections perched on reef above mean sea level, compared to sections perched on submerged reefs. The reefs also strongly influenced longshore sediment transport by trapping the littoral drift; and by generating current jets that transported eroded sediments to downdrift areas.


16:00 - VISITING SPEAKER - The mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase complex of plants: Function in respiration and photosynthesis : The mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase complex (complex I) is the largest enzyme complex of the Oxidative Phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system and the main entrance site for electrons into the respiratory electron transfer chain. More Information
Complex I has several unique features in plants. Most notably, it includes 15 extra subunits, some of which introduce side activities into this respiratory enzyme. For example, subunits resembling an archaebacterial gamma-type carbonic anhydrase form an integral part of complex I in plants. These carbonic anhydrase subunits constitute a spherical extra domain which is attached to the membrane arm of complex I on its matrix exposed side. Furthermore, L-galactono-1,4 dehydrogenase (GLDH), which catalyses the terminal step of ascorbate biosynthesis in plants, is associated with complex I in plants. Novel data on the structure of the NADH dehydrogenase complex and its multiple functions in plant cells will be presented and discussed.

16:00 - SEMINAR - Securing the future of the Great Barrier Reef : SESE and Oceans Institute Seminar More Information
The Great Barrier Reef is a valuable natural asset that provides $6 billion per annum to the Australian economy and supports more than 50,000 jobs, primarily in tourism. It’s an irreplaceable resource, a national and international icon, and it is slowly declining. In the past 50years more than half of the corals have disappeared, and the number of sharks, dugongs and turtles today is a small fraction of only a few decades ago. Increasing fishing pressure has made it harder to catch a decent-sized fish. Three major outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish have swept along the GBR since the 1960s, and a fourth is underway. In 1998 and again in 2002, global warming caused coral bleaching along the length of the Reef leading to further loss of corals. Since 2000, more than half of the individual reefs comprising the Great Barrier Reef have less than 10% coral cover, compared to an average of close to 40% in the 1960s. Many people assume that the decline is caused primarily by cyclones and crown-of-thorns starfish, but it’s not that simple. In this talk, I investigate the impact of recruitment failure on the abundance and species composition of corals across the GreatBarrier Reef. I’ll conclude with an overview of how management of the Great Barrier Reef could be improved.


16:00 - SEMINAR - Securing the future of the Great Barrier Reef : Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies More Information
SPECIAL SEMINAR: Securing the future of the Great Barrier Reef by: Distinguished Professor Terry Hughes FAA Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Australia

18:00 - PUBLIC LECTURE - 2012 Salek Minc Lecture : With Occasional Political Overtones: Art and Feminism 1966-1973 Website | More Information
As Curator of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Catherine Morris has organized several exhibitions that explored issues related to feminism and its impact as a social, political, and intellectual construct on the development of visual culture. In this lecture she will focus on her most recent project, 'Materializing Six Years: Lucy R. Lippard and the Emergence of the Conceptual Art Movement'.

This lecture is co-presented by the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery and the Institute of Advanced Studies.
Friday 19
11:00 - PUBLIC LECTURE - CMSS Presents: Islamic Finance: The law of which land ? : Anne-Sophie Gintzburger will discuss initial research on financial product structures and contract preferences across key regional hubs for Islamic finance, offering insight into the dynamics currently shaping the Islamic financial services industry. More Information
Anne-Sophie has a Research Masters in Islamic finance (2010) from the Australian National University where she focused on the sources of variation in the application of Shariah compliant finance contracts between the Arab states of the GCC and Southeast Asia, both regional epicenters for Islamic finance. She is a PhD candidate in emerging economic thought at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in France.

12:00 - SEMINAR - Economics Research Seminar More Information
The Meta Taylor Rule

19:30 - PERFORMANCE - School of Music Presents: Artistry! Four: Culmination Website | More Information
Every year, the outstanding ability and youthful passion of the emerging artists and their mentors combine to celebrate the culmination of a yearlong collaboration. In this special concert, three young artists perform a movement of their chosen concerto onstage with orchestra in the finals of the prestigious VOSE competition. In the interval, vote in the people’s choice award for your favourite performance before immersing in the magnificence of Rachmaninov.

Program includes: Vose Concerto Competition: Sibelius- Violin Concerto, Korngold - Violin Concerto and Elgar - Cello Concerto, Berlioz - Le Carnival Romaine, Rachmaninov - Second Symphony

As part of the School of Music Outreach Program, we are pleased to extend an invitation for you and a guest to join us at this culmination concert. To claim your complimentary tickets email: [email protected]
Saturday 20
9:00 - SYMPOSIUM - Cruthers Collection of Women's Art symposium : This two-day symposium accompanies the exhibition 'LOOK. LOOK AGAIN' at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, UWA Website | More Information
Full registration: $250 Concession: $150

SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR UWA STAFF AND STUDENTS ONLY – REGISTER FOR $30. NUMBERS ARE LIMITED. ENTER DISCOUNT CODE 'CSYMPUWASS' WHEN REGISTERING.
Sunday 21
14:30 - PUBLIC TALK - UWA Historical Society Event : Talk about the Campus landscape history and guided walk More Information
Gillian will speak about the Campus landscape history, then guide a walk to relevant parts of the Campus. Crawley Campus is notable as a place of exceptional cultural heritage significance, rich in the history of landscape development and buildings integrated in an exceptional manner. Gillian Lilleyman is a landscape historian of note and knowledge of this special place is extensive. Gillian is a co-author of 'A Landscape for Learning: A History of the Grounds of The University of Western Australia and a contributor to the forthcoming centennial history of the University.
Monday 22
12:00 - SEMINAR - LIWA Medical Research Seminar Series : Dr Keith Giles presents "Tumour suppressor activity of microRNA-7 and microRNA-331-3p" Website | More Information
LIWA invites you to a free seminar on: "Tumour suppressor activity of microRNA-7 and microRNA-331-3p" by Dr Keith Giles, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR). Time: 12 noon for light lunch with 12.30pm – 1.30pm presentation.

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